Daphne

(37) Tokens of Respect

Monday, three weeks later, Mike returned and requested a meeting just before lunch with Sam and Daphne the following Wednesday.

Two days later Mike arrived and negotiated the terms of his investment, which were generous in every respect; several million dollars in exchange for a stack of stock and a voting seat on the Board of Directors. Sam was sure he could get the Board to agree.

"Sam, now that our primary business is concluded, I just want to say a few things before we head out for lunch.

"First, your decision to hire Daphne, here, is inspired."

He turned to Daphne: "Since we're in closed session, I hope you'll forgive me if I break protocol, just this once..."

"What do you mean?"

"You both know I'm not Cecil and that you're not Tamara..."

Daphne snapped to mental attention.

She grinned, "We should never have told you about that..."

"Are you kidding?" Mike/Cecil was elated. "It's great! Anyway, if I may, I'd appreciate an audience with Virginia and Rose. And you. It's the actual reason I'm here."

Sam: "Who's Rose?"

Cecil: "You don't know?"

Tammy: "We haven't told him yet."

Sam: "Told me what?"

Tammy: "That one of the junior executives asked me to take her to Leo's. She did the whole fifty hours."

Sam: "Oh."

Cecil: "Including some quality time with me."

Sam: "Oh... OH! And... she's alive? I mean... I've heard stories... She's OK?"

Tammy: "Oh yeah. You would have been proud!"

Cecil: "Prouder than either of you know."

Tammy:"What are you talking about?"

Cecil: "Fetch her, and Virginia, please, and you'll see for yourself."

Tammy got on the phone: "Hi. This is not Tammy. Yeah. I'm in Sam's office... Look, Cecil is up here he wants to see all of us. No, I don't know why. Just grab Rose and get up here! OK. Bye."

"They're on their way."

Presently, the girls entered and closed the door.

Cecil: "Sam, you have just learned that Rose, here, voluntarily submitted herself at Leo's a few weeks ago, with Tamara and Virginia as witnesses. I'm a witness as well, of sorts..."

The girls nodded. Sam seemed impressed.

"Also..." addressing Rose, "we both know where were you last Saturday evening" Mike said, matter-of-factly, "Don't we?"

Everyone else was stunned.

Tammy: "You went back ... alone?"

"Yes. I needed to know what it would be like when you weren't there to hold my hand; it was so much scarier. They touched me and nobody really cared. I mean, a few people did, and that was really nice. But mostly they just treated me like you said: like a slab of meat... with a warm wet hole to play with. All those strangers watching and some of them making rude comments. It was gloriously humiliating! I came and came!" She turned to Cecil: "I can still feel the end of that whip of yours wiggling inside me! Damn that hurt! You did good!"

Cecil grinned. "Next time I'm aiming for your clit!"

She looked him directly in the eye, and grinned right back. "What makes you think you missed?" Everyone looked at Rose with utter disbelief except Cecil, who seemed pleasantly amused. She turned to Sam, breathlessly: "Sir, I'm going back! As soon as I can!"

"Hold on!" All eyes turned to Tammy. "I mean, yeah, sure, go back, but there are girls, like Ginny, here, who depend on Leo for the money they need to get them through school. I love it there too, don't get me wrong, but we've got to be careful. We don't want to kill the goose that's laying the golden eggs. Wait a month-and-a-half or so and give the other girls a chance."

Cecil: "Rose, the first time you felt my lash against your bare skin, you were there out of curiosity, not fully understanding what you were getting yourself into when you agreed. It takes a special kind of bravery to deliberately head back into the inferno with your eyes wide open, knowing full well what lies ahead, and going in anyway." Sam nodded.

Cecil pulled a snow-white box out of a pocket and, holding it towards Rose, opened it. Inside was a Silver broach, shaped like a stylized cross, floating on a cloud of cobalt-blue satin. A diamond burned incandescently at its center. It wasn't so small as to be insignificant, but not so big as to be gaudy.

"I'm starting a new tradition, a sort of Medal of Valor. This one is for Rose."

He handed the opened box to her.

"This pin is made of pure Sterling Silver. The pin signifies that you have submitted yourself for a full fifty-hour weekend – and to me. The 'Plus-Sign' shape means that you freely came back and did it again. In the middle is a half-carat diamond, which, together with the Silver, signifies that you are of value and are respected – by me, if by nobody else. I present this to you with only one condition: because you alone understand its true value, what it cost to earn it, nobody but you can wear it in public. Ever."

Rose was elated. "Thank you!" She fumbled to get it on. "I'll wear it proudly!" After she got it on and she was satisfied, she faced Cecil, clasped her hands together, and bowed her head to salute him. "Thank you!"

Everyone else applauded her, then circled her to admire her new pin as she beamed.

"Cecil, believe me, after what I went through... Well, just don't worry. Nobody else will ever wear this. I promise."

Mike produced two more boxes. The first had a silver cross, like the first, but with five diamonds; one in the middle and one on each arm of the 'Plus.' He handed it to Virginia: "You've been under my lash dozens of times, so I figured I'd spice yours up with a few more shiny bits." Speechless and in tears, she saluted him. Rose helped her put it on and they giggled in joy.

Daphne looked at the final box. "Little Bunny, you deserve this." She opened it. It was a golden version of Virginia's pin. He plucked it out of the box and fastened it to her blouse: "It's solid, 24 Karat Gold, like its owner."

While she was admiring her new pin, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He suddenly pulled her back and she lost her balance. She emitted a frightened "EEK!" just as he, in a single movement, slid his other arm behind her knees and hefted her up.

"I saw a video of a seminar... The instructor – who looked very familiar – said that although women say they want to be equals, what they dream of is... what was it? ... Oh yeah, 'she actually, secretly, dreams that a big, hunky, muscular Richard Gere will strut up to her, sweep her up bodily and carry her away into his exciting life; someone she can wrap her arms around and submit to, body and soul.'" Mike grinned at her.

Daphne looked surprised and happy at the same time, then playfully annoyed: "You know, Sir, it's bad form to use a lady's words against her!" she giggled, adding "I'd try to teach you some manners myself but you are incorrigible and I simply don't have the time."

"If you'd like to try, I can arrange for you to have all the time you need..."

There was something about the tone of his voice that made the moment light, yet serious. She looked at him, not sure what to expect next.

He knelt down on one knee, supporting most of her weight on the horizontal thigh. She felt the hand of his 'leg' arm poking the side of her knee. She looked down to see what he was up to and...

...between his thumb and forefinger, hovered an engagement ring.

"It's yours if you promise to take the time to teach me some manners..." he said.