Not Weak, Just Stronger

Chapter 2: Guerre et Plaisir

Sunday: September 2nd, 2020.

Marquis de Sade once said, "Sex should be a perfect balance of pain and pleasure. Without that symmetry, sex becomes a routine rather than an indulgence."

"You say that my way of thinking cannot be tolerated? What of it? The man who alters his way of thinking to suit others is a fool. My way of thinking is the result of my reflections. It is part of my inner being—the way I am made. I do not contradict them, and would not even if I wished to. For my system, which you disapprove of, is also my greatest comfort in life, the source of all my happiness—it means more to me than my life itself."

Sabrina knew the man was bat-shit crazy and a little out of line sometimes—definitely downright disgusting even, but she admired how sexually liberated he was. She taught Lauren about him and his sadistic ways, and Lauren fell in love with the part of her Camila showed her was there—but Sabrina awakened completely. Lauren was a sadist and found joy in being a sadist. Inflicting emotional pain? Inflicting physical pain? It felt good, even certain aspects she couldn't necessarily admit to others. But Sabrina looked right into her eyes and told her to never be ashamed of what brought her pleasure. Sabrina wasn't a sadist, she was a masochist. That was perfect for Lauren.

Two weeks went by and it consisted of: nonstop training, discipline, reading, and getting well acquainted with the owner of the club. Angela Bassett was her name. She was super graceful in everything she did; down to the way she walked, talked, played with others, and taught Lauren what she needed to know. The green eyed girl was a quick learner and made anyone fall to their knees with her looks and charms, which was exactly why she was offered a job as an entertainer of her choosing. Lauren chose to play with Sabrina only, but would make exceptions if someone caught her eye or paid top dollar to be her submissive.

Madison was one of them.

New York Fashion Week was probably the most looked forward to event as new yorkers are very fashionable people, Manhattan's elite—especially Brooklyn—would pay thousands to fund the events or sport the hottest latest trend, lots of media coverage went around, and it was one of the big four places when it comes to allowing fashion designers to display their latest collections to influential buyers. Paris, Milan, and London were the other three. But lately, due to Instagram influencers and heavy narcissism, Fashion Week didn't feel as exclusive and important as it once did. It felt more like something people just wanted to be involved in and go to for the sole purpose of making people think they're somebody, are important, feel bad about themselves because they can't attend the shows they can or wear clothes deemed worthy of other people's approval. It was less about actual fashion and the statements the designers made, or the models that bust their asses do this for a living, or even about its main function: getting people excited to buy clothes. It was more about going just to say you went, record the whole event to put on your story, then leave without buying anything.

When Madison flew down to New York, she wanted to find and get reacquainted with friendly faces she hasn't seen in a year. At the University of California, Berkeley, Madison majored in mass communication and studies in hopes to someday work in the media or as a publicist—to be specific. California was perfect for her desired career choice, but she was five hours away from Los Angeles and she'd have to move down there after graduating if she wanted to pursue it with a better chance at getting a job. Since New York was also another perfect place for journalism and publicity, Madison called Lauren up and asked if there was any business or art she could help with in elevating and promoting. Lauren put Simon and Kehlani first, THEN spoke about her newlyfounded passion at Pandora's Box and filmmaking.

Sabrina had extra tickets to fashion week and took both girls to Union Square, Madison Ave, and Midtown with her where today's fashion shows would be taking place. It helped that she was an influencer who actually poured money into artists and designers—even small known ones still trying to get their foot in the door—and knew a friend that worked as a magazine editor; that's how she got free invites to these things. After getting to know each other, hearing more about what Camila did to Lauren that she already heard from Dinah, Madison came to really like Sabrina. They hit it off extremely well, and now that everyone was currently lounging around in Lauren's penthouse, she came to see them all in a new light.