Eventide (Her Father, My Master) (9 page)

skin, and I was yet again reminded of my bond to him. This was a good thing. This was something I

wanted to be a part of.

*****

That evening, I removed the ropes. My skin underneath was red, rubbed more than a little rough by the

scratchy fibers, and it tingled in the most pleasurable way. Even with the ropes gone, I still had a

reminder of my master, right there on my skin.

I carefully coiled the rope up and placed it in a bag. I would have to remember to take it with me, the

next time I visited.

The next time I visited... I wondered when that would be. I hadn't heard from him all day, though that

wasn't unusual. I still missed him all the same. His touch, his scent, the way he spoke to me, commanded

me. I needed to hear that again. I'd grown so used to it.

But, for now, I had other things to worry about. Like work tomorrow.

I didn't need to turn in early, at least, as I wasn't opening at that ungodly early hour. And I also would

have to work with Maddie for most of my shift. And Derrick would be there. I didn't know why, but I felt

happy about seeing him again. He was such a good person.

And I would see him again tomorrow.

*****

The next morning, my skin was still a little sensitive as I rolled out of bed. But it was a good kind of

sensitive, the kind that made my skin tingle and vibrate with pleasure. Partly because it had been my

master who'd done this to me.

But I couldn't dwell on that subtle pleasure as much as I wanted to, because I had to get ready for

work. Not that it took much to get ready, but I had to leave soon.

Before long, I was dressed and ready. Flicker protested at my leaving, as he always did, but I soothed

him as well as I could.

“It's all right buddy. I'll be back before you know it.”

The little black cat grumbled and slid under the bed, clearly not believing me. No matter. It was the

truth.

I made it to work in one piece, where I found both Derrick and Kat, not to mention more than a few

customers. I was immediately drawn into the line as soon as I clocked in, and we tackled everyone with

expertise. I may not have liked Kat very much at the moment, but she was still a professional with the

espresso machine, as was Derrick. We worked well as a team, and without Maddie to trip us up with her

inexperienced clumsiness, we worked fast.

Before long, the lines died down, and Kat bowed out for her lunch break, leaving Derrick and I alone.

“So how have things been?” I asked conversationally. The coffee shop thrummed quietly with the

sound of customers engaged in low discussion, while classical music filled in the gaps of silence. I did

like it here. I liked the entire ambiance of the place. It could get so hectic, though.

“Oh, things have been good here,” Derrick said as he cleaned out the machine. Strange. He seemed a

little cold, a little distant today. Not as friendly as he usually was. “Not too busy.”

“That's good,” I replied awkwardly as I wiped down the order counter. “How've you been?”

“Also good.”

“Anything going on with you lately?”

Derrick paused in his cleaning, and looked over at me. “Yeah. I went on a date with Maddie the

other night.”

I froze, my hand pressed down on the counter. Its coldness seeped up through the cloth and into my

skin. “That's... nice.”

He quirked a half-smile. “I know you probably don't approve.”

“Not exactly,” I admitted.

He shrugged as he began cleaning again. “She's a nice girl. She asked me out.”

Yeah, she's nice. For a back-stabber,
I thought, but I didn't vocalize those thoughts. I had a feeling Derrick would argue with me about that.

I didn't know why, but the thought of those two on a date infuriated me. I thought Derrick liked me.

But I wasn't sure though, and it was pretty clear that he didn't, if he went on a date with Maddie

instead. “So, how did it go?” I asked, for once able to keep my emotions in check. I didn't own him. I

didn't control him. And besides, we couldn't exactly be together, not with my current relationship. I

couldn't even begin to tell him about Mr. Hendricks.

“Oh, it went all right,” he shrugged as he moved onto the milk foamer. “Like I said, she's a nice girl.”

“You don't exactly sound enthusiastic about it.”

Derrick turned to me now, looking at me again. “Well, I'm not sure I made the right decision about

going out with her. She's nice, but not really what I'm looking for.”

I smirked. “And now you're stuck with her, since you work with her.”

He looked down ruefully. “Yeah. It's probably not the best idea to date a co-worker, I'm finding out.”

I nodded, my smirk fading from my face. Even if he hadn't gone out with Maddie, it would still be a

bad idea to date me. We were co-workers, too. I mentally slapped myself. As if we could do anything

about it in the first place. I had my master. He was all I needed.

But the more I thought about it, the more I found myself craving the other parts of a relationship, the

other parts that I knew I didn't get from Mr. Hendricks. The emotional parts, the parts where I cuddled up

against someone I loved and feel asleep in his arms.

I didn't love Mr. Hendricks. I had to keep repeating that mantra in my head. I didn't love him, and he

didn't love me. Our relationship was different. And it was different in a good way.

And I certainly didn't love Derrick. After hearing that he'd gone out with Maddie, I wasn't sure I even

liked him. He had horrible taste, for starters.

“So what are you going to do about it?” I asked him. We'd both long abandoned our cleaning efforts.

“I'm not sure. Let her down gently, I guess.”

I stifled a groan. Maddie wouldn't take well to that, and I was probably going to find myself in a

drama-filled workplace, all too soon.

“Good luck. She comes in at three, doesn't she?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Are you gonna stick around to 'let her down gently'?” I asked an an almost sarcastic tone. Derrick

looked slightly offended, but he nodded.

“I probably should. I shouldn't let this go on any longer than it needs too.”

“What, like she's already planning your wedding?”

“You never know,” he said drily.

I raised an eyebrow at that. I didn't think Maddie was that kind of a person.

Still, a stupid, sadistic part of me was looking forward to this. I liked the idea that Maddie would be

the one getting rejected and left out in the cold, for once. I nearly squealed with glee when I saw her walk through the back door.

Derrick had hung around after his shift, and was waiting for her. I scowled when he shooed me out of

the room.

“Come on, this is kind of a private moment,” he said.

I bit my lower lip, but complied. He was right, after all. I shouldn't intrude, and the scene most likely

wouldn't be helped by my cackling. Besides, Kat needed help out front.

“Finally!” she said, frantically scurrying around the front as I looked in awe at the line that had

formed. “I need help!”

“No kidding,” I said blankly, and immediately jumped into action, assisting her as much as I could. It

was a good fifteen minutes before I realized that I hadn't seen Maddie. Or Derrick. Though Derrick

really should be gone for the day.

The surprise rush had dissolved into just a few customers hanging around, so I took a chance, and

pushed one of the swaying black doors to the back room, trying to hear or see something. There was a

low murmur of voices, clearly Maddie and Derrick, but I couldn't see anything.

Why'd they been talking for so long? This should have been a quick and easy thing.

Suddenly, I saw two heads pop up from behind and row of cardboard and cups. And then I saw those

heads kiss. Oh no. So much for Derrick breaking it off with her.

A sour look crossed my face. Of course. What Maddie wanted, Maddie got. And now, Maddie

wanted Derrick.

I sighed silently and slowly shut the swinging door. It wasn't my place to say what they did. Derrick

was an adult. It was his responsibility to end this thing if he wanted to, and that was that. It certainly wasn't my responsibility.

Let him make his own mistakes.

The rest of the summer passed much like the first week did. I worked at the coffee shop, and had to

endure Maddie's drama. Though I looked around for other positions, I didn't really apply for any. Mostly

because of Derrick.

I didn't love him. I wasn't sure I even liked him. As the weeks wore on, I realized that he was more

than a bit spineless. He was far more like my dad than Mr. Hendricks. But I was curious about him. For

some odd reason I never understood, he fascinated me.

So, we entered into our own strange brand of relationship – we hung out, grew closer, and as soon as I

got scared of growing
too
close, I pushed him away, much to his distress and confusion. But he didn't understand. I couldn't get too attached to him. In just a few months, then a few weeks, then a few days, I would be going back to my master.

I realized that I could have stolen him away from Maddie. I couldn't have done the exact thing to her

that she did to me, so many months ago, but the idea left a sour taste in my mouth. I knew if I'd had the

chance before, I would have taken it, but not now. I was better than that. I was stronger than that, more

mature than what I'd become.

And I knew I had my master to thank for that maturity. He'd helped me grow so much in the past year.

But I still had a lot to learn. My temper still got the better of me at times. I still felt like an immature little brat in my brain, and I wanted that brat to grow up.

I wanted the control my master offered to me.

So I went back to him.

My last day of work was a little bittersweet. It was bittersweet for all of us. Derrick, Maddie, and I

were all going back to our schooling. Kat and Suz had opted out of college this year. They were staying

with the shop. I had to admit that I looked down on them a bit for not going back to school. Maybe that's

why they didn't like me.

Other workers were already being brought on to replace the three of us, and I wasn't certain that there

would be a place for me here, next year. It was entirely possible that I might be able to stay with my

master for the summer next year. Maddie had been talking about getting her own apartment for the last

several weeks, and I'd encouraged her to get it. For entirely selfish reasons. I didn't care. I wanted my master. I needed him.

I hadn't seen Mr. Hendricks in several weeks, but he kept his control over me by ordering me to do

things. I had chanted, whipped myself, brought myself to climax over and over and over again. Whenever

I felt particularly weak, I would chant that mantra in my head.

“I am an obedient slave. My master gives me pleasure.”

It was amazing what those few little words did to me. Endorphins rushed through my brain, my body

quivered with need, my face flushed, and I felt an overwhelming longing flood through me. I had to get

back to him.

But oddly enough, there was a small part of me that dreaded it. It had taken me all summer to work

away the social awkwardness I felt. It took weeks for me to be even remotely comfortable in a crowd. I

didn't want to lose that again, but I didn't see any choice in the matter. Either I could be with my master, or with society at large. And I'd already made my decision about that, over a year ago. I certainly

couldn't take it back now.

All in all, that summer I felt a bit of a mess. Two halves warred with each other – the half that wanted

to go back to my master, and the other half that wanted to lead a normal life. But the half that wanted to

back to Mr. Hendricks was stronger.

At least, I thought so.

So came that fateful day once more. The day I yet again packed up my things, said goodbye to Flicker,

and left my parents house. And made my way back to Mr. Hendricks.

This time, I didn't have to wait. Maddie was already gone. She'd left the day before. So it was just

me and Mr. Hendricks. And I was able to take my spot back in the garage.

Flashes of memory and deja vu danced through my mind as I stepped out of my sedan. Mr. Hendricks

was waiting for me at the top of the steps. It was just like last year.

“Krystal,” he said simply, and I nodded my shaky head. It was so rare that he used my name, it caught

me by surprise.

“Yes, sir?” I automatically disrobed as I spoke. He didn't even need to command me now.

“You know what to do. Your planner is waiting in your room.”

And just like that, I was back, and settled into my old, familiar routine. I went to put my things in my

room.

*****

It truly was like being back home. After I unpacked, which took a couple of hours, I picked up my

planner and glanced through it. It was the same as always. Cleaning, cooking, and play. And eventually

schoolwork. I wondered if I should ask my master for something more.

But he knew what was best for me.

For now, I had to go get dinner started. I padded silently out of my room and down the stairs. It was

late afternoon by now, and a warm yellow light pooled into the rooms of the large house, onto the rich

carpet. Mr. Hendricks was nowhere to be seen, though I expected as much. He usually went to work on