Naked Submission
Authors: Emily Jane Trent
1
– Reconnecting
Natalie Baker c
ouldn’t believe that she’d been in New York such a short time. In only a few days, her life had changed for the better. Finding Tanner, after so many years, had been a miracle. Or, so it seemed to her. Yet, she’d discovered that it was no surprise to Tanner.
It still amazed her that he’d known so much about her. From that first moment, he’d never let her go. She’d rebelled against his control of her fate. But that was only at first. His actions resulted from caring about h
er, and she couldn’t argue that.
All her life, she’d relied on herself. She didn’t regret it
, as it had given her strength that didn’t come from being pampered. Now that Tanner was with her, it gave her comfort. She’d never known how good it could feel having someone strong in your life, and she quite liked it.
Sitting in her bedroom at Cheryl’s penthouse, she dialed home. “Hey Jazzy,” she said trying to sound normal. Only days ago
, she’d been a virgin, but her innocence had been willingly given. She did feel different, very different. Jazzy knew her better than anyone. Would she sense the change?
“Natty, I’m so glad to hear from you. It’s been a few days,” Jazzy replied. “I miss you. I’m not used to being alone
, here with mom. Here, let me put her on. She’s been asking about you.”
“Mom, how are you?” Natalie asked.
“Oh, fine dear, fine,” she assured her. But she didn’t sound fine. Her voice was weak, weaker than normal. Natalie had cared for her mother over the years, and since the cirrhosis, she’d witnessed a slow decline.
“Well, you make sure Jazzy is feeding you. You are eating, aren’t you?” Natalie’s concern was evident.
“Yes, honey. Don’t you worry, Jazzy is watching over me. You girls need to live your life and not be hovering over me,” she sighed. “You sound good, all grown up. Now, let me give you back to Jazzy. I’m sure you have catching up to do.”
“Natty, tell me everything. What’s it like there? Have you seen Ellis?” Jazzy was her normal, bubbly self. It gave Natalie a moment of normality that she needed right
then. So many changes; it was good to know her family was still there for her.
Natalie filled her in on all the e
xcitement, going over everywhere she’d been, and describing New York, what she’d seen of it so far. She knew she couldn’t reveal much about Tanner, considering the confidentiality agreement she’d made with him. It still seemed unnecessary to her, but he was so adamant about it.
She did tell Jazzy she
’d met someone and they’d had dinner. “Boy, that was fast,” Jazzy beamed.
“Well, you know, funny thing. I’d actually run into him years before at a concert back home
, but nothing ever developed,” Natalie told her casually.
“Imagine that, and that you’d see him again in a big city like New York. What are the odds of that?” Jazzy marveled.
Yes, exactly
.
Changing the subject, Natalie told her she was having lunch with Ellis at the restaurant where he worked as
sous chef. She couldn’t wait to try it. The way he’d described it, the food was going to be a real treat.
“Will you tell Ellis hello for me?” Jazzy asked. “He’s really done well there. It was so brave to go
, all alone, and pursue his dream. I’m not sure I’d have the confidence, but he sure did.”
Natalie was reluctant to hang up. She missed home. Even thoug
h it had been just the three of them - Jazzy, Emma, and Natalie - they’d hung together. It was rough going with no man in their life. Natalie felt sorrow over the abandonment, but the upside was that they were close as a family. Life had required it.
Her mom, dear Emma, had never ceased loving
Nicolas Hughes, the only man she’d ever wanted. Even though he’d vanished, leaving her with two daughters, to raise by herself. That romantic ideal was all Natalie had ever known, and she was glad her mother had never been bitter.
Ellis Larsen, her friend from back home, had offered to pick her up. He was coming from his apartment, so it was on the way. She grabbed her jacket and locked the door behind her. Cheryl was seeing a prospective employer today. She still modeled when she got offers. And, it seemed she still got them often.
Natalie respected Cheryl
, even though they’d only known each other for the brief period Natalie had been renting from her. She was a good judge of people, and Cheryl was a woman she could develop a strong friendship with.
“Natty, you look ravishing!” Ellis exclaimed.
“New York agrees with you.”
Natalie glanced down at her simple black slacks, white shirt and dark blazer. She’d opted for stylishly conservative. Nothing about the outfit was remarkable. Ellis w
as being overly generous. Surely, she didn’t look that different from only days before, when he’d picked her up at the airport.
“You’re too kind,” she replied.
“No, you’re too gorgeous,” he grinned.
The restaurant was
charming, cozy and unpretentious with quirky décor which was trendier than traditional French restaurants. Ellis beamed as he described the food which he called modern French cuisine. Natalie had no idea how that was different from the French dishes she’d heard of that were rich with heavy sauces and creams.
S
he was happy for Ellis, who’d fared well in New York. Both of them were far from rural Oakland where they grew up together.
She learned
that modern French was a type of cuisine influenced by the French, but not locked into set traditions. There was more food prepared with olive oil than butter, and plenty of fresh, local produce. The presentation was beautiful, with varied colors and delectable tastes.
Ellis started
the meal with a very strong cheese, paired with a subtly-light Veuve Clicquot champagne, followed by French Onion soup, unlike any Natalie had ever tasted.
Ellis winked.
“It’s all in the superb ingredients. Wait until you taste the Coq Au Vin.”
Natalie agreed. Course by course
, she enjoyed amazing flavors, and complimented Ellis accordingly. It wasn’t until the Passion Fig Tarte With Crème Fraiche that she slowed down enough to talk.
“Ellis, you’ve done so well. I’m so proud of you. Who’d have thought that
, years ago when you were giving me cooking tips, that we’d end up here,” Natalie said. She felt comforted, being here with her friend from back home.
“It’s an honor to work with the chef
, and I’m pleased to do so. Now, what about you? How is New York treating you? Is your penthouse rental working out okay?” Ellis was interested. It was good to be able to talk in-person. Much of their relationship the past few years had consisted of texting each other.
Natalie filled him in on all that had happened over the past few days, skipping over any sexually intimate details. He was surprised that she’d met someone so soon
, and even more so, a man whose path had crossed hers so long ago.
“Sounds like true romance, if you ask me,” he smiled. And Natalie blushed.
Their time together went by quickly, and before she knew it, they were saying goodbye. Ellis had to go to work. Natalie assured him that she had to get to school anyway. She’d been in New York for days without even dropping by to get things set. Sooner or later, she’d have to learn to use the subway. Now was as good a time as any.
“Please give my love to Jazzy and your mom,” Ellis requested. There was something in his tone that Natalie couldn’t place
, but she dismissed it. It couldn’t be anything important. They hugged tightly, and she was on her way.
She noted the two
, suited men standing outside the restaurant as she exited. They glanced her way, and it gave her an odd feeling. She didn’t know them, and couldn’t imagine why she’d caught their eye. She guessed a restaurant could have security, but she’d never known such a thing. Possibly, New York was different.
Before she’d walked a block, Natalie’s phone rang. She glanced at the display before answering, “Tanner, what a nice surprise.”
“I’ll tell you
, what’s a surprise,” he barked. “You….having lunch with another man.”
“What? I told you I was having lunch with
a friend. What’s wrong with you?” She answered, sharply.
“Me? There’s nothing wrong with me. You failed to mention you
r friend was a man,” he replied, sternly.
This was outrageous. Who she wanted to have lunch with was none of Tanner’s business. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was accusing her of
, but she certainly didn’t like his tone.
“You’re being ridiculous. Ellis is a friend from home. We’ve know each other since
high school,” she said, thinking that would put an end to Tanner’s line of attack.
“
That’s how you hug your friends?” He accused in a challenging tone.
Natalie was stung. He saw her.
Here at the restaurant?
She looked around, almost expecting to see him. Then, it struck her. “Those men by the door of the restaurant, they are your security, aren’t they?” She didn’t need him to answer. “You’re having me followed?” She was incredulous.
“Of course, New York is a big city. Your safety is important to me,” he informed her. At least
, he’d calmed down a bit.
Natalie was fuming. Security following her
around, was going overboard. “What is your problem?” she asked, truly flustered.
“The only problem I have is seeing you with other men,” he stated
, flatly.
Oh, this was getting nowhere. “We’ll talk about that
later.” She’d had enough for now. “I’m on my way to school. I have to make sure everything is set up. It is why I’m in New York, after all.”
“I took care of everything,” Tanner stated
, not realizing his error. The silence on the other end of the line was a warning to him, but he refused to heed it. “You needn’t worry about all those details.”
“Listen to me, Tanner
, and listen carefully. I’ve told you before not to interfere in my life. I know you call it taking care of me, but you don’t know sensible limits. I’m going to school, and I’m going now. I will confirm my own registration.
And
, I do have a job there. I need to get oriented. And, as much as this will surprise you, that’s not something you can do for me.” She realized she was yelling, and looked around to see if she’d attracted any attention. There wasn’t, even so much as a glance toward her, despite the sidewalks packed with pedestrians. This was New York, after all.
“Wait,” Tanner cautioned. He wasn’t going to be intimidated. The concept was foreign to him. “I won’t have you riding the subway. My car is coming by
. It will be there in a second. My driver will take you to school. I’d meet you there, but I have an important conference call, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be tied-up.”
This man was so frustrating. Arguing with him was wearing her out. Natalie slumped
, in resignation. She’d ride in his blessed car, if it meant that much to him.
Design School
Natalie intended
to earn her Bachelor of Design, degree for fashion, at the New York Design Institute. She stood, looking at the entrance, and took a deep breath. Even arriving in New York, it had been hard to believe it was really happening. And now, here she was.
Emblazoned on the window was the school’s motto:
“Finding Better Ways to Communicate.” That didn’t apply only to solving design problems, in order to stand out from the visual clutter of the marketplace. It applied to her personal life. She was going to have to get creative about how to communicate with Tanner. She’d think about that later. She needed to focus on her own career, and she was dangerously close to allowing Tanner to distract her from it.
From the front, the entrance looked like any other, just a door to
allow entry to the stone building, housing a variety of businesses. But, inside it was state of the art, although quiet, since the new session hadn’t started yet.