The Primal's Kitten

Chapter Eight

Friday dawned more dreary than I would have hoped, perhaps it was a sign of what was to come. Was I really in this bad of a mood already on a Friday morning? s**t. I crawled out of bed and managed to get into the shower, hoping the hot water and the delicious scent of my shampoo would perk me up a little. It helped, but when I went downstairs for coffee, I finally glanced out the window to find the yard full of snow. Lovely. I really hoped John was driving tonight because I hated driving in the snow. I had never been good at it, even though my sporty little all-wheel-drive SUV handled it like a pro and I had learned to drive in the snow, having lived here all my life. I sighed again and picked up my mug, heading for the stairs to see if Lish was already in the workroom but when I arrived, it was empty. What the hell? She was always up before me, and coffee had been made, so where the hell was Lish? I peeked out the window, Gavin’s car was gone, so he had gone to work. Hmm. I walked back down the hall and paused outside her door, hearing the shower on. Ahh, she must have figured I would sleep in later so I shrugged and went back to the workroom to get a head start on things. I wanted to get done earlier than usual today so I had plenty of time to get ready for my date, so I dove right in, checking what orders were paid for and needed to be shipped. I spent a good twenty minutes packing orders before Lish walked in with her coffee, a look of surprise on her face. 

“I didn’t think you’d be up for another hour or so,” she said, setting her coffee down on the edge of the table she usually worked out, mixing and pouring resin. “I couldn’t sleep, I kept having this weird dream and waking up.” I was grumbly again, rubbing my face a little, a sure sign that my anxiety was acting up. “Are you worried about tonight? You shouldn’t be, John’s a great guy.” Lish always seemed to know what I was thinking, was my face so transparent? Ugh. “I don’t know, I just get a weird vibe around him sometimes, but he’s been really nice to me.” Except for the time at the rope event where he didn’t listen to me, and the days after when he didn’t even text to check in, and when he demanded I send him photos in the fitting room. I didn’t say any of these things to her though, because I figured I was just new and overreacting to something that was usual. Everyone had to start somewhere, right? “Don’t sweat it, just have fun tonight. Where’s he taking you anyway?” “He won’t tell me, just said to wear a dress.” I sighed a little, but Lish looked like she thought that was the most romantic thing ever. If I didn’t still have that weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, I might have agreed with her. “Seriously, get out of your head and stop worrying, it’s going to be great, I’m sure of it!” I nodded then and turned back to my work, I had a pile of orders to pack up and get shipped out, and I’d have to hurry if I wanted any extra time to get ready. 

I had a little bit of time to pack a few orders that had come in at the last minute before I called it quits for the day, and set them aside to go out with tomorrow’s batch. Confirmation emails and shipping info sent, I cleared my work table and stood up to stretch. “Do you really need that much time to change and put on makeup?” Lish was laughing, still pouring resin into moulds that were set out covering the whole top of the third table. “I want to give myself plenty of time, what if he’s early or something?” “John is never early, he arrives at everything exactly when he says he will, you’ll learn that about him.” Oh, I already knew, it weirded me out the first time, when he showed up exactly twenty minutes after he sent the text, just as he had said. Like, how did someone do that? What if he hit a red light or there was traffic or an accident? Weird. “Still, you know how bad I am at makeup, if I mess up and have to start all over I’d at least like the time to do it, ok?” I huffed a little but Lish was laughing at me again. She’d been the one to teach me eyeliner at 12 because her older sister Elizabeth had taught her after much begging. “Fine, fine, go get ready. I’m about done here anyway, just need to pop these stakes out of the moulds from two days again and drop them in the basket to be sanded and I’ll be done too.I’m gonna make dinner for Gavin tonight since you’ll be out, and he’s been having a rough day.” I grinned and shook my head, almost wishing I wasn’t going out. Lish didn’t think she was that great of a cook, but she was really spectacular. Hell, I think that’s how she won Gavin over in the first place. 

Once I left Lish and went back to my room, I pinned my hair back away from my face and started the slow process of putting my makeup on. I went the whole nine yards tonight, wanting to look nice just in case we were going somewhere fancy. I went with a really natural eye, not wanting to overshadow my dress with wild or bold colors, though I did very carefully give myself the perfect winged eyeliner. On the first try too. Feeling more confident than usual after pulling off such a feat, I snagged the lip gloss with the flower inside, the one that reacts when you put it on and slid it over my lips before pouting in the mirror and watching it turn a soft rose-red color. Perfection!

I was downstairs already when John rang the bell so I called out to Lish that I was leaving. “Have fun!” I barely heard her above the noise level in the kitchen so I laughed and stepped out the door. John looked nice, black pants and a dark blue button-down shirt under his winter coat. He looked me up and down before smiling, “You look delicious, though had you shown me the dress before buying it, I would have told you to get something less prudish.” He turned and walked to the car, leaving me wondering how the hell a dress that showed off my calves and arms could be labelled as prudish. I shook my head and followed him to the car where he was waiting with my door open already, looking impatient. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” I didn’t know why I wanted to push my luck with him tonight but I really hated surprises, even if I knew in the pit of my stomach that he was going to be annoyed with me for asking. I was right, he didn’t even bother to say anything, merely slammed the car door and stalked around it to the other side to get in behind the wheel. Shouldn’t have asked. I shrugged and reached out for the dial to turn some music on when he lightly slapped my hand away. “I have a whole mood to set tonight, you just sit there and wait.” Okay then, I didn’t realize he was so touchy about this date. John turned the radio on a minute later and classical music began to fill the air between us. This wasn’t awful, but it definitely wasn’t my favourite, especially when I couldn’t even hear myself think over the volume of it. 

We pulled up outside a really expensive looking restaurant about thirty minutes later, and I was a little more than surprised to see the name on the board out front. Genevieve’s was only the most expensive place within an hour, and beyond being new and posh, they were rumoured to have stolen a pastry chef from a Michelin Star rated bistro in New York City. He brought me here? This dress was definitely not swanky enough for this place but had he told me where we were going, I would have picked out something else. Too late for that now, I stepped out of the car when the door was opened for me, looking up at the building and then toward the entrance. A young-looking guy with slicked-back hair and a red vest caught the keys from John and went to park the car while we walked inside. The place was everything I had seen in the pictures, but the whole vibe of it was off the charts. Music played softly through speakers mounted all over the place, and the clink and chime of cutlery joined the mellow tone of voices all around us. Holy s**t, this place was so far out of my league. John seemed to know this and relished in making me seem plain in comparison to him. He’d donned a sports coat when he got out of the car, leaving his winter coat behind while I still had my puffy coat on, it was far too cold outside to be without it even on the short walk between the car and the door. We were shown to a small table by a hostess who couldn’t take her eyes off John, not even seeming to notice that I was there. Delightful. 

Our server, a man in his 40’s I would guess but the peppering of silver in his hair was far more polite. He paid equal attention to us both, or he tried, but John refused to let me order for myself. “I know exactly what will make a delightful night, let me take this.” I nodded my head because I didn’t want to cause trouble in the middle of the restaurant. “Alright, just, I don’t eat meat.” He seemed to not hear me, but it was likely that he did and was ignoring me again. I hated it when he did that, but I wasn’t going to call him out, the date was just starting and he was my ride the half-hour home. He ordered us a bottle of wine to share, and it turned out that while I didn’t think I liked red wines much, this one was delicious. We chatted a bit about this and that, but he dominated the conversation, I imagine he was used to that. I tried to follow along and chime in where I could, but was thrown off when the server returned to take our dinner orders. “So, what would you like tonight Miss?” He was so formal, and if it weren’t for the weird vibe at our table, I would have been impressed. I started to speak, but John cut in. “She’ll have the chicken, broccoli, and a side salad.”  Our poor server gave me the side-eye because apparently at least he had heard me earlier when I said I didn’t eat meat. John cut in again though before either of us could say anything. “Trust me, this is exactly what she wants. I’ll have the steak, rare, with a baked potato and a side salad. That will be all.” I sat there with my mouth open staring at him because I couldn’t imagine how he could be such an influence in the community and yet be so freakin rude. “That’s another thing you’ll learn, I order for all my girls, you’ll get used to it.” I kept staring, though I closed my mouth after a good few minutes. “All your girls? So there’s more than just me?” I hoped I was wrong. I mean, I knew about polyamory, but if he had other partners, he hadn’t said anything and neither had anyone else. “All those who have belonged to me in the past. I have no interest outside of you at the moment.” I was weirdly thrilled to hear him say that. No interests outside of me, hm? 

Dinner arrived a short time later and he dug in happily while the waiter gave me an apologetic look. I looked over my plate and tried not to frown at the piece of chicken sitting off to one side. Thankfully, it looked like I had been given the smallest piece they had, extra broccoli, and extra salad. I snuck the server a grin and started to eat, now and again hiding bits of the chicken around my plate so it might look like I was eating it at least a little. By the time I was done with all the greens, John was just finishing his own plate. “And why is it you haven’t cleaned your plate?” I gave him a look from under the mascara darkened lashes and shrugged a little. “Was it not worth the money I’m paying for tonight? I’ll send it back and have them make you another one. Girls who don’t clean their plates don’t get dessert.” Was he really doing this in the middle of the restaurant? On one hand, I was a little turned on by the way he spoke to me, and on the other, I told him I didn’t eat meat and he had ordered it for me anyway. It was his own fault he was wasting money. “I’m not used to eating so much, I really am full. Would it make you feel better if I took it home?” I asked, trying to maybe ease the tension a little that had appeared between us like a dark cloud. “No, it’ll go to waste before you can get it home. I have other plans for us tonight.” I ducked my head and remained quiet then, as he paid the bill and left a meager tip for what had been excellent and prompt service. We left not long after, thankfully I had finished off the wine before I rose from the table, and made our way to his car, which was brought around the moment they saw us step through the door. 

The ride after was quiet, even the music was low, which was good because I was feeling a little off after having so much wine and so little food. I was used to eating something besides broccoli and salad for dinner, so the excess alcohol was making my head a little fuzzy. I suppose that’s why it took me too long to notice that we should have been back to the house five minutes ago. “Uh, where are we going?” “Haven’t I taught you not to question me? I told you I have a plan.” I wasn’t excited about his answer, but I settled back in the seat for the moment, trying to see if I recognized where we were going. About five minutes after that, we pulled into the driveway of a small brick house. It was well kept and simple, no flowers in the yard, no trees. The driveway and sidewalk had been meticulously cleared and salted. I looked at John but he didn’t say anything, only got out of the car and walked around to my door to let me out. Without a word spoken, he walked to the front door and opened it with a key on his keychain, and stepped inside, waiting for me to enter behind him before he closed and locked the door. That was weird, but maybe he was just tight on safety. I hung my coat on a peg near the door and set my purse down, reaching in to check my phone. “Ah-ah, no phones. This is my time with you and I won’t have it interrupted.” I pulled my hand back like I had been burned and stood up, walking toward where he motioned for me to sit beside him on the couch. “If Alicia needs you, she can call me, she knows we’re together I assume.” It wasn’t even a question, so I just nodded a little and looked around the room. It was well decorated, hardwood floors, grey walls with art placed here and there, and in the middle of the longest wall, a fireplace surrounded with stone. “You have a lovely house.” It was true, I wasn’t sure what I had expected from his usual life but it wasn’t this. “Yes, well my father left me quite a bit of money when he died, along with his company, so I do much what I like with the place now.” Okay, I didn’t need to know about his bank account, and after catching a glimpse at the bill, I wasn’t exactly surprised to hear he had money. 

He talked for a few minutes about his art and how his father had had the house built several years ago and then left it to him when he died. “That’s how I got mine too, it holds too many memories for me to let it go.” I smiled a little as if I were telling him a secret. “I imagine one day I’ll sell this old place, but it works for now I guess.” I shrugged off his words as he turned to me again, a serious look on his face. “So, you’ve gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to be mine, I do hope you want to continue. Actually, I was going to save this for another time, but I got you something.” I blinked at him, taking a moment to understand what he was talking about. His? Was I ready for this? He got up without waiting for me to reply and walked out of the room and down the hall. I could hear a door open somewhere in the distance, and then it closed again and he walked back into the room. In his hand was a slim box, about the size of a book, and he sat it on his lap as he settled in next to me once more. I watched curiously as he opened the box to show off a small gold bracelet with a matching heart-shaped lock. At his bidding, I held out my wrist to him and he slid the metal around my wrist, matching up the slit in the metal with a piece that went through, then put the lock through that. “There, what do you think?”

“I...wow, you got this for me?” I was surprised, and so flattered that for once I fully ignored the ice in my stomach. He was so sweet! “Of course I got it for you, it shows everyone that you’re mine and they cannot touch. So, what do you say, will you be mine?” The bracelet was on, locked, and the two little gold keys were tucked away into his pocket. What was I going to say? No? “Of course I’ll be yours!” I let my excitement get away from me again but he seemed so genuinely pleased, and the way he looked at me sent butterflies fluttering in my belly. His look changed almost immediately and I felt my breath catching in the back of my throat. “Good, now we can address your behaviour at dinner.” “My behaviour?” I was confused now, what had I done? I’d barely gotten a word in the whole time! “I told you girls who don’t clear their plates aren’t given dessert. I took care to order you something delicious, that was well within range of what you should be eating to take care of yourself, and you left a third of it all over the plate.” His voice had grown cold the more he spoke and I tried to edge away from him on the couch, but there was only so much space that could be created between us. “Daddy is very disappointed in you tonight, do you understand?” “I tried to tell you I don’t eat meat.” I wasn’t even being sassy this time, I was only pointing out what he had ignored. “And now you’re back talking me? I think tonight is the perfect time for me to teach you your first lesson in discipline.” That did not sound good. I mean, I knew I was interested in pain since Lish had used her flogger on my back one night and it was amazing, but this seemed like something altogether different. 

Before I could get another word out, he had grabbed my wrist and hauled me across the couch and over his lap. I grunted and tried to wiggle away, but his arm was across the middle of my back, holding me down.”Hey, let me go this isn’t funny!” I was starting to panic, wiggling furiously to get out of his grip, but he was stronger than me. John reached down and wrenched my dress up and my panties down, leaving me more exposed than I could have imagined. “What the f**k!? Let me go NOW!” John just held me down tighter and shook his head. “You agreed to be mine, and part of being mine is accepting punishment when it is due. Now hold still or this will take longer.” I was beyond words when he started spanking me. His hand burned against my skin and I kicked my legs out in surprise and pain. I bit him out of reflex, right in the thigh, which caused him to let up on the arm across my back. I thought I had a way out, but he grabbed me by the hair and wrenched hard, making me cry out. “That’s five more, you want to keep going? Stop fighting me!” He growled right in my ear. It should have been hot to hear his voice like that, but it scared me. I never thought John was capable of such violence, but maybe he was right. I had been a little snotty trying to argue with him at dinner, and if I was his and he decided to punish me, it was his to do, right? I sniffled a little and laid still while he smacked me across the ass five more times with the weight of his arm behind it. He let me go and sat me upright, but offered no care beyond a hastily spoken,” Don’t make me do this again.” He straightened his shirt as I pulled my panties back up and my dress down. “It’s late, I think it’s time I get you home.” I nodded my agreement and collected my things, quiet all the way to the car where he opened the door for me as usual. I could barely sit for the drive home and was surprised and confused when he walked me to the door and kissed me goodnight. Was I forgiven then? I hoped so. Lish and Gavin were up still when I walked in, so I waved to them and said I’d talk about the date tomorrow, over brunch maybe. They nodded their agreement and I went upstairs to my room, peeling my clothes off the moment the door was shut so I could get into my cosy clothes and pour myself into bed, rolling onto my side so that I wasn’t putting weight on my still sore behind.