Chapter Ten and probably the last one too so hope you have enjoyed the story!
Chapter Ten
It was only when she returned to her office the next morning, buttocks still bearing the evidence of what had happened the previous evening, that Zara spotted the cream-coloured envelope lying innocuously in her own in-tray. Her heart jumped and she quickly sat down at her desk and opened it, extracting another ticket along with a handwritten note.
"Go and buy a collar and have an appropriate name tag put on it. The cost of admission is submission! Commit yourself! Enjoy the book signing!"
Zara studied the enclosed ticket and laughed as she realised that it was at her favourite bookshop, the one where she spent most of her time and money if she wasn't at work. She had never heard of the writer, Andrew somebody or other, but she still couldn't wait for Saturday night to roll around. Then her office door opened and one of the clerks came in and she swiftly tucked the envelope and its contents under a file and tried to concentrate on what the woman was asking even though most of her attention was on the thought of buying a collar. What was an appropriate name tag? What did he mean? What sort of collar should she buy? It was only when the clerk had gone that Zara realised that she had never once queried the fact that she was actually going to go and buy one!
The local pet shop in the high street was Zara's initial port of call during her lunch hour. There were plenty of dog collars hanging up; leather, nylon, some studded and others brightly coloured, but nothing really called out to her. Most had a tag hanging down and she looked at those thoughtfully, wondering where she could get the metal disc engraved. A key cutting shop perhaps? But what about the embarrassment when she asked for something strange to be inscribed into the metal? She shivered and walked out of the shop, face flushed as she thought about how shaming it was going to be to put a collar round her neck and to wear it in public.
As she walked back into her office, an idea came to her and she smiled slightly. It would certainly be easier and less embarrassing to do it online. Shutting her office door firmly, Zara started to search the internet, soon finding what she wanted. To her surprise, she got distracted by all the other weird and wonderful things that were on offer on various sex toy sites and by the time she shut down her computer and got on with some proper work, she was feeling rather aroused.
After dinner that evening, Zara used her own laptop and delved back into the dark world of the internet, soon narrowing her search down to one particular site which seemed to offer everything one could possibly want or need. Although fascinated by the pictures of canes and paddles, imagining them stinging her bottom cheeks wielded by her master, Zara managed to click onto the correct section eventually and located a selection of collars. She pondered for several minutes before making up her mind but eventually clicked on one and added it into her shopping basket though deciding on the lettering she wished engraved upon it took ages. Her fingers shook as she went to the final page, typed in her address and then paid, using her credit card. She clicked the mouse and the cursor whirled round for a second or so and then her order was approved and she sighed, heart thumping faster at the thought of wearing the collar in just two days time.
The package, discreetly parcelled up in a plain cardboard box, arrived on Friday when Zara was out at work. It, along with a few annoying advertising leaflets, sat on her front door mat and she nearly trod on it as she stepped into her house. Knowing immediately what it was, Zara took it upstairs and sliced through the parcel tape on the box, pulling out the leather collar and holding it up in front of the window so that she could see the light reflect off the diamante studs set into it. The dying rays of the sun glittered attractively off the stones and so she slipped it round her neck and looked in the mirror, face flushing as she saw the silver tag hanging down with its inscribed and unmistakable message. Was it the right message? She frowned, hoping so as she touched it delicately, rubbing the tips of her fingers over the wording thoughtfully. Would he appreciate it?
All through Saturday, Zara could think of nothing else but the book signing and wearing the collar. She put it on and walked round the house, trying to accustom herself to wearing it. It did feel strange at first, sitting round her neck and feeling quite heavy but that wore off eventually and by lunch time, she was almost forgetting it was there. Daringly, Zara even went out into her garden, hanging out her washing on the rotary line then doing a little bit of weeding in the warm sun. Finishing that, she had a cup of tea then rooted through her wardrobes, deciding what she would wear later for the book signing. She eventually picked out a little black dress; one which finished mid-thigh yet came all the way over her shoulders and almost up to her neck so that the collar sat on top of it as if it was part of the dress. Boots or strappy sandals? She perused her collection and chose the former, taking out a glossy black leather pair which ended just below her knees. Deciding on what she was going to wear underneath took a lot longer but finally Zara was happy with what she had laid out on the bed.
The next few hours crawled by, Zara found. Every minute or so, she would look up at the clock only to find out that the hands had hardly moved. She tried reading but could not concentrate and she was too on edge to bother to eat at tea time, contenting herself with a glass of wine instead. A long bath used up nearly half an hour and then she got dressed, already feeling excited as she slipped into the flimsy lingerie. She eyed her figure in the mirror and smiled, knowing that she looked good in the lacy panties and underwired brassiere as their stark black set off her pale white skin. After shimmying into the dress, Zara slipped on her boots and then, after brushing her hair out so that it fell in waves to her shoulders, walked downstairs and paced up and down in the small hall while she waited for it to be time to leave. Checking her handbag for the umpteenth time to see that she had the admission ticket, Zara glanced up at the clock, saw that it had reached seven and left.
Nerves jangling like a shop bell, Zara walked down to the bookshop after parking her car in the office car park. Every step closer to the shop made her face flush a little more as she wondered who would be there and whether anyone would comment on the collar that she wore round her neck. She had never met any of her friends or colleagues in the shop before but there was always a first time! Admittedly, the lettering on the tag was not large but she knew that one of her friends would be intrigued enough to scrutinise the collar closely. The bookshop loomed into view and she felt her throat tighten while her heart quickened its beat. Light beamed out of the shop's windows and subtle music overladen with chatter seeped out of the door and it took all of her courage to step across the threshold and commit herself irrevocably.
The writer, a medium-sized man with hair greying at the temples, was hunched over, scribbling an inscription into one of his books for an elderly lady. Was it him? Zara looked at the man more closely and sidled up towards him, hoping to see his handwriting but, infuriatingly he closed the book and handed it back to the lady before she was close enough. His brown eyes flickered across her face but there was no sign of recognition in them and she backed away from the queue, fingers nervously playing with the tag on her collar as she wondered what to do next. Should she wander round and check out every man in the place? That wouldn't take long as there were far more women than men in the shop but surely her master would find her...if he wanted to? Was this just a test? Had he set her a task to embarrass and shame her after she had failed him earlier? Zara frowned, crinkling her brow in disappointment as she cast another glance around the room but noticed nobody paying any particular interest to her as they were too interested in the author. At least that stopped anyone looking at her collar and the message engraved upon the tag, she decided in relief.
A handbell tinkled gently behind her and the hubbub dissipated into silence after a few seconds.
"And now, our distinguished guest will perform some readings from his latest book, ladies and gentlemen so if you would please take a seat."
It was him! There was no mistaking that low, mellifluous voice but, even though she swung round immediately, Zara could not see who was talking as one of the bookcases was right in her way. She tried to edge towards the voice but a throng of people pushed past her towards the seats, slowing her down for a few vital seconds. By the time that she reached the end of the bookcase, there was nobody in view and her heart sank. So near and yet so far!
Zara edged around the shop towards the back, deliberately not taking a seat as she wondered where the man had gone. She found a position with a good view of the audience from sideways on but could not decide anything from looking at the half a dozen or so men who were there. Two looked quite attractive and she shallowly hoped it was one of them but there was no way of deciding until she could hear them speak. She was about to join the crowd waiting for the talk when his voice whispered gently in her ear, "Do not turn round. Go to your favourite section and wait there with your eyes closed, Zara!"
Zara sidled away, heading for the erotic fiction section which, naturally, was hidden away in the darkest area of the store, occupying one of the top shelves; something which always aggravated Zara as, at just a smidgeon over five foot tall, she had to go up on tiptoe to reach! She reached the right place then stood there, shutting her eyes and feeling the arousal sweep through her instantly as she waited to see what was going to happen to her this time. A minute or so passed and then she heard him approach and her breathing quickened perceptibly.
"Let me see what you had written on here," he murmured and she shivered as he picked up the tag and tugged her towards him slightly until she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"And do you mean what it says?" he inquired.
"Yes, sir," she answered, skin shivering with tension as she waited to see what he would say next.
"Such an appropriate statement, Zara, as it says 'Yes, sir' on this little tag. Does that mean you are going to say those words to anything I suggest?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then on your knees for me, Zara," he murmured in her ear.