The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Beth

Beth was preparing a second cup of tea when a bedraggled Will Freeman walked through the front door. His dark coat and brown leather briefcase were in his hands, his light blue shirt was slightly rumpled and his hair was drastically out of place, a condition he rarely permitted. Beth was surprised by what she saw.

“Wow, today must have been a tough one. Looks like you walked into a tunnel and the train at the other end won,” she said, trying to keep things light. “You must be hungry. There are leftovers from dinner if you’d like me to get you some out for you, or if you need something else, I can give you a shoulder massage right now.” She slinked closer to Will, allowing him to gaze upon her body that was adorned in a satin purple nightgown. She watched his view start at her shoulder and as she let the strap fall, progress downward to her thinly covered breasts where her nipples were beginning to announce their presence. The satin fell perfectly over her and encased her full chest in shiny, smooth material. With a light touch of makeup around her eyes and lipstick on her lips to compliment the rest, she attempted to ooze sexual desire.

“I’m really tired and I’m home late. I just want to eat something right now. Did you say there’s food in the fridge?” replied Will, just temporarily set back by her advances. He walked by her and turned to open the door of the refrigerator. He refused to look in her eyes.

Beth was perplexed at his reaction. Still trying to keep her edge, she smoothly lifted her fallen strap back onto her shoulder and walked up behind Will. “Here, I’m sure you can use a little bit of tenderness and loving after your long day,” she said sweetly as she put both hands on his shoulders and began to gently rub them. She really wanted to seduce him tonight, and if it took a massage to get things started, so be it. She wanted to re-enter his life and for him to get her involved again, like when they were first married. Her heart beat was beginning to pick up again as she imagined him being seduced by her charms and being lured into an evening of sensual, voluptuous physical pleasures. She was willing to go pretty far with him, even letting him tie her up with the red fuzzy cuffs this time. He always came hard when playing that role and she got excited when he lost control.

I would do it all, she thought to herself.

She smiled. She had been a naughty girl today, with the temptations she gave into, and she needed to be disciplined. That was kinky. It had been too long since they played like that. She was sure she could still fit nicely into the black cup-less fishnet body suit that she tried to use on him about a year ago. He would love the way her ‘girls’ popped out of it, unobstructed.

At first she thought he was finally going to become agreeable to her pursuit and choose to relent. Instead, he said, “Look, honey. When I’m ready for this this, I’ll let you know. Right now, I don’t need you touching me. I just want to eat something and relax. Is that okay with you?”

Beth remained silent. She stood before him, dressed for the occasion, sexually warmed up, and practically throwing herself at him. In this moment, she physically and emotionally craved him, but he didn’t want her. She began to taste the stale juices of scorn and snapped back at him.

“I thought I’d spend some time with you, but you’re not interested! That is, you’re not interested until you feel like you have to get your balls off. When will that be, Will? When will that be?! Because I can’t remember the last time you came on to me. I’m trying to make this marriage work, and I have needs too. I’m hot for you. But what’s your story, Will Freeman? What is it!” Beth said with rich ferocity as she took a step towards him.

“You know, I can’t talk to you when you get like this. You’re a cold-blooded lover, Beth, and you don’t understand how hard my life is. And you need to get over yourself,” retorted Will, matching her volume. “Now that my food is hot, I’m going to take it to my office. You need some sleep. Get some REAL beauty sleep!”

Beth immediately felt pain in her chest. It cut deep. She was being rejected by her husband, but she was beyond desperate. It was pathetic, she knew. Just one more try and he’ll give, and it will all be okay, she tried to convince herself.

“I hear what you’re saying, Will, and maybe my timing’s not perfect. I’ll give you that,” she dropped her well-toned arms to her sides. “What do you say try something else? What about planning a date that will get us out of this town and somewhere to rekindle some of the heat we’ve lost over the years? Maybe we can plan to head out to your family’s cabin next month and stay for the weekend,” she took another step towards him and got close enough to press her ample satin-covered breasts and hard nipples into his chest. “Let’s plan out some good times,” she whispered in his ear.

Will assertively pushed her aside, away from him. “You don’t listen very well. I’m not interested. Now I’m not sure if I’ll ever be. Period.”

He grabbed his plate and walked to his office, leaving Beth open-mouthed and frozen in place.

This is not right, she was reminded by the voice in her head. A change is needed, it continued. Collecting herself, her pride, and her emotions, she swiftly made her way up the stairs and to their master bedroom. Scorn and anger filled her. She would never try again like that. She decided that being a victim of Will’s moods no longer suited her current lifestyle or her long term plans.

Frustrated, she paused to review, and reassure herself, in the wall-sized mirror that dominated one side of the room. She then slipped off the lingerie and silky panties, and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Though a little calmer, she continued to simmer in rage. She needed a shower. A hot shower would bring her serenity, for now.

As soon as the water began flowing from the chrome shower head, she stepped into the cascade. The liquid hit her face, neck, shoulders, and chest simultaneously and formed streams that flowed down between her breasts. The streams continued across her abdomen, speeding up as they traversed her legs. The flow was soothing, the steam was calming, and Beth felt herself slipping into a mindset she had enjoyed earlier in the day. She needed to visit the forbidden space again.

She reached up and focused the shower head, relying on the heavily steamed room to keep her warm as she adjusted the water flow’s direction. Beth focused the stream of hot liquid on the center of her chest, between her impressively firm and lightly tanned breasts that were beginning to flush pink from the soothing temperature. She felt the familiar stirring between her legs. The water spray was angled to hit against one breast. She brought up her fingers to begin stimulation of her cherry-colored nipples by circling round and round the darkening circle. Beth closed her eyes in delicious satisfaction as her sensitive woman-flesh began swelling in response.

One hand then released the detachable shower head that was shooting its incessant massaging liquid and slowly dropped her hand and re-designated the target to the flower between her legs. As soon as the harsh flow hit the most sensitive parts of her womanhood, Beth’s watery reality shifted and quickly dropped her awareness below her consciousness. An illicit haze began to settle in and a sense of euphoria dulled her alertness. Every movement became slow and drawn out, like she was floating without gravity.

She felt herself slowly sit back and relax, as though she was taking a step out of her body. In this haze, she began observing herself from behind. She had left the boundaries of her body. This detachment happened when she tasted her forbidden only once before. Like this time, the perspective changed, but the sensations remained as if there wasn’t a separation.

In the steam, positioned to be an observer, Beth peered around from behind her leg of the body she just left. Instead of grasping the shower head that fired moist pellets at her folds, she saw her hand grasping the shimmering hair of her femme. The exotic darkened skin of Beth’s specter was highlighted by her long, flowing hair that reached below her shoulders. She knelt before Beth’s standing body. With golden eyes, her femme stared directly into her mind, winked and smiled, then looked back at the standing form. Those hypnotizing, beaming eyes were level with the swollen flower, vulnerable and just inches away. The being quickly closed the gap between its darkened lips and the exposed folds, and made contact. When those lips touched her flower, Beth felt the erotic shock.

“Oh, my. Ahhhhh! Oh, yesssss,” the aware, reclining Beth moaned, hips flexing, as soft darkened feminine lips lit the fire in her sexual self. Her passion for this being was re-ignited.

With her head back and her eyes closed, she could no longer view all that was being done to her, but she felt every sensation as if the schism hadn’t occurred and she was still within her body. Ever caress, every touch, every tease was absorbed into Beth, patiently planting the seeds of new passions alongside the budding watery orgasm. She felt the swirling pool deep inside her begin to swirl fast and faster and creep up the sides of her erotic well. This pool was how she visualized the beginnings of all of her orgasms.

However there were new passions and distinct differences in this budding orgasm. This pool carried within it more permanence, a greater impact, and the waters were not the normal translucent blue of virgin seas. These waters, as revealed by the light of her inner being, were aqua-green and had more density, more substance. With that came more risk. Maybe more reward. Beth was ready to embrace the change, to taste this fruit again.

As before, her femme’s slick tongue was relentless, savoring the juices flowing from the surface of her flower. The apparition moaned in delight, growing stronger with each swipe of the tongue and caress of the lips. It was being empowered by the erotic nectar. The golden eyes beamed brighter, as though attached to some source of high voltage. Beth’s body was held captive to these overwhelming sensations and grip of this being, unable to escape or even avoid the contact. More lines were being crossed; these lines held dark lessons beyond them. Now Beth was prisoner to the sensual destiny ahead and Danielle was in control.

Her displaced, reclining self felt the savagery of the femme’s oral seduction increase. She watched her upright self grip the curtain rod and the tiled wall. She closed her eyes and caught view of the rising water again, swirling aqua-green murkiness, and nearly cresting. She tensed her legs, revealing the ridges of stomach muscles, and tilted her pussy forward in this final act. She responded to the deep craving for this Sapphic drug and held her breath in anticipation of the impending explosion.

One second passed, then two. She felt her femme’s fingers slide into her soaked pussy while ravaging her swollen clit with the tip of her tongue. The reservoir of her sensuality didn’t just flow over the side walls as before, it erupted as a geyser, consuming all of her senses and energies, pummeling her body with spasm after spasm. They kept coming and coming and coming.

“Arghh. Oh myyyyyy. Ahhh, oh!” cried Beth, her pleas drowned out by the sound of the splattering droplets against the tile walls and porcelain tub. Her hips had lifted and returned to the bath surface again and again, the multiple orgasms shattering her body. It was overwhelming. She heard a sweet voice repeatedly say “I will help you reclaim your Sapphic destiny” right before she slipped into momentary darkness.

Splatter! Splatter! Splatter!

It must have only been a few seconds but it felt like minutes had passed. The situation was still the same. She was still displaced from her body that was still upright, heaving and leaning over in exhaustion after the sexual onslaught from her femme. Beth peered at the golden eyes of femme, who was staring right back. Then she spoke to Beth. She spoke in a sensual whisper, soaked in temptation.

“Don’t shy away. It is time for us. Embrace who you are to be,” the femme said in the sweet low voice that echoed off the bathroom walls. “Are you ready to become the woman you were meant to be? I can help you.”

Beth nodded slowly, keeping her eyes locked on the phantasm’s golden orbs. “Yes,” Beth whispered. “Oh yes.” She craved the warm indulgence that fully embracing of the femme promised.

“Then you must do for me that which I have done for you,” her femme responded. “And the embrace will be complete.” Slowly the beauty with darkened skin arose and stood before the upright form of Beth’s body and, facing the form, repeated “Do for me that which I have done for you.”

Beth was willing. She was ready. Instead of arising from her reclined position at the back of the bath, through the mist and steam she watched her upright form react as she would, turning and facing the femme. As their lips met, Beth consciously felt the softness of feminine lips pressed against her own. It was a soft friction of two silken pillows rubbing against each other, stoking countless small fires. When their mouths parted, she tasted the rich, sweet saliva of her femme. Her form pulled back after the kiss. Beth began to feel woozy, the sweetness still stinging the tip of her tongue.

“I see you’re enjoying some of my juices. Now you’re ready for my Sapphic nectar,” her femme declared in a silk-covered whisper that seemed to echo through the small room.

Beth’s form knelt down with the femme’s shaded hands on her shoulders and stared at the pink flesh framed between light ebony legs. The displaced, fully aware Beth also viewed the beautiful vulnerability of womanhood. She wanted to taste it and seal the most intimate of womanly erotic bonds.

Instinctively her form placed her hands behind the clenched buttocks of her femme and brought her mouth closer to the destination, and extending her tongue to make first contact. When the two surfaces met, Beth indulged in the glorious sweet taste of another woman’s arousal. It astounded her taste buds and slammed her consciousness, catapulting her awareness into the dense fog of buried memories.

She felt like she was falling away from reality again. Landing into a deeper layer, she found herself standing in the large shadow-drenched meeting room of her college sorority hall. She looked down at herself and recognized the gown of sisterhood royalty, a true purple short strapless sequined and beaded dress that fell to cover her until just above her knees. It was banded at the waist just below her young breasts, adorned with the bright emerald jeweling of rule-making authority. She wasn’t the highest in the court, but she was respected, and feared, in the court for her extraordinary persuasiveness and cunning.

This was the evening that she witnessed her femme achieve her zenith of power and influence, not only over her but also over others. This was the Mistresses and Maidens Ball. The scene unfolding in the fog was the end of the day when the Mistresses privately initiated their Maidens for entrance into the court. Lady Bethany, her title within the house, had selected a freshman named Cynthia Meyers.

She escorted Ms. Meyers from the large room to a private and secluded part of the house. At that location was the converted library that was now known by the sisterhood as “The Turning Room.” As Cynthia entered the room for the first time, Beth watched her take stock of the unexpected brilliance awaiting her. The walls were covered with large, lavish mirrors that barely let any of the drywall peek between them. The ceiling looked like a single sheet of reflective glass. In three corners sat a grand collection of lit candles and complimentary blends of burning incense. The glow casted flickering shadows around the room. The whole effect was a combination of warm, mysterious, enchanting, and foreboding. The ambiance shimmered off the silk white slip worn by Maiden Cynthia, the only piece of attire she was wearing and the customary dress for maidens on these special evenings.

Lady Bethany knew their time was relatively short as she closed and locked the door behind them. She peered over to the pillow-covered bed in the middle of the room and then rested her eyes on the young, unblemished back and curved butt of her future protégé. Approaching her from behind, the Lady looked into the antique mirror that had captured Cynthia’s gaze, and caught her breath upon catching a glimpse of her own darkened eyes. Then she looked through the mirror into her maiden’s soft innocent blue orbs.

“This room is amazing,” said an awestruck maiden Meyers, unable to unlock her gaze from Bethany’s in the full length mirror before them. “I’ve never been in a place like this before,” she whispered, as though speaking too loudly would crack the glass and break the spell. “I love the reflections. I like that we’re in the mirror.” She swallowed audibly. “I like to… watch.”

The mistress nodded in appreciation, approached her and closed the gap between them, gently pressing her dress covered bodice against the middle of her maiden’s back. She put her hands on Cynthia’s arms, slowly rubbing them up and down, and leaned into her tender neck before whispering.

“This is a special place and this is a special night. I’m going to tell you something. I want you to listen very closely so I don’t have to repeat myself,” Bethany breathed warm words onto the younger woman’s neck and ear.

“Yes, my mistress,” Cynthia responded in kind, in reverence to the Lady’s station in the court. Her eyes closed, her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned back into her mistress in complete trust. In doing so, she created contact on every physical surface that she could, fully pressed.

Bethany moved her hands up the girl’s arms to her shoulders and allowed them to slowly, ever so slowly, drift forward, down to her chest and over her soft breasts. She felt the freshman’s nipples poke beneath the slick covers. She began massaging Cynthia’s breasts very slowly in a circular motion, trailing from the inner part of her chest outward. The maiden moaned quietly as her mistress began the ancient induction in a soothing whisper, just as it was taught to her a few years ago.

“From fragile to strong, from dry to moist,

From weak to stout, from nothing to choice,

I crave control of sisters high and low,

To make the way for my pink to know.

Seasons change and mine will too,

To favor curves, soft, and pink not blue,

My flower raptures at only sister’s touch,

Only the Sapphic bond is worth so much.”

The Lady paused and continued to sensually massage the maiden in silence, allowing the meaning of the words to sink deeper and deeper.

“I have told you the lines as I said for myself. Now four more times will we speak it for ourselves,” Bethany said and Cynthia nodded in agreement.

As they went through the mantra four more times, Bethany’s hands cupped and circled her maiden’s breasts. The flames grew brighter and the sandalwood incense grew stronger, filling the space and prodding the chanters to greater arousal.

As the final stanza ended, the young women locked gazes in the mirror, the intense heat of their passion raging. Bethany saw that not only had her eyes darkened even deeper than before, if that was even possible, but Cynthia’s bright blue eyes now seemed to soak in a darker tone. The mistress hoped it was a sign that the seeds for her change had been planted.

Bethany turned her maiden around to face her and firmly brought their lips together to re-light the passion of Sapphic desires. The two pairs of feminine beauty had caressed each other hungrily for many moments when she felt her maiden’s tongue peak into her mouth. Eagerly complying, she rubbed hers vigorously against the visitor and as she finally pulled back, drawing a substantial string of saliva between their lips, the Lady gave complete control of the moment to her femme.

Looking at the lust-intoxicated maiden, and guided by her inner femme, Bethany whispered the instructions, “Lie down on the edge of the bed, my dear. Pull your gown up over your waist and raise your knees. Allow me to show you the pleasures that only Sapphic love can give.”

Maiden Cynthia backed towards the bed, rested on it, and pulled her gown up slightly. She slowly scooted back a little further and spread her legs for her Mistress. Her moist, fragrant flower was exposed. She looked up at Bethany with pleading, hungry eyes and said, “Please do it. Do it softly. And with that mirror above, I’ll be watching.” Cynthia nodded to the glassy ceiling. “Show me the pleasure only you can give.”

The mistress gazed down at the vulnerable, willing freshman before her and tasted the sweet, foreign saliva gushing in her mouth. The young woman’s mound was shaved very short and precise. The tender, pink petals of flesh were glistening in the light. Bethany put a knee on the bed and leaned towards the flower, inhaling its scent, and then closed the rest of the gap. Her lips made contact and her tongue extended and her arms reached under the upright knees to reach up and fondle the lower portion of the maiden’s breasts through the silk robing. She took in another breath and…

Suddenly, just as the fog had arrived, the memory was swept away. Beth blinked once, and then a second time, and looked up into the familiar face of her femme. She returned the look with sincere understanding.

“Mmmm. I know you want to re-live that memory over and over and over again. That was a good night. I recall it fondly, whenever I please,” she whispered seductively as she spread her legs wider. “Finish loving me the way I have loved you, and you will re-live that night, and so much more.”

Beth was still displaced from her body, drifting in the wet haze, and her form was kneeling before the femme’s mound, continuing to love it with passion. She saw the clear nectar, speckled with what appeared to be bits of golden glitter, flow from the femme’s flower, dripping down the insides of the darkened legs. Some also clung from the chin of her adoring form. When Beth licked her lips, she tasted the secret honey that was being lapped up before her.

The femme closed the lids of her golden eyes and began to tighten her stomach and straighten her legs in response to the pending ecstasy. The sensation also began to affect Beth. She was absorbing the entire amount of passion and eroticism in the room, both the excitement of the giver and the pleasure of the receiver, as though they were all a part of her. The feelings were engulfing her internally, externally, completely.

She watched her femme begin to cry out. “Ahhhhh. Ohhhh, my. Aieeee,” the words were spewed from her dark, rich lips as she exploded in orgasm. Droplets of gold-speckled honey dripped from her swollen flower. Over and over and over again the spasms shook the specter. Each spasm was a small step in igniting a sensual change in the well of Beth’s being.

The first sign for Beth that something fundamental had changed in her was her inability to quickly regain control of her body, her full vision or her awareness. Moments later, while looking up, she noticed her detached form was no longer there, nor was her femme. She was by herself, relaxing in the back of the bathtub. She gripped the sides and lifted herself to a squat, then slowly thrust into a standing position. The water continued to splash against her body. She felt much more sensitive to the onslaught, more aware of the miniscule impacts against her skin. Her tactile sensitivity had increased hundredfold.

As she began to finish washing her body, each rub and stroke registered strong signals in her mind. When she turned to rinse her hair and back, she was conscious of the weight of her breasts and the way they shifted side to side with the momentum. She was greatly aware of the petals of womanly flesh between her legs as they rested and rubbed against her thighs as her legs squeezed together momentarily. She knew what was happening; she’d been here before.

Time for major change, she thought.

Turning off the water, Beth opened the curtain and pulled her towel to her chest. In response, a sizzle went up her spine. That feeling produced a smile. It revealed a sense of greater ambition and a more eroticism. Her favorite feeling, like a drug, no longer needed to be chased and consumed. The erotic high was now within her.

The non-fading deep dark eyes reflected in the foggy bathroom mirror confirmed what she knew. Beth knew that her femme, Danielle, was back and in control. Beth was just a shell. And no one else had any idea what was about to hit them.

Nicole

As Nicole entered the lab the next morning, Will was waiting at her workstation.

“Have you been waiting long,” she asked with a smile.

“No, just a minute,” Will replied. “You look nice today. That top fits you well.”

Nicole noticed his eyes drift from her face down to her chest, where her tight black top formed a V and where blush-enhanced cleavage began. She’d done a little extra makeup this morning and desired the extra attention. She felt numb to his gaze instead of the expected tickle of flattery, however. That’s odd, she thought. Usually she felt the thrill of deserved acknowledgement. She liked to hear those comments, even from things superficial and chauvinistic such as a shirt revealing a bit of cleavage. And even from someone like Will Freeman. Something had changed in her.

I must be more different than I realized, she thought.

“Will, I’ll tell you what,” she responded, trying to turn the conversation to the business at hand. “I’m looking forward to bringing more girls in here for the program. I think we’re doing a lot of good for Jessica, and we should start contacting other girls.” This comment extracted a surprised look from her boss.

“Not to be picky, but you mean women, right? ‘Cause I’m not sure we can work with the younger group and you specifically said ‘girls’,” he said in a half-joking way. “The parents would be a tough sell.”

“Oh. Yeah. You know what I mean,” Nicole brushed off the slip. Why did I say girls? she thought. Then she reassured herself that “I prefer women much more than girls,” and she further realized the effects of the last 24 hours were taking hold. I can’t remember all the instructions I received, she considered.

“Well, I like your attitude. It sparkles like your outfit,” Will said. “Let’s definitely keep charging forward with the momentum we have. What time are you expecting Ms. O’Dell?”

“Today will be her second day and I should see her in about an hour,” said Nicole.

“Good. I’m going to be working in my office. If you need anything…”

“I know where to find you,” Nicole cut in. “I got this, Will,” she said as she put her hand firmly on his arm and gave him a nudge towards his end of the hallway.

Will got the hint, nodded, and headed to his office.

As Will disappeared from sight, Nicole proceeded to put her things away and prep her workstation for the day. After a few minutes she went to the lab delivery room to set it up appropriately. The music was set, the flowers arranged, the lighting dimmed, and the chair and apparatus set to receive its occupant.

Her unfamiliar thoughts and unusual comments from her discussion with Will continued to receive review in her fast-moving mind. She was not fond of be surprised by her own responses.

It was only minutes after she had returned to her workstation when Jessica O’Dell walked through the front door. Nicole looked up, and the proceeded to look her over, from top to bottom.

Jessica was dressed in a pleated green sundress with straps that stretched from her shoulders to the top of her breasts, and then created a shelf of cleavage that was banded underneath. Nicole found delight in the flowing gowning that continued down the woman’s body to just a couple of inches above her knees. The dress was so lightweight that even a brief wind could have lifted it up to reveal the unmentionables underneath.

Nicole began wondering what was underneath and whether they were white or pink, cotton or silk, she caught herself again and unfroze her gaze. What the heck, she yelled internally.

“Good morning, Jessica. I hope you had a good evening,” began Nicole, quickly acquiring a professional demeanor.

Jessica paused before answering, leaned toward Nicole, and whispered “It was fantastic.” She gleamed like a school girl keeping a delectable secret.

“Well, great. How did the homework go?” Nicole whispered back.

Again, Jessica paused a moment and just stared at Nicole. “I know it was only the first day, but I feel like a new woman. I haven’t daydreamed about Tommy for a whole day and I’m starting to notice other… things.”

Jessica continued as Nicole escorted her back to the delivery room.

“There aren’t many women staying at the shelter this week. Some are young, some old. You know, all different types. But there’s one girl, I forget her name, who I just noticed yesterday. We mostly all keep to ourselves, but I noticed her. Kind of like I’m noticing you… now,” said Jessica as her gaze shifted and she reached up towards Nicole’s arm.

The tingle birthed by the touch from this woman triggered more thoughts in Nicole’s brain. She struggled to keep her composure. She responded after briefly considering the information. “That is good news. Sounds like you’re starting to De-Link from Tommy and his effect on you. What did you think about the homework?”

Jessica grinned wide. “I did exactly what you told me to. I locked the door to my bedroom, took off all my clothes, my bra and panties. I was totally naked! I sat on my bed and flipped on that minicomputer you gave me. The first message on the screen told me to plug in those headphones and then put that cute little buzzing butterfly between my legs, so I did.”

Nicole didn’t expect such a detailed answer, but let her continue. Every word Jessica spoke was being recorded by her brilliant mind to be feasted upon later.

“And I plugged that one wire from the butterfly into the minicomputer, as it told me to. What a neat little butterfly! Anyway… this beautiful girl came on the screen and it felt so good to listen to her, she was so amazing. No one had ever talked to me like that about the things she was talking about. And it was like she was telling the butterfly when to buzz, always at the perfect time.”

Jessica then leaned in towards Nicole’s ear. “She showed me things I’d never seen before, things that I can’t stop thinking about. I felt myself explode inside, and then I fell asleep. But I woke up a little bit later.”

Nicole was not ready to speak when the account was finished. “Well… okay…,” she looked Jessica up and down and a split-second image of her on the bed doing the homework filled her mind’s eye. She gulped and tried to bring the conversation back to something more productive, more work-related.

“Well it sounds like treatment is starting to work. You don’t feel anything for Tommy today?” Jessica shook her head.

“That’s good, and healthy, for you. We’re making progress quickly,” Nicole assured her. Jessica beamed in response like a survivor excelling in her rehabilitation.

“So I think we’re going to step it up a bit. Keep doing that homework each night until we give you a new take-home pouch.”

At this point Jessica was standing close to Nicole, deftly tracing her fingertips gently up and down the researcher’s arm. The feel-good sensations being created were gathering at the base of Nicole’s neck and beginning to affect her clarity of thought. She battled on.

“Okay. I’ll help you get into Empathy again and let’s get started.”

Before she could make the next move, Nicole watched as Jessica boldly slipped her right and then her left dress strap off her shoulders and pulled the clothing down below her waist. From there it was just a hip adjustment and leg shift to cause it to flop to the floor. When Jessica noticed the woman’s stunned expression, she began to cover her chest and said, “Oh, sorry. You don’t mind if I get more comfortable, do you? I figured since youre a scientist, basically a doctor, it would be fine. Do you want me to slip this back on?” indicating the dress at her feet.

“No. No, you’re fine. Really, fine...,” Nicole responded as her eyes began recording the feminine physique before her. Drips of saliva began trickling into her mouth as more details of what it was like to see this woman doing her homework were filled in. She swallowed the fluids in her mouth. “Wet mouth”, as she called it, was noted side effect of the De-Link treatment.

“I don’t want you to get too cold, so leave your panties on, Jessica. But you’re right- the effects of the treatments will be stronger when you have less clothing between you and Empathy. Here, I’ll finish getting you set up.”

In the same order as before, Nicole adjusted the machine to Jessica’s physical specifications. When she lifted her subject’s breasts, the sensual magnets of Nicole’s current obsession, she felt the saliva fill her mouth again and felt blooming warmth between her legs. Although she tried, she couldn’t remain completely professional in this step and ran her palm and fingertips across the large dark nipples as she was withdrawing them. The erect flesh responded, though Jessica didn’t seem to register the violation.

“You’re right. Now it feels nice and doesn’t tickle as much,” reported Jessica, drawing out the ‘I’ in nice.

“Good,” Nicole smiled. “Your treatment today will be different than yesterday because from what you’ve told me, I think you’re ready. Let me get a drink for you. I wouldn’t want your throat to get dry.”

Nicole walked back to the control room and retrieved the icy cold beverage from the customized cooling container. The frosty surface of the mug was melting as it acclimated to the warmer temperatures outside of the cooler. Nicole handed the drink to Jessica, who took it and drank with eager anticipation. Nicole heard a couple “mmm’s” while Jessica was gulping it down as she made final adjustments on the equipment.

Nicole knew this concoction, with the lighting and mood in the room, would be fast-acting. After Jessica babbled a bit about how good the taste was and how impressed she was with the room, she was not surprised to find her in a glassy semi-conscious state shortly afterwards. Though consciously non-responsive, when Nicole tenderly adjusted Jessica’s breasts more securely into Empathy’s cups, Jessica slightly moved her hips up and down, a first grind of the hyper-sensitive flesh between her legs against the clam-shaped wand that was positioned against her panties. The contact with the smooth, silky skin of Jessica’s breasts and watching the grinding activity caused saliva to re-enter Nicole’s mouth.

Immediately afterward, piercing, split-second flashbacks ran through Nicole’s mind rapidly, resulting in nearly a minute of euphoria and the resulting physiological responses. She felt the nipples on her smallish breasts harden and moisture from between her legs. She wasn’t prepared for this mental onslaught, but shouldn’t have been surprised.

I… really want… her. Nicole couldn’t believe how quickly the thoughts re-surfaced and were piling onto her.

Jessica was unaware of what was happening with Nicole, who was sitting right next to her. Nicole closed her eyes as the assault continued and tried to mentally resist, refocusing on the day’s work instead of the sensual and erotic images. Stay professional… it’s not the right time… don’t give in… she needs you to stay the course… be the professional… keep Jessica the focus… just not in that way…

She opened her eyes, blinked a couple times, took a breath, and arose from the wheeled stool to return to the control room. While walking, she had to take another series of calming breaths to further de-escalate her body from its state of arousal.

Once calmed, Nicole entered the commands to get the Stage One De-Link programming underway for her beautiful, physically-enticing subject. She chose to avoid spending as much time with the monitors as she did yesterday and quickly moved on to her next task- a review of the next top applicants for the treatment. Will had already arranged them in order of his preference.

Now, stay focused, Nicole, she told herself. It’s not a good time, or place, to lose control.

Before she began her review of the candidates, she called her phone message system. One of the first messages was from Danielle, a return call that provided more details to her situation. These details were primarily needed to create her candidate folder. When she had a chance to meet this woman in person, more details would be added. Nicole was convinced, however, that Danielle should be included in the next round regardless of the lack of information. It felt like the right decision. That’s kind of odd for a scientist, she thought. The folder for ‘Danielle’ was placed on the top.

Oddly, one of the phone messages was from Will himself, left for her sometime during the evening before. After listening to it once, Nicole played it again, scribbling out some of the details. His voice sounded different than normal, like it was strained or under pressure.

“Hey Nicole, it’s Will. Listen, I’ve been thinking about what you were telling me earlier about the possibility of you moving out of that sorority house, where you’re living now. (pause) You said the place was getting more distracting. Yeah, that’s the word you used – distracting. (pause) I know I supported the idea to move out earlier, but I’ve thought about it some more. Ummmm. You have a good thing going over there. I guess the other girls can get, well, you know the way they can get. But you and the house-mom get along pretty good and the undergrads look up to you as an accomplished graduate. (pause) Yeah. You’re a bright, attractive young woman and you have a lot to offer them. You can help them… ummm… experience some special things… at this time in their lives. Just open your eyes and uh… look around. Look for the opportunities. (pause) You should stay where you’re at and…. Okay, I gotta go!”

Just before the audible click of the receiver hanging up, Nicole heard Will say something to someone nearby, something that he didn’t intend to be picked up through the phone line. She thought he said “There! I did it for you. Now let me… (click).” The hair on the back of Nicole’s neck stood on end. Something strange was going on with Will, something stranger than usual.

Regardless, his advice made sense to her and the reasoning was sound. She felt more comfortable with the decision to stay. The house had been her home for the past five years, but over the last three months it had been getting more and more difficult to concentrate on any of her studies there. Surely it wasn’t the new occupants of the attic, since they were in a well-sealed environment. Overall, it was like there was something in the water or in the air and she was very sensitive to it. It was like pleasant pollen in the middle of allergy season. Her reactions weren’t sneezing or running nose, it was much deeper than a physical response, far below the surface. Lately her ability to focus when home was severely compromised or nonexistent.

It couldn’t be due to them, could it? she questioned. But soon her inquisitive mind was calmed and she lost the urge to pursue that train of thought.

Will’s feedback had quieted her concerns. Of course, she had a good thing going. Her gut feelings matched the feedback and the frustration due to an unhelpful environment soon dissolved. She began to feel more content with a decision to stay. It would all be okay, staying right where she was.

Nicole finished checking her messages and hung up the phone. She turned to review the monitors and bio-feedback for the ongoing treatment. No longer focusing on the messages and the prompts in the phone receiver, her ears began registering the muffled whimpering and staggered breathing that was coming from the delivery room. She looked through the window and her eyes and ears pieced together the phenomenon.

She gazed upon a nearly nude Jessica O’Dell and thought she saw her writhing and soaking in the heat of visually and mechanically induced arousal. She blinked, and on second take, the activity was actually quite subtle but discernable. Parts of Jessica’s athletic body was flexing and then relaxing in a pattern. Her calves, thighs, and lower abdominals tensed as she lifted her hips ever-so-slightly to rub her panties against the metal wand between her legs. Up and down, up and down, up and down. Although it was just a couple centimeters up and then back, it was unmistakable when combined with the moans that were forcing themselves through the woman’s moist feminine lips.

“ohhhh… hmmmmm…. Ohhh…. Uhhh… hmmm…” rang her sweet whisper through the romantically adorned room. Jessica’s enjoyment of the intense arousal ride triggered the more carnal nature of Nicole’s curiosity.

“I can’t deny it, I want her,” mumbled Nicole silently. “I’ve never felt this level of physical attraction before.” She felt her own body temperature begin to rise. “I’m going to give in, just this one time.”

Along with the elaborate technology constructed in the control room, the designers included a pair of headphones that could be plugged into the jack of a special monitor which allowed the researcher to share the screen of the subject being treated. Nicole would be able to see and hear exactly what Jessica was enduring. It was a feature that she had added to the equipment order without requesting Will’s approval. The cost was insignificant in light of the other expenditures and he never noticed.

After jumping up and locking the door to the hallway, Nicole returned to her chair and turned on the screen and slipped on the studio-grade sound equipment. She leaned back in the high-backed chair, watching the screen come to life. Conveniently, the actually view of Jessica was positioned right above the top edge of the monitor. She could watch the real-life cause and the effect.

As if jumping into a presentation mid-sentence, the screen came to life with an array of abstract colors and sounds with a rich, liquid voice-over.

“…noticing them… all around you… they’re everywhere you turn…young, beautiful…luscious female curves…so smooth, silky soft…curves that you enjoy gazing at… they hold your attention…see the hips sway… back and forth, side to side…when she walks…soft, curved… butt… firm… feel it against the palm of your hand…full of feminine allure…entrapping you …in sensual pleasure…she moves seductively…an entrancing dance… seduction….watch the hips move… graceful, strong legs… stare in curiosity… feel the tinge of lust… enjoy the lust… lick your lips….taste the lust … on the tip of your tongue…. it stings… it’s sweet… crave more… give in… surrender…”

The voice and instructions were intimately familiar to Nicole. They combined with the liquid shapes and colors, forming, dancing, and dissolving on the screen. Although they seemed abstract at first, when the viewer gazes on them for more than a handful of seconds, the shapes begin to make sense. The erotic portraits being pieced together pierced through the shell of the conscious mind little by little. It planted seeds in the subconscious surface, and deeper. Nicole knew she had been greatly affected and was now witnessing its unmistakable effects on another.

The memories of her time with this programming session were faint. She endured it a while before Mistress saw fit to begin more specialized sessions of her treatment. She remembered enjoying this phase; it was so welcoming and warm, handling her fragile innocence with velvet gloves. She now slipped into the bliss as easily as falling down a slide. Jessica was experiencing the same thing. She was wide open, receptive, to the seeds of a new perspective, of the De-Link treatment.

Her voice was entrancing as Nicole listened some more. It was so soothing… calming… reassuring… sensual… loving… tender… guiding… hopeful… the voice of this…. platinum-haired… teen beauty. Nicole felt herself slipping down… down… deeper… deeper… into this flow… feeling half-awake… staring at beautiful… shapes… curves…. seduction… breasts… erotic… sirens… temptation.

Then she blinked and fought to climb back out of the daydream fog. The tips of her nipples were pressing against the interior surface of her top, aroused, stimulated. When she noticed her legs had spread wide apart during those thoughts, she closed her knees together, feeling her inner thigh brush against her swelling flower. It pressed the cotton of her panties against the moisture-covered surface. She sighed and got up from the chair to stretch, and to aid her resistance against the temptations. She felt so alive and aware after just the short time absorbing the session. That girl’s voice did things to her—deep intimate things.

The countdown for completion of Jessica’s session began flashing on the primary monitor. Just a few minutes remaining before she emerges from the influences of an intense treatment session. Nicole re-entered the delivery room, quietly pulling the wheeled stool behind her.

Get with it, Nicole, she told herself. Be professional. Do you job, it’s important. First things first.

Trying to concentrate on research professionalism, she sat next to Empathy, observing the green indicator light on the side of the headgear. To end, first it would be a blue light, indicated an ongoing cool-down routine. Then it would be the red light, or finished.

Once that occurred, Nicole disengaged the attachments and instrumental monitoring devices and looked into the eyes of a treated blonde beauty. The next few moments would be very telling. Jessica paused, looked Nicole up and down, licked her lips, and whispered, “Would you be offended if I told you how much I like what I see?”

Nicole giggled to herself, completely unprepared for that question from the woman who continued to step out of the chair in unabashed near-nudity. She fully exposed the flushed surface of her sculpted breasts, now uncovered from the cups of Empathy. Additionally, she gave Nicole a peep of the darkened front of her yellow satin panties.

Why did you look there, Nicole? Stay professional. Looking for imprints of her flower isn’t professional, Nicole. The urges were too strong. The debate continued in her head.

Nicole took Jessica’s hand with her right and held her elbow with her left; knowing that emerging from Empathy too quickly can unsettle one’s balance. Jessica stood up gradually and took hold of both of Nicole’s hands. Before Nicole knew what was happening, Jessica pulled her closer, leaned in, and planted a soft, sensual kiss on her lips. She kept her lips pressed against Nicole’s, who was unable to easily pull away from a woman who was clearly much stronger than she was and who, at this moment, chose to use that strength.

After the initial second of resistance, which occurred only due to shock, Nicole felt a need to comply with the force being exerted on her. She felt Jessica’s hands move to her waist and pull her body even closer. She felt Jessica’s naked chest press against her thinly covered tits, and then came the rest of the contact—stomach to stomach, groin to groin, and thigh to thigh. Though they were nearly even in stature, Jessica’s strength was overwhelming, compelling Nicole to indulge in the feminine desires. Nicole placed her hands on Jessica’s back, near her shoulder blades. As the passion heat rose, she allowed her hands to slip lower to her naked lower back and then lower. Nicole’s fingertips grazed the smooth sensual texture of the satin panties that covered the firm upper part of the savage-behaving beauty’s butt.

Again, without warning, Jessica broke off the kiss and paused, staring deep into Nicole’s green eyes.

“I… am so… alive. Because of… you, I hunger… I want… passion…” Jessica whispered between deep breaths, deeply affected by the erotic high she was slowly descending.

Nicole gently pulled away from Jessica. She still held her hands and replied, “I understand. Let me help you get dressed. You have a lot to think about. I really do understand how you feel, Jessica.”

The blue-eyed woman smiled mischievously in response and ran her hand along the length from Nicole’s shoulder and down her upper arm. Nicole knew exactly what she was thinking at the moment. She didn’t want to stifle the moment, but she knew that Jessica needed to be sent home to finish the cool-down process, an essential part of the treatment.

Stop staring at that luscious body, Nicole. The lower space of her breasts captured her gaze. “You need to be a scientist, not a voyeur,” she warned herself.

She helped her get her sundress over those enviable curves and smoothed it down, intentionally running her hands over the most pronounced, female parts of Jessica’s body. It was one last tactile feel to register in her memory log.

“Okay, now… ummm… work on the same homework as before. Instead of seeing you tomorrow, we’ll see you back in about a week. Keep up with the homework and you’ll be fine, I promise,” Nicole assured her. Walking down the hallway seemed to take forever, as every step gave her unspoken bliss. She and Jessica headed out the front door to the waiting cab. Before she got into the car, Jessica leaned over to Nicole to tell her something.

“I will be thinking about you while I do my homework. And I probably won’t stop thinking about you after that,” she said as she traced the surface of her lips lightly across Nicole’s jaw line up to her earlobe. Like in a fire pit, the warmth began to spread throughout Nicole’s core. She closed her eyes and savored the seductive feelings.

Silently, Nicole watched as Jessica got into the cab, providing a visual feast of her tightly muscled legs. It was another gift for her photogenic memory from the dirty blonde-haired beauty. It added to the set of images that she savored upon during her times alone. Everything was recalled in intricate detail.

Slowly she made her way back to the control room to retrieve the files. She walked as if she were on autopilot, feeling as though the time walking between rooms was blacked out. The erotic tingle remained in her core. She knew it would continue to satisfy her the rest of the day.

Beth

Stacks of clothing surounded her in the bedroom. The closet rack was bare as its contents were strewn on one-half of the king size bed. Beth was beginning a wardrobe overhaul. The change would suit her newfound tastes and simultaneously stun her husband.

Her now over-active femme, Danielle, was whispering either approval or disdain for clothing pieces as she looked them over. The pattern was wholly predictable—unmodifiable, modest attire ended up in the bag bound for charity and the more risqué and daring retained their places in the drawers and on the hangers. “You need to be attractive to women, pleasing to look at, even enticing,” the voice persuaded Beth’s consciousness. She was riding high on big plans for her future, a titillating, sensual forecast.

Pastels were going away. Bold, sexy colors and innocent whites were remaining. Anything that wasn’t tight-fitting, showcasing leg, cleavage, or other suggestive skin, or was subtly provocative in some other way was on its way out. The bedroom décor was next on the remodeling agenda.

The phone rang, interrupting Beth’s thought process and the encouraging gentle whispers.

“Hello?”

“Hello. May I speak to Danielle please?” asked a young woman on the other line.

How fortunate, Beth thought, as a half-smile formed. “This is Danielle,” she confirmed.

“Danielle, this is Nicole at the University Research Lab. We spoke a little earlier. Our schedule has opened up and we’re ready to start your treatment in the next day or two, if that works for you.”

“Yes. That’s good,” replied Beth, “Let’s begin sooner rather than later.”

“Great. Be at our lab at 9 am tomorrow. You’ll start with a brief pre-treatment with our lead researcher, Will Freeman, and then we’ll give you the initial, first day treatment,” said the young-sounding Nicole.

Caught off-guard by the information that she’ll meet with Will, who is apparently heading up the project, Beth replied with silence. Although the risk level increased, she was too motivated to back out now. The debate was quickly raging in her mind.

“Danielle?”

“Umm, yes. That sounds good. Let’s do it,” answered Beth. If she had to confront Will head-on, so be it. At the least, it will be good for their marriage. It was time to have courage and declare her new destiny when it mattered. Don’t shirk from conflict; embrace it.

“Thanks for your time. I look forward to seeing you then,” replied Nicole followed by a pleasant ‘click’.

Beth sighed and noticed her increased heartbeat. She paced a few times around the bedroom, contemplating the different scenarios that she’ll be encountering and her varied responses to each of them. “You’ll be fine; this is how it’s supposed to be. Stay focused. Depend on me,” said her femme’s soothing voice to her anxious contemplations. “You can still become the woman you were meant to be.”

“Okay. I can still be that woman- the woman that I’m meant to become.” She sighed. That was settled.

Now it became much more important that she focused on her presentation for the impending conflict. The outfit had to be strong for challenging Will and lurid enough to capture young Nicole. As she looked at the stacks and piles of clothing, no singular outfit jumped out at her as being up to task.

Then she remembered that some outfits from her younger days were stored in Will’s closet. He had some extra space in there. She walked over to his closet and parted the jackets, suits, and shirts to one side. As she suspected, her hanging clothes had been forced to the far side and others were crammed into boxes in the least-accessible part of the space. She reached down to grasp the box and pulled it into the room.

When she turned around to see if more boxes were there, she noticed an unusual magenta-colored container, a little larger than a shoe box, nestled in the crevice behind where her clothing box was just located. She knelt down and grasped the corner of the box and pulled that into the room also. There was no dust evident anywhere on the surface and a simple strap held the lid closed.

Everyone has secrets, her inner confidante reminded her. Clearly Will did not plan on anyone finding this box, especially not his innocent, clueless trophy wife.

As she unlatched the strap and opened the lid, her eyes settled on metallic beading and colored plating set into one-inch wide straps of leather. Each of the straps had a buckle on one end and was each less than two feet long. As she picked the top one up, Beth instantly knew what they were. They were collars.

She ran her finger along the bumpy surface of the collar on top, picked it up and turned the heavy band over in her hands. It was not some cheap pet accessary. On the underside she noticed some small, detailed writing. It was probably written using a silver permanent marker. The one she was holding had the words “The Jade” written on it followed by a series of dates from the previous weeks. That’s curious, she thought.

Beth picked up a second, third, and fourth collar. All had the writing on the underside – “Diamonds”, “Madame Silk’s”, and “Second Violation”. Following the names, a series of dates were written, going back from the present further and further. As she kept investigating, she noticed the dates going into the previous year and beyond. It was a collection of collars, different colors and designs and lengths.

When she reached the bottom of the deeper-than-expected container, the final collar was dark, black leather with metal diamonds punched into the material every half-inch. The surface of the diamond studs reflected the room’s light dramatically, more distinctly than any of the other collars. This was a very unique material that she found familiar, but had difficulty recalling. It felt heavier in her hands and she turned it over to view the inscription. The phrase was a solitary word, “Initiation”, and the month of August from over three years ago.

Speculation swirled in Beth’s mind. How was Will taking part in these activities? Why didn’t he share this secret with her?

Then some pieces began to fall into place. This must be why he was tired all the time. This must be why he didn’t want to make love to her. He favored a different style. She no longer fit his sexual paradigm, his newest carnal delights. She was his past, the collars represented his present. Who would be his future?

Inside her mind her femme was cheering wildly, seeing a path of no resistance to the woman she was destined to turn into. Danielle might be his future, but it was doubtful she even cared about something like that.

After running her thumb over the metallic diamond studs one more time, Beth reached over and methodically placed the collars back into the container. She was careful to store them in the box just as she had found them, laying them delicately and purposefully as the prized collectibles of her husband’s. Replacing the lid to cover the container, Beth carefully put it back into the deep nook in the closet. She moved her clothing box back into the original location also. It was important for details to be precise so Will wouldn’t notice.

With a fresh perspective, she finished her wardrobe sorting task.

The window was wide open for Danielle’s reintroduction, whether that man liked it or not.

Nicole

Nicole liked the way things were coming together for the Empowerment and Empathy program. Danielle, who described herself as suffering from emotional abuse and a survivor of past physical abuse, would begin the next morning. The other three candidates had also been selected and were going to get back to her to arrange their start dates. They were an eclectic mix from a variety of situations that would surely test the effectiveness of the treatment.

Elizabeth was a college-age bartender that was being emotionally bullied. Eventually, she found out that the prank calls that were haunting her were initiated by the fact her phone number was etched on the walls of the men’s and women’s bathroom walls. She wanted to learn how to stand up for herself to both sexes.

Karen was an administrative assistant at a law firm. In such a role, she was being treated as a doormat for anyone who would use her. She wanted to be more confident and assertive towards the lawyers and other assistants in the office.

Shannon was a tough, hard-nosed building supervisor who seemed to have the world by the balls. The truth is, she did. She applied for the treatment to help her gain even more of an edge in her career and life. Nicole felt there was probably more to her story than she was letting on.

Nicole gazed at the profile photo of Shannon’s eyes, lips, neck, and chest, and felt her internal heat begin to rise. She’s a strong woman… with soft feminine curves… I can get… her… to notice me… to want me… Before she knew it, her hand was slowly moving to the place between her legs. She closed her eyes when she felt the pressure through the denim material.

“Mmm,” she moaned.

“It will be so good to see her… to want her… to touch her…” said the voices in Nicole’s conscious. You need to try many tastes…

She broke out of the mid-day trance when the nearby phone began to ring. Oh my, she thought, flustered at the erotic path she was traveling. She reached and picked up the receiver.

“Hello, you’ve reached University Research. This is Nicole.”

“Nicole, this is Brenda calling from home.” Brenda, the house mother, was a friend. She was kind of that stereotypical fun-loving aunt to her. “I’m sorry to bother you, but today’s been a really strange day, and it’s getting weirder. I think you need to come home and take a look.”

“Brenda,” replied Nicole. “Are you sure this is urgent?”

“Oh yes, very urgent. I know you’re busy, but I tried to wait as long as I could. I can’t wait any longer.”

“Alright, I can be home within the hour,” assured Nicole. There’s no way they got out, or she would be saying something, Nicole supposed.

“The sooner, the better,” Brenda replied. “Please hurry. Something’s just not right.”

Nicole hung up the phone, quickly gathered her purse and put the files into the brown carrying pouch. She locked her desk drawer and walked down the hallway to Will’s office. She needed to let him know about her early departure. When she entered the doorway, she noticed he had his white shirt halfway unbuttoned from the top and was applying some type of skin cream to his neck.

“Hey, Will,” she greeted.

He jumped a bit at her greeting.

“Sorry to surprise you,” Nicole continued. “I need to head home early today. All of my stuff is done. Our next candidate, Danielle, will be here tomorrow.”

Will had stopped applying his lotion. A bit of visible lotion remained on parts of his neck.

“Good. Ahh, that’s fine.”

“That looks pretty bad,” responded Nicole, indicating the scary red marks that were encircling Will’s neck. “Does it hurt much?”

“No, no, no. Not much. This stuff helps,” answered Will, showing her the bottle of skin cream. “Anyway, you go ahead. Enjoy your evening.”

“Thanks, Will,” said Nicole as she headed toward the front door. Though she never said anything, she had noticed those marks on him before. She figured there was never a need to say anything, at least for now.