She stopped at the bar to give her drink order to a submissive who was
clearly in punishment. Her tight collar was anchored firmly to the back
of an even tighter leather harness, forcing her head back, making it
impossible for her to assume the customary submissive posture of head
bowed, eyes down. Her wrists were shackled to a chain around her waist,
giving her just enough length to mix and serve drinks.

“I’ll be in the back room,” Marina informed someone’s very bad pet.

“Yes, M’Lady. Right away,” the submissive affirmed Marina’s dominance
with what could have only been an extremely uncomfortable bow at the
waist.

Marina chose a booth in the corner, even more dimly lit than the other
tables and booths in the room, but one from which she had a good
vantage point. She wasn’t quite sure why she’d decided on the S&M
room tonight. She and Jenny usually settled in one of the D/s rooms.
They hadn’t quite escalated their lifestyle to incorporate deliberate
and extreme pain, though Marina had the feeling that Jenny would not
have objected, might have even welcomed it. She tried not to think
about that as she watched the sexual games around her.

The sub set a pitcher of marguerites down on the table, with a salted glass. “Will there be anything else, M’Lady?”

Marina knew she should probably add some small act of humiliation or
pain. This was Susan’s club, after all. And when a pet was punished
like this, in public, other Dommes were usually expected to affirm it.
But Marina just didn’t have the heart to do it. “That’s all, for now,”
she smiled, and the sub bowed again, a puzzled look that almost looked
like disappointment grazing her face and vanishing into a wince of pain.

Marina was well into her third drink before she realized she’d sunk
back into it, that hopeless feeling that she was about to lose
everything she’d worked for. Even the experience of having one sub
after another offer to service her any way she wanted was not enough to
dispel the mood.

“You look utterly devastated,” Susan Birch announced from out of
nowhere. Marina jumped and looked around just as Susan slid into the
booth beside her, pressing her thigh against Marina’s. “Did you lose
your pet?” Susan ran her tongue along her lower lip. She’d seen Jenny,
and very much liked what she saw in the small petite girl.
Vulnerability. And darkness.