It was five days after the gallery opened with a fantastic opening that Mike did the very embarrassing thing of giving a schoolboy concussion. The schoolboy had tried to vandalise one of Malcolm’s pieces in the Llarson Gallery’s defense. No damage suit was going to stick, the school was embarrassed, the boy in question suspended probably to be expelled for prior issues too. The boy’s parents offered compensation upon viewing the security video footage.
Claire however knew that Mike had a great deal of ability and alternative methods in his arsenal. Slapping the child hard enough to slide across the floor until he bowled the supervising teacher over was excessively violent. Malcolm of course thought it to have been Mike being extremely nice, he still had all his teeth, he still had both arms even.
Ingrid was delighted that the security system had worked. The Lazer fence had activated the firedoors and closed that section off within two seconds. The police and ambulance had been summoned within one minute and a response team was entering within two minutes. Other section of the gallery had been warned of an emergency in that section and alternative routes were advised. Two tour guides had smoothly redirected their groups and assured them the situation was under control. They had even communicated the nature of the emergency to their groups within five minutes to the applause of the groups.
Renata was onto the school before the alarm was deactivated. She had a good idea of what had happened and briefed the headmaster. Peter had the brief open before the boy was taken away in the police pickup, not an ambulance. The ambulance did not deem the injury serious enough to occupy a hospital.
“You could have merely shouted at him!” Claire said at home when she had calmed down.
“Yes Mistress.”
Mike was kneeling at the dungeon room door. Nerrine had been sent to her rooms. Claire breathed a few times. Sometimes Mike forgot how fragile other people could be; he also loved Malcolm, it was his piece that had been the target of vandalism. She understood that Mike had been defending his friend more than stopping a stupid boy.
You caused a massive disruption, you caused almost a hundred other people to be afraid. You caused an incident that will reach the press and nobody knows how that will turn out. My mother is delighted that security worked, Renata is delighted because it assures high profile exhibitors that our security is effective.”
“Yes Mistress.”
“Your motive was fantastic my Slave. You were defending Malcolm, you were protecting the gallery’s property. Your methods were just excessive. The CCTV footage is already on YouTube! Thus punishment will be forty lashes.”
“Yes Mistress.”
Claire unlocked the door and Mike crawled in. She whipped him feeling that she was being excessive. Deep within herself she was worried, she was making a reason if Mike decided to end their contract. She had just been through an early term miscarriage, Mike had been brilliant at her side through that, but she wouldn’t blame him if he decided to find a more fertile field.
It was a champaigne breakfast at Ingrid’s home celebrating the success of the exhibition. The press reviews had been very good. In Nadine’s case wonderful as she cheered Malcolm’s return to exhibition with a headline: Oolos Mellows, Shows His Teacher, and His Student. It led with the Oolos pointing out that it belonged to Nerinne. She discussed how it paid tribute to Malcolm, and it’s subject. Then she went into the man to whom this piece was a tribute. She was delighted to see the master of gentle persuasion exhibiting again. She discussed his technique as opposed to Oolos who directly acknowledged this old master who delicately questioned him to find the truths he blasted. Then she went to Nerinne and discussed how Nerrine took the Oolos piece to be a lesson and encouragement. She discussed how Nerinne showed the influence of both men and added her own energy, optimism, and strength to create an identity for herself. She discussed The Shot by Nerrine too, saying it was a genius cathartic piece of closure from her childhood in a poor home (for this the several people not least Nerinne was grateful). The piece had some notable lines.
“I need to return to the Oolos, the old house may be a statement of him, beside Nerrine in her beauty, talent, and optimism any man of his age and history would feel his years.”
“Inherent in the piece, is an invitation for another to use him (Oolos) as a framework, to restore the old house, and put a new identity on truth.”
Were some of the statements that grabbed attention.
The gallery, Malcolm Andrews, Nerinne Linde, were high on social media rotation and feeds. Tourism operators were booking tour groups, high profile artist were enquiring about exhibition space, good but less well known artists were signing up. The gallery was rapidly filling available space and time with potentially good exhibits. Malcolm was a little shocked to have had four of his pieces sold for prices that equalled or in two cases exceeded his annual income as a teacher. He had also been put into terror when he met Christine Bairos, and Jeremiah Hajster on the same day (two name comparable to Oolos in value and impact). Then he found out that Oolos had taught both and they wanted an exhibit with him.
The board was delighted and decided to celebrate. Ingrid had something planned too. She called order and everybody went quiet.
“The gallery and all that comes with it is thanks to one person who had the vision. Mike Oales. Without him we would all be in very different situations.”
There was a small round of applause. Malcolm nearly choked on his champaigne, this was news to him. Nerrine felt tears in her eyes that he would have taken a subordinate position to Claire. He believed in their relationship and was more than happy to build her up.
“What even fewer of us know is that Claire and Mike entered into a living arrangement four months ago, exactly four months ago. It’s was an unconventional arrangement, and today is when they agreed to evaluate and decide to continue or not. In light of that, Mike leave the room please, Neville go with him.”
Mike left with Neville and both had a chat in the garden.
“Claire, do you find any reason to end the contract you have with Mike?” Ingrid asked.
Claire considered, Mike was the best aspect in her life, she couldn’t imagine anything else.
“No.”
“Do you think that your contract with Mike should continue?”
“Yes.”
“Would you leave the room please, Frikkie would you go with her please? Thank you.”
Renata called Mike in.
“Are you content that Claire had kept to the contract?” Ingrid asked.
“Yes.”
The response had been instant. He had thought about it.
“Are you happy with the contract as it stands?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe the contract should continue unaltered?”
“Yes.”
“On your knees then as your position in the contract stipulates.”
Mike kneeled. Claire was called back with Sarge holding her arm. She stared at Mike in disbelief. He was prepared to go through with it! She looked at him kneeling there, he wanted children, he never said so, but the way he treated the dogs showed it. He trained and disciplined them, played with them and taught them that Claire was all important. They loved Claire and adored him. She promised him quietly before she was at the coffee table that there would be children, his children, in her home.
“Mike do you accept that you are subordinate to Claire in all things at all times?”
“Yes I do.”
“Do you submit to Claire’s authority and discipline forever?”
“Yes I do.”
“I cannot ask you to obey her in all things, I know you struggle with the obedience thing. Frikkie does too at times.”
There was a laugh and Renata piped up that Neville also had trouble with that.
“Do you freely, without duress, and without fear offer your service, fortune, and life to Claire as her slave in love?”
“Yes I do.”
“Claire do you accept responsibility for leading and guiding your family with love and unselfishness?”
“I do.”
It occured to Claire at that moment that her mother had been a magistrate and could enact marriages. This was her wedding! She was even wearing white! Something old was the brooch, it was three hundred years old from a shipwreck Mike and Sarge had salvaged. The white dress was in fact new (Mike had bought it). Something borrowed was a blue scarf borrowed from Nerinne to hide a mosquito bite. This was also the something blue naturally. Claire idly wondered how much Mike had engineered, she would not put it past him to train a mosquito.
“Do you accept Mike’s offer of service and love?”
“Yes I will take him as my husband. Until death!”
“Nerinne bring the contract please.” Ingrid said with a smile.
Claire knew Mike had had a good hand in this in his preferred way of quiet deals and chats. He had very definately engineered that she wore this outfit today. The washing machine had broken and nothing else had looked good. He hadn’t fixed it because her mother had sent him to the mountains to check on Nicolene’s progress.
Nerinne brought a neatly bound contract to the coffee table at which Mike was kneeling. She had also tumbled to the realisation that this was a wedding. She was on the verge of crying again. Malcolm hugged her as she rejoined the group.
Mike singed, Renata and Neville signed as witnesses. Then Claire signed, Sarge and Peter signing as witnesses. There was a quiet feeling of waiting. Then Ingrid brought a collar out of a box that looked like a necklace box.
She had commissioned it when she knew that Mike and Claire had signed the contract. It was beautiful. Made of silver with a platinum and gold basketweave inlay it sparkled. There were little onyx stones set right into it at intervals. Claire knew that it put the collar he had made to shame and exceeded the value by a factor of three. Mike’s design had been for daily rugged wear with a little show. This one was for that but more show and the statement that you were screwing with serious power and money if you took this man lightly. It also proclaimed that Mike was Ingrid’s son. The family coat of arms at the throat made that very clear.
“You may take ownership of your slave now.” Ingrid said handing the collar over.
Claire shivered in nervousness.
“Take your shirt off slave.” She ordered. Her voice surprisingly loud and shrill.
Mike obeyed, Claire had a good view of the remains of his last whipping, so would everybody else. She almost ran away in shame at those marks. She put the collar around Mike’s neck and locked it with a bolt lock. Renata held a waste pare bin out and Claire ceremonially threw the key away.
“By the power invested in me by the Government I now declare that you are husband and wife. God help anybody who disagrees.”
The party started.
“I’ve been at a few shotgun weddings, was the shotgun at one too. Never been in an ambush wedding though. Fuckit! Something new from this place every day.” Sarge said to Claire as people got drinks.
What she remembered most was when they signed the marriage certificate. Mike was changing his name to Michael Ingridottir. A clear, open and public statement of who was dominant in their marriage, but also a clear statement to Claire and Ingrid of which family he wished to carry on from here. Ingrid sat in tears after they left.
Malcolm and Nerrine found themselves in a corner later. It was clear that there was only going to be one sober director today. In fact several managers were also out of action, Neville was either going to be whipped soon or fall down paraleticly drunk. Malcolm’s money was on the second option, Renata was in no state to swing a whip. Peter was not at his best, Ingrid holding onto Sarge who could drink by the vinyard. Mike was sober for now staying beside Claire, serving her.
“That must have hurt.” Malcolm said indicating Mike’s back.
“It hurts like hell. Mine was the worst pain I ever had.” Nerinne answered.
Malcolm looked at the girl in surprise.
“When I came to live with them, I had all sorts of fantasies, that ended them.” Nerinne said indicating the bruises.
“Maybe, but not the desire for them.”
“Hmm. What about you? Claire does not make exceptions.”
Malcolm looked at her sharply. He wondered how much she knew and how much she guessed. He knew nobody had said anything, she was a highly intelligent and perceptive girl though.
“Mike bought you those kilts. And you and Claire go out together every week. And Mike makes a point of seeing you every day.” Nerinne enlightened.
Mike had given Malcolm three kilts one day before he and Claire had started their weekly outing. Mike had come into his office and put the package down on Malcolm’s desk.
“I thought these might be more to your liking and still not embarassing.” He had said and left quietly.
Mike had not forced, cajoled, or made Malcolm change to wearing kilts. He had not embarrassed or ever indicated that he thought Malcolm strange or sick. He had merely helped. That help had given Malcolm a great deal of courage. The daily visits had become a feature of his days as they spoke about art, progress on projects, and anything else that came to mind without ever refering to the kilts or why he wore them. The kilts were a godsend to Malcolm who was a lot more comfortable in them than in trousers.
“I’m not sure what the deal is. I don’t see Mike or Claire sleeping with you. It’s fine if they do though.” She said.
“It’s not about taking either to bed.” He said.
“Cool.”
Claire and Mike left with the helicopter that had brought him from the mountains. They would spend a week in Port Alfred as Sarge’s gift. He had a house and boat in the marina there. Sarge had pointed out that sending the two out of the country without warning to the relavent security branches might provoke or escalate a few wars.
For seven blissful days Claire was waited on and served by her slave and husband. She had him show his seamanship skills by taking them out into the open ocean twenty miles from land Claire caught a massive cob to her delight. Mike cleaned and cooked it and they had a feast on the meal. She found her husband still found her alluring and more than happy to satisfy her. They went shopping in the town and wandered around exploring. Mike’s collar clearly visible every time, without her prompting or ordering that.
“Why did you?” She asked as they lay in the boat one day.
“Because I love you.”
“But what if I…”
“I love you. My wife, my owner, my mistress. I love you through your bitchiness when it’s your period. I love you through any whipping. I love you. You do not need to be a fertile cow. You just need to be you. You are my home Mistress after that is everything else.”
She settled onto his chest, happy. He was telling the truth, she knew that. She fiddled with his chastity device and testicles. She kissed his chest and they had an afternoon snooze in the sun while rocking on the swell. Her last thought as she fell asleep was remembering that she had told him once; he was too much for one woman.
It was their last morning in Port Alfred when Claire brought her idea up.
“What do you think of Nerinne?”
Mike considered. He figured Claire was not talking about her as a lover.
“Intelligent, observant, conscientious, occasionally irresponsible, inquisitive, nasty sense of humour.”
“Beautiful, young, inexperienced, a dream to have in bed?”
“I think she would happily slip between the sheets with you rather than me although she shits herself for you angry. She remembers that whipping very well.”
“Would she slip into bed with you?”
“No, she knows about the chastity. And I think I scare her as a prospect.”
“Would you slip into bed with her?”
“No, I have you.”
“If I weren’t in the picture.”
“Possibly, if I knew what she is after.”
“I know what she is after.”
“Really what?” Mike asked.
“I’m going to see if she wishes to be an additional party. Understand this my slave, I am not enough for all I want you to have. Nerinne is my consideration.”
“Mistress, be sure of your own motivation, and consider if you could tolerate another woman. For that matter Nina Delport’s mother would be good because she has a proven track record for children. Nina’s father is also her grandfather, that is what went wrong there.”
“I have thought about it my dear slave.”
“Yes Mistress.”
“What about Malcolm Mistress?” Mike asked on the flight.
“That is a very difficult question.”
Mike waited.
They were the only passengers, it was a private jet.
“Malcolm has, let’s say an affliction. He blames his masculinity for his wife’s death. Seeing The Birth without warning only made that worse. He does not want to be a woman, he feels he could never be one because he sees the differences in mindset. There is no medical reason to reassign gender either, in this country there has to be medical grounds. He needs, in his mind, to be castrated. The board knows the gist of it, and is frightened of the implications if this gets out.”
“So send him to a hospital and get it done. End of story.”
“We, that is the psychologist who started him with trauma counseling after the attack in Sabie, and I are trying to dissuade him from such a course.”
Mike shook his head. He did not agree with that course. He was always in favour of the most direct solution.
“I got involved because he asked me if he could be a eunuch in my home.”
Mike thought for a bit.
“Seeing my back at the wedding may have ended that idea Mistress.”
Claire considered that. The wedding may have made that predicament worse. She privately suspected that Malcolm had self harm tendencies in line with his problem. She hoped he had not become suicidal. She was to blame for that, she had ordered Mike to take his shirt off, she had known, nobody else there had. She wondered how she would deal with that burden.
As it happened Malcolm seemed in a better state. She found out when she went to work the following day. She had told Mike to sit in front with Nerinne while she pondered Malcolm in peace in the back seat. She also watched the two chat easily in front and didn’t miss Mike checking the mirror occasionally.
Malcolm was reconciled to the fact that being in Claire’s home would involve pain. He was prepared to be whipped, at least intellectually. Nothing could prepare you emotionally, and physical preparation involved whipping. She sat in his office and listened on her first morning back feeling relieved but also apprehensive because her defenses were being dismantled.
Later that day the Delport family was in her office, being the only officer with a psychology and medical qualification she was responsible for Nina’s treatment and counseling. Nina had got into a fight at school in which she demolished a boy in seconds. There was no blame on Nina because the boy had bullied girls before. Now the boy was being ridiculed on the schoolground and his parents wanted to move him. As always Nina was looking for her hero’s, Nerinne and Mike. Once one appeared there was no stopping her. The girl flew into Nerinne with a hug.
“She worships Nerinne. That Mike too. You too, did you know?” Nina’s mother said.
“Mike?”
“He didn’t shout. He didn’t get violent, Nina knew that was an option even that day. Mike was kind, he let Peter help her while that…that was kept very still. Mike wasn’t angry with her. Although she knew he was furious. He teaches her things. I’m sure he taught her how to defend herself, and she’s more confident for it.”
“I’m positive he did.” Claire said, she rembered watching him give the lesson.
“Why me?” Claire asked.
“According to Nina? You keep Mike being nice. Well her exact words are “Claire rules Mike, he has to answer to her.””
“She quite accurate Martha, he is my husband.”
“Damn! I have no chance.”
“That depends on what kind of family you want. Family can be very different than our normal thinking. Many families in this country are polygamous.”
Martha stared at Claire. She wondered what she had just heard.
“I’ll think about it.” Martha said.
Claire nodded and showed Martha out where Mike had now appeared and Nina was learning how to throw somebody who had you in an arm lock. Nerinne demonstrated in slow motion throwing Mike effectively. Nina was awed. So was Claire and Martha not many men would do that in public. Nina jumping and hugging him as he was on his knees had Martha indicating hot as Mike hugged back and made her promise to only use it to defend herself, not go looking for fights.
Mike had been wrong in thinking that Martha had not crossed her mind. Claire had thought about Martha, she was in her late twenties having got pregnant at fourteen. She was attractive, but deeply afraid of men sexually. She had repeatedly shown interest in Mike but her own fear of men kept interfering.
Thinking of this Claire sent Mike to Johannesburg on Friday. The halon gas fire suppression systems were to expensive and too maintenance intensive. He needed to look at other options. There was a trade fair happening over the weekend, he was to go and evaluate, then appoint the company to install the system.
The rest of the week went without incident. Malcolm having had a very clear view of the relationship between Claire and Mike became a lot more submissive to her in private although he still had no trouble contesting issues in the boardroom. Despite her misgivings she found herself considering Mike’s solution, and her own prerogatives about Malcolm.
“Take care with Nerinne Mistress. She has no illusion but needs to move at her pace initially.” Mike whispered as they said goodbye on Friday morning.
Nerrine watched Mike go. She was off for the weekend having worked more hours than legally allowed while Claire and Mike were on honeymoon.
“So is this when you seduce me Claire?” She asked as the tail lights went around a corner.
“Let’s go to Cuffs. Mike has trouble in there sometimes.” Claire said.
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/10ddw7n/the_contract_ambush_wedding_flrcollar