Maria received a text message. Her heart fluttered. It was from him. The man she had been exchanging messages with for several weeks. It was in the usual tone: direct, to the point, an instruction to be obeyed.
“Go to the downtown hotel. There is a room reserved under your name. Be there for six. I will be there at seven – J.”
Her heart fluttered. They had not met before. This would be the first time. She packed a bag, her favourite underwear, a sexy outfit. Then she unpacked it and packed it again. She knew what he was like – dominant, firm, directive – but he hadn’t said what he wanted. Would he want her to be in innocent white? Or naughty black and red? Did he want her to play the naive virgin or dirty slut? She felt so nervous. She wanted it to be perfect. More than once she reached for her phone to send him a message but stopped herself. No – he gave the instructions. If that was all he wanted to say that was all.