When I arrived home, I wasn't sure what to do next. It seemed certain that Katie and I had passed a milestone in our relationship. I didn’t know what else to do, so I sat down, ordered a large bouquet of red roses, and had them delivered to her shop. I struggled when they asked what I wanted to say on the card, but in the end, I kept it simple. I just said 'Always'.

That afternoon, she messaged me, “I feel it’s only fair to tell you - If you are trying to make me fall in love with you, it’s working.”

I smiled and sent a response. “I love you too. I hope today is going better than yesterday.”

“It is, darling. I feel like someone lifted a huge weight off my back. When I’m in front of my employees, I can’t really express how tired and frustrated I get with clients. Strong leadership and all of that, you know? It was wonderful to finally talk to someone about it.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for, babe. Your problems are my problems. You can always talk to me. Do you feel like calling tonight? We can just talk like real people if you like. Just let me know.”

And she did call that night, and almost every night after that. I devoted the rest of my day to puttering around the house and working on my book. I tried to put in several good hours a day, and the work was going very well. For once, I was actually ahead of schedule.

Our relationship changed the night I stayed at her house. We became something deeper and more complex than before. Some nights we had long, relaxed conversations about my work and hers, and we discussed a wide range of other topics. She was so smart, and I loved debating with her. Other nights were intensely sexual in nature. Sometimes it felt like we were two different couples. I never knew which way Katie would lean before the call started, and that somehow made it even more exciting. I only knew I wanted to be with her constantly, and I looked at the calendar with anticipation as June passed by.

Things were moving along well, but one day in the third week of June, something snapped in me. I don’t know how or why, but I felt like I had reached some invisible boundary and crossed over it. There wasn’t any particular ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’. I simply ran out of patience and self-control. I had waited long enough.

Despite my better judgment, I grabbed my phone and started typing a message.

“My love. I’m sorry, but I can’t take this anymore. I’ve been patient. I’ve been understanding, and I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me, but things have to change. I have to see you. I keep remembering what it was like to lie in bed with you, hold you, and listen to you sleep. I need that intimacy. I need your touch. I need to kiss you. I need your love. I need to wake up in the middle of the night and feel you beside me. Our video calls are nice, but they aren’t enough. I know you’re busy, and I’m sorry to pressure you, but I insist. I need you now. Please. I can't wait any longer.”

I hit send, and then instantly wished I hadn’t. I knew she was under a great deal of stress, and I didn’t want to add to her worries. I didn’t want to push her into a corner.

A little while later, she messaged back, “I understand completely, sweetie, and I feel the same way. Things are starting to slow down here now. Most of the Zillas are taken care of. Give me a little more time, and I’ll make something happen very, very soon.”

I felt so much better about that. I should have known she felt the same way I did. She was just a bit stronger than me.

The next day around noon she sent me another message. She said, “I want to have a nice long video call with you tonight at 7. I made something for you and will send someone by with it around 6. Will you be available?”

“Sure!”

“Awesome. Oh – I want to see your face when you see it, so please don’t open it until I tell you to. It’s a surprise.”

“As you wish, my love.” I was, of course, incredibly curious, but I had no choice but to wait.

Time ticked by, and just after 6, the doorbell rang. I opened it, and to my great surprise, it was my old friend Tina. Katie had asked her to drop off the package on her way home.

After a quick greeting and a little hugging, she handed me the box.

She smiled and said, “You know, you really have Katie shook up. She talks about you a LOT. She tries not to, but she can’t help herself. She’s like a high school girl that’s just been asked to the prom. It’s adorable.

“And those roses you sent hit her right between the eyes. I swear to God she actually cried when she read the card. I never thought I’d see ‘old iron pants’ cry in a million years. She took off to the restroom saying something about allergies, but we all knew the truth. We had a good laugh about that.”

She paused and leaned in close. Sharing a secret between us. “You know me. I couldn’t help but snoop. I looked at the card while she was gone. You crafty ‘ol bastard - you completely undid her with one word. Well played, Sir!”

I laughed and said, “Mission Accomplished.”

She hugged me again and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and said, “I need to go. The old ball and chain is waiting for me. I’m really glad things are working out for you. I knew you’d be good for each other.”

I grabbed her arm before she could scoot away and told her, “Tina, thanks so much for sending Katie my way. I’ll never be able to repay you. I haven’t really told anyone else, but I love her so much it hurts. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Tina just smiled. “Yep – just like I planned it!” and gave me a wink.

She turned around and headed for the door; watching her walk away triggered something impulsive in me.

"Tina, I know you need to go, but there's something I want to say. I probably shouldn't, but I need to. I know you love Terry, and I love Katie. I wouldn't change either of those things for the world, but I need to get something off my chest.

"Back in high school, you made it very apparent that you had a crush on me, and I always pushed you away or ignored you. I know that must have hurt your feelings, and I regret that. The idea of hurting you is unbearable to me. It's just that our ages were wrong, and it would have been inappropriate for us to be together.

"Then, I went off to college and lost touch with you. That was entirely my fault, and I regret that as well. It doesn't mean I didn't think about you. I did. I dated a few girls in college, and it has occurred to me recently that every one of them looked suspiciously like you. They weren't you, though. They were just pale imitations. I should have picked up the phone and called you, but I was too stupid to do it.

"I came to your party hoping to fix things. I thought I could make up for lost time. You kissed me in the driveway, and it nearly knocked me off my feet. I was determined to ask you out that night. I wanted to tell you how I felt. Then you told me you were engaged, and I felt like the biggest jackass in the world. I had thrown away so many chances, and now my last chance was gone. That's why I went into the house to be by myself. I just couldn't think of any way to stand around and smile at that point. Fortunately, Katie came in and rescued me. And I have you to thank for that.

"Even though I've missed so many chances to tell you, and it's way too late now, I wanted you to know that I do love you. I always have, and I probably always will. I'm sorry I was too stupid to let you know."

She came to me then and hugged me. "I know, Jimmy. I love you too."

Then she stood back and punched my shoulder. "You know what? For a writer, your sense of timing really sucks."

She laughed and wiped away a couple of tears. "Thanks for telling me that. I guess we were never meant to be together that way. But you've known me for most of my life, and you know you can't get rid of me that easily. You're still gonna be my favorite big brother. You're stuck with me."

"Don't worry, kid, I'm not going anywhere. I hope you know that anytime you need anything, I'm the first person you should call. And if Terry treats you badly, give me a holler. I'll come over, climb up that beanstalk, and punch him right in the nose."

I hugged her again. "You better get moving, squirt. He won't wait all night."

She flashed that gorgeous smile. "Oh, yes he will. I got that boy right where I want him."

I did not doubt it for a moment.

With that, she took off, leaving me there with my mysterious package. I waved and closed the door. I wasn't sure I'd done the right thing, but I felt better. I'd been carrying that weight too long.

My video call with Katie started just after 7. I was surprised to see her sporting the makeup design she called ‘The Mistress’. She hadn’t done that for weeks, and it had the same effect as last time. I was instantly rock hard.

She looked confused for a moment, and said in her sternest voice, “Why the hell are you dressed? Strip, Puppy. Now!”

I nearly broke an arm getting my clothes off.

“Now, let me see my cock. Is it nice and hard for Katie? Oh – yes. I see that it is.”

She smiled and said, “I suppose it’s only fair to show you what I’m wearing tonight.” She backed up and let me see her bra. It was dark green satin with ivory lace accents and a little bow in front.

“A funny thing happened tonight. I was so excited about our call that I started getting really, really wet, and I soaked right through the panties that came with this outfit. I ended up taking them off to let them dry out. I was going to put them back on and show you, but I seem to have misplaced them.”

She shrugged and said, “I guess they’ll turn up somewhere. I hope so; they’re very pretty, and so very soft and silky.”

She brought her attention back to me. “Did you get my package, Puppy?”

“Yes – it's right here.” I walked over, picked it up, and then turned back to face the camera.

“Ok then. I think you should open it. You will find two surprises inside. Go ahead and open the one marked number 1.”

I reached in and found the one she had mentioned. I set the other one down, and then opened number 1.

To my great surprise, it was a dog collar. It was the most garish thing I’d ever seen. It was made of pink leather, with chrome studs and fittings. Little fake gemstones were thrown in for good measure. I was confused, but kept examining it. I noticed a tag on the collar that said 'Puppy – Property of Katie'.

“What’s this about?” I asked.

“Well, I keep calling you Puppy, and I told you why. You’re so adorable, and so obedient. That’s what got me so wet tonight. You know how hot I get when you obey me. This is a kinky little fantasy of mine. I keep thinking about how hot it would be to see you wear that. You said you wanted to be with me. It would show me how much you really want that. Can you please put it on for me?  Be my sweet, obedient puppy, just for a little while?”

I sighed deeply and said, “If it really means that much to you, I will, but please never tell anyone about this.”

And with that, I put it on. I have a large neck, so I was a little surprised it fit. Then I remembered something. A few days earlier she had asked me what size dress shirt I wore. She said she wanted to buy me a present, and I had assumed she’d meant a shirt. I made a mental note never to assume anything around Katie again.

“Oh God,  Puppy, that is so fucking hot!”

I looked at the screen and saw that she’d moved to her favorite chair. She was vigorously rubbing her pussy, and biting her lower lip.

“Now, I want you to open the second package. Do it right away! Hurry!”

I opened it. It was a manila envelope. Inside was something I hadn’t expected - a pair of green panties.

“Oh look! You found my missing panties! What a Good Puppy!”

I took a closer look. They were really sexy. They were very sheer, and the fabric was incredibly shiny and silky. They had lace and bows to match the bra she was wearing. And they were damp.

“I’ve never given you a chance to get near my beautiful, silky little pussy, have I?” Her voice was husky.

“No. Never.”

“That’s very mean of me. Maybe we can do something about that. If you were here with me right now, do you think you would like to smell my pussy?”

“Of course I would.” I wasn’t sure where this game was going, but I was totally into playing it.

“Then I want you to wrap your right hand around your cock nice and tight, but don’t pump it. Then I want you to lift those beautiful panties to your nose, and inhale deeply. Really smell it. Fill your nose and lungs with my scent. Take your time and relish it, Puppy.”

I did. It was absolutely intoxicating. I felt a bit dizzy.

“Such a Good Boy! Now I want you to find the wettest spot. Right there in the crotch. I want you to take that fabric, and rub it all over your sweet Puppy nose. That's right. Now, take the panties away, and see if you can still smell me.”

“Yes – I can. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Of course it is, Puppy. That’s why I told you to do it. Now, if you were here, and I let you smell my pussy, do you think you’d want to stick your little puppy tongue out, and taste me?” Her voice grew more ragged and breathy.

“Yes, I would.”

“Well then, why don’t you lick those panties for me? There’s so much of my sweet goo in there. And I made it just for you. I lied a little earlier. They didn’t get wet by accident. I used my vibrator twice while I wore them, so that I knew there’d be plenty for you to taste and enjoy. I used my fingers to rub them around, so my juices would saturate every inch of fabric for you. Taste me, Puppy. Taste me now!"

At this point my cock was starting to jump on its own. I hadn’t even been stroking it. I took my hand away and lifted her panties to my lips. I stuck my tongue out and started licking the fabric like a hungry dog. The taste was incredible. This was driving me absolutely insane.

“Oh! Such a good puppy! Now there’s only one more trick you need to do for me. If you were here, and I let you smell my pussy, and taste my pussy, wouldn’t you want to feel my sweet goo all over your cock?”

I couldn’t even answer her. I just let out an animalistic grunt.

She laughed. “Yes – I can see you would. So, for your last trick, I want you to step into my pretty little panties, and pull them up around your cock so that you can feel my nice wet cum all over you.”

That took me out of the moment. I said, “Hang on, Katie! I’m not wearing your panties. That’s just weird!”

Her mood suddenly changed. She shot me with a look that pierced me through the heart. Her voice became very stern. “Puppy, you have a choice. You can put those panties on, and I’ll let you cum, or you can disobey me and say goodnight. Obey me now. Don’t make me wait.”

I was absolutely shocked. I crumbled instantly and found myself pulling those panties up over my legs and up around my waist. I could hear her moan as I pulled them up. She had us both at the edge of insanity.

She made a visible effort to regain her composure. “See! I knew my good boy would obey. Now tell me, don’t those feel nice? Can you feel my cum soaking into your balls now?”

“Yes, Katie.”

“Good. Now I see your cock is swollen, and poking out a little bit. I want you to tuck it back in so you can feel that silky fabric all over it. Then I want you to take your finger and start stroking the panties right along your cock. I want you to think about how they feel, and where they’ve been. And I want you to think about how I made you wear them and how I made you obey. And I don’t want you to edge yourself tonight. I want you to fill those panties with your cum as fast as you can, and mix it with mine. Can you do that for me? And hurry, Puppy. I’m nearly there. I’m so very close.”

“Yes – I will!”

I started doing what she’d told me, and within a few seconds I heard her cumming. That sound, plus the feel of that silky fabric and the smell and taste of her cum sent me over the edge in record time. My knees were shaking so hard I thought I’d collapse, so I sat down in front of the camera.

After we’d both had a moment to recover, she said, “That was very good, Puppy. You’ve done very, very well. I’m so very pleased with you! You’re such a Good Boy!” An unmistakable look of triumph crossed her face.

Then, after a few moments, she seemed to become someone else. The woman she called ‘the mistress’ faded, and I was looking at just plain Katie. Her mood seemed to be fluctuating wildly. At first she smiled, then she became thoughtful and apologetic. To my surprise, she grabbed a tissue and wiped away a couple of tears.

“Jim, darling, I need to be honest with you. No more games. Not tonight.

“On the night we met, I was almost positive you were the man I’d been looking for. I almost invited you back to my house that night. But I have been hurt so many times, and have made a lot of poor choices. I needed to be sure about you. I have been trained to be rigorous in my research and my decision-making, and the academic in me decided to run some tests to be certain. I’m sorry I had to do that, but it’s just who I am. I hope you can forgive me. The tests are over now. Here’s what I learned.

“First, you respected my wishes. I made you wait to be with me - such a long time. You proved you respected me by being patient. You didn’t annoy me by calling me or dropping in on me at work and violating my space.

“Next, you put my needs above your own. I kept trying to push you into stranger sexual situations to see if you would reach a limit, but you just shrugged it off and made the best of things. I deliberately did things to make you uncomfortable or embarrassed, but you cooperated anyway, even if you didn’t understand it all. You knew it was making me happy, and that’s all that mattered to you.

“You proved that you are far kinkier than you think you are. I’ve made you do so many weird things on our calls. Tonight was the first time you really tried to resist, but I could see you were aching to comply. You just needed an excuse. As soon as I got tough, you folded like a lawn chair. It’s what you really wanted to do, and we both know it.

“And even though it wasn’t a planned test, you came to my home and proved your true love for me, in the best way possible. You protected me when I was weak. You gave me everything I needed, and asked for nothing in return. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

“And you showed me your true strength that night, too. I know I’m a very intimidating person, but you asserted yourself and took charge when I needed you to. By doing that, you gave me the shelter I needed. I was so damned tired, and you gave me a safe place to rest. I can never remember any man making me feel safe enough to drop my guard. Ever. Not even my Father. It felt so good. I’m one tough bitch, so that sort of thing won’t happen often, but I’m glad you knew how and when to help me.

“You sent me those books, and those beautiful flowers, proving yourself to be a romantic. You know, that card almost killed me. I nearly broke down in front of the girls. You tell me you’re not much of a writer, but that single word was better than a thousand lines of poetry to me. It took everything I had to hold it together and hide my feelings.”

I thought about Tina’s version of events and almost laughed, but managed to smile instead. I couldn’t see any sense in embarrassing her. I loved knowing how vulnerable she’d been, and how hard it was for her to admit.

“You showed me more strength when you messaged me yesterday, demanding your right to be with me. I’ve been waiting for that for so long. I half expected you to show up on my doorstep demanding my affection weeks ago, but you’ve had the self-discipline to avoid that. Hell, part of me was aching for you to show up and take what was yours, but I’m glad you didn’t. I know sending that message yesterday was uncomfortable for you, but you did it anyway. You stood up for yourself and demanded what you deserve.  You deserve a real relationship with someone that loves you. And that, my darling, is me.

“And finally, tonight, you have proven your total obedience to me. I am a demanding and non-conventional woman. Let’s face it, honey. I’m a freak. But I am certain now that you can learn to cope with my proclivities.

“You have nothing left to prove to me. You are perfect. You are the man I want. You are the man I need. If you still want me, I’m ready to give myself to you completely. I’m yours now with no reservations. I’m so tired of waiting. I’m ready to be your lover.”

I was stunned by this speech, so she waited a moment. I tried to speak, but only managed to stammer nonsense. She saw that and knew I was frozen. I had no idea what to do or say. So she did what she always does. She took charge.

She smiled warmly. “Now, I have one more task for you to perform tonight, but I think you’ll like it.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to find a suitcase, or a duffle bag. Pack the clothes you like to run in, plus a nice pair of pants and a shirt you can wear to dinner. Pack some comfortable clothes for around the house, plus your razor, toothbrush, and other items you’ll need to take care of your appearance. Put your clothes back on, and come to me. I am summoning you to be my lover. I need you by my side. Now.

“Don’t delay. It’s 7:25 now, Puppy. Be here by 8:30, or don’t bother coming. You and I are going to start the next phase of our relationship. And I’m going to make you a solemn promise. I will always keep your stomach full, and your balls empty. I hope that’s okay with you.”

“Well, if you insist.”

“Oh – one more thing. Do NOT take off those panties, or your collar. You won’t get in my house without them. Do you think you can do all of that?”

“Anything you say, darling. I’ll be there soon!”

“Good boy!” And the screen went black.