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Rebecca looked up at Cass, smiled, and nodded. Was Cass one of the staff here? Is that how they met? She imagined Cass in silk pajama pants, a robe — because the bustier wasn’t Cass — and a mask. The image certainly affected her libido, so she looked away.

“Do you work here?”

Cass pursed her lips. It wasn’t a lie if she said no, right? She was a co-owner, but she didn’t work here. Technically speaking, Rebecca didn’t work there anymore, either.

“Um, no, I don’t work here.”

“But we met here?”

“Yep.”

“So, you came here for…?”

“A bachelorette party,” Cass offered. “And I wasn’t happy about it. I didn’t understand this lifestyle, so I disagreed with it. But I was here to support my best friend at the time.”

She guided Rebecca to the VIP area, nodding at the waitress, who placed a shot of Fireball and two glasses of club soda on the table before leaving.

Cass handed Rebecca one of the club sodas, picking up the shot for herself. “I was sitting here convincing myself to be a good friend and stay when one of these came along. I didn’t order it, but that didn’t stop me from drinking it,” she grinned, touching her glass to Rebecca’s before slamming the shot back.

Rebecca couldn’t say why the action turned her on. Perhaps it was the look Cass gave her right before. Or maybe it was the way it exposed Cass’s long, tattooed neck. She drained the club soda in one long gulp just to keep from whimpering.

“So, I bought you a drink?” Rebecca asked, eyeing the other club soda. It had suddenly become increasingly warm in here.

“Mmhmm. Yet, you stayed elusive. I had gone back to contemplating the consequences of leaving when a pink card was left on my table, followed by the most amazing ass I’d ever seen.”

A pink card? And was the ass mine? Rebecca hoped so. “I don’t understand.”

Cass gave Rebecca the second glass of club soda and took her hand again. This was it. She was about to take Rebecca to the room where they first laid eyes on each other. Man, if she fucked this up and stressed Rebecca out too much, Aunt Wills was going to kill her. No turning back now, Cass. Keep moving forward and hope for the best.

Cass led Rebecca down a hallway with different-colored doors. She remembered this: ‘Each room will be a distinct color. Each color will represent the experience level of that occupant.’ This was Samantha’s grand idea for the club. Obviously, Rebecca kept it going, but why? She had hated it for what it represented, especially after becoming Samantha’s sub.

As they neared the black door, Rebecca felt herself stiffen with tension. She barely resisted the urge to pull away from Cass and run again. But they didn’t stop at that door. No, they went further down, finally stopping at a pink door. More pink.

Cass dug a pink card out of her back pocket and held it against the keycard door lock. When the light turned green, she pushed the door open.

“Good?”

Rebecca nodded. She blew out the breath she was holding, trying to prepare herself for what was inside. It was a fool’s errand, as she had no way of knowing what to expect once she walked past the threshold.

Cass ushered Rebecca in, purposefully staying quiet. This was Rebecca’s journey. Though Cass would fill in a blank here and there, she honestly didn’t want to persuade Rebecca’s memories in any way. At least, that was the plan. Rebecca’s reaction once inside would dictate Cass’s response. Influence or not, Cass wasn’t about to let Rebecca suffer unnecessarily.

Rebecca walked in, taking in every detail. The furnishings were minimal but quite tasteful. And pink. Everywhere she looked, there was a different shade of pink, from the high-back chairs that faced each other to the colossal bed. Even the armoire was pink. What was it about this color? Rebecca never imagined she would feel… peace surrounded by this pale hue.

Cass sat in the chair she had sat in the first time she had been in that room and watched Rebecca’s reactions closely. Her heart rate was through the roof, yet Cass put on a calm facade for Rebecca’s sake.

Rebecca glanced back and saw Cass sitting quietly. Something about that felt familiar. Since she didn’t know why, Rebecca continued her tour. She ran her fingertips across the soft blanket as she passed by the bed and headed straight to the armoire. She wasn’t naive about what was inside. Samantha had a similar one. It had been black, and every time Samantha opened it, pain followed.

With trembling hands, Rebecca opened the cabinet. Her breath caught at all the apparatus hanging inside. Pink. Flogs, crops, ropes… everything that used to bring Rebecca pain was on full display. Only, for reasons Rebecca didn’t understand, seeing these caused Rebecca’s blood to heat.

Her eyes traveled down and landed on an assortment of elaborate masks in different shapes and colors. She chose a white mask with long silk ribbons to tie it on. Rebecca tilted her head, imagining the mask on Cass. But she couldn’t. This wasn’t Cass’s style. No, Cass would wear a plain black mask and still make it the sexiest thing Rebecca had ever seen. But this mask… Rebecca lifted it to her face. The fit was perfect, as though it was molded explicitly for her.

Rebecca gasped as the realization hit her. “It’s me,” she whispered. Rebecca dropped the mask and whirled around. “It’s me!” she repeated for Cass’s benefit. “I’m the Domme. I’m… your Domme!”

It wasn’t a question; still, Cass nodded.

“Why would I do that?” Panic built up inside Rebecca. “Why would I become… her?”

Cass sprang up and went to Rebecca. “You didn’t. You are the complete opposite of her, Becca.”