I wanted to say yes, but I started to fear that I was going to be ripped off.I wanted to say yes, but I started to fear that I was going to be ripped off. If I agreed to this and then Rachael welched on me, I didn't have any legal recourse -- I could hardly take her to court for withholding sexual services. If she did rip me off I _could_ just quit, but the good offer I would be turning down today in order to take Rachael's offer would be long gone, and I couldn't be sure there would be another. But as a freelance consultant, I was accustomedd to that kind of uncertainty, I reminded myself, and I realized that I was afraid of a lot more than being ripped off financially. I was afraid of the power Mary and Rachael would have over me if I gave in. While all this was going through my mind, Rachael patiently sat there and waited for me to answer. Finally, I said, "Well, Rachael, I'm inclined to accept, but ... but, well, I'm worried." "About what?" she asked calmly. "You can always quit if I don't keep my side of the bargain." "I know," I said, no longer able to refrain from laying my cards on the table. "But that's not really it. It's that ... well, that I'm afraid of being ... being ... well, being out of control and ... and, well, under your ... I mean, I'm afraid of the emotional aspects of this kind of arrangement," I hedged. She smiled to herself and nodded. "You almost said your afraid of being under my power, didn't you, Al?" she purred, her voice taking on a deep, husky, inviting aspect. "You're afraid of the sexual power I can have over you, right?" "Well ..." I sighed and then hesitated. Rachael was absolutely correct and I didn't know how to worm out of admitting that to her. "Yes," I finally conceded, "I'm afraid of ... of what you said." "Hmmmm ..." she said, nodding slowly as she stared deeply into my eyes. "You know what I think, Al?" she suddenly asked. "Uh, what's that?" "I think that you _want_ me to have sexual power over you. |