Brie Faces her Master's Fears (After Graduation, #4) (12 page)

Mr. Gallant frowned. “Sir Davis is away?”

“Yes. But he will be back soon, it’s just a week-long business trip.”

“I am sorry to hear that, Miss Bennett. It seems regrettable to be separated so early after your collaring.”

Brie shrugged her shoulders. “I’m fine, Mr. Gallant. With both of us busy, I can’t complain. Please don’t concern yourself.”

“Very well,” he answered, although he did not look convinced. “I need to continue preparing for class. I hope to see you around over the next couple of weeks.”

Brie left Mr. Gallant so she could wander the halls of the school, trying to find extra shots, but she soon felt out of place as the Training Center began to fill with people. She looked for Lea but could not find her, so she headed for the elevators to return home.

To her surprise, Ms. Clark was standing before her when the doors opened.

“Miss Bennett.”

Brie put her eyes to the floor and mumbled, “Ms. Clark.”

The Domme stepped off the elevator and addressed her. “I was told you are doing interviews for your film. Is that right?”

Brie nodded, unsure if she was going to get a lecture about upholding the integrity of the school, a favorite topic of the trainer.

“I will interview with you.”

Brie was so shocked, she looked up without thinking. “You will?” When she saw Ms. Clark’s stern expression, she instantly looked back down.

“Of course. I believe the perspective of a Domme should be included.”

Still recovering from the shock, Brie replied, “I agree.”

“Fine. Marquis said you are doing his in exactly a week. I will be available the day after.” She did not wait for Brie’s response. She walked away, her heels clicking seductively down the hall.

Brie hit the elevator button, still reeling from the shock. The thought of interviewing Ms. Clark made her cringe inside. No doubt Mr. Holloway would approve of the added drama.

The minute she entered the lonely apartment, she dialed Sir’s number. Brie dreaded the phone call, but did not hesitate.

Sir could immediately tell something was wrong just by the tone of her ‘hello’. “Explain what has happened,” he stated, his voice calm and sure. It helped to ease her nerves.

“Sir, I need to tell you that I have had the same dream three nights in a row. It’s so real that I…” Her voice trailed off as she lost her courage to continue.

He chuckled, the relief easy to hear in his voice. “You’re calling about a dream? Did I die in it? Well, don’t worry. I’m fine, babygirl. No need to fret any longer.”

“No, Sir… I had a dream about another man.”

His tone suddenly became deadly serious. “What man?”

“Faelan, Sir.”

He paused before insisting with forced calm, “Explain this dream in detail.”

Brie recounted her dream, not leaving out any details, as much as she was desperate to. She would not make the mistake of holding back something he might consider significant, no matter how mortifying it was for her.

The phone went silent. Finally, she asked in a choking gasp. “Sir?”

“How did it make you feel?”

“Every night I wake up feeling I’ve betrayed you, Sir. Marquis Gray questioned if my feelings have changed for Faelan, but they have not. These dreams are coming out of nowhere and I just want them to go away.”

He said coldly, “Marquis Gray?”

Brie backtracked, realizing she was just digging herself into a deeper hole. “I saw him today at the Center. I didn’t want to tell him, Sir, but he insisted. He also was adamant I tell you as soon as I got home.”

“Your Master should always be the first you tell,” he said in an icy tone. “The fact you have had these dreams for three nights has me questioning your silence.”

She blurted, “Sir, I thought they would go away. I thought you would think I was silly or worse, that I actually desired Faelan. Master…after what happened the night before you left, I’ve been afraid to do or say something wrong.”

“So you said nothing.”

“Yes,” she admitted miserably. “I want to please you, but I also feel a need to protect you, Sir. But in the end, all I ever do is fail you.” She stifled a sob, feeling unworthy of his collar.

“Your protection is not what I want from you, Brie. I want your honesty at all times.”

She struggled to get the words past the lump in her throat. “Yes, Sir.”

“I do not hold you accountable for dreams. You can let go of any feelings of guilt over that. However, I am disappointed.”

“I know I deserve to be punished, Sir. Punish me, please.”

She heard him sigh heavily. “I’m uncertain if your dreams are a result of our discussion before I left, but I believe your reluctance to tell me is directly related. It is a vicious cycle. Your fear causes you to be silent, and your secretiveness causes me to question you trustworthiness.”

“Yes…” she agreed sadly.

“Brie, anything that causes you discomfort must be shared, no matter the reaction you fear will result from it. Without trust, you and I are nothing.”

The truth of his words cut like a knife. “Please punish me.”

“I am not without understanding, Brie. As my sub, you need to have faith I will react in a reasonable manner. Our last parting caused you to question that. I give you my word that, even if I need time to digest what you share, I will give you the benefit of the doubt. But only if I hear it from your mouth and
not
another’s.”

“I promise, Sir. But please, I feel the need to be punished.”

“Then your punishment shall be that unfulfilled need.”

She whimpered. Brie had never thought in a million years that not being punished could hurt so much.

“Remember this lesson so that we do not have to revisit it again.”

After she’d hung up the phone, she let out a painful sigh. This precarious dance of trying to navigate his tragic past and her foolish missteps made their relationship difficult and hurtful. Brie could only hope that their love would be enough.

Trust

A
nother morning dragged into existence. Even though Brie understood it had only been a dream, the guilt of it weighed heavily on her heart and would not leave her. It cast a dark shadow over her spirit, so much so that she put off going to the Center in hopes of the dreams passing, but she knew could not waste any more time.

Still feeling out of sorts, Brie headed to the Training Center. She hoped that she might catch Lea while she was there, needing to spend time with her best friend.

When she arrived, Brie went to the front desk and asked for the new headmaster.

The girl smiled pleasantly and asked, “Would you like me to call up Headmaster Coen?”

Brie was surprised the panel had chosen Master Coen rather than Master Anderson to take Sir’s place. Although Coen had years of experience working at the Center, from what Brie had observed during her training, Master Anderson had more extensive knowledge and was more affable, as well.

“That would be good, thank you,” she answered. Brie stood at the desk waiting for him, her nerves increasing with each passing minute. She had hoped to meet with Master Anderson, who she knew would support the film project. Master Coen? He was an unknown.

The beefy trainer—now headmaster—stepped out of the elevator and walked towards her with his typical stoic face. “Good day, Miss Bennett. What brings you to the Center?”

“My film project, Headmaster Coen. Would it be possible to talk to you about it in private?”

“Certainly. Follow me.”

Brie watched his large muscles bulge under his dress shirt. She’d experienced the power of those arms when he’d spanked her…and used a hairbrush. As they took the elevator down to the Training Center itself, she forced herself to break the silence.

“I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me, Headmaster.”

“Although I am wading through a mass of paperwork, I have a few minutes I can spare.”

She didn’t know how to respond so she kept silent, grateful when the elevator doors opened.

As they walked down the hallway to Sir’s old office, she was confronted with feelings of déjà vu. Brie closed her eyes for a moment and could almost hear the sounds of Lea and Mary laughing with her in the hallways. It was so strange to think that part of her life was over.

Headmaster Coen opened the door and gestured her inside. Even though the books and pictures on the shelves had changed, it still looked like Sir’s office—including the hook attached to the ceiling. She hid her smile.

“What is it you need, Miss Bennett? I have no time for niceties.”

“Yes, Headmaster Coen. I have been asked by Mr. Holloway to shoot footage of the school grounds and the equipment used during training.”

“I do not have a problem as long as you do not shoot footage of any of our students.”

She bowed her head. “Thank you, Headmaster Coen. He also asked that I get interviews with the trainers themselves, and possibly footage of some actual scenes.”

When she saw him frown, her heart skipped a beat. So much was riding on his answer. “You may speak to the trainers. If any are willing, you are free to interview them. However, I do not want our training filmed.”

She swallowed hard, unsure if simple interviews would be enough for Mr. Holloway.

Headmaster Coen sat back in his chair and sighed. “If—and it is a big if—you can find a trainer and a willing sub on our staff who will consent to being filmed, I give you permission to film one session.”

Brie couldn’t believe it. Master Coen was giving her exactly what she needed. She stood up and bowed. “Thank you, Headmaster! You don’t know how much this will help.”

“There is one stipulation, however.”

Brie sat back down, afraid that he was about to rip it all away.

“I must approve of any footage you shoot on our school grounds. I will not interfere with footage you’ve filmed off the campus, but I insist on having the last word on anything shot here.”

“Of course, Headmaster Coen.”

“You are free to explore the school and film, provided you do not disturb anyone here.”

“I won’t, Headmaster Coen.” Brie bowed low one last time before leaving. She looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then leapt into the air. She had cleared her first obstacle!

Brie spent the day getting shots of the various rooms that had been used for her practicums, including the first one with the spongy floor and mirrored walls. She remembered vividly that first night when she’d tied the blindfold over her own eyes and presented herself to a complete stranger. That room had been the setting for significant firsts, including her first scene with Faelan as a training Dom. Visions of her recent dream flashed before her eyes, so she quickly left the room without mentioning the latter experience on film.

Brie moved on to Mr. Gallant’s classroom next. Her mind had been opened to the world of submission by the tiny but infinitely wise man. His presence seemed to linger in the classroom even when it was empty.

Brie walked to the bondage room next, the one with the table that she’d first noticed on the website. This room held her most cherished memory—it was where she and Master had begun their physical relationship. She had planned to take a panorama of the room, but decided against it. It was something too personal to share with the rest of the world.