I followed Hugo through the main building until we reached the glass passageway that led to the east wing. The next building was bare except for the previously noted windows that encircled the building, several stone pillars, and a centrally located spiral ramp that led to the second floor. We ascended the ramp. In the heels I expected the climb to be difficult but the ramp was sloped gently, actually forming an oval shape with three flights. They even coated the ramp with an anti-slip surface, probably anticipating the need to climb in skyscraper heels.

When we arrived at the second floor I discovered eight archways with no doors to be found. Six rooms were numbered. A seventh room was labeled ‘equipment’ and an eighth was labeled ‘Office/Lobby’. I was taken to room number five.

Upon entering the room I discovered it had a short wall directly in front of the doorway allowing a small amount of privacy. Conversations could easily be heard but there was no direct line of sight from the central lobby to the chamber.

Inside I found the room was huge, perhaps forty feet wide at the windows and fifteen feet wide at the doorway. It was wedge-shaped, of course since the building was cylindrical. Windows lined the outside wall while louvered shades prevented the sunlight from turning the room into an oven.

In addition to the large bed that dominated the windowed wall I found the room to be exceptionally well furnished. The Simmons obviously wanted their slaves to feel at home so they provided each room with a sixty inch television, a home entertainment system with CD changer, DVD and VCR. In addition there was a bar, a full sized refrigerator, a sink, and a small two-burner cook top.

Hugo also showed me the bathroom, the general storage closet, the pantry, and finally the walk-in closet where all my outfits were stored. This closet was L-shaped, running behind the bathroom and pantry. Inside I found some of the kinkiest outfits I had ever seen as well as a large stock of traditional but elegant dresses and suits. The very end of the closet was devoted to footwear and was stocked with every variety of high heeled boots, mules, and pumps I could imagine. There were no short heels in this collection, certainly none less than four inches. I could see they intended to keep me on my toes, literally!

Hugo took me back into the bedroom and proceeded to unbind me. He even removed my gag, pulling on my tongue while loosening the screws. He told me to pull my tongue back as he squeezed and prodded the device. Eventually it emerged with a loud pop. I moaned loudly from the pain as my jaws revolted from being bound for so long. In short order he had also removed my arm binder as well as the boots. I took the opportunity to rub some feeling into my jaw. Hugo helped by massaging my shoulders for a minute or two. Eventually he had me stripped naked except for the ring in my nose and the chains running to my ears. He left these in place and told me to shower.

After being bound and gagged for half the day the warm water felt like heaven against my aching muscles. The warmth and the isolation also gave me time to think about my situation. Every nerve in my body told me to get away, to quit. Common sense told me that this situation was far beyond my ability to cope and I’d end up an insane bondage freak by the end of my stay. But I thought about that money. I realized I was touching myself while I remembered the day’s events. I kept telling myself I didn’t want to do this. But it was all a great big lie. I knew it was a lie. My entire body betrayed me. I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off as previously instructed, and walked into the bedroom to await my fate. I did this freely. I had no intention of doing otherwise. Greed is good!

I suppose I could make the story interesting by claiming that Hugo made me eat something strange for dinner. Instead he simply led me to a small table along the wall, allowed me to sit, and then produced a cold aluminum foil covered tray from the refrigerator. I did notice that he needed a key to open the fridge. That could be troublesome if I got hungry at some inopportune time.

Anyway, I found the meal to be relatively ordinary, consisting of a thick slice of turkey breast, a cup of applesauce, a roll accompanied by a plastic wrapped pat of butter, and a blueberry muffin. There was no microwave or other cooking appliance in the room except for the burners so I had to eat it cold. It didn’t take long and I didn’t care for it very much. I was told to wash it down with as much water as I wished to drink. Then Hugo told me to go to the bathroom, relieve myself, and brush my teeth thoroughly. I felt exceptionally embarrassed by the fact that he supervised me throughout the process.

“You’ve done well so far,” Hugo addressed me as he pointed to the bed. I feared being raped by the huge brute. Instead he just told me to sit. He seated himself on a chair nearby and told me I could talk freely for the time being.

“I’m trying,” I responded.

“It’s a little rough on the first day. You don’t seem flustered or in tears. That’s a good sign. Things are going to get worse though,” he warned.

“I understand. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will. You’ve got an hour to yourself. I’m going to leave you until 5:30. Then I’ll be back to get you ready for Marie.”

“Is that when it gets rough?”

“No. You’ll find that the rough part comes later.”

“You mean the oral sex, right?” My face betrayed my fear.

“You’ve never done this before, have you?”

“I’m not a virgin,” I argued.

“When was the last time you sucked a man’s cock or licked a woman’s pussy?” he asked.

I found the language shocking and it startled me. Hugo could see it. “Well, I guess I am in that regard,” I confessed. “I’ll be fine though.”

“We’ll make sure of that by binding you in a way to prevent your refusal. Can you deal with that?”

That wasn’t a shock to me but it was a reminder of Marie’s warning a few weeks ago. She told me that whenever I had sex with them I would be bound just as Hugo had described. Technically it was rape and it wasn’t a fun prospect. For one million dollars my mouth was to become a sexual orifice. It was a disgusting thought and I hated the notion. But Marie had talked to me in that soft voice, her captivating green eyes drawing me to her. “Promise me you’ll try as hard as you can,” she asked. I swore I would make them happy, both of them. And I never, ever broke a promise.

“Hugo?”

“Yes?”

“I want to tell you something. I promised Marie and Paul that I’d finish this thing and stay the year. I swore to them I’d follow their orders to the letter and I swore I’d make them happy with my performance. I know it’s going to be rough but I don’t care. I promised them and that’s something that’s important to me. Understand something. I never break a promise. I don’t care if it’s large, small, or in between. My word is my word.”

I looked at him with the most serious face I could muster. It hid one that was scared to death. But he bought it. Maybe my speech bolstered my confidence a bit. When he rose, so did I. I didn’t intend to smile but smiles are contagious. Soon I had my arms around his neck, lifting my lips to his. Oh, it was only a little peck but it felt good. I think he liked it too.

“Feel free to look around but don’t put anything on. You must stay naked. But do look through the outfits and the bondage gear so you can get accustomed to the sight of it all. And please don’t leave the room.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. I noticed that I was beginning to repeat myself.

After he left I was torn between exploring my new environment and falling flat on my back and slipping into a deep slumber. My curiosity got the better of me. I went into the closet and began examining the gear. I had never seen bondage gear before today, at least not in person. I had visited a number of kinky sites on the web from my home but I had never had the opportunity to use any of this stuff. In a sense it was both frightening and exciting.

I discovered a complete assortment of leather, pvc, and rubber. Most of the gear was leather. Anything that could be hung on hangers was. Anything too small was placed in small wooden cubicles. Anything that needed to be kept sanitary was heat sealed in labeled plastic bags. All the boots were placed inverted on poles and the shoes were all placed on racks. Every item of clothing, footwear, or bondage gear was precisely placed in a specific spot. Nothing was tossed on the floor. Nothing lay on its side. Every drawer was neatly arranged. It was as if a clean freak had gotten their run of the place.

I returned to the main room and boldly strode to the window. I assumed there would be little to look at but desert. I was wrong. My room faced the rear of the complex. From my second story window I could see four diamond shaped courtyards surrounded by long paved walkways extending some two hundred yards. Palm trees lined each path and grass filled each field. It almost looked like several baseball diamonds with the main building at home plate of the largest field. It seemed quite strange to find grass in the desert.

I was startled by a tall woman who entered the room while my back was turned. “Hi,” she said, “I’m Teresa.”

Teresa was a young brunette with long flowing hair. She wore a pair of white pants with a black shirt. Around her neck she wore a tight black leather collar. I noticed her lips and eyes were heavily made up. The lipstick was relatively dark and the eye shadow was overdone.

“I’m here to clean things up. Don’t mind me,” she said as she began gathering the clothes that were piled on the floor. In a second she disappeared into the closet. A moment later she returned carrying another arm full of leather gear which she laid carefully on a nearby table.

“I brought you a clean gag,” she said holding up a sealed black plastic bag. “Don’t open it until Hugo comes back. And don’t do anything stupid with it like trying to hide it. They’ll only punish you for it and charge you ten grand. Besides, they’ll force you to wear a generic gag that’s not nearly as comfortable.”

“You been here long, Teresa?” I asked.

“Four years.”

“Ever do anything like this?” I asked waving my arms at myself.

“No, not here. Used to visit the bondage clubs in San Fran when I was twenty. Ran into a couple friends of Marie and Paul. They had this thing going and I was single and needing money. I’ve been here ever since.”

“Then you like it here?”

“I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t. Besides, I don’t really have any skills that would pay well. Here, I make a hundred grand a year for cleaning a few bathrooms and picking up after a few people. You’re new to this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Hugo told me that you’re pretty green. He’s worried about you. Then again, he worries about all the new girls. We have a horrible turnover rate.”

“I won’t quit,” I said.

“Most girls say that on the first day. It’s the first night that’s rough.”

“You mean the sex stuff?”

“That’s part of it. You know why they want to have sex with you?”

“I can guess. The usual reasons come to mind.”

“That’s not the reason. They use sex as a domination tool. That’s how they get sexual pleasure. Hugo is gay. Did you know that?”

“He didn’t act gay when I kissed him.”

Teresa laughed. “He was humoring you. Did he make you put your head between his knees yet?”

“If he’s gay, why would he want me to do that?”

“He gets pleasure by dominating people. They all do. When he forces you to open your mouth for him, that’s power. Power is pleasure. Oh sure, he’ll react physically but the real fun for him comes from the control he has over you. The same rules apply to Paul and Marie although to a lesser extent. They do enjoy the physical reaction. You understand now? That’s why there’s a lot more bondage than sex here. Clear?

Now things were becoming much clearer. The collar, leash, and piercings were all meant to control me, not just to make me look kinky. They wanted to make me do things they wanted, probably hoping that I would refuse so they could punish me.

“How many girls are here doing this,” I asked.

“They hire six bondage slaves and six sex slaves. There’s five, including yourself on this side. I hear there’s a redhead coming in four weeks from now. The bondage side is full. They don’t have as much trouble holding onto their girls.”

“The new girl is probably Karen. She’s the one who replaced me in New York.”

“I don’t think so. This one’s coming from Seattle. That would make a full herd of six.”

“Herd?” I asked.

“They did tell you about the ponygirl stuff, didn’t they?”

“They mentioned something about harnesses and bits. I didn’t understand. You telling me that I have to be a horse?” I asked.

“For part of each day. It’s their main method of exercise. That’s how they’ll get you down to the weight they prefer.”

“It’s just more kinky gear. I’m not worried.”

Teresa looked at the clock suddenly. “Look, why don’t you catch some shuteye and I’ll finish up my stuff. I’d love to chat some more but I have a lot of work to do.”

While I laid back on the bed and rested, Teresa proceeded to clean the bathroom, clean the nook where I ate, and dust the furniture. I was oblivious to it all. I was so tired that I simply nodded off.