Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

"You're too good for me, Pet," she whispered, "Thank you."

Giving her a one armed hug in return, Petra sniffled back the wave of emotion that hit her and drew back. "You are very, very welcome. Now, let's see how it looks on. I had to guess at your size because you don't bloody have a single dress that I could sneak a peek at the label! We are going to go shopping next weekend and you are going to help me blow more of Daddy's money on a new wardrobe...for you!"

Petra's proclamation shocked Tabby but she was quickly learning that arguing with her generous friend was useless. If Petra wanted to buy her new clothes, then Petra would buy her new clothes whether she wanted her to or not.

"Okay. Even though you don't have to, you know?"

The joy that filled Petra's blue eyes was worth every ounce of the pride Tabby had swallowed to agree to the shopping spree. She flipped her perfectly styled, blonde curls over her shoulder and grinned. "I do know and don't care! Until tall, dark and gorgeous starts spoiling you, I'm just going to get you used to the feeling, baby."

Petra hung the dress on the back of the bedroom door and returned to the garment bag. Tabby heard the sound of tissue paper rustling and Petra pulled out a soft bundle wrapped in pale pink paper. Before Petra broke the seal on the bundle, Tabby caught the name La Perla embossed on the sticker.

Oh my god...she didn't!

However, the cheeky little smirk on Petra's face, told Tabitha that, of course, she had. The paper fell away and Tabby found herself gawking at the most gorgeous red bra and panty ensemble she had ever seen. "You need to be as beautiful under your clothes as you are on the outside, girlfriend," she said as she passed the lingerie to a dumbstruck Tabby.

The silk felt smooth and cool in Tabby's hands as she caressed the fine material.

"C'mon! Lose the robe and put them on! I'm dying to see you in them!" Petra's infectious excitement was bubbling over like a pot left on high heat and she bounced on the spot, unable to stand still. Tabby burst out laughing, too overwhelmed by the show of generosity to do anything other than give in and enjoy the experience.

She shucked off her bathrobe and sat naked on the bed, not caring that she was naked in front of her friend.

Petra handed her the pair of panties. "These are going to look gorgeous on you!"

Tabby took the lingerie from her, realising that there really wasn't much to the panties, once she had them in her hands. She pulled them on; loving the feel of the cool silk as it slid up her legs, the luxurious way the material hugged her hips had Tabby smoothing her hand over the fabric in wonder. The silk warmed quickly, absorbing her body heat and conforming around her curves beautifully, hints of pale skin peeked through the intricate lace panel on the front, acted like a teaser to the bounty hidden behind it.

She put the bra on next, settling her breasts in the demi cups so that her areolas dipped below the lacy edge, but only just. Petra helped her with the hooks and then showed her how to arranged herself so that the surprisingly supportive garment enhanced her natural cleavage and vaulted her rack into the realm of bombshell.

Petra whistled in appreciation. "Wow! I pity Marcus when he catches sight of those puppies. Poor fool doesn't stand a chance!"

A fierce heat warmed Tabby's cheeks, making her feel self-conscious. "Do you...uhm, really think so?"

With a hand on her hip, Petra cocked her head at her as if she couldn't believe how dense Tabby was. "Uhm, hell yeah! Sweetie...You. Are. Gorgeous. Get used to it because I think you are going to attract many, many admirers tonight!" With her hands on Tabby's shoulders, Petra turned her to face her reflection in the full-length dressing mirror by the closet.

Tabby gasped in surprise and awe when she saw the sultry and very feminine woman reflected in the glass. It actually took her a moment to recognize herself, but when she did, she couldn't believe her eyes. The fine lingerie had transformed her from a plain twenty-five year old woman, into a seductress oozing sex appeal. She had never worn anything even close to the quality of the under things she now had on and the more she regarded her reflection, the more feminine she felt inside.

She saw Petra appear beside her, grinning with pleasure. "You ready for the dress?" All Tabby could do was nod, her emotions had simply left her completely speechless.

Petra helped her get into the dress and zipped it up. The red silk was an exact match to the colour of her lingerie. The low cut bodice showed the delicate lace trim of her bra while putting the spotlight onto her cleavage, leaving Tabby feeling more exposed than she was. Petra fussed and arranged the dress so that it sat perfectly on Tabby's body. She shivered as air tickled her exposed midriff and back through the diamond shaped lattice that connected the bodice to the short, softly pleated skirt making her realise that there really wasn't very much to the dress at all. It covered enough of her to satisfy decency while leaving lots of tempting skin on display.

"I debated whether to get you a sexy garter belt but figured you'd be too overwhelmed by this point and opted for stay-ups instead," Petra grinned at her cheekily. "But, we are definitely going back to that lingerie shop and getting you some slinky things to wear for Marcus!"

Tabby inspected her reflection in the mirror again, twirling slowly so that she got a 360-degree view of her new outfit. She caught Petra's ear-to-ear grin and she nodded happily, giving her the thumbs up. She had to hand it to Petra; the woman had amazing taste and a good eye for picking just the right dress for her. If she ever decided to give up her interior design business, Petra would make one hell of a personal shopper. She spun back to the mirror, unable to believe how good she looked. Tears stung her eyes and Petra rushed in and hugged her.

"The dress and everything are all so amazing, Petra. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, sweetie. I just wanted you to have something pretty and sexy. I'm so glad that you like it." She laughed and winked at Tabby. "Though I think you could arrive in a potato sack and Marcus would still fall at your feet drooling. That dress is going to reduce him to a gibbering idiot."

Petra caught sight of the time on the bedside clock and squealed. "Oh shit! Is that the time?" The display showed 7:10. "We need to be out of here by eight. Diego wants us there by 8:30 and if we don't get a wiggle on, we are going to be late."

By some miracle, Tabby and Petra managed to finish dressing, touched up their hair and makeup and walked out of the apartment by five to eight. Both rode the elevator down to the car park, breathless and giggling like schoolgirls as they gossiped like old times...before Tabby's confidence had taken a hit after Jerry's attack.

For the first time since that awful night, Tabby forgot to be afraid and bubbled with excitement. They climbed into Petra's Prius and pulled out into the night ready to dance and laugh the night away.

CHAPTER 14

He saw the black Prius pull out of the underground driveway and hastily threw the sandwich he was eating into the foot-well of his truck, adding to the mass of litter already accumulated there. He'd almost missed that his target was riding in the passenger seat and was now about to drive away from him.

"Fucking hell!" he swore as he fumbled for the keys with greasy fingers. He managed to start the engine on the Ford F-150 pickup that he'd stolen for that evening's surveillance, pulled out into traffic and raced up behind their car as unobtrusively as he could.

What the fuck was the bitch doing? Four weeks he'd been watching her and she'd never once gone out this late before.

He'd only caught a glimpse of the two women before their car had turned onto the street, but could have sworn that she and her blonde friend were all dolled up for the evening. He smiled with a calculating, predatory flash of teeth. If they were going clubbing, it would make his job easier to snatch her once the boss gave him the go ahead.

Let the bitch get drunk and stupid. Her diminished capacity would easily provide the opportunity he needed, practically gift-wrapping her for him to take, and saving him a ton of hassle. He might even get the chance to slip some roofies into her drink, making getting her into his car a walk in the park.

They headed through the business centre of downtown then turned east to the outskirts, where the industrial area sprawled like an open sore by the river. As they chatted and laughed, neither woman was aware of the black pickup truck following at a discreet distance behind them.

As they drove through one industrial park to another, the man behind the truck's wheel was confused. There weren't any clubs or bars out this way, only factories and warehouses for miles, and most of those had shut down for the weekend.

Where the hell were they going?

Tabby asked Petra the same question, curious as to where Elysium was.

"You'll see," she grinned, turning left and right so many times that Tabby felt like they were driving through a rabbit's warren.

"How do you find your way around here?" Tabby looked out the side window, trying to catch business or street names in case she had to drive them home later.

"I hope you don't plan on getting wasted, Pet. I'm totally lost and will never find my way out of this place!"

Petra pointed one perfectly polished nail towards a massive warehouse complex at the end of the deserted street. "We're here!" Tabby looked at the three-story, nondescript, industrial building surrounded by a high, chain-link fence and her brows furrowed skeptically.

"We're where exactly? That place looks abandoned."

"That's what they want you to think. It keeps the curious away," Petra giggled and drove onto the property and headed around to the back. Out of nowhere, a long, lit up driveway leading underground appeared and Petra drove down the ramp until they stopped at a closed gate where a uniformed security guard waited.

Rolling her window down, she flashed the large man a megawatt smile. "Evening Charlie, how's tricks?"

He laughed at her and pressed a button to raise the gate. "I'm good, Petra. Your Master reserved stall 12, by the entrance for you tonight. He didn't want you two pretty ladies having to walk any further than you had to in those skyscraper heels you like to wear." He waved them through. "Have a good night, ladies," he called as they drove past him into the brightly lit underground parking lot.

Petra found their assigned spot, parked and then turned to Tabby, her eyes sparkling with excitement but trying to be serious at the same time.

"Okay, here's the basic rules for Elysium: everyone is allowed two drinks only, they don't do drunk in the club; if you see anything that concerns you, do not interrupt the players - go find a Dungeon Monitor and they'll look into it; never touch anyone or anyone's gear without permission and always be respectful. It's okay to watch, but don't be rude or intrusive. I know that this is your first time but there is a saying in the BDSM community that goes something like: Your yuck is my yum. If you don't like what you see, move on and leave them in peace." She took a breath and waited for Tabby to process the information.

"Okay...so basically, look but don't touch or interfere, right?"

Petra undid her seatbelt and got out of the car, laughing. "Exactly!"

They walked up to an imposing set of double doors outfitted with shining gold frames and opaque, black glass. Elysium's logo shone in gold script above a smaller sign that declared:

Members Only. No minors admitted.

When they approached the doors, they slid silently apart automatically revealing an opulent entrance hall, reminding Tabby of art deco style theatre lobbies from the 20's and 30's. Beyond the entrance hall, Tabby could see another pair of identical doors waiting behind a set of red velvet crowd control ropes opposite of the entrance. An expanse of thick, red carpeting led to a coat check room and a long front desk with the largest man she'd ever seen standing watch behind it.

Petra squealed in delight. "Saul!" and left Tabby standing alone as she ducked under the rope and rounded the desk to throw herself into the big man's waiting arms for a huge bear hug. He set her down with a gentleness that belied his immense size and his craggy face split into a grin that would've looked perfectly at home on the face of a mountain troll.

The image of Andre the Giant flashed before Tabby's eyes and she realized with a shock that that was exactly who Saul looked like. His beaming face, booming laugh and genuine affection for Petra reassured Tabby that he was in fact, a gentle giant.

"Miss Petra, it has been too long, little one." Tabby winced a little at the deep, boulder-grinding sound of his voice.

"When did you get back, Saul? I wasn't expecting you to return until the end of the month. Master didn't mention that you had come back early or else I would have brought you a batch of those cookies you love!" She pouted and Saul chuckled.

"I only returned two days ago. My family was driving me nuts so I cut my vacation short. Plus, I missed being able to see the pretty submissives here."

Petra ducked back under the ropes and returned to Tabby's side. "We missed you too, Saul. It's just not the same without you here." She pulled Tabby to the counter and introduced her. "Master should have left word that I was bringing my friend with me tonight. Saul, I'd like you to meet Tabitha. She's here as Master Marcus' guest."

That tidbit of information caught Tabby by surprise and she shot Petra a glare, suddenly realising that this whole evening may have been a big set up and her sneaky friend was in on it.

Petra gave her a wink. The mention of Marcus' name set Tabby's nerves churning with anxiety. In the excitement, she'd forgotten that he would be here too tonight and now it looked like he was going to be expecting her.

Saul extended an enormous hand across the counter, cutting off the angry words that were on the tip of Tabby's tongue and, not wanting to act rude, graciously went to shake it. When his massive hand swallowed hers in his palm, she almost pulled away in fear but all he did was lean down and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tabitha."

Suddenly shy, Tabby forgot her irritation with Petra and blushed, stammering, "T-thank you, Saul."

He released her hand and passed Tabby a white, silicone wristband. He then ran two magnetic strip type cards through a reader and tapped a few keys on a computer keyboard before passing them to Petra. "There, I have you both checked into the system." He raised one bushy eyebrow questioningly at Petra. "I assume it's white for your friend tonight?"

"Yes, please, Saul." She saw the query in Tabby's face and explained. "They use a wristband system in the club to show potential partners what your status is - um, sexually, I mean."

Tabby almost dropped the rubber band. "And white means...?" She said, holding out the wristband looped around her index finger as if she were holding a dead animal.

"Vanilla!" Petra giggled. "Basically, it's used for non-playing guests, that way you won't be harassed by others looking for a play-partner."

Tabby sheepishly slipped the band onto her wrist. "Oh, that's okay then."

Saul beetled his brows into thick caterpillars and fixed both women with a serious stare. "Have you informed your friend of the club's rules of conduct, Miss Petra?"

"Yes Saul, plus, she'll be with me or Master Marcus tonight, but I did give her the general run down of what not to do."

He beamed at her. "Good girl. I knew you would have, but I had to be sure." He came around to the barricade, moving like a mountain, and unhooked the rope to allow them passage. Three more couples entered the hall just behind them and Saul looked up to greet them.

"Be with you in a moment folks." He turned back to Tabby and Petra, "Have fun and play safe, girls."

CHAPTER 15

The doors slid open and a thumping mass of music and voices spilled out. Petra waved goodbye and blew a kiss to Saul before towing Tabby into the throng of people milling on the other side of the big doors.

Tabby's eyes went wide as saucers at the scope of the club that lay spread out in all directions before her. There was a huge, sunken dance-floor to the left, with a DJ perched on a raised pedestal in the centre. Thousands of multi-coloured led lights carpeted the column and pulsed in hypnotic, twinkling patterns in time with the music. It reminded Tabby of a living heart made entirely of sparkling gems beating out the techno rhythm.

A moving sea of humanity gyrated and spun around the base, a single living organism pieced together with hundreds of bodies. Lights flashed, the music pounded, and all around, people cheered and danced, losing themselves in the pounding cadence of the bass pouring from the speakers.

"C'mon!" Petra said excitedly.

She grabbed Tabby's hand and led her through the crowd directing her to the right side of the enormous room.

Tabby followed along but her attention was...well...everywhere. She didn't know what to look at first, her eyes tried to absorb the spectacle of Elysium in full party mode and there was just so much to take in. The place was so large that she couldn't even see across the wide expanse of the club. The outskirts all disappeared as the artfully designed lighting illuminated individual sections of the club, while leaving others in shadow, keeping the discreet atmosphere in tack. There was just enough light to see as she and Petra moved through the crowd but it quickly dissipated as they passed secluded seating areas designed with a modicum of privacy.

Tabby was honestly surprised at the normal appearance of the patrons, if she didn't know that Elysium was a BDSM club, she wouldn't have guessed it by how people were dressed in this part of the club. It looked like a regular - if over the top - nightclub. It wasn't until she looked closer - at the clothing some wore and into the dim corners - that the sexual nature of the club became more evident. There was a lot of leather and skin on display, with the occasional intimate body part out in full view for all to see.

Tabby blushed as a tall, elegant woman in six inch, black stiletto boots walked slowly by. A skin-tight, black cat suit encased her body from the high-necked collar and disappeared into the calves of her knee high boots. The material shone in such a way that it had to have been made of some sort of plastic or rubber.

Did they even make clothes out of rubber? Tabby thought to herself as she stared in curiosity. Her eyes travelled up the woman's shapely legs and over the sensual curves of her hips until she had to look away suddenly, her face burning with embarrassment. She had inadvertently gotten an eyeful of the woman's large, and very bare, breasts as they protruded through holes cut into the front of her garment, tiny silver bells tinkling musically from twin barbells piercing each of her thick nipples.

The lights dimmed briefly and Tabby risked another quick look, her inquisitive nature overcoming her shame at being caught staring. The woman noticed her sneaky glance and her lips quirked up in a smile, the blood red lipstick flashing in a burst of light from a strobe. She made eye contact with Tabby and cocked her head behind her, a perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in question.

Though she spoke no words, Tabby easily understood the, "What do you think of him?" question in the woman's twinkling eyes.