Possessing Bella Ch. 21

"I have approved the plans you sent me Friday night for a combined foyer area between your two offices, but I have added an extra desk," Kurt had turned his attention to Andrew. "I will send Chelsea down to the temp pool to find someone who can do the job and who she can work with," again he gave no room for argument. He was the CEO of the company, and he was all about kicking ass today.

"Let me be very clear when I say this, because I want you understand that I am not someone you want to mess with. If I find any evidence of you making a decision for Bella or using her name and connections to hold power over another, I will ruin you. You were promoted because she likes you, wants to work with you and trusts you. We gave you the position you now hold because she asked us in such a way that, despite our doubts, we agreed. Do not make us or her regret that decision further," Kurt returned to his seat, but before he could go on Rob picked up the thread of that conversation.

"What the problem is old boy, because no one has come out and said it plainly, is that you are confusing your professional and personal life. Yes, Bella is a submissive, but she is not your submissive. You may believe you are a dominant, but you are not her dominant," Rob said in a friendly tone, but his body language told of his anger. "You do not get to tell her what to do or how to do it, and you certainly do not get to make decisions for her," Rob smiled at Bella then. "She has the sweetest, most trusting nature and if you take advantage of that, Caligula over there will be the least of your problems." Rob said, his serious face and tone told of his intent.

"I understand," Andrew said steadily. He knew he had fucked up, and he made no false excuses. He had been so sure of his position as her friend and confidante within the company, he had not even considered that she would not take his advice on whom to hire and seek a second opinion. He wracked his brain to try and remember if he had even asked her opinion before pushing his choice of successor onto her. Lesson learned, he would now have to ride out the stormy seas until things returned to normal.

"Good we all understand each other," Kurt said, the sternness still colouring his voice. "Dianne would you take Chelsea and show her around the building. This next meeting might take a while, so could you order us up some lunch for around eleven. I've been surrounded by food all morning and had no time to even finish my coffee." he grumbled.

"We will see if we can scrounge up some left-overs from the breakfast to tide you over as well," Dianne smiled and left the room with Chelsea.

"Andrew, I think it's best if you meet with Rhys and Patrick and iron out any other little miscommunications that are causing him to worry, don't you?" Kurt suggested in a way that he couldn't say no.

"I think that would be for the best," Andrew admitted. He liked being a junior executive and had no wish to return to being a personal assistant, especially if it meant leaving Bella's business team.

"Good man," Rhys said. "Let's go to my office, shall we?"

Once the door had closed, leaving only four of them in the large office, Bella looked worriedly at Dorothea, who smiled encouragingly and came to sit on the couches.

Kurt stood abruptly and picked up Bella, putting her over his knee, he spanked her hard as she bit her lip again and did her best not to cry out. His hand landed a dozen times before he pulled her up and handed her to Rob, who cradled the teary girl in his arms for a moment before placing her on the couch and taking a seat next to Kurt.

"You were right that was cathartic," Kurt said amiably to Rob, the levity he was known for creeping back into his voice and demeanour.

"Your most welcome, you kicked some serious ass today Caligula," Rob congratulated him with a slap on the back and Dorothea rolled her eyes at the two of them. He turned to Bella, "How did it go with Stephen yesterday, were you able to tell him how you feel and your wishes for the meeting tonight?" Rob asked gently, not wanting to push her but needing to know the answer before he and Kurt told her of their plans for her immediate future.

"I did, and he was not happy but he at least said that he understood why I felt the way I did," she answered as honestly as she could.

"Kurt and I met yesterday, and we also spoke with Dorothea. We feel that due to the circumstances of Mel's passing and the trauma you suffered as a result of the shooting, we were lax in our duties as your guardians. We allowed you to dictate the terms of your recovery and subsequent return to the world of the living, rather than guiding you to where you needed to be," Rob began.

"Play time is over. Now you must knuckle down and work to become the woman you were meant to be. You will not only work on your business plan, but you will take on a greater role in the running of this company. I will mentor you closely with the help of Rhys, who is now my second and the most qualified to take over should I need to be away for any reason. He is the only person here aside of us that you have to answer to, everyone else needs to know they answer to you," Kurt took over from Rob. "Going to Dorothea when you felt Andrew was manipulating you was good, but you should have come directly to me. Next time something like this happens, and I am not the first person to know about it, I will do more than spank you as punishment." he threatened.

"The evenings you will spend with me. You will learn the proper protocols; you will get to know the people who fill our world, good and bad, and you will learn about the business conducted at the club," Rob took over again. "Your weekends will be your own. After a period when we both deem you are managing the workload sufficiently, you will be allowed to date. While it will always be your choice of who and when, Dorothea has offered to act as an intermediary and social secretary for the time being, so as to advise you on the various functions that you are invited to and the men who may wish to know you better," Rob explained.

Bella sat wide eyed staring at the two men and saying nothing. She saw the freedom she had been longing for draining away before her eyes. It was Dorothea who broke through her thoughts then, seemingly reading her mind as she often did.

"I know you want to be able to live a normal life again, but you must know now that you can't go back to that girl you were before Mel brought you into this word. Even if you walked away now, you are rich and powerful and too well known to ever have that sort of life again," Dorothea hugged her. "What these two lovable rogues are offering in their commanding way is information and experience, for that is the only path to independence you have left to you now." Bella nodded her understanding. She knew Dorothea was right, but it was still difficult to accept that she would always have restrictions on her movements.

"Look at me, I am an old woman, and I take off for the day and suddenly there are search parties. You are not alone my sweet girl. Dianne, Tali, Nyx and especially Sara, we all live with restrictions on our lives but as we grow more aware, they lessen to the point where we barely notice them anymore."

Kurt and Rob both watched the exchange with renewed respect for the older woman. They were prepared to enforce their will over her at the stakeholders meeting tonight, with or without the backing of the other men. Mel gave guardianship to them, and they had allowed the others to have a say because Bella had asked for the training. They had acknowledged yesterday that they had done Bella a great disservice allowing it to play out as it had.

She had become confused at serving so many Masters; she needed guidance, not training as such, and they had let her down because of their individual grief over losing Mel. It was time to right that wrong and, with Dorothea's help, they would all be better off, especially Bella.

"We would like your agreement to take this plan to the stakeholders meeting and also, we would like to propose a memorial for Mel at the end of March," Kurt said gently, knowing it would be much easier if she arrived at the meeting in full agreeance with their proposal. He worried at the look Bella gave all three of them before she started speaking.

"I would very much like to work with and learn from you, Master Kurt. I had always planned to throw myself into the business now that the training had come to an end," Bella agreed before looking at Rob. "I have learned a great deal over the last few months, Master Rob, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that the naïve girl I once was is gone and that I have learned greatly from my past mistakes. Perhaps my probation period may not last as long as you think." Bella challenged him with a smile.

"Looks like you have your work cut out for you there, my friend," Kurt chuckled.

"Looks like the work's already been done for me, it's you who will be putting in the hard yards," Rob countered.

"Then why the hell did we spend all of last night coming up with this plan," Kurt chuckled.

"Who knew she would accept that we knew what was best for her so easily," Rob shrugged, "I expected the little brat to have at least one good tantrum in her. Still, she hasn't seen the schedule and rules yet, so let's not get too cocky."

Bella was caught between laughter at their bantering and indignation that they would talk that way about her. She didn't have tantrums. She wasn't really a brat. Without realising it, her body had tensed up as she listened to them speak about her as if she wasn't there.

"They tease because they love you," Dorothea said and put a gentle hand over Bella's where it had balled up on the couch and unclenched it gently. "We know you have learned a great deal, but it has been in a bubble, lots of different bubbles. What you need to learn is how to live everyday belonging to someone. Not just at play, like the training and not just at work and then going home to choose what you want to do."

Bella wasn't sure she understood and looked between Dorothea and her guardians. Her confusion was clear on her face, but she couldn't find the words she needed to ask the right questions.

"This is why we made the plan," Rob said, seeing the confusion turn to worry. "Bella, you are a smart girl, you have to know that what you have been doing for the last six months was just play time. You were not committed to the business, nor the lifestyle. You eased in and out of both at two-week intervals without ever having to deal with both simultaneously."

"You need to know the reality of what your life will be like should you take a collar again," Kurt clarified for her. "It will be very difficult for you to maintain your position here and still serve at your Master's leisure. You will need clear boundaries and limitations to differentiate the two. I am the one you must answer to here, regardless of whose collar you wear, and any future relationship you have will need to respect that as a very real part of who you are."

"What Rob and Kurt are proposing is that for all intents and purposes, from this point forward you will be collared to them. Rob will be your Master in all other areas, and Kurt will be your Master, here at the company," Dorothea added to the clarification.

"I will be collared?" Bella had not expected that part of this plan, and she wasn't sure she wanted it. After deciding that she wasn't ready for that sort of commitment, she had been enjoying the prospect of dating a few of the men she had met and getting to know them better.

"Yes, and for the first week or two you will commit to it and the schedule we have set out for you to learn about the life you are destined for properly. You have just been playing thus far, dipping your toes into the lifestyle and then leaving to dip your toes into the business world, practically ignoring the big picture that you own part of and need to know about the running of both the club and the company. You need to know about the people that work for you in the whole of the company, not just your business. You need to know more about the club than that they have a good restaurant where you eat most nights," Kurt as usual focused on the business side of her life.

"I will wear your collar?" she asked again, still trying to shuffle through the emotions in her head.

"It will be a temporary collar but yes, it will be mine. Once you are used to the schedule, you will be allowed to date whomever you like, and my collar will afford you protection from anyone who may try to force their own onto you," Rob explained, watching her closely. "You need to know what it is like and how punishing it can be to live the lifestyle twenty-four hours a day and still maintain your career. Most women cannot sustain them both. You have separated the two quite distinctly over the last six months, and that is not the reality of life."

"Did you think you would be able to have a week or two off every month to play at being a collared girl?" Kurt challenged her.

"No, but I..." Bella shook her head, letting the ideas swirl around. The whole conversation had become very serious and gone were the smiles and laughter she was used to from these two men. Suddenly she felt the weight of what she had asked for baring down her. This was, after all, what she wanted, more of what Mel had shared with her and shown her a glimpse of. Even with him, she had not ever lived day to day for more than two weeks because of her accidents and then the trip to Italy.

"But you what?" Kurt pressed her. "You thought that a master would be happy for you to just do your own thing until you were ready to serve him when you had time?"

She shook her head. She hadn't thought that far or considered the logistics of what it would mean for her to have a Master along with the responsibilities of being who she was here at the company. She could see clearly why they had decided to step in now, especially after she had decided to end the training now rather than continuing with Josie and Leon or anyone else who had said yes. She briefly wondered if Stephen and Jake had agreed to train her as well before Rob brought her back to the present.

"This is what you need," Rob said, "We are not asking, we are telling you that this is what you must do," his voice was hard as he could see her waver in her confusion and indecision. "As always, you have a choice about such things, and we can drag you to it if we need to or let you go and decide to make your way without our help." He didn't like the threat those words contained, but the three other people in the room had decided that this was the best course of action for her. He worried at the disappointment and pain that would be his after having her for a time and having her then take another collar, but it was a risk he was willing to take.

"It's time to stop playing, Bella. You have played at both your submission and your career for long enough. Mel appointed us as your guardians, not so we could turn you into a spoilt brat, but so we could teach and guide you in the things you need to know. We have dropped that ball, but as of this moment, we are picking it and you up and making good on the promises we made him," Kurt pushed their stance further invoking Mel's name.

"What about the stakeholder meeting? Won't they want some say about what happens to me?" Bella asked quietly, her head still spinning, the thinly veiled threat in Rob's words had been like a physical slap, and she was reeling from the whole conversation.

"Rob owns over half of that club now; he can do as he wants with my support and probably a few others. The rest take too much upon themselves. You asked for their training. Rob and I did not ask them to take a role in your life, and you will be suitably grateful to them at the meeting I trust," Kurt's voice held fire in it again.

"Settle down Caligula," Rob said calmly. "Kurt is correct. The truth of the matter is that we are your guardians, not Jack or Charles or anyone else. What they want has no bearing on what you choose to do or how we choose to exercise that guardianship." Rob took a moment, "This has always been a point of contention between Jack and myself, but for reasons long past that should be forgotten."

"Bella, you said yourself that you are not the same naïve girl that Mel brought to the company and the lifestyle," Dorothea reminded her. "I will admit, it has been a fun experience being your friend and watching you grow as much as you have, but I agree with the Masters on this," she admitted. Bella turned to look at her properly as she spoke, knowing only love and affection from this woman. She trusted her advice implicitly.

"I have known both of these men for a lot more years than I care to admit to, and I love them both like sons. It's taken Rob longer than I thought it would to admit he loves you more deeply than that of a guardian's love for his ward. To his credit, he has not forced that on you as others might. Instead, he has been trying to show you in other ways while you navigated the road you set for yourself." She smiled, and Bella turned to look at Rob.

"I did tell you she knows everything before even the people involved," Rob shrugged.

"Hell, even I knew months ago," Kurt laughed at Rob's stunned expression. "It's good to see that you told her, though, that makes all this a bit easier to negotiate."

"He may be offering a temporary collar at this point, but he will also give you the freedom you crave as long as you are honest with him. He is not the jealous or possessive type," she paused to let Bella make the comparison she needed to. "Like Mel, he knows that if you wear his collar, you will be loyal and committed to it. What they are asking is for a few weeks of hard restrictions until you get used to the schedule they have set for you. It will not be easy and will leave you little time to enjoy any of those freedoms you want so badly, but they will come in time." Dorothea added her explanation to that of Rob and Kurt.

"I will not stop you from seeing Stephen nor any of the other men you have formed bonds with. Quite the contrary, you will probably see them more often than usual, but you will not be intimate with them until you have shown you can handle all that we have planned for you," Rob agreed with what Dorothea had said.

"If, now that you have heard our reasons for collaring you to us, you are still as agreeable to this course of action, would you like to see the schedule we have planned for you," Kurt offered.

"Yes please, Master," Bella said quietly, her mind still tumbling with emotions. She trusted these people more than anyone, and if they believed this was in her best interests, then she needed to at least try to understand and follow their plan as best she could.

*****

Out of respect, Rob had left following the lunch Dianne had arranged for them to speak with Charles. The decision on Bella's immediate future had already been made and was not open to discussion, but he owed the old man the courtesy of prior information after his talk with Bella the previous Friday evening and obvious concern for her future.He also wanted to speak to Stephen himself about several matters.

Calling Chelsea to his office, he outlined the strict schedules and protocols Bella and Chelsea, within her role, would be required to adhere to in the company. Chelsea took notes on all that she was told and given to do. She created shared files for the various areas they would be required to operate in and had Kurt transfer the rules, requirements and schedules to those so she could create new calendars for each of the people with whom Bella would work. Bella was in awe of the knowledge, skill and efficiency Chelsea possessed.

"Now you have a few hours left to run Chelsea through your business plan before we meet tomorrow to see what the state of that is and set some immediate goals," Kurt was still stern with her. "Take her and show her the offices and see if Rhys is finished with Andrew. You may want to have a team meeting and explain the new rules to him."