Chapter Twenty

Dozens of emotions were roiling within Dana's soul as she made her way home from the studio. The day had been a roller coaster of events, announcements, innuendos and activities that had left her breathless. Above the rest hung a dark cloud of guilt that threatened to overwhelm the young wife. At one point, on the drive home, Dana had begun to shudder so violently that she was forced to pull over.

She had made it to the shoulder of the road without incident before her body was wracked with sobs. It took her almost twenty minutes before she felt as if she could continue her drive to the house. Those minutes were mostly spent replaying the day's events, beginning with her summons to Danielle Sharp's office.

"Dana. We have a lot of ground to cover"

Ms. Sharp was coolly professional and wore a severe expression.

"There are complications that we need to address. Those are of no concern to you, but there are going to be a lot of heads rolling if your girl can't deliver the goods."

Dana was momentarily confused. "My....girl?"

"Don't be obtuse! Sloan, dammit! If Sloan can't pull this off, it could make things...difficult...for my husband and me."

"I understand, Da...I mean....uhm...Ms...uh...Sharp"

Danielle's eyes locked onto Dana like a laser, holding her. She held the gaze forever (at least it seemed that way to Dana) and seemed to almost be invading her space, although she was several feet away. Dana could feel herself surrendering to it, drowning into those deep blue pools, losing awareness of everything around her.

Danielle languidly crossed to Dana, her eyes holding her captive, until she stood towering over the diminutive brunette, their bodies almost touching.

"Listen to me very closely, my darling child," her sultry voice was almost hypnotic. "Sloan must be 100 percent convincing by the night of the party. She must be completely feminine in every nuance. She must offer herself up to my husband as a symbol of womanhood. Any mistake, the slightest miscue, an errant masculine gesture or reference, anything at all that reveals what she has between her legs will be a disaster of epic proportions. Do you understand?"

Dana felt her heart pound as the enormity of the task at hand fell upon her slight shoulders like the weight of the universe. She tried to form words for several seconds before swallowing and whispering a soft "Yes, Miss"

Danielle's expression was almost dazzling as her smile shone out and bathed the young wife.

"Good girl, I have complete faith in you."

She reached out with her left hand and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Dana's ear, lightly brushing her cheek. Dana's breath caught as her eyes closed, briefly. She could taste the older woman's scent as she inhaled sharply, almost causing her to swoon. She felt the breath of her next words on her ear.

"Very good girl, indeed"

Later that morning she met with Gabriel, Matt Sharp's PA. Gabriel had a message from the Sharps asking for her attendance at a working lunch to discuss Soft Kill. She had expected it to be held at the studio, so was surprised when Gabriel led her to a waiting limo.

After a short drive, during which Gabriel was constantly typing into his phone, they arrived at Chef Nozawa's SUGARFISH, where Matt and Danielle were already seated. Dana felt overwhelmed as she was surrounded by many of the city's movers and shakers, many of whom stopped by the table to discuss various subjects.

As she idly picked at her sushi, allowing the conversation and the traffic to ebb and flow around her, she could not help but notice that Gabriel was casting occasional glances her way. As lunch neared its conclusion, Matt began to casually ask Dana about herself. At first, she was shy, but with the reassurance of a nod and smile from Danielle, she began to open up.

Dana told about her experiences in the industry, her college and high school background, her life growing up in Texas. As the questions began to become a bit more personal, she shared a story about how she and her husband met and their dreams for the future.

Matt was very interested in her work, and when she spoke about her personal ambitions, he perked up considerably. By the time they left the restaurant, they all got into a limo for the ride back. Sitting across from Dana, Matt smiled and caught his wife's hand in his own.

"Dana, We have a proposition for you. Gabriel is leaving soon, and I need a replacement. I am looking for someone that has experience in the industry, is intelligent and capable, and has a degree of....flexibility. In short, we would like to offer the position to you."

She was dumbfounded.

"To me, sir?"

"Yes, to you. However, before you give an answer, I want to make sure that you understand fully what the job entails."
Her heart was pounding. "Yes Sir"

"First, you would be assistant director on this project. As such, you would be responsible for taking care of the billions of things that I don't have time to deal with, including helping set up shooting schedules and storyboards, dealing with script changes, handling second unit shooting, and a lot more"

She could only nod as she replied. "Yes Sir"

"Second, I would need you to attend me at meetings, functions, filming, editing, and be my eyes and ears when I am not able to attend anything that pertains to the film project."

She was almost shaking with excitement as the enormity of the opportunity hit her. Dana Taylor learning at the feet of one of the greatest directors in the industry.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Lastly, you would be privy to my council, and that of our studio"

He nodded toward Danielle, whose eyes had remained fixed on Dana throughout the exchange.

"In other words, you would know the most intimate details of our lives, things that you may not be completely comfortable with, things that might shock you."

Dana blushed hotly as she recalled some of the more salacious rumors that she had heard about their sexual relationship.

"I assure you that Danielle and I are firm believers in care, safety, and accountability. We are both sexual dominants and enjoy the Domination/submission lifestyle a LOT."

He emphasized his comment with a smirk and an arched eyebrow.

"With that said, we do not push boundaries beyond where a sexual submissive is willing to go. We use safe words and do not ever do anything that would cause permanent physical harm. We also do not insist that anyone participate in what we do, only that they keep our private lives private."

He paused for several moments, allowing the words to sink in and holding back any reply with a raised hand.

"We do not need your answer right away. Gabriel will be with us until after the party. I would like you to work closely with him until that time. Afterward, you can let us know what you decide. By the way, I understand that you and your husband will be attending our little soiree."

"No darling," interrupted Danielle, before Dana could reply, "It seems that Dana's hubby is apparently working on some commercial that weekend, so she is bringing a girlfriend along. Isn't that right, dear?"

"OH....um Yes Miss!"

"Excellent!" replied Matt, "Is she pretty?"

Danielle held Dana with her gaze, smiling seductively. "Oh yes, darling. She is a very delectable girl. I am sure you will love her!"