Jo went off to work the next morning with her thigh bands unlocked. I’d given her the key to the chain that connected the two bands but the locks that held them around her thigh were different so she could experiment with the chain for a while. I’d given Jo the option of not wearing them but she gave me a steely look. The change that had come over her since we’d settled here was all to the good. She wasn’t the ‘appendage’ that supported me in my role as CEO. She’d got a new found confidence and determination that pleased me no end.

The presence of the bands meant that from now on did mean that wearing tights were out of the question. I’d bought Jo a good supply of black ‘over the knee’ socks for her to wear to work.

I didn’t wear them but instead I wore stockings. I also wore high heels as much as possible. Walking down the garden path in 4in heels to hang up some washing was as far as I went most days. When I had to venture further, I put a longer skirt over my uniform one and some more sensible shoes. Jo called it ‘finding my limits’.

At the end of the first week, Jo said to me that she had managed to do two shifts with the bands chained together so she handed me the keys.

“So what’s next for me then?”

“What do you mean?”

“What is the next bit of bondage you want me to wear in public?”

I smiled at her as if to say, ‘I really do not know what you mean?’.

“I know you have something in mind so out with it while I am willing eh?”

I sighed.

“Very well.”

I went upstairs to retrieve the item. There was no rapid ascent or descent of the stairs any longer for both of us since we’d been wearing the bands so it took me several minutes before I returned to the sitting room where Jo was waiting for me.

Before I got the chance to show her she remarked.

“Exactly how much did you shorten that skirt by?”

I grinned back to her.

“Eight inches.”

She just shook her head in disbelief.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just possible that you have the legs to carry it off.”

I did a curtsey to her. I didn’t fall over this time despite the fact that I was wearing 5in lace up shoes.

“Thank you M’Lady.”

Jo saw the funny side and laughed.

“Here you are, I said presenting the item that I’d kept hidden in my apron pocket.

“What’s this?” she exclaimed.
Then she twigged.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

I took it from her and went into the kitchen whereupon I washed it and dried it before returning to Jo.

“Ok, open wide.”

She opened wide and I inserted a gag into her mouth. I was much like a gum protector as it fitted quite snugly over her teeth.

With it fitted to her top teeth, I gently closed her mouth so that her lips were closed.

“Well?”

She mumbled something back at me.

I took this as a compliment so I kissed her. She did respond and when I broke apart, she grinned back me.

I removed it from her mouth and asked.

“Well?”

“Strange, very strange but I’m not really gagged, am I?”

“no but it would make you think twice about speaking.”

“Yes it would do that.”

After a pause, she said,

“If I am going to do this then I want a proper one. This will do for now but my darling I am going to go along with your game then I’ll need one that properly stops me from speaking.”

“Jo?”

“I mean it. I sort of expected this so I was prepared for a proper gag not this. I can use the internet as well you know. You should learn to delete your browser history more often…”

Then she added,

“You are a getting a lot better at speaking yourself now so it will be fun to not be able to come to your rescue from time to time,” she said with a grin.

“In the meantime, I will wear this so that I get used to it.”

With that, she put it back in and refused to take it out until we went to bed.

Finding what Jo wanted was not going to be easy despite my efforts I came up a blank. My failure was tempered by the arrival of an email from Sussex.

“Hi there Daniella and Jo,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Unforeseen circumstances and all that jazz.

If you are still interested in a little break down here in darkest Sussex and have the weekend of the 20th/21st free, then I’d be most pleased to see both of you.

I’m in the arse end of nowhere place called Drungewick. I live in the Hall as opposed to the Manor just down the road. If you are free to come, I’ll meet you somewhere nearby because even with a SatNav, visitors often get lost.

By for now
Ann-Marie
“

I afforded myself a little smile. That weekend was just over a week after our trip to the clinic near Oxford. It might be the perfect chance for me to wear something a little revealing for the first time?

I put that out of my mind and concentrated on finding someone who’d make something for Jo.
Knowing her, she’d not accept anything half-baked or cobbled together. I had to find a proper solution but that may take some time.

Over dinner that night we talked about our days.

Jo sat back in her chair and sighed.

“That was a nice meal darling. Thank you.”

“We got an email from Ann-Marie today.”

“I wondered when we’d hear from her again. What has she got to say now?”

I looked at Jo. She looked exhausted.

“How about you go for a nice bath and relax?”

“No, I’m all right. Just a little tired. We are three short this week.”

“I understand. “

“So what did she say?”

“She has invited us down to somewhere in Sussex called Drungewick. God awful name but there you go eh?”

“When?”

“The weekend after you know what.

“I’m not sure if I can get the time off so soon after Oxford. The hotel is very busy with American tourists visiting Shakespeare’s home and going to the Theatre. We had a load in last night straight off the Queen Mary. They docked at Southampton in the morning, got straight on a coach and came to Stratford. Tomorrow they are off to Cambridge and then onto another ship to go up to Northern Norway from somewhere called Tilbury. Talk about a whistle stop tour. I couldn’t do that in a million years.”

I knew what she’d meant. It was funny that about five years ago, Jo had wanted me to do something similar but up the West Coast of the USA and Canada.

“Do they tip you?” I asked offhandedly.

“Like hell they do. Their tour reps tell them in no uncertain terms not to tip a penny here. All the more for them at the end of the trip I suppose.”

“Bummer. Back home you’d get lots of tips for the job that you do.”

“Yeah, and it sucks. At least my pay is not dependent upon tips. They think it is awful cute for a fellow American to be looking after their Hotel rooms. I don’t correct them. I’m sure that more than a few wouldn’t understand or might even get angry that I’ve deserted the homeland.”

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“How much money is in our bank account?”

“That’s not the point and you know it. For the first time in years, I am earing some money. It is not a lot that for sure but it makes me feel good. Didn’t you feel good once the company started to make money?”

“Ok, yes I did and it felt good,” I replied.

“What do I tell Ann-Marie then?” I said changing the subject a bit.

“How about we delay it for a couple of weeks? I think the rush will be over then. The Theatre is closed for a week as they are rehearsing for their next production. That means the ‘whistle-stop’ tourists who come for all things Shakespeare will go elsewhere.”

“I’ll ask her tomorrow.”

Jo wasn’t really listening. She was yawning her head off.

The following day, I composed and email to Ann-Marie.

“Dear Ann-Marie,
Thanks for the invitation. It looks like we won’t be able to make it for the 20th/21st. Jo can’t get the time off work two weekends in a row. We should be able to come down the weekend of the 3rd/4th. I hope that is ok with you.

Daniella
“

I didn’t send it right away. I wondered why she was inviting us to her place.

Then I gave myself a slap on the wrist. Why didn’t I at least do an elementary search on her before now? I am such an idiot.

It didn’t take me long to discover that Ann-Marie was to be blunt, ‘up stinky creek without a paddle’.

I smiled to myself as I remembered ‘stinky creek’ from my childhood. This was a creek where when it rained heavily, a sewage outfall pipe would chuck all sorts of gunk into the creek. Out little gang had a rope swing over the creek where we pretended to be flying through the jungle over croc infested waters in the Jungle of Africa. Then one day Billy Taylor fell into the creek. He became very ill and was never the same again mentally. My smile turned to a shudder. We were never allowed to play near the creek again.

I thought back to those halcyon days, those ‘lazy days of summer’ and what they’d say ‘if they could see me now’.

I shook myself back into the here and now and after capturing all the relevant information, I closed down my laptop and set about making dinner for Jo and myself.

After dinner, I showed Jo what I’d found.

“She needs some help that for sure,” commented Jo. Then she added,
“The question remains is what she wants from us and how much will she want to sting us for?”

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?” asked a slightly indignant Jo

“Turn over that last page and see what I’ve written down.”

Jo did just that and her indignation turned into laughter.
I had written, “not a bent penny.”

“You know me too well you know?”

“And that’s why I love you so much,” I replied and kissed her.

“Do I accept her invitation but for the weekend of the 3rd and 4th? I have the email all ready to go?”

Jo smiled at me as she took my hand and led me towards the stairs.
“As Napoleon is supposed to have said, ‘Not tonight Josephine’. It can wait but we have something else to do, tonight don’t we?”

I followed her upstairs remembering that we’d thrown a ‘double’ that morning. We were in line for a night of unfettered passion.

*

I sent the email off the following day and went shopping. Or well, I tried. I’d just parked my car in the supermarket car park when I realised that I was wearing one of my shortened uniforms. My thigh bands were totally exposed. I almost went and got out of the car but common sense prevailed and I went home and got changed.

The episode did bring home to me how much my life had changed in the past year or so. I was doing things now that were totally beyond even my wildest imagination even when we were travelling around Europe. Now I was about to get some breast implants. That brought a smile to my face all through my shopping trip even though it was half-term and the supermarket seemed to have been taken over by children running amok.

I did wonder more than once if I was truly transgendered or was I just doing this for Jo? Yes, it had started out as a bit of fun while I found something to do. But now I was about to take a step with permanent results. Once done, and like a tattoo it was done for the long term.

Jo and I went for a long walk on her next day off. We talked and talked about us and everything. We came back both certain that this was the right thing to do for both of us.

That night I relaxed in a bath and thought about how much our relationship had changed since we settled in England. We were doing things together that I’d never envisaged in my wildest dreams and as I thought about it, I knew that I was happier than I’d ever been in my whole life.

*
The day of our operations came around and we said goodbye to of our hidden secrets including Jo’s nipple shields. She was able to fondle them for the first time in a long time. She wasted no time in making them come very erect. I kissed them both. It was these that attracted me to her in the first place. Yes, I admit it, I was a sucker for breasts like many men but Jo was different. Hers weren’t huge but her nipples once erect could stay that way for hours and hours. However, it didn’t take me long to realise that there was a lot more to Jo than her nipples and we were married less than three months later.

We arrived at the clinic near Oxford ready for the day ahead. We were soon shown to separate rooms to get ready for our procedures. Jo was due into theatre first. The last thing I remembered was being told that she’d come through her operation without problems.

When I came around after the operation, I couldn’t see anything. This was as expected due to the bandages over my eyes. I felt my chest and underneath the dressings, there were two mounds that hadn’t been there before. I relaxed back into the bed and fell asleep again.

I woke up again god knows how much later to find someone stroking the back of my hand. From the touch, I knew that it was Jo.

“Hello lover,” I said in a croaky voice.

“Hello lover,” came her reply.

“Can I have some water?” I asked.

“Lover you really know how to say the kindest things,” replied Jo almost laughing.

A few seconds later a straw was pushed between my lips and I got something to drink.

“How are you feeling now?” I asked when I’d had enough to drink.

“Sore but happy. You?”

“Sore but happy. Can’t wait to get these things off of my eyes though.”

“Tomorrow darling. Then if all goes well, we can go home the day after.”

After two nights in the clinic, we emerged as a happy couple. I wore dark glasses and would have a lovely pair of black eyes for about a week but from what I saw when the surgeon removed the pads over my eyes, they were going to look great.

Jo went back to work the following day complaining that her bra was making her nipples stay erect all the time. If that was the only thing wrong, then it was a small price to pay. She also commented, ‘these things are huge’ as she looked down on them. We both had a good laugh at ourselves. We knew from before that not many couples can do that.

A week later, we got the all clear from the surgeon at the clinic once we’d had our stitches removed. He promised that the scarring would virtually disappear over time. Then I had for the first time the pleasure of wearing a bra because I needed to wear one. I knew that there would be times when I’d regret it but for the moment, I had a huge grin on my face as I tried on all my different bras and looked at the results in the mirror.

Life returned to something approaching normality. I say approaching normality because neither of us wanted be the first to start wearing our belts and other things again. Over dinner one night, I asked Jo,

“Have we done with bondage?”

“No!” came her firm reply.

“Why have neither of us put it back on then?”

Jo’s reply was simple and to the point.

“I was waiting for you to put mine on. That is your job.”

A ‘Doh’ moment if ever there was one.

That night, we put each other’s chastity belts and thigh bands on again. With their keys safely locked away, we gently fondled each other’s breasts in bed. We fell asleep holding our partner’s breasts.

The next morning, Jo came downstairs topless.

“It is no good darling; you are going to have to cover these up again?” she said pointing at her erect nipples.”

I had to agree with her on that.

“Do you want the shields or the locking bra?”

“Just the shields. With the extra size of these babies, my uniform may well be too tight to hide the chains of the bra.”

“As you wish M’Lady.”

Jo went off to work that morning a very happy person.

We’d received a reply from Ann-Marie confirming that we were expected on the weekend we’d suggested. She said that she’d meet us at a pub a few miles from her home on the Friday evening.

The trip left me with a bit of a problem. What could a girl wear for this?

Most of my clothes were really modified ‘maids’ uniforms. They were what I wore every day. I had a few other things but these were just really comfortable and practical. I broached the topic with Jo that night.

“What do I take to wear over the weekend? I really don’t have much besides my uniforms.”

“Well, go shopping or just wear them? I’m going to take a long dress and some heels, a couple of skirts and trousers and I’m done. I’m not going to make a huge effort without knowing what to expect. Ann-Marie has not exactly been forthcoming now has she?”

I could not argue with that.

“I’ll get a few simple things tomorrow. Can I borrow that silver halter neck dress of yours?”

Jo giggled.

“Want to show off your new assets then?”

“Why not. If the opportunity arises then I’d like to look nice.”

Jo reached over and held my hand.

“Lover, you can wear that dress. After all, you bought it for me, didn’t you?”

I laughed and said,
“And I never thought in a million years that I’d ever wear it when I bought it for you.”

We didn’t wash the dishes that night before we went to bed.

*
On the day before we were due to go down to Sussex, Jo did the early shift. By early, I mean the 06:00-14:00 shift. This allowed her to get home and for us to go shopping before the shops closed.

When she arrived home, she disappeared upstairs to get ready. I was ready and waiting for her.

Ten minutes later, she re-appeared wearing her cape and a long skirt. She offered her arms to me. I knew what she wanted and I wasn’t doing to displease her.

I quickly l locked the cuffs around her wrist and then locked them via a short chain to the ‘D’ rings on her belt.

“I’m ready now,” she proclaimed.

“I have one thing to do before we can go.”

I went into the dining room and retrieved a pink plastic ball. This was the sort of ones that you give to small children to play with. It wasn’t solid as it had lots of holes in it.

“Open wide,” I said as I returned.

“What?”

I showed her the ball. She knew what it was for.

She opened her mouth wide and I held her jaw open just a little bit as I put it in her mouth. Then she closed it.

The smile on her face said that she was happy. Quite how happy she’d been by the time we returned was another matter entirely.

Jo to her credit played her part in the trip very well. Through a series of facial expressions coupled with nods and grunts, we managed to buy the things I needed for the weekend but by the time we reached home, I could tell that she was in some discomfort.

As soon as we walked through the door, she started complaining. She had good reason to so I sat her down in the kitchen and removed the ball from her mouth.

“Don’t talk. Just exercise your jaw. I’ll get you some water to drink,” I said trying to comfort her.

A few minutes later she was able to talk.

“Two hours is my limit with that,” she said.

“No other complaints?”

“I’d need to drink something while wearing it. For some reason my mouth got very dry.”

“Ok for next time, I’ll take some water with us.”
Then I said after a pause,

“Other than that you were ok with it?”

“I think it was just a bit too big for me. I had difficulties keeping my mouth closed after a while.”

“I thought that might be the case. I did offer you are trip to the ladies so that I could remove it but you said no?”

“I did and ten minutes later I regretted it. We need a signal so that you know when I’m in distress.”

“Like a safe word?”

“Yes, but as I’m unable to speak then something else.”
We both laughed at the predicament.

I made us dinner and fed Jo. This was my payment for letting her go out cuffed and gagged. It was a small price to pay. Seeing her eyes light up in anticipation of being unable to speak for the trip was almost priceless. After all, how many couples spice up their shopping trips like we do eh?

*

Jo did the same early shift the next day which meant that we were able to get away from Stow before 3:30pm. As it was a Friday the traffic was already heavy so it was almost four hours later that we pulled up in front of the Pub where Ann-Marie was due to meet us.

Ann-Marie was sitting in the bar looking a bit anxious. She relaxed when she saw the two of us.

“I was starting to think that you weren’t coming?”

“Friday night traffic,” I said.

Ann-Marie nodded.

“Have we time for a drink?” asked Jo.

“I have dinner simmering in the oven at home,” replied Ann-Marie.

“Well let’s go then,” said Jo.

We followed Ann-Marie’s car down some very narrow lanes for several miles until she pulled into a gravel drive. This led to a Victorian Gothic style house. I couldn’t see the full size of it in the growing darkness but it seemed pretty large.

“Please bring your things in with you,” said Ann-Marie.

We followed her into the house. The Entrance hall was quite impressive. A huge chandelier dominated the room.

“Your room is up the stairs and second on the left. I’ll go and check on Dinner. The kitchen is through that door over there. Why don’t you go and get settled in? When you are ready come on down and we can eat,” suggested Ann-Marie.

Our room was equally impressive. A huge four-poster bed complete with canopies and the works was the centre piece of the room. We had our own bathroom that had been recently fitted. This again confirmed what we’d learned from the internet.

Ten minutes later, we arrived in the kitchen.

Ann-Marie was waiting for us holding two glasses of red wine.

“Here you are. Not a bad claret really for its age,” she said offering the glasses to us.

We soon sat down to a delicious beef casserole. Perfect for hungry travellers.

“What do you think of the old place so far?” asked Ann-Marie.

“Very grand and someone has obviously spent a lot of money recently on it.”

Ann-Marie sighed.

“That’s my problem. Far too much money. My rat of a husband spent just about everything on this place. To say that it is a folly of the grandest scale would be an underestimate. When he upped, and ran out on me, I literally had to sell everything just to keep a roof over my head. All his other properties are gone like all the money that he splashed here.”

“From my guess I think he wanted to turn this place into a Hotel?” asked Jo.

“Nearly. He thought that this place could rival a place such as Champneys as a health spa. The problem is as was demonstrated earlier that we are up the arse end of nowhere yet we are less than 40 miles from Central London. Even the local taxi company don’t like coming here. You could try ten, or even twenty cabs at Guildford Station or worse, Gatwick Airport and none would know where we are. The house is not on Satnavs’ and the postcode takes you to a place on the other side of the canal.”

“I think we see your problem. So, what do you want from us?”

“That’s what I like about you Yanks. Straight talking and no beating about the bush eh?”

Jo and I smiled back at her.

“From your CV, I see that you ran your own business before it was sold out from under you. Am I correct?”

“You have done your research very well but as you can see, I’m not Daniel any longer.”

“No, you aren’t and my guess is that your days of running a business are behind you. That was evident from our previous meeting.”

Ann-Marie emptied her glass of wine. As she poured herself another one, she said,

“I need your expertise. Pure and simple. I know sod all about running a business. God knows my last two ended in total failures. I’d like you to give some advice and help allowing me and the girls to start-up and run a business.”

“Ann-Marie, I know as you put it, ‘sod all’ about running a place like this? A health spa is a very different kettle of fish to a manufacturing business.”

Then Jo said,
“Girls?”

“Ah yes. Four other girls, sorry women who have suffered at the hands of men in recent times will be coming down tomorrow. We all decided that we wanted to do something on our own to prove to ourselves that we did not need to depend on men to be a success.”

She smiled back at both of us.

“Here’s the business plan. It is based on an idea that we tossed around amongst ourselves,” she said as she handed us a loose-leaf folder.

I opened it and burst out laughing. Jo was doing the same.

When I’d recovered enough composure to speak, I said,

“You have gotta be kidding me…”

[Continued in part 6]