Dark Romance (sispuppet & LaBellaMia)

“Good evening Mr. Yamada, I hope you your trip was well.” Alex returns the greeting, shaking the man’s hand. “This is Anna, a lady friend of mine.” He introduces Caitlin under a different name simply for safety. He didn’t need curious people digging around and finding too much out after all. The older man walks inside and gets himself a drink. “He heads up a large electronics division in Japan.” Alex whispers to Caitlin once Mr. Yamada is out of earshot. “He’s nice enough, but has an odd sense of humor. Try not to take anything he might say too seriously.”

Other guests begin arriving, and Alex introduces them to “Anna”. Most are older gentlemen, though there are a few in their thirties as well. Plenty of them brought their own dates, and there are even a couple of businesswomen who arrive on their own. There’s no one else who’s Caitlin’s age, though that’s to be expected. Everyone starts to mingle as the drinks and food are passed around. Champagne, red wine, and sake are all offered alongside sushi, seared fish, quiche, and other assorted finger foods. Soon enough, Caitlin proves to be a popular sight with some of the guests, much to the annoyance of a number of the women present. When they start to ask questions about her, Alex deflects them while looking to change the subject. “She’s currently working on setting up some volunteer efforts for education.” He explains before asking Mr. Yamada about his own charities.

Caitlin enjoyed the music, remaining mostly quiet and observant. She'd held the same glass of Merlot the entire time and had only sipped at it. Wine wasn't really her thing but she had to appear older than herself. She could see the jealous looks of the women who's men were oggling her but kept herself from saying much. She ate the sushi and answered only if spoken to.

"Well your Anna certainly has half the room intrigued. How did you manage to find such a pretty creature?" one of the guests was saying, enjoying his sake. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties and was a handsome enough man Caitlin supposed but she found that Mr. Jacobs was the best looking out of all of them. He was a handsome man, despite being more than twice her age and she felt protected by him. A lot of these people seemed stuck up and more concerned with oggling her then actually getting to know her. Which was fine. She couldn't think of a proper answer for most of the personal questions put to her. She took another sip of wine and then glanced at Alex before looking to the man asking the questions and then down again.

“At a restaurant, as luck would have it. It was a complete chance meeting.” Alex tells them. He found it was always best to go with a bit of truth when telling a story. He weaves a short tale about how they had met at the bar when he saw her reading some Dickens. He joined her for a drink and they ended up chatting for a while, and even getting dinner together. The story was short, sweet, and easy enough to remember. “It’s funny how well these things work out sometimes. You go in for a quick drink to pass the time, and you meet someone who changes your life.”

“Haha, changes your life? Now just how did she go about doing that?” Mr. Yamada asks, winking at the man and slapping his arm. Alex bites his tongue, but ends up pulling Caitlin a bit closer to him. He would manage to keep himself civil. The joke was fairly innocent all things considered, and besides, the man wasn’t far off the mark with the insinuation. It was the sexual relief that she provided that was giving him this new lease on life. Getting angry at the man for joking about her while she’s walking around filled with your cum is kind of hypocritical. The thought makes Alex chuckle in time with everybody else. They had Yamada’s joke, but he had his own inside one. The Asian man wasn’t finished though. “Maybe I should go out with you one day Ms. Anna. See if you change my life as well.” He says jokingly.

Anna looked at him and gave a smile. "As kind as the offer is Mr. Yamada, I do believe I'll pass," she said, glancing at Alex and giving a little smile. The joke had gone right over her head, a proof to her innocence. "Alex and I are quite happy and I don't see us ending for quite a while," she said, biting her bottom lip and flushing before taking another sip of her wine, looking at the other guests before taking a small quiche and eating it. It tasted delicious and it was a great pairing with the merlot. Of course, wine and cheese always went well together.

She glanced at her lover once more before looking down, listening to the business talk and then hearing an announcement that the courses were ready to be served in the dining room. "Where am I sitting?" she asked softly as everyone started to file into the dining room, not sure where her place card would be. If there even was one.

Alex forces a smile and holds back his words. She was too forward in how she rejected the man. Everyone is too polite to comment on it of course, but he would need to talk to her about that later. The announcement of dinner saves them from further embarrassment fortunately. As they all walk to the dining hall, he holds her back. “We sit last.” He tells her. “It’s the polite thing to do.” Alex sits in the chair closest to the kitchen and points subtly to Caitlin’s seat next to him. Mr. Yamada sits on his other side. The first course, tomato bisque, is brought out for them to enjoy.

Caitlin drinks it slowly in a reserved manner. The older men are less neat, and there are loud sounds of slurping soon filling the room. Their drinks are refilled and conversation remains light as they talk. “Well, the upgrade to the operating systems hit a speed bump, but we just said it was a hardware issue.” Alex finishes off as the main course is brought out. There’s a round of laughter, the loudest coming from Mr. Yamada himself.

“Fair enough, we blame everything on being made in America anyways.” He shoots back at Alex. Soon enough it’s a round of light hearted insults back and forth. They keep it civil, never attacking the other directly, and everyone has a good time throughout it. “Fine then, you keep your big trucks and buildings. We’ll keep the good food and the beautiful women.” He says at one point. “Of course that means this one will have to go back with me.” He adds, pointing his glass at Caitlin.

“Oh sorry, you get the brunettes. I called the redheads, and blondes.” Alex hastily adds before taking a large gulp from his drink. He cuts into blackened salmon. “Besides, we both know the cars are from Italy and Germany.” He points out. Yamada laughs as he accepts that answer.

Caitlin just kept her head down. The food was delicious. She had never had anything like it and as she tried the salmon, she had to keep from moaning outloud at how good it was. At Yamada's comments, she flushed but more from embarrassment than anything at how he was talking about her. She wasn't an object. True, she had pretty much sold her body to Alex but her motives for doing so didn't involve anything ulterior. He was helping her and she was easing his sexual needs. What they did in private was far different from in public and she didn't like being compared to a car. Saying nothing, she ate her fish and the fresh herb salad served beside it, not saying anything and just doing as he had said, keeping her head down, pretending to not exist unless she was directly spoken to. As course after course was served, she listened, and remained otherwise quiet until she was hit with the need to go use the restroom.

She had only had one glass of wine but she had to go. Looking at Alex, she leaned toward him and whispered. "I have to excuse myself for a moment. I'll be right back," she said then kissed his cheek before excusing herself publicly, moving toward the downstairs bathroom. Once she was alone, she took a deep breath, seeing to her business and watching her hands before catching sight of herself in the mirror, feeling like she wasn't herself. WHich she wasn't. She was just playing a part.

Fixing her appearance, Caitlin stepped out of the bathroom, gasping when she collided with the Mr. Yamada. She could hear the sounds of the dinner being put up and everyone going back to walking around but they were a little more wined up and she could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. "Oh...excuse me Mr. Yamada," she said then lowered her head, smoothing her dress out as she moved toward the foyer where the music was going a little louder and there was an elevated amount of laughter and frivolity now that everyone was liquored up.

The dinner seems to go well for the most part. Everyone is enjoying themselves and Alex appreciates Caitlin’s silence. He didn’t mind her speaking normally, but it was for the best that she kept quiet around these people. Everything was going well until she excused herself. The kiss on the cheek was wholly unnecessary. He would need to talk to her about when public displays of affection were appropriate and when they weren’t. A darker part of him was angry for a different reason. Kisses weren’t hers to give. They were his to take. Just like the rest of her. He clutches his fork a little tighter and just nods at her. It would be easy enough to deal with that later.

The party soon moves back to the larger room as dessert, coffee, tea, and more alcohol is passed around. Alex looks around and sees that now Mr. Yamada is gone too. He quickly excuses himself to search for Caitlin and finds her exiting the bathroom as the Asian man is walking towards it. He catches up to her as she’s walking past the man. “I have to keep an eye on her, would be a shame to lose something so beautiful.” He tells the man who laughs as he walks into the restroom. Alex takes Caitlin’s wrist and pulls her along. His face turns stern, but he doesn’t explain what’s bothering him.

By the time they return to the other guests, he has a smile on his face again. He joins them in jokes, talks more business, and even makes a few toasts. For the rest of the evening, Caitlin is glued to his side, her hand around her arm. Alex takes any questions directed at her before she can answer. Soon enough the guests begin to leave. Alex walks them to the door. They all of course have drivers, so things are fortunately safe. The last person out is Mr. Yamada who gives both Alex and Caitlin a large handshake as he says that he hopes to see more of her. Alex waves him goodbye as his car drives away.

Caitlin could see that she was in trouble the moment he caught her walking past Yamada. Not that she had done anything wrong but her instincts told her he thought she had. She joined him once more, putting on a smile when everyone laughs and pretending that she isn't bothered by the look that Alex had given her. As they see the rest of the guests off, she finds herself exhausted, in definite need of washing her hair and also nervous about what her lover was upset about.

As Yamada disappeared, she made her way upstairs, feeling like she was headed toward her death before moving to the bathroom. She quickly washed her hair free of the dye, towel drying her hair before coming back into the bedroom, finding him looking cross and she sighed. "What did I do wrong? I...I kept to myself. I didn't really speak unless spoken to...but you looked angry when I was coming from the bathroom....I didn't mean to offend you or do something wrong..." She took off the cameo choker and then stepped out of her heels, glad to be out of those damn things. Her feet were aching and her body was aching too. She wanted a nice long hot bath and she imagined she might get in trouble for washing her hair but she didn't like the idea of hair dye getting everywhere.

Alex slowly follows Caitlin up the stairs. “We won’t be needing anything else tonight.” He instructs one of the staff before going to the room and closing the door. He hears the water running and works his way out of his shirt and jacket while waiting for Caitlin to finish. He kicks off his shoes, but the pants stay on for now. Soon the girl walks out, drying off her hair, the dye completely washed out of it. His eyes narrow when she asks what she did, but he doesn’t answer right away. He walks towards her and places a hand on the choker she’s taking off. “Keep it on.” He tells her in a cold tone. She does as he says, redoing the necklace before moving her hands down.

Alex pushes her, just like he did the night before. “Turn around.” He commands her. The girl seems to hesitate for a second before turning and getting on all fours. He climbs onto the bed, pressing himself against the teenager as he reaches over and takes her arms. Once again her wrists are strapped to his bed posts tightly. “What you did wrong? You really don’t know?” He asks as he checks to make sure they’re secure. “Twice you embarrassed me. First by shooting down the other man so bluntly, then again by acting like I’m some high school sweetheart you’re giving a kiss to before class. Then you sneak away to talk to another man. Well, if you aren’t going to act like a proper lady, then I know just how to treat you.”

He grabs the back of her dress with both hands and pulls hard. There’s a loud sound of ripping fabric as the dress is pulled off. The seamstress would be angry at him if she saw this, being so protective of her clothes. He throws the now torn apart dress on the floor before grabbing the panties and sliding them down to expose her. Alex stands back up and begins to unbuckle his belt, pulling it slowly out of the loops. He undoes the button of his pants and lets them fall. Alex’s hand rubs along Caitlin’s ass cheek, softly massaging it for a few seconds. Then there’s the sound of something cutting through the air before hitting the cheek harder than his hand ever did. There’s a sound of something leather connecting with her flesh, and a tiny clink of a metal buckle jingling.

Caitlin squealed as he slammed whatever it was down onto her ass and shut her eyes tightly. "I didn't....I was polite with him and I didn't realize...k-kissing your cheek was embarrassing. You didn't tell me," she said, wishing she could see him so she could brace herself better for what she knew would be another hit. "As to sneak away to talk to another man, it's bullshit if you will pardon my French. I had to use the bathroom and he was outside the bathroom when I finished. I excused myself because I nearly bumped into him and then you appeared. I don't know how I didn't behave properly. Your associates were saying vulgar jokes and those women were calling me everything under the sun under there breaths, thinking I couldn't hear them. If what those women are are ladies then your right,I'm not proper at all and I don't aspire to be. You want to punish me when I didn't so anything wrong," she said through clenched teeth.

The one hit of the belt had Cait's ass screaming with pain and she knows he isn't done. He has gone back to the beast. The Mr. Hyde part of his personality was rearing its ugly head and she could feel the fear coarse through her but she was angry too. "Don't try to make excuses for this sir. You just want to punish me to punish me. At least be honest with yourself about it before you start hitting me with that damn belt," she snapped. Caitlin gripped the bed sheets, tensed and trying to ready herself for the next blow.

“Only speak when spoken to.” He reminds her, delivering another hard smack from his belt to her other ass cheek. He then starts to lecture her with each point punctuated by yet another hit from the leather belt. “There is to be no cursing from you.” SMACK! “I shouldn’t have to tell you every little instruction.” SMACK! “Don’t make excuses or blame the other guests. Just what were they calling you, a whore?” He leans in before delivering the next hit, pulling her hair back hard so he can whisper in her ear. “Just what do you think you are?” He asks before bringing the belt down hard against both cheeks. He lets her go so that she falls forward as he steps off the bed. Alex’s underwear is taken off quickly, his erect cock standing at attention.

Climbing back on the bed, Alex starts to press the head of his penis against the girl’s slit. “I should just put a child in you so that you could finally be put to good use.” He mutters as he begins to rub it up and down her slick lips. In a big handful, Alex grabs a large amount of Caitlin’s hair along with the back of the choker she’s still wearing. He pulls hard, forcing her upper body back while he thrusts forward himself. His cock pushes through her curtains, deep inside the girl’s cunt and filling her completely. “This is what you’re for.” He reminds the girl as he fucks her hard, never letting go of her hair or the necklace. “You’re to be seen and used, not heard. My pretty little doll.” To drive the point home, he slams into her, his free hand smacking against her cheek. He grabs the flesh hard, digging his nails into the pale skin.

She whimpered as he landed the blows on her flesh. With the blows came a stab of heat in her belly and she felt tears fill her eyes. She fell forward, burying her face in the sheets, crying softly but not making a sound, wincing when he started to rub against her. She could feel her wetness and didn't understand why she could be readying herself for him when she was so angry and her entire backside stinging from the belt's lashes. She whimpered as he slammed into her and then closed her eyes tightly, grunting with each inward thrust.

Tears fall freely down her cheek but with the tears and humiliation, she could feel her body reacting in pleasure. Her sex was slick and she could feel that moisture running down her thighs. Remaints of the seed he had spent in her early and her own juices had her wet and ready for him and she winced, giving a single choked sob mixed with a moan. She grit her teeth, closing her eyes shut, determined to not give him any sort of satisfaction of making noise and inwardly cursing him for all he was worth.

Between the crying and the whimpering, Alex hears the small moan escape the girl’s mouth. He stops when he’s buried inside her and lets out a cruel laugh “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He asks her. Giving her ass a hard scratch, he picks the belt up again and begins to rub it against where the marks from his fingers are. “You’re just a slut for punishment.” He says in a harsh tone as he brings the belt down hard on the broken skin. Her white flesh turns red, and the lines even redder as small, thin streaks of blood appear on her skin.

Alex presses his thumb to one of the lined of blood, rubbing it along the finger before bringing it up to his eyes. The sight of the glorious red liquid on his lover’s pale body sends Alex over the edge. He lets go of her hair so he can grab Caitlin’s waist with both hands. He tightens his grip until he’s driving his nails into her as his fucking becomes more animalistic. He grunts with each thrust, burying himself deep inside her before pulling back out half way. He cums hard, emptying the contents of his testes inside her once again. Alex collapses, most of his weight staying on Caitlin as he recovers from the orgasm.

Caitlin fell to the bed with him and closed her eyes, knowing she had orgasmed even if she hadn't wanted to. She tried to stifle her soft gasps as she tries to drag in breath, feeling degraded. The urge to run was so strong she had to tamper it down. It hadn't been rape. She'd liked it. Liked the pain and that scared the hell out of her. She said nothing, just laid there, nearly crushed by his weight but not moving. She closed her eyes, covered in sweat and in so much pain. The anger she felt had left her, leaving her feeling wounded, sore and in desperate want of being alone.

Opening her eyes after several moments, Cait could see his hand close to her face, and gazed at it through her hair, seeing the streaks of her blood on his flesh and could only imagine what her ass might look like. She swallowed and then closed her eyes again, relaxing into the bed if only to be able to keep breathing.

It’s a few minutes later that Alex gets up. He sits up on the bed and examines the damage, grimacing. An apology would just sound hollow right now. Besides, she didn’t stop it. This was all within the contract. Still, he runs his hand along her ass to examine the mark. Even now, he had an idea for something that would be a little more permanent. “Are you okay?” He asks as he reaches up to undo her straps. The girl’s hands come down, but the wrists show obvious marks from being tightened and pulled. He runs a hand over it to see if she’s okay before standing up and going to the bathroom.

Alex washes his face off, burying his head under the sink until he has to come up for air. He knew he would be possessive, but even seeing Caitlin near another man seems to be setting him off. How much worse would it get? Would he even let her leave the house? Playing in the bedroom was one thing, but she was still a free woman allowed to do what she wanted. Making her aware of her options wasn’t enough if she never actually felt like she had a choice.

"I'm fine," she whispered softly and then felt him undo the straps. She let them fall limply to the bed and then felt him run his hands over the wrists before leaving her laying there. Hearing water run, Caitlin sat up and then winced, sitting up and moving off the bed. She was hurting a lot but she wouldn't dare let him know how much. Entering the bathroom with a robe wrapped around her, she turned the water on in the shower and then glanced at him before her shoulders slumped. She took off the robe and got into the shower, not saying anything as she took a shower and scrubbed herself clean and then climbing out once she was done.

Moving to the sink to brush her teeth, she then looked at him when she was finished. Caitlin brushed her hair back from her face and braided it so it would dry neatly before lowering her gaze, not sure if he was still in Sadistic Master mode or doting benefactor. Entering the bedroom once more, she put on a bra and panties then crawled into the bed with only the lingerie on and shut off her light to go to sleep. Tomorrow was another day and she hoped to visit her mother tomorrow and check on her progress.

Alex is silent the whole time Caitlin is in the bathroom. He lets her shower, brush her teeth, dry her hair, all in peace. Once she leaves, he takes a quick shower himself before drying off and putting on a pair of sweat pants. He makes his way into the pitch black room, finding the bed in the darkness with practiced ease. Slipping under the covers, he reaches reluctantly before resting a hand on her shoulder. “Caitlin?” He asks when she responds, he hesitates again as he thinks about what to say. Everything seems so insignificant though. He wants her to know that he cares about her, but how can he?

Cursing under his breath, he gives up on talking and pulls Caitlin to him in a tight hug instead. “I… appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Please know… Please remember that.” He tells her in a quiet whisper as he keeps holding her close. Alex gives her a cautious kiss on the lips before lying back on the bed and taking her with him. His hand brushes through her hair as he starts to feel his eye lids getting heavier. A yawn escapes his lips as the events of the day finally catch up to the man. Tomorrow is a fresh start. He reminds himself as he drifts off to sleep with the girl in his arms.

Caitlin turned toward him, looking at him in the darkness and then she took his hand, not saying anything further as she grips his fingers as a sign of making peace between them. And then she fell asleep, wrapped in his arms.

Peaking her eyes open the next morning, it was early yet, barely six thirty. She yawned and tried to move but her body was aching from last night and she was a bit stiff. Sitting up slowly, Caitlin looked at the man beside her, sleeping so peacefully, looking younger, not so worried or stern. With a gentle hand, she stroked his hair from his forehead and then sighed. "What are we going to do about you Mr. Jacobs," she whispered then leaned down, kissing his forehead, wanting to understand him. There had to be a source for the way he liked sex. Perhaps it was a childhood upbringing. He hadn't mentioned that. What she knew of him were the few women he'd had in his life and how they had always walked out on him. Oh she'd seriously considered it last night, especially after how far he had taken it but looking at him now, knowing that he was a good man outside of the sex, she just couldn't bring herself to leave.

Slipping from the bed, she realized it was Saturday and wondered if he would be going into the office for the day. Did billionaires go into the office on a weekend? She noted a few boxes sitting by the door to the bedroom and walked toward them, opening them up to reveal new clothes. Her eyes widened and she found designer jeans, shirts, dresses, skirts, all of which were day wear with flats and sandals to match each of the outfits. She smiled at them and then put on some jeans and a pretty pink and white blouse before unbraiding her hair and combing her fingers through it, the effect creating soft waves around her face. With sandals on her feet, she entered the bathroom and then put make up on any visible bruises before moving back into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed after grabbing her book, letting him sleep in peace.

Alex wakes up later than usual. He usually hated sleeping in, but this morning he stayed lying in bed even after his eyes opened. It’s only when he hears the sound of a page turning does he realize his bedmate is missing. Sitting up, Alex watches Caitlin. Her face is buried in the book, and sunlight reflects off her hair. He opens his mouth, wanting to tell her how beautiful she looks, but the words don’t come out. “Good morning.” He says instead as he sits up. Thinking over his schedule, there isn’t much planned for today. The medicine. He reminds himself. Reaching for his phone, Alex flips through his contacts until he finds the pharmacist.

His finger hovers over the call button, but he hesitates. What’s the rush? He asks himself, despite knowing the obvious answer. A pregnancy would be a terrible idea. Would it though? She wants it, doesn’t she? She said so herself? He tries to shake away the thought. This wasn’t the lifestyle for a child. Why? It would be behind closed doors. She had a future that she wanted. Going to college, and going into education, that was her plan. Like I don’t have the resources to give her that anyways? Alex closes his eyes in annoyance, but puts the phone away in the end.

Getting up, he goes to the dresser and gets changed. Not needing to meet anyone today, he grabs a pair of boxers to put on with black sweatpants and a dark blue t-shirt. There’s a knock at the door to announce that breakfast is ready. “Shall we go?” He holds the door open for Caitlin. Downstairs they sit at the table and dig in to some scrambled eggs and sausage. He notices a weird look from Caitlin and it takes him a second to realize what it’s about before he starts to laugh.

“I can’t always wear business suits you know. It’s hard to get a decent workout in them.” He explains to her between bites. “I’ll probably be going for a jog today. I try to keep a good routine. I even have a personal trainer come by once a week to make sure I’m keeping up with my regimen. I could get you one if you’re interested in it.” He offers her. “So do you have any plans for today?” He asks before taking a sip from his coffee.

Caitlin glanced at him when he woke and gave a gentle smile. "Good morning," she said then went back to reading. Her eyes watch him as he changes into the most casual clothing she had ever seen him in and then closed her book and walked downstairs with him. Her plate is piled high with eggs, linked sausage and toast with a butter dish and home are jelly to the side. Complete with OJ it looked delicious. At his question, she looked up from her plate then bit her bottom lip. "I was hoping I could be taken to visit my mom today. Just for a little while...they don't allow visits on Sundays. I just want to check on her, see her..." She looked down and took a bite of her breakfast and then buttered a piece of toast, nibbling on it before looking at him. "After that, I don't have any plans..." She admitted. "Do you plan on going into the office today or taking the day off?" She asked, enjoying her breakfast, thanking the woman who came and refilled her glass of orange juice.

"I mean aside from your jog...if you aren't going to work perhaps you could take me?" She asked. "It will feel weird rolling up at a treatment center in a limo with a formal driver. Besides, I think it would be good if you met her. I....she won't recognize you or anything like that, her short term memory lasts about ten minutes. And her long term memory is not what it used to be. He can't really talk and her motor movements are pretty minimal....I just really want to see her, talk with the doctors..."

Alex nods in understanding. Of course she would want to check up on her mother. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I can have a driver able to drop you off after breakfast if you’d like.” Caitlin’s suggestion of him accompanying her to the home gives him pause. He’s surprised she would want him there at all. “I… I don’t think that would be a good idea Caitlin.” He tells her. “Someone might recognize me.” That part is true, and it would be a hassle if he was pictured going there, but there’s another reason he didn’t want to go. The idea of meeting her mother made him uncomfortable. They would be around the same age, but he was using her daughter for… Alex shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry. I can just have someone drop you off, or if you have a license then you can take one of my cars.”

The discussion ends at that. He won’t give her room to argue against his decision. Alex finishes the rest of his breakfast quickly before standing up. He walks around the table to where Caitlin is sitting and leans down to give her a kiss on the head. “I’m heading out now. I have my cell on me at all times, so don’t hesitate to call if something comes up.” He tells her before leaving out the front. Once outside Alex stops and takes a deep breath of fresh air. He feels a strong need to just get away and clear his head. He starts his run down the road, planning to go to the lake trail. All the events race through his mind as he jogs. He wonders again if it’s too much. Would he be able to stop? No, he already knows he wouldn’t. He still has the gift planned, and already he can feel a part of thinking up new punishments. He starts to jog faster, as though trying to outrun his own thoughts.

She nodded as he left and then sighed. She had a driver's license but wasn't sure about driving one of his vehicles. Even so, she finished her breakfast and then walked down to the garage and then looked at the cars he had. She realized there was a credit card in her purse that wasn't there before. One of the benefits of being a mistress. She chose the least expensive looking one of the bunch , a 2013 Mercedes-Benz and then closed her eyes. At least she had tried with him.

The drive to the treatment center took a little longer than before thanks to living just outside the city limits and when she arrived, she made sure that the car was properly secured before making her way up to floor where her mother was. Entering her room, she saw her mother sitting and looking out the window. Caitlin slowly approached her and then kneeled down beside her. Her mother was a beautiful woman, even with her red hair shaven and cut from the surgery to her brain, scars from her car accident were visible but she still looked lovely to Caitlin. As her mother turned and smiled, Cait smiled back. "Hey momma," she whispered then kissed her cheeks, just wrapping her in a hug.

After spending an hour with her mother, most of it in silence or repeating greetings, she left and spoke with the doctors. It would be a long process for sure but the doctors were working to getting her motor skills right. Of course, her brain wouldn't ever really recover and she would always need a long term care center to look after her. It was hard news to take but it made her determination to stick it out with Alex even more prominent. She returned to the house after putting gas into the car and made sure to hang the key up with the others and then made her way into the house.

Walking upstairs, she collapsed onto the couch in the entertainment room, turning on the television and just laid there, trying to keep her thoughts distracted from all the inner turmoil she felt.

By the time Alex gets back from his jog, his shirt is covered in sweat and sticking tightly to his body. Caitlin is gone, as he expected she would be. He stops inside and takes a moment to catch his breath. A staff member brings him a bottle of water to help cool down. Alex goes back upstairs and takes a shower. He changes into some business appropriate attire before heading back down, tablet in hand. He checks through his emails and messages, but it looks like everything is in order for the day. Not having any scheduled meetings, or appointments, he decides to go do some shopping.

Alex tells his driver that he won’t be needed for now, wanting to go by himself. Of course, he doesn’t explain the reason, but it’s not that out of the ordinary since he tended to like driving by himself when he had nowhere to go. His first stop for the day is the jeweler. Alex holds up the item to examine it. The man did excellent work in such a short amount of time. Alex tips him a little extra before being on his way. The next location had him nervous. He’d only been to the place once before, but he still knew exactly how to get there. He parks in the back lot, well out of the way. The store was stand alone, and on a secondary road that not many people came down, affording patrons the privacy they would want. Taking a nervous breath once inside, Alex starts to look around for the items he wants.

When he pulls back into the garage, Alex is surprised to find the Mercedes back already. He had assumed Caitlin would be spending more time out of the house. He collects his bags and goes inside, announcing his arrival. He can smell dinner cooking in the kitchen, but the house is mostly quiet. Alex walks around for a bit until he hears the noise of the TV. Stepping inside, he knocks on the doorway. “Good afternoon.” He says as he walks over to the couch. Caitlin immediately sits up to make room for him, but he waves her back. “Relax, I’m not about to punish you for stretching out on the couch.” He regrets the words as soon as they come out. How would she know that for sure? He quickly changes the subject. “How was your day? Did you see your mother?”

"I saw her...she looked as fine as ever...she even talked to me...but she thought it was Christmas and that I was twelve years old. And then when her short term memory relapsed, she was talking like the day before her accident. Brain injuries are tricky. The doctors said that she might always have to live in the center. She is so disabled that her ability to live outside that facility is pretty much nonexistent..." She sighed. "It's a hard pill to swallow, knowing all the things she will never be able to do. See me get married, if I ever have kids she won't remember them. She barely remembers me...I wouldn't have to visit her again and she wouldn't even miss me..." Her breath hitched and she looked down, brushing her hair back from her face, clearing her throat.

"I didn't feel like doing much else. I did put the gas back in your car. Though it's your money n the end.." She let the whole day roll off her shoulders and put on a smile. "So what did you do with your day off?" She asked curiously, brushing her hair back once more and then getting up, tying her hair in a ponytail before crossing her arms over her chest.

Alex wants to apologize for bringing up her mother. It was a difficult subject for her, and reminding her about the situation probably wasn’t helping. It’s the whole reason she’s doing this. If it wasn’t because of her mother, she wouldn’t even be here right now. Caitlin asks him how he spent his day, but he brushes off the reply. “I was just out and about, nothing too special.” He tells her even as he pushes the bags out of the way. It wasn’t the time for those things right now. He pulls her over to him in a tight hug from behind as he lies back on the couch with her in his arms.

He feels her stiffen for a second when he pulls her in, but he can’t be too surprised by that. No, he wasn’t quite in the mood right now though. “It’s okay.” He whispers before giving her a kiss on the neck. They watch TV in silence for a few minutes while Alex plays with her hair, twirling it in small loops before letting it go. He starts thinking about something that might be fun for them to do when he gets an idea. He sits up, getting Caitlin’s attention. “What do you say we go out for dinner?” He asks, with a soft smile on his face.