She spent that forty-five minutes preparing herself for her lover.

He had had his fun. He had played with her body and her mind. He had even secreted a copy of their pig into her bedroom.

Tonight, she was going to do what Sin and Dex did to that Japanese banker, as a way of both a reward and a punishment. She mused, as to how little was the difference between pain and pleasure, male and female, black and white, rich and poor. Yes, tonight, he would pay for the pain, torture and modification of her body, with all the pleasure in his.

She dressed to kill all in black.

She laced herself into the black corset and attached the suspenders to the thinnest and sheerest of black silk stockings. She had already padlocked her rings together and now she covered them with Clyde's silver chain-mail G-string. To complete the effect for and tease of her lover, she locked the tiny thong with three tiny padlocks.

She took a new black skirt from the wardrobe, slid it over her head and fastened it to her waist. It was almost the shortest she had, coming to about halfway down her thighs and barely covering the tops of the stockings. Finally, she placed her feet into black patent shoes, with heels as high as she dare and her hands into a pair of tight black leather gloves.

To complete the effect, she placed a black velvet choker with a brooch that had been her lover's present around her neck.

***

'Do we line up inside or outside?'

'Outside, madam!' Melanie had taken charge. All of the four girls were very smart in their identical blue suits. 'We'll stand in a line, and as he arrives, Suzanne will open the door for him. After he's got out, she'll park the car at the side. You just stand behind us!'

They did not have long to wait, as within perhaps five minutes, a red Porsche slowed, stopped and waited for the iron gates to open. The car and its single occupant passed through and the gates clunked firmly behind. Seconds later it had stopped outside the house, Suzanne had walked round to the other side and was standing with the door held wide.

She knew that the tallish, gaunt, ugly man, who emerged was not and never would be her lover.

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins