Catturata
by Annabelle
part 1

Hi everyone. I was really happy to find out how much a lot of you liked my last story about Jason and Annabelle...so, given a lot of urging, I am writing another one. And of course, it wouldn't have happened at all without the help of Zack and Graham! I can't say how much I appreciate the help they have given me! Hope you like this one too! :) For background, read Graham's Settlement stories.

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I suppose, maybe, I shouldn't have screamed...

* * *

I don't know why we had a blanket. It may have been late November, but this was November in southern Arizona, not my home state of Kansas, and even now blankets weren't really needed unless you were out in the desert some place at night. But we weren't outside, we were snuggled together on the couch in Jason's house, watching an old war movie on a pretty huge flat screen TV.

Come to think of it, that was a pretty good excuse for the blanket, especially since I was nude.

Yes, nude, naked, unclothed... a state I was a lot more often in, than not, since coming to live with Jason a few months earlier. At the Sandhills Spree over July 4th, I had agreed to move to Scottsdale to be with Jason Laird, and to my amusement and delight, living with him included a few rules.

Now, we didn't have what you would call a Master/slave arrangement, although more out of respect for Jason than any other reason it was certainly Dom/sub. But only to a point. I never had to call him "Master" or bow down when he came in the room or other silly things like that. And neither had I pledged my body and soul to him, nor promised strict obedience. What we had was a lot more practical and livable and... fun!

He set out some rules and guidelines which I attempted to follow as best I could, and when he wanted something I did my best to comply or spoke up when I couldn't. A lot to the time, when trying something new, it became a more mutual discussion, and I was surprised at times how often it was me taking the lead, even though i was supposed to be the submissive!

And then there were many days when one or the other of us would just have to say no... which was cool, because both of us knew how busy each other was with their work. Yes, I know, Jason was supposed to be semi-retired, but it seemed that the 'semi' part came and went with the wind. Still, when it did work for us to spend time together, we made the effort to have fun with it and enjoy ourselves, and the rules helped get that mind set going pretty good!

One of my rules was that nudity was pretty much the norm for me, not only in the house, but anywhere on Jason's property, which was larger than I expected for a house in a city. Jason's large home sat on top of a hill, surrounded by about four acres of beautiful, landscaped desert garden, which in turn was surrounded by a six foot wall. The wall, and the hill, meant that almost his entire property was safe from prying eyes, so spending time outside naked wasn't a problem.

Jason's house sat toward the middle front of the property, while a separate guest house sat closer to one back corner. And the guest house is important because that was where I actually lived. Everything I had brought with me, which admittedly wasn't much, was in that house, and Jason respected my space so much he never came in unannounced.

But, that wasn't the best part of the guest house. In the month before I moved in, Jason had a crew working overtime, turning the two bedroom guest house into something a little more special. For a start, he had girl rails installed all over the place, even leading out the back of the house and around a small area of the yard. It was straight out of Graham's Settlement stories, and the work was so skillfully done that at first glance you didn't even notice they were there, so carefully were they blended into the new floor they put in.

Not that I was always put into settlement bondage when in my new home, oh no. One thing Jason and I decided early on was that we wouldn't limit ourselves just to that wonderful bondage. But the rails were there for when we did play.

But the guest house pretty much became our play house too, as we both explored what we liked and disliked in the world of B&D. Not that we had much time to play.

There was also the other reason that I had come to Scottsdale, and that was to manage my very own restaurant. But again, I'll get to that later. Suffice to say that when we could, we made the most of the time we could spend together, even if all we did was snuggle together under a blanket to watch an old movie.

Well... I think you can guess that snuggling wasn't all we were doing. I've already said that I was naked, but I hadn't said that I was also bound. The same wrist cuffs I wore at the Spree were again on my wrists, keeping my hands behind my back, while a matching pair locked my ankles close together, no hobble chain this time. And around my neck was a shiny new stainless steel collar, made to fit just me.

So I lay curled up on the couch, resting against Jason who, still fully clothed, seemed absorbed in the action on the screen as the American Navy hunted for the Japanese Navy in the war movie we were watching.

But as the movie progressed, I could barely stifle a yawn, a little bored with all the shooting, and decided then and there to have a little more of my own fun. It took a little effort to wriggle free of Jason's arm and slide completely under the blanket, but I eventually made it to the floor and moved around until i was between Jason's legs.

"Annabelle," Jason said quietly, "what are you doing?"

"Shhhh," I replied, grinning, "watch your movie."

"You should be watching this too, and learn some history for a change!"

I giggled and pressed forward, parting Jason's legs with my naked body before pushing my face against his crotch.

"Annabelle?" Jason asked, stiffening up in more than one way.

I giggled again and with my teeth I attempted to undo his pants. Of course, after a few minutes of my fumbling, Jason decided to help out, and eventually he sprang free to greet me.

Still under the blanket, I took him into my mouth, sliding slowly down until the head of his cock was at the back of my throat, and Jason groaned. I felt a hand on the back of my head, but didn't worry about it. Jason wasn't the sort to take over when I did this.

It's been my experience that for most guys, getting a blow job is a power play of sorts. They think that being able to stick their cocks in a woman's mouth while being able to look down on them is a great way to feel superior... and some even take over, grabbing the head of their woman and practically mouth raping her.

Yeah guys, that's the way to do it... not!

But I've always looked at it this way. It isn't the guys who have the power, but us! Think about it... you guys are putting a very delicate, very important part of your anatomy between our jaws, and letting us have our way with it. It would be so simple, and relatively easy, to change your lives forever faster than you can ever react to stop us. And if we do our jobs well, you are really in no condition to stop us doing anything!

You think you have the power? No... you don't.

So yes, as slutty and embarrassing as it sounds, I'm admitting now that i enjoy giving blow jobs. I love the feel of a decent, clean cock in my mouth, its heat, its life. When a cock is fully hard, I can feel your pulse on my tongue, I can feel the throbbing of your passion through my lips.

I love to let my teeth lightly graze you, not to hurt, but just to provide a delicious friction as I slowly slide you in and out of me. I like to wrap my tongue around the head of you, seal my lips around the core of you, and push deep until you are fully inside me.

And... I like to tease you, to bring you close to orgasm and hold you there as long as I dare, until you are begging to cum...

"Annabelle... please," Jason whispers, and I smile again.

It takes just a little more effort on my part, a little bit more friction in just the right spot, and soon he was gushing in my mouth as his orgasm took him.

The funny thing is, as much as I like giving blow jobs, i don't really care for the taste of cum. But I've learned to swallow with a smile, because a lot of the time it is either that or take a bath in it, especially when i am trapped under a blanket with my hands cuffed behind me.

The first time I did this to Jason though, he was so surprised at my... enthusiasm, that he pulled out when he came... what a mess. So now I try to make sure he isn't a position to do that anymore before I start, and since Jason never interferes once I do start, it's a fun experience for both of us!

"Jesus, Annie," Jason said when he got his wind back, "You've got to remember I'm an old man!"

I started to laugh and with Jason's eager help I got back onto the couch beside him.

A soft smile on his face, Jason brought the glass of juice I was drinking to my lips and let me take my fill. I had never told him about my distaste for cum, but he soon learned my habit of drinking something right after serving him this way, and if Jason was anything, he was a grateful, sharing partner.

He was also a lot more relaxed now, another reason why I had treated him this way. He had just gotten back from one of his trips, all tense and broody, and would soon be leaving on another one. So I did my best to look after him as, together, we watched the rest of the movie. When it was done Jason stood up and stretched, looking down at me as I lay helpless on the couch, the blanket half covering me. With a grin he whisked it away and exposed me to the room.

"You are so beautiful like that, Annabelle," he said warmly. "I've missed you the last few days."

"I know, you keep saying!" I replied, smiling back and wriggling a little for his amusement.

His smile got bigger until a yawn overtook him. "Well, I'm tempted to take you to bed with me right now, but jet lag is killing me at the moment. So, I think it is just bedtime."

"Oh, Jason!" I said, disappointed that he didn't want to spend the night with me. We don't often sleep together, but I thought tonight at least would be one of those nights.

"Nope, I really need my rest, and you know I don't get it when we share a bed. Cage time tonight, you can stay here."

"Okay, I guess that's fine." I replied, stretching my body out in hope of tempting him to change his mind. But Jason was a man who made a decision and stuck with it, and with a chuckle he scooped me up from the couch and carried me through the house to his bedroom, with me giggling and wriggling my naked, bound body the entire way.

Now it wasn't just the guest house that Jason had modified that month before I came, he also did some work to the big house too, although a lot more discretely. Most of the house was untouched, except for hidden anchor points for the tether chains he frequently liked to lock on me. But in the master bedroom he had the large, walk in closet the room came with converted into a large sleeping cage for me.

Bigger than the cage I had at the Spree, this cage featured a toilet, as well as a sleeping pad, which meant I could be kept in it for days and days if Jason wished. Not that we had had that much play time yet. Still, it did mean that Jason didn't have to pause to let me use the bathroom before locking me up, although for good measure he did lock an in-cage tether chain to my collar before leaving me and shutting the cage door.

So now I was triple trapped. Naked and locked in cuffs hand and foot, tether chained by the neck, and locked in a heavy steel cage. And there was no way out of any one of these things, let alone all three.

"There, that should keep you," Jason said with a grin, and he left the room to tend to his own toilet needs.

I hopped over to the toilet to pee, not wanting to do it when Jason was around, and then hopped back over to the futon pad I had to sleep on. All my chains jingled as I moved, reminding me of my situation, like I needed any reminding. But I loved the noise they made, and smiled as I lay down, pulling gently at my bonds as I felt their security.

I watched through the cage bars as Jason came back and slipped into bed, his naked body not bad for someone over sixty, and for a minute or two we both just stared at each other.

"Oh, fuck it!" he said eventually, reaching for his keys, and with a grin I knew I was going to spend the night in his bed after all!

And no, he didn't get much sleep.

* * *

There's a spot out in Jason's four acre property, where I love to go and sit. Evidently Jason liked it too, because paving stones had been laid there to support a couple of stone benches and there was a small roof to provide shade. I wasn't surprised though, because this was the place on the property with the best view. Trees, and the wall, interfered with seeing from the house itself, despite the fact we were on top of a hill. But from this little patio you get a good all-around view of the homes in this expensive part of town, not to mention a look at the city itself.

In the day time, it is full of color, full of life... while at night the city is a sea of light.

I have to say I liked it here in Arizona. It is so very different from home. I was used to green, lots of green... Huge oaks that towered high, and grass everywhere! But here, the trees were smaller, and grass only existed where it was well watered, while browns and whites dominated the landscape.

Jason had allowed most of his property to stay in its natural state. The ground was either rock or hard packed dirt, except for a few lightly paved pathways that wound about in seemingly random patterns. Mesquite and palo verde trees dominated the smaller local foliage, and there were a few cactus plants which I made sure to especially avoid when naked.

The first time i had stepped outside here, naked and bound, it seemed so dry and desolate. But not only did I quickly see how full of life the desert was, it also reminded me strongly of Graham's Settlement stories, which were set in a place very much like this. So, naked and cuffed, it was easy to think of myself as one of those girls, which made the place all the more erotic.

I was out there now, sitting on the bench, the stone rough against my bare skin, looking out at the world beyond the wall. Beside me was a cup of coffee with a straw in it, something I had managed to put together even though i was still bound exactly as i was the previous evening. My hands were still cuffed behind my back, my ankles cuffed together, and I was still naked. Jason hadn't tether chained me the night before after getting me out of my cage, and this morning when I woke up I took advantage of the relative freedom.

Hey, it's not like I was breaking any rules or anything! One thing we agreed upon at the start was that it was Jason's responsibility to see to my bondage, and if he left something loose, I had a right to exploit it. It was more fun that way!

So after carefully slipping out of Jason's bed this morning I shuffled out of his bedroom and hopped the rest of the way to his kitchen. I had to use a step stool to reach the coffee things, all conveniently place where a naked and bound girl could reach them, and once my coffee was ready I carefully held the cup in both hands while slowly shuffling out here.

At least this time I didn't spill hot coffee on my butt, but you should see the scar on my right hip from the time I tried frying a chicken fried steak like this... then again, no, you shouldn't.

But I came outside because the morning sun was so bright and warm, at least for November, and while fall was in full swing back home, here it you couldn't really tell if it came or not... although I supposed the locals had no problems telling the seasons. I wondered what it would be like to spend a Christmas without snow.

Back home... no... this was home now. This was where I was making my life now!

I sighed and pulled hard on my cuffs, not knowing why, but just feeling a strong urge to do so at that time. But of course, they didn't budge. They were way too strong for my puny arms, designed to do just one thing, keep me restrained. A job they did very well indeed. I wasn't getting out of them until someone released me, and I couldn't do it myself even if I had the keys in my own hands because of the way the locks were arranged. My wrists just didn't bend that way, so I couldn't even get the keys in the keyholes, let alone turn them.

Like this I was totally dependent on other people for my freedom... and it was thoughts like that that usually kept me warm... at night. But there were times, I admit, when it got a little frustrating... or frightening... or when a mad sense of panic would overcome me for a few seconds, during which I seriously tugged and pulled with all my strength at whatever was holding me at the time!

But those moments would pass quickly, leaving me in exactly the same position I was in before, because Jason never bought cheap bondage equipment. But once it passed I would feel embarrassed and ashamed, always vowing to take better control over myself. After all, I wasn't a prisoner here, I volunteered to live like this... and it wasn't kept like this all the time like those girls in Graham's Settlement stories. They were stuck with their bondage 24/7, but I was released almost every day because I had a job to go to!

I wasn't feeling panicked this morning though, although the frustration was there. Not a sexual frustration, my memories of my night with Jason bringing a soft smile to my face, but more a sense of... well... I had work to do! So with a sigh I carefully slipped off the bench and got to my knees, turning to reach the straw in my coffee with my mouth so I could take a drink.

"Now that's a beautiful sight," Jason said behind me, making me jump. Being bound naked usually meant I startled easily, and I almost spilled my coffee.

I turned to look at him. He was fully dressed in his usual khaki slacks and polo shirt, a sort of uniform for him, which often made me wonder what he looked like in jeans and a T-shirt. And he carried a cup of coffee of his own.

He stood at the edge of the little patio, a smile on his face as he watched me kneeling on the hard flagstones, and I started to blush.

The first time he brought me to this spot we had some fun with a little role playing. He played a Roman soldier just back from the wars, and I was a captured slave girl he was about to ravage. And on this site he had erected a tent of sorts, with oil lamps and other Roman movie type artifacts scattered around for effect. He was even dressed like a Roman soldier, complete with armor and helmet, while I wore, at least for a little while, wisps of silk and a veil.

This was the first time we had ever played one of his more elaborate games, and, once I started to take it seriously, what happened that night still made me blush even more whenever we were together here. Something about kneeling naked on the cool stone brought out the slave girl in me, and he knew it too, the bastard.

"My lord," I said, wriggling my hips a little and hoping he didn't notice my blush, "you are dressed strangely this morning!"

Jason smiled. "You aren't dressed at all, which is a lot better!"

"Your rules!" I said with a grin.

"Yes... they are," Jason replied, with a certainty that made me lower my eyes in deference to the... well... strength, of the man. Jason did like to joke around from time to time, and he could be such a tender lover... but there was also that inner strength that had made him a very successful and respected businessman, and a powerful dominant. And when he let it out, it made me go all soft inside.

I began to blush even more.

"Oh, young lady," Jason said quietly, walking slowly toward me. "You are such a sight for these old eyes. I wish I could spend the day with you right here, doing the Legions proud. But..."

I looked up, suddenly annoyed. "Don't tell me you are leaving again!" I cried out. "You just got back!"

"I'm sorry Annabelle, truly. But I just got a call I can't ignore! I'll be back tomorrow morning, trust me. And you can have me all week if you want." He sat on the bench and pulled me over to him, my cheek against his thigh as he began to stroke my hair. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go clear up this problem."

"You're supposed to be retired now," I said, trying to hold back my anger and disappointment. Jason had been away far too often lately, and it was lonely here without him.

"Semi-retired. Which means that sometimes they can still call me out of the bull pen if the pitcher's having trouble."

"It's not fair."

"I know, Annie, I know. But someone has to pay for your decadent, lavish lifestyle," Jason replied, reaching down to tug at my handcuffs.

"Heh. Yeah, so lavish... all those beautiful clothes, the fancy jewelry, and all my wild parties!" I said sarcastically, rubbing my cheek against his thigh.

"Well... the jewelry is nice, I'll give you that!" he said with a grin, pulling again at my cuffs.

I had to smile... yes, the jewelry he had gotten for me was beautiful, if you liked that sort of thing... but my stock of clothing wasn't exactly expansive. Since I was naked here almost all the time, and in my usual work uniform at the restaurant, there really wasn't much in between. A few nice dresses for when we went out to dinner, some casual clothes for visitors, for shopping, or for just being away from the house, and that was it!

But I sighed and settled against his leg, disappointed that he had to go. "When do you leave?" I asked him.

"In about twenty minutes. I'm waiting for Joe to come pick me up so we can fly to Dallas."

"Dallas!"

"Hush! Yes. But I promise we will be back by morning." Jason stroked my hair again and took hold of my chin, a familiar gesture I liked. "You weren't the only one looking forward to this week. I wanted some time together with you, not to mention the dinner Saturday!"

I nodded, I had almost forgotten about the special dinner we had planned at the restaurant Saturday night.

"You had better be there, buster," I said quietly. "It was your idea, remember?"

Jason grinned. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, you know that."

"I know." I moved to get to my feet, not easy with your ankles cuffed together. But Jason helped until I was upright. "You should uncuff me now then," I said. "I could really use a proper bath before I leave, and I have to get there early today. It's our first... er... cooking class."

"You can't bathe like this?" Jason said, still grinning as he looked my naked body up and down.

"No... it's a little hard to reach all the places I need to reach!"

"That's the point, isn't it?" he replied, reaching out to cup one of my breasts and play with a nipple.

His touch felt very good, and it would have been nice to surrender to it. But I had so much to do! "Jason!" I cried.

Jason chuckled and let go, then moved to pick me up, lifting me over his shoulder. "Fine! Then, off we go!"

Jason carried me through the garden to the guest house where all my things were, and into the play room. He set me on my feet, but before moving to unlock my cuffs, he picked up the free end of the girl rail tether and locked it to my collar.

"Hey!" I said, "I need to be free!"

"You will be, Annie. You can have your bath and everything... well, almost everything." And he worked to remove all my bonds, all except the collar and tether chain, that is.

As usual, it was nice to have my arms released after so long bound, but now I was connected to the girl rails that ran through my house, so I wasn't exactly free.

"Jason?" I said, shaking the tether chain. "I can't get dressed with this on."

"No you can't, but I'll leave a key with Mrs. Ramirez. She can release you when it's time for you to go."

"Oh," I said with a sigh. "Okay. Then have a good trip, and say Hi! to Joe for me."

"I will," he said, and we hugged, and then he kissed me... and then he swatted me on my bare behind. "Behave," he said with a chuckle, before leaving the room. "Oh, and when you come home tonight, straight into Settlement bondage. I'll leave everything you need at the front door!"

"Yes, Sir!" I said with a salute, which made Jason grin as he left.

I sighed and tugged on the tether chain holding me to the girl rail, but of course it didn't pull free. Even without any other Settlement bondage, the girl rail was enough to limit my movements. A two meter chain connected at the free end by a steel ball in a steel slotted rail in the floor. I could get to most parts of the house and even outside, but that was it. Two meters on either side of the rail was the extent of my world for the moment. So with another sigh, and a small smile, I pulled the chain along the girl rail to the bathroom.

Okay... about Mrs. Ramirez. Well, you didn't expect a man like Jason to do his own laundry and cleaning, did you? And I certainly wasn't Jason's house slave... although there was that time we played the housewife and the plumber... but that's a different story.

Anyway Mrs. Ramirez was Jason's housekeeper. She didn't live in, she had her own family to take care of, but she came in five days a week to restore order. Jason couldn't live without her!

But she wasn't Jason's first housekeeper. Mrs. Ramirez's mother took care of Jason and his family, back when he was still married. Now Jason was divorced, his ex-wife lived out of the country, and his three children were now grown and gone with lives of their own. Mrs. Ramirez's mother had worked for Jason since before the first baby was born, and five years ago she retired, letting her daughter take over.

So Mrs. Ramirez was someone that Jason trusted a great deal, hence her knowledge of what we got up to here, and my situation. I often got the impression that she didn't approve of our lifestyle choices. But Jason only involved her in it as far as asking her to release me from time to time if needed. And that was fine with me. I wasn't exactly eager to include anyone else in our play, and it was embarrassing enough being naked and bound in front of that woman anyway. Which meant that while I was always polite to her whenever I saw her, bound or not, i preferred to do my own laundry and cleaning.

Bath done, makeup applied, it only took a call on the house phone to bring Mrs. Ramirez over. And we went through our drama of politeness and civility as she unlocked the tether chain from my collar, despite our very different circumstance. And then I went to get dressed, something I couldn't do even when only tether chained, since my closet was one of the few places in my new home the girl rails never let me get near.

Ten minutes later, I was in my Kia, heading in to town, but as I navigated through traffic, I often glanced at my reflection in the rear view, aware of the one thing that was never removed from me... my collar. Made of smooth stainless steel, an inch high and a full quarter inch thick, it always looked beautiful to me. But wearing it out in public had made me nervous at first. No one seemed to really care though, one advantage of being a woman I guess, since we can wear almost anything and call it fashion. And at work, I was the boss, so who would complain about it there!

So every time I saw it, I smiled. Happy to have it locked on me, happy to be me!

* * *

Catturata was my place. Jason owned it, and stayed involved in the business side of the restaurant, but otherwise he left everything else about it to me. We did have a small argument while applying for the business licence over the name. Originally I wanted it to be called 'L'uno Incatenato', which was Italian for 'The Chained One'. But Jason convinced me that for anyone who did speak Italian, it would raise too many awkward questions. So we settled on Catturata, which in English simply meant, Captured. It was up to the person reading it to interpret what was meant by that. Jason hoped they would think it was about the food.

You can probably guess that it was mainly an Italian restaurant, but I also mixed in some Greek food because I liked cooking it. And over the couple of months that we had been open, it had become a modest success!

And at times it scared me to death.

Jason had let me create the restaurant of my dreams here, or at least as close as I could get to it. Lots of money was spent converting this ex-steak house, including an entirely new kitchen and a hidden surprise that I will get to soon.

But Jason wasn't completely crazy; he didn't give a twenty five year old sous chef a chance at the big leagues without some support. We both felt confident I could take care of the kitchen side of things, but because this place had to be run as the business it was he hired a manager to oversee everything else. And I thanked Jason for it every day!

Charlie Stubbins was a godsend. He took care of my staffing, my books, and even served from time to time as Maitre D. Charlie lived for the details, and what's more, he also listened to every hare-brained idea I had about the place, and either found a way to make it happen or told me why it couldn't. I credit him greatly for the success we had.

It was Charlie who met me at the door, and we exchanged greetings as we walked inside out of the increasingly bright and sunny day. Inside, I again marveled at the way Jason's designers had blended the look of modern Venice with local color schemes that made our sixty seat dining room a warm and relaxing place to eat.

But, there was business to do, and I was nervous about how to start, since Saturday was fast approaching and it was going to be a unique experience for all of us! "Is everyone here?" I asked Charlie, who nodded. Another thing I liked about Charlie, he never used two words when one would do.

We walked back to the kitchen where a very carefully selected staff was waiting for me.

Now, in case you are getting bored about all the restaurant talk, I'll tell you right now that this dinner on Saturday was to be about bondage. Yes, you heard me... on Saturday we were closing the restaurant to the general public and holding a private dinner for invited guests, all in the BDSM scene in some way... a dinner served by naked girls in bondage and cooked by me and two of my staff, who would also be naked and bound. And of course, the bondage would be settlement bondage, just to make it even more interesting.

And it was with this dinner in mind that our hiring was conducted very carefully. My total staff was actually twice as large as was needed for the dinner, but the select few that we felt would do it, all volunteers, were now waiting for me. They knew what was going to happen this weekend, but today would be the first time we got together as a group to talk about it. And I bet they were as nervous as I was.

"Hi guys," I said as I entered the kitchen, and everyone in there stopped chatting to look at me. Three guys, and four women, five if you included me, were going to be on staff and on display on Saturday. Charlie was going to be there too, but unlike us he got to keep his clothes on, which was a good thing really since as valuable as he was to us, he wasn't exactly in the sort of shape you'd want to see on a naked man.

Of the guys, two were cooks like me, talented guys that I sometimes felt a little intimidated by. I mean, I was supposed to be the boss here, but they were just as good as I was in the kitchen. The third guy was Antonio, the only true Italian at this Italian restaurant, but he was no cook. Antonio had a more important job, he kept us in pots and pans and flatware during service, or we would quickly run out of things to cook with!

All four of the girls, the oldest the same age as me, were front of house people. They would be the ones most on display, although during this dinner Jason planned on having all the guests visit the kitchen at some point, which was why I had to be naked and chained too. But these girls would take the orders and serve the food, something none of them had ever done with their hands cuffed behind them at the very least, which was what today was about. Training!

I put my bag down and looked each of them in the eye, looking to see who was more nervous than I was, and who might be likely to bolt. They were all getting a thousand dollar bonus for working this dinner, but would it be enough?

"So..." I said softly, "it's happening... this Saturday... are you nervous?"

"So we are really going to do this, Annie?" asked Amanda, grinning and looking around.

I should have known she would speak up. Of all my staff, Amanda and I had hit it off the most. I had left a lot of friends back in Kansas when I came out here, but Amanda, bright and blonde and with a bit of a gothic edge to her, had been another godsend to me. We had gotten to be close friends in the short time we had known each other, although she wasn't privy to everything about my current lifestyle.

"Yes, we're going to do this," I replied, looking at everyone. "And it is going to be embarrassing, and difficult, and hard work. And, let's face it, we can't ignore the sexual aspect of it all either. These people are not just coming here to try our food, they are also here because of how we are going to serve it. We will all be looked at... admired and talked about. They will never have seen anything like us before, at least most of them anyway. But... in case you are worrying, none of us will be touched, ever... well, unless you give permission first. But even then, it may just be so they can see how well bound we are, because folks, there will be nothing fake about the stuff we will be wearing on Saturday. Real chains, real cuffs, and real locks. And Charlie will have the only keys.

"Our guests on Saturday are not just anyone either. They are important people, many of which are flying in from other parts of the country. You might even recognize a few, which is why Charlie has some confidentiality agreements for us to sign before we leave here today. So they all know how to behave, and how difficult it is for us to exhibit ourselves in front of them.

"And also, no one will be taking any pictures of any sort, so you don't have to worry about becoming the next Internet sensation. This is as much for their protection as it is ours, because as I said, you might recognize a few people, and they don't want it widely known that they attend functions like this one!"

I paused to look at faces, and everyone seemed very thoughtful about what I said. Everyone except Amanda of course, who just smiled and said, "So when do we get to strip?"

I smiled while everyone else laughed. "Not today, unfortunately. We will have to wait to see what the guys are hiding under their aprons!"

This made the girls laugh and the men smile, although i noticed a couple of blushes too. Then Sean, one of my chefs, said "Well, I can't wait to have a few bets settled when we do! I've heard that you have a tattoo in an interesting spot, Amanda!"

"And I've heard that you don't drive that big Mustang of yours for nothing, Sean!" she retorted, and everyone laughed again while Sean stuck out his tongue at her.

It was good to hear them like this, the ice broken. But we had work to do.

"Okay everyone. Attention, please. Thank you. The plan is, that we serve a limited menu Saturday, we won't be doing the whole thing. Two appetizers, two mains, and three deserts. I'll post the menu shortly. Today though, is about the bondage. I have some Velcro cuffs for all of us to practice with today. Charlie will take the girls out front and you guys will learn how to take orders and serve with your hands cuffed behind you. Trust me, it isn't easy, but it can be done. And on the night, you will be too busy concentrating on just getting the job done to worry about being naked in front of forty plus strangers.

"In here, we will be learning how to cook again, although it will be a little easier for the male chefs, because their hands will be chained in front."

There were some sounds of surprise from the group, mostly from the women. "Why do we have to have our hands behind us if they don't?" asked Sandra, our youngest waitress.

"Because Charlie vetoed that as being too dangerous and Jason Laird was forced to agree," I replied. "It will be safer for us in the kitchen that way. So, while they will have to watch how close to the stoves they stand," I said with a grin at the guys, "they at least will be able to handle all the hot pans and pots in relative safety."

"But you'll still have your hands cuffed behind you, right, Chef?" Sean asked with a smile.

"Yes, Sean... I have to be cuffed and chained exactly like the other women here. So try not to drool into the food!"

Everyone laughed again.

"Okay... I'll get the menu posted, and Charlie, can you hand out the Velcro cuffs? Thanks. We have a lot to learn how to do today, and we will be meeting every morning, including Saturday, to polish our new service until it shines. I know we can do this, but it is going to take commitment from all of us. So... if anyone has any doubts that they will be able to handle it, let me know today, okay?"

Everyone nodded, but I saw few faces that might back out. Well, that also, was what today was about. If the bondage was going to scare anyone away, then we would find out now.

So we set to work.

* * *

Catturata doesn't open for lunch, so we were able to spend several hours working out what we needed to do to get our service done for Saturday. Then I treated everyone to a big lunch at one of our neighbors, during which everyone chatted about how strange it was trying to work in cuffs, and what it would be like to do it naked in front of everyone. But it was happy talk, and while we still had some problems to solve, I was starting to feel very confident that we would actually be able to pull it off.

It was a long way from one naked girl cooking chill on little more than camp stoves, but the principle was the same. If we concentrated on the quality of the food and the service, then everything would be okay.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was business as usual, as we were joined by the rest of the staff, and while we closed at 10 PM, as usual I didn't get out of there until closer to eleven, due to clean up and final prep. Being the boss, I could have avoided all the menial stuff, but working with these people meant, to me, doing everything they did. Something that Jason told me was important, but which I knew anyway.

So I was my usual tired self when I got home, parking my Kia in the drive and stripping off my clothes as I followed the path around to the guest house. By the time i hit my front door, I was naked except for my collar, and happy to get back into my chains and cuffs. I wondered when Jason was going to get back, and if he would come surprise me in my cage when he did, and thought pleasant thoughts as I headed to the kitchen to get some water, my tether chain sliding along the girl rail behind me. And that's when I heard water running in my bathroom.

I smiled. Jason must have gotten back early. So I pushed open the bathroom door with my shoulder... only to see a strange, naked man, stepping out of the shower and reaching for the soap!

That's when I screamed... and I guess I startled the man because his head whipped around and he lost his footing! He half caught himself but it wasn't enough to stop him from falling backward and hitting his head against the side of the tub before coming to rest on his front... and I screamed again, darting backward and out the door.

I expected him to come after me, and I was hardly in a position to offer any resistance. But when nothing happened after a few seconds, I peeked back into the room, only to find that whoever he was, he was now out cold on my bathroom floor.

Who the hell was he, and why was he taking a shower in my home?

End of part 1

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