db has been working on a story about our chance meeting and the early days of our relationship.
This is the first chapter.
Anna enjoyed her occasional weekday days off from work. She liked to dress up and go into the city and perhaps, like today, visit the art museum and then a bookstore (or shop) and enjoy some tea. She had been divorced only about a year and her children were now living away. She was enjoying her freedom. She had a responsible and demanding job and made sure that she made the most of her leisure time. She was a very independent woman.
At the museum there was a talk and slide show on Renaissance depictions of beauty in mythology. Using themes from myth allowed the artists to freely portray nude and semi-nude voluptuous women. One painting which stood out in her recollection was Titian’s Venus with a mirror showing the full-figured Goddess with a fur-lined robe around her lower body.
After her leisurely museum visit, Anna went to an independent bookshop in town which she liked. She often found something unusual there which caught her attention. She had been some minutes browsing when she noticed a man not far from her. While he too had been looking at books, she did observe that he often looked over at her when he thought she might not notice. He was dressed casually and seemed reasonably athletic in appearance. He would be unlikely to be in this kind of bookshop, she thought, if he wasn’t literate. She herself was wearing a dress, hosiery and heels, as she often did for this kind of day. She was also used to being admired by men.
As it happened, they were only about five feet apart when she saw a book with the Titian Venus on the cover. It was Venus in Furs by Leopold Sacher-Masoch. She smiled to herself, picked up the book and then turned full face toward the man and said, “Are you familiar with this book?”, holding it out toward him. His face colored immediately, surprised by her directness, and he stammered a bit…” Ah, yes, Ma’am…. I am…. It’s sort of a classic. Some people think it’s about deviant sex… (he cleared his throat) and perverted…. but it is more than that.”
He seemed educated, she thought, and perhaps might amuse her. “Buy the book for me. I’ll be in the adjoining tearoom. Bring it to me there and we’ll have tea together.” She handed him the book and without another word left, going to the Tea Room.
. A few minutes later, he was in the Tea Room. It had a section with high backed booths with a certain amount of privacy. She was seated in one of those toward the rear. He thought, on seeing her with coat off that she bore some resemblance in his mind to the book’s cover painting. Tea had already been ordered and was being brought with some cookies when he arrived at the booth.
She smiled at him. “Well” she said, “I thank you for the book and for taking me to tea. Let us introduce ourselves.” He noticed the bill had been left at his side of the table.
“My name is Dave”, he said. “I did notice you in the bookstore and was happy to have an opportunity to chat with you.” She responded, “My name is Anna R One thing I want you to know about me is that I feel very strongly that there is too much informality in the world and not enough respect shown to women. For example, a store clerk might look at a credit card and address me by my first name. Can you imagine? I will rather sharply correct such a presumption. Where I work—I’m a nurse, by the way--- I insist that even the head of the facility address me properly and formally, as “Mrs. R_______”. I demand respect and, in fact, deference. And I demand it from everyone.”
“I understand, ahh---Mrs. R_______. And I think a lady should be properly respected. I hope I’ve done alright so far.”
“Yes, you have, Davy, --so far”, she replied, not explaining why she used the diminutive and didn’t ask about his last name. But he did not react negatively to it. “My experience with my former husband was unpleasant. He was coarse and frankly undeserving of my attention. We married young and I soon outgrew him in terms of character and sophistication…. I’ve been divorced for about a year and a half.” She had been speaking clearly, and matter-of-factly but firmly. She gave the impression of self-assurance and confidence.
He was trying to think of whom she reminded him from his past. Then he remembered, his Aunt…she had been his mother’s first cousin but because she was older, she was referred to as “Aunt”. He had spent time with her as a boy and she had often been quite strict and spanked him. But he also remembered that she had occasionally allowed him to rest his head on her lap or her capacious bosom, sometimes after disciplining him. Funny that he would think of her now but there was some resemblance in appearance and manner.
There was a bit more conversation about their backgrounds including that he was not currently in a relationship. Although he had finished his tea by this time, he did not make any motion toward leaving. There was a pause in the conversation, and he said, “I enjoy conversing with you. You seem to be a very intelligent and self-possessed person.” She smiled. Then he said….” Ah, Anna---oops, excuse me, Mrs. R_______, I’d love to take you to dinner sometime, if you’d like.”
She looked him directly in the eye and paused a moment before replying. “I am really not interested in dating. There may be times when I will attend an event and may want a well-behaved and attentive companion, but I will initiate the request. I am very independent and do only what I wish. So, your offer, while probably well-intended, is declined.”
He looked a bit downcast and was about to stand up…. But then she said, “I assume your offer was made because you would like to see me again.” He assented promptly. “Well, I will allow you to visit me at my home and perhaps you’ll meet my standards. You may stay seated and I will elaborate.”
She took out her pocket diary and looked at it. She turned it toward him with her finger pointing to a date. “Are you free then?” In about a week’s time? You must not come with any expectations whatever… You will realize that in my home I am in complete charge and take all initiatives. If you are unhappy with what I say, how I do or conduct things, you are free to leave. Are you willing to accept those conditions, Davy?”
He did not fully understand the reasons for her apparent sternness, but he knew that he did want to see her again. He found her very attractive physically and she had a very mellifluous voice with a Welsh accent. But he also admired her strength of character.
“I do agree with those conditions, Mrs. R_______” he said. She handed him a little note card with the address, date and time written on it. “You will be there then?” “Yes, Ma’am”.
She added, “You will bring two bottles of a good quality Shiraz—are you familiar with the varietal? And you will dress in jacket and tie. Understood?” “Yes, Ma’am”, he again replied. She extended her hand and arm for a good-bye handshake. “I’ll look forward to seeing you then.” He helped her on with her coat and off they went their separate ways.
Good evening Mistress. I followed your link from FB. What a lucky man db was to find you. I have always dreamed of having a mistress just like you. On my knees,bowed ,kissing your shoes.
ReplyDeleteThank you Steve. I am glad you came over from FB to read.
DeleteA beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think db has done a wonderful job of it
DeleteFor months I would visit weekly in hopes of finding some gems, and now, now that my life is in a storm, you returned, so now I must catch up!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Hope you were able to catch up. Life is always throwing us curve balls
DeleteVery true. Thank you so much!
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