A Friendly Game 10: The Cross

Being bound to the St. Andrew's cross in the middle of the large room left Diego feeling more exposed and vulnerable than he'd ever experienced. It had been Daisy's idea to attend a party together. She'd slowly begun reintegrating herself into the kink community when Diego had gone back to school. Spending so much time with him over the summer had made her realize how much she'd missed the lifestyle. Her old friends happily welcomed her back into the fold.

Miraculously, Diego had off the same weekend as the Sunday event when she also didn't have any dance obligations. She'd dressed him in a chainmail harness that she'd commissioned just for him from one of the artists she knew. She'd pulled it out of the freezer, the metal painfully cold on his skin when she put it on him. She'd delighted in pinching his hardened nipples underneath. The latex shorts she'd gotten for him were so tight the outline of the bars of his cage were clearly visible.  

She'd stepped back to admire the image she'd created and the look in her eyes said she approved.   

Then she attached a leash to his white collar for the first time.

He'd helped pack her tote with the toys they would use at the event. When they arrived, he carried it inside and set it in a line of bags to save a place for a turn at the cross. Daisy pulled him along by the chain and he was happy to follow, keeping his eyes only on her. He was all nerves, never having done anything at the center of a room full of people, let alone something as intense as kink. He hadn't even been naked in front of anyone but Ms. Carson, except in the locker room after gym class.  

She motioned for him to kneel next to and slightly behind her as she engaged in conversations.  

"What a well-behaved submissive you have!" gushed another Domme. "I see you've been busy, if not active in the scene."

"He came to me on his own quite by accident, but it turns out he is a natural. I'm very lucky." Daisy reached down to tousle his hair and he felt proud to hear her words of praise.

But now, suspended on the cross waiting for the first blows, he felt the anxiety of not knowing exactly what to expect when. She'd made a show of placing chainmail cuffs on his wrists and ankles that matched his harness. Then she'd peeled off his shorts. He felt his face turn red with his caged cock on display, and for once it wasn't pushing against its restraints.   

He'd meekly allowed her to lift each wrist and attach it to the cross, then spread his legs embarrassingly so she could secure his ankles as well. The harness hooked behind him and he felt her undo it and the panels fell to the sides, baring his back.  

It felt like he hung there forever while Ms. Carson spread out all the toys on a table that was there for that purpose. A small crowd was gathered watching the various scenes on the cross, and Daisy loved performing. She pulled each piece out of the bag and set it down like it was a treasure.

Finally, she walked up to Diego and leaned in close to him, softly speaking in his ear so only he could hear. "Are you okay, my sweet boy?"

"Yes, Domina," he affirmed, the sound of her voice making him feel brave.  

She knew he was nervous so she ran her hand down his back soothingly, then lingered and rubbed his butt. His dick, which had been dormant, woke up to her touch and he let out a little moan.  

"Better?"

"You are a sorceress." 

She laughed and suddenly it felt like they were the only two people in the room.  

"I'm going to start with a light flogger."

It was his favorite toy. She barely splashed the tails against him, creating the sensation of a breeze. He began to relax into it.  

She increased the strength of her strikes so gradually that he wasn't sure when they turned from pleasure to pain. Without thinking, his body flinched away, but there was nowhere for him to go.  

When she saw that movement, she stopped.

His back felt warm against the cool air of the room as he waited.

Then another familiar voice spoke quietly in his other ear.  

"My turn, Diego. Are you still good with that?"

They'd planned before the party to do the scene with Chelsey.

"Yes, Miss." He felt humiliation fill him at addressing his longtime friend as a Domme, but he'd agreed to the arrangement and his dick was clearly enjoying his predicament, made worse by the fact that he couldn't see her or what she was about to do.  

"Good boy."

The waiting was the worst part as he heard Chelsey and Ms. Carson talking behind him but couldn't make out what they were saying.  

"He's nicely warmed up for you." Daisy was telling Chelsey. "You have your pick of anything on the table."

Chelsey had gotten involved in a kink group near her university and had practiced a little bit of impact play. In the meantime, she'd kept in contact with Ms. Carson and hadn't been able to turn down the invitation to top in person with her mentor.  

And she wouldn't have missed the chance to give Diego's ass a thrashing for the world.

She'd honestly been a little surprised he'd agreed to it. But they'd met the day before and gone over boundaries, both of them agreeing that their interaction would be limited to the impact play scene.  

"You're sure this is okay?" Chelsey had asked one last time before they'd stood up from their table at the coffee shop.  

"I'm not scared. I'm sure my ass can take whatever you can dish out." He'd said, full of sass.

Now his ass was going to pay for that sass.  

She chose a wooden paddle with a blue leather cover, which helped dull the impact. She slid it along his rear then lightly tapped him with it, teasing.  

"ANYTHING I can dish out, huh?"

For once he realized he was not in a position to say anything and kept his mouth shut.

The paddle tore into him much harder than he expected from Chelsey and an "OOOOF" sound came out of his throat.  

"Maybe you should learn to be a little more respectful," she said as she pulled the paddle back to have momentum to swing it forward with force.  

"OOOOOH!" the pain exploded.

Chelsey backed off in intensity but let a series of hits fly fast, not giving him a chance to recover from the sting. The sound was a staccato chorus on his reddening, hot rear.

Just when he was sure he couldn't take another, she stopped.

"It's me, Diego," Daisy's voice was close to him as her hand was rubbing out some of the sting.  

"She's mean," He whined.  

Daisy chuckled. "I suspect you deserve it." 

"Hey!" 

"You seem pretty feisty still. What color?"

"Green," he grumbled, but she could see he was smiling.

"Good, because it's my turn next."

She had a dragon's tail that she'd been excited to use with him upright on the cross. He balled his fists tight and squirmed as much as possible as the tip cut into the sides of his hips and thighs, leaving a pattern of distinct short red stripes on him.  

When she'd finished decorating him as she'd planned, she set the implement on the table and motioned to Chelsey. "Any ideas?"

"That was pretty intense." Chelsey said, looking over the display of toys. She picked up a different flogger than the one Daisy had started with. "I'll try to be just a little nice."

Diego tensed, expecting another hard hit, then felt relief as the flogger swished playfully across his back. He let out a long breath and felt himself slipping into the familiar feelings of subspace as the sensation approached pain but then backed off. Chelsey was enjoying making the spectacle last longer.  

"May I join in?" Ms. Carson picked up the other flogger.  

"Oh, yes!" Chelsey moved to the side to give her space. They began peppering Diego's skin with strikes from the two floggers. Everyone watching was mesmerized by the spectacle of the two ladies, both clad in similar blue bodices, short white skirts and brown leather boots reaching up to their knees.  

Picking out matching outfits had been half the fun.

Diego felt the hits landing randomly all over his backside, some soft and some hard, but the endorphins were flowing and he fell even further into a peaceful, resigned headspace.  

Finally, Daisy paused and looked over at Chelsey. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Grand finale?"

"Grand finale."

They put the floggers back on the table and Daisy went to Diego to comfort him and check in.  

She hadn't used a cane on him since the night she'd given him the collar. They both preferred over-the-knee spankings, and even when she used the bench, she gravitated towards leather. But it had been his suggestion. He had been curious how it would be to be immobilized and take something so intense. He'd jumped and howled the first time and was nervous now, but also wanted to know if he could handle it.  

He figured the two Dommes could lower him down off the cross faster than one if he needed to escape. And he knew Daisy liked putting on a show. He wanted to give her this, even at the expense of his own hide.

Daisy chose the same wooden cane she'd used before and took the right side, which was a little more awkward to swing from, and gave Chelsey the left with a carbon fiber cane.  

"Tap tap tap," Ms. Carson let the cane make acquaintance with Diego's butt. The gentle sensations instantly brought him back to the first time and he clenched the edges of the cross in his fists, suddenly very alert and very unsure if this had been a good decision.

"Now." 

"Whoosh!" the cane hit with a blinding sting and Diego cried out. He squeezed his ass cheeks and struggled against his restraints as he could feel the searing heat throbbing into his gut. Several of the onlookers winced.

"One, thank you, Domina." They'd agreed that if he was able to count, he was able to take another.

Chelsey repeated what she'd watched Ms. Carson do. It was her first time to use the cane. A nice red line was visible across his skin and she aimed just above it.  

"My turn!"

Hers didn't make an impressive sound as it cut through the air, but it hit where she'd been aiming. And even a soft hit with a composite cane was pretty intense. Diego shivered and cried out again. Not being able to move or have the skin calmed at all made it difficult to recover, but finally he said, "Two, thank you, Miss." 

He was coherent enough to know which hit had come from whom. Ms. Carson was pleased and nodded to Chelsey to go ahead.  

"This is it, Diego. You just have to take three more. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Domina." He answered without hesitation. He wanted to get it over with before he chickened out.

Daisy looked at Chelsey. "On your marks..."

"Oh, there will be marks!"

Everyone watching laughed at Chelsey's little joke, including Ms. Carson.  

"Get set..."

Both raised their canes.

"Go!"

Ms. Carson's cane made contact with Diego and at the same moment, Chelsey was winding back. Her strike immediately followed. Diego lost his breath and all concept of where he was for a moment as Ms. Carson delivered the final hit in succession. She saw him go limp, and both women rushed to disconnect his outstretched limbs from the cross. They caught him, a shoulder under each arm, and supported him to the couch, where Daisy sat with him while Chelsey gathered the toys from the table so the next couple could take their turn on the equipment.

Diego felt Daisy wrap her arms around him and he let his head fall onto her chest. His whole body was tingling, not just the hot pulsing parts that had received the punishment. Chelsey brought a blanket and sat next to him, her leg touching his, and spread the blanket over all of them. Despite having just beaten him into oblivion, she felt shy reaching over and putting her hand on top of his. He took her hand and squeezed it, looking up enough to meet her eyes and smile weakly. Then he cuddled back into Daisy and let himself drift on all the feel-good chemicals coursing through his veins, safe and surrounded by the two women he trusted with his submission, and his ass.

*****

They sat like that for a while, the noise and movement of the party circulating around them in their little aftercare bubble. Chelsey left to get drinks for all of them, and then eventually Ms. Carson waved her off to go play with a submissive who'd asked if she'd use the flogger on him. Diego felt spent but happy lingering in the arms of his Domme.

A voice broke their reverie. "Miss Daisy! I haven't seen you in ages!"

A man in black leather pants and a scarlet red velvet shirt approached the couch, then saw Diego under the blanket and stepped back. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"Jarrod! It's good to see you, let's catch up in a bit," she dismissed him. But Diego piped up, "It's okay, Domina. I'm okay if you want to talk to your friend."

She kissed his forehead. "You sure? I'm quite content just sitting here with you."

"I knew there'd be other people here. That's kind of the point of a party." 

"Snarky to the death," she whispered.

"It's okay, you can join us," she motioned to the submissive.  

Jarrod sat on the floor crosslegged in front of Daisy. "I know my place in front of a goddess." Diego recognized Daisy's easy laugh and looked the guy over.  

"Was he one of your play partners?" Diego was still a little lost in subspace.

Daisy looked at Jarrod pointedly, too. "My hand and Jarrod's ass have met before, if that's what you mean."

Jarrod smiled. "They made a great combination, too, Madame. I wore those marks for a solid week." 

Daisy shook her head. "Always the flirt. I see you have a collar. Is your Mistress someone I know?"

"She's pretty new to town, so I doubt it. I'd love to introduce you, but she couldn't make it tonight. She didn't want me to miss out on the fun, though." His gaze shifted down to Daisy's feet. "I have permission to play some games."

Daisy was surprised to feel her own arousal at the implication. She'd come with the intention of doing the scene with Diego and nothing else. It was quite a large party for his first, and she'd wanted to focus all her attention on him.  

"Maybe another time, this is my submissive's first party and I don't want to overwhelm him." 

"Ah, I understand. I suppose I've waited this long to worship the perfect dancing feet of the Madame Daisy, I can certainly wait a little longer."

Diego spoke up again, this time addressing Jarrod. "She has the most amazing feet."

"I am very aware, but I've never had the pleasure of touching them." 

Diego, still hazy in subspace, asked bluntly, "But why not?"

Daisy interjected quickly, "For all the time I've known Jarrod, he's always had a Mistress. We did do some impact play at a party once, but I also had my own submissive with our own scenes planned, so we've just never had the opportunity, I guess."

Diego thought about this. He felt himself coming up a bit and was looking at Daisy's legs and feet in the high, sexy boots.  

He turned his head to look up at her. "Do you want your feet to be worshipped right now?"

She felt the stirrings between her legs grow stronger at the thought. "It does sound lovely but what is the most lovely is taking care of you."

"You are taking care of me." He squeezed her in a half-hug. He remembered the slight feelings of jealousy he'd had watching her dance. Maybe it was the high he was feeling, maybe it was because she'd shared him with Chelsey and it had felt fine. But he heard himself saying, "Your amazing feet getting the attention they deserve wouldn't change that."

She gazed down at him. "You're pretty amazing."

Then she turned her attention to Jarrod. "You may take off my boot." 

Diego watched the man shift to his knees and slowly pull down the long zipper on the inside of Daisy's calf. Jarrod gently coaxed the boot off and set it aside. He just stared at Daisy's foot, covered in the skin-tone thigh-high nylon she was wearing, which was attached to a garter belt that barely peeked out from under her skirt while she was seated.

"Perfection..." he murmured, then looked up seductively at her. "Miss, may I help you with your stocking?"

Daisy felt a flush spread over her but nodded. She pulled the blanket up enough that he could reach under her skirt. Jarrod's fingers tickled the sensitive skin of her thigh as he undid the suspender clips. She had to lift her leg for him to reach the one behind her, giving him a clear view of the triangle of her blue thong. She saw him looking but neither said anything.  

The almost imperceptible interaction made the flesh below the panties pulse more.

He slid the stocking down and pulled it off, draping it over the high boot next to him.

Then he took her foot in both hands, slowly raising it toward his mouth. But Daisy stopped him.  

"You know your place. You bend down to meet my foot, not the other way around."

"Yes, Madame," he gently set her foot back on the floor and bent forward, his ass rising in the air as his lips found her toes.

"Better," she said in a satisfied tone.

Diego watched the interaction and felt arousal stir in him, both at watching the other man touch her so sensually and at seeing her command the total respect she deserved.  

Damn, his Domme was hot.  

"Domina?"

"Yes, Diego?" She kept her eyes on Jarrod but leaned her ear closer to Diego.

"Have you ever had two submissives worship your feet at the same time?"

She sucked in a breath of air as a jolt of electricity shot through her at the idea. "No..." Diego, whose head was still on her chest, recognized the shift in her breathing and knew the idea was exciting her. He slipped out from under the blanket and lowered himself to the floor next to Jarrod, who briefly glanced over with Daisy's big toe in his mouth.  

Diego slid off the other boot that he himself had zipped up earlier that night. Daisy helped him with the garter belt and began to slip into Domspace as the two men fondled and fussed over her feet and ankles. She closed her eyes and let the warm sensations flow over her, sparks traveling from her arches to between her legs.  

She didn't even realize that she'd been moaning. Jarrod's tongue was lapping between her toes as Diego began to kiss the inside of her calf, his fingers still pressing between the delicate bones of her feet. She reached down to pet his head.  

Encouraged, he kissed further up her leg. She opened her eyes slightly, savoring the sight of the crowns of two heads worshipping her. The desire between her legs throbbed insistantly.

"Diego..." He slid a hand up the inside of her thigh, feeling her shiver. Gently, he moved the small piece of cloth to the side and stroked at the lips of her vulva, seeking entrance between the soft wet folds of skin.  

She spread her legs slightly, letting him find his way inside her. Jarrod, aware of what was happening, gave her foot a few more licks then quietly backed away to give Diego space.

Daisy had never played overtly sexually at a party, believing that a Domme should be "proper" and save such things for the bedroom. Plus, she felt a submissive should earn entry into her most intimate space and that it wasn't something to display publicly. But Diego's fingers found their way to her Gspot and she heard herself whisper, "Don't stop. Please."

She positioned the blanket over her lap, legs, and Diego, so no one could see. She shifted her butt forward and pulled the skirt up.

In the dark beneath the blanket, the party disappeared and once again, there were only the two of them. He knew by now all the motions that made her crazy, and within minutes she was pressing herself into his face. He felt the explosion as her muscles contracted and liquid poured out of her. He sucked on her even harder and wiggled his fingers against the inside walls of her vagina and she wrapped her legs around his head in a vise grip, letting another orgasm rip through her body.  

He pulled one more out of her before she collapsed. "No more. Enough."  

He slid up back up onto the couch and it was his turn to wrap his arms around her and hold her as the trembling subsided.  

Chelsey reappeared with water bottles. "You two are missing the whole party over here in the dark corner."

Diego and Ms. Carson just looked at each other and smiled.  

******

When they got back to her house, Ms. Carson insisted that she could clean and put all the toys away in the armoire herself. It was getting late and he was going to make the two-hour drive to campus that night.

But first, she'd had him kneel before her as she'd sat crosslegged on the floor in front of him and carefully removed his cage.

"You, young man, are going to go back to school with the cage in a satchel. You have pleased me so much, I'm going to order you to have an orgasm every single day for the next week."

Diego and Daisy had been playing with edging again since the semester had started and they'd been apart. His edging sessions had been ending with him putting the cage back on without release more often than not. He wasn't even sure if he remembered how to have an orgasm every day.  

But he was certainly going to do his best to obey his Domme.

****

Graciela hadn't seen Mrs. Stringer in years but recognized her instantly, even with an apron and towel draped around her shoulders and her hair wrapped in dozens of pieces of aluminum foil. "Teresa! How have you been? Can you believe our kids are already in their second year of college?"

Mrs. Stringer waved an enthusiastic hello without moving her head. "Gracie! It's nice to see you. Yes, makes a girl feel old, doesn't it?"

They both laughed as Mrs. García followed her own stylist to the shampoo station. When her hair was clean and rinsed, her hairdresser led her back to a big chair right next to Chelsey's mom, who was now having all the dyed locks of hair unwrapped.

"Hey, speaking of our kids, how did that project that Diego helped you with over the summer turn out?"

"Project?" Mrs. Stringer pondered the question. "I'm not sure what project. I know he and Chelsey were taking salsa lessons with Ms. Carson over the summer. I saw him one night when they came to pick her up to go out."

"Ms. Carson?" Diego's mother had never heard the name.

"Oh, yes, Chelsey was over the moon for her, went on and on how she was the best. She even convinced me to practice salsa combinations with her at home to not disappoint the almighty Ms. Carson. I'm surprised Diego never mentioned her. But you know how boys are. Chelsey tells me all the gossip but her younger brother barely grunts a word for weeks at a time."

Graciela feigned a laugh but her inner mind was racing. Diego had lied to her and she wasn't sure why.  

Maybe this Ms. Carson would know something about it.  

****

Diego opened the door which Daisy had left cracked open for him. He had worked late the night before and was still waking up even though it was already afternoon. Instinctively, he dropped to his knees as he entered the hotel room after closing the door behind him.

Today she had made the drive to the little college town with something different in mind.

Lying on the crisp white bedsheet were several toys that Diego had never seen before. He'd helped her organize her armoire of hanging implements, but they hadn't delved into the drawers.

She sat on the bed and let him greet her with warm kisses on her bare feet. She was wrapped in a white robe, her hair still damp from showering upon arrival.

She directed him to continue upward, his lips soft on her smooth, freshly-shaved leg. She let the sides of the robe open, revealing the sleek glistening lips of her pussy.  

Seeing him on his knees always excited her.  

Diego hadn't tasted her since the party and was eager to find his face between her legs. She'd been very generous with him, filling his life with orgasms, and lots of edging, from a distance during their video calls. Having her guide him and share those moments together gave his sexuality a deep and beautiful meaning for him, even though technically they'd never had intercourse.  

Daisy wasn't sure she wanted to make that a part of their dynamic. While they'd spent hours getting to intimately know each other's genitals with their mouths and fingers, they hadn't even shared a kiss.  

Today, she wanted to explore a different part of their anatomy.

As his fingers reached with familiarity toward her sensitive parts, she gently held his wrist with one hand. With the other, she held up a finger in a "wait" motion.  

She slid back and placed the small of her back over a pillow she had strategically placed behind her, elevating her pussy and ass off the bed. In the same motion she pulled Diego up with her and let him get situated on his knees between her feet.

Still holding his wrist, she guided his fingers to dip into her gathering juices, then slipped them further back. She tilted her pelvis forward and spread her legs wider.  

Diego's breath caught in his throat as he realized where she was leading him.  

"Lick my clit while you touch me there," she told him.  

He knew how to do one of those well, and leaned into her, her scent already exciting him. At the same time, he gently touched the wrinkled skin around her asshole.  

"Mmmm, Diego, that's it, you can push your finger inside me."

He moved hesitantly at first, but she began to push herself into his hand and he began to fuck her backdoor with his finger. "You can use two, even three." All his concern about hurting her dissipated as she began to moan and whine like he'd never heard before, even when finding her G-spot.  

He'd just barely gotten started with his tongue when she was erupting all over him, a river of pleasure flowing down and covering his hand that was now anchored firmly in her ass.  

"Don't stop," she quickly reached climax again, and again, his fingers finding a rhythm in and out of her, feeling her sphincter contract hard around him with each orgasm.  

She collapsed quickly and suddenly, pulling him up on top of her.

"What was that?" he asked. He'd thought he knew her body well and had a good command of giving her pleasure, but he'd never seen her react so strongly.

She was still shivering. "Mmmmm, that was amazing."

He laughed and hugged her. When she'd recovered, she pushed him off of her, leaned up on her elbows and shook her head at him.

"And why aren't you naked yet, young man?"

He grinned sheepishly. "You dragged me between your legs before I had a chance..."

She swatted at him playfully and he stood off the bed to undress, his metal cage the only thing remaining on his body.

She was wearing the key around her neck and sat up to unlock him. Gently, she removed the cage. His dick sprang to life in her hand. She used her other hand to guide his hips to turn him and lie him down on the bed.

With the toys was a tube of lube. The lid made a clicking sound as she undid it and squirted some liquid onto her hands. She began to rub his dick, watching his face grimace with the intense sensation of it.  

She cupped his balls in her other hand. His eyes were closed now as the sensations flooded him.  

"Deigo," she said softly. He managed to look at her. "I want to touch you in the same place." She slid her hand to the firm space behind his testicles. He moaned. They had discussed the possibility of butt play as something to try someday. He still felt unsure, but after seeing her reaction, nodded his assent.  

"Gentle, please, Domina." 

In all his masturbating, fantasizing teenage years, he'd never known what a submissive was or remotely suspected he was one until he met Ms. Carson. The thought that his anus could be a source of pleasure was an even more foreign idea, but he trusted her.

He tried to relax as her finger found his entrance. She was still pumping his dick slowly and deliberately.  

Before she could go further, he started to erupt. "What...?" White spurts of semen shot out onto his stomach, covering her hand. Her other hand felt his whole pelvic floor contract.

"I... I'm sorry." He had learned to control his orgasms for her surprisingly well and felt shame for the uncontrollable release that he'd allowed to happen.  

"Diego," she lay down next to him and put her arm around him. "Shhh, it's okay." 

He hid his face in her chest, not wanting her to see the disappointment in his eyes. "I don't know what happened."

"You haven't had an orgasm in weeks and your Domme unlocked you and started playing rather intensely with you," she stated the obvious.

"But, you didn't give me permission. I'm sorry."

"You have permission. Enjoy it."

He hid himself in her and waited for the physical sensation to pass.  

When she spoke, she was as tender as she knew how to be. "You have pleased me so much, Diego."

He finally looked at her. "I'm still not sure about butt stuff, Domina. I know you really want me to like it but I don't know. That was more than I expected. It felt good in a way but I didn't like losing control." She could see he was still processing what had just happened in his own body. He added with a shy grin, "Although I have to admit it was super hot to see how much you loved it."

She looked over at the toys she'd brought: a very thin vibrator, a small plug, a larger prostate stimulator just in case. She laughed inwardly at herself, but said outloud, "Thank you for trying. Remember when I gave you your collar and we said the most important part of our pact is to be honest about how you are feeling?"

He nodded slowly.  

"Not to like everything I want you to try. Not to take every flogging or even manage to deny yourself every orgasm. What I want more than anything is for you to open yourself to me and let me lead you, and I need to know YOU. Not some version of you that you think I should see."

He took in her words silently.  

"And YOU are amazing." 

They lay there in each others' arms for a while to the sound of the heater blowing. Diego clung to her, afraid he'd disappointed her despite what she'd said.  

"Hey," she spoke up. "I have an idea. Would you like to go for a walk and get an early dinner with me? We could just hold hands and pretend we're a normal couple for a few hours. No rules, no cage, no thought of age or distance, no power or punishment. Just two people enjoying each other's company."

Diego considered this. "Do I get to call you 'Daisy'?" 

She cocked her head at him, a little surprised. "Really? Of all the things you could ask for if we dropped the power exchange for a few hours, THAT's what you would ask for?"

He was feeling better. "THAT's just the only one I think I could get away with."

She laughed and gave him a push. "Go take a quick shower, Mr. García. There's a Thai place down the street I saw on the way in here that I want to try."

"Yes, Daisy." 

And after freshening up, they walked out of the hotel room, hand in hand, to do nothing more than enjoy the beautiful autumn late afternoon, together.