To Love, Honour & Obey, Obey, Obey.
Jim Threapleton was three days late, but it wasn't really his fault.
Circumstances had conspired against him in this final attempt to
succeed in his chosen career. Not that *this* job was going to propel
him into the big time. Third Assistant Director on a small scale film
was a tiny pebble in a minuscule world, but the way his career had been
going recently even a pebble, however small, was, figuratively speaking,
still on the beach.
Jim dodged the erratic traffic as he ran towards his waiting taxi. He
had no time to spare, simply tossing his tatty suitcase into the back
of the cab and hoping he made the set in time for the day's shooting.
Over the din of traffic, he shouted his destination, and the Arab driver
rewarded him with a nod and a toothless grin before flooring the
accelerator and moving towards an invisible gap in the fast moving
traffic. Marrakech flew past in myriad exotic colors as the driver
expertly negotiated the crowded streets. Jim bit his lower lip, praying
that he would arrive in time. He still clutched the fax that had been
waiting for him at the airport. It was short and to the point.
Threapleton.
Shooting starts Thursday.
Be there.
Or forget it.
Mackinnon.
Jim had never met Gillies Mackinnon but the fax told him all he needed
to know. He sighed and looked at his watch. Suddenly the taxi skidded
to a halt, the door flew open and the driver pulled his suitcase into
the light. Jim scrambled from the car, screwing his eyes against the
light. He could see the familiar trappings of his world. Rows of flood-
lights, cables snaking everywhere, and in the distance the huddle of
trailers and caravans that gave sanctuary to cast and crew alike. He
gave the driver a far too generous payment, glad that he had at last
arrived. All he had to do now was beg for his job and hope the director
had a soft side.
Any notion of a soft side was quickly quelled the moment their eyes met.
Gillies seemed to know exactly who he was, and made his feelings
perfectly clear.
"You got the fax?"
Jim just nodded.
"What the fuck are you doing here *now*, then?"
Jim opened his mouth to speak.
"Spare me the begging. I will *not* be impressed."
Jim tried once again to speak. But Gillies put up his hand for silence.
"You're very lucky that I still need you. But I warn you, one single
fuck up, however minor, and you'll be paying your own fare home. Now go
see my assistant and he'll show you around and get you started."
Gillies turned away. The interview was obviously terminated. Jim felt
a hand on his elbow and allowed himself to be led away. Before he could
collect his thoughts there was a flash of blue and a thud as someone
cannoned into him. Instinctively he grabbed hold to try and steady
himself, and when he did so, found himself looking into the face of an
angel. He recognized her immediately, the darling of Hollywood and the
star of the highest grossing film of all time. He knew he was staring but
at that point had ceased to care. Jim was drowning in her eyes, drinking
in her impish beauty and realizing for the first time that he believed
in love at first sight.
"Are you going to stand there staring or are you going to let me go?"
Jim let her arms go, suddenly embarrassed at his open mouth stare. Before
he could say anything she was gone, running towards the group of trailers
in the distance, negotiating people and cables with practiced ease. With
a rueful smile he sped up a bit to catch his guide, the words 'One single
fuck-up' ringing in his ears.
The rest of the day passed without incident as Jim got to know the
technicians he would be working with and the layout of the sets.
Before he knew it, darkness was beginning to fall. The crowd of
technicians and extras began thinning out until Jim was standing alone.
Looking around, he spied an old house on a hill in the distance, and
figured it might be a good place to watch the sunset. A few minutes
later, Jim was sitting atop a low stone wall looking out into the
desert evening, marveling at the beauty of the sun as it dipped behind
the hills on the horizon. He was startled by a sound, and turned to see
her again standing to one side, also watching the sunset. He coughed,
and it was her turn to be startled. He stood and walked over to her.
"Jim Threapleton."
"Kate Winslet." She smiled. "I suppose I should be grateful that you
didn't knock me over again."
"Actually I think it was you that ran into me."
"I suppose so. I was a bit late for a meeting. Not three days, though."
"Touche." He smiled.
"The sunset is beautiful isn't it."
"Absolutely."
Jim privately thought that Kate's beauty easily eclipsed the sunset.
"You're staring again. Have I got cabbage between my teeth?"
"I'm sorry it's just..."
"...Jet lag?"
"Yeah, maybe."
She started to move away. "See you around Jim. Night."
"Oh...goodnight."
Watching her disappear into the darkness, Jim closed his eyes and took
a deep breath. He had worked with beautiful women before, but Kate was
different, somehow special. Every detail of her face was etched in his
mind. He found himself smiling as he examined each feature individually,
trying to decide which one he liked best, but it was hopeless. The whole
was so much greater than the sum of the parts.
Jim sighed and followed Kate into the darkness.
- - - - -
Early the next day Jim found himself strapped into a Land Rover, driving
through the desert with Kate and her co-star Said Taghmaoi for company.
The journey was hell, the scenery a delight. He kept stealing glances
at Kate as they bounced across the alien landscape, first in a convoy of
similar vehicles. He was thankful that Said sat between them. At least
Jim could engage him in conversation without tripping over his own tongue.
Said was French Moroccan and extremely exuberant, and Jim had liked him
instantly. Said had the ability to make everyone laugh, and did so on many
occasions, always seeming to have just the right anecdote to match the
circumstances.
When they arrived at the location, Said and Jim stood in the shade of
the Land Rover as various technicians set about creating their own little
islands of technology, and Kate drifted off in the company of a make-up
girl to prepare for her first scene.
Watching her walk away, Said spoke.
"She is a beautiful woman, No?"
"Yes, very."
"And an extremely good kisser."
Jim shot Said a worried glance.
"In the movie, my friend, in the movie."
Said smiled and winked.
"I believe you like her a lot."
"I hardly know her."
"Pahh! This *knowing* it is not important. It is what you feel
in *here* that counts."
Said pressed his hand against his heart and laughed. Jim sighed.
"I don't think she would give me the time of day off the set.
I'm not exactly Brad Pitt."
"I piss on Brad Pitt. He is nothing but a pretty boy. Now, as for me...
*I* am gorgeous. The women, they fall over me. I know, it is a curse
I have to live with."
"I think, Said, that you and I have very different attitudes concerning
women."
"It is not *our* attitudes that count. It is the *womens* attitudes that
are important. If they see you as an ass, you are an ass. But, if they
see you as Casanova, well..."
Said threw up his arms and shrugged. Jim shook his head, Said's laughter
ringing in his ears as he walked away.
- - - - -
Several hours later the crew wrapped the location, and everyone began
the return trip across the desert, but this time Said had arranged it
so that Kate was seated in the middle. Throughout the journey Said reveled
in Jim's discomfort, taking every opportunity to make ribald remarks,
each one followed by a knowing wink. By the end of the trip, Jim's
embarrassment was complete. Kate was obviously aware of his attraction
to her, kissing him lightly as they parted, then walking off arm in arm
with Said, the man laughing, Jim thought, at his expense.
Several hours later, Jim was relaxing in his trailer with only the
remains of a sandwich and an empty soda bottle for company. But in his
mind, he was never alone. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Kate's
face smiling at him. She never left his thoughts. His body ached with an
undeniable yearning, an unbridled longing for her, a need which he knew
would remain unfulfilled.
He recalled their conversation during a break at the location, and how
she had laughed at him when he had asked if he could take her to dinner,
stumbling helplessly over the words as he said them. It wasn't that the
laughter was malicious, she had simply explained that she had no interest
in any relationship at the moment, and that even if she *had* been looking,
he was not her type, not even close. Thanks, but no thanks.
Jim let out a deep sigh and knocked the coke bottle across the trailer.
Said deftly sidestepped it as he opened the trailer door and flung himself
down on one of the padded seats.
"My friend, you need to get out more."
"Get lost, Said...Please."
"Ah, for a man such as I to get lost in this very familiar place would
require a rare skill my friend. Said would rather stay and cheer you up."
"Said, I am not in the mood....GO AWAY."
"You need a woman."
"Said..."
"Not just any woman my friend, but a particular woman....You need Kate."
Jim glared at Said.
"Not funny. I had enough of your innuendo this morning. And besides, you
know as well as I do that she isn't interested."
"Not yet, it's true. But a woman's mind can be changed."
Jim sighed. "Said, there is no way on earth that Kate is going to change
her mind. So forget it."
"I made no mention that she would change her own mind, now did I?"
"Said, you are talking rubbish."
"Please my friend. Listen to what I say."
Jim said, "You get 5 minutes, and then I throw you out, OK?"
"As you wish, my friend."
Said leaned forward and spoke softly.
"Kate may not wish to change her *own* mind, but there are ways of
changing it *for* her. This is North Africa, an ancient land of many
mysteries, where, for a price, many things are possible."
The 5 minutes passed, then 10 more, and Jim didn't throw him out.
Said talked long into the night, and after a while, Jim listened.
- - - - -
Kate was sitting in the shade looking over her script, trying to
commit a difficult scene to memory. She looked up briefly and smiled
as Said sat beside her, then went back to reading her script.
Said looked at her. He supposed she was quite pretty, but he preferred
the dark hair and even darker looks of the local women. He smiled as he
began planting the seeds that would put his plan into motion.
"Kate, you should eat, you are wasting away."
"Said, I need to finish this scene."
"You know the scene forward and backward, and today is a rest day. Come.
We will go and eat."
"Said."
"Dear lady, Said knows best. We will go to the town for some decent food.
Not this...this "fast food" the caterers bombard us with."
Kate knew better than to argue. She was hungry, and it *was* a rest day,
and it wouldn't hurt her to get away from the shoot for awhile.
"Alright Said, where you lead, I will follow."
Said led Kate to a waiting taxi.
He opened the door, made a sweeping gesture and remarked, "My precious,
today Said will be pleased to fill your very being with wondrous things."
Kate lightly punched him in the arm and laughed as the taxi drove off
towards the town.
- - - - -
Seated at a table in the restaurant, Kate looked around the room. This
didn't look like any dining establishment that she had ever been in.
It looked more like someone's home with four tables crowded in. At the
moment, the other three tables were empty.
The service had been first-rate, and the food that she had eaten was
marvelous. Her stomach was full and her cheeks were flushed from two
glasses of the local wine. Said had kept her constantly entertained
with his stories, sometimes even making her laugh out loud.
Kate glanced at her watch.
"Said, it's getting late. Shouldn't we be getting back?"
"Pah! It is still early, and besides, the best is yet to come."
"What do you...?"
Said put his finger to his lips, ordering her silence. The serving girl
came forward and placed a pottery bowl full of powder in front of Kate.
The actress glanced at Said in wonder, as the girl touched a match to
the powder, causing it to flare up brightly. Kate slid back with a
start as the flames leapt higher. Across the table, Said seemed to
disappear into the smoke that was now rising from the bowl and slowly
filling the room.
Kate tried to stand, but her arms and legs felt like lead weights. Her
nostrils detected a strange smell, an odor, not at all unpleasant, in
the smoke. She remained seated as the aroma got stronger and stronger,
seemingly taking on a physical presence that coursed over her body,
caressing and arousing her.
Kate was aware that something was wrong, and tried to call for Said,
but the words wouldn't form. She was finding it more and more difficult
to think, her mind drifting aimlessly as the smell continued insinuating
itself within and around her body. Gradually the smoke began to clear.
Kate sat quietly staring at the flame as it sputtered and died in the
bottom of the pot.
Now she felt hands slowly massaging her shoulders, knowing without looking
that it was Said. His hands continued to move, up to her neck, down her
back, fueling her tranquil state and encouraging her to relax more and more.
"I *told* you the best was yet to come, Kate. Now you are feeling more
relaxed than you ever thought possible. Although your conscious mind
cannot hear me, you will remember these words as long as you live. They
will become a part of your memory. As you hear them they will become *your*
words and *your* thoughts. Everything that passes between us shall be buried
deep within you, entwined with your soul, part of the essence of your being."
Kate stared sightlessly ahead as Said's words burned indelibly into her
mind, bonding with her subconscious. Suddenly Jim appeared, seated across
the table from her. Said continued speaking.
"You see a man, Kate. He is the object of your desire. He is your universe,
your sole reason for being. Your Sun and your Moon, he is everything to
you. Without him, life would be nothing. Kate, the desire that you have
for this man burns eternally within you, and will nurture you always."
Jim felt a lump form in his throat, as well as a bulge in his trousers.
He could not believe the scene playing out before him. A horrible thought
popped into his head. If this was all a practical joke, he would be the
world's biggest laughing stock. He hurriedly dismissed the thought and
concentrated on the woman before him. Said spoke once more.
"Rise up, oh beautiful Kate, and stand before your Master."
Kate stood and walked around the table, stopping in front of Jim. He
stood nervously, unsure of what to do next. Said issued an instruction.
"Kate, you must kiss your master. This kiss will bind you to him for
eternity."
Kate leant forward and lightly kissed Jim on the lips. She began to sway,
starting to fall. Jim quickly caught her and held her close. He looked
to Said for guidance.
"We must return her to her trailer. She will sleep until morning."
The two men eased Kate into the waiting taxi. All the way back to the
set, Jim kept waiting for her to jump up and start laughing at him. But
she never awoke, and the two men gently placed her on the bed of her
trailer and closed the door, before retiring for the night.
Jim, however, couldn't sleep a wink.
- - - - -
Jim sat in a funk, his breakfast lying untouched before him, trying not
to stare out the window at Kate's trailer. He managed a few sips of
coffee, then saw Kate standing in her doorway. She looked radiant, and
it was all he could do not to jump up, run right over and sweep her into
his arms.
He sat and watched as Kate, with a confused expression, called one of the
crew over to speak with him for a moment before going back into her trailer
and closing the door. Damn, Jim thought, something must have gone wrong.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock at the door.
"Jim, Miss Winslet would like to see you in her trailer."
Jim almost burst out of the chair, tipping the table over and causing
his breakfast to go flying. He ran out the door, almost tripping on a
cable and toppling several nearby crew members in his haste to get to
her trailer.
Jim tried to calm himself down as he walked towards Kate's trailer. He
knocked on the door and heard the voice of his angel call him in. Jim
took a deep breath and opened the door.
The trailer was much as he and Said had left it the previous night, except
for the fact that Kate was now very much awake. She stood before him in a
floor length dressing gown. Kate was obviously in some distress, with a
concerned look on her face. Jim was petrified, not daring to speak, or
even move a muscle. She walked towards him slowly, stopping only when
their bodies touched. Kate raised her arm and gently touched his face.
"I'm sorry Jim. I've treated you poorly. It's just that...I didn't
understand before how I really felt about you. I pushed you away, when
I should have been pulling you closer."
Jim swallowed hard. His already racing pulse sped up still more.
"I never believed in love at first sight, Jim....Until I met you....
I want to be with you, Jim, love you...I want you to own me. From now on
I will be yours, to do with as you wish. Every woman should have a master,
and I want you to be mine, Jim. Please."
She looked up imploringly at him.
Jim just nodded his head, and Kate buried her face on his chest and began
to sob. He found he was caressing her hair. At last, Jim began to relax,
and was finally able to speak.
"Do you really want me to be your master, Kate?"
"I want nothing else, Master."
"Will you obey me without question?"
"Oh yes, Master. Yes."
"My precious Kate. I will be your master, and you will be my slave."
"Thank you, Master, thank you."
The beautiful actress shyly looked up at Jim, and asked, "Master, how
may I please you?"
Jim reached down and undid her dressing gown, allowing it to slide to
the floor. Beneath it, Kate was stark naked, and wet with anticipation.
"I think you know that already, my love."
Their lips locked together as the couple fell to the bed. Jim knew that
the film was about to slip a bit behind schedule. Last night he had been
hideous, but today he was going to get *really* kinky.
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