Lost and found.

Getting home from work, it unlocked the door. Hearing Her talking within. On the phone perhaps? Opening the door, it started removing it’s clothing. Jacket first. It simultaneously got to it’s knees…

“I’m home, Mis…”

She cleared Her throat loudly. It looked up and spotted Her friend, they sat opposite each other. She on a couch, Her friend on one side of the two seater in the lounge room. Both women looked curiously back at it.

“Miss… Missus. The Mrs…?” It clumsily recovered, suddenly remembering it had started to take off it’s coat? Understandable. But why was it on it’s knees?

It leaned a leg forward. Of course! It started taking of it’s shoe. Also understandable. Her friend frowned down at it.

“I didn’t realise we had guests! I would have… wouldn’t have…” It stammered.

“I got dropped here by my husband.” Her friend explained.

“That explains the… no car… situation.”

“Long day?”

“Yes! Very tiring…” It was thankful for being offered an excuse for it’s odd behaviour.

‘It’s not because I usually have to strip naked, put a collar around my neck and get on my hands and knees as soon as I enter the house… It’s just been a long day.’ It thought to itself as they continued their chat.

It removed it’s shoes and approached. She was sitting. It was standing. This never happened. She wasn’t looking down at it. It wasn’t looking up at Her. This was wrong. Backwards.

“Can I sit!” Mistress smiled. ‘You’d love me to stand?’ She said with a steely questioning gaze.

“You don’t look well…” Her friend offered. It moved to sit beside Her friend on the empty side of the two seater. As it approached, Her friend moved a pillow so it could sit.

“It’s just a bit of vertigo or something. I…”

Her friend had turned up the pillow. Underneath, sat a small silver key. It had been missing! That’s why reward day was skipped? She’d lost it…

Only it could see it. It thought:

‘I’ll pretend I can’t see it… Sit on it… Neither of them will see… What would I do with the key? Would I give it back? unlock the cage? Reward myself? Only when I knew I deserved it… Would She ever know? Would…’ Too late.

Just before it sat, Her friend spotted the glint of silver from the corner of her eye.

Her friend and it could see it. It thought:

‘If I reach out and grab, it I’ll seem too eager…’

“What’s this little key for?”

She got whiplash. That’s where it had gone. She had stopped caring and gotten used to not being able to find it a week ago. Show’s how unimportant it had become. She didn’t like Her pet being closer to the key to it’s sexuality than Her. The key was picked up. Her friend held it up for a better look. Good, she thought. It hadn’t touched it. No need for punishment so far.

“I wonder what it unlocks?” Her friend asked.

She and it, locked eyes. She feigned confusion. ‘You field that question, boi.’ She thought at it. Her pet read Her mind. It gulped at the key.

“something… small?” It answered. She was pleased. Nice answer. No need to punish it. Yet.

The key was placed on the table beside the lounge.

“Keep it if you like!” She offered. The hair on it’s neck stood, it broke into a cold sweat. She had no proof of this, She just knew. “For luck!” She added.

The key was picked up and examined again.

“What if it opens something important?”

“It might!” It almost shouted. She saw thunder. It had lied. They both knew the key unlocked something that was as close to nothing as you could get without actually being it. The very opposite of important. She would punish it later for telling an untruth to Her friend. But for now… sweetly:

“Could you please do the washing up?”

It turned. Not before giving the key one last glance. Would it dare take the key from Her friend? It seemed to linger for just a moment. She wondered if the thought had crossed it’s mind as it left the room.

“Yes, M… Ma’am…” It stammered out of a potentially awkward habit once more.

She was relieved it had gone. ‘Did a final shred of it’s masculinity think it had any right to retake possession of itself from me?’ She wondered… Reaching out for the key, it was exchanged. Good. She had it back.

“Who knows. It may come in handy?” Her friend asked.

Not likely.

“I guess I should keep it nice and safe… just in case.”

She pocketed the key.