Grand Re-Opening

7am. Other than Costa Coffee on the corner of Cecil Court and Charing Cross Road, most shops along the Court didn't open until 10am. This suited Joanne just fine, as she was not what one would call a 'morning person'.

The aroma of bacon had seeped into her bedroom, though, and the muted sounds of her grandmother moving around in the kitchen had awoken her. She knew she should go out and help prepare the breakfast but she wasn't ready to relinquish the security of her bed just yet. Pulling the covers up to her chin, Joanne curled up on her side and clenched the edge of the comforter with both hands.

Just over two months had passed since she had met with the KSN recruiter at her college campus. The six weeks spent at the training centre seemed to fly by so quickly, and now she wondered if she was adequately trained for what she was doing? She was no 'operative'. She didn't have the experience her grandmother had. What the hell had she been thinking? This was no game! Agent X, her mentor during training, had been right when she said London was far different than the University or Long Riston, where she had grown up. That was driven home quite clearly when a squad of MRU goons barged into her store the previous weekend and searched her store, and rather rudely searched her. There was no Warrant presented, they just entered and did as they pleased. That had been very unsettling, yet she had managed to keep her wits about her and pretend that it hadn't affected her.

Knowing she absolutely had to get out of bed soon, Jo closed her eyes to hide from the world for just a few more minutes. Doing her best to suppress her anxieties, she focused her mind on the question she had just asked herself. What the hell had she been thinking? She had been thinking that she might make a difference, that she might help bring some sanity to the insanity of the present regime. She remembered what she had told the KSN recruiter, and recalled the feelings of unity she experienced while training in Edinburgh. This was a real movement. People were actively rebelling against the Ultra-Moralist regime. She had wanted to join that rebellion, and here she was dammit!

The grip she had on her bedding loosened as she turned over onto her back and opened her eyes. She was not alone here. There was an entire team of KSN supporters in the city. They had resources and experience; they knew what they were doing, and that was a very reassuring thought.

When she had first arrived in London her grandmother told her that the first order of business was the business. In order for Leather Bound to continue serving as a safe house it must first stay in business. Much of what it took to run the ancient book store she already knew from her frequent visits over the years. The accounting and financial aspects that she hadn't been so involved with earlier had been mastered in her studies at the University. As her grandmother covered each topic Jo understood the requirements, and had already seen some ways in which she might modernize and improve upon the methods that had been used for who knows how long.

The arrival of the four women, who were still in the basement of the safe house, had been a little premature. There hadn't been any plans to shelter anyone for a few more weeks, but things had changed that made it necessary to move the schedule up. As a result, Jo had not yet been shown the features of the building in which she lived and worked. She had been given her first glimpse of the house's secrets the previous Saturday once the MRU had left and the doors had been locked.

Returning to the poetry room, Jo was not at all surprised to see that it was vacant. In fact the entire store was devoid of anyone except for her and her grandmother. She watched as her elder went to one of the bookcases and, with a theatrical movement, demonstrated how to release a latch that held the bookcase in place. The case swung outward and Jo was ushered through the opening and down a flight of stairs. Once at the bottom of the steps she saw the four women and the man...Mr. Taylor, in a warm and comfortable room.

The women seemed quite nervous, as could be expected, while Mr. Taylor, who her grandmother introduced to her as Major Taylor, was quite calm. His demeanor seemed to rub off on everyone, including herself, as he chatted and explained the function of the house and what was expected of the women while they were there. They were told their stay would be as brief as possible and to not lose sight of that as they might spend upwards of two weeks together in the small quarters. "In the meanwhile," he said to the women, "Joanne will take good care of you."

This was said with such confidence that it made her blush, but it also filled her with the desire to not let him down. There was no doubt in her mind that she would not be there if Major Taylor had not approved it first. Even if she wasn't convinced of her abilities, he must've been. And she wasn't completely on her own yet either, as her dear grandmother was still running the safe house while she tagged along like a puppy dog, eagerly picking up every morsel of information she could.

After leaving the women and returning to the main level of the store, Christina had led her granddaughter up to the apartment, and then up one more flight of stairs to the bedroom she was currently using. It was a very nice sized room that had front and back facing gables with windows. Against one of the windowless walls facing the neighboring building there was a large cherry wood chest of drawers sitting on a beautiful floor throw. She held on to the corner of the bulky dresser and pulled on it, sliding it away from the wall quite easily on the carpet. Behind the dresser Jo saw a small opening.

Both women stepped through the rectangular opening and Christina reached back through the opening and used a handle to pull the dresser back into place. Joanne looked around the small room to see a table, a desk, and a couple of chairs. On the desk was a wireless transmitter. The KSN communications room! Christina opened a narrow door and told Jo that it was the entrance to a stairwell that went between the walls, all the way down to the basement. That entire end of the structure had double walls, allowing for the stairway to be undetectable from the sales floor and the apartment above it.

Joanne had used the secret stairs several times in the past week to check in on her guests. Their gratitude for what she was doing for them provided the impetus she needed to get past the MRU raid and focus on her new responsibilities.

Having restored some of her self-confidence, Joanne threw back the covers and propelled herself out of the bed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that she had cowered beneath her covers for about five minutes and that she had plenty of time to join her grandmother for breakfast, shower, dress, and prepare the store for the day's Grand Re-Opening event. Most of the work had been done the previous day, she just needed to set up some card tables in the main sales room for the caterer, and make sure her displays were all in order. She grew more excited about the day ahead as she thought about what was about to occur.

The date of the Grand Re-Opening had already been announced to the public a full week before the escaping women had arrived. During the following week, they received word that the Major was planning to take advantage of the re-opening event to move the women out of the shop and on to their next stop. 

As the time to open the shop approached, Christina told her granddaughter that they were to just concern themselves with the store. "Our people will filter in and take care of the ladies. They'll move them out one by one while we tend to our customers. The less you think about what they're doing the better. Leave them to their jobs while we do ours."

With the number of visitors that passed through the store during the next several hours Joanne really had no time to worry about her four special guests, anyway. The turnout was much better than she had anticipated, and there were people constantly coming and going. Grandma Tina was especially enthusiastic to introduce her to a columnist from The Journal who had recently written a very nice article on the shop.

At one point later in the day Joanne caught sight of Major Taylor passing through to the rear of the shop, but then a couple of ladies approached with their purchases and she turned her attention to them. So far she hadn't seen any of the women being moved out of the store so she wondered if they would be starting now that he had arrived. The Grand Opening was actually due to end in half an hours time, so she was a little surprised that they had waited so long.

"What a quaint little shop," one of the women said as she placed two novels by George Eliot on the counter. "I think I could spend all day in here." The other woman drifted off to scout out the catered hor d'oeuvres that Christina was helping to consolidate at the far end of the counter.

"Thank you so much," Joanne replied as she took the books to scan them. "I appreciate you stopping in today."

"Oh I just had to. I love the Court, and come down from Knightsbridge every couple of weeks to shop." The woman extended her hand, "Olivia Wright," she said.

Joanne shook her hand and responded, "Joanne Hallewell."

"I see you like Eliot, Miss Wright," Jo commented as she slipped the books into a small soft leather bag. The leather sacks were obtained from a local leatherworks shop and were embossed with the Leather Bound Logo. Christina's accountant had picked apart the tax code to find a loophole that allowed the expense to be written off as an advertising cost. Jo was pleased to be able to use something other than a paper or plastic bag to package her rare books in.

Olivia leaned over the counter, capturing Jo's hand in hers, and in a hushed voice said, "I admire Miss Evans for using a male nom de plume. She was very brave to publish her works in a time when women were suppose to be seen and not heard."

Joanne looked at the woman and smiled. What was she suppose to say to that? She was right, of course, but why whisper it? Was she implying the current political and social atmosphere was comparable to the mid 1800's? That was a scary thought, but one that she had to admit was more true than not.

"Yes, that's an astute observation, ma'am," Jo finally replied, removing her hand so she could give the woman her receipt. The woman’s gaze was somewhat unsettling as she seemed to be ogling her leather clad body. She had felt more than one set of male eyes following her movements during the day and this felt very similar. 

"Oh, I'm sorry dear," Olivia said as she straightened up and took a step back. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just admiring your adorable...outfit."

Jo knew damn well it wasn't her outfit the woman was admiring. She blushed from the attention, but quickly recovered. "Thank you, ma'am, yours is very nice, too." Indeed, the woman's black spandex ensemble was stunning and she looked quite beautiful in it. It wasn't an outfit that came off the rack at TK Maxx. Judging from Olivia's reference to living in Knightsbridge, a very posh neighborhood, the outfit was no doubt tailor made for her.

"I heard you're new in town, Miss Hallewell." Again, the woman's eyes seemed to have a hard time finding their way up to Joanne's, but when they did there was no hint that her leering was in any way improper. There was definitely an air of entitlement about her, as though she was used to doing as she pleased. She reached over and took a pen off the counter and used one of Joanne's business cards to begin jotting something down.

"Yes, actually," Jo replied, looking down to see the woman writing an address on the back of the card. "I've only been in town for a couple of weeks."

Several people emerged from the hallway leading from the back of the store and Joanne saw Major Taylor among them. She quickly scanned the faces of the others walking near him and recognized Gloria, the wife of the man who worked in the Justice Department, being led on a leash by some man she didn't recognize. It was her, yet it wasn't her. Either her hair had been dyed, or she was wearing a wig, and there was something different about her nose and chin...maybe it was just how her makeup had been applied.

"Splendid!" The card was handed to Joanne. "I'm having a social this evening, you must stop by."

Jo's attention was snapped back to the woman. "Um...excuse me...what?"

"Tonight. Eight o'clock. Here's the address."

"I...I couldn't possib..."

"Peter!" Olivia cut Jo off in mid stammer as she noticed Peter walking towards the sales counter. A few of the people who had come out of the back, including Gloria and her escort, were on their way out of the shop, while others milled around the sales floor. There were no indications that Peter had been with any of them.

"Hello Olivia," he said. "Fancy bumping into you here, how have you been?" He extended his hand to shake Olivia's but she pulled him in to give him a peck on each cheek.

"I've been marvelous, darling," the woman gushed. "Where have you been hiding yourself? You haven't come around since, well, you know..."

Since my regenerated wife abandoned me and I was forced to divorce her in absentia, Peter finished her sentence in his head.

"I've been keeping busy with work, you know how it goes..." he smiled and laid a 15th century map book that he intended to purchase on the counter.

"Tsk, tsk, darling," Olivia fawned over him. "I was just inviting Miss Hallewell here to my social this evening. Why don't you come up to the house, it'll be grand."

The woman looked at Joanne and smiled when she saw the blush on her cheeks. It was obvious the poor dear was terribly embarrassed by her forwardness. She had heard the woman was from somewhere out in the country and she imagined she was feeling a little overwhelmed by the big city life. That made her smile even more. Just the type she might take under her wing...and such a beauty, too!

"In fact...why don't you come together? You can be her escort!" Olivia exclaimed, puffing her bosoms out like the mother hen getting her chicks in line.

Peter's smile didn't fade as he said, "Oh, you're a devious one, Olivia." He shook his finger at her. "Not that I wouldn't mind having that honor, but I'm sure Miss Hallewell would prefer choosing her own escort."

"Nonsense!" the woman stated rather more curtly. "This will be a delightful blind date, and it'll be good for you to get out, Peter dear. I'll see you both at eight." Turning to her friend, she said, "Come Lani, we'll leave these two to get acquainted."

Olivia picked up her purchase and met her friend at the door. They exited without a backward glance.

"What the hell are we going to do now?" Joanne whispered as she rang up Peter's book.

"Well, considering her husband is an MRU department chief, I'll be back at seven-thirty to pick you up."

Joanne stood, frozen, and watched Peter walk out the door.

After closing up the shop, Joanne and Christina retired to the upstairs apartment. They went through Jo's clothes and finally settled on a rich brown lambskin leather mid-calf skirt and a faux leather blouse with long lace sleeves. Stepping into her high heels, Jo stood before a full length mirror and wondered aloud if the neckline dipped too low. Her grandmother assured her it would be perfect for one of Olivia's parties.

"You've been to one her parties, grandma?" Jo inquired, eager to learn anything she could before getting there.

"Me? No, but I know how they are over there." Meaning the rich part of town. "The elites live by a separate set of rules, and they dress as they please."

"Well then, maybe I shouldn't be wearing leather. Maybe something a little more formal." She went back to her closet and thumbed through the few cloth dresses she had.

"No, you go like this." Christina came up behind her granddaughter and put her hands on her shoulders. "This is who you are, Jo, and it's important that you feel at ease in what you're wearing. You do like leather, don't you?"

The truth was, she did. She loved wearing leather. She had loved the smell and feel of it since she had been a young girl. "Sure, it's okay," she said, not wanting to discuss her secret fetish with her grandmother!

"Uh-huh," Christina said, giving a hint that she suspected there was more to it than simply being 'okay'. "And you'll probably be wanting to wear one of these, won't you?" The older woman fingered the leather collars sitting atop Jo's dresser. "Which one? This nice narrow fashion design, or maybe this wider one. I say, this is a beauty."

"Grandma!" Jo snapped. She snatched the wide collar out of her grandmother's hand and put it in the top drawer of the dresser. "I'll go with the narrow one." The wide collar was her "fantasy" collar, and she was embarrassed that she had left it out in plain sight like that, and even more so that her grandmother had seen it and held it in her hand. She had to be more careful!

Slipping the narrow collar around her neck, she adjusted it so that the small ring was centered in the front.

"You look beautiful, dear. Will you be okay with Major Taylor leading you?"

Joanne knew that her grandmother was referring to the idiotic law that required all females to be "secured" and in the presence of a man while in public. What sort of bondage freak was coming up with these laws?!

First women were not allowed to be in public without a male escort. This was suppose to be for their protection against unwanted sexual advances. Then some extended that "protection" to include the wearing of chastity devices to ensure the female's virtuous state. Secured? A woman could be considered to be secure in the presence of her male companion, but images of more physical means of security began popping up in the media, advancing the idea that security meant restraint. Don't let your woman stray. Images of happy women wearing collars, and even wrist and ankle cuffs, began appearing in newspaper and magazine ads as if this had always been the norm. It was amazing how quickly society had changed in the short time since the elections!

Looking at her reflection in the small mirror on top of her dresser, Joanne admired the inch wide leather band around her throat. Just as wearing leather had become something of a fetish for her, so had certain ideas of bondage and discipline. For her, the new laws had freed her to experience a fraction of her sexual fantasies. But while this was very liberating to her, she resented the government dictating the same disciplines on all women, ninety-nine percent of whom did not share her fantasies. And even though she was heterosexual, she didn't believe the government had the right to arrest lesbians and forcibly Regenerate them. That was just barbar....

"Jo?"

"Oh, sorry grandma. Yes, I'll be a good and decent woman and be thankful for the Major's protection." It was the "proper" answer, and she knew her grandmother would recognize it as such.

Major Taylor will be leading me! That thought caused a flurry of images to quickly fill her mind. Although she had only seen Peter a couple of times since he had materialized to save them from discovery the previous Saturday, she had thought of him quite a bit. It was unbelievable to her that the man was not married or in a relationship. Good lord, he was handsome and in good shape, not to mention intelligent and handsome...did she already say handsome? A military man, too, who was very disciplined. He could discipline her. Maybe she was in need of some discipline...some very harsh discipline...

A buzzing sound came from a small speaker on the wall, startling Jo out of her daydream.

"Ah, and speaking of the Major, that will be him at the door." Christina stepped over to the panel and pressed a button allowing the front door of the shop to be opened.

A moment later Peter arrived at the apartment door and was ushered in.

"My, don't you look nice, Peter," Christina said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm quite jealous of you, Joanne."

"You're sweet, Tina," Peter replied, giving the elderly woman a hug while glancing past her at Joanne.

Wow! She really was a beautiful sight in that outfit.

"So what's your stories for the night?" Christina asked, meaning, how would they be presenting themselves.

Turning to Joanne he said, "We'll go with mostly the truth. I've known your grandmother for a few years because of the store. We'll have to say that you and I hadn't met before today, even though you've been here often to visit. We don't need any fancy back stories, just keep it simple. Present yourself as you are, the new owner of the shop, fresh out of college, new to the city, etcetera. I know these people through my various jobs, and they know me, so my story is nothing new to them."

"Just watch yourself, Jo," Christina said as she handed Peter a short leather leash. "You're walking into the devil's den. George Wright is MRU elite and there's bound to be other high ranking government officials there. Be careful of what you say."

"We'll be fine, Tina," Peter said as he clipped the leash to the ring on Jo's collar.

"Ready?" he asked Joanne.

Jo swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, sir."

She hoped her response sounded more confident than she felt.