Page 7 of Promising Little Poppy

To all but be handed the person who captured her attention—and then her emotions with that look of pure despondency when she collided with CJ in the cafeteria—on a silver platter was something she couldn’t possibly pass up. Anything to give her that sense of purpose she had lost since the demise of her last dynamic.

Even if she certainly wasn’t looking for love. Even if she was only here for a finite time.

Even if… even if… even if.

There were a million reasons it was a horrible idea

And just about a million reasons why it was the best idea at the very same time.

Now, she just had to hope the other woman was as interested in what Master Derek had to offer.

Whatshehad to offer.

As CJ and Sadie approached the meeting spot, she saw Derek and the woman standing nearby. Seeing the woman’s red-rimmed eyes and an equally rosy nose, CJ could tell she had been crying, and a tiny bit of her heart broke on the woman’s behalf. Her hands were balled into tight fists and a gentle tremble seemed to take over her body as she raised her eyes to meet CJ’s gaze for the first time.

It took CJ’s goddamn breath away.

“Thanks for meeting us down here,” Derek spoke. “Sadie, you are excused back to your class.”

She scurried off after a quick kiss from her Daddy, leaving CJ, Derek, and the woman she hoped would be her temporary Little standing next to the check-in desk.

“Now, I know this is a unique situation that we have stumbled upon and that the two of you still have yet to be formally introduced. However, I’ve checked with the staff and have confirmed that we do have a two-bedroom suite available. What I would like to suggest to you, CJ, is that we transfer your belongings into the suite. Poppy and I have already had a chance to have a nice, long conversation, and she has agreed that she would be comfortable with bringing her items from her assigned dorm here to the main building for the duration of your stay.”

Poppy,CJ thought with amusement.Her name was Poppy.

Like the flowers that filled her grandparents’ fields every early spring in crimson reds and coral oranges. In bright, vibrant yellows, and soft, lavender blues. The flowers that, while they often didn’t bloom long, always stole the show from every otherflower in the garden as they swayed in the gentle cool breezes of the mid-day sun.

Not allowing her mind to wander far, she forced herself to tune back into the present, listening intently as Derek continued to speak, “Of course, I have a bit of a leg up as I know both of you—at least through what your files have told me. However, while I believe you are well-suited to learn from one another, all boundaries and limits will be something that must be fully communicated and consented to between the pair of you.”

She was really going to do this.

CJ was going to say yes to a temporary dynamic with this beautiful woman in front of her knowing nothing more than her name and what she looked like.

But that was a lie, and CJ knew it.

Sure, she might not have known how Poppy tasted or have been able to describe how soft the other woman’s skin would feel under her fingertips. Yet she had known without a doubt that Poppy was broken and scared, that she was running from something. And if she had to put money on it, CJ would bet that it was she herself Poppy was trying to run from.

“Yes, Sir, I would be fine with that arrangement,” CJ directed toward Derek. Then, turning the rest of her attention to Poppy, she continued, offering an outstretched hand and a smile that she hoped hid the nerves coursing through her body. “Hi, Poppy, it’s nice to finally officially meet you. I’m CJ.”

Poppy

It didn’t take long for the two women to pack their respective belongings, Poppy choosing to leave behind most of the smalltrinkets and tchotchkes she had collected over the last few years in her dorm. She focused on clothes, determined to treat this as a vacation instead of her normal, winter college break. Although at the moment, she felt the entire thing was more like a science experiment than anything else.

She had momentarily been embarrassed when Derek suggested pairing her up with CJ for a few weeks. The Ranch owner told Poppy he thought a Caregiver dynamic could benefit her as it could provide structure and routine that could help her overcome some of her anxieties, while at the same time helping her to maintain a better hold over the things Poppy constantly felt were spiraling out of control. For a split second, she was confused, explaining to the owner that she wasn’t interested in women, but having taken numerous kink education classes through the Ranch, she knew that kink and sex didn’t always have to go hand-in-hand. Her decision was cemented though, when Master Derek went on to explain even more about the dynamic—the very type of dynamic he lived daily with his wife Sadie.

Secretly, Poppy had always looked up to Sadie, thinking she was one of the nicest and prettiest girls she had met since coming to the Ranch. And while she often didn’t cross paths with the owner’s wife, she knew Sadie was a Little and had a penchant for always pushing the buttons of her husband.

That was how Poppy found herself standing outside the two-bedroom suite, nervous and apprehensive yet with an excitement simmering within. She was torn between knocking or simply letting herself into the suite with the key she’d received from the front desk.

After nearly pacing a path on the floor, she decided to be brave. Key card clutched firmly in hand, Poppy waved it in front of the door.

Only for a red light to flash on the handle.

“What the...” she found herself saying out loud to no-one in particular.

Again, she swiped the key in front of the handle and again she was met with a red light. Poppy tried holding the key in front of the sensor, flipping the card so the opposite side was facing the handle, she even tried tapping it directly against it but time and time again, she was met with a red blinking light.

To anyone walking by, the sight probably looked comical.

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