Page 19 of Stripping Little Seraphina
Sera smiled, leaned her head back on the towel, and closed her eyes. When she was soft and pliant, I helped her out of the tub and toweled her off before getting her pajamas then putting them on her. I tucked her into bed with a fleece blanket and found a story on my apps library to read to her. Her lashes fluttered as I read aloud, her body relaxed, her lips curving faintly even in half-sleep.
By the time I whispered, “Goodnight, my good girl,” she was already drifting off, safe in my care.
Chapter Eight
Seraphina
The invitation had looked so sweet when I first read it—pink stationary, sparkly gel pen doodles around the edges. A tea party. Hosted by some of the other Littles in my class. It should’ve made me giddy. It did, at first. I imagined tiny cupcakes with piped icing, mismatched teacups, maybe even little crowns or stuffed animals gathered around the table.
But the longer I stared at the invite, the more the dread spread. That wasn’t justfun. That waspublic. That was me showing myself in front of others. If I wore a dress, if I brought my stuffy… they’d all see. What if I looked stupid? What if I got it wrong? At least I’d remembered to smile and say thank you when I’d received it froma woman with piercing blue eyes that I later found out was Alisha.
“Don’t forget to bring your dolls or stuffies!” she said enthusiastically when I told her that I was interested in coming.
By the time I dragged myself back to my suite, I was wound so tight I wanted to scream. What was acceptable to do at a tea party? I wouldn’t know anybody there, or maybe I would, but I didn’t know who else was invited. She’d given me the only invite that she’d had in her hand.
Mistress V looked up from where she was perched on the couch, her sharp black locks falling into her eyes.
She arched a brow. “Why do you look like someone canceled Christmas?”
I threw the invitation on the coffee table and flopped down, crossing my arms. “Because I can’t go.”
She picked it up, read it, and then looked back at me with something dangerously close to amusement. “A tea party. Hosted by your peers. And you’re sulking because…? Why can’t you go again?”
“Because it’s ridiculous,” I snapped. “Because I’d make a fool out of myself. Because everyone would see me.”
She leaned back, studying me. “So you’re scared.”
“I am not.” My cheeks burned. “I just don’t…want to do it.”
Mistress V tilted her head. “What if you didn’t have to do it alone?”
That caught me off guard.Huh?“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she said slowly, as if testing each word, “if I went with you, would that make it easier?”
I blinked at her. “You’d go to a Littles’ tea party? That’s not… that’s not your thing.”Or had I misunderstood? Could Dominants be Littles too?
Her smile curved, a little wicked, a little gentle. “Sweetheart, my ‘thing’ is making sure you don’t lock yourself away out of fear. If it takes me sitting in a chair sipping apple juice out of a plastic teacup, I’ll do it.”
I stared at her. She was serious. My chest squeezed.Dare I hope that she was as serious as I wanted her to be?
“I’ll even wear a suit,” she added, “if you wear one of your pretty floral dresses. Preferably pink. I like how soft and innocent it makes you look. Maybe afterward, I’ll soil you in it. Turn the beautiful girl into a pretty mess.”
My blush reached my ears. “Do you have a pink button-down?” Yes, I wanted her to match.
“I’m sure I can find one by tomorrow.” She winked.
“That’s… bribery,” I proposed, as my mind began swirling together excitement and future planning.
“Motivation,” she corrected. “Do we have a deal?”
Somehow, I found myself nodding. We sure freaking do! But I couldn’t show her how excited I was just yet. I needed to see her in this pink button-down.
The next day, I was twirling in front of the mirror, my blushing-pink dress fluttering around my knees, my favorite bunny stuffy clutched to my chest, and the flower in my hair that Mistress V had given me this morning. Mistress V had emerged from her room in a crisp, black suit with shorts instead of pants, pink satin short-sleeve button-down, pink, white, and black tie perfectly knotted, and I hated how my stomach flipped when she offered me her arm. Her black-and-white sneakers didn’t take away the appeal of her in a suit. It had done quite the opposite. I licked my lips when I saw her and now understood why Daddy was on the table as an endearment. Her energy always felt more masculine than feminine, but today it seemed to radiate around her. Her shades didn’t help. They only made her summer vibe that much more appealing.
“You look lovely,” she said, with such certainty that I believed her, even though my skin prickled with nerves.
“Thank you, Mistress. You’re absolutely handsome.”
