She's just happy being a good girl

Author's note: This is a long chapter: 5900 words. Sorry for the delay in posting, it obviously took me some time to write, and work and life haven't been particularly conducive for writing lately. Chapter 25 is still in the works too. Another longer chapter, it seems... Hope you like this one! Let me know!

**

Katie's eyes slowly fluttered open. Once she remembered where she was and what she had been doing, the momentary confusion from waking up after fainting quickly faded and was replaced by an aroused contentment. Her head rested on Andrew's stomach, gently moving up and down with his breath. Her hand lay limply across his lap and atop his slowly deflating penis. He softly stroked her shoulder with slow, lazy circles that stoked her arousal in a way she had never experienced before. It was like his fingertips gave off electric sparks that ran directly to her wet sex.

Andrew must have noticed her stir because he softly whispered, "Welcome back." His voice honeyed her mind and made her smile sweetly. Katie felt content and comfortable.

She didn’t want to move. She left her head resting on his stomach and reveled in the exquisiteness of his skin against hers. "That was amazing," she said. "I don't think I've ever cum like that before." It seemed like a weird thing to say to her boss at first, but she knew he appreciated that she was open and honest... especially about good things like that.

Andrew chuckled, and she felt his stomach bounce accordingly. "I take it you’ve never blacked out from an orgasm before?"

Katie turned over to gaze up at him. She felt her hair stick against the side of her face, but thought nothing of it. His hand, which was previously stroking her shoulder, found a resting spot on her bare breast, leaving behind pleasant goosebumps and amplifying the wonderful tingling sensation between her legs. The desire to go another round with him started to overcome her unwillingness to move, but she knew better than to give into her carnal desires - he was her boss, after all. She smiled up at him, and lost herself in the depths of his forget-me-not eyes.

"Never," she said sweetly, before slightly laughing, "Have you ever had a woman pass out while jacking you off before?"

Andrew chuckled. "No, no... That was also a first for me." He looked at her with a mixture of lust and adoration. His gaze drifted from her eyes and began taking in the sight of the nearly naked woman in bed with him. The list began to overpower the adoration.

Watching his eyes switch from a human emotion to an almost animalistic fervor was enough to break Katie's arousal out from her containment. She felt his hand stir slightly on her bare breast, and she reasoned that maybe he needed her to take care of him again. "Want to go for a second round?" she asked with a mischievous smile. She reached up and began stroking his chest.

Andrew smiled and looked her in the eyes once again. His rational mind appeared to be back in control, but he debated her offer for a second before responding, "As much as I would love that, we should probably make ourselves presentable and not miss an entire day of this convention."

Katie fake pouted. "Boo," she said before smiling again. At least one of them had the good sense to not lose themselves in professional hedonism. "But OK. If that's the case, I should probably shower." She brought her hand up to her face and began wiping some of Andrew's semen off of her cheek. Her expression failed to conceal her disgust. "I shouldn't really walk around with this on my face. It's pretty-"

"Sexy," interjected Andrew, before quickly adding, "Don't you agree?"

Katie looked at Andrew's seed on her finger. 'Sexy' wasn't the word she was going to use, but... he wasn't wrong. It was kind of hot wearing his semen on her face like a well-earned trophy. It wasn't something she had ever considered before, but she could certainly see the appeal, especially if Andrew liked it.

Katie grinned at her boss. "Yeah? Does it turn you on to see a woman wearing your semen like war paint?" She took her finger, covered in his cum, and wiped it across her other cheek.

Andrew immediately responded, his voice was lustful and husky and his eyes burned like a cerulean flame. "Oh, you have no idea."

Katie giggled, feeling herself get even more aroused by her boss's reaction, but she knew he didn’t want to waste the entire day in bed.

"Well, we’ll just have to remember that for later. Right now, we have to get ready for the day. I’m going to go shower."

With that, Katie got up from the bed and began walking towards the bathroom, adding an extra sway to her step to give Andrew a better show. Halfway there, she glanced over her shoulder at her naked boss, who was still lying in bed. His eyes were transfixed on her butt and his erection was making a quick recovery.

"Are you coming?" she asked with a smile.

Andrew wasted no time whatsoever and jumped up from the bed.

**

Katie, Carmella, Andrew, and Martin were sitting at a dimly lit table in the speakeasy booth where Katie had first met Carmella. The four of them had a light lunch and, having finished their food, were enjoying their drinks and entertaining light conversation. Andrew and Martin both had scotch on the rocks and were casually enjoying it. While Katie never enjoyed the taste of scotch, she had begun to appreciate the men who did. With their mutually sharp suits — Martin's was caramel and Andrew's was a dark navy blue — the way they held their glasses added a sexy sophistication to their image, especially since Katie didn’t dare dream about how expensive it was.

Katie had chosen the radler again, despite Martin’s slight glance of disapproval when she ordered it. She found it fitting, a good way to bookend the convention considering that her time there was coming to an end. Besides, Andrew didn’t seem to mind that she ordered something less 'sophisticated', and his approval was all she needed.

Carmella's drink, however, seemed to meet Martin's approval, although it also appeared to be more than she bargained for. Even with her foundation and blush masking her flushed cheeks, Carmella's dopey smile and slightly glazed eyes gave away just how she was feeling. Her pink cosmopolitan sat half-finished on the table in front of her and perfectly matched the color of her vinyl top, if you could call what she was wearing a 'top.' It ran like a band across her chest, covering her nipples with barely three inches of material before it split into two, wrapping behind her neck and around her back. Katie knew that her own breasts would completely fall out of a top like that, but Carmella's large implants simply projected forward as if gravity didn’t exist.

Carmella idly played with a lock of her delicately curled blonde hair while she intently listened to Martin beside her as her regaled them with a well-rehearsed story. Her flawless makeup and exquisite hair made Katie feel slightly self-conscious. Katie had always been lucky enough to be able to get away without styling her hair if she didn't have time. The dark brown curls that cascaded over her shoulders were from rushing out the door after her lengthy shower with Andrew. Most women fawned over Katie's natural curls, but she always felt self-conscious whenever she wore her hair like that, as if doing nothing to style it was some sort of crime.

Still, her morning tryst with Andrew and their subsequent romp in the shower was well worth it. Katie's mind wandered from Martin's story and she recalled the feeling of Andrew's skin against hers as the water poured over them, the taste of his chest when she kissed him, and the feeling of his erection against her belly as they embraced tightly and caressed each other. His hands had electrified her skin with every touch - she couldn't get enough of it. She remembered how amazing it felt when he grabbed her butt, how her breath hitched when he pinched her nipples, how her sex begged for his finger to find it again.

Katie bit her lip. She caught herself and shook her mind from the daydream, but the effects of her reverie persisted. Her heartbeat was elevated, her nipples stiffened beneath her flimsy black tube top, and she felt her womanhood was flushed and wet in anticipation. She knew that it was unusual for her to be as regularly horny as she had been that week, but it felt too good for her to really care. Besides, she also knew that the men in her life wouldn’t complain. Even though he had toned down his requests for sex since they had moved in together, Jake always seemed eager for it whenever she was, and being constantly titillated meant that she would happily take care of Andrew whenever he needed it. Being aroused meant she could be a good employee.

She placed her hand in Andrew's lap beside her to see if he was as turned on as she was. To her disappointment, his penis seemed to be taking a break, but within moments of her fingers delicately dancing circles in his lap, she felt him stir and grow. A small smile formed on her face as a wave of excitement coursed through her body — she knew he was enjoying it. She was being a good girl.

"Anyways, the club's accountant had these massive... oh my," Martin interrupted his own story as his eyes snapped up from Andrew and Katie to track some movement behind them. "She's stunning," he said. His brown eyes sparkled behind his golden glasses.

The other three turned their gaze to see the woman who had captured Martin's attention. She walked slowly past the speakeasy booth, lacking any urgency or clear destination. It seemed as if she was walking around the hall to be displayed like a living piece of art. And if any woman could claim that accolade — the title of art — it was her.

Her dark brown hair was cut and styled perfectly into a bob that ended just above her shoulders. Her skin appeared smooth and flawless, as if it had been painted on with an airbrush. Like Carmella's implants, her breasts and buttocks projected flawlessly from her figure — a testament to the artisanal crafting of her plastic surgeon, especially considering the red lace monokini that partially wrapped her body was the only clothing she wore. Lastly, the musculature of her legs, the tautness of her belly, and the grace she exhibited while walking in ridiculously tall heels belied a rigorous discipline and dedication to being a piece of art, a living sex object.

The sight of the woman left all four of them briefly speechless. Katie assumed they each had their own thoughts about her: Martin probably admired the price tag associated with sculpting a woman like that, Andrew was likely drooling over her physique (she knew he had a thing for strong legs), and Carmella was probably fantasizing about her jewelry and shoes.

But despite how absurd the woman might look outside of the convention hall, Katie couldn’t help but admire something else entirely. Whether or not it was written in a physical contract, it was clear that this woman’s job was to look like a living statue dedicated to femininity — and she was excelling at it. Somewhere, there was a boss very happy with their employee.

It almost made Katie squirm in her seat.

Carmella was the one to break the silence. "You should invite her to our room tonight!" she said, probably louder than intended, but not at all concerned about who might overhear.

Katie turned back around and grinned. "I didn't know you two were swingers," she said jokingly.

"That would be Carmella," Martin corrected. His eyes stayed fixed on the woman for a few more moments before looking at Carmella and continuing, "If she had her way, we'd have a new partner in our bed every night." He grinned before turning his gaze to Katie. "I'm afraid I'm a devout monogamist and Carmella respects that.. even if she sometimes suggests otherwise."

“Hey, you can’t blame a girl for tryin'!” Carmella joked.

Martin chuckled and leaned over to kiss Carmella before adding, “And I do suppose my wandering eye is partly to blame.”

“I’d say you’re absolved of all blame for that one,” Andrew chimed in. “You’d have to be dead not to notice her.”

Katie sipped her radler and quietly agreed. The woman commanded attention, like any good piece of art.

“Her body was built so she could peacock, and that outfit left very little to the imagination,” Andrew said.

Katie pointed at Andrew and set her drink down. “I’m glad you mentioned that,” she said. “When were you guys going to tell me?” She looked around at each of them, amused at their shocked and confused expressions.

“Tell you what?” asked Carmella, taking the bait.

“That the theme of the day is to wear as little as possible.”

One by one, the three others pieced together what she said and cracked up. Katie wasn’t just referring to the monokini that the woman was wearing, of course, but also to Carmella and every other woman she had seen that day. Below Carmella’s tiny vinyl top, she was wearing black hot pants and gold knee-high boots, but she was actually almost conservatively dressed compared to some of the other women that day. That morning, Katie had seen more side boob, under boob, and bare butt cheeks than at a college pool party. One woman was even wearing literal strips of tape to cover her unmentionables.

Carmella was the first to respond. “It’s Gala day! Since we’re all gettin’ dolled up tonight, might as well take it easy an’ dress down for the day, y’know?”

“It’s nothing official,” added Martin, “just a fun little thing that caught on a while back.”

“Thank goodness for that,” chimed Andrew and he raised his Scotch glass to Martin, who responded in kind.

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Katie joked sarcastically and gave him a playful nudge on the arm.

Andrew smirked at her after he finished his sip of Scotch. “It crossed my mind briefly,” he said, “but then you distracted me this morning, and I forgot about it until we were out.”

"Oh, sweetie, that corset you had on yesterday? Yeah, that was supposed to be for today,” said Carmella. "Thought your girls might need a little more support than this,” she added, waving at her own vinyl top. “But you looked so thrilled, I couldn’t ruin your fun by tellin’ you it was a day early.”

“Well, what should I do?” asked Katie. She wasn’t overly upset, but she also wanted to fit in. Her tube top and maxi dress certainly covered more than any other outfit she had seen that morning. “It’s not like my last outfit is particularly revealing either,” she said, thinking about the clothes she chose for her last day at the convention and her plane ride home.

“Well, are you willin' to wear the corset two days in a row?” asked Carmella.

“No, I—” stammered Katie. She looked at Andrew and smiled mischievously as she remembered how he had cum all over her corset the night before. The thought of wearing it all day with his cum dripping off it like a badge of honor began turning her on, but she still had the propriety to know that it wasn’t a good idea. Keeping the smirk on her face, Katie turned back to Carmella and said, “I spilled something on it.”

Carmela’s face fell. “Oh no! Please tell me it ain't gonna stain!”

Katie had to take a sip of her drink to keep from laughing. “Hope not,” she managed to **** out.

“You could always take a page from her book,” said Martin, pointing again to a woman behind Katie and Andrew. The woman in question was only wearing a purple satin bra and a matching thong. She had a black leather collar around her neck, attached to a leash that was being held by a man who was at least three decades older than her.

“What?” asked Katie when she turned back to Martin. “I should try petplay?”

Andrew once again expressed his appreciation of Gala day, and the two men toasted.

“Not necessarily,” said Martin once he finished his sip, “although it could be sexy, don’t you agree?”

Katie's body relaxed, even though she wasn’t consciously aware of it. She supposed petplay could be sexy, although she didn’t like the idea of drinking out of a bowl, or whatever. But the power dynamic, the subservience... she was finding it more and more arousing each time she thought about it, each time she thought about submitting to Andrew, of being his subordinate, of pleasing him because he held power over her. She'd be his obedient pet if he needed it. Always aroused and ready to follow his orders... His good girl...

Martin kept talking even as she silently nodded in agreement. Although she was lost in her fantasy, she eagerly listened and processed every word. “No, I meant you could do away with tops and skirts altogether,” he said. “On a day like today, you could walk around in just your bra and underwear, and no one would notice.”

Katie felt her head swimming. It was so strange how the radler would just sneak up on her. Fortunately, through the twists and turns and convulsions in her head, Martin’s words held a distinct sobriety. They offered a footpath that she could follow.

She considered his suggestion. She imagined walking around the convention center in just a bra and thong, joining the legion of women with their butts and cleavage on display. Would no one really notice? Would she just blend in amongst the sea of scantily clad women? As much as Katie loved being noticed and checked out, the idea also excited her. Maybe it was just the ****, or maybe it was her nearly permanent state of arousal, but she really enjoyed the thought of being an insignificant thread in the convention’s tapestry of feminine sexuality. She felt her nipples stiffen again and beg to be played with. She could be another faceless reason for men like Andrew to express their appreciation of Gala day. Just a piece of art with her womanly curves on display...

“Oh, I’m sure people would notice,” added Andrew. “Lord knows I would.”

Katie blushed at her boss’s statement. His words cut through the jungle in her mind like a machete, carving a new path for her to explore.

Of course, people would notice her. Amongst the myriad of gorgeous women at the convention, Katie still managed to turn heads the past few days, and she was ecstatically aware of it. She could only imagine the looks she would get if she were to walk around in just a bra and thong. The idea would have made her instantly wet if she wasn’t already so profoundly aroused. The thought of exposing herself like that, displaying herself for everyone to see and admire — the thought felt almost too good to pass up.

She knew that she’d have Andrew’s constant attention. Even though her nude body was a sight he had seen before, she had still managed to catch him checking her out multiple times that morning. She could only imagine the looks he’d give her if he could stare unabashedly at her bare butt.

The idea was too perfect, she realized. Of course, it was. Martin always had the best ideas. She couldn’t even fashion an argument against it if she wanted to. Firstly, Jake would never know that she was walking around the convention as a piece of eye candy and she wasn’t there as Jake’s-fiancée-Katie, she was there as Andrew’s-sexy-employee-Katie.

Secondly, Andrew was all for the idea. She was sure he'd jump on any excuse for her to shed a few layers of clothing.

Lastly, if Katie herself had an issue with it for propriety’s sake — which she clearly didn’t, but it was still fun to consider the ignorant repression with which she was raised — she knew that a single layer of clothing wouldn’t make a difference. She had spent all day yesterday walking around with her legs on display with her ruffled miniskirt, and the fabric of her maxi skirt contoured the shape of her butt perfectly. Walking around in just a thong? That was hardly different.

It was the perfect idea.

She only wished she could take off her skirt then and there and join the legion of her scantily clad sisters, but there was a significant problem: she wasn’t wearing any panties. After her shower with Andrew, she realized how soaked they were from her passion, and wearing them would only serve as a reminder of what she and Andrew had done. She had wanted to get through the morning with at least a bit of a clear mind, so she stashed them in a small pocket in Andrew’s suitcase as a flirty memento for him to find. It had seemed like a great idea at the time, and it had actually helped her stay level-headed for the morning, but she was kicking herself for it now that it interfered with the great idea Martin had proposed.

“What do you think, Katie?” Martin asked, shaking her from her contemplation. “Don’t you agree that you should ditch the skirt right now and join the movement?”

Katie smiled and blushed. She wanted to. Her mind was aflutter with fantasies, like standing up right there and giving a public show to her friends. And maybe her boss would spank her as she was bent over. Jake had spanked her once, when she had asked for it. He said it wasn't something he wanted to do often, and she didn't enjoy it enough to push it further, but...

But she was sure she'd enjoy it if Andrew spanked her. And then he could grab her butt with those wonderful magic hands of his, and everyone would see what a good employee she was for her boss. It would be fun… and sexy… and it turned her on so much. But…

But she knew she couldn't strip off her skirt there. Flaunting her body in her thong was one thing, if anything it was just "doing as the Romans do", but exposing herself for everyone to see. She wasn't ready for that. She couldn't do that to Jake. Yea, Andrew had seen her naked now, he even played with her bush a little in the shower, but that was different - Katie was his sexy and sexual employee - everyone else here were just strangers.

She couldn't do it and she knew that they’d be disappointed if she didn't. She didn’t want to disappoint them, but surely they’d understand if she told them why. It was important for her to be open and honest with them.

“I… I can’t,” Katie began with a slight stammer. “I—”

“That’s no problem at all,” said Martin, interrupting her with a smile. “Andy and I have to run off to our meeting anyway,” he added, checking his watch.

Katie was stunned silent. She had wanted to tell them her reason. She wanted to make sure they weren’t disappointed, but something in Martin’s reaction gave her pause. His smile wasn’t genuine. It felt rehearsed like his story earlier. Normally, when he smiled, his eyes twinkled with a caring warmth, but this time they felt cold. And not like the sexy kind of cold that gave Katie an arousing thrill whenever Andrew looked at her. Martin’s eyes looked frustrated, annoyed, malicious. Katie couldn’t figure out why, but it made her uncomfortable.

“Is it that time already?” Andrew asked.

"I'm afraid so," said Martin as he rose from his seat and buttoned his suit jacket. Katie felt horrible, like she had really disappointed both of them. She knew from the tone in Andrew's voice that he wanted to stay and watch her strip, but Martin... She had disappointed him too, but she still wasn't sure if that was all he was thinking. That look on his face, the hollowness of his eyes... it bothered her. He also seemed to refuse to look at her while he and Andrew composed themselves, seemingly looking anywhere but in her direction.

He leaned over to give Carmella a kiss, and then whispered something in her ear. Carmella, in turn, responded with an excited smile like she was a kid on her way to Disney World. Just as Katie began to wonder what he was saying, movement to her side reminded her that Andrew was leaving too.

"I should probably fulfill my pleasure duties," she cheekily thought, while excitedly eager to perform said duties.

"Hey," she said to Andrew, who was pushing in his chair, "Don't think you're getting away so easily." She smiled and rose from her seat, bathing in the warm gaze he cast down on her. It was cute how he always checked out her body first before melting her brain with direct eye contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a steamy kiss. As their tongues met, Katie felt her thoughts evaporate. She didn't care anymore about Martin's ulterior motives, she wasn't worried about disappointing either of them, and she even forgot about how over-dressed she was compared to the other women at the convention. All she thought about was how good it felt to kiss her boss, to please him, to feel her nipples stiffen in arousal, and how much she wanted to play with the hard shaft that she felt growing in his pants.

Katie was ready to lose herself in that moment. She wanted it to go on forever, or at least until she could get him back to his room and they could truly appreciate each other’s bodies. She wanted to strip him of all his clothes and feel his naked body against hers. She wanted to caress him with her hands and leave tender kisses all across his torso. She wanted to feel his lips on her skin, on her stomach, on her breasts, on her frustratingly aching nipples. She wanted to feel his erection strain in her hands while he admired the shape of her body. She wanted him to watch her with his sapphire eyes as she took his hardened length in her mouth and really tasted him. A lustful act of subservience.

Just an employee pleasuring her boss.

Katie shivered at the thought. A surge of hot, wet neediness rushed to her loins at the idea. She wanted to pleasure her boss. She wanted to get off while sucking his cock. She wanted to be a good employee for him.

She wanted him to say she was a good girl.

But Martin had other plans. All of Katie’s fantasies were vacuumed up into the back of her mind when Martin coughed, and Andrew broke off their kiss. Katie pouted in response. She really liked kissing him: he was really good at it - better than Jake - and something about it just turned her on so much.

“We can pick this up later,” said Andrew, picking up on her disappointment, “I promise. This meeting should be short. Carmella is going to take you somewhere, and when you’re done, I should be back in my room, so you can find me there.”

This greatly piqued Katie’s curiosity. “She’s going to take me somewhere?” she asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them. Carmella kept smiling like the Cheshire Cat, and Andrew just wore a knowing grin, as if he was certain she would like the surprise.

“Let’s just call it a Gala Day surprise,” he said with a smile.

Katie accepted his response, even if it felt like the magnitude of her curiosity was going to kill her. They finished their goodbye, but not before Andrew grabbed her butt and gave it an appreciative squeeze that made her tremble with excitement.

Once the men left, Katie retook her seat, still reeling with arousal and the fantasies of what she and Andrew would do later. She looked across at Carmella, who gave her an amused smirk before taking another sip of her cosmo.

“What?” Katie asked, feigning ignorance even as she blushed furiously, knowing full well what Carmella was thinking.

“You’re really leanin' into the arm candy gig, ain’t ya?” Carmella responded. She delicately placed the martini glass back on the table and maintained her cocky smile.

Katie opened her mouth to respond, but she didn’t know what to say. She had honestly forgotten about her resolve to be Andrew’s arm candy. She had gotten herself so wrapped up in pleasing her boss and finding pleasure for herself that being his arm candy was no longer an act. It was just something she did. It was who she was. She fblushed further at the thought of it and took a coy sip from her radler. It was kind of hot to think of herself as an accessory for Andrew, as a piece of art that he flaunted around.

Carmella chuckled. Katie’s silence spoke volumes.

“Oh, honey, I’m the last person to judge about inappropriate feelin’s,” Carmella said. “I went to a therapist to fix my work-life balance, an’ now I’m his dang trophy wife. Talk about a plot twist."

The two women chuckled as they thought about their similar situations.

“Honestly? I’m just glad you’re buyin’ into the whole thing an’ havin’ a good time. You’ve come a long way from the sourpuss I met at this very bar a few days ago.”

“Oh my god,” groaned Katie as she thought about how wrong she had been that day and how much she had learned since then.

Carmella grabbed her glass from the table and swirled it in her hand, allowing what was left of the pink liquid to gently roll around. She watched it with a pensive look on her face, as if she was trying to decide what to say next. Katie took the last sip from her own drink as she waited for Carmella to speak, her own eyes were drawn to the smooth rhythmic motion Carmella's drink. She watched the pink **** swirl around her martini glass, leaving legs on the side walls, just to swallow them back up on its next go around.

“You learn a lot at this place," said Carmella without moving her eyes from the glass. Her voice took on a more thoughtful tone than Katie was used to, but Katie also knew the she was more insightful than her bimbo appearance would leave one to believe. "You learn about who you are, about how the world ticks. You go through a lotta changes bein’ here. Everyone’s got an opinion — how ya should act, how ya should look, even how ya should think. But you gotta be careful not to lose yourself in all that noise. You still gotta be you, y’know? ‘Cause at the end of the day, you’re the one holdin’ the reins. You're the one responsible. You’re the one who decides how your story’s written. You can't let nobody take that from you, doncha think?"

Katie felt her shoulders relax while Carmella’s drink continued to slosh about in her glass. She felt her eyes begin to unfocus as the pink liquid continued to swirl.

“It's times like these," Carmella continued, "when you’re learnin’ about yourself and goin’ through all these changes, that’s when ya gotta decide who you are - for you. Not as somebody’s fiancée, or Andrew’s employee, or his arm candy, or whateva' else. You gotta figure out who Katie is, without anyone else’s expectations messin’ with your head, doncha agree?”

Katie’s head felt very foggy. She knew that Carmella was right - Carmella's insights usually were - but Katie needed to take a moment to parse it out. Her brain felt like it was swimming through honey, and she had to wait for it to catch up to Carmella's words.

Unfortunately, it seemed that life had other plans and she wouldn't have time to decrypt the message because just after Carmella finished her monologue, she tapped her phone to check the time and gasped. She set down her glass quickly, letting some of the drink splash out, and started gathering her things.

“Look at me, yammerin' on and on when we have somewhere to be!”

Katie blinked before her eyes snapped up to Carmella, and the world seemed to fill back in around her. She became aware again of the bar they were sitting at, the constant hum of distant conversation in the convention hall, and the weight of the empty glass in her hand. The bar was once again empty except for the two of them, and she watched Carmella gather her phone and wallet into her sequinned clutch and waited. Katie didn’t have anything to gather for herself: she had left her phone at the hotel room to charge, and with her outfit, she wouldn’t have anywhere to put it anyway. As soon as Carmella had her things in her clutch, they stood and left.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” asked Katie. She was hot on the heels of Carmella's golden boots, but the woman somehow walked so effortlessly in her footwear that Katie had difficulty keeping up.

Carmella flashed her a million-dollar smile. “To the salon. The boys have set us up for a makeover,” she said.

“I thought you just told me not to let people tell me how I should look,” said Katie. Her head was still spinning - probably from the radler — and something didn’t seem to add up for her.

Carmella laughed. “No,” she replied, “I said that you’re the one who’s gotta make the choices for yourself. But honestly? I think you’re gonna find this one’s a no-brainer."

Katie wanted to ask for more. She needed to know more. Her brain was still trying to process exactly what Carmella had said in the bar. She needed to make her own choices, and she needed to figure out who she was irrespective of her relationships... But who was she? She was a good employee to Andrew and she was Jake's fiancee, those two were obvious... But that's not what Carmella meant... She-

"Oh!" Carmella exclaimed, stopping Katie in her tracks, both physically and mentally, "When Martin was talkin', I remembered this booth ova' here." She pointed to a large kiosk with all sorts of necklaces, chokers, bangles, and other accessories. She looked back at Katie with an almost sheepish expression. "I gotta go buy somethin’, but it’s, uh, a little awkward. You mind stayin’ here for a minute? I’ll be real quick. Promise!"

Katie nodded and found a wall to steady herself on while Carmella bounced over to the booth. She wasn't used to being so heavily affected by **** and she really hoped it would fade quickly.

In the meantime, she figured she could take a look at some of the other women at the convention and get some inspiration for her trip to the salon. She still had so much to learn.