She needs to figure out what's wrong with him first

"Let us out here," Candice said to the driver. They were only a block away from the apartment. The car pulled over and Richard got out. This time Richard didn't walk around to open the door for Candice. She waited for a few seconds until he got the hint.

"Sorry," he said, opening the door. "I'm a little distracted." He reached down and held Candice's hand as she got out.

"It's OK, I know I don't usually like the whole chivalry thing. But these heels and this dress makes it really hard to get out without flashing everyone." She tried to keep it light and breezy, talk to him like a normal person and not let on how horny she still was, that all she wanted to do was drop to her knees and submit to whatever he wanted. She could tell that's not what he needed to hear right now.

"Yeah," Richard said chuckling, "I could see how walking around in that would be kind of difficult. So why did we stop here?"

"Because you wanted a night out," Candice said, hooking her arm around his, "and the night is still young."

In point of fact, it wasn't even really night at all yet. The last red embers of the sunset were still fading in the sky. Nearby was a trendy bar. It had those big glass garage-door type roll-ups that let them open the interior up to the street on a nice night like this.

"Let's have a drink," Candice said, and led Richard inside. It was still relatively early, so they were able to get some good seats, Richard at the bar corner with his back mostly to the street and Candice across the corner facing him. Everyone watched her as they entered, Candice noted, some more obviously than others. Richard had told her that other men looking at her was a turn-on, so she put on a show.

It wasn't hard, she knew what she looked like. Slowly, she crossed her legs, her left leg fully emerging from the slit on the side of her dress, exposing her skin nearly up to her waist. She felt the warm evening breeze on her partially exposed ass. A man walking by stopped — actually stopped in his tracks. Candice caught his eye and smiled. He almost tripped over his own feet as he turned away.

The bartender took their orders. Richard had another whiskey sour, Candice wasn't sure he'd touched the one at the restaurant. She ordered a martini.

"A dirty martini," she specified and gave the bartender a wink. Damn, she was feeling slutty. She turned back to Richard. He was looking at her, but she couldn't read his expression.

"Penny for your thoughts," Candice prompted.

"I don't know," Richard said. He was quiet for a moment. "If I ask you something, do you promise to tell me the truth?"

"Of course."

"What's going on?"

Candice wasn't sure how to answer the question.

"What's going on with what?"

"With all this," Richard said, his gesture encompassing the entirety of Candice. "The weight loss, the sex. Tonight. Everything."

Candice wasn't sure what to say. She looked at Richard and saw a man trying to work out a puzzle. If this were one of those mind-control stories, Candice knew this would be the part where one of the characters started questioning everything. All the little changes Candice had made to him and to herself had reached a tipping point, and Richard was realizing things weren't normal. Candice took a big drink of her martini.

"I found out about the stories," Candice said. She hadn't planned to say it, the words just came out.

"What stories?" Richard asked.

"The, you know, the erotic ones you've been reading."

"Oh." Richard's eyes widened. He looked away sheepishly, unable to meet Candice's gaze.

"No, it's fine," Candice said, grabbing his hand.

"So is that what all this has been about? Fulfilling a fantasy of mine?"

"No! Well, yes. I'm sorry I snooped on your phone. You'd just seemed so distant lately, I didn't want to lose you."

"Candice, you're never going to lose me." He took a deep breath. "So you lost all this weight and decided to start acting all sexy just because you saw I'd been reading these stories?"

"Well," Candice started, trying to judge how much to tell him. "It started that way. I've always known you liked sex more than me. And I knew I'd gained all that weight and didn't look like I used to. So I started dieting and working out, and I started reading the stories on that site, and honestly, they were really hot."

"Really?" Richard asked, surprised. "You liked them?"

"More than I ever thought I would," Candice lied. "They were so hot, I kept imagining myself as one of the women being controlled and it got me really turned on. So I wanted to act it out with you, but I didn't know how to tell you without making you feel like I was a creep for snooping on you."

In truth, Candice had only found those stories hot for about the last four hours, but there was no need to tell Richard the truth about Master PC. Candice had always believed the saying "Two people can keep a secret if one of them is dead," and she was sure whatever authorities that policed Master PC would come after them if the secret got out.

"So you really, legitimately, enjoyed what we just did?" he asked. He finished off his whiskey and ordered another round. Candice did the same.

"God yes, it was so hot. Honestly, Richard, I'm still horny and I get hornier every time I think about it. That's why I've been so turned on lately, from reading the stories."

Richard let out a huge sigh, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"OK," he said, "so before we go any further, we should establish some ground rules."

"Rules?" Candice asked. "Like what?"

"Like a safe word. So if I'm doing something to you or give you an order you want to say no to, I know it's too far." Richard's confidence was coming back now that the mystery of the last few weeks had an explanation. And yet, his first concern was still to make sure Candice was OK. God, she really did love the guy.

"I don't know if we need that," said Candice. "I trust you."

"I know, but you did say no in the bathroom, and I didn't listen. I just… went with it. I thought you wanted it and I'm glad I read the situation right. But Candice? Just now in the car, I was terrified you were going to say I… assaulted you or something."

Jesus, thought Candice. She'd been trying to give Richard the night of his life, and he'd ended up worried that he had committed ****.

"OK," she said. "A safe word. Do you have something in mind?"

"I don't know, a word we rarely say. Like 'marmalade' or something."

"Sure," Candice agreed. "Marmalade it is. Any other ground rules?"

"I don't know. I guess I want to know what you want. What about all this gets you turned on? What are your fantasies?" Candice wasn't sure how to answer that. Despite what she'd just told Richard, she'd masturbated to a grand total of one mind-control story ever.

"I don't know," Candice replied. "I guess I'm still trying to figure out where I want to go with it. For now it's just the submission. You giving me an order that I obey or being on my knees in front of you. And this," she said, gesturing around them. "Being out and everyone looking at me. I know you said it turns you on. It turns me on too. And being a slut, like you said in the bathroom when you were fucking me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Candice noticed the bartender had stopped cleaning the glass he was working on. A couple other patrons had arrived and were waiting to be served, but he was too distracted eavesdropping on them. He was pretty good looking, Candice had to admit. He was one of those guys that had started to bald in their 20s, and just leaned into it by shaving his head, growing a big beard and hitting the gym.

Richard had noticed too. She saw him glance at the bartender, then at a few other patrons whose eyes were on Candice. It was definitely turning him on. Good, thought Candice, he needs to fuck me soon. She tapped her glass for the bartender to refill them for a second time. As he mixed her drink she took a deep breath, her breasts swelling, nearly popping out over the neckline. He dropped the shaker and had to start over. Richard gave her an approving look, and Candice giggled.

"What about you?" she asked Richard, after the bartender stepped away. "I know you've been reading them, but I don't know exactly what parts you find the most sexy." She realized she was waiting on his answer eagerly. She knew she would do almost anything he told her.

"I guess a lot of the same stuff," he answered. "But the other way around. Being in control, having a willing… slut," he said, using the word for the first time in normal conversation. "That's definitely part of it. I guess the whole fantasy where she's so turned on she just can't say no, getting fucked stupid." She could tell he was getting turned on talking about it. She saw a definite movement in his pants.

"Yeah, you said I was kind of out of it a few times tonight. Which was true, but I was wondering if part of that was you wanting me to be some dumb bimbo. Is that what you want? Me to be your dumb sexy bimbo slut, ready to serve you all the time?" Candice chewed on a bar straw in a way she knew drove guys crazy and leaned towards him, giving him a view of her chest. Just talking about all this had ratcheted up Candice's arousal another level. Richard leaned in as well. They were turning each other on.

"I want you to know something," he said after a pause. "This slut thing? This is a fantasy of mine, but it's just a sex fantasy. I married you because you're a strong, smart, capable woman. I love having an equal partner, being part of a team. Yes, I love this side of you. I want to really explore it with you. But I want you to know that I'd still love you and stay with you even if you said you never wanted to do this again."

And just like that, Candice knew she was safe. She didn't know how far she'd go exploring this new slutty side of herself, but she knew that when she wanted to, she could surrender to Richard's control completely and it would be okay. That feeling of safety made her even more horny. Admittedly, it was mainly the changes she'd made to herself with Master PC, the stares of all the men in the restaurant, and the four martinis she'd had. But feeling safe with her man was a not-insignificant part of it as well.

"That was the most romantic thing you've ever said to me," Candice said. "You need to take me back to our apartment and fuck me right now."

Richard grinned. "I think I can do that."