Late Fees

It was five hours into her Wednesday shift, and Sandra was ready to climb the walls.

It was one thing to work the Stacks – to return and shelve books with their due reverence, or better yet, assist someone with locating material in the library’s sprawling multi-storied building. There’s a certain pride in seeing someone’s face light up when she helped a visitor find exactly what they wanted – or better yet, find what they didn’t even know they needed. It was exactly why she’d chosen her career and pursued a master’s in library science.

But she hated working the circulation desk. She was trapped for eight hours, standing in one spot, as little more than a glorified cashier. The padded mat on the floor had long since stopped providing relief, and her feet were aching. She was also fighting a fierce headache – the result of too many sleepless nights this week, not nearly enough coffee, and five straight hours of dealing with them.

The university’s students were a frustrating mixed bag. There were the studious types, who were a blessing in nearly every way – hard-working, polite, and quiet. But Sandra’s enjoyment of them was blunted by those she’d dubbed “the Thotless”. They were a bunch of over-sexed and over-sexualized brats who’d only recently joined the ranks of adulthood. They were stupid, obnoxious, and always managed to find, and step on, Sandra’s last nerve. In fact, the only thing that annoyed Sandra more than them was how much she wanted to throw some of them over a returns cart, tear off their clothes, and just…ahhh!

Sandra had spent her undergraduate years focused on schoolwork. She never had time or interest in parties or relationships. And graduate school took her undergrad workload and dialed it up to eleven, throttling any whispers of her sex drive. But ever since she’d graduated and found employment at the university library, it had all come surging back to life – with a vengeance.

She tried to find outlets for it. She’d tried erotic literature and media, and they were okay, maybe even interesting at times, but not what she needed. She’d tried flirting with people at bars and hoped for at least a one-night stand, but her education left her unequipped to succeed in that area and she gave up after a few too many embarrassing failures. She’d started visiting The Center when her desires built up to the point she couldn’t bear them anymore, but none of what she tried did more than take the edge off for a while. Sandra’s appetite always seemed to come back soon after, and sometimes even worse than before!

So being forced to work the desk and serve the thotless always felt like salting a wound. She’d spend the hours trying not to stare at all the pert breasts in low-cut tops, all the pants that looked like they’d been painted on, all the coeds who looked like they’d walked in right after a run or gym visit and just glistened under the overhead lights. She was practically mad with lust by the time her Desk shifts were over.

Somehow, the thotless weren’t even the worst of it.

There was one student who’d caught Sandra’s eye over the last few months, and she could barely stand to be in the same room as the woman. Serious, studious, soft-spoken – she should be the exact kind of student Sandra wanted to visit the library. But somehow Lorraine Stannis made Sandra’s desires go wild in ways the thotless never could, and her desk shifts were a paradox of lascivious anticipation and soul-deep dread.

Of course, she couldn’t act on her desires – that would be inappropriate. Regardless of how relaxed the university was about a lot of things, she just couldn’t bring herself to get involved with a student. And she had no idea if Miss Stannis would even reciprocate her feelings. So Sandra’s desires stormed around her like a hurricane, with no hope of relief in sight.

That was until last Friday. After a particularly frustrating week, Sandra decided to drop by The Center after her shift ended and try to get some relief, and had the experience of her lifetime. Even now, days later, her thoughts continued to drift back to that night. But Sandra also felt very anxious about the next time she met Lorraine, and wondered what the woman would say about what happened.

 

—

 

Sandra walked through the doors of the Center like a storm, agitation and sexual frustration practically steaming off her. This had been a long day. In fact, this had been a long week, but today was the last straw. In addition to the usual thotless tomfoolery, she’d caught no less than three groups of them attempting to copulate in the library during her last shift. Hell, one group had had the gall to lie to her and try to pass off their fornications as a photoshoot for one of their classes – and then had the nerve to ask if she was interested in joining them!

She’d nearly even said, “Yes”, but there was no way she wanted to give them the satisfaction of finally getting to her. But that experience had brought her libido to a boiling point, and tonight she needed to fuck someone or she would go crazy. And when you needed to fuck, The Center was a reliable place to sate that desire on a ready, willing blank.

She’d tried getting blanked in the past, but didn’t care for the experience. The physical satiation she’d felt afterwards was soured by the lack of any mental stimulation. She knew she’d been used, and used well, by the ache between her thighs and the love bites on her neck and breasts. But her mind craved more even though her body was humming in satisfaction. She’d gone to check out that day, immediately rented a Blank for herself, and spent the next hour running her hands and tongue all over them until they were both thoroughly exhausted and satisfied.

Since then, Sandra always rented blanks when visiting The Center. And while those visits scratched her itch for a time, she was starting to get concerned with how much they were increasing in frequency. She’d even been here earlier this very week, and that was the first time she’d used The Center on a weeknight. And here she was, three nights later, renting another Blank. Something must be wrong with her.

But that was something to think about another day. Today, tonight – she was going to find the perfect doe-eyed blank and teach them to write the alphabet on her clitoris with their tongue. But first, she needed to check in.

Since she was assigned a late shift at the library that night, she arrived at The Center past 10pm – late enough that there wasn’t much of a line at the front desk. Sandra strode up to the attendant and caught his attention.

“Oh, good evening Miss Taggart. It’s lovely to see you again,” he greeted her cheerfully.

“Spare me the small talk and the sass,” Sandra replied hotly, “and show me the list of blanks available for rental right now.”

To his credit, his smile only slipped slightly, “But of course. One moment please.” Sandra crossed her arms and waited, tapping her foot restlessly without realizing it. “Here is the list of blanks available for immediate rental,” he said a minute later, handing her a tablet.

Sandra began scrolling aggressively through the list. “No. No. Not that one. No,” she thought to herself as she looked through the people on the list. She scrolled past one section, then slowly scrolled back up when someone caught her eye. When she finally found the person who’d piqued her interest, Sandra nearly dropped the tablet and felt a cold feeling hit her in the gut.

“What. What is SHE doing here!” Sandra thought breathlessly, as she stared at the entry for Lorraine Stannis.

“She never seemed like…I never imagined she’d…”

Sandra’s mind raced as she struggled to find an explanation for why the studious young woman who so fascinated her would have checked into the center tonight – on any night, really. And while Sandra could imagine the thotless visiting The Center with reckless abandon, she never though she would find Lorraine…anywhere near this place.

“I guess you never really know someone.” she mused.

But slowly, ideas started forming Sandra’s mind with frightening clarity and urgency: Lorraine on her hands and knees in front of Sandra, panting and glassy-eyed with desire. Sandra touching and teasing the woman until Lorraine was putty in her hands. Sandra easing Lorraine’s eager thighs apart and leaning in to find out just how God-damned amazing she tasted. Sandra shuddered at the thoughts.

“Do I?” Sandra asked herself. “Could I? And if I don’t, how could I live with myself knowing I’d let this pass me by?” Sandra struggled with the decision, and noticed a strange icon in the corner of Lorraine’s entry. She turned the tablet to the attendant and pointed it out. “There’s a symbol next to this blank I’ve never seen before. What does it mean?”

Then attendant looked at the entry for a moment before responding, “That means she’s registered for one of the viewing rooms.”

“Viewing rooms? What are they? I don’t remember hearing about them before.”

“They’re used rarely, so we tend to only bring them up to new visitors or those we think might be interested,” the attendant answered carefully. “Would you like an explanation?”

“Yes. Please.” Sandra was desperate for information.

The attendant certainly wasn’t expecting that please and took a few moments to gather himself while Sandra waited with atypical patience.

“Well, viewing rooms are for those with more voyeuristic or exhibitionist interests, as the name implies. There are cameras set up in them that record, well, whatever happens in there, and those who use them are allowed to view the footage afterwards.”

“Wait,” Sandra interrupted, “You’re recording sex tapes for people?” She was aghast at the idea, both in general and at Lorraine being even remotely interested in that. Clearly she’d read the girl wrong.

“Not exactly,” the attendant replied. “The Center doesn’t provide copies of the videos and erases them once all participants’ appointments are over. There are also rules that go with use – like having to fill out additional paperwork and turning in all cell phones and recording devices before being allowed into a room. Actually, you only get them back at checkout.”

Sandra frowned, “Then what’s the point? You record a sex tape that no one ever gets to see?”

“No, sorry. I’m not explaining this clearly. Participants are given a private room to watch the video after sessions. Each guest is allowed to watch their own session with the blank, who is allowed to watch all the sessions once their time is over. We delete all the videos when the blank checks out. It’s actually part of the discharge process. We do it right in front of them so they know the videos are gone.”

“Sounds like a lot of hassle,” Sandra mused aloud.

“That’s what many visitors think, which is why the rooms are rarely used. I think this might be the first time someone’s used one this month. But while some of our clients might not mind their video leaking to the public, others require us to take…precautions.”

“First time this month?” Sandra asked. “Does that mean? This Blank isn’t a regular at the Center?”

“I’m sorry but I can’t divulge that information,” the attendant replied, firmly. Then he softened, some expression Sandra couldn’t read flickered across his face, and he said, “But I don’t recognize her, and since we typically only bring up the viewing rooms to interested parties or new visitors, it’s entirely possible this is her first visit to The Center.”

“Has anyone else seen her tonight,” Sandra inquired, feeling anxious.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that.”

Sandra turned her full attention and irritation on the attendant, who returned her glare with an impassionate gaze. They looked at each other for some time in silence before Sandra was the first to look away. After an awkward minute, Sandra quietly said, “I would like to rent a session with that woman in the viewing room.”

The reply was without criticism or judgemental inflection, “I’ll get the paperwork for you then.”

They spent the next few minutes going through the paperwork, getting Sandra signed in, and storing her electronics in a lockbox behind the front desk. Sandra listened as carefully as she could, but she found the prospect of visiting Lorraine in a few minutes more than a little distracting. After being attracted to her so intensely and for so long, tonight didn’t quite feel real. But eventually, Sandra was all signed in, and the attendant escorted her into the backrooms of The Center – to the viewing room, and Lorraine.

When they got there, he pointed to an intercom on the wall next to the room. “When you’re done, just leave the room, close the door securely, and contact us through the intercom. We’ll start prepping your session video, and then come pick you up and escort you to the room to view your session once it’s ready. Do you have any questions?” When Sandra shook her head, he said, “Then I hope you enjoy your visit to The Center,” before walking away.

Sandra was not ready for this.

All that fire and sass she’d walked in with had been doused the moment she realized Lorraine was here. And spending ten extra minutes at registration going through paperwork and rules hadn’t helped. “Turns out I found the answer to quieting my sex drive,” Sandra mused dryly. “It was paperwork all along. But why did I have to find that out tonight of all nights?”

She needed to go into that room – needed to see Lorraine.

Sandra opened the door, and saw the room unfold before her. Downlights in the ceiling illuminated the room with a warm, dimmed light, giving it an almost hushed atmosphere. The bed, with plain white sheets and a simple wooden frame, sat flush against the back wall. Sandra couldn’t see it, but the camera should be to the right once she walked in, near the head of the bed angled towards the foot. At the moment, Sandra was a little distracted by the woman curled up like a puppy under the covers.

Lorraine’s eyes started to flutter open, and Sandra felt like she’d been punched in the gut. “Keep your cool Sandra. She’ll be watching this later – watching YOU later,” she thought to herself. So she took a deep breath, blew it out slowly in a whistle, and spoke up before entering the room and closing the door, “Well, what do we have here?”

Lorraine turned towards the noise and started stretching under the covers before slowly rising to her knees and turning to face Sandra. She watched the sheet fall from Lorraine’s shoulders with intensity, exposing a beige negligee with one shoulder starting to slide down. Her dark brunette hair was bed-tumbled and glorious. Sandra took note of the collar around Lorraine’s neck – standard issue for blanks at The Center. And indeed, Lorraine’s green eyes were as hazy as any other blank, but the smile starting to bloom on her face made Sandra want to jump with joy.

“She’s perfect. She’s so perfect,” Sandra thought as she broke out in grin and slowly approached the bed. She had to say something, but her brain was distracted jumping rope with the butterflies in her stomach. So all that Sandra managed to say was, “Someone seems happy to see me. Give me a kiss?”

Lorraine’s smile broadened at the words, and she reached up to cup Sandra’s face. She pulled herself closer, and proceeded to give Sandra wet, clumsy, passionate kisses. She pulled herself even closer to Sandra and started rubbing her breasts against the woman while moaning into her mouth between kisses.

On another night, with another person, perhaps this would have been well-received – but this was not that night, and Sandra was not that person.

Sandra stood there, silently receiving Lorraine’s attention while her opinions of the woman went up in flames. “What…what the fuck is she doing? Is THIS what she’s like when she’s blanked? I’ve been with blanks before, and none of them were this…disappointing. For fucks sake, she’s…she’s acting like one of those damn thotless but on steroids.”

Maybe it was the long day. Maybe it was the long week. Maybe it was Sandra’s struggle to come to terms with her sexual desires after years of repressing them. Or maybe it was the woman she had a crush on acting like an over-exaggerated bimbo slut that finally reignited Sandra’s temper. She was not happy, and it was at that moment that Lorraine began trying to stick her tongue down the librarian’s throat.

“NO,” Sandra thought. “OH HELL NO! This is NOT happening. I did not come here, work up the nerve to see this woman, and fill out all that goddamned paperwork to have THIS be what happens tonight.” And the last thing she thought before she started seeing red was, “If she wants to act like one of those damn thotless, then I am going to treat her like one and fuck her fucking brains out.”

Sandra pulled back and looked at her soon-to-be fucktoy for the night and said, “Oh, someone’s been teaching you all kinds of naughty lessons.” Adding a little more heat to her voice, she continued, “And while that was very good, I think we can do better. Pay attention now – THIS is how to kiss someone properly.”

Sandra gave Lorraine her best demonstration, starting off with a closed-mouth kiss that was anything but chaste. When she broke that kiss, she leaned right back in and took a firm grip on the younger woman’s lower lip with her teeth. Dragging her teeth across Lorraine’s lower lip felt like ecstasy, and when Sandra finally finished the Blank opened her mouth to moan. Sandra took advantage of the opportunity to flick her tongue teasingly just past Lorraine’s lips, only to have the Blank lose control, lean in, and try to throat-fuck Sandra with her tongue again.

“Fucking slut,” Sandra thought as she took charge of the situation, and the Blank, by gripping the woman’s hair firmly at the back of her head – right at the scalp. Time to remind her who’s in charge. “Ah-ah-ah~” Sandra chided, clicking her tongue. “I told you. To pay. Attention.” Dominance asserted, Sandra returned to giving the chastised Blank a thoroughly educational snogging.

After a few minutes, Sandra felt she’d made her point and pulled away to inspect her work. The poor blank’s eyes were even more dazed than normal, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, and her breaths short and…was she moaning as she was catching her breath? The sight was utterly erotic, and Sandra’s effect on the woman gave her a thrill of sublime satisfaction.

“Fuck! This is the first time I’ve ever gotten so rough with a blank, but I could get used to this,” Sandra thought, appreciatively. Over the next minute or so, Sandra watched the light slowly come back to the woman’s eyes. “Or maybe…it’s because it’s THIS blank,” Sandra wondered, brushing her hand against Lorraine’s face and feeling giddy when the Blank wordlessly leaned into her palm.

“There now. How did you like that?” Lorraine responded to the question by biting her lower lip before her mouth widened into a cum-drunk smile. “Fuck, did I actually make her cum from that? Is she just that much of a slut?” Both possibilities made her giddy.

Sandra asked, “Would you like me to teach you more?” Lorraine replied with a nod. “Well alright then.” So, Sandra taught Lorraine, grateful for the exploratory studies she’d done as part of understanding her own nascent sexual desires. And while instructing the willing, eager blank, Sandra glutted herself in the indulgence of those same experiences with the woman’s body. She taught her the subtle differences in texture between kissing someone’s lips, their neck, their fingers, and their ears. She taught her how to excite with light touches, and with firm, more forceful ones. She slowly ran her nails up the back of the Blank’s scalp and watched her eyes flutter and her voice squeak.

And Lorraine was a GLORIOUS student, even when she was blanked out of her literal mind. Granted, it sometimes took several attempts for a lesson to stick, but Lorraine was very eager to earn Sandra’s praise. A slight correction here, “Touch like this,” some subtle encouragement there, “No, kiss like this instead,” and she’d eventually internalize the lesson well enough to no longer require instruction. The first time Sandra told Lorraine, “There you go. Good girl,” they both shuddered in ecstasy.

It was impossible for Sandra to not get drunk on the experience, to forget where she was, and forget what exactly she was doing. Which is how she ended up naked and kneeling at the edge of the bed, hiking Lorraine’s clothes up over her hips, and edging her pussy for who knows how many times before she noticed how overheated the blank was looking. But Sandra was barely in her own right mind at the time, and gave the woman an offhand, “Are you feeling too hot? Take that off then.”

Sandra watched her lover take hold of her clothes with both hands and tear them in half with a visceral growl before throwing the destroyed garment across the room. And when she turned her attention back to Sandra, Lorraine was glistening and heaving and looked desperate. Sandra took a hard swallow as she looked first towards the ruined negligee, then back to the feral blank, and worried that she might have taken this too far.

When she first started visiting The Center, they’d warned her about getting blanks too worked up. They said something about the mind-blanked state bringing out the animal in people. It was fine when people felt like puppies happy to be touched and cuddled, or when they were cum drunk from orgasms. But there had been issues in the past when people had scared blanks or teased them without release for too long. They didn’t go into details about what happened, just warned her against doing that. In fact, that was part of the reason why they made blanks wear those collars – to monitor their vitals and intercede if needed for the protection of the blank or their visitors.

The collar around Lorraine’s neck didn’t look any different to Sandra, but the way the blank reacted worried her. They way Sandra had treated Lorraine worried her. She’d been angry that Lorraine was acting like a thotless and had taken that out on her. In the process, she’d gotten so cum drunk on the experience that she’d forgotten about taking care of the woman she was with.

Lorraine had come here tonight to have a good time. And even though that had nothing to do with why Sandra had originally come here tonight — Lorraine, and her good time, was Sandra’s responsibility. She didn’t want The Center staff to have to intervene and interrupt the session, and she didn’t want Lorraine to have to watch that in her videos in the morning. So, it was time to step up, and take care of the woman that Sandra realized she liked as more than just a passing crush.

“I think I’ve kept you waiting long enough.” Sandra told Lorraine, wrapped her lips around the younger woman’s clit, and brought the feral Blank to a vocal climax. “I worked her up for a really long time,” Sandra thought. “Let’s give her another orgasm, just to be sure.” So Sandra brought Lorraine to a second orgasm that was nearly as fierce as the first.

“There. That should be better now,” Sandra said, pulling away from the blank and taking an appraising look at the situation. Lorraine looked like she had checked out on the cum drunk express, and was taking deep breaths while staring blankly at the ceiling. “It might take her a while to come down from that,” Sandra thought. “But I want – I NEED to be here for her until she does.” So Sandra climbed into bed next to the blank, close enough to touch her but far enough to give her space to breathe. She trailed one hand down Lorraine’s arm, twined their fingers together, and said, “That was a lot Dear. Take as much time as you need to come down from that. I’ll be right here.”

And over the next few minutes, Sandra kept vigil over the recovering blank, watching the light slowly come back to her eyes and musing to herself about the remarkableness of the night. After a few minutes, Lorraine’s breathing steadied, and she turned to face Sandra. “Welcome back,” Sandra said, giving her a soft peck on the lips. “How do you feel now?” The blank groggily turned towards Sandra and gave her a hug – sighing with quiet contentment.

Sandra laid there holding Lorraine in her arms, enjoying the feeling of their arms wrapping around one another, breathing in the scent of Lorraine’s sweat and her hair. The feelings bubbling stared to overwhelm her.

“Oh God fucking dammit,” Sandra thought to herself. “Really?! After all that?! We did all that, and my libedo still wants more?! AHHHH!!!” Sandra swore she could feel how wet she was without even having to touch herself, and fought to not wiggle her hips in agitation. “I mean, it…it makes sense, since I never actually came but this sucks. And she’s probably done with me for the night. I mean, she…she doesn’t want more too, does she?”

“Ah, fuck it.” Sandra thought, before saying aloud, “Do you want to just cuddle now, or do you want to make me feel good too?” She felt so embarrassed to ask this of Lorraine, and even more embarrassed at being embarrassed. Here she was, making a fool of herself.

Lorraine pulled away from Sandra and started trailing kisses down the librarian’s naked body, teasing Sandra with her nails just as she’d been taught. Sandra, not expecting this reaction, couldn’t stop herself from fluttering her eyes, stretching back, and spreading her legs. As she felt the Blank’s breath on her pussy, Sandra giddily told her, “Then show me how well you learned, and FUCK ME.”

And somehow, someway, that woman’s blanked, addled mind remembered everything Sandra had taught her tonight. She’d half expected Lorraine to bring her to a quick, focused orgasm, but no. Lorraine took her time building tension with her tongue and fingers. And while Sandra was far too horny to last very long, Lorraine’s technique made the experience feel luxurious rather than rushed. As the wave of euphoria passed, Sandra shouted one word.

“More!”

Lorraine resumed pleasuring Sandra, and the librarian’s eyes started rolling back in her head. Sandra tried to distract herself, tried to try to last a little longer, but that was become increasingly difficult as her orgasm-honeyed mind tried to do anything more significant than gush. “Oh my GOD. This is so fucking good. SHE’S so FUCKING good. Oh fuck I’m gonna…” A second orgasm tore through Sandra. It wasn’t enough.

“MORE!”

Sandra started having difficulty seeing and thinking clearly at that point, but she felt Lorraine perform what seemed like a twenty-one tongue salute on her pussy. It didn’t take long before a third orgasm crashed through Sandra like a thunder clap, and she knew she needed to stop at that point. So Sandra tried to tell Lorraine, fought to speak up, and eventually managed to say, “Enough! Enough. Oh God…Oh, that was great. You were so great.”

She felt the woman pull away from her, and then Sandra was just gone for a while. She drifted blissfully for several minutes, incapable of rubbing two thoughts together. Eventually, Sandra came down enough from cloud nine to get up a bit on her elbows and look down her body towards Lorraine. Two green eyes looked up at Sandra expectantly from between her legs. Lorraine was kneeling on the floor, waiting for Sandra to tell her want to do next.

Sandra couldn’t help but smile and say, “Come here you.” Lorraine scampered into bed where Sandra quickly pulled her into a hug and a lengthy cuddle session. Tonight was the most wonderful night of her life. Sandra didn’t want it to end, but as the minutes ticked along she knew she needed to go soon.

“I don’t want to leave, but probably do need to get going..,” Sandra said before reluctantly letting go of Lorraine. She started getting dressed, while Lorraine sat on the bed and watched her. As she put on her top, Sandra finally noticed the camera, attached to the wall near the head of the bed. She tried not to stare, but seeing the camera made her feel awkward.

When she was finally dressed, she turned around, and realized Lorraine was still sitting there naked. Sandra took a moment to find Lorraine’s earlier outfit, and when she went over to inspect it, realized it was beyond repair. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to salvage this,” she told Lorraine, with a dry smirk on her face. She walked back to Lorraine and said, “Well then, let’s get you into bed. You’ve got to be exhausted and we can’t have you catching cold.”

Sandra watched Lorraine crawl under the covers, sat at the edge of the bed, and started running her fingers through Lorraine’s hair. Sandra started humming as well, though it took her a minute to notice. Slowly, Lorraine closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Sandra got up, careful not to wake the woman, walked to the door, and opened it to leave.

“What an amazing night,” Sandra thought to herself. “It was wonderful, and unbelievable. And…and I’m never going to see her again, am I? This is the only night we’re ever going to be together like this, isn’t it?” Sandra started feeling a bit melancholy. “But…what should I do? What…COULD I do?” Sandra just wanted to turn around, and, and, and…

“And why the fuck not?” she thought to herself. “This is something I want – SHE is someone I want in my life. I’m taking the chance.” Sandra closed the door, walked back into the room – right up to the camera. Steeling her nerves, she looked up to the lens and quietly said, “I hope you paid attention Dear. I quite enjoyed our time together, and would be more than happy to see you again – here, or elsewhere. And I would LOVE to see what you’ve learned, if and when we ever meet again.” Her message delivered, Sandra left the room and closed the door behind her.

Then she promptly leaned against the wall and steadied herself as the night finally started catching up to her. “This…was unbelievable – IS unbelievable,” Sandra muttered to herself. “It was…she was…” She eyed the intercom on the wall. “I’m going to need a minute before I call them.”

After taking several minutes to steady herself, Sandra finally used the intercom to contact the front desk and inform them she’d finished her session.

“Okay, we’ll start processing the video, and I’ll be along to escort you to your viewing room in a few minutes,” was the reply. Sandra furrowed her brow at that. Hadn’t this been the viewing room? A few minutes later, the same attendant from check-in came by to collect her, and they made idle conversation while walking to the next room.

“Have you enjoyed your visit to The Center tonight?” the attendant asked.

“Yes. Very much so.” Sandra replied. “I was curious about something though. You said you’re taking me to the Viewing Room – I thought that’s where I just was.”

“Oh, the branding from corporate describes the entire experience as ‘The Viewing Room’, so we tend to use the term to describe both rooms. But technically, we’re leaving the filming room and going to the viewing room now.”

“I see,” Sandra replied. “I guess that makes sense.” Sandra noticed some more attendance pass by them by, heading in the opposite direction.

“By the way, we noticed the blank’s vitals spike at one point.” The attendant looked over his shoulder and asked, “Did something happen?”

Sandra’s heart jumped into her throat, and she slowed to a stop. “I…,” she started, unsure exactly what to say. “It’s probably best to be honest,” she thought to herself. “I got a little too rough with the Blank – wound her up too much.” She quickly added, “I took care of her right after I noticed, but…that’s probably what you noticed.”

The attendant had stopped to look at her, and asked, “Was she injured by what happened?”

“No!” Sandra replied quickly. “I just…teased her and got her very worked up before either of us…you know…” Oh God, she was mortified by this, for several reasons. “I didn’t hurt her, and I don’t think she hurt herself. She just…” Sandra stopped and looked behind her. “She did damage what she was wearing, destroyed it really. But that’s it.”

“We do warn people to not get blanks worked up like that,” the attendant said slowly. “And for good reasons.”

Sandra lowered her gaze and swallowed hard, feeling chastised. “Yes, I forgot at first, but remembered when she damaged her outfit.” Unsure what else to say, Sandra added, “I’m very sorry.”

“I’ll check the blank then and make sure she’s okay.”

Her eyes shot up at that. “Yes. Please do check on her. I want her to be okay.”

The attendant was silent for a moment, eyeing her up. Finally, he said, “Good. Now, please follow me to the room.”

Sandra followed in silence for a few minutes, chewing over the conversation. Eventually the attendant opened a door for her. The interior was dimly lit, with a TV hanging on the far wall and what looked to be a couch just inside the door.

“Your session will show up on the monitor when it’s ready,” the attendant told her. “The remote is on a table in the back corner of the room, next to a phone. Give us a call when you’re done, and we’ll escort you out.”

Sandra went to step in, but a thought was nagging her. So she turned to the attendant and asked, “Why did you ask me what happened in the room?”

The attendant furrowed their brow. “Why wouldn’t we ask about that?”

“Because you were already sending people to the room, weren’t you?” Sandra swallowed hard at this. “They passed us in the hall on the way here, right?”

“That’s correct,” the attendant replied cautiously.

Sandra’s mind kept turning the conversation over. “Actually, you could probably watch what was happening in the room – through the camera, right? You saw exactly what happened, so why did you ask me when you already knew?”

The attendant looked at her silently for a few moments before answering. “Yes, we can see the feed into the rooms, though we only observe when we have cause for concern. We don’t spy on people’s sessions without cause.”

“Which I gave you.” Sandra said quietly.

“You did, and that’s why we dispatched a few staff members to check on the blank.”

“So why ask me what happened in the room?”

“Because whether or not you were honest with us would be important in deciding if you would be welcome back here again.” Sandra felt a cold sweat when she heard that. “But you were honest, and you seemed genuinely concerned about the blank. That makes a big difference to The Center – and to me, since I’m the one who booked you for that blank when you seemed unusually interested in her.”

Somehow, Sandra’s cold sweat got even worse. “You. You noticed that.”

“It was written all over your face,” he replied, a smile on his face and in his voice.

“So…will I… Will I…” Sandra couldn’t force herself to say the words.

“It will be my recommendation that you be allowed to continue visiting The Center,” he told her. “We will need to record there was an incident on your account, and that will factor in if something happens again at a later time. But there shouldn’t be any issues with you visiting The Center again.”

“It won’t happen again,” Sandra promised.

“Good,” he told her. “Now, your session should be ready soon. Please, try to relax in the room until then. Okay?”

Sandra tried to get comfortable on the couch while she waited, but that last conversation had really unnerved her – especially since it happened just as she was regaining her balance after the session. She knew they needed to have it with her, but it left her feeling shaken and a little glum. When the session appeared on the monitor a few minutes later, she felt pretty hesitant to watch it.

She did watch it, and it was a bittersweet experience. She got to watch herself having sex with a blanked Lorraine, and that was still unbelievably hot. She’d love to spend a night with her again, either at the Center or in a more personal capacity. Seeing that moment when Lorraine destroyed her negligee forced Sandra to confront her mistake again. While it was more than a little arousing to see herself take charge of the situation, the weight of what had nearly happened was a sour note in the viewing experience.

Sandra finished watching, surprised her session with Lorraine had lasted over an hour. In the heat of the moment, it felt like it had passed by in a flash. Sandra eyed the monitor and considered playing the session again. By now it had to be past midnight and she probably needed sleep more than she needed a second viewing of the footage. Sandra felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth at that thought as she picked up the phone and called the front desk to be escorted out.

On the way out, the attendant informed Sandra that their recommendation had been reviewed and approved, and she would be able to continue visiting the Center – as well as confirming that Lorraine seemed in excellent health. Sandra felt immediate relief at both pieces of news, and thanked them. She collected her items at the reception desk, filled out her discharge paperwork, and went home to get some much-needed rest.

At least, Sandra tried to, but when she closed her eyes, it didn’t take long for her thoughts to start drifting back to Lorraine. The way she felt and sounded and tasted stayed with Sandra, like a ghost haunting her that night. She finally got up around five in the morning, made a pot of coffee, and tried to do something productive and distracting. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very successful in that. The thoughts of Lorraine stayed with her all throughout the day. While she was able to claim a few hours of exhausted sleep after that, thoughts of Lorraine stayed with her through the next day, and the next. And the next. While Sandra could distract herself briefly, she was unable to keep the effort up for long. She even considered visiting The Center again, but decided against it.  She had no idea what she would do if she found Lorraine there again.

 

—

 

That is how Sandra spent the last five days – sleep-deprived and day dreaming of the woman she’d finally slept with after desiring her for so long. Even though it was only Wednesday, she felt exhausted – and a bit anxious. It made shifts like today even more unbearable.

Sandra hadn’t seen Lorraine since that night, but she was bound to run into her again in the library someday. She just didn’t know how well she would react to that meeting, especially as tired as she felt right now. Sandra really hoped she felt more rested the next time she did see Lorraine.

For now, Sandra needed to focus on getting through the day.

She finished scanning one student’s books and called out, “Next.” A strawberry blond stepped up to the counter with two books, a low-cut top, and the giggles. Sandra checked her out as quickly as she could, feeling her blood pressure climbing and her headache intensifying.

“Next,” she said again.

The parade of faces continued, seemingly endless. There was a blond man with green eyes, the school’s letterman jacket, and a couple National Geographic magazines. “He probably thinks there will be nudes in them,” Sandra thought to herself. After him, a young Hispanic woman in a polo shirt wanted to borrow a primer on interpreting tax codes. “Better her than me.” After her, a brunette woman with green eyes walked up.

Sandra froze.

“Oh no. Oh~ no no no. Not now – please not now!” she through to herself.

There stood Lorraine Stannis, sliding her books across the counter. Sandra noticed Lorraine’s outfit looked quite lovely today. Even though she wasn’t looking directly at her Sandra thoughts flooded her mind.

“Now is not the time!” Sandra mentally chided herself.

Sandra went into autopilot to try and save herself, scanned the woman’s library card, and scanned the first book. The scanner uttered an angry beep at the attempt. She tried again, with the same result. Frowning, Sandra tried another book, and it too failed to scan. Confused, Sandra checked the books to see if they were labeled for “In Library Use Only”. The first book, “Tarnsman of Gor”, wasn’t labeled that way. Sandra reviewed the second book: “The Story of O”. Why did that seem familiar?

She silently swore as the realization hit her. “Sex book. It’s a sex book.” Sandra looked close at the cover of the first – a muscular man in a loincloth stood over a half-naked woman. “Wait, was that a chain connected to a collar? OH MY GOD – They’re both sex books, aren’t they? Why? Why today, of all days?!” She dared a glance at Lorraine, and saw the young woman’s face grow redder as she sheepishly avoided looking at Sandra. Oh yeah, they were both sex books.

“Why the devil weren’t they scanning?”

“I’m sorry, but there seems to be some issue.” Sandra told the young woman, desperate to keep her voice steady. “The books seem to be in order. Let me check your account to see if there are any issues there.”

“Thank you,” was the quiet, embarrassed reply. Those few words were enough to make Sandra’s heart start to race even faster.

Sandra reviewed Lorraine’s account on the nearby computer, and quickly found the culprit. Lorraine had two overdue books on her account that should have been returned by Monday. The system had prevented her from borrowing again because of late fees associated with them. Sandra reported all this to Lorraine, careful to keep her voice even.

“Yes,” Lorraine said, “I got distracted this weekend and forgot – but I brought them with me and dropped them off when I arrived.”

“And thank you for that Miss Stannis,” Sandra started to say, feeling thrilled and terrified at the extended conversation. “But it’s library policy to not lend new material out when there are late fees on a person’s account. Do you have money with you to pay the fees Lorraine?”

“No, I’m sorry,” Lorraine said, brushing hair away from her eyes. “I wasn’t expecting the fees, and I left my wallet at home.” Looking up, she continued, “Also please call me ‘Lori.’ I prefer that n-” She stopped suddenly.

And Sandra watched with escalating horror as Lorraine, no, Lori’s eyes widened. She paled, her earlier blush disappearing rapidly. Her lips silently mouthed two words — “It’s YOU.” Then Lori’s eyes moved down to something on Sandra’s shirt, and she slowly said the words, “You’re Sandra Taggart?”

Sandra tried to keep herself from visibly reacting, but she wasn’t confident she’d succeeded. “Yes, that’s my name,” she replied.

“I’ve. We’ve. Met before.” Lori told her, in a bit of a daze.

“Yes, I’ve seen you around the library many times.”

“No, I. I don’t mean.” Lori began before the person behind her interrupted.

“Hey, could you get a move on!”

Lori started to look around anxiously, and Sandra decided to take charge of the situation. “Yes, I believe I know what you’re referring to, but now isn’t the time to discuss that.” Sandra told Lori, feeling a sharp jolt of pain at how sad that seemed to make the young woman. “As for your books. You promise me that you returned them earlier today?” Lori silently nodded. “Then I’ll make an exception and override the error on your account to allow you to borrow these. However, I will ask that you pay the late fees as soon as possible – either in-person or online.”

“Thank you,” Lori replied with a small smile. “I’ll pay them online as soon as I get home.”

And hearing that Sandra was struck by a feeling, a temptation, that nearly knocked her off her feet. “Do I? Dare I?” she thought to herself. She wished she had more time to think it over, more time to consider.

“Oh fuck it!”

Sandra grabbed a nearby pen and library pamphlet. Turning back to Lori, Sandra said, “Here’s a pamphlet with information on the library’s website. There should be a link to the fees information on the front page.” Then Sandra hesitated before adding, “But if you needed additional help,” she said, writing something on the paper, “this should point you in the right direction.”

Sandra tucked the paper inside one of Lori’s books and processed her order. She handed the books to the young woman, who gave Sandra a shaky, “Thank you,” before stepping away. The person behind her stepped forward, and impatiently started checking out. While Sandra was processing their books, she also kept an eye on Lori as she left. Sandra was looking right as her as the young woman took the pamphlet out of the book, looked at it, and whipped her head around to stare at Sandra with her mouth hanging open.

Sandra felt it was a good sign. Lori had found her phone number written on the paper. Beneath it were the words, “At work until 5. Free after 6.”

She smiled, gave the young woman a very slight bow of her head, and went back to focusing on the customer in front of her. When she’d finishing checking out their books, she looked up to find Lori gone. She felt a little sad, but hopeful. The impossible had happened twice already. Sandra believed lightning could, would, strike a third time.  First, she needed to get through the rest of this shift.

 

—

 

Sandra’s shift passed in a blur. She ordered takeout and picked it up on the way home, making sure to plug in her phone to charge soon after she walked through the door. Then she waited, nerves finally catching up to her.

She didn’t need to wait long, as her phone started ringing a few minutes after six.

She answered, her heart hammering in her chest. “Hello?”

The voice on the other line sounded as nervous as her, “Hello. Is this Miss Taggart?”

Sandra considered that for a moment. “It is, but please call me ‘Sandra’. Thank you for calling.”

“You’re welcome, Sandra,” replied the voice before breaking out into a small fit of giggles.

“I take it you got my message Lori?” Sandra inquired.

“Yes! Well, both of them, actually.” More giggles. After a few moments, Lori asked, “So. What do we do now?”

Sandra couldn’t stop smiling, and giggled a little herself when she replied, “Honestly, I hadn’t thought much past wanting to see you again. Now that I have? I still just want to see you again. How would you like to have coffee sometime?”

“I’d like that,” and Sandra could hear the smile in Lori’s voice as she replied.

They talked for a few more minutes, working out the details of their first date. Or was it their second? When they finished and said their goodbyes for the night, Sandra laid out on the couch and thought about the unbelievable events that had occurred today – well, in the last week. She had a date this weekend. She had a girlfriend, potentially. She felt happy and hopeful in a way she’d never felt before.

Sandra closed her eyes, and almost immediately drifted off to sleep – and to dreams of happy days to come.