Page 57 of Minha Dona

Helena smiled mischievously. “It’s not supposed to be.”

***

Once they were dressed, Caitlin went to the bathroom to insert the device and came back with slightly flushed cheeks.

“It’s… present,” she said. “I can feel it.”

“Colour?”

Caitlin smiled. “Verde.”

“Good.” Helena picked up the remote control. “Ready?”

“Wait, you haven’t even…”

With a mischievous grin, Helena tapped a button… the lowest setting, barely even a murmur, but the effect was immediate. Caitlin’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, before composing herself.

“Oh. That’s… oh. That’s ok. It’s subtle.”

“For now.” Helena turned it off. “That was level one.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Of ten.”

“Ten?”

“Ten.” Helena picked up her bag and her sunglasses. “Shall we go?”

***

At the bookshop Helena turned it on… level two this time. She watched Caitlin’s stride falter for half a step before she recovered, saw the slight widening of her eyes as she reached for a book and pretended to read the back cover.

“See anything you like?” Helena asked innocently, standing next to her.

“Several things.” Caitlin’s voice was impressively steady, but she couldn’t hide the brightness in her eyes nor the flush in her cheeks. “Though I’m finding it hard to concentrate.”

“Strange. It’s a very calm bookshop.”

Caitlin shot her a look that promised future retribution and Helena smiled and turned it off, tucking the remote control back in her bag. They browsed for a few more minutes, Caitlin’s composure fully restored, before heading on.

The day went on like that… Helena showing Caitlin more of her world in between what she liked to think of as strategic interventions from the device. She kept it unpredictable, which was the point. Long gaps of nothing, long enough for Caitlin to almost forget it was there, and then there would be a sudden pulse at level three while they were crossing a busy intersection that made Caitlin grab Helena’s arm and disguise a gasp as a cough. She also kept Caitlin guessing as to where she was keeping the remote control, sometimes in her bag, sometimes in the pocket of her jeans, sometimes simply discreetly held in her hand… always to increase the unpredictability.

At a market they wandered between stalls. Helena turned it on to level four while Caitlin was examining a display of silver bracelets and was in conversation with the stallholder, trying her limited Portuguese while he tried his broken English with her. Caitlin managed it beautifully… she somehow kept her composure, though Helena could see the effort it took. It was thrilling to watch Caitlin’s hand shake slightly as she picked up a bracelet and held it to the light, knowing that the tremble was because of what she was doing to her, the dominance she had over her magnificent Gatinha.

“You’re cruel,” Caitlin muttered as they walked away, with the device off again.

“I’m attentive to your needs. I’m simply being a dutiful and caring Dona. There’s a difference.”

“Attentive would be noticing that I nearly dropped an old man’s bracelet. If you’d kept that thing on I’d have,” Caitlin lowered her voice to a whisper, “orgasmed in the middle of the market.”

“I noticed. You handled it perfectly. My composed, professional Gatinha.”

Caitlin glared at her, but the glare was undermined by the flush in her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes, not to mention the way she was walking slightly closer to Helena than necessary, as if proximity were an anchor.

They stopped for lunch at a restaurant that Helena loved, a small place with outdoor tables. She ordered feijoada for them both, Caitlin’s first time, along with cold beers and while they sat in the dappled shade Helena left the device off to give Caitlin some time to recover.

“How are you doing?” Helena asked, genuinely checking in beneath the playfulness.

“I’m doing…” Caitlin took a long drink of her beer. “I’m doing things I’ve never done before. Walking around a foreign city with a vibrator inside me and my beautiful dominant’s thumb on the button.” She grinned. “Tell a year ago me that I’d be doing this, I’m not sure she’d have believed you…”

“You like the way your life has changed?”