Leslie looked at herself in the mirror trying to decide if she had chosen the best outfit for her day out with Scarlet: a pair of fitted jeans, a lavender blouse, and a gray cardigan. She didn't want to go for something that suggested her outing was somehow a date, but she also didn't want to be so casual that she appeared indifferent.

Her phone beeped with a notification: a text from Scarlet.

"See you at Fine Grounds Cafe at eleven!" the text read, the final confirmation that they were still on.

Leslie was nervous, both because it was the first time hanging out with Scarlet outside of work, but also because it had become increasingly apparent that Scarlet had a growing crush on her. While Leslie wanted to hang out with her as a friend, she didn't want to lead her on either, so she was anxious about towing that line.

"I guess this will do," Leslie finally told herself before grabbing her purse and walking out to her car. The first stop and the only thing Leslie knew for sure was planned, was a hangout for brunch at a cafe in town.

Leslie made sure to arrive early, not being one to make someone else wait. A few minutes later, Scarlet arrived, parking a few spaces down the street. Leslie walked over to greet Scarlet, who was wearing a blue mini-dress with white dots and adjustable straps. Her bright red hair, which normally was up in a bun while working, was now hanging down in twin braids. Leslie thought it made her look quite cute—perhaps the very reaction Scarlet was hoping for.

"Sorry to make you wait," Scarlet apologized as she shut her car's door.

"It's alright. I'm early. I love your outfit, by the way."

Scarlet's face flushed slightly red. "Thank you. I had a terrible time deciding what I wanted to wear."

Leslie let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, you weren't the only one."

"I, uh, like your outfit too. I'm not used to seeing you in anything given, you know, your work, except when I catch you as you're leaving."

"I know, I know. I'm wearing clothes. Scandalous!" Leslie joked, eliciting a little laugh from Scarlet. The pair walked down the street to the cafe, which was one of many storefronts that lined the sidewalk.

"Have you ever been here before?" Leslie asked. She figured she knew the answer, but it was a good way to break the ice.

"Yeah. This is one of my favorite places to go. What about you?"

"I've never been here before. If I like it, I should bring some of my other friends someday," Leslie remarked as she started looking over the menu. It was your typical fair, with one menu highlighting the varieties of coffees and teas while another menu listed the baked goods they offered.

"I guarantee you'll like it," Scarlet assured her. "You know what you want?"

Leslie reviewed the menu one last time. "Yeah, I think so." The pair waited in line until it was their turn at the counter.

"Hey Scarlet, good to see you again. Who's your friend?" a perky woman around their age with "Carly" on the nametag greeted them.

"Hey Carly, this is Leslie. We're just, uh, hanging out for the day," Scarlet answered.

"Oh, I see," Carly replied, flashing a look at Leslie and grinning, making her wonder if Carly knew exactly who she was from previous conversations with Scarlet. "What can I get for you?" Carly continued.

"I'll have a medium Cafe Con Leche with coconut syrup, and a cherry scone, please," Scarlet expertly placed her order without even having to look at the menu.

"Oh, will you two be together?" Carly asked, realizing she didn't know whether to ring the two girls up together or not.

"We're separate, thank you," Leslie answered immediately. She wasn't sure whether that was Scarlet's plan or not, but she wanted to pre-empt any attempt by Scarlet to decide otherwise.

Carly rang up Scarlet's order and gave her a ticket with a number on it.

"And what can I get for you, sweetie?" Carly then asked Leslie.

Leslie was somewhat annoyed at being called 'sweetie,' but proceeded with her order. "I'll have a medium double-shot latte with whole milk, honey, and vanilla syrup, please. Oh, and a chocolate peppermint muffin, please."

Carly rang her up as well before giving her a receipt with a number. Scarlet and Leslie exited the cafe and took a seat at one of the outdoor tables while they waited. The pair seemed a bit unsure of how to start their conversation now that they were in a position to chat.

"So, uh, what do you do when you aren't whipping up drinks at Mr. Henderson's events?" Leslie finally asked, figuring that was as good a place to start as any.

"I guess I dabble in a few things. Probably too many things. I should probably choose one and focus on it, really," Scarlet started her answer. Leslie felt like she might be a bit embarrassed to talk about what her interests were.

"Oh, dabble in what things? I'm curious."

Scarlet's face once again lit up with a slight blush. "I've been wondering if I could expand my work at bartending to be beyond just what I do for Mr. Henderson. I've had some ideas for a custom cocktail menu, but you've probably noticed that Mr. Henderson likes to keep his drinks more traditional."

"Yeah, I've noticed he isn't one for surprises," Leslie chuckled. "You could always offer your ideas, though. He doesn't always seem opposed to new ideas. And if he trusts you to do a good job, he may be open to some of your experimenting."

"You think so?" Scarlet asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. I could always back you up if you're nervous about it," Leslie reassured her.

"Yeah, maybe..."

"Anything other than cocktail making?" Leslie then continued. She figured mixing drinks wasn't the only thing Scarlet was interested in.

"Well, I've been playing with photography recently. I've tried going out in the evening and taking candid shots of some of the nightlife in town."

Leslie started to grin. Now Scarlet was getting into some interesting activities. "Really? I'd love to see some of your work. I bet you do a good job."

"It's not that great. It's just beginner stuff."

"Nonsense!" Leslie encouraged. "You have to start somewhere. And you seem like someone who might have an eye for something like that."

"Th-thank you. Uh, I've also been teaching myself some guitar recently as well. Again, really beginner stuff. But I think I've been getting better."

"I'd love to hear some of that too. Whenever you're ready, of course," Leslie beamed. Scarlet was becoming more and more interesting all the time.

"Twenty-two and twenty-three!" someone from inside the store suddenly yelled out.

"Oh, that's our orders," Scarlet realized, looking down at her ticket. The pair went inside and retrieved their coffee and pastries and returned to their seats outside.

"So, what about you, Leslie? What things do you like to do?" Scarlet asked upon getting settled again.

Leslie suddenly felt that she hardly had anything nearly as interesting to share about herself as Scarlet had just described. "Uh, well, I haven't had a lot of time to do very much recently, I guess. Before getting this job, I'd been stressing a lot about even being able to afford my place, and a lot of my time since then has been doing stuff related to my job."

"Oh?" Scarlet remarked curiously. "Like what?"

Leslie looked around to make sure no one was immediately around them, then leaned in and whispered. "Well, I've been trying to practice deep-throating, for example."

Scarlet giggled and sat back up after having leaned forward to listen to Leslie. "I'd almost like to see that. I'm curious how you even do that."

Leslie shrugged. "I mean, it's probably exactly what you'd expect it to be like. I have been getting a lot better at it, at least with practice. I haven't had any, uh, real-world experience with it yet."

"Maybe you can with the boy who is visiting the event this evening," Scarlet grinned at her.

This reminded Leslie that both of them had been called in to work that evening for Jacob. Leslie would help host two pets this time: Mia, who was returning after her first job the previous week, and a new male pet who she didn't know. Also, Leslie thought she saw a glint in Scarlet's eye suggesting she hoped Leslie might practice her deep-throating that night.

"Other than that, I guess it is just getting ready for another semester at college. I'm hoping I can keep up the pace of events with Jacob and keep up with school as well. They're mostly on the weekend so far so that should help."

"I'm sure you did something before you got all busy with school and work," Scarlet pressed, clearly interested in digging deeper. Leslie thought she had the right, given that she had pressed Scarlet for similar details.

"Well, I liked doing some outdoor stuff when I was in high school. Hiking. Camping. That sort of thing. I guess I did the occasional baking project at home. But mostly it was a lot of just hanging out with my friends and doing whatever we got up to doing."

"Oh, a camping trip sounds fun. Maybe I could try experimenting with some nature photography," Scarlet beamed.

"Yeah, that sounds like a cool idea. Maybe we should try to do that someday," Leslie agreed.

After about an hour more of talking, the pair looked over their empty cups of coffee. "Want to go explore more of town?" Scarlet suggested.

"Sure. I'm game," Leslie replied, grabbing her purse. "And you were right, I did enjoy this place."

"I knew you would. I'll have to tell Carly to go easy on you," Scarlet chuckled, and Leslie pondered what she exactly meant by that.

The pair disposed of their trash and walked down the sidewalk, which soon turned into a street-wide brick avenue blocked off for pedestrian-only traffic.

"Oh, that looks like a cute little bookstore," Scarlet remarked, pointing to a storefront along the pedestrian mall. It appeared to be a small, cozy, independent bookstore.

"Well, let's take a look, then," Leslie suggested, and the pair squeezed through the door, ringing a small bell in the process, eliciting a greeting from a middle-aged woman working in the back of the store.

Leslie and Scarlet then started exploring the numerous bookshelves lining the walls of the store. "This is a fun little place isn't it?" Scarlet whispered with a giggle.

"Yeah, I'm glad you spotted this place," Leslie agreed as she tried to get a bearing on where different sections were within the store.

Soon, Leslie found herself browsing the fiction section. She wasn't sure what she might be interested in but figured it would likely land in the realm of "romance." Leslie finally saw a book that might pique her interest: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. After reading the back cover she figured, why not, and carried it to the register. After getting her book bagged, she found Scarlet scouring over a nearby non-fiction shelf.

"Looking for something in particular?" Leslie asked, causing Scarlet to jump from surprise.

"I'm just deciding between a couple of options," Scarlet admitted. "But I think I've decided."

"Alright, let's see it then."

Scarlet presented a book called The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum. "I saw a few books on photography, but a lot of them were about the technical aspect, which I think I could just look up myself. But this is also about how to express yourself using photography, which I feel is harder to just Google, you know?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," Leslie acknowledged, although she didn't know the first thing about photography.

"Oh, what'd you get?" Scarlet then asked, seeing Leslie already holding a bag.

"Oh, just this," Leslie sheepishly admitted, showing Scarlet her book.

Scarlet let out a giggle. "Somehow that fits you."

Scarlet purchased her book and the pair once again entered the pedestrian street outside. "That was fun. We should do that again," Scarlet beamed at Leslie.

They soon found a boutique across the road that featured a lot of hand-crafted jewelry. Leslie took a particular interest in a cute but simple silver bracelet with an oyster stone on it.

"Do you like that one?" Scarlet asked while looking over her shoulder.

Leslie continued to examine it. "I do like the design of it."

"Then it's my gift to you," Scarlet announced, leaning in behind Leslie.

Leslie turned around. "I couldn't let you do that," she stated flatly. She had fun with Scarlet, but she didn't want Scarlet to start buying her stuff, especially since Leslie had no issues with money at the moment.

"I insist. Consider it... an appreciation of our friendship," Scarlet smiled back.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to make you feel you need to do this."

"I don't feel obligated. I just want to."

Leslie still considered refusing to let Scarlet get it but felt that Scarlet was going to insist on it anyway. "Okay, fine. But next time I'm getting something for you, okay?"

"Deal," Scarlet smiled back widely before bringing the bracelet to the register. After checking out, she presented it to Leslie. "Why don't you try it on."

Leslie sighed and put it on. She did like it, but she still didn't like Scarlet buying it for her, even if she was touched by the gesture.

The pair next made their way to a small art store and gallery. Inside they admired several paintings, sculptures, and other pieces that were both on display and for sale.

"Come look at this," Scarlet called out to Leslie, motioning her to join her. "These are pretty awesome."

Upon arriving, Leslie found a collection of circular items that had been turned into clocks. The items included cast iron skillets, vinyl records, hubcaps, an old film reel, an old, large hard disk, and more. Leslie particularly liked one which was a set of bicycle gears.

"These are all pretty creative," Leslie had to admit looking over them.

Leslie continued to explore the gallery until she noticed Scarlet looking intently at a particular painting. When Leslie went to join her, she saw it was a painting of two shadowy figures, their arms reaching out as if they were about to hold hands, but stopping just short, as if something was preventing them from doing so.

"Scarlet?" Leslie asked, wondering what she was thinking.

"This one just made me think is all," Scarlet remarked without taking her eyes off the painting. Finally, she let out a sigh, turned towards Leslie, and gave a weak smile. "I guess we should probably be moving on."

"If you want to," Leslie tentatively asked, taking another glance at the painting. She wondered if this was expressing something Scarlet was feeling: the desire to reach out for her but having something holding her back. Perhaps it reminded Scarlet—both of them—of the line they were treading.

The pair then decided to swing by a nearby burger and shake place and ordered takeout so they could eat a late lunch in a nearby park.

"How did you come to do bartending anyway?" Leslie asked before taking a bite of her burger.

Scarlet let out a small chuckle. "My first job was in a dinky, run-down place, which I took out of desperation. At first, I just served drinks, which one can do as long as you're eighteen. But soon they had me mixing drinks as well, which was not exactly legal for my age at the time. But this place didn't care, and I didn't care, so I did it. I needed the money, and I just put up with the long hours and less-than-savory patronage of the place."

Scarlet took a big slurp of her strawberry shake before continuing. "Eventually I got really good at what I did. Not only that, I became quite adept at, shall we say, defusing tense situations when people who had a little too much to drink decided to try to man up one another. In the end, a lot of people liked it when I was the one working there because they knew there wouldn't be any shit going on."

"Wow, I never knew," Leslie admitted, her admiration for Scarlet growing even more. "How did you go from there to working for Mr. Henderson?"

"Through Mr. Cheng, believe it or not," Scarlet laughed. "Mr. Cheng would often visit various bars, ours included. Let's just say he was one of the ones who appreciated my skills, both bartending and otherwise. When the position opened up, he suggested I apply. So, I did, and I guess the rest you know."

"Wow. Another reason I need to say thanks to him. You wouldn't know of anything I could do in that regard, would you?" Leslie inquired.

Scarlet laughed. "Not really. As you know, he is pretty keep-to-himself and enigmatic. I'd suggest buying him some snazzy cookware but I have a feeling Mr. Henderson would already do that for him."

The pair continued to chat until they finished their lunch. By that time it was getting to be the late afternoon. The pair got up and slowly made their way back to their respective vehicles.

"Hey, Leslie," Scarlet began, her voice noticeably shakier than usual.

Leslie thought Scarlet was about to say something else, but held back. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering if Scarlet was actually about to confess to her. However, she still tried to play it cool.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I, uh, really enjoyed spending time with you today. I hope you did too." The nervousness was palatable in her voice.

"Yeah, I did too," Leslie smiled at her. At this point, the pair had stopped walking and had turned to face each other. Leslie did have a good time, but she was a bit apprehensive about what Scarlet would say next, something which Scarlet perhaps picked up on.

Scarlet brushed some hair out of her eyes and looked into Leslie's eyes. Leslie's breathing started to slightly hitch as it felt like Scarlet was leaning in toward her. Was Scarlet about to kiss her? However, at the last second, Scarlet deviated and instead embraced Leslie in a hug.

Leslie reciprocated, but had thoughts racing through her head about what it looked like Scarlet was about to do, but had decided against at the last second. Was it real or was her concerns about Scarlet's feelings making her see things?

"I hope we can do this again," Scarlet happily remarked as she pulled away from the hug, her eyes still lingering on Leslie's perhaps a bit longer than normal.

"I'm sure we'll get plenty of opportunities. It's not like we live a long way from each other."

"That's true," Scarlet chuckled, still a hint of tension left in her voice. "I'll, uh, see you tonight then, I guess."

Scarlet started to walk back to her car and Leslie followed along until she reached her own car, which was a few spaces closer. "Yeah, I'll see you then. I can shed all of these stupid clothes for you then," she laughed.

Scarlet flashed her a wry grin. "I can't wait."

The two girls then entered their respective vehicles.

Leslie felt like the day had gone about as well as it could. She was more sure now than ever that Scarlet had feelings for her, and that she was struggling with them. Leslie felt that perhaps it was good to keep those particular thoughts at arms-length for the time being.

She wasn't even sure how well a relationship with Scarlet—or anyone—would work. For starters, she wasn't even sure if she swung that way, although she didn't feel that was the source of her anxiousness. But more problematic, at least to Leslie, was her job. She had sex with other people—including other women—as part of her work. Even if Scarlet was aware of that, how would that weigh down a possible relationship?

But that was a consideration for another time. For now, she had a job she had to get ready for.

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"I do think I like you better this way," Scarlet remarked with a chuckle as she entered the room where Leslie was busy applying makeup. She sat down on a neighboring chair, her hair back in a bun, and started working on her own makeup.

"Maybe next time we go out, we should find something that gives us an excuse to get naked," Leslie joked. She wasn't even sure that was possible, but now that she thought about it, if it were it sounded like it would be an awesome experience.

"That does sound like fun," Scarlet agreed with a grin. She then held up a makeup applicator. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I think I'm good. I'm practically an expert now," Leslie stood up from her seat and presented herself to Scarlet. "See?" As usual, Leslie was light on the makeup application, not wanting to cover or ruin the natural tan tone of her skin. She mostly added it to smooth and fill things out where needed.

"Amazing as always. Well, I guess I'll see you later. Stephanie told me I'll be working the outside bar, so I get to witness all the action tonight." Scarlet gave her a wink. "I can't wait."

Leslie made her way to the entrance, this time after Jacob had already arrived—a first for her. She was afraid she was late, but Jacob soon waylaid that worry.

"Punctual as always," he smiled at her as she walked through the door from the staff room. "I thought I'd be the first one here for once. One has to change things up now and then, right? Even if just in minor ways."

"I suppose so, sir," Leslie said with a slight smile. With that, the pair walked outside in their usual routine to welcome the expected guests.

The first to arrive were Mia and Mr. Powell, arriving a bit ahead of schedule, as opposed to their visit the previous week.

"Good to see you again," Leslie welcomed as she hugged Mia.

"I guess you couldn't get enough of me. I'll make sure to reward you for that," Mia grinned at her.

"I do hope that is indeed the case," Jacob interjected with a smirk of his own.

The two pairs then stood and chatted for a few minutes while they waited for the next arrival. Soon enough, a silver Lexus sedan pulled up and stopped. The driver exited and opened the driver's side rear door. A woman, probably in her lower fifties stepped out, carrying a purse. She had striking and straight honey-blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was wearing a well-fitting black dress.

Meanwhile, the driver walked around and opened the passenger-side rear door. Out sprung a well-carved male, whom Leslie had to keep from immediately wagging her tongue out over. He was clearly around her age, with dark brown hair wound in tight curls and hazel eyes. His cock was already quite lengthy while soft and swayed as he walked alongside the woman to greet the two owner-pet pairs waiting.

"Jacob, good to see you again," she warmly greeted, shaking his hand.

"It's always a pleasure," Jacob smiled in return.

"And you must be Mr. Lance Powell. I hear you are the newest owner to join our ranks," she confidently remarked, assessing him as they shook hands.

"Yes, that is correct. And you must be Ms. Parker?" Mr. Powell replied, Leslie thought almost with a tinge of being intimidated by the woman's commanding presence.

"I am. Let me introduce my pet, Lucas. I believe this is the first time you've met him, Jacob?"

"It is. It's my pleasure, Lucas," Jacob smiled as he shook his hand.

"Mr. Henderson. Mr. Powell," Lucas remarked as he shook each of the owner's hands respectively.

"This is my new pet, Leslie. I also believe this is your first time meeting her," Jacob introduced.

"Such a lovely young lady," Ms. Parker remarked as she smiled at Leslie and shook her hand, causing Leslie to slightly blush.

"And this is Mia. She just started last week," Mr. Powell introduced his pet.

"I see you have excellent taste as well," she remarked to Mr. Powell, before turning to Mia and shaking her hand. "I pray you have been adjusting well to your new position?"

"Ah, yes, pretty well so far," Mia replied, clearly scared to death of addressing such a high-class woman in her current state. Ms. Parker couldn't help but get a slight smirk on her face.

"Anyway, gentlemen, I believe we can get our evening started," she then stated matter-of-factly.

"Of course. This way." Jacob led the entourage through the house toward the patio area.

As they walked through the house, Leslie and Mia glanced at each other. Mia gave her a stressed-out smile to show her anxiety. However, Leslie just mouthed "What about him" while very subtly nodding toward Lucas.

Mia gave a slight glance toward him, then back at Leslie and mouthed "Wow!" in return. Both girls then had to stifle giggles as they exited out onto the patio.

On the patio was yet a new set of furniture, which made Leslie begin to wonder just how many different patio sets Jacob owned. This one consisted of a painted aluminum table with slats on the top to give it a kind of picnic table feel. Around it were six nearly semi-circular padded armchairs.

Not too far away was the patio kitchen and bar, with Scarlet manning the bar in her usual uniform. However, Mr. Cheng was nowhere to be seen.

Leslie got everyone's drink orders as Jacob guided the other owners to sit at the table.

"Holy shit," Scarlet whispered to Leslie as she arrived at the bar to place the drink orders.

"What?" Leslie laughed at Scarlet's exclamation.

"Him!" Scarlet tried to motion at Lucas without being too obvious.

Leslie quickly looked over her shoulder and then back at Scarlet. "Oh yeah. He's something isn't he?"

"He's gonna pound the fuck out of you later. You know that, right?" Scarlet giggled as she worked.

Leslie let out a short laugh of her own. That thought hadn't necessarily passed through her head yet but, yes, Scarlet was right. "That should be something."

"I can't wait," Scarlet smirked as she put the trio of drinks on a small tray and handed them off to Leslie.

"If I didn't know better, you enjoy watching me get fucked," Leslie chuckled with a shake of her head.

"Absolutely."

Leslie then walked to the table and handed out the drinks, then awaited her instructions.

"I thought I would give Mr. Cheng the night off. As a result, I thought the three of you could prepare dinner for us. Mr. Cheng helpfully left cooking instructions over by the kitchen, and all the ingredients are there for you. It will be a three-course meal and it is up to you three to determine how you want to split up the preparation."

Leslie got a feeling of dread. She was a competent enough cook for herself, but she was making a meal for three very up-class individuals who likely were used to private chefs. How were they ever going to keep up to those high standards?

"Well, what are we standing around for? Let's get started!" Lucas suddenly announced, before walking over to the kitchen and immediately assessing the situation.

Leslie and Mia gave each other slight glances before quickly joining him.

"So what's on the menu?" Leslie asked, trying to look at the note Mr. Cheng had left.

"Looks like crostini with various toppings, stuffed mushrooms, and caprese skewers for the appetizers. Three of us and three appetizers. I suppose that is easy to divide. Who wants to do what?"

"I'll do the crostini I guess. I think I feel comfortable working on that, even if I have to juggle a lot of ingredients for the toppings," Leslie answered.

"Do you want to take the skewers, Mia, and I'll work on the stuffed mushrooms," Lucas suggested.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure," Mia replied. She sounded as frightened of the situation as Leslie did.

"Just don't cut or burn anything you'll need later, Lucas," Scarlet dryly joked from the bar area.

"Ha-ha. Funny," Lucas playfully shot back at her, causing all three girls to let out a giggle.

Leslie took the sheet with the instructions for her appetizer, slapped it on the countertop, and scanned over it. She walked over to the pair of ovens and started pre-heating the bottom one to the requisite temperature. She then claimed an entire section of the counter for herself and started assembling all the ingredients, starting with the baguette.

"Both of our appetizers call for a balsamic glaze, Mia, so I can help you with that if I have the time," Leslie breathlessly remarked as she gathered everything. "And I think we might need to share the olive oil, Lucas."

Leslie sliced a dozen slices off of the baguette loaf, placed them on a baking sheet, and brushed them in olive oil before sticking them in the oven.

"Whew!" Leslie burst out as the heat of the oven hit her naked body with full force as she opened it to put the baking sheet in.

"We always knew you were hot," Scarlet dryly remarked from the far side of the kitchen.

"Oh shut up," Leslie playfully replied as she returned to her work area. Leslie then got to work making a bruschetta topping mix as well as organizing the other toppings. Once she was done with that, she didn't have much else to do until her bread was done, so she turned to Mia, who was working at a counter behind her. "Need any help?"

"Uh, yeah, I need to start on the balsamic glaze," Mia replied with a bit of exasperation as she worked on dicing some fresh mozzarella for her appetizer.

"Sure thing!" Leslie helpfully replied. She grabbed a small saucepan and added balsamic vinegar and started to heat it. She stirred it and added a little honey until her oven beeped.

"Mia, you'll need to watch this until it is like syrup, okay?" Leslie said as she walked to retrieve her toasted bread from the oven.

Leslie braced herself for another blast of heat as she opened the oven and took the toasted bread out. She then grabbed a serving plate and placed the pieces of bread on it with a pair of tongs. She then started to add the toppings: three different sets of ingredients to groupings of four bread pieces.

"Is that glaze done?" Leslie asked, looking over her shoulder toward Mia.

"Uh, yeah. Do you need it?" Mia said, still sounding vexed.

"Yeah, just a second." Leslie then grabbed her plate and placed it on Mia's counter, spooning a little bit of the glaze over one set of crostini. "And done!" Leslie declared. She then helped Mia finish with the skewers, using most of the rest of the glaze to cover them as well.

The pair then put away all of their appetizer ingredients. The only thing left was for Lucas to wait for his mushrooms to finish baking.

"You guys should start getting ready for the main course," Lucas noted as he started to pull several vegetables out as well as other ingredients for grilled vegetables as he was waiting. "You guys can pull the ingredients for the risotto and salmon."

Leslie and Mia just glanced at each other with a look saying he doesn't let up, does he before assembling and measuring out the required ingredients, including grating the Parmesan. Leslie also turned on the stove to get it ready.

Finally, the oven with the mushrooms dinged, allowing Lucas to plate them. The three pets then carried their plates of appetizers and presented them to the owners sitting at the table. Each of the owners took an appetizer made by their respective pet and sampled it.

"Not bad if I say so myself," Jacob remarked with a grin after taking a bite of one of the crostinis with the bruschetta mix."

"Very savory, Lucas" Ms. Parker observed having taken a bite of one of the stuffed mushrooms.

Mr. Powell sampled one of the caprese skewers, which one could tell were not exactly put together by a top chef, but were still competent. “Simple but elegant. The balsamic glaze ties it all together perfectly. Excellent work.”

Leslie let out a sigh of relief. She doubted the quality of their appetizers would put Mr. Cheng's job at risk, but they were at least not an utter disaster. Although having Mr. Cheng's instructions to follow may have had a lot to do with that.

"Well, time for the next course," Lucas then pressed, causing all three pets to return to the kitchen.

Leslie was put in charge of the risotto, which she wasn't too unhappy about. She had helped her father make it a few times and the main thing when making it was that one had to attend to it constantly.

She started heating the stock and added the butter, rice, and wine to a large saucepan per the instructions. She then started the slow process of mixing in the chicken stock over time. She continued doing this while keeping an eye on Mia who was standing next to her searing the salmon in another pan until it was ready for the oven. Leslie and Mia made sure to stand far enough back to prevent any spits of oil from hitting them.

Finally, it was time to add the Parmesan and seasoning to the risotto, which Leslie stirred until it was melted and mixed thoroughly. She then plated the risotto, allowing Mia and Lucas to add their parts on top, plating enough for six—three for the owners now and three for them later when they were finished.

After serving the risotto, the trio cleaned up the kitchen to give the owners time to finish the main course before they started on the dessert course. It wouldn't take long to make and they didn't want it finished before the owners were ready.

Once it appeared like the owners were getting close to finishing, the trio started working on the final course: a trio of sundaes. Leslie grabbed a pair of small pans, putting caramel and chocolate sauces into each of them and heating them to be added as toppings later.

Lucas handled collecting the other toppings while Mia handled getting the ice cream and glasses prepared, so it was a pretty simple matter of assembly once the sauces were ready.

Leslie grabbed a glass and quickly considered what Jacob might like. She figured he was probably pretty traditional, so she went with something simple: basic vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and candied pecans.

The trio once again presented their creations to their owners.

"Simple yet excellent," Jacob complimented Leslie on her creation. "But I think it's time you three get to eat yourself. I believe you set aside some risotto for yourselves?"

Leslie nodded. "Uh, yes, sir."

The three pets then retrieved their plates, which were being kept warm, and placed them at the table, sitting down to join the owners.

Jacob then continued. "I think you three did an excellent job. I wasn't sure how this would go when Ms. Parker suggested it, but I think it turned out pretty well. Don't you agree?"

Ms. Parker nodded in agreement. "You three did a very good job presenting competent dishes, especially given the lack of forewarning about what you were going to have to do."

Leslie didn't quite realize how hungry she was once she sat down and started eating, having to resist the temptation to just scarf her dinner down in front of such distinguished company.

"So where did you find Lucas, if I may ask," Mr. Powell inquired as Leslie continued to eat.

Jacob took a sip of his drink. "I’ve wondered about that myself," he added. "I've heard some rumors, but I never heard it from you."

"Lucas did come to me through somewhat unconventional means," she chuckled, "but I do consider it rather serendipitous."

She finished her drink and then turned to Leslie. "Leslie, would you mind replenishing my drink, dear?"

"Of course!" Leslie promptly stood up and, after checking if anyone else needed a drink, walked to Scarlet at the bar to retrieve them. However, she was more interested in listening to the story about Lucas.

“It was a couple of years ago,” Ms. Parker began, “about three months after Jonas left to pursue... greener pastures. I was at Wake Forest University—a fundraising gala for the art department. You know the type: long speeches, polite chatter, all very proper. Apologies, Jacob—I know you enjoy such events, but I found it rather dreadful.”

"No offense taken," Jacob replied with a knowing chuckle, before receiving a drink from Leslie who had returned from the bar.

"Needing air, I excused myself for a walk around campus. Down the road, the lacrosse team was holding a practice on one of the fields, so I decided to take a look. It was mesmerizing—fast, precise, and full of energy."

"You? Watching lacrosse? I wouldn't expect that," Jacob remarked with a bit of a laugh.

"I would not have expected it myself, but it was intriguing to watch. Certainly more interesting than what was going on at the gallery. Lucas was impossible to miss. You could immediately see he was the captain—the way he commanded attention, encouraged his teammates, and led with such natural confidence."

She leaned back in her chair, giving a thoughtful gaze before continuing. "He exuded charisma, but without arrogance. Even from the sidelines, I could tell he was a rare kind of leader. So when the practice ended, I decided I would introduce myself."

"I bet that was a surprise to you, Lucas," Mr. Powell surmised.

"You have no idea. I honestly thought she was some school administrator coming to check in on the team or something," Lucas chuckled.

“I imagine my approach was... unexpected,” Ms. Parker admitted with a wry smile. "I introduced myself as a business consultant on campus for the art gala. At this point, I wasn't yet sure if I wanted to recruit him as a pet or as someone to work for my business. I asked him what his plans were and, even though he gave me answers, I could tell there was hesitation and uncertainty there. He was a business student, which made him ideal. Then I pondered whether I could kill two birds with one stone."

"Her pitch was rather... unique," Lucas remarked with another laugh.

"I can imagine," Jacob smirked.

"Well, I didn't lay it all out to begin with. I suggested that I could offer him a path to opportunities in multiple avenues, both professional and personal. I had the opportunity to give him experience with business but also opportunities to engage in some... interesting personal exploration as well. I could tell he wasn't ready to decide on the spot, so I gave him my card and told him to contact me directly if he was interested."

"Which I did a few days later. I was extremely curious what she had in mind," Lucas added.

“When Lucas reached out, I explained everything,” Ms. Parker continued. “The Pet system, my interest in him, and how I envisioned his role. I emphasized that this wasn’t just about the physical aspect of being a pet but also about growth—personal and professional. I offered him connections, mentorship, and the chance to explore something completely different.”

"And he obviously accepted," Mr. Powell noted.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Lucas admitted. “But the idea of combining mentorship with something so... different intrigued me. I couldn’t pass it up.”

“Once he agreed, I contacted FemPet for their formal evaluation. Naturally, Lucas passed with flying colors. After that, it was just a matter of signing the contract.”

Jacob raised his glass. “An unconventional journey, but clearly a successful one. Well done, Eleanor—and Lucas.”

“Thank you, sir,” Lucas replied, nodding respectfully.

Ms. Parker smiled, her gaze flicking toward Lucas with a touch of pride. “He’s been an excellent choice in every way.”

"Speaking of which, I think it is perhaps time for our evening entertainment. I am predisposed to allow Leslie, Mia, and Lucas to decide how they wish to entertain us unless either of you have something you'd like to see."

"I think as the hosting pet, Leslie should lead the way. I've heard so many good things about her. I'd like to see if they are true," Ms. Parker remarked.

"Um, sure," Leslie hesitantly replied, standing up, suddenly anxious about having the evening's climax being left up to her. She tried to run her head through possibilities when she remembered Scarlet's comment about practicing her deep-throating. She then wondered if the table they were at might be just about the right height for the idea she was quickly forming in her mind.

"Okay, I have an idea, but first we might need to clear the table," she began explaining, before looking at the trio of owners, "and I suppose you can sit as close as you feel like."

The trio quickly cleared the table, taking the dirty dishes back to the kitchen to clean up later, and moved the chairs on the opposite side from the owners out of the way. Leslie then hopped on the table, laying herself down so that she could lean her head and neck over one end.

"Now Mia, get on top in sixty-nine position," Leslie directed.

"Okay..." Mia remarked with a bit of hesitation before using one of the seats to step onto the table before placing herself on top of Leslie.

"Now Lucas, come to my end, and now you can either fuck her pussy or my mouth, although we should probably get ourselves prepped first."

"Excellent," Lucas remarked with approval.

Lucas walked over so he was standing directly next to Leslie. He held his cock against Leslie's mouth and she started kissing and licking it, increasing its hardness, although the prospect of the night's climax had already started to do some of the work. He also started rubbing his fingers through Mia's folds while Mia gently started to kiss and lick Leslie's.

Leslie's heart started to race. She was about to engage in quite a few firsts: her first threesome, her first deep throat of a real cock. And the position of this performance was a lot more intimate for the spectators who were practically right on top of them instead of the usual several feet away. She grabbed Lucas's increasingly hardening manhood and moved it so she could suck and twirl her tongue around the tip, causing him to audibly gasp.

They continued working themselves up for a few minutes. Leslie had to admit to herself that laying like this was an interesting view, seeing Lucas upside down and with Mia's pussy right above her.

Lucas eventually moved his cock so that the head pressed up against Mia's opening. Leslie thought he had to be around eight inches long. Lucas slowly pushed in, causing Mia to gasp and interrupt her work on Leslie. Leslie, meanwhile, tried to raise her head so she could lick Lucas as he inserted himself.

Lucas grabbed onto Mia's hips as he started increasing the pace of his pumping, his balls threatening to smack into Leslie's face. She would have grabbed on and massaged them if they weren't swinging so wildly. Leslie could also feel Mia grasping onto her thighs as she braced herself.

After a couple of minutes, Lucas stopped and pulled out.

"Leslie, let me know if you need me to pull out, okay?" Lucas remarked, aware that she wasn't going to be able to talk.

"Okay," Leslie replied with an anxious sigh. She leaned her head back so that her mouth and throat aligned. Lucas then inserted his cock into her mouth and slowly pushed in. Leslie could taste Mia's juices as he slid over her tongue.

Leslie had been working on her gag reflex for several weeks, and this was going to be the real test. Leslie took a breath through her nose just before the head of Lucas' cock hit the back of her throat, and started to slide down. Leslie used all of her training to relax as she felt saliva rapidly build up in her mouth. Her throat involuntarily tried to swallow, causing the back of her throat to squeeze his head. All of this was made a bit more difficult by the fact that Mia had resumed her work on Leslie's pussy now that Lucas wasn't fucking her anymore.

Lucas then started pumping, at first slowly and then rapidly speeding up. Leslie tried to time quick, short breaths when he pulled back, but soon, she couldn't keep up. After maybe a minute more, she tapped her hand against Lucas' thigh to let him know she needed air.

He pulled out his saliva-covered cock and Leslie let out a bit of a cough and caught her breath.

"You okay?" Lucas checked.

Leslie nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm good."

Lucas then slowly inserted himself into Leslie's mouth again, but this time Leslie reached above her head and grabbed onto Lucas' ass to guide him. Lucas slowly slid into her mouth up to his balls, his head getting shoved down Leslie's throat.

Leslie grasped onto his ass cheeks, trying to hold her breath and this position as long as she could. This time she intentionally tried swallowing, feeling her throat muscles contract around his head. The experience felt amazing - the accomplishment of getting Lucas' entire massive cock into her mouth and throat and holding it there. Then there was the conjunction of Mia continuing to lick her pussy and clit.

Finally, Leslie tapped Lucas' thighs again when she couldn't hold her breath anymore, and she almost felt like there was a "pop" as she caught her breath, with even more saliva covering his cock and now starting to run up her face.

Lucas decided to give her a break as he started fucking Mia again, with Leslie eagerly trying to lick him as he did so. Meanwhile, Mia did her best to keep concentrating on pleasuring Leslie despite being fucked, and Leslie could tell she was edging ever closer to a climax.

Lucas pulled out of Mia once again and started finger fucking her as he placed the head of his cock against Leslie's lips again, and she eagerly accepted it, tasting more of Mia's juices that were left on his shaft. This time Lucas started fucking Leslie's mouth at a slow and deliberate pace, allowing her to get breaths in between each thrust. At one point, he gently put his other hand on her throat and felt it bulge every time he pushed in, something which just drove Leslie a bit wilder.

She started to moan—or at least tried to moan—from the combination of all the sensations. She could feel her throat and mouth vibrate as she did, which she hoped might drive Lucas even crazier.

Suddenly, he shoved his cock all the way down her throat and started moaning. Leslie could feel it pulse in her mouth as he deposited load after load directly into her throat. This caused her to instinctively try to swallow, even though there was nothing to swallow, although she thought she could feel his semen slide down.

This sensation, combined with Mia's work, then threw her into her own orgasm, causing her throat to clamp down on Lucas' cock even harder. She was about to tap him again to let her breathe when he pulled out on his own, allowing her to catch her breath. She could get a taste of semen as the head of his cock slid over her tongue on the way out.

Leslie let out several loud moans and squeezed Mia's ass as the powerful orgasm kept rocking through her, Mia's weight on her likely keeping her from wriggling off the table.

Finally, Leslie felt everything release, and she lay there trying to catch her breath. "Holy shit!" she let out between gasps; her face covered in her saliva.

"That's what I want to say," Lucas chuckled as he slowly inserted himself back into Mia, seemingly so aroused that he barely stopped being hard.

Leslie brushed her fingers up and down Mia's sides as she started to feel the start of her orgasmic afterglow. She hoped that it might give Mia some additional sensations to help her reach her peak as well. Meanwhile, Leslie continued trying to lick Lucas as he continued to pound into Mia.

Leslie could feel Mia start to tense up, and soon enough, Mia let out a belting moan of her own as an orgasm crashed through her. Leslie could feel her grasp her thighs as Mia continued to ride through it, somewhat thankful that Mia didn't squirt this time, sparing her from that mess. Mia's vaginal contractions around Lucas must have been too much for him as well as only moments later he thrust into her and moaned, signaling his second deposit of the evening.

Leslie let her tongue slide against Lucas' cock as he pulled out of Mia, getting a taste of both of their juices together. She then looked up and saw some more juices slowly seep out of Mia, so she leaned her head up and started kissing and licking them off of Mia's pussy, causing Mia to let out another little gasp. Leslie didn't know why but there was something exceptionally erotic about cleaning up the combined juices of two other people who had just had sex.

Jacob, who had been sitting and watching no more than a yard away, stood up and started applauding, causing the other two owners to do the same and Leslie started blushing hard from the acknowledgment. It was sometimes easy to forget that this was a performance as much as anything, and it was always a treat to know that everyone involved was satisfied with the result.

Mia finally slid off the table, allowing Leslie to sit up and slide off herself, putting her hand against her throat. Even in her deep-throat training, she hadn't experienced anything nearly that intense. The sensation of Lucas cumming directly down her throat surprised and aroused her to no end. It was one thing to swallow a man's cum. It was another for him to ejaculate so deeply that she didn't even have to.

Leslie tried to get her bearings, feeling even more disheveled than she usually did after an evening's climax. That's when she noticed just how much of her saliva was covering her face and had even gotten into her hair.

Jacob and the other owners were still clapping. How much time had passed since they started? She honestly didn't know. Surely it was only a couple of seconds, but it felt like longer than that.

"Thank you..." she managed to say, raising an appreciating hand. She wasn't even sure why she said that, but it seemed appropriate to do in her currently hazy state. Leslie then realized that she needed to sit down, and looked behind herself, finding the nearest chair they had pushed aside and fell into it.

Scarlet soon arrived, handing out glasses of water to the three participants, flashing Leslie a giant grin as she handed her a glass. Leslie could at some level register Scarlet's expression, but at the moment she was too exhausted to think about it.

"That was pretty intense, huh?" Mia noted, also catching her breath in a nearby chair.

"Uh, yeah. You have no idea," Leslie said, letting out a small chuckle as well.

"Both of you were amazing," Lucas added with a grin.

"I bet. You got to cum twice," Leslie noted with a giggle.

Soon, it was time for the visitors to leave, and Leslie took her expected place next to Jacob to bid them farewell.

"I hope to see you again soon!" Mia happily chirped as she hugged Leslie on her way out.

"As do I. I think we had some good chemistry there," Lucas added with a slight grin.

"Yeah, I had a good time," Leslie acknowledged. So far she had never not had a good time at one of these events but tonight seemed to be particularly notable.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Leslie. You performed exceptionally all evening," Ms. Parker remarked, shaking Leslie's hand as she departed.

The two pairs of pets and owners then entered their respective vehicles and drove off into the night.

Jacob then turned to Leslie. "You look like you could use a shower," he said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Yeah, I bet. I probably look like a disaster."

"Perhaps. But a good one. I'm pleased you have worked on your deep-throating. I know you said you wanted to work on that, and you have. I'd like to reward you for your work."

Leslie looked up at him and shook her head. "Oh, no, sir. You don't have to."

"No, I insist. It's easy to say you want to work on something to improve yourself but much harder to do it. And I like to reward my employees when they do. I'd like some time to consider what the reward should be, however. In the meantime, go get cleaned up. I have something else to discuss with you when you're finished."

Leslie walked into the staff lockers pondering what Jacob wanted to talk about. She slid off her choker and entered the showers, her mind racing through everything that had just happened. When she was finished, she got dressed and found Jacob waiting for her in the staff room.

"Leslie, how are you feeling now?" he asked, aware that she had still been in a bit of a haze before.

"I'm good, thank you. What did you want to talk to me about."

"Your classes begin on August 27th, correct?"

Leslie nodded. "Yeah, I think that's right."

"You've been invited to a... retreat that takes place in a couple of weeks. It will last through an entire long weekend—we'll leave Thursday and come back the following Monday. It will be out in California, and it includes a dozen or so pets and their owners. It is a combination of celebration and reward for exceptional owners and pets. This is separate from the reward I was talking to you about, by the way. I'd like to keep the details of the trip a surprise at this point, but I thought I should give you the courtesy of a warning in case you might have anything planned or needed to make sure anything was handled during that time."

Leslie stood there rather stunned. A five-day trip to California to meet other pets and their owners, as a reward for doing a good job? Certainly, she hadn't made that good of an impression, had she?

"Uh, wow, I'm honored, I guess. Uh, when is this trip exactly?" she sputtered out.

"You should feel honored. This is a rather exclusive gathering, scheduled specifically to be right before pets return to class, as I'm sure you are aware is the case for a great number of them. As for the dates, the trip is from August 15th through the 19th."

Leslie checked her memory about the school schedule. "Yeah, I don't think that there should be any problems. When do you want me here?"

"Stephanie will contact you at a later date about specific details. In the meantime, you'll get next week off. You've worked three weekends in a row anyway, it's time you get one off."

Leslie flashed him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, sir."

"Have a good night and have a safe drive home," Jacob concluded before turning around and re-entering the house.

Leslie walked out to her car, her head in a daze, but now for a different reason. A five-day trip? She hadn't even thought of the salary she would earn from that. Surely, she would hit her $5k max each day. $25k? That would practically set her up for the rest of the year. But money wasn't the main thing she was concerned about.

In her now seven weeks as a pet, she had experienced more than she had ever imagined when she started. And now she just had a night that was mind-blowing only to be followed by finding out she had been invited to an exclusive retreat.

She started to ponder what the future might hold as she started down the road back home.