Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 27-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
Continued from February 5
Dishes cleared, more wine poured, Joe starts in again.
“I don’t quite get being a sub and a feminist,” he says, addressing Ronnie respectfully. “You can’t be both.”
“I’m not a sub,” she replies, calmly. “I have a submissive nature that I decided to explore when I discovered it was beneficial to maintaining balance. There’s a theory that overly responsible and powerful individuals seek to give up control within limitations they set, knowing their boundaries will be respected and adhered to. It has a lot to do with trust. In fact, I’ve wondered if it has more to do with trust than power.”
“With me being a natural Dom,” Joe says, only getting this far before Anita interrupts him.
“Here with go with the natural-Dom portion of the program,” she says, feigning mock fatigue.
“If I told you to remove your bra,” Joe says to Ronnie. “Would you feel any inclination to do as you’re told?”
“Right now?” asks Ronnie.
“Yes,” replies Joe, his voice becoming colder.
Ronnie looks slowly around the table. From Joe to Carol to Frank, who lowers his chin, almost imperceptibly. Permission goes unnoticed by everyone except Ronnie, who slowly turns back to Joe. From Frank. To Carol. To Joe.
“Yes, I would,” she says, meeting Joe’s gaze.
Joe looks intently at Ronnie. She does not look away.
“If I was Catholic, I guess I’d cross myself right about now,” Anita says.
“I thought you were Catholic,” Carol says.
“Raised Catholic,” Anita says. “Gave the whole thing up for Lent when I moved to New York.”
“Shhhhhhhhh, I’m concentrating,” Joe says, without taking his eyes off Ronnie.
Carol and Anita make silly faces at each other across the table while Frank observes what is transpiring between Joe and Ronnie.
“Take your bra off.”
Ronnie sits completely still.
“Take your bra off,” Joe says again, same tone and volume.
Leaning forward slightly, her eyes on Joe, Ronnie slides both hands behind her back to unclasp the hooks. Her very full white breasts take on a slightly different shape once they’re released from the bra, which Ronnie drops beside her chair on the floor of the dining room.
Joe looks very pleased with himself, until he realizes there is pressure, unspoken as it is, to figure out what happens next. Ronnie is waiting, but he didn’t have any ideas beyond getting her to take her bra off. He wishes one of the others would say cut and it would all be over. Ronnie is staring at him, waiting.
“Frank,” Ronnie says, without taking her eyes off Joe. “Was the salad dressing store-bought or homemade?”
“I made it,” Frank replies, calmly. “Olive oil, balsamic vinegar with fresh oregano, parsley, cilantro and thyme from our herb garden. Freshly grated parmesan, sea salt and pepper. Freshly ground pepper.”
“Was it extra virgin olive oil, Frank?” Ronnie says, and they all crack up.
Ronnie bends sideways to pick up her bra, draping it and her blouse over her arm. She gets up and strides confidently to the washroom to get dressed.
“Lady has balls,” says Joe, with extreme relief. “I’ll give her that.”
