Authors: Xanthe Walter
beside Rick, and Karl beside Daniel. Cara and
Casey came rushing up excitedly, a blur of
squealing energy, as usual. Petra fixed them with a
stern look that calmed them instantly, and they took
their place beside Matt, holding hands as usual.
They were identical twins with long blonde hair,
big baby blue eyes and perfect golden skin. They
weren't the brightest bulbs in the box, but their
sweet natures made them favorites with everyone
on set. They played undercover agents on the
show, always swapping into different colored
wigs and outfits and confusing the bad guys by
seemingly being in two places at the same time.
Estelle strolled along after them; she was the
grand dame of the show, a character actress in her
sixties. She always walked with a slow, graceful
elegance, which was completely at odds with the
salty language that tumbled out whenever she
opened her mouth. Estelle played Chief Christie's
boss with a quirkiness that gave the show a lot of
its humor - along with Rick's antics as Agent
Tanner. Estelle had a cloud of white hair, a throaty
laugh, and was rarely seen without a long, slim
cigar on the end of a cigar holder.
Sharlene threw back her mane of tumbling
brown hair, flashed a massive smile at the camera,
and then began.
"Hi - I'm Sharlene Milton reporting for
TeeVee
, and you join me on the set of HBC's
surprise hit
Collar Crime
, now in its second
season on the back of unprecedented ratings last
year. The producers have promised us bigger and
even more dramatic storylines this season than its
barnstorming first year!"
Sharlene turned her fixed, megawatt smile on
Rick. "Richard O'Shea - you play the naughtiest
sub on TV at the moment," she simpered. "But in
real life you're not a sub at all! How does it feel
playing one? And how do you manage to do it so
convincingly?" She fingered the plain silver collar
around her throat and gazed up at him through her
eyelashes. "Maybe the sub in your life gives you
coaching?" she suggested throatily.
"Well, there isn't a sub in my life right now,"
Rick replied, giving her a wide smile that showed
off his dazzling white teeth. "And my friends call
me Rick, Sharlene." He winked at her, and she
positively melted in front of him.
Matt sighed. Rick's inevitable and unsubtle
flirting with every new sub in sight, collared or
not, always grated on his nerves.
"Well, Rick, I'm sure that special sub is
waiting out there for you somewhere," Sharlene
said.
"If you weren't collared, I'd say I was looking
at her right now," Rick replied. It was all Matt
could do not to roll his eyes. "As for playing the
naughtiest sub on TV - this job is the most fun I've
ever had at work!"
"Every time we watch the show my dom says
to me, 'if that boy was mine he wouldn't sit
comfortably again for the rest of his life'!"
Sharlene laughed.
"Yeah, Alex Tanner does get into a lot of
trouble," Rick agreed.
"It's strange seeing you without that big ol'
black collar you usually wear on the show!"
Rick ran his hand over his bare neck. "Well,
I'm off duty and out of costume right now," he said,
gesturing to his clothes.
"I don't think the chief over there would let
Alex wear these kinds of clothes on one of his ops,
do you?" Rick glanced at Daniel.
Sharlene thrust her microphone under
Daniel's nose. "Daniel Mayfield, you play the chief
of this motley band of
Collar Crime
agents - a man
with a dark past and a tough way with the subs on
his team."
"I think the chief just wants to keep them all
alive," Daniel replied, with a courteous smile at
Sharlene. "And he has to keep them on a short
leash to ensure their safety."
"And you, Matthew Lake." Sharlene turned to
him, looking a lot less interested than she had been
when talking to Rick. "Last season your character,
Ben Harris, was the newbie on the team, but I hear
this season that you might finally win the chief's
trust - and even be given that much-coveted
apprenticeship collar!"
"Well, it's possible - but I think Ben has a lot
of growing up to do first - and some mistakes to
make as well," Matt replied, smiling at her through
gritted teeth. "He wants to wear the chief's
apprenticeship collar and really feel part of the
team, but the chief will make him earn it."
Sharlene couldn't have been less interested.
She turned back to Daniel. "It's unusual, isn't it,
Daniel, for a boss to collar his workplace
subordinates? I mean, usually a dom only collars a
sub when they're sexually or romantically
involved. But the chief hasn't taken any of his
subordinates to his bed - the collars he gives them
are for work only."
"It is unusual." Daniel nodded. "But not
completely unheard of. The show runner, Petra
Davies, based the character of Chief Christie on a
real life guy she met a few years ago when
researching a show about the Marines. That guy
was as much of a hardass as Chief Christie, and I
think he's the inspiration behind the character."
"Well, I did not know that!" Sharlene
exclaimed.
Daniel nodded. "Apparently, it's not unusual
in small law-enforcement teams or combat teams,
for
a
boss
to
give
their
subordinates
apprenticeship collars. It can create a sense of
bonding and trust in a team like this."
"So that's why the chief collared Alex Tanner
and the twins?" She glanced at Cara and Casey
who waved back at her.
"Yes, it is. We covered it in an episode at the
beginning of last season, and I think it fits in well
with the theme of the show," Daniel replied.
"These guys are a crack unit of federal agents
whose specialty is investigating crimes involving
collars in situations like fraud, espionage and
coercion. I like that the show's writers have done
something unusual with the characters' own collars
- it's a fresh look at an old cliché, if you like."
Sharlene nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it
certainly seems to work if the ratings are anything
to go by! Viewers are definitely intrigued! But it
also seems like the chief wants to have his cake
and not eat it by collaring the subs on his team and
yet not sleeping with them. What's that about,
Daniel?"
Daniel gave a secretive little smile. "Oh,
you'll find out in the episode airing tonight, so
make sure you watch! We're going to find out why
Chief Christie is keeping them all at arm's length."
"Rick…" Sharlene's voice became a purr
again as she turned back to him. "The cast of
Collar Crime
is well known for being composed
almost entirely of subs!" She sounded as if this
was the most amazing thing in the world. "What's it
like being the only dom in the cast?"
Rick grinned down at her. "Oh, it's great,
Sharlene. I love it! Who wouldn't - being on set
with all these beautiful subs?" He glanced around
at his co-stars with a beatific smile, and Matt
fought back an urge to stamp on his expensive
black cowboy boots.
"Uh… Rick's not the only dom in the cast,"
Karl said.
Sharlene whirled around. "Ah yes - Karl
Morgan - you're new to the cast this season. I hear
you're the new villain who knows something about
the chief's dark and mysterious past. Can you give
us any clues about that?"
"Sorry!" Karl winked. "You'll have to watch
and find out. But it's safe to say that the chief is
hiding a dark secret - and Karl knows all about it."
"And you're a dom playing a dom - I believe
your character, Jason Jarvis, is a dominant, isn't
he?"
"Yes, he is. You should ask Matt here about
that - Jason has some big scenes coming up with
Ben soon. I can't tell you more except that I'm
looking forward to filming them!" Karl shot Matt a
mischievous grin, and Matt's stomach did an
anxious flip.
"Well, I look forward to finding out about that
dark old secret!" Sharlene said, her brown eyes
gleaming. She exchanged a few brief, disinterested
words with the twins, looked horrified when
Estelle blew a cloud of cigar smoke into her hair,
and then turned back to the camera with that
megawatt smile fixed firmly in place. "And that's
all we have time for - but be sure to watch the
exciting new episode of
Collar Crime
tonight to
find out what Chief Christie has been hiding!"
Matt let out a sigh of relief as the interview
ended and turned to go. He knew publicity was
necessary, and he was grateful to have a job on a
hit show, but he hated doing these stupid
interviews. He watched as Rick leaned casually
against the wall and said; "So, Sharlene, that's a
pretty collar around an equally pretty neck, but I
don't see your dom anywhere around, and my
trailer is just over there, so…"
Matt rolled his eyes. Trust Rick to dive
straight in there. Sharlene looked very interested,
but at that moment a tall, dark, exotic-looking
woman approached and snapped a lead on
Sharlene's collar with a little snarl in Rick's
direction. Rick grinned and spread his hands in a
good-humored gesture of defeat.
"Hey - it was worth a try," he said to the
woman. She glared at him and led Sharlene away,
one hand cupped possessively around her sub's
shapely bottom.
Matt was glad to get out of there and drive
home. He did his yoga practice when he got in, to
unwind and get himself in the right frame of mind
for his date with Emily. Yoga both calmed him
down and kept him supple and strong, and he
enjoyed the discipline of it. After that, he took a
nice warm bath and rubbed lotion into his body.
Emily expected him to present himself without a
hair out of place, so he took the time to groom
himself thoroughly. He ensured he didn't have one
single piece of pubic hair - Emily liked him to be
smooth, and he took great care in his personal
appearance.
Emily was a service-oriented dom and that
suited Matt fine. It didn't really chime with his own
personal fantasies, but they were full of scenarios
that scared him: it was far safer to have them as
fantasies than to act on them.
He was ready and waiting on his porch at
7.55pm in case Emily was early. He was wearing
a vivid blue shirt that he hoped brought out the
color of his eyes, and a pair of navy blue chinos.
He had spent some time styling his hair, which
seemed to have a mind of its own and often wanted
to spring up messily rather than sit flat on his head.
Emily insisted that it be neat, so he took a long
time smoothing it into submission.
She drove up in her expensive car at 8pm on
the dot, and he ran out to get in beside her. Emily
was a partner in a big accounting firm and made
more money than he did, as she liked to remind
him frequently. He liked that she was hard working
and focused - those were qualities he appreciated
in a dom.
They went to a nearby restaurant - not a very
pricey one, as Emily was a great believer in
saving money and not spending it on frivolities.
"So, tell me what you've been doing since I
last saw you," she said, beckoning over the
waitress. "How long has it been?"
"Eight days, Ma'am," Matt said promptly.
Emily liked to maintain a formality to their
interactions, to ensure that Matt was always aware
that she was his dom and he her sub. Sometimes
she gave him permission to address her by name,
but he had to earn that with good behavior first.
Emily glanced at her diary. If Matt had got the
number of days wrong then he'd be punished, but
Matt was confident he hadn't - remembering