Day 16

Wednesday, October 29

McKenzie sat at her desk. She glanced at her cell phone sitting off to the side, but it hadn't changed since the last time she'd looked at it a couple minutes ago.

She went back to the blog post on her laptop. It was about nipple clamps and weights, how to apply them safely, techniques to use, and the various styles they came in.

McKenzie reached up to massage her breasts, trying to get her nipples to calm down, even as she thought about the intense sensations the article promised. She could just imagine Ryan attaching a pair of clamps to her hard nipples, tugging on them, while she was bound, maybe even gagged, unable to stop Ryan's slow teasing torture...

"God, I have to stop reading this stuff. I should be studying..."

McKenzie scrolled down the page as she continued reading.

McKenzie's phone went off and she immediately reached for it. Then she recognized the ringtone and saw a picture of her parents on the screen. She shook out her arms, trying to rid herself of the arousal still flooding her body. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and tapped the screen to accept the call.

"Hey," McKenzie said.

"Hello, Sunshine," Aidan Ferguson, McKenzie's father, said on the other end. "We've got you on speaker. Your mother's here, too."

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, sweetie," Grace Ferguson's voice sounded slightly farther away. "How are you? Did you get your weaving project in on time? What did Professor Harper think of it?"

"Yeah, just barely. He liked my color choices, but then some of my spacing was a little off, so he wants me to focus on technique next time."

"Well, it's not like you'll be making carpets for a living, so I wouldn't worry too much about it," Aidan said.

"True," McKenzie said. "But I do need to pass, so I'll just keep at it. But I won't be taking the follow-up class next semester. I was looking at what's available the other day and I think I'm leaning towards the typography course. There's also an introduction to cinematography class that sounded interesting."

"What about that painting class you mentioned?" Grace asked.

"Eh," McKenzie hedged. "I think I want to stay focused on my digital art. I'm getting really good with my tablet and I can save multiple versions and try different approaches, and there's just no way to do that with paint."

"Aw, but I love your watercolors. They're so peaceful and—"

"Honey..." Aidan chided gently. "She needs to chart her own course."

"And I can still do watercolors for you, Mom," McKenzie added.

"All right, I'll stop pushing," Grace said. "Well, we were just calling to let you know we got your tickets for Thanksgiving. Your flight leaves early in the morning on Wednesday, so you can be here by the afternoon."

"Awesome, I can't wait. Did you get an early flight for Sunday, too? Last time, I barely got home in time to go to bed and then I had to be up for class in the morning."

"Yes, I remembered," Grace said patiently. "Even though I hate that you'll have to leave so early."

"I know. I miss you, too."

"Well, we better let you go. I'm sure you have plenty of studying to do," Aidan reminded his daughter.

"Yeah. I'll see you soon. I love you both."

"Love you, too," her parents said almost in unison, and then laughed.

"Bye, sweetie," Grace said.

"Bye," McKenzie said, and then ended the call.

McKenzie sat for a moment, thinking.

As soon as her mother had mentioned Thanksgiving, McKenzie had felt so happy to know she'd be seeing her parents again in less than a month. It had been the hardest part about going away for college, not having them in her life on a daily basis. They called every few days, sometimes together like they had just now, but usually separately, just to check in with her, but it wasn't the same. She knew it was part of growing up, moving out of the nest and all that, but she still missed them.

But now there was Ryan, and the thought of being away from the woman for even those few days...

McKenzie's phone went off in her hand and she smiled as the sexy song she'd picked for Ryan's ringtone sounded out of the tiny speakers. Her drawing of Ryan flashed on the screen and she answered the call.

"Hey, honey," McKenzie said, her smile obvious in her voice.

"Hey yourself. I've only got a few minutes, but I wanted to let you know... I got the contract," Ryan said proudly.

McKenzie laughed.

"That's great!"

"Yeah, and this one's actually worth some money. Apparently, their last webmaster left them high and dry, so they've kind of been scrambling to meet their deadlines, so they're paying me double to get it all done before Halloween."

"Seriously? That's fantastic."

"Well, except for the part where I'm going to be drowning in code for the next forty-eight hours. I already called in to change shifts at the bookstore. I'm about to head home now."

McKenzie checked the clock. Her first class started in less than an hour.

"Yeah, I need to get a move on myself. So... I guess I won't see you until Friday night?"

"Probably... I mean you could come over, but I'm not going to be much company with my head in the computer. And I really will need to focus on this to get it done on time," Ryan said.

"I know. It's okay. I'm glad you got the contract. It makes up for all that money you spent on me last week."

"McKenzie..."

"I didn't mean it like that. I know you spend your money how you want. I'm just glad you're getting a little to replace it."

Ryan laughed.

"More than a little. I could actually take a couple weeks off from the bookstore, if I needed to. And who knows? This could even turn into a regular gig." McKenzie heard some scuffling sounds. "All right, I'm at my bike. I gotta go."

"Okay. Drive safe. I love you."

"I love you, too."

They ended the call and McKenzie stared down at Ryan's face on her phone.

Thinking.