The Diaries of Ayesha

In the aftermath of Minx's abortive wedding, she and I found ourselves looking at each other in a new light.

Mind you, I wanted my collar back, but I knew it wouldn't be that easy to get after having it removed the way it was.

We maintained a reasonable distance for some time after the incident until a warm May afternoon when we found each other at Palisades Park.

I had decided to do some shopping for new clothes for a change and afterwards drove down the beach route towards home when I was distracted at a stop light by the sounds of a carousel playing music in the distance.

"You know you haven't been a kid in a long time. Go play! ", I thought.

I turned down the road following the sound and parked in a far corner of the lot under the shade of an old oak tree.

I looked at the crowd of people entering the grounds and smiled at the thought of watching the kids playing.

"Come on Mikey, let's go! ," my inner child begged.

I shrugged off the years and let the small boy inside me come to the surface and laughed out loud for the first time in months.

I paid for my admission to the park and bought a ticket that would let me go on the rides all day if I wanted and wandered through the happy people, listening to the sounds of the music and laughter.

I found myself staring at a ring toss game watching a little girl with her mother trying to toss the ring onto the top of the bottles to win a prize.

She tried and tried and still couldn't do it. She looked like she wanted to cry and I couldn't help stepping forward and speaking to her.

"Can I try?", I asked kneeling beside her with a friendly wink at her mother.

"I guess.", the little girl said sadly. "I wanted to win the bear."

She pointed at a small teddy bear that sat on the shelf of prizes and I nodded.

"Let's see if I can do any better.", I said standing up and paying the attendant for a set of the rings.

"Use the Force Luke ", I thought and started tossing the rings with a bit of backspin on them ringing one, two, then three bottles with the sound of metal on glass.

The barker just stared at me for a moment before working my winning tosses into his patter to the watching customers.

"And the man wins a baby bear for the baby girl!", he announced reaching for the prize.

"Hold it. Let's go for the big bear. That is if my partner agrees.", I said looking down at the girl.

She nodded shyly and I paid for another set of rings and repeated the performance to the amazement of the crowd and the annoyance of the barker.

"And the gentleman wins again!", he said and handed me the larger bear which I promptly passed to the girl.

"There you are Mi'lady.", I said with a bow.

"Say thank you to the man Arabella.", her mother urged.

"Thank you.", Arabella almost whispered.

"You're welcome.", I said and walked away from the happy child with a smile.

"That was quite a performance.", I heard a familar voice say from behind me.

I turned to find Minx standing there dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

"Well hi!", I said surprised. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Oh, I'm not always a grown up either. I had the urge to come down here and be a kid for a little while.", she said.

"Yes, Mikey is on the loose today.", I commented.

"Mikey?", she asked looking around.

"Yes. My inner child. He's a devious little beast.", I explained.

"I'll bet you were a handful as a child.", she said with a laugh.

"Dennis the Menace had nothing on me for troublemaking.", I warned.

"Then lets go play!", she said and together we ran through the park to the line for the roller coaster.

Now, I have to tell you, roller coasters are not my favorite thing in the world, but having ridden a cow with Minx, I'd ride anything anywhere just to be with her.

We got into the front seat of the coaster and the attendant locked the safety bar and stepped back.

We rumbled up the first hill and then it was bombs away as we rolled back down the other side whooping in excitement. Round and round she goes and where she stops nobody knows.

When we reached the end of the ride I stagged out with Minx helping to keep me steady. I wasn't sick to my stomach, but my balance was off as we sat down on a bench to regain my breath.

"Are you all right?", she asked as I burped.

"Oh yeah. I do that kind of thing all the time.", I said closing my eyes for a minute.

I opened them again to see her looking into my face with an expression of love I hadn't seen in a long time.

"What are you looking at?", I asked softly.

"I'm looking at Mikey.", she replied. "I think he's cute."

I could feel the blush creeping its way up my face and into my nose as she laughed.

"Come on Mikey, let's go ride on something else.", she said taking me by the hand and pulling me to my feet.

"OK, last one to the Merry Go Round is a rotten egg.", I said letting go of her hand and sprinting towards the carousel as she chased me.

She laughed as she climbed onto a white horse and sat sidesaddle. I found myself trying to mount a camel next to her.

"What are you laughing about? It may be the only way I'll get humped today!", I cracked.

"Michael! " she retorted as the music started to play and to my delight played "Merry Go Round Broken Down."

As the significance of the tune hit her she started laughing as well, ignoring the bemused stares of the other people on the ride who didn't get the joke. The old man running the machinery smiled at our reaction and tipped his battered gray cap in salute to Minx.

We grabbed lunch from a rolling hot dog cart to my surprise as Minx and junk food are not words to use in the same sentence.

Turns out that the vendor also sold tofu hot dogs which was a disgusting thought to me, but she gobbled them up with as much relish as I digested my Hebrew National Kosher dogs.

"Michael, I want to tell you something.," she said after a few minutes .

"Yes Mi'lady?", I said gazing at her calmly.

"You know I love you," she said quietly.

"Yes Mi'lady. I also know that despite your love, you will not marry me.", I replied.

"No, I won't. And you also know the reason why.," she replied somewhat tartly.

"Then there isn't much to talk about on that subject is there?,", I replied looking away.

"Not about that, no. However, about something else, yes. I still do need you in my life Michael, not just my professional one, but my personal one.

"You see, since I released you, I have been with other slaves and have even served a Master again. But what I didn't get from them is what I get from you.

"You are a loving compassionate man, Michael, and you have always served me and worshipped me unselfishly. And until you were gone, I never realized how much I wanted you with me.

"I will even admit to being a little jealous of you and Susan and you and Mei Ling."

I looked back at her with a crooked grin.

"Well, you can see how well that turned out. Susan and I see each other maybe once a month now since she joined Ay'esha and Mei Ling and I never had a chance really. Her world and mine are not even close," I said lightly.

"She may be in Hong Kong, but her heart is still with you. As to Susan, I think you knew she was going to outgrow you anyway," Minx replied.

And what about you? Are you going to outgrow me as well?", I asked.

She smiled, that radiant Goddess smile that I loved.

"I expect you to grow with me ."

"Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be", I quoted.

"Browning.", Minx replied.

"Well, I am reputedly a literate man. But you know, it won't be the same as before," I warned.

"I know. But I did what I thought was best at the time. And I won't ask you to forgive me."

"One does not explain to a slave a Mistress's actions", I dismissed.

"But you do apologize to a friend and companion for bad manners.", she countered.

I held a hand out to her.

"Friends?"

"And more," she said taking it and clasping it.

I sighed thinking of our past happy times together and she touched my cheek.

"There are more happy times to come Michael. You'll see," she said softly, as the sounds of a brass band could be heard in the distance.

We walked towards the sound and joined the crowd gathered to listen to the music.

As we watched some of the older couples begain dancing to the waltz music of the band and some of the younger people in the crowd snickered.

"Mi'lady you promised me a dance at the wedding as I recall. May I claim it now? " I inquired.

"To this?" she countered. "You can't be serious."

"Very," I replied and when the band stopped to change music for another number I walked up to the band leader and spoke to him quietly.

He knew exactly what I wanted and nodded agreeably.

"What was that all about?" Minx asked when I returned to her side.

"I wanted a specific piece of music to dance to."

"Ladies and gentlemen, a special request has been made for a song, and we're happy to oblige.", the band leader announced.

I led a reluctant Mistress Minx onto the dance floor and waited for the music to start.

The band started playing "The Imperial Waltz", from the film , The Great Race as I led Minx through the steps and soon we were not the only couple on the dance floor moving to the gentle rhythms of Henry Mancini's music.

She controlled her impulse to lead very well and soon relaxed into the motions of my somewhat less than expert dancing.

When the song was over, she led me off the dance floor and scolded me gently for trapping her like that.

"I'd say I was sorry but I'm not. I enjoyed every minute of it." I admitted honestly.

"Don't get too cocky Michael. I am still your Mistress," she reminded me.

"You are?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

She looked at me sharply.

"Yes Michael I am. With or without your collar, I always will be , " she said firmly.

"Yes Mistress, " I replied humbly but with elation in my heart.

I felt like singing and I guess it showed on my face.

"What are you thinking Michael?" she asked.

"I was thinking of a song Mistress."

"Sing it" , she commanded.

"Yes I'm back in the saddle again, out where an Indian's your friend ..." I sang.

"Enough please ", she laughed .

We walked through the late afternoon light back towards the games again and stopped at a booth that featured crossbow shooting.

"Try your luck sir, win a prize for the lady, " the barker invited.

I looked at Minx with a wry smile and laid my money down on the counter and picked up the crossbow.

"The game is simple sir, hit the target dead center to win the prize ," the barker explained.

My first shot was low despite the fact I had the sights locked on the center of the target. The second and third shots weren't much better and I laid the weapon down and looked at Minx who was standing watching carefully.

"If that's how well you handle one of those things, I'm glad you don't carry a gun ," she said.

"Oh really? ," I replied, stung by her comment. " Let's try that again."

I paid for another round as the barker smiled smugly.

I nocked the arrow and ignoring the sights drove the arrow into dead center.

"A winner!" he cried and reached for the crossbow.

I stared him down.

"Excuse me, I have two more shots, and I'm going to use them, " I said coldly.

He stepped back as I nocked the next arrow and drove it into the target next to the first one and then drove the third between them, breaking them.

"Fix the sights on these things ," I advised taking the offered prize from his somewhat shaking hand and presenting it to Minx.

She looked back as the booth as we walked away and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, " she said.

"Don't be. You couldn't know. I actually prefer crossbows over guns anyway. Nasty noisy barbarous inventions of the Devil, " I said shortly.

She stopped at a shooting gallery and paid the attendant who handed her a rifle

"I'm a little more modern than you are," she commented and proceeded to pick off her targets one at a time in rapid sucession startling the attendant with her skill. "Care to try? ," as she finished snapping off her last shot.

"Thanks but no. I'll leave the shooting to you Anne Oakley , " I replied, taking the prize from the attendant.

"You did all right in Campo."

"Hell, all I was trying to do was keep them backed off. A shotgun is great for that because you don't have to aim it much."

"At least you weren't afraid to use it."

I stopped her as we walked along and looked into her eyes.

"Anytime I have to use something that might kill someone, I'm afraid to use it. I learned a long time ago that I can be a very dangerous person when I have to be, but I still don't like that aspect of my life, " I explained.

"I know. I've had the same feelings myself, but if I have to kill, I will."

I shook my head in annoyance.

"This is not the time or place for this sort of discussion Mi'lady. We're supposed to be off duty. What do you want to do next? "

She looked around and then shrugged.

"We'll find something to do," she replied.

Something to do turned out to be the Fun House.

We made our way through the distorting mirrors laughing at the implied body deformities, slid down the giant slide and ran through the rotating barrel and then entered the maze of mirrors.

"If you catch me, you can kiss me!" she teased dashing ahead of me.

I made my way slowly through the passageways, occasionally catching a glimpse of her reflection ahead of me and the sound of her mocking laughter.

"I'm over here", she called at one point and raised her shirt up to flash her perfect breasts at me, reflected an infinate number of times by the silvered glass, surronding me in images of her tits.

I moaned at the sight and redoubled my efforts to catch her.

Then I stopped. She was standing directly ahead of me smiling, not saying a word. I started towards her and then swung around and reached behind me.

Her frown was reflected multiple times and I laughed at it.

"Gotcha!" I cheered.

"You win. Come on!" she said and led the way out and into the midway again.

"How did you know I was behind you?" she asked as we nibbled at ice cream cones.

"I just had a feeling you wouldn't just stand there to be caught, so I took a chance." I replied.

She fumbled for her purse and looked inside it, then swore softly.

"Problem Mi'lady?" I asked.

"I forgot my Lactaid," she said grumbling.

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet and slipped my fingers into a pocket of it, pulling out a thin metal tin.

"I think you'll find what you need in here" I said opening it and presenting it to her.

She took a tablet and swallowed it then handed the box back.

"Have you been carrying those things around for me?" she asked.

"Lactaid for you, Pepcid AC for me. Be prepared, that's the Boy Scout's marching creed," I replied.

"You were never a Boy Scout,", she reminded me.

"That line is from a Tom Lerher song. I'll sing it for you sometime."

"I'm sure you will."

The ice cream now a fond memory to our taste buds, we wandered to the Ferris wheel and climbed aboard, rising into the twilight darkness where we could see the lights of the City coming on as if by magic, the traceries forming on the Bridge outlining it.

The ride stopped at the top of the arc leaving us to look out and then I was startled by Minx's arms around me and her lips meeting mine.

"That's the kiss I owe you," she said as she backed away from me and looked into my startled face.

"Darn, I didn't even get a chance to enjoy it," I groused.

"Then we'll try it again," she replied and kissed me slowly as I melted into her arms.

She released me and laughed.

"Well, I can tell it's been awhile since anybody kissed you."

"You've never been quite that affectionate as a rule. I'm honored," I replied still feeling the effects.

"I may not be this affectionate for a long time Michael. Enjoy it."

I grinned in the neon lit darkness as a half remembered song ran across my mind.

"You never know how great a kiss can be until you stop at the top of a ferris wheel, when I fell in love down at Palisades Park."

Chapter 23

Down At Palisades Park