The Will Of The Wongs

Arthur sat in his car outside Mei's house earlier than usual. The six-month anniversary of their first "date" approached, and with it, a tension that had built to almost unbearable levels. When he knocked on Mei's door that evening, she opened it already dressed in a stunning emerald silk dressing gown that fell open just enough to reveal she wore nothing beneath.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside. "Mother and sisters are out for the evening."

Arthur's throat went dry as he entered the modest living room he'd never been invited into before. Mei settled onto a plush armchair, one leg folded elegantly beneath her.

"Close the door," she commanded, her tone different from anything Arthur had heard before.

When Arthur complied, turning to face her, she gestured to the floor before her chair. "Here."

Without hesitation, Arthur sank to his knees at her feet – an act that somehow felt more natural than sitting opposite her in restaurants for months.

"I think you've waited long enough," Mei said, slipping off her right shoe to reveal a perfectly formed foot with nails painted in deep crimson. "But you should know – I like when men worship me."

Arthur's breath hitched as she extended her foot expectantly. When he took it in his hands, his thumbs instinctively began to press against her arch.

"Like this?" he asked, his voice barely recognizable as his own.

"Like you've waited years for this moment," Mei corrected, settling more comfortably in the chair as Arthur's worship continued. "Because you have, haven't you?"

Had it been years? Six months stretched behind them like an eternity now. Arthur pressed his lips to her instep, feeling a shudder run through him at the intimacy of the act. Mei watched him with an unnerving intensity, her expression somewhere between amusement and satisfaction.

"Show me how much you've wanted this," she urged softly, as Arthur's attentions traveled upward to her ankle, her calf.

Nothing in his years of experience, in his numerous affairs, had prepared Arthur for the intensity of this moment. When he reached her knee, Mei stopped him.

"That's enough for now," she decided, though she kept her leg extended where he could still touch it. "Stand up. Let me see how much this affects you."

As Arthur rose, his arousal was unmistakably visible through his expensive trousers. Mei's gaze dropped there, calculating.

"Take it out," she commanded, her voice soft but deadly serious in its certainty.

Arthur's fingers fumbled with his belt and zipper, freeing himself with a gasp. When Mei reached forward and took him in her plump fingers, her expression turned thoughtful.

"You know," she said conversationally, measuring him against thumb and finger, "for someone so powerful in business, you're rather... average. Slightly below average, actually, I'd say."

The casual assessment should have insulted him, but instead, Arthur felt an electric jolt of pleasure course through him.

"Considering how desperately you've tried to buy me," Mei continued, her eyes meeting his as she maintained her grip, "one might expect more impressive equipment."

Arthur could feel himself tensing as he approached something monumental under her expert manipulation.

"Though perhaps," Mei added with a sudden smile, "it's precisely this... inadequacy that makes you try so hard with everything else."

The words sent Arthur over the edge, his release evident and explosive. As he caught his breath, Mei released him, turning to grab a tissue from the side table with practiced efficiency.

"Clean yourself up," she instructed, already adjusting her robe. "Then we'll have a talk."

Five minutes later, Arthur sat on the sofa while Mei began pacing before him, outlining a future he'd never considered.

"I'm giving up my job," she announced. "I've accepted a position at a new development in Chatham Dockyard."

Arthur felt unexpectedly disappointed. He'd been picturing more intense encounters like this one, perhaps becoming exclusive.

"Chatham's interesting," he managed. "I've invested in several properties there."

"I know," Mei replied, her smile now predatory. "Specifically, one overlooking the Medway in the most prestigious new development."

As understanding dawned, Arthur felt excitement rather than alarm. "Your new job is at my building?"

"My new job is myself," Mei corrected. "Though the flat is conveniently yours – I'm moving in next month. You'll keep it in your name, of course, but from now on, you'll contribute to my living expenses in a way I consider appropriate."

"Appropriate how?" Arthur asked, already knowing he would agree to anything.

"We'll discuss arrangements later this week," she said, stopping before him. "But I should warn you – my mother and sisters will expect to approve of anyone I'm seeing. They have very high standards."

The mention of her family – her notoriously difficult mother and sharp-tongued sisters – should have concerned Arthur. Instead, he felt the strange thrill of pushing boundaries he'd never imagined crossing.

"When do I meet them?"

"Saturday evening," Mei replied. "At my house. And Arthur? Do wear something nice – mother always notices quality, even if she disapproves of the man wearing it."

As Arthur left that evening, walking into the night with Mei's scent still on his hands, he felt not conquest but submission – and found he didn't mind at all. The developer who had outfought competitors, outmaneuvered partners, and outwitted rivals had never experienced anything like the power this woman held over him.

By the time Saturday arrived, Arthur was ready to face Mei's formidable family. He chose his most expensive Italian suit, polished his handmade leather shoes until they gleamed, and purchased flowers that cost more than a week's wages at Mei's former job.

What he didn't understand was that Mei's warning about her family wasn't meant to prepare him for a difficult evening – it was meant as a notification that his humiliation had just begun, and that it would no longer be confined to private moments between them.

Arthur Sterling was falling in love, though he couldn't yet understand that the woman he adored would eventually break him down completely – and that he would thank her for doing so.