Glimpses of the Island

Company Picnic

Kurt picked up the car keys on the dresser. In the mirror he could see Luisa standing behind him, ready to go. This afternoon was the annual company picnic for employees, their families, and guests. He had volunteered to help with serving the food, along with Luisa. She was watching his every move, as he expected. Casually he opened his top drawer, took out the handcuffs and slipped them into his back pocket. She didn't say a word.

He would have been surprised if she had spoken up, since he had told her to stand in her spot quietly. He felt no need to offer an explanation either. She knew from experience exactly how the cuffs worked. And she understood he would use them at his discretion, regardless of her opinion. Now that she belonged to him there were a great many things she understood that hadn't been clear before.

He turned around to examine his prize. Would he ever tire of seeing her like that, facing him, waiting attentively for his next command, so eager to please him, all underlined by the collar encircling her neck? The band that bore his name engraved on the front, proclaiming to anyone who cared to look that she was his property. She had on a sun dress in a bright floral pattern, something she'd picked out yesterday when he had taken her shopping.

The trip to the mall had brought its own enjoyment. Without offering a reason he'd taken her to the clothing store, pointed to a rack and informed her that she would be helping at the picnic, so she should find something appropriate. He had told her to take her time and made his way to a corner chair where he sat, reading the paper.

The first two selections he vetoed out of hand, the first because he didn't like the style, the second for no other reason than he could. Her relief when he allowed her to set aside the third dress was so obvious he had to hide a smile while she went back to search for more. From the corner of his eye he could see hurried and hushed conversations with the store clerk. She picked two more; he rejected one because of the color and told her to try on the remaining two, so he could see her in each one. At a loss to decide which one looked better he bought both of them for her.

"Ready to go?" Kurt asked. It was a redundant question. The clock showed five minutes past ten in the morning. He had told Luisa to be ready by ten. She also knew he valued punctuality.

"Yes, sir," was her only answer, all she was allowed when ordered to silence.

She was so tempting. If not for the picnic she wouldn't be going any further than their bed, and she wouldn't be traveling in the new dress either. But he'd promised to help, and he took obligations seriously. That didn't mean he couldn't take an extra minute to think about possibilities for later that evening.

Luisa wasn't used to being stared at, but she knew what he expected from her. It was important that she not be self-conscious, that instead she should think of herself as a sculpture, a work of art, and the intent look was his way of appreciating the aesthetics. There was a time she would have been horrified at the idea of being objectified; now she was learning about the feelings of pride and accomplishment that came with being able to please her master even if doing no more than standing in front of him.

They left the apartment and took the elevator down to the garage in the basement. The annual picnic was a very informal affair, where the company took over a section of the park downtown and provided the food and drink for the afternoon. The intention was to have the employees get to know each other better in a relaxed setting. Kurt had been to a few of them but didn't socialize much. This time would be different.

Luisa stopped just before the front passenger door. She waited until he opened her door before she got in. When she got his nod of permission she fastened her seat belt. He closed her door and went around to the driver's side.

Today Kurt would be manning the grill for an hour, cooking hot dogs, hamburgers and shish kabob. He had volunteered Luisa to help in the serving line, dishing out potato salad.

When they arrived at the park the tables were already set up. The official start time was about an hour away but quite a few people had already showed up to find spots in the shade. Kurt found Mrs. Dornier and the other dorm supervisors organizing the women from the apprentice training program into teams for different tables.

When Mrs. Dornier saw Kurt and Luisa she turned over her clip board to an assistant. "Mr. Goeren! I'm glad you made it. It looks like we may have a problem on the grills. If we're shorthanded, would you mind if we imposed on you for an extra half hour?"

"I don't think that will be a problem," Kurt answered. "Where will Luisa be needed?"

"Right behind you, on table three, any time you are ready. If that's all right with you, Mr. Goeren?"

Kurt looked back over his shoulder. The table behind him had large covered pans with potato salad, corn on the cob and a vegetable casserole. One young woman in company uniform stood behind the table. She looked anxious and confused, obviously worried that she would be handling the table by herself.

"Luisa, you will help at that table until I'm finished at the grill." He turned back to Mrs. Dornier. "And which grill will be mine?"

"The red one on the end, sir." She pointed to the line of grills. "There's an apron and utensils underneath. You'll be our second hamburger cook. I'm afraid you'll be rather busy once the serving starts. If you like I can show you the arrangements right now.

"Robin can show Luisa the serving arrangements for the table, Mr. Goeren."

Kurt nodded. "Good, I'll join you at the grill in one moment. Luisa? Come with me." He took her hand and walked her over to the serving table.

"If there are any problems you will come get me immediately, or wave to get my attention. If you need to leave the table be sure to come to me first, so I'll know where you are. You have permission to socialize. I'll let you know when we're done. Is that clear?"

Luisa turned to look at the line of cooking grills. She'd easily be able to see him, and he wouldn't be far away. Then she remembered one big problem. "Sir? I don't have a travel card. Is it okay for me to be at the table here by myself?" She kept her voice low so no one else would hear the question, in case Kurt had forgotten to give her the card.

"You don't need the card as long as you are with the party. Just be sure not to go beyond the marked off area." He paused for a moment before he let slip one of his rare grins. "I'm delighted you remembered to ask though. I forgot all about it. Now don't you forget to have fun. Be polite, say hello to everyone. We'll eat as soon as I get a break." He gave her hand a squeeze before heading off to his cooking duties.

Luisa had not expected to be the center of attention but the moment she took her place behind the table she was mobbed by the women still in the company program. They all wanted to congratulate her, and in a not so subtle way find out how her new life with a real master was working out. It wasn't until Mrs. Dornier finished with Kurt and came back that everyone immediately scattered back to their own tables.

"You've been the main topic of conversation in the dorm," Mrs. Dornier explained to Luisa. "Everyone was surprised, and Kurt Goeren at that. No one is quite sure it they should envy you or feel sorry for you. Your master does have a reputation for being," she hesitated, trying to find a tactful phrase, "somewhat difficult as a supervisor."

"He does expect a lot," Luisa had to concede. Apparently Kurt's cold, perfectionist attitude was known all over the company. "But he's not unreasonable about it. He's strict, but he makes sure I know the rules first. And he never asks for more than I'm capable of."

Luisa didn't add that he rarely demanded less than all she could give either. So far she'd delivered on everything he wanted, and that was a source of pride for her. Praise from Kurt did not come easily so when she did hear it she knew it was earned, not empty words.

"We'll start serving in a few minutes," Mrs. Dornier said. She looked to the young woman behind Luisa. "Now Robin, remember to be polite, greet everyone, and don't act like this is a cattle feed lot. Watch how Luisa does it. And Luisa? Thanks for helping." She headed for the next table.

"And don't fidget," Luisa whispered, too low for Mrs. Dornier to hear. Robin heard it though, and tried to stifle a giggle.

"You too? She's on me all the time. It seems like every day she tells me to sit up straight." Robin began peeling back the foil cover over one of the pans of corn. "We're supposed to open one at a time, so the food stays warm."

Luisa picked up one of the aprons under the table, unfolded it, put it on and tied the strings behind her back. "Okay then, I'll dish out the potato salad and casserole, and you do the ears of corn." She picked up a large serving spoon as people began to line up with paper plates in hand.

Kurt looked over his shoulder to see how Luisa was doing. The charcoal in his grill needed a few more minutes before he could begin cooking. He opened the top Styrofoam cooler to check on the meat. It was full of hamburger patties, each one separated by a slip of paper. He didn't consider himself to be an expert cook but this particular job didn't look to be too difficult. Luisa was talking to her helper. Every so often she would emphasize some point by brandishing her serving spoon in the air.

He nudged the leg of the grill to turn it sideways. Moving around to the new position he could see Luisa's table out of the corner of his eye. It was a small change that wouldn't inconvenience anyone who came by for a hamburger, and now he had a clear view of her at all times. When she looked back at him he waved the spatula in the air.

Kurt never tired of watching her, be it at work or at home. He told himself that it was all part of his obligation to take care of her, but he knew there was more to it. I own her , he thought as he tossed the first hamburger patties on the grill. He was well aware of a possessive streak in his personality. He knew about his reputation as a perfectionist too. Both were factors in how he controlled Luisa. He had no intention of changing or moderating his personal standards, especially for the woman who now had no choice but to meet his expectations.

Mrs. Dornier's voice boomed out over the loudspeakers, announcing that the serving tables were open. Kurt flipped over the patties on the grill so they'd cook evenly. A quick check on Luisa showed she was already busy. He took a moment to study how well she interacted with the people in line. She appeared to be animated, talking to everyone while dishing out the casserole to those who held up their plates.

When Kurt turned back to his grill there was a smile of satisfaction on his face. In spite of the criticism about his seemingly rigid and uncompromising way of doing things, and the subtle suggestions from friends to lighten up, he knew he was right in the way he closely controlled her.

In other times she would have been some kind of zealot, a wild eyed bomb-throwing radical or gun-toting revolutionary following a charismatic and persuasive leader. Once she latched onto an idea she spent every moment focused on it, dedicating herself to nothing else. Her arrival on the Island was a direct result of that obsessive drive.

Luisa wasn't stupid or blind to what she saw though. Like the same radical who discovers the leader has betrayed the movement and lost the trust of the faithful, she had been disillusioned when her preconceptions built on the one-sided presentations in her university classes didn't meet the test of reality. Her reaction had been obvious, at least to Kurt. She now embraced Island life with all the passion that had once motivated her to attempt to destroy it.

Maybe I did take advantage of the situation, but I don't care. Kurt didn't think of himself as ruthless or heartless. He would never let her come to harm. And there was always the alternative looming over her, a future in which he was sure she would not thrive. As long as she was a threat to their society she would be monitored by people less sympathetic to her welfare. Luisa may not have any idea of what went on behind the scenes, but Kurt did know he was her only chance for a happy and productive life on the Island. It was up to him to prove she was no longer a danger.

"Make it a double Kurt, I'm hungry today." Preoccupied with Luisa Kurt, hadn't noticed it was John Leeds standing in front of him.

"How do you like your burgers? Rare, medium, or charcoal? Want melted cheese too?"

"Well done, but edible, no cheese this time. Got anything in that category?" John held out his plate, bun open.

Kurt slid the spatula under two patties in the center, where they would cook faster. He picked them up and deposited each one on one of the bun faces.

"That should do it. I see there's a good strong mustard over at the condiment table. I hope you aren't going to ruin one of my masterpieces with ketchup?" Kurt took two more patties from the cooler and put them on the grill.

"Not a chance. I'm not one of those barbarians, but I better warn you Mark Sturgis is on his way. You know those Americans, they like everything covered in red goo, hamburgers, steak, eggs, coffee, ice cream…"

Kurt nodded, "As the Russians say, ne kulturny , no culture. A tragedy to waste fine beef in such a way."

John put a tomato on one side of the burger before folding it into a sandwich. "I see you brought your assistant, what's her name, Lisa?" He gestured toward Luisa.

"Luisa, it's Brazilian, though she's from New York. I thought the picnic would be an excellent place for her to meet other people in the company, since she'll be working on the pipeline project full time." Kurt took the opportunity to check on her.

"I met her briefly on the ship. We were both heading for the Island from the Seychelles. Very attractive, and a hard worker judging by what I've seen of the pipeline proposal you two put together. You've done well, Kurt."

"She is all I could ask for and more." There was a glint in Kurt's eyes when he spoke. "I am most fortunate to have met her."

"Listen, when you finish, grab Luisa, get some food and come sit with us. We have a table over there under the trees." He pointed to several tables in the shade of a clump of tall trees. Anna stood up and waved back. Mark and Cathy were also sitting at the table.

"Thanks for the invitation, John, we'll be sure to come by. Duty first," Kurt patted the Styrofoam cooler behind him, "I have to meet my quota."

John turned back to the line forming behind him. "That shouldn't take you too long."

It was not going so well for Luisa. The line was getting longer, because Robin was spending too much time talking to her friends while serving up the corn. She recognized two of the engineers patiently standing in line. John Leeds and Mark Sturgis, they had done the fact checking on the technical design. It wasn't right to make them wait.

Meanwhile Robin was chatting away, oblivious to what was happening. Irritated, she snatched the tongs out of Robin's hand, grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the table. "Listen to me," Luisa whispered, trying to keep her voice down. "You pay more attention to your job and less to your friends." She handed back the tongs. "Now get back there and do it right. You keep one more of the guests waiting and I'll see to it that Mrs. Dornier knows exactly what happened. Am I clear?"

A shaken Robin was the model of efficiency for the next hour. Even so it still bothered Luisa. She knows what's expected, Luisa told herself . This is the Island, after all. I shouldn't have to be the one to remind her. She's never going to find a master with a lazy attitude like that. Still, Robin had done well after the reminder. She decided not to mention it to Mrs. Dornier.