“Perhaps, there were times when being gagged served a good purpose socially if one had nothing to say.” <br> <br>Our narrator grows up in the 60s and 70s enthralled by the images of bound and gagged damsels in distress prevalent in film, television and comics. From buying the Story of O off the rack at 7-11 to a hot pants wearing college girlfriend with dominant tendencies and a taste for applying ropes and gags, he does everything he can to explore this facet of his personality. <br> <br>A statuesque accounting professor well versed in the underground fetish scene of the late seventies serves as his Countess on campus. Her connections to a Head Mistress in New York City generously exposes our hero to the world of bdsm, including participation in a public collaring ceremony at an Off-Broadway theatre for a fellow occupant of the Head Mistress’ well known brownstone. <br> <br>Making the move after graduation to go out on his own, there is further exploration of bondage, pain, pleasure, exhibitionism, public humiliation and feminization. All these adventures lead to the moment when he meets his Mistress, who has unknowingly crossed his path a few times in the course of this novel.