In a small apartment in Oakland, a man and woman prepare for a night out. She's in the bathroom, putting on makeup. He's in the living room, checking the contents of his bag: floggers, rope, tape, clamps, knife.

They walk out of the building, he in leather pants and black tank top, she in miniskirt, calf-high stiletto boots and see-through top. They're on their way to the city to play. But first, they have to drop off a movie rental at the video store.

They live together. He's an artist; she works in sales. Life, most of the time, is quite mundane.

Except for the nights they go out to play. Then, he ties her up, whips her and otherwise inflicts pain on her. And she loves it.

They are very much into this lifestyle that's part of a greater community of like-minded people in the Bay Area. They're generally open about their interests, and they play in public. But there is still one big taboo: Her parents don't know. She'd rather not explain to Mom and Dad that she enjoys a good flogging. So they've asked that their names not be made public. Click here for the full article