Chapter 10 #2
Was Dee supposed to give personal relationship advice as part of her job?
No? Then why the hell was she doing that?
How dumb did she think Alicia was? “Danica is over thirty now. I should hope she’s able to stand up to her father about relationship choices.
” Even so, Alicia did not deny the threats that had been uttered in her direction.
“The only real objection he could possibly have is that I’m not from an affluent family.
So what? Do they need to make new connections that badly? ”
“Ma’am, if I may intervene a bit,” Dee said, not invited to continue, “but I’ve been working for these types of families for a while now.
They’re all kind of the same. They only think about getting more money.
One of the best ways to do that is to marry into more money.
Millions, if not billions of dollars of money.
” Dee shook her head, short hair glistening beneath fluorescent lighting.
Those dark suits she wore must be sweltering in the heat.
“Ms. Moreau is the only child in her whole family tree. She’s the only chance her family’s got to make more money.
Of course, her dad wants her to marry rich, even if it is another woman.
Honestly? That’s probably why he’s pushing it even harder.
It’s how he gets control over his daughter’s sexuality.
If he can’t control what gender she’s attracted to, he can control who she marries. ”
“Thank you for your advice.” Alicia looked away. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Whatever you want, ma’am.” The resigned tone in Dee’s voice sounded less than enthusiastic. “We can talk about the floral arrangements for your upcoming wedding, if you want.” Ah, there was the sarcasm again.
“First of all, Danica hasn’t formally proposed to me yet, and I’m not even sure if I would say yes. Even I don’t want to move that quickly.” Alicia would cross that bridge when it was suddenly erected before her. “Floral arrangements are lovely, though. Think I’d like to have lilies at my wedding.”
Dee sighed. Alicia pretended not to be concerned, although the back of her mind was filled with shit like, “Run far, far away, Alicia! You’ve stumbled into the wrong black hole!”
Unlike Alicia, though, Dee probably didn’t have some sweet lover to go home to. She more than likely spent all of last night tossing and turning, having one nightmare after another regarding what Julia Johnson-Moreau had to say about her abuses.
Alicia didn’t want to think about these things.
At all. So she didn’t, simple as that. If I don’t think about it, nothing will ever come true.
That’s how it works, right? There were things to occupy her mind with, anyway.
She may be traipsing around Chicago with Ben Wa balls in her pussy, but she was traipsing on the road to a new personal stylist.
Now it was easy to let go of her insecurities and let herself be pampered.
Whatever these women styling and dressing her thought, they would keep it to themselves.
Danica paid them thousands of dollars a session to make women like Alicia look the most beautiful at any party.
It didn’t matter if Alicia had fried hair, pimpled skin, or an ass the size of Jupiter and no frame to justify it.
These women would make her look good. Even at her most insecure, Alicia could not deny that the woman looking back at her in the mirrors was worth at least ten million dollars.
They took inspiration from her emerald ring and dressed her in a dark, luxurious green silk that hugged her thighs and accentuated her bust while showing no cleavage.
Indeed, the dress was rather simple – a round neck plummeting to a cinched waist and a pencil skirt that highlighted her calves as they emerged from two green pumps.
One of the stylists pulled a diamond-studded belt around Alicia’s waist and tucked in some excess green silk, creating the illusion of an emerald wave overflowing from her aura.
“Wow,” Alicia said as they pulled her hair up into an intricate twist. Green ribbons were threaded through the folds, a simple pair of emerald and diamond earrings dangling on either side of her head.
They forewent a necklace in favor of a diamond tennis bracelet.
The centerpiece of her look was the emerald ring on her right hand.
“I do look like I’m ready for a wedding. ”
“If you’re not the best-looking woman at the ball tonight, I’ll eat my gloves,” said the older stylist.
“Ball? I was told it was a party.”
The women exchanged glances. “We were told to dress you for the Senator’s Ball.” When Alicia didn’t react, they continued, “It’s one of the biggest events of the year. Politicians from all over the world will be there. People like Ms. Moreau, too.”
This time, Alicia’s “wow” held a little more oomph.
“What do you think?” she asked Dee at the end of the dress-up game. The bodyguard had spent the past two hours sitting on the side of the room, looking more bored than a child at the stuffiest event in the world. “Do I look like I’m ready to go to a ball?”
“Nah,” Dee said matter-of-factly. “Dress ain’t poufy enough. You need about fifty more yards of tulle or whatever that stuff is called. I haven’t seen Project Runway in a while.”
“Do you think Danica will like it?”
“If she doesn’t think you’re gorgeous, then she’s a bigger fool than anyone in this room.”
Alicia wasn’t sure if that was a backward compliment. “Thanks, Dee. I feel pretty, too.”
They both had a surprise when they caught the limo later. When the driver opened the door to let Alicia in, she stepped back to see Danica already waiting for her inside.
“Precious,” she said, extending a hand to help Alicia in. Dee showed herself to the front section, where her boss’s bodyguard already sat. “You are absolutely radiant, as always. Did they take care of you in there?”
Grinning, Alicia slipped into the seat beside her and waited for the door to close before answering. “Not nearly as well as you take care of me… ma’am.”
“Speaking of,” Danica gestured to her neck, “you seem to have forgotten something.”
“No, I haven’t.” Alicia popped open her clutch and pulled out the collar. “Didn’t want it to interfere with their work.” She handed her Mistress the collar.
Danica gently clicked it into place around Alicia’s neck, the now familiar sensation of something pressing upon her throat returning.
It’s my reminder that she’s never far from me.
The collar sent a message to the world that she was Danica Moreau’s.
To Alicia? It sent the message that she was always cared for.
Something I need in these trying times, apparently.
“Much better. Are you ready to go?”
The limo was moving. “You didn’t tell me we were going to something so important.”
“I suppose it’s important. I’m only expected to put in an appearance.
Cut a few checks to some senators for their reelection campaigns.
It’s mostly sitting around talking about absolutely nothing at all.
Truth be told, I’m glad you’ll be there with me.
You’ll keep me… amused.” Her hand slipped over Alicia’s knee and up her skirt.
“I trust that you’re still training yourself. ”
“I haven’t stopped once today.” Alicia was to the point that she almost didn’t feel her little friends at all. “Every time I feel them, I think of you.”
“Good things, I hope.”
“Very good things.”
Danica kissed her cheek and squeezed her thigh. “When I take you later, I think we’ll both be pleased with today’s training.”
“I do not doubt it, ma’am.”
Alicia had no idea what to expect from a gathering of politicians fundraising for their personal causes.
She also had no idea how to act around such important people.
On the flipside, she was Danica’s date, and that carried a lot of weight as it was.
From the moment they stepped out of the limo, they were inundated with valets, assistants, and reporters dressed in tuxes.
Alicia couldn’t imagine what they wanted to do with her and Danica…
until they took four steps and had voices shouting in their direction.
“Who’s the lovely lady with you tonight?”
“Care to talk to us about this November’s election?”
“What do you have to say about the recent downfall of Jacobson Electrics?” What the hell is that? “Weren’t you a huge investor?”
“Pay them no mind, my love,” Danica muttered, arm firmly around Alicia’s waist. “They’ll leave us alone once we’re inside.”
Inside wasn’t much better. They checked their coats, but along the way, they met no fewer than four men in suits who wanted to chat with them.
Danica kept Alicia moving with a deft hand and defter words.
She was lucky that her girlfriend had such a commanding presence that everyone deferred to her requests and orders.
She did, however, stop in front of a few people she claimed to have gone to Princeton with. After a few cordial greetings, one woman asked, “Who is this gorgeous creature, Danica? Another model?”
“She could be a model, couldn’t she?” Danica’s hand tightened on Alicia’s hip.
Great. Perfect time to get aroused, huh?
Her little friends inside of her agreed.
Could these people see her nipples hardening through her dress?
“Allow me to introduce you to Ms. Alicia Colbert, the love of my life.” Alicia blushed to hear her say this in public.
“Love of your life! Listen to this gal.” One of her old friends patted Danica on the shoulder. “Five months ago, you were saying you wanted nothing to do with love. What’s changed?” The look in her eyes asked, “Is her pussy that good?”
Danica remained soft-spoken around such an enthusiastic guest. “I met Alicia. That’s what’s changed.”
“Surprised your dad let you get away with this.”
Danica’s demeanor faltered. “We must be going. Speak with you later.”
Alicia didn’t ask what that was about. She didn’t have to. Because Alicia’s mother always said that if you spoke of the Devil often enough, the Beast himself would appear.
Both Danica and Alicia stopped in the middle of the grand foyer, surrounded by men and women dressed in tuxes and cocktail dresses, everyone talking politics and other pleasant high society matters. They stopped because a lone man suddenly appeared in their way.
“Danica,” Russell greeted with a practiced expression. “So good to see you, daughter.” His glowing, rancid eyes turned toward Alicia. The choker around her neck tightened. “You, too, Ms. Colbert. It’s been too long. Truly.”
There was so much tension in Alicia’s body that it was a miracle she didn’t crack some balls in two.