"You're still on time! It's all right, you're still on time." You say to yourself for the thousandth time as you check the clock on the dash, also for the thousandth time. You aren't wearing a watch because that would be out of costume. Watches are worn only when one is working.
"I mustn't be late!" you think to yourself for the millionth time, because you've been thinking it ever since the call came.
The call. The voice on the phone a few days ago simply said: "Jewelry…heels…coat…gloves," and the appointed time. She knew the rest, the where…and the who. Nothing more was needed You knew you would obey. It wasn't that you had no other choice, you
wanted
no other choice.
Rain begins to splatter on the windshield, and you add yet another delicious fear to the list, that you will get your perfect hair and makeup ruined. They have to be perfect! Nothing less will do for…for
Him
.
Briefly she considered putting on that plastic rain hood she kept in her purse for just such times as this. It looked cheap and hideous, but worked well. You lean forward to look up through the windshield at the sky and judge the weather.
He
might be watching when you arrive, and you want your total presentation to be right. That's what attracted you to him, that he was as appearance-conscious as you were. So many others don't have a clue.
The ache to please your man has driven every thought, every motion you have made. You spent hours bathing your body in a warm (not hot!) bubble bath, scrubbing with a loofah until you were as smooth as velvet porcelain all over. You carefully shaved your legs, your arms, and even your patch, because you knew He liked you that way. You endured those awful rollers for hours because you knew you, or rather He, would be rewarded with clouds and clouds of a woman's glory.
Your eyes are iridescent with a rainbow of colors, from peacock green to mauve. Your cheeks are highlighted with pearl blush, and your lips are like carmine glass. Your nails are perfect, as are your toes, as they should be, given how many hours you spent on
them!
It's almost a pity your toes don't show, but you know how much He likes stiletto pumps. Secretly, you know he's right, because even though they hurt, they make your legs look
so
good. He
does
always say that a lady shouldn't be required to walk great distances…
But you're still not there, and your heart races at the thought of being…
late!
You know He wouldn't say anything, but it would be a failure on your part, and a signal, however small, that you didn't care enough.
"I WON'T be late! I WON'T!!! Oh WHY won't this stupid light turn GREEN???"
As if in response, the light turns green, and you inadvertently screech the tires as you pull away. Now another fear, that a cop was lurking and even now zeroing in for the sting. That might make you hours late! You anxiously scan around and in the mirror, but see nothing. The relief you feel almost makes you dizzy.
You're out in the countryside now, and traffic lights and stop signs are fewer. Speed limits are higher, but your experience at the light makes you cautious, and you deliberately drive just under the posted limit no matter what the other drivers are doing. Some zoom around and speed away, some pause to make their opinions known first, but to Hell with them. They don't count. Nothing else counts.
You cross the bridge over the river, and look for the drive on the left. It's deliberately left shabby and neglected-looking to discourage uninvited visitors. You make the turn and drive between the solid banks of trees and shrubs on either side. The chain-link fence has an automatic gate, which is open. You see it close behind you in your rear view mirror. Does the car activate it, or is He watching already?
The drive to the house goes downhill into the river gorge and bends sharply right. The house can only be seen from directly above until you get to the bottom. It's a large almost pizza-box of a house, single story, with a flat roof punctuated by skylights and metal chimneys, with an open air atrium in the center. Most of the outer walls are glass, and sometimes the view goes all the way from front to back.
This evening, however, is different. All the blinds are drawn, there is no seeing in. You park your car by the walk to the front door prepare to step out. The clock says you have minutes to spare, and you breathe that sigh of relief.
Careful now, He might be watching!
You search your memory frantically for clues about how He likes you to be.
"The best defense is a good offense!"
comes to mind. You make a final inspection in the rearview mirror, step out, draw yourself up straight and even give your head a shake to sway that magnificent mane and say: "Ready or not, here I come!" then you strut your stuff boldly up to the huge red double doors of the house.
The door on the right swings open slightly as you begin to knock. You push it open and step in, then close it behind you. It shuts with the solid "thud" of a bank vault, and the sound echoes off the hard surfaces of the walls and floor, giving the quiet house a feeling of immense space and vacancy. It had rained harder out here in the country, and outside had that "after the storm" stillness where the only sounds were the river flowing over rocks and a single bird chirping somewhere in the woods.
The transition to the house was to step into a delicious coldness. Indeed, the whole building was designed to be a triumph of technology over nature. It was definitely a man's house, with it's chrome and black leather furniture, use of brick and metal for interior walls, and air conditioning to hold the weather out and comfort within. It soothes your naked body after the steam bath outside in that fur coat.
For naked you are, except for the dozens of chains around your neck and waist, the bracelets on your wrists, and the opera-length black gloves that match the black satin pumps on your feet. Only the coat stands between you and the outside world. The thought actually makes you tingle, even though many times you've gone shopping in shorts and T-shirts without underwear. Maybe it's because you're open at the bottom…
The only lights in the entry foyer are single candles, each on the shelf-tables set in the facing mirrored walls. You see yourself repeated to infinity on both sides, indeed the mirrors were adjusted during installation to be perfectly parallel so the reflections wouldn't curve away from a straight line. The whimsical side of you briefly considers opening the coat and flashing yourself an infinite number of times, but decide against it, lest you be discovered doing something unladylike. Must stay in character!
You look around and call: "H…hello?" Your voice echoes back from the empty house. Even though you know full well that you are safe and protected, your natural insecurity rises and makes you uncertain.
You venture forward, searching. You pass through the enormous living room and on through the dining hall, pass the kitchen and the study, all open and empty. The house was designed in such a way that few of the more "public" rooms have any doors or even doorways.
After a few minutes you see another candle burning, down at the end of the hall going towards the more private quarters. When you reach it you see a few more around the corner, and then more and more as you proceed further and further into the house. Finally, you stand before a tall door, one that reaches almost all the way to the roof itself. Trembling, you knock too lightly at first, then after mentally kicking yourself, more assertively.
You step back and take a second to make a final arrangement. You know a "curtain" of sorts is going up, and it's showtime!
Music is playing in the room beyond, sounds like Sarah Brightman. The door opens and…He is standing there, dressed all in black; jacket, satin shirt, bow tie, trousers, shoes…your pulse quickens at the thought.
"Come in!" He smiles, His eyes giving you an appreciative once-over before settling back on yours unblinkingly. "It's good to see you."