This story was a bit of an experiment, mostly with the perspective and tense. It will be another multi-part story, but not anywhere near as long as my others. As always, I hope it entertains, and I welcome feedback and comments.
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I follow Rose as she walks up the stairs. Her pumps click on the wood, which echoes in the large house. There's no way she could sneak up them, but she doesn't need to. I follow more quietly in my flats, observing and jotting down notes.
"Master wants me to do the guest rooms today," she says over her shoulder, "We've got the party in a couple of days and he has me clean them early so they're clean and fresh but there's enough time for the smell of the soap and stuff to go away."
We reach the top floor and head down the left hallway. The house is large, but not quite big enough to have "wings" like a full mansion would. That said, the top floor is arranged in a sort of "H" with bedrooms on the sides of the house and bathrooms in the middle, with the back given over to the library. There hasn't been any redecorating or updating the interior apart from what's required to keep it up to code. That means a lot of hardwood surfaces stained in various browns, molding everywhere, and carpets in the rooms. The hallways and stairs don't have runners, but that and the electric lights with LED bulbs are the only nods to the modern age in this part of the house.
We reach the first room and Rose unlocks it with a skeleton key. The doorknob rattles and the metal looks older than either of us. We're close in age, though I can't help but be envious of Rose's body. She's managed to keep her skin pristine and free of lines; her face looks at least 5 years younger than her 27 years, her pale skin free of any stretch marks or scars that I can make out. She has her hair braided. It's dyed to look red, and she could pass as a native Scot or Irish lady even with her brown eyes.
I'm able to make these observations because the only thing Rose has on is an apron.
It's a standard maid's apron, in the Edwardian style like you'd see on Downton Abbey or any of those period shows; shoulder straps, a half bodice that covers the front, a string tie around the waist, and a drape in front that goes down just below the knees. But walking behind her, her entire back is bared to me. I can see the sides of her generous breasts peeking out between her back and her arms. Her shapely backside is completely visible, and depending on when I look and where I am, sometimes I can see what's between her legs as well.
I'm in the home of Xander Talbot, a hedge fund magnate of modest fame thanks to his shrewd philanthropism and patronage. His fund focuses on a mixture of natural commodities and clean energy; most people would know him as the "don't touch oil" guy, who stock analysts and forecasters like to interview for the "unpopular opinion." He invests in clean energy solutions and companies, and he's backed political candidates that focus on environmentalism.
Then there was the scandal with Kyra, given name Samantha Lynn. Paparazzi spotted the two of them together. On the face of it, it was just another age gapped pairing among celebrities, and it matched Kyra's brand; no need to play songs backwards or research symbolism to find the meaning behind her songs "Silver Fox" and "From Spring to Christmas." But rumors started bubbling up about a darker side to their relationship, albeit not from any credible sources.
Charlie Bozeman was a household name for a lot of us right after the expose. He "blew up" social media with his pictures and video where Xander could be seen holding Kyra against a wall by her wrists, exposing her backside, and repeatedly spanking her. Her sobs and apologies were a landing page sound bite around every gossip and tabloid site on the web. The #metoo movement was convinced they'd found their next target. Two days after the pictures dropped, Bozeman was lined up to appear on major talk shows, and people were trying to figure out whose attorney general could bring charges.
But as the Bible tells us, the third day is a different story. Kyra's exclusive interview with our own Carol Masters was not what anyone expected. People tuned in to see a battered, scared woman thanking everyone for freeing her from her torment and exposing her abuser. Instead she lambasted her would-be saviors, revealed the mountain of legal action being brought against Bozeman and several others associated with him, and announced her retirement from the public eye, finishing up with the new soundbite of the story: "I hope you like the music I made, because you all [expletive] ruined it, and you aren't getting any more."
That was the last public statement Kyra made. Half an hour after the interview, Kyra's legal team released written statements that revealed, with permission, that Talbot and Lynn had a submissive and dominant relationship, the defining type of arrangement in the BDSM subculture.
The righteous backlash that built for two days vanished in two hours. People tore into each other, with accusations of ignorance, "kink shaming," and misogyny flying around. Bozeman was sued by Lynn for slander and libel, and by both Lynn and Talbot for damages. The cases are still pending, but legal experts and sources close to all parties have said they expect Bozeman to settle, with most of the money going to Lynn.
The former rising pop star hasn't made a statement in a year, and she has disappeared so thoroughly from the public eye that new suicide rumors arise weekly, and several sites and groups have devoted themselves to "Kyra spotting." Since any money Talbot lost during the initial backlash has since been recovered, it's assumed any damages Bozeman has to pay will mostly go to her, and the amounts being speculated would mean she could disappear for the rest of her life if she wanted. Her fanbase holds out hope, if posts and messages online are anything to go by, though some spend time assigning blame, fixating on Kyra's statement that "they ruined" her career.
But another thing came out of that interview, and it turned into the reason I'm where I am now. Kyra implored people to educate themselves, to understand things before they attack and accuse blindly. Her words were a little less restrained, but the sentiment was understood. And she made a plea to Xander Talbot directly. Talbot asked for me, specifically, to be the window into his current and Lynn's former world. I expressed my doubts; those of you who join me on Saturday mornings know the name Daniela Poacher but I'm certainly not the most well-known anchor on our network. But everyone assured me I'm the one for the job, so after a few meetings with Talbot and a fairly extensive set of ground rules, I agreed.
It was a long conversation with Talbot, and my producers were flummoxed most of the time. No video at all was a major stipulation, though I can appear for interviews as I like. He also demanded these articles be explicit, detailed, and unedited. It was funny because it's the reverse of what we usually have to deal with. Big names want to review our stuff and take things out all the time so they aren't embarrassed. Talbot wanted to prevent
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