MAJIC (continued)
Pleasures of the City
A City Deer Hunt
Oasis walked towards the subway entrance gratefully. The incessant cold would at least be kept at bay with other warm bodies around her. Naked beneath her long coat, her body pimpled with goose flesh, she shivered. She wondered if she shook more from the cold or from the anticipation of this next meeting with Philippe.
He had phoned her that morning, even before she was awake. When she answered the phone sleepily, the first word he said was, Oasis. That was all that was needed to have her instantly awake, knowing who was calling. She pulled herself up quickly, and turned on the light next to her bed. Just the sound of his voice making her heart pound heavily.
"Did I wake you sweet Oasis?" Philippe asked smiling.
"Yes Master, you did. Is something wrong?" Oasis asked in return, reading the bedside clock. It was 6:00am.
"Oh no, nothing is wrong. I want to see you." He said, imagining her sitting on her bed, her hair tousled from sleep, knowing as he heard movement through the phone, she was running her fingers through this hair. An unconscious gesture for her, but so much arousing to Him. "Do you have pen and paper close by?" He asked, now imagining her brow furrow questioningly, and her hand now from her hair, set still in her lap.
"No, I will get it. Just a moment" she said as she set the phone aside, and quickly went to retrieve this from her kitchen. "I have it now Master." She spoke trying to catch her breath from waking up so suddenly, and also getting this for him so quickly. She wanted to ask why she needed to write things down, when he had only said he wanted to see her, but kept silent knowing he would tell her what he wanted her to know.
"Oasis, write this down" he said, and proceeded to tell her a station number, a time, a terminal number, and then the exact car she would enter and where to wait. He smiled on the other end of the phone, knowing she so much wanted to ask why. He could tell from the audible silence from her. He could barely hear her breathing, she was so still trying to hold any questions in. "I also want you to only wear a long coat, and whichever heeled shoes you like." He stated simply to her silence.
Oasis wrote all this down mechanically, even though the questions in her mind came the same way. The last statement to be naked under her long coat, flared incessant in her mind.
"Master?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes?" he said sounding impatient, although he was not, knowing what she would ask already.
"May I be dressed and then remove the clothing in a ladies room before I enter this particular subway car? It will be so cold today, and is supposed to snow again." She complained.
"No" is all he said, and hung up the phone.
Feeling a small bit of reproach for being cut off so quickly, Oasis went to prepare herself, thinking even without clothing, she would have to hurry to make this train.
Even with such a great effort to be presentable, descending the subway steps, her hair hung heavy and wet with snow around her shoulders, her face drawn tight against the cold, she felt the stinging sensations, as the warm air around her tried to bring life back to her freezing skin. She thought this way to be dressed in such cold to be cruel, and wondered why Philippe would not have at least let her be warm on her trip here. She entered the nearest ladies room, by passing everything except the warm dryers for wet hands. She punched the first, harder than she meant to, grateful it would still spew warm air to her frozen hands. So early in the morning this was a busy place. She knew the way she was dressed, and her disheveled appearance would bring condescending looks from those more appropriately dressed. Feeling the blessed warmth on her hands, she did not care. Punching the now silent machine again, she flipped her head over as well, and let the warm air dry her frozen hair.
A woman approached the dryer next to Oasis. She watched Oasis as she vainly tried to dry and warm her hair this way. Rubbing her hands lightly beneath her own dryer she watched silently as Oasis pulled her hair up length, by length under the air machine next to hers. She saw this pale neck beneath this hair, and silently cursed herself for not asking Philippe to instruct this one to wear a lovely collar. When both dryers stopped together, she punched the metallic button again for Oasis, softly tracing the finger tips of the other hand down Oasis' neck to the collar of her coat. Smiling, she left her before she had a chance to even glance in her direction.
Feeling this light touch upon her, Oasis stood and shivered again. This time not with cold but from the feeling of this touch upon her. The facility being so busy, she could not discern which of the women had done so. There were so many coming and going. She put these feelings aside to continue the repairs upon herself from such an unpleasant arrival. Looking in the mirror now, her hair resembled the appearance of this morning. Going ever which way, tresses falling in front of her face. She fixed this as best she could without the so many implements she had at home. Not really satisfied, but with no time to do better, she smoothed out the slight imperfections the weather had caused upon her face. Looking at her eyes, she wondered what Philippe would think of the color now. Such a dark, and broody, mood color, almost the resemblance to a shallow river, churning the bottom layers to the top. She felt as her eyes portrayed. Brewing inside with anxiety for what was going to happen, and with self consciousness for the way she was presented now. Most had their coats flipped over their arms. It was very warm underground. She wondered how many would question hers so tightly belted, and no boots, just heels upon her feet. She decided not to look at anyone, as she left the ladies room to find the right train. Had she made herself more aware, she would have seen Philippe and the woman follow after her to the intended destination.
As they followed Oasis, Philippe and Loren chatted amicably. Their dispositions easy and friendly. Unless one was a part of this conversation, it would not have been guessed the real intent of their discussion. Loren was expressing her regret not to have suggested a collar for Oasis and why. Philippe smiled in return thinking of Oasis trying to warm herself, but also repair herself from the damaging cold. He knew her vanity, instilled from her up bringing, would always ensure for him, one in a presentable state. He looked at her walking in front of them now. Her back straight, and head held high. Though he knew she preferred no shoes at all, only wearing them when she had to, she walked in these heels easily. Her legs languidly flowing in stride with each step she took. The fluorescent lights from above glinting off of the chain she wore about her ankle with each step. Loren followed Philippe's gaze. Seeing these delicate links glitter, she told Philippe she changed her mind. Chains all around this one, would suit her better. Philippe could not help but chuckle in agreement. They fell silent then. Philippe pleasantly knowing Oasis belonged to him. Loren wishing she was her own.
They entered the car a few people behind her. She still had not turned around, nor even looked to anyone on either side of her. Philippe knew she was feeling very uncomfortable in her appearance done to her by the weather, and also from only wearing this coat. He wondered if Loren sensed these things too about her. He would have asked her, but did not want even his voice to carry to Oasis, and give her tense appearance relief. He so much enjoyed seeing how she would react and deal with such extreme circumstances.
Oasis placed herself in the exact spot Philippe had told her to. She had not even looked at her written instructions for reassurance. She had never been an avid subway passenger, but he had been very clear in the location, and it was not hard to find. There were four poles in this car, she held onto the one in the farthest part of the aisle and faced the rear. It was so crowded on this train, but she knew he was here. She could feel him. Almost smell him. She knew if she turned around and searched the faces around her, she would see him. To do that she would also have to see everyone else. To look into eyes she had no desire for, and to possibly see any adverse reaction to her appearance, was something that held her gaze steady to the back. Even knowing he was there, she gripped this pole fiercely, her knuckles looking frozen around it. She waited.
Philippe gallantly allowed Loren ahead of him. She maneuvered easily through the throng of people to the back of the car, Philippe close behind her. She stopped at the last pole, putting herself in front of Oasis, her one hand just above Oasis' on this pole. The other hand, she gently touched Oasis' chin to turn her gaze to meet her eyes. She almost laughed seeing Oasis' eyes widen, and then become doused with confusion, all in only seconds.
"Hello little one," Loren said very seriously, although humor danced around the edges of her mouth.
Oasis knew this woman, and had felt this hand before. She felt at that moment like a deer caught in a driver's headlights. Confused and paralyzed, unable to do anything but stand stolidly while watching the impending approach.