“She what? I don’t believe it!” Jim shouted at the producer. “What are we going to do now?” The weekend had passed too slowly for him, but now he finally found himself where he had been craving to be… the set on the beach. All around him, women of all shapes and sizes strolled along the sand, their tanned skin turning gold in the sunlight. He had spent his entire weekend thinking of these women and the beautiful swimsuits that never left much to the imagination. During his entire make-up session, he had stared at the beautiful bikini that had been chosen for Jessie. It was lying on the table next to all the make-up that would have complimented her face well. The bikini was bright red with large black leopard spots scattered across.
“She called yesterday and said she quit,” the statement was repeated.
“Damn it! What about a contract?” Jim asked. The producer shook his head.
“Ended a month ago,” he responded with sadness in his voice. “Our lawyers have been trying to re-negotiate with her for weeks now.
“Damn her! Now what?” Jim asked, feeling awkward in his black trunks.
“We call it an early day and throw on a re-run. We’ll have to hold auditions for a replacement.”
Jessie stared ahead at the road before her and sang along to the radio. The sun beamed brilliantly, forcing her to wear her dark shades. Her long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and she had tied a red bandana over her hair to keep the sun from frying it. Her red Tommy Hilfiger baby tee had a blue and white stripe on the front and she wore short dark denim shorts that showed off the elegant curves in her legs. Her feet were sandaled.
Keith had decided to head back and prepare for her yesterday, giving her time to spend on the phone with her friends and to end her job with City Life. She had spent a majority of her last minutes alone at the café with Tiffany as they chatted about the good old days of when they used to go clubbing together. She sighed and pressed the volume button again, making the music drown out the surrounding cars.
“I’m gonna soak up the sun! I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up!” Jessie cried out with the radio as she reached over and grabbed the soda she had bought from the gas station. She sipped the straw and enjoyed the sweet fizzy Mountain Dew that slid over her tongue.
She was only about five minutes from Keith’s house now and adrenaline raced through her system. She had enjoyed her last day as a free woman, but had missed him terribly since he left yesterday.
Entering the little community Keith had been a part of for years, Jessie smiled as she recognized some of the people in the front yards, working on their cars or goofing off with their kids. She waved to a couple of them when they smiled as she drove by and immediately, she realized how much she hated that she had left them all before. Turning right, she entered the cul-de-sac Keith’s house was located on and she parked in front of his house.
She had been permitted only two suitcases and she grabbed them from the front seat before stepping out of the car. They had agreed she could keep her apartment down south in case this didn’t work out again. But, the second she realized she wanted to stay with him for a long time, she was to close her apartment and move her furniture into storage.
Jessie unlocked the front door with the key she had kept in her purse for the past year and she entered quietly. Keith wasn’t home, which she had known he wouldn’t be, but the emptiness still startled her. His house was set up the same, the furniture still well taken care of – the leather oiled occasionally and the wood polished. The black leather sofa was beautiful with the white carpet and a burgundy leather chair complimented the living room well. She looked past the living room and saw the cherry cedar dining set she had picked out when they lived together and she smiled when she saw the same burgundy placemats on the table, two long black candles in the center along with a bouquet of fresh roses. Keith had never been good at decorating and Jessie had been pleased when he asked her to pick out the furniture and decorations for his house when they first met. He had followed her from shop to shop, watching as she chose deep greens, navy blues, burgundies, and blacks to compliment each other throughout the house. The kitchen was done in a deep gold with black accents and the bathroom had been done the exact opposite. The only area Jessie didn’t touch was the basement, Keith’s domain. She had been down there with him numerous times, but it was set up to his liking, not hers.
Satisfied that Keith had kept the house the way she had designed it, Jessie immediately climbed the round staircase in front of the door to go to her room. The house had three bedrooms upstairs. One was converted into an office, one was the Master bedroom with an adjoined bath, and the other was a guest room. Keith had told Jessie the guest room was now hers, as she would only join him in his room when he saw fit.
The guest room hadn’t been changed from the original blue and green design. There was still a nightstand, dresser, and down-feather bed. It was always beautiful, but nowhere near as nice as the Master bedroom done up in black satin, with mirrors along the ceiling.
Jessie set her bags on the bed and immediate went to work transferring her clothes and personal items to the dresser and nightstand. She had been allowed to bring a few casual clothes, but had been informed she would go right back to the black leather and silk outfits that had been purchased for her before.
When her items were put away and her suitcases neatly under the bed, Jessie quickly showered and changed into her sheer black mini-dress and stockings with her black heels. Her hair was blow dried and pulled up and clipped, the strands flowing down her head, curled into ringlets. She applied a bit of mascara and lipstick before spraying herself with a vanilla body spray. She knew she looked beautiful as she walked out to the living room and knelt beside the leather chair to wait for Keith’s return.
Keith unlocked his front door and entered his house, sensing Jessie’s presence immediately. He had seen her car out front, but hadn’t really felt the contentment until he saw her kneeling for him from the corners of his eyes. Immediately, he wanted to rush to her with a kiss, but knew the obligations of being a Master wouldn’t allow that. Instead, he walked past her and climbed the stairs to his room to shower and change.
Jessie filled with disappointment when she heard the stairs being climbed. She had kept her eyes lowered, hoping he would come to her and praise her for waiting for him respectfully. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back a rush of tears that demanded to push forth. She knew he enjoyed making her crave him, long for him, and that it was what he was doing now. But, why couldn’t he have looked at her at least? She heard the shower running and shook her head slightly, wondering what it is she should do to please him. She wanted to run upstairs and join him, help lather the foamy soap up and down his body, clean him with her tongue – but instead, she knelt and impatiently waited for him to return.
Keith took his time showering and changing into black khakis and a white T-shirt. He knew his Jessica well and realized how much he was annoying her right now and that made him smile. He loved to test her patience, her self control.
After changing, he went back downstairs and walked past her again, grabbing the phone in the dining room. Jessie listened to the beeps of the numbers he dialed and sighed softly from a renewal of her disappointment.
“Raven, it’s Keith. Dinner’s at six,” he said into the phone before hanging up and heading into the kitchen. Jessie heard him open the fridge.
