Mimi's limo arrived to pick up Jessica, Jane, and Marie at about 8:30, only a little late. As the three of them swept through the lobby in their fur coats, drawing admiring stares from everyone they passed, Jessica felt like the queen of the world. She even waved regally at Josie behind the front desk; Josie waved back enthusiastically and then looked away, embarrassed.
A light snow was falling as they exited the hotel. There was no missing the limo waiting for them -- it was the biggest and, somehow, the blackest that Jessica had ever seen. The driver, an enormous African-American man -- at least 6 foot 6 -- nodded to them and opened the door.
The three of them sat down facing the rear of the vehicle, opposite Mimi, Tara, and Blondie. Settling back into her seat -- the leather was the softest she'd ever felt -- Jessica suddenly found herself feeling unesy. It was like this was all too much -- too decadent, beyond the pale. It was just wrong somehow. But they were here now, the car was pulling out onto the street, so she shook it off.
They all had a cocktail, and then another, as the limo left the city and cruised down a dark, tree-lined highway. Jessica had no idea where they were going, and this bothered her a little bit; she liked to be in control of these kinds of things. She could have checked her phone but made a conscious decision not to -- instead she concentrated on her cool, delicious beverage and the five beautiful women she was with. Tara, in particular, looked extremely fetching that night in a chic black dress that showed off her lovely shoulders.
In her mind's eye Jessica pictured Tara dropping to her knees, crawling across the floor of the limo, and diving between Jessica's legs. She probably could have made this fantasy a reality by opening her mouth and asking. But at the moment she was content just to imagine, let her mind wander.
By Jessica's reckoning it was just under an hour later when they made their way down a long, meandering driveway to an imposing old mansion -- dating from the 1930s, she guessed. It looked like something out of The Great Gatsby.
After leaving the limo they climbed a flight of stairs to the front door, which was flanked by two imposing-looking men in suits and sunglasses. Mimi nodded to them and the one on the left moved his head, just barely visibly, in response. Apparently they were expected.
In the expansive foyer they were greeted by a glamorous-looking redhead in an old-fashioned red gown. She was tall to begin with and was wearing extremely high heels, so she towered over all of them, smiling pleasantly but a little intimidating nonetheless.
She took Mimi's hand and kissed her softly on each cheek. "A pleasure to see you again."
"I'm glad to be here," said Mimi. "I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this."
An older woman in a maid's uniform took their coats, and their hostess invited them to be seated on a large sofa against one wall. "Do you have anything in particular in mind?" she asked.
Mimi shook her head. "No, let's see the selection."
"Very good." The redhead walked to the corner of the room and rang a bell. Almost immediately, women began to appear, one by one, each one more beautiful than the last. Within five minutes there were maybe 25 of them arrayed across one side of the room, up the stairs leading to the second floor, and on the balcony above. Every race and color was represented, and every size -- from a slip of a girl who looked about four feet tall, to a six-foot-plus amazon with powerful shoulders. Jessica shook her head in amazement.
Gesturing toward the gathered throng, Mimi said, "As our guest, first choice is yours."
Feeling magnanimous, Jessica told Marie that she could go first. After taking a minute to look around, Marie pointed to the top of the stairs. Halfway hidden in the shadows was a black girl who Jessica hadn't even noticed, but she could tell immediately that Marie had made an excellent choice. This woman was not just beautiful -- with dark creamy skin, perfect cheekbones, and a mane of long black hair -- but had a regal quality, a bearing that made her seem like mistress of all she surveyed.
The dark-skinned beauty made her way down the stairs, moving gracefully and fluidly, growing more lovely with every step closer. As she approached, Jessica could see that her eyes were an incongruous but dazzling bright blue. Despite her color there was something vaguely Asian about her features; it was almost as if all the best qualities of the world's women had been combined in one person. When she took Marie's hand and led her away Jessica almost followed them, but then she thought, no, let Marie have this treat to herself -- she deserves it.
Jane chose next, picking a very slim, petite Asian girl who to Jessica's eye looked Thai. Then it was Jessica's turn, but she felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices. After a couple minutes of indecision, Jessica looked over at Mimi and her entourage, who were being polite but clearly growing impatient. Suddenly she was struck with an idea. She walked over and whispered in Mimi's ear; Mimi shrugged and said, "Fine with me."
Mimi turned to Tara and said "Your turn." Tara knew exactly what she wanted; she pointed to a cutie in a plaid skirt with light brown hair and glasses. She looked maybe 19; she could just as well have been one of the cheerleaders back home, thought Jessica. As the girl came toward them, Mimi said to Tara, "She's with you," indicating Jessica.
Tara smiled and nodded her head. "Cool."
"Hi, my name's Ashley," said the girl, a trace of Southern accent audible in her speech. "How are you all doing today?"
