"Yes just like your maids had to do for your own unmentionables. Now I have to attend to some business for a while. You will work on this task for the next four hours, after that we start cooking class for the ensuing four hours. Same rules as yesterday, you earn fifty cents an hour. I will match that at the end of the day if your work is satisfactory. I will caution you however that the cost of any clothing you destroy through not following proper instructions is coming out of your pay. If you are not careful you may end up owing me money at the end of the day."
Disgusted but unable to figure a way out of her situation that would not result in Rusk inflicting pain upon her if she refused, Elena threw herself into the task. She carefully read the labels and began with a stack of towels. Once the slightly unbalanced washing machine was churning away, Elena accidentally leaned up against it and made a remarkable discovery. The vibration of the metal washer against her metal chastity belt sent very pleasing vibrations through the device. After experimenting with various positions, Elena found the one that made her feel best. The vibration was not enough to get her off but it was the most pleasure she had had in weeks. To her delight the spinning dryer was even better.
Elena discovered after a while that not only was doing laundry something akin to fun, but she had an aptitude for it. Even washing out Peter Rusk's boxers was nowhere as bad as she imagined it would be.The last load in the dryer finished just as Peter reentered the room. Fortunately for Elena she was not at that moment pressed up against the appliance.
Peter, looking fantastic in designer togs, graciously helped her fold the last load of clothes. He carefully examined his boxers and the clothes that Elena had already finished.
"You have done well slave Elena. After cooking class I will help you put away these clothes and replace the bedding. We will start with simple instructions. Believe it or not you will be cooking dinner for both of us tonight. Well before this year is over you will have taken over cleaning this house, doing the laundry, making all of the meals. We will even work on the household budget together. You will be a first class servant."
Elena responded with, "A year of my life gone just so that I can learn how to be a housewife. My uncle could have married me off to one of his underlings and had the same effect."
Peter laughed heartily and said, "Slave Elena marrying you off would have taught you nothing. You would have insisted upon a maid, learning no household skills. You would have had no understanding of the value of money and would have spent your husband into the poor house. You uncle showed me how much you were spending. To survive financially and probably emotionally your husband would have divorced in less than a year and you would have ended up back at your Uncle Charles' door, older but no wiser, and in the same financial disarray you were in when he married you off. Being given to me is the best thing that could have happened to you."
Elena was irate at hearing Peter Rusk's words. They were all the more infuriating because Elena knew that there was a great deal of truth in his words. When Elena pictured herself married she never envisioned herself over a stove or even lifting a finger to clean. In her vision of domestic bliss, the maid did everything except fuck her husband. Elena realized that she never even envisioned changing a diaper or doing anything more strenuous than giving the cook and maid the menu for the dinner parties she and her husband would host weekly. With a start Elena realized that she had a great deal of growing up to do. Still the fact that her Uncle Charles had essentially given her away to Peter was galling in the extreme. Elena tried to compile a list of places that her uncle could have done to give her the training she needed. She came up empty.
In the kitchen, Peter presented Elena with a frilly, yet functional apron. Elena donned it and paid attention as Peter took her on a tour of the kitchen. Peter showed her where all the food and utensils were kept. The cookbooks were all neatly arraigned from simplest menus to the most complex. Peter walked her through a simple recipe. To Elena's surprise a short time later she had made French Toast for both herself and Peter. She had burnt her first attempt but swelled with pride when beautiful, perfectly browned toast. Exited the pan. Elena, who knew only how to cook ramen and hard boil eggs was delighted to have made something with her own two hands.
"You see," said Peter as they ate, "it feels good to do things for yourself. You are a very smart woman Elena, once we finish this brunch and wash the dishes together I want you to pick out a meal from one of the simpler cookbooks. You will plan the meal and gather up all of the ingredients. Today it will probably take you a very long time, but as you become more skilled and confident, you will need less time to prepare meals. I will assist you when you need it but for the most part I will be your cheerleader. Cooking is not hard if you follow the directions exactly."
Peter was every bit the gentleman as he helped Elena wash and dry the dishes. "We will use the dishwasher when we have a big load but for these few dishes..."
It occurred to Elena that Peter really did have a winning personality. He was forceful, certainly and demanding, but when he turned on the charm he was positively endearing. Elena was still determined to not sleep with him but she decided that there was definite merit in the things he was trying to teach her. For about an hour while Elena perused cookbooks they had their first real conversation. They exchanged tales about their childhoods and school.
Peter encouraged her to select whatever she liked for dinner. Elena decided to make a salad and grilled chicken with a wine sauce. It did not look too intimidating and Peter had all of the raw materials. Cutting the salad was quite easy, even if Elena had to be very careful to not nick herself with the knife. Elena liked that Peter really let her work on her own, only interjecting when absolutely necessary. Elena was delighted with the results. For reasons that she did not understand she was quite happy that Peter dubbed the meal "Superb."
After they finished eating Peter informed Elena that she had earned another eight dollars. "If you continue to apply yourself to work It won't be long before we visit Good Will and buy you some clothing. It won't be the designer labels you are used to but the clothing will mean more because you will have worked for it."
The two put away the laundry that Elena had labored over. The boxers were left to dry overnight. Elena helped Peter make her bed and then his own. Peter's bed was the largest Elena had ever encounters. It looked big enough to sleep four people with no overlapping of the bodies. As Elena helped smooth out the sheets and blankets, her hands discovered that the mattress was by far the most comfortable she had ever encountered. Elena briefly wondered what it would be like to sleep in that bed. Then she realized under what conditions that would occur and she became angry and depressed.
What he did next floored Elena. Peter sat Elena on the couch and let her pick out a show to watch while Peter cleaned up the kitchen. Further astounding Elena, once he had the kitchen stowed away Peter led her to the massage table in his bedroom. His fingers worked magic on Elena's tight muscles. She considered that these same fingers, which were now so tender and loving, were also capable of inflicting great pain upon her. Peter Rusk was the most confounding man she had ever met. Elena realized that when Peter was nurturing and loving she would be hard pressed to deny him anything. And then she remembered his brusque manhandling of her body and a tremble ran through Elena's flesh. "Who IS this man?" asked Elena to herself. "How can he be both so evil and so kind?"
Abstractly, Elena tugged on her collar. It astounded her how quickly she had accepted its presence.After one of the most enjoyable massages of her life, Peter Rusk put Elena to bed. After he dimmed the lights Elena tried to make herself comfortable. Out of habit her hands drifted to her privates where they encountered steel warmed to her body's temperature. An unwanted vision of Elena accepting Peter Rusk's terms to have him remove the accused belt stormed into her consciousness. A mix of frustration, shame and guilt, Elena forced the vision away and settled down to another night of troubled sleep.
