“Oh.” I move aside, letting her pass. I can’t help but stare at the large case on rollers she’s dragging behind her. It’s the size of the treasure chests in the old pirate movies.
I close the door and turn to find her opening the blackout drapes covering half the room.
“We’ll set up over here by the window, so we can take advantage of the sunlight.”
“Okay.” I squint, pushing my glasses up my nose.
“You have a wonderful view.”
“Heeeh.” I give her a weak smile. I wouldn’t know about the view. This is higher than the tallest building in my hometown. Even in the dark the view is intimating, I’m not ready to peek out during the day. Instead, I watch as she pulls a large roll of plastic from the case. Okay, maybe she’s planning to stuff my body in there.
Meanwhile, Millicent drapes the plastic across the floor. I reach out, helping her unfold the corners. “Let me get the chair set up then we’ll get started.”
“I’ll get it,” I offer, going around the wooden desk the size of my single bed to roll the chair over.
Millicent gives me a curious look before she turns back to set up in the middle of the plastic. “Come sit here.” She taps the seat. “And take your hair down.”
I pull the scrunchie free, put my hand through it, so I don’t lose it then take a seat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t wash my hair. I just took a quick shower before going to bed.”
Millicent separates strands. “You’re fine,” she says thoughtfully. “We’re going to have to cut a lot of this.”
I put my hand to the back of my head. “Um, I’m not sh-sure.”
The door opens, and Nina comes through and closes the door behind her. “How are we doing?”
My shoulders sag in relief. I have no idea what Nina’s planning.
She glides over, her floral print, mid-thigh length dress making me think of fairy magic. How can she look so good when she was still in full makeup at one o’clock this morning?
“There’s no saving the length,” Millicent explains. “The ends have too much damage.”
Nina nods then turns her attention to me. “We’re going to remove the damage and leave as much healthy length as possible.”
“Okay.” I push my glasses up again. “I just didn’t know what you had in mind.”
Nina nods, giving the go-ahead.
Millicent places a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get started.”
Chase
The plan had been for a three-day weekend of relaxation. But I don’t do well sitting around waiting for stuff to happen. Nina said to expect a link in the afternoon. The afternoon includes a lot of hours, though, and the anticipation is killing me.
I reach for my laptop. Maybe I can find a way to keep busy for a while. I wish I could lose myself in an online game, but there’s a time and a place to destroy cyber enemies, and this isn’t it. I don’t have the patience to outwit AI right now.
I open my email. The only thing of interest is from my assistant. Possible trouble on the horizon from one of my clients. He’s suspicious of his wife. Usually when someone has a sinking feeling something’s not right, it’s because something’s not right.
I get to work. This is a lot simpler than usual. He’s reporting in after installing an app on her phone and on the laptop she uses at home. I start with her phone because that’s the most obvious avenue to communicate with others. Within minutes, I find a vault. Personal experience says the only people who have one have something valuable to keep safe. So, I’ll get in there and see what the missus has hidden.
Not too long ago I was doing this for myself. At first, I thought it was my own guilt over having Jasmine on my mind pushing me to find something Brittney may have been doing that would even the playing field. I ended up with more than I bargained for. She was planning to cash out. And while I was in class, something she encouraged me to take on, she hooked up with an old boyfriend.
From the sound of the messages, it was something she was keeping quiet and casual. Though it made me wonder if this was the first time she’d slept around or if there had been others. The betrayal should have hurt. It should have made me angry. Instead, I had an unexpected feeling of relief and a flash of a smart-mouthed coed.
I just had to figure out how to make things happen. Being a professor, even an adjunct professor, means I can’t just knock on the door of her dorm without causing all sorts of problems. And she’s not one to be out where I can bump into her. I couldn’t find a number for her, so, if she has a phone, it may be under someone else’s name. That narrowed my options considerably.
When I learned about the auction, it got my mind going. Finding more information on the group was almost impossible. They’ve got tight security, so I had to get creative. I went around the wall instead of running the risk of being busted.
It was easier to focus on the guy who was stupid enough to keep the information in his computer. I worked my way into his trust with miles of bike rides and weeks of sore muscles.
In the end, the mention of Brittney’s deception earned me the recommendation I wanted.
5
Jasmine
“How are you doing in there?” Nina calls from the next room.
I study myself in the full-length mirror. I’m still getting used to wearing a thong. The white satin rides low on my body, barely covering me. It looks nice, if I don’t think about the fact the reflection is an image of myself. I place my hands on my tummy. The reflection shows beautifully done nails in a burgundy lacquer. If I wasn’t staring at them, I wouldn’t recognize my own hands. When I tilt my fingers, the topcoat shines bright in the middle and darker at the edges.
The outfit Nina chose for me resembles something from the images of Greek goddesses. Off the shoulder in a soft, sheer material. The only thing I’m wearing under it is the thong and a strip of layered material across my chest that leaves a view of under-boob.
“I’m coming.” I swallow hard, hugging myself. Can I do this? My tummy’s twisting as I turn to join her. There’s nowhere to go. It’s this or living on the street for a couple of months.
The first step is disconcerting. The dress caresses my bare butt at every step. Nina looks up from her phone, setting it on the table beside her.
“I think the top is too small.” I tuck my arms under my breasts.
“Let’s see.” She stands there, expectantly.
Reluctantly, I lower my arms, heat rushing across my face as she checks.
“Nonsense,” she says, dismissing my concern. “Relax your shoulders.” She adjusts the layers, uncovering the first inch or so of my cleavage. That still can’t be enough to cover all the way down to the underside of my breasts. “There. Traditionally, men admire a woman’s breasts from the cleavage. This gives a different view. Starting out innocent and ending in sexy.”
“Sexy?” My face goes hot again. Not a word I ever would have considered for myself.
“You’re a vision.” She smiles at me, pleased at what she’s done. “How do you feel?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t believe it’s me in the mirror,” I confess. “And having a dress slide over my butt is strange. It feels like it’s trying to hold on, so it doesn’t jiggle.”