DThanks: To Cin, for looking for ‘commodes' ; )
Comments, criticism (constructive, if possible, but I'm not picky), questions, ideas or suggestions please to: Sammet82@t-online.de
Chapter 2
When Billy awoke the next day, she was completely disorientated for a moment. She was lying in an unfamiliar bed in a room she had never seen before. There were no pictures on the bright white walls, no furniture except for the bed and the small commode beside it, nothing to give her a clue as to where she might be. Only slowly the last night's events came back to her, and her pulse sped up.
She had been sold.
As mean as Ronny could be, Billy would never have thought she would go this far. But in the last weeks her Mistress, never on the kind side anyway, had become increasingly irate and seemingly lost all sexual interest in Billy. She had barely looked at her anymore and yesterday morning, out of the blue, told her she would sell her. And now... Billy slowly sat up. Yesterday her mind had been blank with shock and fear, she hadn't been able to fully grasp her new situation or assess her new Mistress. But Alex couldn't be any worse than Ronny on a bad day. She really couldn't. And so far she seemed nice and patient.
On the other hand Ronny, too, had been nice in the beginning, even charming, so Billie didn't trust Alex' winning smile too far. What the hell, at least her new Mistress was better looking…
She thought about it and smiled. Okay, so Alex was the most gorgeous woman Billie had ever seen. That had to count as an improvement. Those eyes were just incredible…
A glance at the alarm clock showed almost eleven a.m. Alex hadn't woken her, so she wasn't too concerned of having slept too long, but she'd better not push her luck. Despite her wish to hide under the covers she got up, a bit unsteady on her feet, as always in the last weeks. Her limbs felt as if they didn't really belong to her and moving felt awkward. Well, at least she had not had those strange dreams this night.
Digging her toes in the plush carpet, she looked around for something to wear, but her backpack was nowhere to be seen and her new Mistress hadn't laid out anything else for her to wear. Now this wasn't all bad. Her skin had been so sensitive the last days and the pyjama's silk felt almost soothing.
The first door she tried led to a walk-in wardrobe and she quickly closed it again - if Alex came in, she'd probably think Billy was spying and get angry.
The second door led out to a corridor she cautiously followed to a flight of stairs. She had no idea how she had gotten here, as far as she remembered, she had fallen asleep in the living room at the first floor. She would go there and just sit down and wait for her new Mistress – this way she hopefully couldn't do anything wrong.
When she reached the foot of the stairs, the smell of bacon hit her nostrils and her head snapped around so fast she got dizzy. Like in a trance she followed the enticing scent to the kitchen.
A slightly rounded, middle-aged woman with dark hair in a lose bun was hustling around behind the counter, seemingly handling two pans, three plates and a knife at the same time. This had to be Maria. She looked up when Billy entered and greeted her with a warm smile that made her warm brown eyes crinkle around the corners.
“There you are, Billie, I just wanted to come wake you. Slept well?”
Billie only nodded, her eyes fixed on the bacon.
Maria piled up a stack of pancakes on a plate and set it on the counter. “Fine, then sit down. I hope you like a substantial breakfast.”
Billy could have kissed her. She really tried to eat at an appropriate pace, but still managed to consume a plate of pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and toast in about five minutes.
Maria beamed, watching her with appreciation. “Now that's how I like it. I never get Alexandra to eat breakfast, she just slurps that acrid syrup she actually calls coffee.”
Billie smiled politely, squinting around Maria for possible leftovers.
Maria placed a big glass of orange juice in front of Billy and took her plate to fill it again. “Alexandra had to go to her club, but she left me a note to get a room ready for you and show you around.”
“A room?” Billie asked distractedly, her eyes following the plate.
“Yes. Usually a big hole in a house with four walls, ceiling and floor.”
Billy tore her eyes away from the newly filled plate. “A room for me?”
Maria impatiently clicked her tongue. “Of course for you, child, now eat up, then I'll show you.”
***
Following Maria, still in her pyjamas and now with her backpack over the shoulder, Billy felt like a very strange tourist.
The house was just as huge as it had seemed yesterday, with three bathrooms, a fully equipped gym and a party room in the basement, complete with bar, pool table and pinball. Maria snorted as she showed it to Billie. “Don't know why she wanted this - she never has any guests except for Cassidy. Perhaps you can get her to loosen up a bit.”
Billie seriously doubted that she would have any kind of influence over her Mistress. But she didn't want to destroy this nice woman's illusions, who obviously thought she was a friend of Alex, so she only nodded and followed Maria upstairs again.
The house itself was beautiful, with spacious rooms and big windows, but Billie soon got the impression that she was walking through a museum or perhaps a hotel. There was nothing personal, no pictures or trinkets, nothing that gave away who lived here.
The only room that looked like someone was actually using it was Alex' study. There were shelves over shelves full of books, from sappy paperbacks to medical literature to pricey looking leather-bound volumes. There was a nice little fireplace with a single armchair in front of it and a desk with not one but three computers on it. Books and magazines were strewn around the room and empty cans littered the desk. On the mantelpiece stood a framed picture, the only one in the whole house as far as Billie could tell, but before she had the chance to have a closer look, Maria frowned and ushered her outside again.
“She won't let me clean up in here – as if I could mess this up any more than she does! Anyway, if you want to borrow a book from here, better don't move the cans or the other litter, she wants it just like it is.” Maria glanced at her watch. “Best I show you your room now – I've got a lot of work today and dinner to prepare – Cassidy's coming over in the evening.”
Billy felt her stomach clenching. Who was this Cassidy Maria kept mentioning? Alex' lover? Billy bit her lip, not liking this prospect at all. At least Ronny hadn't been into threesomes.
Oblivious to Billie's regrowing fear, Maria led her to a room on the second floor, not far from Alex' bedroom. “This is one of the guestrooms. It's not big, but I guess it will do for now.”
Billie only stared wide-eyed. It was small compared to most of the other rooms, but bright and held in light, warm colors, with a king sized bed, pictures on the walls and even a balcony. There were a television and a stereo and a small desk with a stack of paper, ink and an old fashioned quill.
“It's – it's – wow!”
Maria smiled modestly. “Thank you, dear,” Seeing Billie's questioning gaze, she explained. “Alexandra is a hopeless case when it comes to decoration, you've seen her bedroom. So I talked her into letting me take care of the guestrooms – not that they'd been used ever before. This one's my favorite, I thought you might like it. Well, I leave you to your unpacking. But hurry, child, Alexandra'll be back around two, she said you'll go shopping this afternoon.”
It took Billie about five minutes to stow away her possessions, given that she probably could have fitted all of them in one drawer. Her bright red teddy bear Connor, the only thing left from her childhood, she placed on her pillow.
Afterwards she changed in her only left clothes, a pair of cut-off jeans and a green T-shirt. Ronny had liked her in lingerie, preferably black latex, but she'd kept all those things. Billy didn't miss them - Ronny's taste had been rather atrocious - but she still was worried Alex might get angry over having to spend money on her.
She sat down on the bed, drawing her knees up and looked around. So this was her room. Hers alone. She had never had a room of her own before and now the feeling was amazing. No screaming kids, no one to mess up her things or bully her…
Of course that came with a price, too. At least she had been able to fight back when her foster siblings had knocked her around; Alex sure wouldn't like that…
Billie suppressed an odd shudder as her thoughts turned to her new Mistress again. There was such a strange energy around her, a power Billie had never felt before. She had followed Alex' orders instinctively, not from fear but despite of it, out of the strange desire to please her Mistress. Alex smile had made her feel… safe. And content.
And she smelled really good.
The thought startled Billie. She had been so tired and scared that the whole evening had gone by in a rush of fleeting images and startling sounds, so why did she remember exactly how good Alex smelled?
She had felt strange for some time now. She was hungry most of the time and fell asleep whenever she sat down for too long. She even imagined her senses getting finer. When she closed her eyes, she could hear Maria down in the kitchen cut onions. She knew it had to be her imagination working overtime, no one had hearing that good, but she just couldn't stop it. It was just weird how sounds got louder now and again, to a degree where it started hurting. Or how daylight now sometimes hurt her eyes as if she'd been staring directly into the sun.
Perhaps Ronny had put something strange in her food.
Billy spent the next hour contemplating the strange changes in her perception without coming closer to an explanation. She was recalling Alex' voice for about the twentieth time, when the sound of a car in the driveway made her head snap up. She heard the car's door being opened and then slammed shut, heard someone walking along the garden-path and even recognized the energetic, confident pattern of Alex' gait.
The front door opened and Billie jumped up and frantically started searching for her brush. She wasn't sure if she wanted to look good for her Mistress or just wanted to avoid punishment, but it was all the same. If she had to face her in old and faded clothes, she at least didn't want to look like she'd just crawled out of bed.
Billie descended the stairs, feeling a strange mixture of trepidation and anticipation.
Alex stood at the front door, with her back to Billie, sorting through a bunch of letters. She was clad in a dark trouser suit that accented her long legs and broad shoulders and made Billie feel even shabbier.
Alex turned around, the light eyes focusing on Billie, and her smile lit up the room. “Hey there, little one. Did you sleep well?”
Billie nodded shakily, her knees going week. If possible, Alex looked even better than yesterday. The suit complimented her slender but well-toned form and her eyes were sparkling in the daylight. Billie took in the tanned skin and dazzling smile, let her eyes wander down to the swell of Alex' breasts, just visible above the neck line of her suit and to the elegant, long-fingered hands stilled on the letters. Then she realized she was checking out her Mistress and blushed deeply, quickly looking away.
Alex chuckled. “Now I'd really like to know what's going on in that pretty head of yours. So, do I get a hug?” She had sworn herself to keep some distance to the girl, but Billie looked absolutely adorable standing there and the way she was checking her out led to believe she wouldn't object.
Billy fought the urge to run to her, instead forced herself to a reasonably slow approach. As soon as she felt Alex' arms closing around her, the knot in her stomach unfurled into a rush of warmth that spread through her whole body. Alex was obviously in a good mood, and she seemed not to mind Billie's outfit. Under this premise it was actually nice being close to her.
Alex gently ruffled the hair at the nape of Billie's neck. “Are you ready?”
Billy instantly stiffened. “Ready, my Lord?”
Alex sighed. “To go shopping. You remember I told you we'd get you some new clothes?”
“Oh… I… I'm sorry, my Lord. Yes, I'm ready.”
Moving away slightly, Alex looked down at her and smirked. “You sure you want to go barefooted?”
Again Billie's cheeks turned crimson. “Err… I have a pair of sneakers, but they're very old and look really shabby and… I could wear my stilettos if you…”
Alex felt a new wave of anger rush over her. It was Veronica's fault the girl didn't even own a proper set of clothes, yet Billie felt ashamed. She gritted her teeth. If she was right about Billy, the girl would be able to sense her anger and surely think it was directed at her. Alex knew she needed some distance to compose herself. She let go of Billy and turned towards the stairs. “Your sneakers will do till we find a shoe shop. Now give me ten minutes to get changed, then we can go.”
***
Alex hated shopping, always had and always would. It was a major pain in the ass, all the running around and trying on, when it was so much easier to just have a tailor take your measurements and then order whatever you wanted – what she usually did.
But today was different. She actually enjoyed leading Billie from one store the next, the green eyes almost constantly directed at her with a mixture of uncertainty and awe. It was almost impossible to get an opinion from the girl, even her mimic was painfully controlled, so Alex chose the clothes judging by Billie's body language. She had initially decided to avoid any kind of fetish shop – even if she was sure Billie would look just incredible in any kind of leather - and it seemed to pay off. Billy was now more at ease in her presence and even showed a shy smile now and again.
Billie just couldn't believe how nice Alex was being to her – and wondering what the price for this would be. She had never had much money and the way Alex went about the whole shopping made her mind reel. The tall woman took her from one store to the next, not making any difference between common big stores and expensive designer stores, and bought whatever she liked without as much as glancing at the price tags. Billie tried not to show any preferences as not to displease her, and so she was simply dumbfounded that Alex always picked out the clothes Billie liked. After two hours they had four bags stuffed to bursting with dresses, shirts, jeans, underwear and five pairs of shoes – and none of them were the uncomfortable high-heels Ronny had been so fond of.
When Alex finally took her to an Italian restaurant and ordered a family-sized pizza to celebrate the successful shopping-trip, Billy was sure this was the best day of her life.
Alex leaned back in her seat and, smiling, watched Billy go for her fifth slice with unabated enthusiasm. She took a sip of her coke, briefly wondering how she could feel so at ease with a girl she had known for only a day. She decided to stay with her step-by-step methode to finde out more about her girl. “Billie?”
The small blonde swallowed hastily. “Yes, my Lord?”
„Why did you dye your hair?”
Billie shrugged indifferently. „Veronica told me to. She liked it better this way.”
„Do you like it?”
„I... I...” she hated it. Alex smiled.
„Tell you what. When you're finished here, I take you to my favorite hairdresser and you can have your hair done.”
„What… how do you want it, my Lord?”
„Huh? Oh, that's up to you.”
„But what if you don't like...”
„Honey, it's your head. Whatever you want is fine with me, even if you turn up with a green mohawk.”
Secretly she hoped that wouldn't be Billie's choice.
***
When Cassidy arrived at Alex' mansion around nine, she almost toppled over at the sight of a new and improved Billie. The girl now had her hair cut short and dyed in a gold blonde color that suited her way better than the black had. It loosely framed her pretty face and made her look even younger - an impression that got only intensified by the Southpark shirt she was wearing.
Cassidy swallowed down any kind of comment she might have shot at Alex and held out her hand to Billie. “Hey, I'm Cassidy, a friend of Alex.” When the girl took her hand, she drew her in a gentle embrace to inconspicuously sniff her and was dumbfounded when she felt the small blonde stiffen with fear. She gave Alex a questioning look and let go of Billie, who regained her composure and tried for a smile. “Pleased to meet you, Cassidy. I'm Billie, Alex' –”
“Friend!” Alex blurted out and immediately blushed. She had no idea why she had interrupted the girl or what she had been afraid she was about to say, but Cass again looked at her funny, a grin forming on her face. Alex self-consciously rubbed her neck. “Billie, why don't you go take a look at the steaks?”
“Of course, my Lord.”
As soon as Billie was out of ear-shot, Cassidy crossed her arms and shook her head disapprovingly. “'My Lord'? I thought you were over that!”
Alex shrugged. “I am, Cass. But old habits die hard - and it just sounds better than ‘Mistress'.” She led Cassidy to the living room and took up the remote to turn on the music. “So,” she said softly, “What do you think about Billy?”
“I think there's something seriously wrong with her. When I hugged her, I thought she would snap!”
Alex, too, had seen Billie stiffen, but she wasn't in the mood to discuss Billie's issues. She had an even more drastic problem to deal with. “Never mind that - probably saw you at the auction. But was I right about her?” She wasn't sure which answer she wanted to hear.
Cass nodded slowly, a scowl on her face. “You were. And she already had her first Change. What the hell do you want with her? I'd never have guessed you'd go for –”
“I didn't know!” Alex snapped, “Veronica's scent was all over her, I first realized it when she had taken a bath!” Alex started pacing the room, twirling the remote between her fingers. “Damnit! How could she? Veronica couldn't have known I would buy her! Any human taking the girl home would have been as good as dead!”
Cass nodded darkly, fully agreeing with Alex. “I'll talk to Mel - she'll throw a fit if she hears this and perhaps we won't have to deal with Veronica any longer.” she suddenly grinned maliciously. “I've waited for ages to get rid of that bitch!”
Alex' frown only got deeper. “If Melissa doesn't take care of it, I'll grant your wish!”
Cassidy took a deep breath to calm herself. It wouldn't do any good if they both lost their temper. “Well, I won't blame you in the least. But what about Billie? I... know you're a loner. Do you want me to take her to Mel? I'm sure she will...”
“No! She's mine!” The remote Alex had been toying with shattered on the wall and Alex glared at Cassidy with glowing silver eyes, her white teeth flashing in the dim light.
Dumbfounded by the sudden outburst, Cass took a step back and now she saw Billie in the doorway. For a moment the girl stared terrified at Alex, then she turned around and ran.
Cass averted her eyes to the floor and made sure her body language posed no provocation to Alex. Her next words were chosen carefully. “Whatever you want to do with Billie, you just scared the hell out of her, she saw you and took off running up the stairs. Perhaps you should go look for her before you rip me in pieces.”
Alex growled, then took a deep breath to calm her mind. When she opened her eyes, the blue had returned and she sighed. “I'm sorry, it's been a while since I lost control like this. I better go and do some damage control.” She nodded at Cass in quiet gratitude and left her to a remote control puzzle.
Cass looked from the shattered remnants at Alex' retreating form and chuckled. There was only one thing that could have caused such a strong reaction from Alex in such a short time, and now she could lean back and watch her friend discover it for herself.