“I’m okay. It was just a long ride. I’m sure I will be fine after some rest. This place is beautiful, thank you again,” I responded, once again showing him my appreciation. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it up, but it seemed to be working. He smiled at me, and I knew he was thinking that everyone he helped should be as grateful as I was. I continued my walk towards the house, chanting to myself that I could do this. He acted just like Martin from the movie, Sleeping with the Enemy. I had always wished I was as good of an actress as Julia Roberts; now I had my chance to try.
We entered the small house and the smile I wore as we entered was the first real one that I’d had since this morning. I loved old houses packed with history and this one was no exception. The living room area was covered in gold framed pictures, antique furniture, candelabras and worn scattered rugs on the old hard wood floors. The kitchen to the right housed rugged wooden cabinets and what had to be original appliances. The small dining room sat to the left with a crystal chandelier dangling above the shiny mahogany table that was covered with a white, lace tablecloth.
“So, you do like it?” Charlie asked, smiling brightly at me.
“I love it. I have a passion for older homes with history. If it were mine, I wouldn’t change a thing. I might replace the windows to let more light in, but I would make sure that they were built to look like the original ones. You can tell that these have been updated,” I said, lost in the moment-pointing to the two windows that stretched across the wall in the living room.
“You are so beautiful when you smile.”
My body froze at his words, but I recovered by looking down at my feet shyly. I didn’t want him to get the impression that I was interested. In him. At all. He didn’t seem to notice my change in body language. Thank God.
“I’m really tired,” I said looking at him, hoping he was still on board with letting me have my own room.
“Yes, of course you are. Jasper,” he snapped, and Jasper appeared out of thin air before him. “Call Madeline at the front desk. Miss Knox will need some assistance tonight.” I shook my head, ready to object but he held up his hand. “Madeline will help you. This house only has the deep, claw-footed bath tubs and I won’t risk you falling and getting hurt. It would be inappropriate for me to assist you, or Jasper.” I almost sagged with relief at his words. It was hard to believe this was the same man that was responsible for everything that had happened today.
“Okay, if you think it is best, then please call her.” He beamed at me and waved his hand towards my room. Julia would have been proud.
Madeline was a tiny woman from the Philippines who spoke very little English. She wanted to do everything for me and after trying to tell her several times that I could undress myself, I heard Charlie’s voice through the door.
“Dallas, she is here to assist you. Let her.” His tone was not negotiable and I was too tired and had made too much progress with him to put up a fight now. I didn’t answer him this time, but after a moment he said a few words in a foreign language that she understood, and she resumed undressing me. I felt like I had stepped back in time as I sank into the old tub and relaxed as Madeline began bathing me with small, gentle hands. Imaging I was a princess from the eighteen hundreds seemed to help ease my tension. My humility ceased to exist as I lay there trying not to fall asleep. It had been a hell of a day. For some reason, I kept thinking how nice a cigarette would be right now. I had never smoked in my life, but if by some chance I got out of this, that would be the first thing I did.
After I was bathed, my hair washed and Madeline had rubbed an awful rose scented lotion all over me, she grabbed her bag by the door and presented me with a simple satin night gown.
“For you,” she said smiling and pushing it towards me. It was not new, but looked clean and quite comfortable. I wasn’t too excited about how my nipples protruded out of the thin fabric that fell just below my knees, but I was afraid that it was something Charlie had chosen for me and I didn’t want to disappoint him.
“Thank you,” I said to her as she stood before me smiling like I had just made her whole day.
“Surprise for Mr. Charlie,” she whispered in her thick accent. My face fell at her words. She thought we were lovers, and he didn’t pick this. Good, I could take it off.
“No, no,” I said, trying to choose simple words to make her understand. I pointed at my hard nipples that were chilled from the cool temperature in the room and made a face that hopefully resembled fear to her. I just wanted her to nod in understanding. What I didn’t want, and really didn’t expect, was for her to blow hot air onto her palms and place them on my breasts. I stood in shock as she pressed her warm hands against me. My best guess was that she figured she could make them less hard by warming them. Of course, my stupid bi-curious body betrayed me and I found them hardening more from her touch. She didn’t seem to understand what was happening and must not have cared. She just shrugged her shoulders and said the words ‘you fine’ over and over, trying to convince me that it wasn’t a problem. I was certain that my face was red as a beet and I just wanted to get out of this room and away from her pretty little hands that I was beginning to notice looked perfect on her pretty little frame. Fucking Linda. I would blame this shit on her.