Seduced By An Entity Ch. 26
Date: 05.02.2010
Keywords: By, Entity, Ch., An, 26, Seduced,
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But don't forget why you're here, where you're going with me. I want you to enjoy yourself, but don't go forming attachments."
I made an effort to relax, and the next thing I knew she was nudging me awake. We were deep into the city, in the old downtown. We were off the freeway and gliding along the twisting downtown streets. The ghostly blue of the streetlights flashed over the car like a slow-motion strobe. This wasn't a classic neighborhood so there wasn't any neon, and I could easily see the illuminated shapes of the skyline. Jane was pointing to a pre-war tiered sandstone-block building nestled between several glass towers. It looked out of place there; a piece of the past that refused to move on with the rest of the neighborhood. "That's us," she said. "It used to be the Old Continental. We bought it a few years back and renovated. Wait until you see the inside."
Minutes later we were following the ramp down into the garage beneath the old hotel. The lights here were orangish, and flickered oddly now and again. We passed rows and rows of vehicles, all immaculately clean, and all in a price range around that of my education. Jane pulled us smoothly into a numbered spot between a convertible Jag and some oversized SUV. As a classic, her car was fairly wide as well, but the lines were painted far enough apart that I could push the long car door all the way open. By the time I was standing and shutting the door, Jane was already bending over behind the popped trunk and slinging the strap of my bag over her shoulder. "Hey..." I began to protest, and I reached for the bag.
She smiled and slammed the trunk closed. The sound echoed through the garage. "From here on, you're my guest. You get to take it easy, and I get to run the show. Now come with me." I joined in beside her and she led me through the garage, toward the golden light oozing out of the doors in a far corner. Her heels clopped along the way, and the tops of her boots still chirped when she walked. The night air in the city was chill - I could feel the hairs on my arm standing up. Jane draped her free arm over my shoulder as we reached the edge of the garage, then let it slip down my back. She grabbed my ass just before the wide brass doors slid open for us.
A rush of warm air pushed past us as we stepped inside and into a long hallway. Like the doors, the accents in the hallway were brass; the rest, except for the checkered marble floor, was painted an antiqued white. Alternating standing desks and heavy picture frames reflected the length of the hall from the black floor tiles. The hall itself was very long, as least a couple hundred feet, and without any doors along the way. The pictures grabbed my attention as we began to pass them. They were paintings actually - though they were nearly photo-realistic - of women in various states of undress. They reminded me of Olivia's cheesecake. Some of the costumes, too, ran toward the fantastic or the fetishistic. "Do you see anyone you like?" Jane asked in my ear.
Then I saw we were passing a painting of her reclining on a leather armchair, nude beneath a speckled fur coat thrown wide open. She held a cigar in one gloved hand, and a glass of red wine in the other. Her expression was clearly an invitation. "They're all beautiful, but one catches my eye." I earned a chuckle.
We continued to the end of the hallway, where an elevator was open and waiting for us. The ceiling of the elevator was mirrored, and the lettering on the "Stop" button was nearly worn away. Beneath it was a placard reading, "Please be considerate."
The ride to the lobby was brief, punctuated with a kiss and an explanation. "There's just a little more paperwork," she said, "then it's up to my room."
I started as the door opened - I was shocked out of a stupor. Right up to her room, and then that's it?
She led me out through the doors and into the lobby. It was distractingly enormous. It must have taken up most of the first and second floors of the whole building. The same black and white checkered marble expanded out across the floor, broken by islands of sandstone planters and columns that rose into a rosicruse vaulted ceiling. Elevator doors like the one we'd just exited appeared in nooks and corners around the room, but none of them were marked. Grand marble stair conveyors loomed against the far wall, curving out into the lobby, and the old hotel's front desk sat between them. That's where Jane was leading me. Behind the counter, a pair of older gentlemen in black suits calmly tabbed through hidden keypads. The sounds of a string quartet playing a muzak'd pop classic filtered between the titters and whispers of a dozen elegant women scattered around the room in singles and pairs, leading conversations with clusters of civilians and women each jockeying to impress their hosts for the pleasure of a laugh or caress or perhaps just a glance of cleavage.
Despite the evening gowns and tuxedos around us, neither Jane's attire nor my own poverty-casual fashion statement attracted any attention. That was fine with me; I turned my eyes back to Jane before I drew a glance, and let my view wander down to her ass. After the car I didn't think I had to worry about my impolite leer, and the skirt did roll nicely over her cheeks as she walked.
One of the clerks looked up before we reached him. "Good Evening, Jane." They exchanged pleasantries while I took in more details from the lobby, and she gave him my name. Then he was asking for my attention. He was gesturing to a copper plaque he had slid up onto the countertop. "Sir, you will find that the agreement printed here is much like the one forwarded to you last week. You need only press both thumbs into the circle at the bottom to ratify it. If, at any time before the contract is completed, you wish to cancel the agreement, you may do so by returning here and placing both thumbs in the revoke circle, there. Any cancellation of the contract will be subject to fees in accordance with the scale you signed to last week. Is this clear? Please say 'Yes' or 'No'."
I said yes, and he advised me to read the agreement carefully before thumbprinting, but I was already picking through it. Old habits only die with you, they say.
The first four clauses were fairly standard for a check-out hotel, and the last indicated that I'd waived the fee schedule and agreed to leave all of my non-sanctified holdings to the company. I pressed both thumbs to the circle, and the ionizing wave tingled as it trapped a few skin cells against the surface.
The man flashed a gracious smile as he pressed a sterile pad to the thumbcircle and slid the contract off the desk. "I hope you enjoy your stay, Sir. Jane, there are messages for you. Will you take them now, or shall I send them up?"
"I'll call for them later," she said over her shoulder as she was leading me to the stair conveyor. In silence we ascended to the grand balcony and the bank of elevators there. From this height I could see the whole lobby. One of the groups was breaking up - the hostess had selected a suit and a skirt from the other three and was leading them to a dark corner. The remainders casually attempted to insinuate themselves into nearby groups without appearing rejected. Behind me, an elevator chimed, but we let it go so as not to share it with a group of businessmen. I appreciated the privacy.
Once they were gone I leaned toward Jane. "Is tonight it?" I asked in a low voice. "I mean, is it up to your room, and then it's over with?"
"Are you anxious?" she asked back, looking at me uncertainly for the first time. "I could arrange it, if that's what you want, but I'll need to call back to the desk."
"No, no... That's not what I meant. I just didn't know what was typical." I continued after a moment. "I don't think I'm ready quite yet... I don't think I'm in the mood, if that makes sense."
She smiled, and another elevator chimed. A buxom Latina walked out with a rather pale but broadly smiling older woman. They didn't mind us as we filled the car behind them, closing the doors so no one else would try to catch the ride. "Two to three days is probably normal, but it's your party. Escrow usually takes two days to clear, but if you'd like to hurry, we can convert you to fee. But that's just business. You strike me as someone who needs some attention, and I'm the kind of girl who enjoys a little anticipation and expectation. I'm guessing three nights, at least, for you. If you don't have a strong preference, maybe I'll just surprise you. I think you've already had to do enough planning and worrying." She looked me square in the eye. "If you will just give yourself over to me entirely, if you let me be your fate, you can trust me."
I nodded. Her confidence was infectious. For the first time in a long time, I think I really relaxed.
She took my bag and I up to her room - her schedule was free through the night, she said, and my room wasn't ready. It was a long ride in the elevator. I wasn't sure how many floors we ascended, since only the door controls were labeled and the level indicator was dark. When the elevator finally glided to a stop and the doors slid noiselessly apart behind us, a wide but short hallway appeared. There were only three sets of double doors leading from it; we crossed to the middle set.
I held my bag while she confirmed her ID at the doorpad and walked into the dark room beyond. I heard her set her purse down. Beyond her, far beyond her into the room, stretched a swath of city lights. The windows on that wall – the windows practically were the wall – extended at least two score feet. Jane turned a knob by the door, and the overhead lights slowly rose. The room was huge. It was divided by bench-walls, furniture, and a sunken area, and each section had its own style. The main stretch of the room was clothed in white marble, and simple, modern furniture provided places for sitting, eating, and webbing.
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Keywords: By, Entity, Ch., An, 26, Seduced,