"Wake up."
I pushed myself up off of my pillow and looked at Eisuke with sleepy eyes. He stood staring coldly down at me, smirking, in his three-piece suit.
"Take a shower and report to your team. We're going to the IVC charity brunch, so don't worry about breakfast," he directed before turning to stalk out of the room.
I blinked after him before flopping back down on my pillow. "Good morning to you, too, Eisuke."
In the shower, rinsing bubbles from my hair, it suddenly dawned on me that something was missing. I was thinking about the events of last night, getting a little too hot and bothered in the shower, but I was not questioning my actions. My mind was not filled with self-recrimination as I had expected it to be in the light of day.
Where was the guilt? The blame? The self-hate? I'd only known Eisuke for four days and I'd let him do intimate things to my body. 'Let him'. That was wrong. I'd wanted him completely, fully, totally. If we had a different sort of relationship, I'd be snuggling up on his lap right now begging him to do it again. The responsibility certainly wasn't on him, no matter how much he talked about my belonging to him. I'd never even attempted to say no. Denying him, denying myself, hadn't even crossed my mind.
I got out of the shower and dried off, noticing the little red marks on my breasts, rubbing my hand over my tummy and remembering the feel of his hot wetness against my skin.
I'd had a friend while I was at university who had insisted that women should be free to make their own sexual decisions without feeling guilty or being judged. "If you want to fuck him, fuck him. It doesn't have to be a relationship. It doesn't need to be anything more than it is. Just enjoy yourself." I'd always agreed with her, in theory, that women should be able to live like that. I'd told myself that I just wasn't the type to be interested in or, satisfied by, casual sex.
But was this casual sex? I picked up my ring and slid it on my finger. I felt like I belonged to him, but wasn't that just silly and based on nothing? Was it some interpretation of a crush or infatuation? Certainly, I was a little bit obsessed with him because he was ruling over my life and pulling all the strings. And he was hot as hell. Maybe this was some sort of Stockholm Syndrome? It certainly wasn't anything like a normal relationship. Eisuke and I had never even had a real conversation that wasn't part of putting on an act. Unless you counted the times he scolded me or taught me how to swim, and those weren't the sort of interactions that you build a relationship on.
Pulling on my pink robe, I stepped out of the bathroom and stared at the bed. It had occurred to me that every time I went to sleep, I woke up with a stronger interest in and a stronger attraction to Eisuke. At night when I was sleeping, my brain was brewing up feelings for him, without my control, against my will. Or was it against my will? Because I was no longer fighting my attraction for him. I was unsure of what was going on, I wasn't completely comfortable with it, I had no idea how to define it, but I was looking forward to just living day by day and seeing where things went. It was stupid and I was almost certainly going to get my heart broken or at least bruised, but for the time being, I just couldn't find the will to put up a fight. The part of me that wanted him was obviously winning.
With a sigh I headed downstairs to join my team in the salon, calling a good morning to Soryu on the way. When I opened the door to the room, a new person was standing with Mika, Rin and Daichi.
My smile of welcome quickly turned to a frown as Mika said, "Olivia, this is Shiori. She's your esthetician." When I raised my eyebrows questioningly, she continued, "She's here to give you a bikini wax?"
"Like a brazilian?" I asked, looking at the woman, horror dawning over me.
"A full wax… Complete… Sometimes they call it the Hollywood, is what was ordered," Shiori answered hesitantly.
Everyone was looking around uncomfortably, doing everything but meeting my eyes. It was obvious that I hadn't been the one to order the wax. A full wax.
I turned on my heel and left the room without a word. By the time I reached the living room, I was hunched forward as I imagined the horrible pain that Eisuke had lined up for me.
"Are you sick?" Soryu asked as I dropped down to lie on the couch and threw my arm over my eyes.
"He ordered me a fucking wax, Soryu," I spat. "A full fucking bikini wax."
"Oh… uh..." Soryu was obviously shocked by the topic. I was keeping my eyes covered so that I wouldn't have to look at him. It would have been impossible to vent my frustration if I had to look him in the eye.
"This is so wrong on so many levels. Who is he to say what my body should look like? That's my choice!" I knew that I was basically torturing Soryu by talking about this topic, but I was so angry that I didn't feel bad about spreading the pain. "This is so insulting, like there's something wrong with me! And it was obvious to my team that I had no idea what was going on, so they know that he asked for this, not me! And he didn't even consult me."
"Olivia-" Soryu attempted to stop my tirade.
"Not to mention the pain! He's so heartless and cold. Doesn't he realize how much this is going to hurt? I've never actually had a wax, but I know this is probably going to kill my soul!" I wailed.
"Olivia," Soryu said firmly, probably desperate for the conversation to be over. "I will agree that Eisuke is being insensitive. Did you ever expect anything else?"
When I answered with a tiny, "no", he continued. "I've told you that the best thing to do is to not stand in the way of what he wants. I know that you will not always be able to follow through with that advice. At some point you will find that you have no choice but to tell him no. What you have to decide is whether this is the time you put your foot down, or if you should save that no for later."
I sat up and looked unhappily over at Soryu, feeling defeated. I'd wanted sympathy and he had given me logic. "You're right," I murmured. "He could ask for something much worse later. I don't even want to imagine what that could be. It looks like I don't have a choice. But I already knew that."
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Mamoru was over in his usual spot by the window, trying to hide behind a file folder.
"Fuck," I whispered as the additional humiliation fell on my head. "I hate all of you today."
I stood up and walked back to my salon to offer myself up for torture.
Eisuke gave me his usual searching stare when he came downstairs and Soryu and I moved to join him. Once in the elevator he opened his mouth. "What's wrong with her? Her eyes are red."
"What's wrong with me?!" I wanted to hit him. I felt like an erupting volcano. "Someone just yanked every single fucking hair out of my vag and asscrack, you sadistic monster!"
I stood breathing heavily, a part of me victorious because I'd told him how I felt and the other part waiting for the hammer to fall.
The elevator approached the second floor and Eisuke reached to take my hand, saying, "I'm looking forward to that."
My jaw dropped and my cheeks flushed, but he just pulled me off the elevator, not even glancing at me to get my reaction. I quickly averted my eyes and just followed where he led, vowing not to look in Soryu's direction for as long as I could manage.
The IVC Charity Brunch had been set up in the main ballroom on the second floor. Double doors led into an adjoining room and were propped open and Eisuke headed for the other room first, where a silent auction was being held. Of course, it took us a while to reach the other room, since Eisuke had to stop for greetings along the way. I realized that I needed to get my planned bag of books, magazines and crochet supplies together as soon as possible. It would serve Eisuke right if everyone thought his girlfriend was crazy because she was always trailing behind him crocheting a scarf.
As I was chuckling to myself at the mental image, the wife of the man Eisuke was talking to said, "Good morning, are you looking forward to the silent auction?"
I blinked at her in surprise. Someone was talking to me? I remembered that Eisuke had instructed Soryu to spread the lie that his purchase of me had been an act. Were people going to accept me now? Maybe?
"Yes, I am," I said with a smile, lying through my teeth. I hadn't even known about the auction until I saw the sign posted outside the door to the ballroom. "How about you?"
"Oh, yes, there's a limited edition handbag in there designed by Annabelle Le Monte. I just hope I'm the winning bid!"
"I can't wait to take a look around. It's so fun to put down your bid and having no idea if you will actually win. I love a surprise." And I loved spouting nonsense. Good thing my high school had put on a silent auction to raise money for a class trip, or I wouldn't even know what one was.
The woman agreed and gave me another smile as we separated from each other and Eisuke led me into the auction room. There were quite a few things on display and all of them looked very expensive.
"Let me know whenever you see something that you'd like, and I'll place a bid on it,"
"What? No. I don't need any of these things,"
"I need to participate in the auction and it makes sense that I would want to indulge my girlfriend," Eisuke whispered in my ear, his voice laced with steel. "So, choose at least five things."
Plastering on a fake smile, I said, "Yes, Eisuke. Thank you, Eisuke."
He flashed me a warning glance, light flaring in his brown eyes, before releasing my hand and turning to greet a man that was approaching him. I bit my lip and turned away, his look had unexpectedly sent shivers up my spine and made my nipples tighten. 'What the hell? No!' I tamped down on my feelings and wandered away, looking at the auction items, half-expecting to be called back to his side. I worked my way around the room, reading the descriptions that were printed on little cards next to all of the items, summarizing the famous artists, designers and brands and explaining what made each item special.
My strategy was to look for things that were useful. I had to dress up all the time, so emerald earrings were probably a decent idea, but the penthouse was fully furnished, so there was no need to bid on a fancy handmade rug from Turkey. As I examined the displays, women began coming over to me, introducing themselves and exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries. It was strange, and nice and annoying.
I looked over at Eisuke. The overhead lights were gleaming off his hair and he had a serious expression on this face as he spoke to an older man. This wasn't annoying to him, this was his job and he seemed to be particularly skilled at it.
"Oh, he is so very handsome," a voice sighed next to me with cheerful humor.
Looking over, I recognized one of the women who had been at the zoo the day before. There, she'd looked hot and exasperated as she'd tried to wrangle a set of rambunctious twin boys. Today, she was cool and very well put together.
"Oh yes, he is," I said a bit belatedly, realizing that if I were really his girlfriend I would be proud of his good looks or jealous of the other woman's attention to it, rather than feeling as if someone were reminding me of my Achilles heel.
"It really is something to snag the great Ichinomiya. How did you manage it?"
"Clumsiness, I suppose. I fell down a flight of stairs and he came to my rescue. It was love at first sight."
"Really? The damsel in distress, would have guessed that Ichinomiya would have a hero complex."
"Well, I wouldn't say that he has a complex, but he was certainly my hero." "I know a woman who had a brief fling with him. He's supposed to be extraordinary in bed. She said that he was more skilled than a gigolo."
I returned her smile and pretended that my sickly sweet words didn't make me want to gag. She explained to me about Eisuke's presumed bravado, glancing over to where he was shaking hands with another man. 'Okay, what? Why would you talk about how another woman's man is in bed?' She was definitely digging hard for dirt. "Well, I wouldn't know about that. We've only known each other for a few days," I said carefully, deciding that the truth was the best weapon in this battle. "I'm not the sort to instantly jump into bed with a man." 'Or well, at least I wasn't…'
"Oh? But I'd heard that you were living with him?"
"Yes, but that was because I hit my head and the doctor had some concerns about a possible concussion. Eisuke insisted that I stay with him so that he could ensure that I was safe."
"But you're still staying in his apartment, even now?"
"Yes, at this point we really can't bear to be separated."
"I see. Well, I'd better get back to my hubby. He's probably getting worried that I'm placing too many bids since I've been in here so long."
'Oh my God, this is getting too ridiculous.' I I scanned the room looking for a trash can, a smile on my face. It would probably look bad if I threw up in the ugly urn that was on display nearby. She laughed before turning and walking away.
I sighed and hoped that I'd said the right things. What I probably needed was to be briefed on the exact story that I was supposed to be putting out - and it wouldn't hurt to have some lessons on dealing with gossipy women. Though I was sure that even Soryu wasn't practiced at that.
Continuing my way around the venue, I stood in front of a delicate piece of pottery shaped like a bird when Soryu came and stepped in front of me. He leaned on the table - which the piece sat on - and look down at my face.
"Do you like this one?" he asked quietly. "Yeah," I answered. "It reminds me of my mom."
He nodded in understanding. "We'll have to place a bid on it. I noticed the women are talking to you now. Do you still hate me today?"
I looked up at the apologetic smile on his face and laughed. "No, I guess not. You've redeemed yourself."
"That's good," he said and raised his eyebrows suggestively. "It sounds like Eisuke plans on redeeming himself tonight."
"What?!" I felt my cheeks flush and raised my hand to give his arm a playful slap. "Don't say things like that!"
"What are you talking about?" he asked innocently. "I thought we were besties now. We can say anything to one another. I've got an appointment with my urologist next week, but we should catch up on that later when I'll have more time to go into detail."
As I groaned, I felt a warm hand close on mine. "Olivia, Darling, let's take our seats," Eisuke said, his mouth close to my ear. "I'm sure you're feeling hungry."
"Oh, yes, that sounds wonderful," I replied cheerfully, trying to ignore the warm pulsing that his nearness started in me. At the table, I told Eisuke which items I'd liked and he sent Soryu in to bid on them.
"In a silent auction like this, how likely are you to win? We have no idea what other people are willing to pay."
"The odds are hard to calculate, since there are so many unknown variables. Is there something in particular that you want?"
"Well, the little bird. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed."
"That's where you were standing with Soryu, is he aware that you especially want it?"
Eisuke once again demonstrated his unusual eye for detail.
"Yeah, I think so. I told him that it reminded me of my mother."
"Good. If we don't win the bid, I'll commission the artist to make another for you."
"Oh, well, that isn't necessary. I'll be okay without it. You shouldn't go to any trouble."
"Don't argue with me."
"Yes, Eisuke. Thank you very much. I really would like to have one of those little birds."
I realized that I was being kind of stupid: I really should accept it when he was being nice to me.
Soryu returned to the table and soon after that Ota joined us. "Good morning all, how's the food?"
"It's delightful of course," Eisuke replied in a serious voice. Ota chuckled. "Don't worry, Eisuke, I'm not questioning the skills of your staff." He turned to look at Soryu. "I am questioning you, Soryu. You've got to be the one that started the rumor that the thing with Eisuke buying Olivia was some kind of setup for a fetish."
"Yeah, that's the story that we want going around," Soryu said with a nod.
"Shit. Do you know how many women have already offered to play the same little game for me? I'm being completely bombarded," Ota said, and it was hard to tell if his statement was more a complaint or braggadocio.
"We won't be playing any games like that with the Auction," Eisuke said, back to his usual bored voice and smirk. "Don't get any ideas."
"That's right. I know," Ota smiled in the face of Eisuke's seriousness. "I'm telling everyone that it was a one time thing for the boss man. I just wanted to make sure that it was an official story, and not just a random rumor."
Ota was reaching to snatch something off of Soryu's plate when a beautiful young woman walked up to the table.
"Kisaki!" she pouted, "come and join us at our table. We want your opinion about a party that Megumi is going to throw next month."
"Gotta go," Ota said with a laugh, before leaning over to Soryu and saying very seriously, "Baba and I need to talk to you later about one of the entries in the Auction."
I watched Ota walk away and said, "I guess Baba was serious when he was talking about Ota's luck with women."
"Yes, he does seem to have more than his fair share," Soryu nodded. "Women can't seem to keep themselves away from the Angelic Artist act."
"What's the act?" I asked.
"Olivia," Eisuke interrupted, and I glanced over to meet his piercing gaze. 'Breathe, just breathe.' "I'd like you to explain to me what 'Frappuccino Zoolander' means."
I felt the color drain from my cheeks and I painfully swallowed the bite of food in my mouth. "Oh, well-" My mind raced for an explanation. "That's nothing, really. Just something my friends and I used to say when I was in college. Like an inside joke."
"I see now how you were able to maneuver so well when you were lying to Carolina. Your mind moves quickly, or at least it does when you're making things up. You must have been a naughty child," he said in that casual voice that was so very unlike Eisuke. My stomach dropped. He stood up and held his hand out to me. "We'll be going upstairs now, Soryu. Take your time and enjoy your meal."
I hesitantly put my hand in his and he pulled me to my feet. I looked over at Soryu, but he was looking off to the side. He didn't want to get involved. He couldn't interfere.
In the elevator Eisuke continued holding my hand, his thumb caressing gently over my skin the entire time we rode to the top of the hotel. I was trembling, my heart pounding, biting my lip so that I wouldn't start spouting nonsense and excuses. What had I been thinking, lying to him? His eyes read everything.
Inside the penthouse there were boxes on the coffee table and Mamoru was sitting in his usual spot with a stack of papers in his hand. He looked over at us with mild interest as we walked through the room. I could see his eyes widen and his eyebrows raise when he recognized the fear on my face.
Eisuke led me upstairs, where he leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. Once again I stood before him, guilty as hell.
"The truth. Now."
"Okay, this is hard to explain. I want you to understand why I did it. It isn't as bad as it seems."
I glanced up at him. His eyes were hard and cold, his mouth an angry slash. He raised an eyebrow, indicating that he required further explanation. I took a deep breath and continued speaking.
"I was just having trouble coping with...with how attractive you are. It helped me to make up a silly name for you. I would make jokes in my head to fight off thoughts of being attracted to you," I said, hating how silly and weak the words made me sound. "Frappuccino because of the color of your eyes and Zoolander is from a movie. A funny movie about a male model."
"You lied to me," he said slowly and distinctly. "I need to trust you. You are in my home and in my bed. You are in my life. I am planning on sending you out into the hotel to work. I will be relying on your discretion and your loyalty. I will need to trust you completely. And you jeopardized the faith I had placed in you by lying about a silly nickname."
He stood up and removed his suit jacket and then his cufflinks, placing everything carefully on the desk. He began rolling up the sleeves of his white oxford shirt as he spoke.
"A child thinks her immediate comfort is more important than being trusted. You have behaved like a child and, by doing so, caused me to call into question my confidence in your ability to handle your position as my girlfriend as well as the assignment that I have given you with Takahiro.
Perhaps, like a child. You need to be punished by being locked up in a room. I wouldn't have to worry about any damage that you might cause if you were contained."
"No, please, Eisuke. I… I don't want to be locked up. Please don't."
I begged him with my eyes, knowing that my words meant nothing. He stepped over and took my elbow, guiding me over to the couch and before I knew what was happening, I was lying across his knee.
'Oh my God! He's going to spank me.' I was shocked, and didn't know whether I was supposed to be frightened or turned on. His last two punishments had been sexual, but neither of them had involved pain. I had no idea what to expect - until I felt his hand flick my dress up over my back and then pull down the lacy thong that I was wearing, bearing my ass to the cool air.
One of his hands settled hot on my waist to hold me in place. My stomach twisted in anticipation of his first blow.
"You must not lie to me again," he said, each word clean and distinct, full of a cold anger.
My ass tensed. This couldn't just be some flirtatious spanking, he was far too angry. I could feel fear shooting through my limbs and I began to tremble. A shocked gasp fell from my lips as I felt his fingertips lightly brush across the back of my knee and then begin to trail up my thigh. The movement was soft and exploring, smoothing across my skin and pushing away some of my fear and tension. His hand continued up, over the curve of my ass, and his fingers began to caress my cheeks, warm and lightly massaging.
A soft sigh escaped me, every bit of attention that I had was focused on those unseen fingertips as they worked in gentle circles over my behind. I felt all of the tension leaving me as desire replaced fear. I wanted to stretch like a cat. My nipples hardened and my sex dampened and began to throb, aching for his fingers to close the few inches of distance that separated them.
I didn't have to wait long. His hand slipped between my thighs and a finger traced through the wet valley of my pussy, heading straight for my clit and tracing two slow circles around it. I moaned at the aching pleasure that was building in me. His hand slid from my between my thighs, his fingers skimming my ass, trailing my own hot wetness across my skin to cool in the air, and-
Thwack!
I screeched and jumped in shock as his hand came down on my ass with stinging force. His hand at my waist tightened and held me down firmly as his free hand dealt another blow, this time to my other ass cheek. I hurriedly bit my lip, not wanting to make any more sounds that would echo throughout the penthouse and let everyone know what Eisuke was doing to me. Tears of pain and shock began leaking from my eyes and trailing down into my hair as I hung, vulnerable, across his lap. Each slap was worse than the one before as he alternated between both cheeks, the pain accumulating, sending waves of distress and fear through me. 'How angry is he? How many times will he hit me? When will this end?'
Despite the fear and pain, my pussy was still wet and throbbing, pain and passion becoming a brutal mix inside of me. His hard strikes sent zings of pleasure to my sex, little lightning bolts that traveled the short distance from my ass to attack my clit. I whimpered helplessly, reaching to grab his leg and writhe my body on his lap. His grip on my waist tightened further, increasing to a nearly painful pressure and holding me immobile as his hand continued to punish my ass.
Suddenly, he pushed me off of his lap and I fell into a surprised heap on the floor. He stood up and I immediately felt his shoe come to rest on my back, holding me in place with controlled force. I lay quietly, not moving, not knowing what to do. I was in pain, my body was still throbbing with desire, and it didn't seem like he was finished with me.
I heard rustling above me and knew that he was doing something with his clothes. Taking them off? Was he going to fuck me now? In anger? My mind rebelled at the idea, but my pussy was aching for him. A soft sob of frustration and confusion escaped me. I was glad that my hair covered my face, I didn't want him to see me. I didn't want him to look in my eyes and read my conflicted feelings.
A rhythmic rubbing sound began and I realized that he was jacking off. I couldn't help picturing it, his hand moving over his hard shaft, the curved head, the tip...was it glistening with precum? I wanted to lick it, I wanted to taste him, to feel him in my mouth.
I quietly groaned, hidden behind my hair. He was too fucking desirable. He had just spanked me, hard, but all I could think about was how much I wanted him. I wanted to roll over and beg him to fuck me, to use me, to do whatever he wanted to do as long as I could feel him pressed against me, covering me. The weight of his shoe on my back was a blessing, preventing me from following through with my desires and humiliating myself. If he'd wanted to fuck me, he'd be fucking me. Apparently, he'd rather take care of himself.
His deep sigh indicated his release, the hot liquid splashing onto my ass. I bit my lip so that I wouldn't embarrass myself by moaning erotically. Forcing myself not to squirm, I felt his jism on my skin, filling me with pleasure and increasing the ache between my legs. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my head into the floor. I would not think about how much I'd rather he was filling my mouth with his cum.
His shoe lifted from my back and I felt his presence above me and then crossing the room as he began arranging his clothes. I didn't move a muscle. I didn't want to look at him. It was enough to picture him crisp and clean, rolling down his sleeves and replacing his cufflinks. While I lay on the floor like a filthy whore. 'Happily. While I lay on the floor, happy to be his filthy whore. God dammit.'
His footsteps crossed the room again, this time pausing to stand next to me.
"Do not make the mistake of lying to me again. Next time, I will not go easy on you."
I listened to him leave the room and descend the stairs. He was right, I shouldn't have done anything to damage his trust. I depended on him completely. He was providing everything to me, except the air that I breathed. He had saved me at the Auction and I had made a mockery of him. I really had deserved to be punished.
With a sigh, I contemplated my position. My ass was covered with his seed, and I couldn't stand up without it dripping to the floor. I had no choice but to smooth my dress down over it and gently pat around, hoping the fabric would soak up the wetness. . I'd cleaned enough hotel rooms to know how unpleasant it could be for the staff if I left any evidence of our activities on the floor.
I took off my shoes and pulled off my panties, carrying the items into the bedroom with me as I headed to the bathroom. At least my walk of shame was short. In the bathroom, I slipped off the dress and checked my ass out in the mirror. It was glowing red, a testament to Eisuke's serious intentions when it came to my punishment.
When I stepped into the shower, a little 'eep' of pain escaped my lips, the spray stinging my mistreated skin. I quickly moved out of the water, into the safety of the far corner of the shower, but an idea crossed my mind. Propping one hand against the tile wall, I slipped the other between my legs, my fingers sliding over the newly bared skin of my sex.
'Jesus. No wonder Eisuke wanted me to get a full wax.' My fingers glided over the smooth skin of my outer lips, they were still engorged with arousal after my encounter with Eisuke and I allowed a moan to escape from my mouth. Feeling my fingers sliding over my slippery folds of skin was deeply enjoyable. The idea of Eisuke doing the same was very exciting and a slideshow of images rolled in my mind as I massaged the lips of my pussy. I remembered the sight of him tilting his head towards mine to take command of my mouth, his lips plucking at my nipple, and his tongue licking up through my slit before his eyes raised to meet mine.
I moaned and began circling my fingers around my clit, slowly easing my behind under the spray of the water, the tingling sensations of pain fueling my arousal. As I remembered him spanking me, I pictured his hand coming down on my ass, hearing the sound of the slaps echoing in the room.
Tension was building within me, my breath growing ragged as I imagined the head of his cock, sliding over my lips and onto my tongue. I applied more pressure, closing in on my engorged nub as I pictured myself looking up at him, his shaft filling my mouth and meeting his beautiful light brown eyes. He smiled down at me and threaded his fingers through my hair, tugging gently.
"Fuck," I hissed, by body beginning to shake, my knees threatening to give out. My thighs attempted to close on my hand, to stop my movement, to protect me from an overload of sensation, but I pushed forward. Applying more pressure to my throbbing clit, I remembered the feel of Eisuke's cum splashing over my stomach and ass.
I moaned loudly as an orgasm crested within me, continuing to rub my pussy, wringing every bit of pleasure that I could out of myself until waves of relaxation took over and I gave up. Leaning against the cool tile wall I sighed. It wasn't like I had never masturbated before, but all of the circumstances added up were pointing to a change in me. Eisuke had spanked me, I'd liked it, and then masturbated afterwards. I'd just been moaning away in the shower and maybe I only halfway cared if anyone had heard me.
My life had changed. My old life was gone and this was my new one. This new life of mine revolved around Eisuke. Where did he want me to be, how did he want me to act and who did Eisuke want me to be? Those were the only questions that mattered right now. That sort of thinking should have horrified me. I should have been appalled at myself. Instead, I felt comfortable. If I focused everything on making him happy, then I should be happy, too. He would reward me, not punish me and my days would be smooth sailing.
Then again, that was probably just the afterglow talking.
I showered and dried my hair - and this time I was smart enough to think of wrapping a towel around myself before stepping out into the bedroom. It was too early in the day for my pajamas to be waiting for me on the dresser. My dress was covered in cum and my robe was downstairs in my salon. I walked over to Eisuke's closet and pulled out one of his white oxford shirts. Feeling a little guilty doing it, since it was the sort of thing that a real girlfriend did - a cute couples thing - but I did need something to wear to get myself downstairs to where my clothes were kept. And I did enjoy the feel of being wrapped in Eisuke's shirt, it was soft and cool and crisp. It made me want things that I shouldn't even imagine.
Walking back downstairs, in truth, I felt like creeping guiltily through the penthouse, but I forced myself to use a more confident stride. Mamoru was again hiding behind a file folder, he'd probably seen my bare feet and legs coming down the stairs. In my salon, I found a pair of jeans and a top. I wanted the feeling of comfort and safety that I would find by covering up most of my body, but it was not to be. Even with an expensive pair of jeans - that were much softer than I had ever imagined denim could be - my ass was so sensitive that the fabric felt abrasive against my skin. In the end, I pulled on the lightest, silkiest dress that I could find and headed out to the living room.
This time, Mamoru nodded at me and said, "Those boxes are for you," his hand pointing to the coffee table.
I approached the coffee table curiously, but also a little wary. I had to remind myself that the boxes had been there when Eisuke and I had returned from brunch, it was almost impossible for them to hold a punishment. Opening the lid of the first box, I felt a rush of joy and reached in to pull out a little hummingbird figurine that had belonged to my mother.
"My stuff!" I called out to no one in particular, feeling as if I might cry as relief and nostalgia filled me. I sat down and began going through the boxes, first just looking at my things and allowing memories of them to warm me, but then beginning to purposefully sort through them.
I didn't have a lot, after all, being briefly homeless had forced me to sell or get rid of most of the things that had been in the apartment that I had shared with my mother. But I had saved the things that were most important to me: pictures of my mom and some small pieces of artwork that she had treasured. And they were waiting for me in the boxes. I gathered them into two bundles and took them to my salon and Eisuke's bedroom, arranging a few things on a shelf in the salon and on the nightstand next to my side of the bed. It felt as if I were carving out two small areas of the penthouse to be truly my own, and the thought filled me with satisfaction and contentment.
When I returned to the living room, a maid appeared carrying another box. "This is also for you, Miss," she said with a smile. When I moved to meet her and take the box from her, she shook her head. "No, I should put it on the table," she said, and placed it on the coffee table next to the other boxes.
I thanked her and moved over to open the lid, wondering if we had won the bid for the little bird, but I was confronted with a different animal entirely. When the lid was off, a small orange kitten stared up at me from inside the box. I froze in shock and just stared at it for a few moments.
"A kitten," I breathed and looked up to find that the maid had already disappeared. I looked over my shoulder towards the window and called, "Mamoru, there's a kitten in this box."
Mamoru put down the papers that he was holding and got up to saunter over to stand next to the coffee table. He descended into a crouch and put a finger out to stroke the fuzzy head. "Yep," he said. "That's a kitten."
He scooped it up and reached over to hand it to me. I took the little thing gently from his hand and held it against my chest. It was purring. "But why would someone give me a kitten?" I asked.
"Well, 'someone' didn't give you a kitten. Eisuke is the only one who could have authorized this," Mamoru pointed out. "I've found that it's usually best not to try to guess at his motives or intentions, that's a pretty slippery slope. It's easier just to take things at face value. He gave you a kitten. You've got a kitten. Give it kisses."
With a shrug, he turned and headed back to his spot by the window. I took his advice and cuddled the kitten, dropping some kisses on its head. The conversation that I'd had the other night with Soryu replayed in my head. I'd told him that Eisuke had stolen my life, and pieces of my life had been returned to me. Did that mean that Soryu had told Eisuke what I had said? Had Soryu suggested that my things be given to me, along with a kitten, or had Eisuke been the one to think of it? Did it even matter?
The maid returned carrying supplies for the cat and I helped her set up a litter box and bowls of food and water, even though she tried to shoo me away. I spent the next couple of hours playing with the kitten or, when the kitten was sleeping, I read a book about taking care of cats that the maid had brought in along with the other supplies.
Sometime in the late afternoon, the front door opened and I looked to see Baba and Ota stepping into the penthouse. They both came over with smiles and greetings, reacting with surprise when they saw the kitten sleeping curled up next to me.
"A kitten?!" Ota was incredulous. "Where did it come from?" "It was in that box," I said, pointing out the container. "Eisuke gave you a cat?" Baba asked, taking a seat on the couch and reaching out to pet the kitten. "Things are going in unexpected directions. This is going to be fun." "Absolutely," Ota said. "Cats are no joke. There's probably going to be bloodshed." "Bloodshed?" I asked, looking down at the harmless ball of fluff that was chasing Baba's fingers.
"Animals hate Eisuke," Ota said. "He's brought an enemy into his own home." "Maybe it's just dogs," Baba suggested. "And squirrels." "Squirrels? Why would squirrels hate him?" I laughed.
"I'm not sure, but we were undercover in a park once and Eisuke decided that he was going to hide in plain sight by feedings the squirrels. It did not turn out well. Those little kamikazes destroyed his favorite pair of shoes," Baba explained. He and Ota were both chuckling at the memory.
"Undercover? Like undercover police?" I asked curiously.
"No, Olivia. Not like undercover police. Like undercover criminals. Bad guys in disguise," Ota said, his voice a little condescending. "Oh, how could I forget. You guys are the criminals. There aren't any police around here." I sent a pointed look over to where Mamoru was napping in his chair. The loud sigh that escaped him indicated that he wasn't actually asleep.
The front door opened again and Soryu came in, walking over to join us in the seating area. His eyes narrowed when he saw the kitten. "A kitten?" he asked, his eyes shooting between Baba and Ota accusingly. I guess that reaction solved the mystery of where the idea originated.
"Hey, don't look at us," Baba laughed. "This had to have come from Eisuke. We aren't that stupid." Soryu's face softened a little, although he still appeared to be skeptical. "Well, Olivia," he said. "I hope this makes you happy." "It does," I said with a smile. "I've never had a pet before."
"Have you given it a name?" Soryu asked. "I was thinking Kaki. I still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I think the name will work either way." "That's easy to find out," Baba said, flipping the kitten over gingerly. "My grandmother had a dozen cats in her barn. I'm an expert at this. It's a female."
"Kaki?" Ota said, pulling out his phone. "I love persimmons. I'm going to call the front desk and have them send up some hoshigaki."
"Save that for later, Ota. Let's go have that talk," Soryu directed. The doorbell rang as Baba and Ota were standing up. "That should be your team, Olivia. It's time to get ready for dinner."
Mika, Rin and Daichi cooed over the kitten and took turns holding her while they waited to work on me. "I can't believe Mr. Ichinomiya gave you a kitten!" Rin wailed. "I need a sweet and romantic boyfriend like that!" "Guh," Daichi sighed. "Do not even say that. Mortal men should not be held to the standard set by Eisuke Ichinomiya. I'm sure that every woman would love a rich boyfriend who drives expensive cars and passes out kittens like candy, but nobody else can live up to that."
"I agree with Daichi," Mika chimed in. "I've always thought a pet was a terrible gift, unless you know that the other person wants it – no offense, Olivia. If someone gave me a kitten, I would just be thinking about the burden of taking care of it for 15 years. That's a decision that I really need to make for myself, not something someone else should be making for me."
"Mika! Don't say that! This cute little thing could never be a burden," Rin cooed.
"I do understand what you're saying, Mika," I said. "But I'm also happy to have a kitten."
Her comment had made me think about the gift a little deeper. What had Eisuke been thinking? When he gave me my freedom, it would be more difficult for me if I had a cat. Pets weren't allowed in the employee dorms. I would need to get an apartment for myself and Kaki. Had Eisuke thought about that? Didn't he always seem to think of everything. Had he just not cared about whatever snags owning a pet would create for me in the future? Maybe he just wasn't aware of those sorts of problems since he was wealthy and so many things came easily.
Dinner was at the Breakstone and Soryu escorted me down to the restaurant, explaining that Eisuke had gone directly there with a few men that he had been in a meeting with. I hesitated as soon as I stepped inside and saw what was waiting. Several tables had been pushed together to form a long dining table, the men were sitting on one half of the table, and their wives and girlfriends on the other. All of the seats were already filled except one. I was going to have to sit right in the center of the women, far from Eisuke.
Remembering the woman at the silent auction, I looked up at Soryu who immediately read the worry in my eyes. "It'll be okay," he said, though I could see in his eyes that he was also concerned. "Stick to the story, make up some romantic stuff, but nothing serious, and remember that you don't have to answer any questions that you don't want to answer."
I nodded and he guided me to my seat, expertly introducing me to the seven other women who were seated at the table.
They were nice. Of course they were nice, perfectly polite and well-mannered. At first they kept the topic in easy safe waters, asking for my thoughts on the silent auction and praising the items that I had bid on. "Ah, yes. The little bird, it was quite exquisite. Have you heard if you won the bid?" Diamond Hairpin asked with the ever present smile that these women seemed to have honed to perfection.
"No, I haven't heard anything about the results," I replied, trying to match her casual air and big smile. It was already making me feel a little exhausted. "Eisuke has been busy this afternoon, so I haven't seen him since the brunch."
"I saw you leaving together," Black Dress said, her voice a little teasing. "Ichinomiya had a particular glint in his eye. I'm sure the two of you had a bit of fun after your meal."
My stomach twisted unpleasantly. 'Good God, those women are vultures, circling me and waiting for their chance to rip into me.' "Yes, well, he did escort me back up to the penthouse," I said vaguely, reminding myself that Soryu was right. I didn't have to answer any questions or give out any information unless I wanted to.
But Black Dress was not satisfied with my answer. Her eyes glinted a bit ruthlessly and she pulled out a trump card. "Well, I think we've all heard about Ichinomiya's prowess in bed," she said with a little laugh. "Reina's actually dated him. Didn't you, Reina?"
"Oh, yes," the beautiful young woman sitting at the end of the table replied. She flashed a knowing smile. "Eisuke and I dated for six weeks. It was a record. I don't think any other woman has made it over four. We had so much fun together."
Her voice was beyond suggestive, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that she was talking about anything except having sex with him. I tried to rein things in by pretending that I took her comment at face value. "He is so much fun. The other day he was trying to teach me how to swim. Although, it seems like I might be hopeless at it," I said with a laugh.
Reina trilled a little laugh and said, "Ah, yes. I can remember doing it with him in the hot tub up on the roof. That man really is a sex god."
I bit my lip, feeling outnumbered and outmaneuvered. How could I possibly win against all of these women? I didn't even exactly understand the game that they were playing. Did they just want me to give them details about our sex life? Why would that even be important?
"So I've heard," Green Dress chimed in. "But I've also heard that Olivia doesn't actually have sex with him. Is it true Olivia that you have some old-fashioned beliefs about not jumping into bed with a man?"
A direct question, there was no avoiding it. I drew up all of my energy inside of me and tried to force a good answer out of my shocked brain. "I'm not sure how old-fashioned it is, but no, Eisuke and I haven't had sex. We haven't even been together for a week," I pointed out.
The women shifted and I watched them share glances as they processed what I said.
"It's hard to believe that Eisuke would be so passionless. That isn't the man that I know." Reina's voice was strident, she seemed to be ready to go on the attack. "Is there something wrong with him?"
The other women at the table seemed to hold their breath as they waited for my response. "I didn't say that he was passionless, but he is certainly kind enough to respect my wishes," I answered. Eisuke would probably be upset if a rumor started that he was impotent.
"Something must be going on," Reina snapped. "It doesn't make any sense for Eisuke to be dating some maid from the hotel. He only dates women who are rich, powerful or connected. What in the world could attract him to someone like you?"
A ripple went through the other women. "Reina," Green Dress said, "I think you're going too far."
"Too far? This little bitch hasn't even been dating him a week and everyone is acting like it's love? He's just like a dog sniffing around her because she isn't putting out." She turned to stare me in the eyes and said, "As soon as you have sex with him, he's going to break up with you. Guaranteed."
"Reina!" one of the other women hissed, but Reina stood up and walked away from the table without a backwards glance.
"I'm sorry about that," Pink Dress leaned towards me, speaking earnestly. "She really shouldn't have said that. She's just really jealous because she dated him for so long and she really thought they were going to last."
"But was it really that long?" Diamond Hairpin asked. "I've heard that Ichinomiya was in Brussels for a week and a half midway through their relationship. If you subtract that time, they were only together for a few days over four weeks. She's just indulging in wishful thinking. Especially if she's thinking he's going to get back together with her. Everyone knows that Ichinomiya never does that."
"Oh, I hadn't heard that thing about Brussels," Green Dress said and all of the women began to chatter.
I sat, quietly processing this new information. It didn't matter how long Eisuke normally dated women - he and I weren't actually dating. This was nothing but an act. But maybe he would give me my freedom back in four weeks. Maybe just out of habit. And that's what I wanted, to be free and go back to my old life. Maybe I would miss Eisuke once I left, but I wasn't even sure of that. I just wanted to be gone from this place and these people. It was all so hard. Dealing with these women, dealing with Eisuke and my complicated attraction to him, pretending to be his girlfriend. I wanted nothing more than to jump back over the invisible wall and return to the life where the worst thing that happened to me was being bullied by Erika Oshiro or finding a clogged toilet in one of the rooms that I was supposed to clean.
After dinner we went directly to the casino. I wanted to thank Eisuke for the kitten, but didn't get a chance. As with the last time that we dined with several other men, he talked to Soryu nonstop about information that he had garnered during the meal.
Once in the casino, Eisuke asked Soryu to take care of me. "I'm going to go talk to Najibwe," he said, and disappeared into the crowd.
Soryu lead me over to a window, where a woman passed him a wooden rack lined with chips. He passed the rack to me, asking if I'd ever gambled before."No, of course not," I huffed, a little offended by the suggestion since I prided myself on saving money, not wasting it. "How much money is this, anyway?"
"It doesn't matter," he answered, continuing when I scoffed. "All of the money is Eisuke's anyway. Even if you lose every chip, it just goes back to Eisuke."
"Oh, well, I guess that does make sense," I said, looking around the casino. It didn't have a lot of flashing signs and blinking lights like I'd seen on television. "What do I do now?"
"Well, why don't we start with something easy," Soryu suggested. "How does roulette sound?" "Yes, let's go to the roulette table. I wonder if my friend is working," I said, suddenly realizing that I might get to see Sakiko.
"Let's go see."
I followed him through the thin crowd that circled the different gambling areas until we came to the table that held the roulette wheel. Sakiko was standing behind it next to a tall, thin man. She smiled brightly when she saw me. I circled the table and went to stand next to her. "Sakiko, I've missed you so much," I said quietly, trying not to draw a lot of attention.
"I've missed you, too," she said. "Is it true that you fell in love with Mr. Ichinomiya at first sight?"
Her eyes were dancing with glee. She was happy to confirm the gossip first hand and she'd fallen for the fairy tale story hook, line and sinker. It was just the sort of thing that she'd probably daydreamed about happening to her.
"It still seems pretty crazy, but it just kinda happened. I think I may be going back to work next week."
"Yeah, I heard. You'll be working with Takahiro? You are so lucky," she said, still smiling. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sakiko was the sort of rare person that could be happy about the good fortune of others without being jealous.
"Mhmm, I think it is sort of a trial period thing, since Eisuke wants to train more women to be concierges. I'm not sure how long it will last," I said with a shrug.
I looked down at the chips in my hand. "Can you tell me how to play roulette?"
"Wow, that's a lot of chips," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"I think they just gave them to me to play with," I explained. "I don't think I'll actually get to keep any winnings." 'Definitely not.' I remembered Baba making me hand over the sweaty fold of bills that I'd had hidden in my shoe. She laughed. "Well that's a good way to learn to gamble, no risk involved."
For the rest of the evening I hung out at the roulette table, chatting with Sakiko and slowly losing all of my chips. I never saw Eisuke and I couldn't help but think that it was because he was mad at me for lying to him. He'd always kept me nearby or at least within eyesight. I didn't know whether I should feel relief at being given a little freedom - or if I should be worried that I'd done far too much damage by lying to him.
On the ride up to the penthouse, he was once again speaking in a rapid-fire voice to Soryu. Once we were inside, he waved me upstairs distractedly as he continued giving orders and sharing his thoughts. I'd really wanted to thank him for the kitten, but I hadn't had even one chance to speak to him. I went upstairs with a sigh and found Kaki in a box on my side of the bed. 'Box' was an understatement. The thing was basically a habitat, containing an area to play and sleep, food and water, and a small litter box. Kaki would be safe and contained all night long.
After a shower, I played with the kitten for awhile, hoping that Eisuke would come upstairs and into the bedroom. I wanted to thank him, and I wanted to just talk to him for a little bit so that I could see if he was still angry with me. It didn't feel right to climb into the bed and go to sleep without knowing how things stood between us. However, I was tired and it seemed pointless to stay up any longer. Kaki was sleeping in her box, curled into a little ball and there was nothing else for me to do but turn in myself.
Sometime in the night I awoke to a prickling pain in my shoulder. I sleepily reached up and felt Kaki crouched at the top of my arm, digging her tiny claws through my pajamas and into my skin. She was hissing and meowing angrily. I pulled her from my arm and sat up in confusion, wondering what was going on.
Looking to my right, the direction that the kitten had been focused on when she was hissing, I saw Eisuke lying on the other pillow. His eyes were open, glistening in the darkness as he silently watched me and Kaki.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said quietly, moving to put the kitten back in her box. I remembered what Ota had said about animals hating Eisuke. Is that why Kaki had been hissing? "The corner of the blanket fell down into her box. She must have climbed it onto the bed."
I pulled the blanket up onto the bed and pushed the box further away, so the blanket couldn't fall back inside of it. Settling back on to my pillow, I hesitated for a moment before I lay on my side facing Eisuke. It seemed wrong to turn my back to him. His eyes were still open and watching me.
"Thank you very much for the kitten," I whispered. "She is a wonderful gift."
He continued watching me silently for a few more minutes. Finally, he closed his eyes, while I observed him for a bit longer. Wondering what he had been thinking, I closed my own eyes and went back to sleep.
Eisuke's Mental Notes 7/17/18:
...Had Olivia's personal items delivered to her as well as a kitten. Contentment should make her more biddable and she will take less effort. She lied to me and had to be punished. She is of no use to me unless she is loyal and trustworthy. It remains to be seen if she can be trained...