Authors: Lindsay Bassett
“Do I need to undress all of you?” he asked.
Locking eyes with him, I crossed my arms under my chest. He wasn’t going to back down, so I said “fine” and kicked off my shoes. I undressed the rest of the way and he helped me into the first dress. It was dark blue, with cropped sleeves, short and flared at the bottom. I looked feminine, and like I actually had a flattering figure. “Yes!” he said, looking me up and down.
After trying on the remainder of the dresses, I stood in “You look good in everything, Em.”
“Thanks.” I said.
He had me change into the first dress, then had the lady from the shop remove the tag so I could wear it out of the store. After that, the lady began gathering and boxing. “We are taking them all.” he declared.
Tim left and returned with our driver. “Shawn will take over from here.” he said. “We need shoes still.” Looking down at my shoes, I saw that my black Mary Jane’s were both scuffed on the toes and dirty. They looked out of place with the hair, makeup and feminine blue dress, like a movie star wearing a trench soldier’s boots.
He grabbed my hand, then we walked out the door and down the sidewalk together. Things were beginning to pick up, and the sidewalks were filling with a class of people I’d never seen before. There were men wearing tightly fitted t-shirts, and nicely fitted jeans. There were women with large sun glasses, long legs, big lips and tiny little dogs.
As we walked down the street arm in arm, things moved in slow motion. People stopped to stare at us, mouths hung open, and people whispered. I looked over at Tim and he looked over at me and said “They don’t see me Em, that’s all for you.”
I looked over at his perfect, god-like face, and said “No way. There isn’t one man out here that compares to you.”
“Em.” he said seriously, with a wounded look on his face. “I’m invisible to them. They literally can’t see me.”
“But Amy and Elizabeth.” I said. “They seemed to know you. They looked right at you.”
“I worked hard for that.” he said, with a fragment of emotion in his voice. “Everyone else, these crowds, I’m just a figure to them. Nothing remarkable or memorable. Someday I will be nothing to all of them.”
“Oh.” I said, as he pulled me into a shoe store. I couldn’t help but feel for Tim. Being invisible didn’t seem like something he wanted.
As he stalked around the store, he brought me several pairs of heeled shoes to try on. “I can’t walk in these, Tim.” I said, looking at him pleadingly.
“Of course you can.” he said. “The problem is, you walk like a man. Move your hips a little.” I couldn’t help but laugh.
I’d never thought about the way I walked, and as I watched myself in a mirror I did seem a little hunched over and mannish. He stood in front of me, looking back over his shoulder and said “follow my lead.”
I followed him around the shoe store in my heels, laughing as he walked femininely with his hand on his hip. After memorizing the motions of the walk, I felt steady on my new shoes. Tim clapped.
I stayed in last pair of shoes I tried on as the woman box up ten other pairs. “That should get you started.” said Tim. The woman boxing up the shoes held up my scuffed up black Mary Jane shoes, inquiring what to do with them. “Burn them.” he said, intently. The woman’s eyes grew wide and Tim laughed. She looked relieved.
Aside from my bra and underwear, I had nothing left on my body from my old life. Everything was different - the people, the buildings, the attitudes.
Tim didn’t seem dangerous, and the whole thing seemed surreal. I kept waiting for him to turn into a mean, blood drinking monster, but his character remained consistent. We got along so well that I nearly forgot that he was supposed to be my enemy.
We ate lunch together at a dimly lit Japanese restaurant. Chopsticks were one thing I could do gracefully, so I showed off my skill. I sat up straight in my chair and shot Tim a smile. “I’m having so much fun with you.” I admitted.
“I’m happy you’re here with me.” he said, smiling back.
When we ventured back to the car, the air was heating up with afternoon. The sun felt good against my skin, it felt odd to be so warm outside in the middle of winter.
We sat in the backseat of the car as it drove us up into the hills. I gawked as we passed by mansion after mansion. After turning into a drive, the driver reached out of the window and pressed a code into a keypad. The car pulled into a roundabout, with a large fountain at the center. I peered out at a mansion that looked like a modern day castle. It was as large as ten of my dad’s houses put together.
Tim got out of his side of the car and opened my door for me. He grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Welcome home.” he said.
Instinctively, I put my hand to my chest where my silver locket usually rested and felt my bare skin. I felt an uneasy sinking feeling. “Are you alright?” asked Tim.
Shaking off the feeling, I moved my hand from my chest down to my hip. “I’ve never seen anything like it” I said, looking up and feeling small in front of the sprawling mansion.
Tim opened the front door, and I stepped in after him. We entered into a large room with ceilings that went up to the full second story, with an elaborate chandelier hanging above us in the center. I could hear my new heels echoing in the room with a click, click,
click
.
A huge wooden staircase lined with red carpet stood before us, as wide as my old living-room. It led up to a second floor whose balcony wrapped around above us.
A figure appeared, stepping down the stairs in heels. She wore a form fitting pink dress, that accentuated her tall, curvy body. Her hair was platinum and bouncing just above her shoulders with each step. Her eyes were pale blue, with batty eyelashes. She wore ruby red lipstick. She looked like a movie star walking on the red carpet.
“Tim.” she said. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing her to me.” Tim bowed, bending deeply and slowly towards her. “I would do anything for you, Muriel.” he said.
“You may go now.” she said to Tim. He left quickly, without saying goodbye. I felt a sudden wave of fear. Tim had been so friendly to me, for all of his corruption that he was supposed to have. Watching as he left, I felt a heaviness crawl through me. I wondered if I would see him again and then realized that I
wanted
to see him again.
She followed Tim to the door, closing it behind him. After a loud thump from the door, she turned her attention to me like a predator eying its prey. She walked a complete revolution around me, looking me up and down. “Well.” she said, resting her eyes on my face for an uncomfortably long time. “Let’s go.”
She walked up the steps, hips waving. I swallowed hard and followed her up. We turned to the left and walked down a long hall. The hall eventually opened up until a very large living room. Off to one side were open double doors where I could see four poster king size, that literally looked like it was meant for a king. Everything was so elaborately decorated.
“This whole wing is yours.” she said, with a hand on one hip and gesturing with the other. “There are phones in every room, just dial one for your servants if you need anything. There are stairs on the other side that lead out back to the pool.”
A woman in a black uniform came in and out with the boxes of new clothes and shoes from Tim’s car, scurrying around without acknowledging us. “I see Tim took you shopping, but I’ve already seen to your wardrobe.” she said, watching the maid. “I have better taste than him.”
She swung around and began to walk away. On her way out she turned slightly and said. “There is a party downstairs at eight. Be there, people are dying to meet you.”
“A party?” I thought, feeling like I’d stepped into a bizarre dream. When I left my dad’s house, I thought I was trading myself in to the enemy and had mentally prepared myself for being bound and possibly tortured. I was in no way prepared for a
party
.
Ashamed
I stood in the same spot
for several minutes after Muriel left, not sure what to do. She had said the whole wing was mine. As I processed the idea of an entire wing of a mansion being mine, I began to explore. Running my fingers across polished wood, I stopped to smell fresh flowers in a vase next to a large window. Everything was detailed. Even the ceiling had large, shiny, wooden inset tiles.
Stepping into the bedroom, I looked around. The bedroom was very large, with a white bear skin rug on the carpet next to the huge bed. There was a vanity with drawers and a large lighted mirror above it.
Turning the knob on a door, I found a tiled bathroom with a big open shower and a large tub set into a stage directly beneath a window. Climbing up to the little stage, I looked out through the glass to see a beautiful view of the valley below. I looked straight down to see a landscaped garden dotted with gazebos. There was a small swimming pool with a waterfall that spilled into a very large swimming pool below it.
I went back into the bedroom and opened the other door to find a walk in closet that was the size of my old apartment bedroom. It was chock full of clothes and shoes. Peeking into some drawers I found panties, lingerie, bras and silky stockings. I closed a drawer and went back to the bedroom.
There was a clock on the nightstand that read “3:43 PM.” I had a way to go before Muriel’s party. Climbing into bed under the blankets I did the only thing that made sense. I fell into a deep sleep.
I woke up to the blanket being ripped off of me. “It’s seven PM, sunshine, and you aren’t even close to being ready for the party.” said Muriel in a snippy voice.
I bolted upright in the bed and reoriented myself with my surroundings. Rubbing my forehead, I felt disoriented and my head hurt.
“Jesus.” said Muriel, shaking her head at me. I watched and listened to the sound of her heels clicking as she made her across the room and to my vanity where poured an amber liquid from a decanter to a cup that was rounded on the bottom.
“Here.” she said, handing me the glass. “Drink up.”
I took a sip, and it felt like fire blooming the whole way down into my stomach.
“The whole thing.” she said.
Taking a deep breath, I tilted my head back and poured the whole thing down my throat. “Better?” she asked as warm feeling bloomed in my stomach. My headache was gone. “Sure.” I said as I watched two women come into the room. One was rolling a little suitcase behind her and the other holding a large makeup case. “Stylists.” said Muriel.
“Shower. Now.” she said, pointing to the bathroom. “I will find you something to wear.” Complying, I took a quick shower, finding some sweet smelling shampoo and conditioner. I felt a little buzzed from the drink, and the shower intensified the feeling. Drying off with a plush white towel hanging outside of the shower, I found a silky pink robe hanging from a set of hooks on the wall.
After walking out, I sat in the chair as the two women fussed with my hair and my face. They pinched, and they pulled, and in the end they had tamed my hair into pretty waves pulled to one side with some ringlet pieces framing my face. My eyes stood out with smoky grey eyeshadow and my lips were a frosty pink.
Muriel came out of nowhere and put some long, sparkling diamond earrings in my ears. “I know I signed up for being your mother,” she said, sounding exasperated. “but this is way out of my league.”
“My mother?” I asked. “Yes, I swore an oath to protect you and care for you, yada, yada, yada for all eternity.” she said. “Just don’t call me mother. Call me Muriel. Mother makes me sound ancient.”
“Okay” I said, carefully, watching the two stylists leave without saying a word. I wasn’t about to mention the other immortal woman that already claimed me as her adopted child. It must have been a thing with immortals whether they were The Pure or The Corrupt.
Standing up from my chair, I looked in the mirror and Muriel appeared from behind me holding two dresses to either side of me. One was wispy, white, beaded and shimmering. The other was red and strapless. “Angel or vixen?” she asked.
I looked back and forth to the dresses. I wouldn’t normally wear either one. Before I could speak, she said “Angel. That’s how I want them to see you. Sexy and innocent.”
“What kind of party is this?” I asked. “Oh, just a small one.” she said, pouring me another drink. “Around a hundred should show up. Mostly mortals.”
“Why?” I asked, accepting the glass from her. “For you to be seen, of course.” she said. “Everyone who is anyone will be here. Come down right at eight and mingle. Everyone will be here by then.”
“No falling asleep.” she said, wagging her finger at me. She laid the white dress down on my bed, went into the closet with the other one and returned with a pair of matching heels. She set the heels at the foot of the bed and then left the room.
Standing in the mirror, I looked at myself holding my drink. I barely recognized myself. Taking a sip of my drink, I felt another wave of warmth inside me. I set the cup down and made my way into the dress before stepping into the heels.
Standing in the mirror again, I did a little twirl as I saw myself looking tall and otherworldly in the shimmering dress. The neckline of the dress was low, revealing more than I was used to. Reaching to my chest where the silver locket had rested before that stewardess threw it out of the plane, I held my hand there, trying to see the old Emily somewhere in the hair and makeup.
Through my buzz, I searched for my previous resolve to not let myself lose myself. It was difficult to find anything in that place that reminded me of who I was. There were no books, no George, no nesting dolls, no Mary Jane shoes, and no quiet lab. I looked around and felt dizzy.
Walking out into the living-room, I circled around the room several times in my heels. I would have to face the challenge of walking down those big stairs in the shoes and wanted to be ready. Looking at a clock hanging on the wall in the living-room I read 7:58PM. I walked into the bedroom, drank down the remainder of my drink, and walked towards the hall with a buzz in my head.
At the end of the hall I stopped. I could hear the roar of people talking down below. I told myself “be confident” and stood tall as I walked toward the stairs. Stopping in the center of the top of the stairwell, I looked down.
Some of the roar quieted as people stopped to look at me. In the sea of faces I saw people staring at me with various expressions, mostly wide eyes. I looked down at my dress to see if I’d had a wardrobe malfunction, but everything seemed in place.
After calming myself down from the anxiety of having so many eyes on me, I stepped down the stairs towards the crowd. Muriel wasn’t anywhere in sight, but I began to recognized people as I got closer to the crowd. There was no one I knew, or even knew the name of, but I knew some were Hollywood actors and actresses. I was never big into famous people, but I’d seen them in movies.
I had no idea what to do or say. I was pretty out of practice, socially. As I stepped down from the last step, I was greeted by a man that I’d recognized from a recent chick flick. He approached me and said “You have an amazing house, and you look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you.” I said.
“Emily, right?” he asked.
“Yes, and you are?” I asked.
He laughed and said “You can call me Johnny.”
“You can call me Em, Johnny.” I said, trying out my new nickname from Tim.
“Let me introduce you to some people, Em.” said Johnny. He led me around and I was introduced to men and women that all seemed to be fawning over me. I was handed glass of champagne after glass of champagne. Laughing at jokes, I found myself easily having a great time as I floated around in a drunken sea.
As the evening wore on, the lights dimmed down even more, and the music became face paced. A fog machine kicked off and laser lights flashed around the house to the music. It was like a strange dream. A song I didn’t recognize came on and the crowd roared.
I drank another glass of champagne and began dancing with the crowd. I moved through the crowd dancing, with hands of strangers on my body. I was lifted up to a table where I danced alone to a crowd cheering and swaying below. I moved in ways I’d never moved before, fueled by the crowd and the alcohol.
Falling backwards into a crowd of people, I was carried along until I was deposited on a couch. Looking over, I saw that I was sitting by the feet of a man lying on his back on the couch. He smiled at me, and I climbed on the couch to hover over the top of him. He brushed my hair behind my ears and I leaned in to put my lips on his. Closing my eyes, I felt the sensation that I was melting. It was the last thing I remembered.
I woke up to sunshine in my face, a massive headache, and women in black uniforms rushing about cleaning up messes. I looked over and saw a topless woman passed out on the couch next to me. I didn’t even want to know.
Sitting up on the couch, I put my hand up to my head. The headache was piercing and I could hardly see straight. Standing up, I looked around for my shoes. I didn’t see them anywhere, so I walked barefoot up the stairs, across the hall and into my wing.
Searching around the bathroom, I looked for anything resembling pain medication, opening and closing drawers. I could find anything. A wave of nausea hit me and I ran to the toilet, vomiting violently.
After it was over, I sat on the cold tiles on my bare legs, feeling awful. I couldn’t remember any time in my life before then that I’d drank so much. Touching my fingers to my lips, I remembered kissing the man on the couch.
I thought about Peter and felt sick. Not only did I sneak away in the night to escape him, but I had sealed my betrayal with a kiss on another man’s lips. It felt like I was sinking in quicksand, immersed in shame.
After turning the knobs on the bath, I climbed in and scrubbed every inch of myself with a washcloth. There wasn’t enough soap in the world to make me feel clean again.
Getting out and looking into the bathroom mirror, I wiped away the steam on the mirror with my hand. I still felt hungover. I looked hard into my own eyes and then ripped my towel off my body and threw it at my reflection in anger.
I fell to the floor, sobbing. Muriel appeared in the doorway. “Go away.” I said.
She grabbed the silky pink robe from the hook and wrapped it around me. I grudgingly put my arms into the sleeves, closing it up in the front. “You should be happy, dear.” she said, with her hand on her hip. “You made a lot of friends last night.”
I stood up and cringed at the sharp pains jolting through my head. “You need to clear your head.” she said.
I scoffed and glared at her.
“Cleanse your body of it.” she said.
“I threw up everything, and I took a bath. What more can I do?” I asked, crossing my arms under my chest.
“
Make
it leave your body.” she said.
Realizing what she was saying, I wished I’d thought of that earlier. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. I told the sickness in my body to “go now,” and I could feel my body tingling, still feeling queasy. I took another deep breath and said it louder inside myself, “LEAVE.”
My whole body began shaking violently, and a sharp pain erupted in my stomach. I began retching over the toilet again, with my whole body feeling on fire. I felt like I was about to die.
Suddenly it all stopped, and I felt peaceful inside. “Well,” said Muriel with a laugh. “That’s one way to do it.” I looked up at her with a scowl, hating her.
“Brush your teeth and come eat breakfast with me.” she said. “I had some food brought up for you.”
As I brushed my teeth I felt a wave of hunger. I looked for something to wear in the closet, throwing on some silky red panties and a matching bra. Everything looked so flashy to me. I finally found a dress that was a forest green color and looked like it would cover me up more than the others. It had capped sleeves, was tight around the waist and flared out at the bottom.
I made my way out to a small table with chairs on one side of the living room and sat across from Muriel. I looked down to see a classic breakfast of eggs and toast. My stomach growled. I placed my napkin on my lap and began eating. Muriel began eating her breakfast as well and poured herself a glass of wine.
“Really?” I said.
Muriel laughed. “What? A glass in the morning keeps me in good spirits. You look like you could use some help with your spirits as well.” She gestured the wine bottle toward my empty glass.
“Ugh.” I said. “No thank you. Not after that.”
“Ah,” she said. “At least you’re being polite. You looked like you wanted to murder me when we were in the bathroom.”
“Like I could murder you.” I said.
Muriel cracked up laughing, throwing her head back. “You,” she said, pointing her fork at me. “are funny. I think I’m going to like you.”
I finished my plate, drank my orange juice, and didn’t know what to do next. I stared across the living room and out the window at the blueness of the sky.
“I hope you got enough sleep.” said Muriel. “We have a big day.”