Aurelia
I've been idling by the window all morning, keeping an eye out for the package I'm supposed to receive before work this night. It's almost past noon; the workers come and go throughout the day. But there's been no sign of a delivery yet.
The odd hours of the job came as a relief to me. I wouldn't have to worry about being called while I'm out working since everyone would be asleep already.
It's almost two more hours of waiting when I see the unfamiliar black car idling by the front of the estate gates. I make my way outside, dismissing the worker on their way to question the parked vehicle. The driver rolls down the tinted window the second I walk up to it; his eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses. Without a word, he hands me a small rectangular box, rolling up the window as soon as I take it. He drives away.
I tuck it in my chest, dodging all the staff as I make my way back to my room.
It's a velvet material, soft. It feels expensive. I untie the satin bow, then pull the box open. Inside it is a simple black eye mask, the edges embroidered in a beautiful gold design. I run my fingers over it gently.
This is the membership?
I expected an ID card, or at the very least, a document. Discarding the box, I walk up to the dresser in my mirror, holding the mask up to my face as I stare at my reflection.
You are never to come to the establishment without your membership.
It's one hell of a sort of membership. I hold my hair up the same way I was told to in the application, moving my face left and right in front of the mirror.
It's beautiful.
Anonymity must be their policy, and I can't say I mind it. Studying myself right now, I rather prefer the fact that the customers I serve won't be able to tell who I am.
The excitement bubbles inside me, knowing that my first shift is only a few hours away.
***
It's an hour-long ride.
The car slows down once we reach what seems to be a gated entrance. Two men, both of them dressed in suits with dark sunglasses over their eyes, silently halt the cab. Instinctively, I reach into my bag, slipping on the mask as one of the men approaches. I roll my window down, and the man takes a brief look at me and motions for me to get out of the car. After paying the driver, I do.
His companion walks up to me, just as silent, and he grabs my bag, looking inside before handing it back to me. One of them steps behind me, and I let out a small gasp as a silk material slides over the front of the mask, covering my vision.
My fingers press against it. "What's this for?"
"Protocol." He answers. Pressing against my back and guiding me forward.
Anonymity must really be their policy.
We walk for a little while, and then come to a stop. The blindfold is slipping off my face.
I'm standing in front of a large darkwood door.
"Through the door, first turn on your right. Walk through the first door you see. The mistress will take over from there."
The Mistress?
He opens the door for me, gesturing for me to go ahead.
It's dark and dimly lit. The hallway is narrow, and my nerves are kicking high as I move through it. All this seems a little intense for a simple job. I knock on the door, and it's only a second before it's pulled open.
This room is brightly lit. A voluptuous woman stands on the other side, her beaming bright smile splitting her red-painted lips.
"Welcome to the establishment." She greets, "Your alias?"
"Um," I stammer, "Blue Ivy."
Her smile widens. "Wonderful to have you, Blue Ivy. You may call me The Mistress; I hope your stay here is as rewarding as your efforts." She steps aside, moving to let me through. She walks ahead of me, leading me to another door on the other side of the small room.
"Uh," I say, trailing after her, "I don't have my uniform yet."
She laughs, "Well, your uniform, as you put it, will be given to you in just a moment. You can choose whichever of the garments you like. They come in all sizes and designs."
"Oh, that's great!" I tell her.
She opens the door, and we walk into another dimly lit room, this one much larger and filled with leather benches pressed against one of the side walls. A dozen mirrors are opposite them, with vanities. This must be the dressing room. There are about eight other girls, most of whom are already getting ready, wearing robes, and doing their hair and make-up. Each of them is wearing a mask similar to mine.
I notice then that The Mistress isn't wearing a membership. It's only for the waitresses, then?
"Alright, ladies!" She says, drawing the attention of all the girls in the large room, "The last of us has arrived, Blue Ivy." She gestures at me with a kind smile. "I'll give a quick run-through of what is expected tonight for the new faces."
The girls line up before her, and I follow their lead, squeezing into the small crowd. "The men and women aren't here for your conversation; remember that. Keep the chitchat to a minimum, unless it is specifically requested of you. They are most likely to tip their picks as much as they see fit, but you are not to request the extra earnings. Leo sees everything; the last thing you should think is that you can break any of his rules without him finding out. When you're called for your audition, girls, give it your best; they will be watching."
I listen carefully, barely understanding a thing she's saying. We're auditioning? I thought I had already gotten the job.
"Once you're assigned to your server for the night, it becomes your sole objective to attend to his or her needs; you have no other priority till your shift ends. None of Leo's guests are to leave without complete satisfaction. The reputation of this establishment depends on its sponsors receiving the utmost gratification for their money. It is your job to see to it that Leo's investment does not crumble."
"I wonder if he'll be here tonight." A girl whispers lowly beside me.
"You know The Dark Prince never makes appearances, well, unless it's for a retraction." Another voice says back to her.
A retraction?
"Yeah." She turns to me. Only then do I realize I must have voiced my confusion out loud: "The Dark Prince only ever shows up below ground to take one of the girls. If he's here, it's never for a good thing."
"Take one of the girls?" I whisper, "What do you do?"
"Alright then!" The mistress talks over us, clapping her hands together. "You may choose your clothes for the night." She cocks her head in the direction of half a dozen covered cloth racks on wheels. "These are fresh imports; Leo considers your comfort as well."
The girls spread out, moving to the racks and unzipping them one by one.
I step closer, my brows pulling together.
And then dread settles like lead in my stomach as I see exactly what's hidden underneath the dark sheets.
It's… Lingerie.
The girls don't seem fazed by any of it. They make quick work of the pieces in front of them, shedding their robes and adorning the scanty pieces. Some walk buck ass naked around the racks, searching for fabrics more in their style. My face heats up. What the hell is happening?
"Is there a problem?"
The mistress touches my shoulder lightly, her brows furrowed as she fixes me with a concerned look.
"This…" I gesture all around me, "I didn't... I didn't know what this was. I had no idea.
She smiles at me, but this time it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "What did you think it was then? You received the rules; you also fulfilled the application and accepted your membership."
My hand moves to the damn mask on my face. I move to pull it off. "I had no idea."
She grabs my arm, stopping me. "You can never be seen without your membership. Did you forget?"
"You don't have a mask."
"I don't need one. I am the mistress; I won't be auctioned."
I blanch, "Auctioned? What do you mean auctioned?"
Her lips are thin. "I don't understand where the confusion lies; this was no slip of the hand; the establishment doesn't look for its prizes; they reach out. You reached out."
"Yes, I did. But I never knew what all this was; I had no idea there would be an auction or anything of this sort. I thought it was a waitressing job."