"Mason had bought me a real maid's uniform. The straight skirt even came down to my knees. Nobody would mistake this plain style for a sexy costume, so it wouldn't be that embarrassing to be seen in it by my classmates at Mason's party. I could pass it off as a real job.
I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. With my curves covered up and my hair in a ponytail, I looked less like my blonde bombshell mother. Without any makeup, I was fresh-faced with only my baby blue eyes drawing attention with their vivid color.
My mother didn't even look up from her phone to notice that I was wearing a uniform as I walked past her. As usual, my dad was the only one who questioned where I was going. "When did you get a job?"
"I'm just starting today," I replied, inching toward the door.
"Where are you working?" he asked.
"It's a catering company," I lied. "They do parties, and I'll be serving appetizers."
"What's the name of the company?"
"I forgot. My friend's mom does it out of her house, and we're working for her. I've really gotta go. I don't want to be late on my "first day. Thanks for letting me borrow your car," I said as I rushed out the door.
I mostly loved the fact that he took such an interest in my life. He had become the father I'd never had, and I adored him. Until now, I'd had no reason to keep secrets from him. I hated lying to him, but I couldn't tell him about Mason blackmailing me. The last person in the world I wanted to disappoint was my dad. I shouldn't have been drinking at all, let alone drinking enough to blackout.
I would never get drunk again. No alcohol would pass my lips tonight, that was for sure. The irony was that I had often wished that I could go to one of these parties. Unlike Addison, I had never desired popularity, but I didn't like being shunned either. Everyone had started ignoring me after Mason began bullying anyone who tried to be friends with me. Since he was popular, he got all his buddies to back him up. No one wanted to be targeted by them because of me, so I was left out of everything.
That was why I was so grateful to finally "have a friend, and why I was so desperate to keep her that I had gone along with everything she suggested the previous evening. She had urged me to keep drinking, so I did. Since she hadn't been as smashed as I was, I could only assume that she had only pretended to keep drinking with me.
She was at Mason's house when I arrived, and she wasn't happy to see me. "What the "hell, Mason? Why is she here?"
Addison apparently wasn't bothering to address me directly anymore, and it reinforced the realization that she had been faking her friendship with me. Being friendless again hurt worse than it had before. Mason had wounded me more by giving me a false friend than by denying me friends altogether. I felt the loss more acutely.
Blinking away the tears from my eyes, I reminded myself that she wasn't worth it. She was one of them now, the shallow people who only cared about themselves—the people Mason surrounded himself with. The people who were just like him.
"Because I told her to be here," he snapped at Addison. "She does what I tell her to do."
carefully. "It's just...I thought you got what you
He reprimanded her before I could. "Are you stupid? Do you really think she wants to be here? As a maid?"
"Guys think that's sexy. I bet she'll get hit on all night," she remarked flatly.
Mason eyed me with displeasure, seemingly disliking that prospect as much as she did. He had chased away all my potential boyfriends from the first day of high school, making sure that I had no social life. I should have realized that it was a trick when he allowed me to socialize with Addison.
"Don't talk to anyone," he told me. "You're not here to flirt. Just give them their drinks. Got it?"
I nodded, but that didn't satisfy him.
"Answer me," he demanded.
"Yes, I've got it," I said.
"What did I tell you were the only two words you eyes downcast.
"Sir?" "Addison questioned, her voice rising in indignation. "You're having her call you sir? I knew this was some kinky sex thing. Otherwise you would have had her "doing your homework and stuff like that instead of dressing up as your sex slave. I would have let you tie me up if I knew you were into that. You didn't need to blackmail her into doing it. I thought you hated her!"
He regarded her with disdain. "I don't need any help with my homework. And I sure as hell don't need to tie a girl down to make her my sex slave."
"So, you're admitting you had sex with her," she said, looking like she was either about to lose her shit or cry.
"I don't have sex with my maid!" he yelled, startling her out of her meltdown. "She's beneath me. Do you understand? That's what this whole thing is about. She is here as a servant, and she will know her place."
I wanted to tell him that he was full of shit and that he was born a few centuries too late to get away with that condescending crap, but I held my tongue.
Mollified at last, Addison directed a mocking smile at me. "You better remember your place, Ella."
"Yes ma'am," I retorted. "Serving your boyfriend. All day, and...all night." A "small smirk played over my lips as I gazed at her with a wicked expression. "He likes when I'm beneath him."
Her smile withered, while cold fury emanated from Mason. I could sense it without looking at him, so strong was his effect "on the atmosphere. It chilled me even as my pulse spiked with the fight or flight response to imminent danger. I did neither as I held the ground I had gained on Addison. Her jealousy had revealed her weakness to me, and I stomped on her with glee. My revenge was gratifying and sweet. She would not get the better of me at least.
"Get to your station."
Mason's tight, terse voice snapped me out of my gloating stare down with Addison. "Yes sir," I replied, injecting saucy, flirty enthusiasm into the words. "Where do you want me?" I asked, infusing the question with unmistakable sexual innuendo.
His glare hardened into the cold stare of a predator. "On your knees," he commanded with an icy calmness that conveyed complete control of the situation.
A moment ago, his voice had been stretched taut with barely contained anger, but the deliberate intimidation of it now was much more threatening. I didn't dare to defy him, but I hesitated in fear.
"Get on your knees," he said with that same frightening composure.
I obeyed, sinking down slowly with a feeling of inescapable dread. He stepped forward until he was standing directly in "front of me. My face flooded with the shame of being in this subservient position with his crotch at my eye-level. My gaze lifted to his with the "horrified realization that he would expose my naked picture to everyone.
Because I wouldn't do this. No way in hell.
"Respect," he warned. "The next time you start playing games with me, I'll call your bluff. Got it?"
"Yes sir," I answered, my voice tremulous with the relief of being spared exposure.
"Get up," he ordered.
I did, but that brought me up close to his face. I dropped my eyes from his intimidating stare as I took a step back away from him.
"I'll take care of you, Mason," Addison said.
My gaze turned toward her, and I watched her approach him. When she boldly placed her hand on his crotch, I looked away. More heat flooded my face as she offered to go up to his room with him and give him a blowjob.
"I have guests arriving soon," I heard him say, seemingly as unaffected by her offer as I was uncomfortable.
"I'll get you off fast," she promised.
"No," he stated flatly. "Come here maid," he called to me as I cringed in embarrassment for Addison over his rejection of her desperate attempt to please him. "Your station is in the kitchen.