Skyfall
~Six~
The next morning I awoke in an ocean of satin sheets and duck-feather quilts. I stretched and yawned.
I could easily get used to this, but I wasn’t going to.
I got up and dressed in the same jeans and t-shirt as yesterday. I pulled my hair into short ponytail and then quietly left my room. I padded down the silent hallway, making for the elevator.
I had just pressed the bell to summon it when I remembered that I probably wasn’t a registered voice pattern, and I didn’t have an ID chip to authorise anything.
“Morning,” I spun on the spot to spot Calista with an armload of washing. “Sleep well?” she winked at me.
“Uh, I-“
“I want all details,” she told me promptly as the elevator arrived with a smart ‘ping’. We stepped inside as she continued. “Every little thing. Floor 29.”
The doors slid closed and we began to descend. She was looking at me expectantly.
“Nothing happened,” I blurted, and immediately felt myself go red. “He came in and we talked-“
“Your hair,” Calista interrupted, picking up a strand of my raggedy hair. “What did you do?”
“I cut it off,” I told her, frowning. “I’m not a doll to be dressed up, Calista.”
“Well that’s what I’m paid to make you, so that’s what you are to me,” she scowled at me. “Did you do this to put young Master Louis off?”
“Yes.”
Instead of frowning further at me, she smiled, looking at me from under half closed eye lids.
“Did you not know how to, dear?”
“How to... what?”
“How to know a man, of course,” the elevator doors slid open and I spied an enormous hall made of stone, the ceilings high and vaulted. People, other servants, were gathered around the fireplace at the end of the room. “Welcome to the kitchens, love.”
I stepped onto the flagstones, the cold shocking me into action.
“Of course I don’t know how to,” I snapped. “I told you that last night.”
She leant close, closer than I was comfortable with.
“I could teach you,” she whispered, her breath brushing my ear.
“Teach me?”
“Tony,” Calista dumped the washing on a bench, striding into the centre of the room between two enormous tables. I suddenly couldn’t help but notice how short her dress was. “Come here.”
One of the manservants detached himself from the group by the fire. Everyone was turning to watch.
“Our mistress doesn’t know how to know a man,” Calista announced to the room, and my face went even redder than before. “Tony, teach her with me.”
They stepped close together, and Tony the manservant put his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.
“It’s all about anticipation,” Calista said, just loud enough for everyone watching to hear. She leant close to him, closer than she had to me. Their lips were almost touching when she spun away, her neat black shoes allowing her to twirl on the flagstones. “Make him want you.”
It was true that Tony now didn’t have eyes for anyone else in the room. His gaze followed her as she stepped towards me.
“Made him watch you,” she stretched out one long, stocking covered leg, and everyone in the room focussed on that leg.
“Make him,” she leant towards me, almost kissing me. “Obsessed.”
I met her eyes as she grinned mischievously. She kissed me on the cheek quickly before dancing back to Tony.
“Use all weapons in your arsenal,” Tony wrapped his arm around her waist again and she leant back, one arm around his shoulders, one leg planted on the ground and the other folded with her toe pointed at the ground. “If you can dance, dance him straight into the bed. If you can sing, ditto. We all have our talents, sweet heart. Use them.”
Tony kissed her then, passionate and lingering. A few of the servants giggled. Once Calista had broken away from him and come back to me, I noticed the gold band on her ring finger, and the matching one on Tony’s.
“Actually, I was just hungry,” I told her, subdued. “For food, not... not for sex.”
“Well we’ve got that, too,” she said smiling, her blue eyes sparkling and dancing.
I could easily get used to this, but I wasn’t going to.
I got up and dressed in the same jeans and t-shirt as yesterday. I pulled my hair into short ponytail and then quietly left my room. I padded down the silent hallway, making for the elevator.
I had just pressed the bell to summon it when I remembered that I probably wasn’t a registered voice pattern, and I didn’t have an ID chip to authorise anything.
“Morning,” I spun on the spot to spot Calista with an armload of washing. “Sleep well?” she winked at me.
“Uh, I-“
“I want all details,” she told me promptly as the elevator arrived with a smart ‘ping’. We stepped inside as she continued. “Every little thing. Floor 29.”
The doors slid closed and we began to descend. She was looking at me expectantly.
“Nothing happened,” I blurted, and immediately felt myself go red. “He came in and we talked-“
“Your hair,” Calista interrupted, picking up a strand of my raggedy hair. “What did you do?”
“I cut it off,” I told her, frowning. “I’m not a doll to be dressed up, Calista.”
“Well that’s what I’m paid to make you, so that’s what you are to me,” she scowled at me. “Did you do this to put young Master Louis off?”
“Yes.”
Instead of frowning further at me, she smiled, looking at me from under half closed eye lids.
“Did you not know how to, dear?”
“How to... what?”
“How to know a man, of course,” the elevator doors slid open and I spied an enormous hall made of stone, the ceilings high and vaulted. People, other servants, were gathered around the fireplace at the end of the room. “Welcome to the kitchens, love.”
I stepped onto the flagstones, the cold shocking me into action.
“Of course I don’t know how to,” I snapped. “I told you that last night.”
She leant close, closer than I was comfortable with.
“I could teach you,” she whispered, her breath brushing my ear.
“Teach me?”
“Tony,” Calista dumped the washing on a bench, striding into the centre of the room between two enormous tables. I suddenly couldn’t help but notice how short her dress was. “Come here.”
One of the manservants detached himself from the group by the fire. Everyone was turning to watch.
“Our mistress doesn’t know how to know a man,” Calista announced to the room, and my face went even redder than before. “Tony, teach her with me.”
They stepped close together, and Tony the manservant put his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.
“It’s all about anticipation,” Calista said, just loud enough for everyone watching to hear. She leant close to him, closer than she had to me. Their lips were almost touching when she spun away, her neat black shoes allowing her to twirl on the flagstones. “Make him want you.”
It was true that Tony now didn’t have eyes for anyone else in the room. His gaze followed her as she stepped towards me.
“Made him watch you,” she stretched out one long, stocking covered leg, and everyone in the room focussed on that leg.
“Make him,” she leant towards me, almost kissing me. “Obsessed.”
I met her eyes as she grinned mischievously. She kissed me on the cheek quickly before dancing back to Tony.
“Use all weapons in your arsenal,” Tony wrapped his arm around her waist again and she leant back, one arm around his shoulders, one leg planted on the ground and the other folded with her toe pointed at the ground. “If you can dance, dance him straight into the bed. If you can sing, ditto. We all have our talents, sweet heart. Use them.”
Tony kissed her then, passionate and lingering. A few of the servants giggled. Once Calista had broken away from him and come back to me, I noticed the gold band on her ring finger, and the matching one on Tony’s.
“Actually, I was just hungry,” I told her, subdued. “For food, not... not for sex.”
“Well we’ve got that, too,” she said smiling, her blue eyes sparkling and dancing.