Saving Alice

Sunlight streamed through the windows. I stirred. Blankets enveloped me and I swore I was laying on a cloud. There was a slight ache in my head, and I rubbed my temple with my pal until it subsided. My eyes opened, and I took in the room around me.
The walls were white. All of them. Not the kind of sick white found in hospitals, but one of a softer sort. The sheets I had wrapped myself in were teal, like a rug on the floor and a pillow on a lounge chair. This was the only color in the room.
My mind was groggy for a moment, but then I remembered.
Alice.
I reached my fingers out to the other side of the bed, but she wasn’t there. My hand connected with cold empty blankets, and part of me collapsed.
The night before felt so far away now, but I could still feel it’s magic.
I ran my hands through my hair, and drug them across my jaw and throat. If I concentrated hard enough I could almost feel her lips dance across my skin. I layed back in the bed and sighed. Once again there wasn’t a single clock in the room, but judging by the sun coming in through the glass, it was past time to wake up.
I pulled the skimpy black club dress back on and made my way down stairs.
The marble steps were cold beneath my feet. The main hall seemed so empty and lonely during the day. In fact, the house seemed lonely. There was nobody around.
“Alice?” I called her name, but there was no response.
I wandered throughout the mansion, looking for her. Fifteen minutes had gone by before I found sign of her. There was a note on the kitchen counter from her. She said she had gone out to run some errands and would be back by dusk. She had left instructions for me to be ready by 7, and that I would wear the clothing laid out for me in my closet. Other then that there was nothing. I peered around the enormous kitchen. My stomach growled and I realised the amount of time that had gone by between meals. I dug through the fridge until I found an apple. I took a bite and continued to explore the house.
I followed the staircase back up to the second floor. The door to Alice’s room stood ajar, and I pulled it close. Memories of the night before kept flashing through my head, and I couldn’t help but smile. Her lips on mine, her head on my chest.
There was 7 rooms on the second level, and 5 on the third. Over all I had counted 13 bathrooms between the three stories. My apartment could have fit in here over 20 times.
As I walked down the marvelous hallway, I passed that girl again. I turned to face the mirror and I toyed with the apple core I had in my hands. For the first time in a few days I allowed my mind to wonder. What had I gotten myself into? I’m living with a stranger, a well off stranger at that. Who am I? Grace. I knew that much. My name was Grace. But besides that? Who have I become? I had been so strong once. Strong because I had to be. But over the course of only three days I had become a quiet follower. I had lost myself in a way.
Was that what I wanted?
I leaned my back against the wall and slid to the floor.
All my life I had never amounted to anything. I moved to New York with dreams of making it big, but instead I sold my body to keep my home.
I shook my head.
Compared to this prostitution was a small thing. From the sounds of Alejandro and Alice’s stories this life was nothing but danger. But what did I expect? This is what I knew was coming. I knew where I was headed once Alice gave me the offer. I didn’t have much of a choice, but even if I did it wouldn’t have mattered.
I stood up from the ground and faced the girl in the mirror again. And for the hundredth time in 72 hours, I came to the realisation that this is what I chose, and god damnit this was the life I was going to live.

Alice arrived back home right before sunset. She was wearing a tight blazer with a skirt, her hair once again up in a bun. Everytime I saw her now I mentally kicked myself for thinking she was only a teenager. Damn her, I thought, damn her and her deceiving smile.
She walked in the door and immediately enveloped me in a hug. In moments her lips were pressed so softly against mine and I felt my body want to sag.
“How was your day, my darling?” She asked against my skin. She was dragging her lips across my collarbone now, and I could barely concentrate.
“Uneventful.” It wasn’t a lie, after I finished wandering through the house I had taken a shower and prepared myself for the mystery that the night ahead of me would surely bring.
Alice released me and took a step back. She eyed me over. “You look spectacular. I was right, that is your color.” She approved.
I thanked her and looked down at the dress. It was black, like both the other dresses had been. But it had nothing else in common to them besides color. It was short like the club dress, but classy like the evening gown. My legs looked miles long and the red heels did nothing to take away from that. I felt beautiful. I felt sexy, in a classy- sophisticated kind of way.
Alice’s eyes continued to praise me, and I felt a blush spread across my cheeks.
She took my hand gently and kissed it. “We will be leaving in an hour, in the meantime, I have to go get ready, too.” She paused. “Even though I could never compare to you.”
The blush intensified, but she probably didn’t notice, for now she had turned and was sashaying away, leaving me breathless in the doorway.

A time later she appeared again, draped in a white gown with her hair pulled neatly to the side. She put a hand on my cheek and tilted my face towards hers. With her studying prying eyes she watched me. She searched my eyes and I was praying she got the answer she was looking for.
“Are you ready?” She asked me.
“Ready for what?” I cocked an eyebrow at her and stared back.
She smiled. “Oh silly girl. Did you think this was it? That life was just parties and nights? Beautiful gowns and laughter?” she laughed now. “There is hard work that has to be put in to receive those kinds of earnings. Are you ready to achieve them?”
I nodded my head. Damn it, wasn’t that why I was here?
“Then Come on, it’s time to finally do something.”