Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann

Victoria moved out of the bathroom and stood by the door on the left. She didn’t open it. “This is for the girls who participate in heavier role-play and beating. You may go in and have a look around, but unless you’re properly trained, we wouldn’t allow you to bring a client in there.”
    I didn’t need her to open the door in order to imagine what was behind it. Some men enjoyed having their power stripped, to play the submissive, and some wanted to always be in control. Then there were fetishes, and instruments that were used for striking, whipping, and suspension. Those were much more hardcore than the limits I had discussed with Victoria over the phone that afternoon. The chains and handcuffs that were on the ceiling in my room were within my boundaries, along with certain levels of pain, sex toys that vibrated or plugged, and most of the scenes she had listed as long as they didn’t involve rape. I told her I wouldn’t stand for any form of sexual humiliation, to be a man’s slave, or to have all of my control stripped. A loss of power could be sexy, but I wasn’t going to be Lilly—even if I was getting paid for it. Victoria said the potential suitors would be told my rules before they were allowed to book time with me, and I would be informed of their wants and needs prior to them entering my wing.
    Victoria took a few steps back, appearing as though she were about to leave. “Sandy is going to spend some extra time on you tonight. In the future, your preparation will become much more routine.”
    I scrambled for a question to keep her from leaving. There was still so much unknown; having her here stalled me for time and gave me a few final moments to breathe.
    “How will I know when it’s two o’clock?” I asked.
    “As I mentioned before, the sound of a bell will ring through the speakers, signaling that it’s five minutes of. At precisely two, Sal will enter and escort your client out. You may take a few minutes to clean yourself up and change back into your robe before Sal takes you down to the limo.”
    “What if my client asks something personal? Do I have to answer?”
    “You’re here to act out their fantasies. Under no circumstances will either party be allowed to probe for personal information, or to disclose any.”
    The sparks in my stomach and the bursts in my chest made all of her words a bit fuzzy.
    “Anything else?” she asked.
    Having sex with the Recruiter was the preliminary round, and I had passed. Tonight was the real test. If my client wasn’t pleased, this could be my last evening at the mansion. Was that what I wanted? I had already mentally spent my first paycheck. I yearned for this challenge and believed I could succeed at it. My desire for a release was becoming much stronger, and Victoria wanted me to consider her my family, all of which told me this was exactly where I needed to be.
    ”No,” I said. “I don’t believe so.”
    “Very well, then.” She took a few steps and then glanced back at me over her shoulder. “Tonight will be a little…unconventional. Make me proud, Cee.”
    I watched her move down the hallway, the train of her long slip gliding over the broken mirrors, and heard the click when the door locked behind her. Then I felt something on my arm. It was Sandy, standing in front of me, her hands resting on my skin. When we made eye contact, she gently tugged me into the bathroom.
    She spread out a folding table not too far from the sinks, covered it with a towel, and wheeled over a cart of products. She put out her hand, signaling me to lie down. Once I was settled, she lifted the bottom of my robe and bunched it around my stomach. Using a tongue depressor, she wiped wax over the small landing strip of hair I had left. They wanted me bare…but not just the front. After several rips, Sandy twirled her finger, a sign that she wanted me to flip over. And she didn’t stop once she finished that area. She waxed every piece of hair off my body and