Who's The Maid Now?
Belladonna
[Author's note: This a non-TG, Female to Female class change story was
based on a caption by Camille Langtry at her excellent F to F Ladies
Becoming Maids blog (http://lady2maid.blogspot.com). It was originally
posted on Camille's blog back in July of this year. I'm posting it here
because it's where all my other stories are posted. The original
version on the blog contains an epilogue that I have omitted here as I
have plotted out an expanded version of it that I may return to at some
point.]
Victoria Lightfoot turned over in her bed as she saw the morning light
piercing through the dark curtains of her room. She grinned at the
feeling of her silk sheets as she pulled them across her smooth skin.
Her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them to glance up at the
Raphael inspired mosaic she had paid a small fortune to have installed
on her bedroom ceiling the year before.
Her eyes tore away from the ostentatious reminder of her roots and
privileges. Victoria lived a life she knew others would kill to possess
for themselves.
The four-hundred million dollar fortune that her aristocratic parents
had bequeathed her had left Victoria without a real worry for a
lifetime. It had all come too fast for her though.
The father she cherished, that had worshiped her as his darling little
girl, had passed when she was only seven. He was much older than her
mother, who even Victoria saw as little more than a trophy for her
beloved father. He was someone she could not stop thinking about when
she was alone.
Despite her constant thoughts of him, she struggled to remember what her
father looked like. It was only pictures that triggered her own
memories, but she was no longer sure if her memories of how looked were
truly her own or based on the images captured.
If he had lived, it would have all been different for her. She was sure
of it.
Despite the beauty that people had complimented her for since childhood,
her mother had a way of making her feel not good enough. The older
woman had six inches on her in height, making her tall for a girl height
of 5'6" appear short by comparison. Boyfriends often lusted after her
mother, who never failed to stroll around the home in strappy high
heels, short hems and with her long, flowing, blonde hair down.
While Victoria was certain that her mother loved her, she often felt
that the woman wanted her to know that she was a notch beneath her. At
times, her mother showed her a disregard that she often reserved for her
servants. At others, the woman was doting. Victoria self-worth was a
slave to her mother's ever-shifting whims growing up; feeling cherished
one moment and an afterthought the next.
It had been nearly a year since her mother had passed. The scandal of
the woman dying of an overdose of antidepressants in the bed of her
daughter's ex-boyfriend had made for headlines on the social pages. The
barrage of negative press seemed like an insult to injury to Victoria,
and she retreated as much as she could from the world after the funeral.
Her mother's death left her with no family. Despite the wealth of
hangers-on that surrounded her day and night, willing to do anything she
wanted, Victoria felt alone. She knew that her sycophants did not like
her for who she was. They just wanted whatever change she was willing
to spill from her pocketbook for them.
Still, Victoria felt that she had no right to complain. She was a 20-
year-old beauty, an heiress and pampered. It was a life that most could
only dream of, but it struck her as a hollow existence.
Everything in her life was safe. There was no excitement, only boredom
as she knew what was coming around every corner.
Victoria was all too aware of what everyone thought of her too. She was
nothing more than a spoiled rich girl to those that surrounded her. In
their eyes, she had nothing more to show from her existence besides what
she was handed by the fruits of her father's labors and her mother's
genes.
She wanted to experience a different life where she could be seen as
something more than the residue of her parents' success and good
fortune. She had dreamed of it for years. Running away from everything
she was and doing things that 'real girls' did. Getting a job at a
retail store, waitressing, maybe even training and working her way into
a salon as a hairdresser. The thought of being on the giving side
rather than the receiving made a smile come to her face as she felt a
tingling sensation followed by an increasing wetness that she could not
help but notice.
The fantasy soon subsided though. There was always the risk of
exposure. Her name could give her away at any point. She could not
hide the name on her check or the connections her social security number
could make at any time.
It was too risky for her to take a job in public. If the people she met
through any job she took found out, Victoria would not be just a spoiled
rich girl, but a fraud.
Victoria knew that she could pay people to give her the experience, but
that seemed unfulfilling. She wanted it to be real. She did not want
to Marie Antoinette playing a peasant shepherdess at the Hameau de la
Reine. They all knew she was the Queen and let her play an idealized
version of peasantry that was detached from reality. That was not what
Victoria wanted at all. She wanted to feel the change in her bones.
There was only one option that appeared to be there for the taking for
her. She pictured her maid toiling in the kitchen getting ready to
prepare her breakfast that morning, as she did every morning.
Julia was the perfect vessel to indulge her fantasy with for a little
bit. Julia was a young woman, not more than 2 years older than she was.
She had an understated beauty that she played down, afraid of being
accused of trying to compete with her mistress's looks if she did
otherwise.
Julia's background struck Victoria as something out of a Tennessee
William's play. Her abusive father left her drug-using mother. She
grew up in poverty in a trailer park before her mother was sentenced to
jail for 25 years to life for a third strike drug offense of selling
crystal meth.
After that, Julia was sent to a series of foster homes and any ambition
that the girl may have had was stripped from her by the indignities she
suffered. Victoria had her tailed by private investigators before the
girl was hired and after. She marveled at the way Julia only seemed to
find her self-worth in the opinions that men had of her.
Victoria had planned the switch in her mind out from the moment she
hired the girl. She was sure that Julia would go along. There was
nothing to stop her from doing it to the hilt.
In Victoria's mind, it was not as if it was only going to be good for
her. Julia would be getting a benefit too.
The money Victoria would offer was something Julia would never see under
any other circumstances. It would probably double what she made in her
lifetime. In a rational world, Julia would have no choice, but to
accept the offer and everything it entailed.
Beyond the money, Julia would get the benefit of seeing life from a
different perspective. She would probably walk away from the swap with
a far better opinion of herself and would no longer only feel validated
by the opinions of the opposite sex. Victoria rationalized that to not
save Julia from that seemed positively anti-feminist.
Victoria pushed herself out of bed as she thought, 'This is the day.'
Victoria was determined not to put it off any longer. She was going to
tell Julia that they were going to swap lives for a short while. They
would each get to experience a different life. It was going to be
perfect. She would see to it to ensure that it was just that.
Victoria slipped her arms through the three-quarter length, kimono
sleeves of her soft, white robe. She tied the self-tie at the waist of
the robe before she adjusted her lace trimmed, surplice neckline over
her bust.
The familiar sensation between her legs returned as she drew the door
open, determined to embrace her fantasy, no matter how briefly. She was
certain that this was the day that she would not back down.
The wide hallway leading to the stairs seemed even longer than it was.
With each of the original paintings her father collected she passed,
Victoria began to reflect on her familiar doubts. She always harbored
them. She wondered if Julia would laugh right in her face. Even
Victoria acknowledged her request was absurd. Every time she asked
herself the question of who would give up being an heiress to be a maid,
the answer was the same, no one, except her.
Victoria walked down the staircase and started towards the dinning room.
She sat down at the head of the table and rang her bell.
"Yes, Miss Lightfoot," Julia said while she hurried into the room.
Julia's eyes were dutifully cast down at the floor as she awaited her
orders.
"Julia, can we speak for a moment?"
Julia shuddered at her boss's words. She was sure that nothing positive
would come of the conversation. Her boss never used her name. She took
it as an ominous sign that her services were no longer needed.
"Yes, Miss Lightfoot," Julia replied with keeping her eyes downcast.
Victoria wanted to say the words but froze. She bit her lip as Julia
glanced up at her, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Victoria
clenched her eyes and told Julia to bring out her breakfast.
Julia felt a momentary sense of relief as she scurried into the kitchen.
She set about finishing making her boss her breakfast while her stomach
fluttered. She wondered if Victoria knew how sick to her stomach her
passing words had made. Even if she did, she was sure that her boss
would not care. She was certain that the feelings of others were
beneath Victoria's concern.
Victoria clenched her fists as she listened through the walls while
Julia toiled in the kitchen. She cursed herself for her cowardice.
"Why can't you say it?" She asked herself, angry at her failure to
carry out her intentions once again.
"Are you okay?" Julia asked as she emerged from the kitchen with her
mistress's breakfast.
Victoria was startled by the question from her maid. She paused. Her
lips quivered before she managed to reply, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."
Julia nodded while she placed the meal in front of her boss. She stood
off to the side of the table to await further orders as Victoria ate her
breakfast with small bites.
Julia noticed the stressed and thoughtful look on her mistress's face.
She knew that something was wrong. She only hoped that it did not
involve her, but what other concerns did the heiress have. She was
certain that she could be the only source of her mistress's
consternation.
Once Victoria finished eating, Julia went to take the soiled plate and
teacup from her. As she reached for them, Victoria clutched her maid's
wrist.
Julia's head jerked to look at her mistress's face. Victoria stared up
into Julia's eyes. Julia submissively darted her eyes away from
Victoria's before her mistress said, "Please sit."
As awkward as she felt complying with the polite order, Julia sat down
at the table to the left of her mistress. Victoria gave her maid a
glance before she said, "I want to discuss something with you."
"What?" Julia asked as Victoria paused.
Victoria cringed before she said, "I have a proposition for you?"
The word proposition made Julia's skin crawl. She felt as if there had
been too many propositions made to her already in her life. She
wondered what her mistress wanted of her and prayed it was nothing
sexual.
"Would you consider swapping places with me?"
Julia furrowed her brow. She gawked at the table unsure of what her
employer meant. After nervously rubbing her right cheek, she answered,
"Huh?"
Victoria's face twitched as she explained, "I would be you and you would
be me."
"How could we do that?" Julia asked, confused by her mistress'
question.
"Do you know about acting?" Victoria inquired.
"Yah," Julia replied slowly, waiting for a better response.
"It's just like that. You'll act like me, and I'll act like you."
"Okay...for how long?" Julia asked with raised eyebrows.
"Just a few months."
"Months!"
"Months, a year, two years tops," Victoria replied, unable to hold
herself back from adding more time to the proposed swap.
"You think you'd wanna to be me for two years?" Julia replied with a
mix of shock, horror and bemusement.
Her maid's evident disbelief made Victoria uneasy. She figured she
would fall into line without much prodding, like everyone else in her
life had always done. Still, on another level, Victoria enjoyed it
because Julia was giving her a taste of what she wanted.
"What if I sweetened the deal for you?"
"Watcha yah mean?"
"How does a million dollars sound?"
"A million dollars!"
"A million dollars," Victoria responded with a nod of her head to her
excited maid.
"To act like you?" Julia inquired for confirmation as she thought,
'Shit, I'd do that free.'
"That's right," Victoria replied.
Julia gave her boss a disbelieving look, but the look in Victoria's eyes
told her that she was not joking. A smile came to Victoria's face as
she asked, "So, what do you say?"
"What'd ya want me to say?" Julia inquired.
"What do you think?" Victoria replied.
"I don't think you'd want me to say?" Julia answered.
Victoria laughed before she said, "Will you do it?"
"Is this a joke?" Julia asked, unable to suspend her disbelief any
longer.
"No. I'm being serious."
"No. Really, is this a joke?"
Victoria started to grow exasperated as she rejoined, "I already told
you this isn't a joke. Do you want to do it or not?"
"Of course, I wanna do it," Julia replied.
A tingle went up Victoria's spine as she heard the words her maid spoke
to her. The grin that came across Victoria's face made Julia certain
that she was the subject of a ruse by her employer.
"So, what do we do now?" Julia asked, waiting for the hammer to fall on
her, as it had never seemed to fail to before.
"I have no idea," Victoria admitted.
"Do we just sit here?" Julia asked as she looked around the room and
crossed her hands over her apron.
"No. I've got to make some calls and..."
"Do yah wanna wear my apron while you make 'em," Julia asked with a
laugh.
The laughter of her maid sounded almost derisive to Victoria. It was
something she had never experienced from a servant before, but she had
never proposed to swap places with one either. She wondered if she
deserved the mockery. She was almost sure she did. She knew that she
should turn down her maid, but the feeling of butterflies in her stomach
grew more intense and, then, into an unceasing tingling. It spread down
to her clitoris and throughout her body while she thought about taking
her up on her offer.
Victoria blushed as she looked at Julia and said, "That's a great idea."
Julia was surprised by her words. She began to take off the apron. She
waited for her boss to tell her to stop. As the last knot came untied,
Julia was shocked that the words never made their way through her boss's
lips before she removed the apron.
She folded it and held it out in front of Victoria. Victoria gave it a
wary glance. Her hands slowly moved towards the apron. She knew that
it was her fantasy to put it on, but doing so would give Julia the upper
hand for once. It seemed almost dangerous to her to take it, but she
wanted danger. She needed something to make her life more interesting.
Victoria took hold of the apron and began to inspect it. She furrowed
her brow as he looked at it.
"What's wrong?" Julia asked.
"It's nothing, it's...it's just..."
"It doesn't go with whatcha wearing," Julia replied, cutting her boss
off.
"That's right," Victoria admitted.
"Do yah want my dress too?" Julia asked.
"I couldn't...I mean...what would you wear?" Victoria replied with
blushing cheeks.
"Do yah got sometin that'll fit me?" Julia inquired.
"I may," Victoria admitted as she struggled to get to her feet.
"What's wrong?" Julia asked as she noticed the wobble in Victoria's
legs. They appeared to be unlike the stable, confident sauntering legs
that she had been around the last year.
Victoria's heart raced as she stared at her maid. She fidgeted with her
hands before she said, "It's nothing...I think I got something that
might work for you."
Julia nodded while she followed behind Victoria as she led her up the
stairs to her room. Julia's eyes darted around, looking to see if she
someone else was in the house. She was certain it was setup, but she
was in no position other than to take any cruel abuse the young heiress
wanted to heap upon her.
Julia's eyes fixated on Victoria while they entered her spacious
bedroom. The room was darkened by the curtains that were only drawn
open when Julia cleaned the room.
Victoria turned on the lights with her tremulous fingers. Her
nervousness was not lost on Julia.
'What is going on?' Julia asked herself while Victoria walked towards
her closet with halting steps that made Julia believe that the girl was
giving serious thought to her proposition.
Each step Victoria took made the young heiress feel more vulnerable.
She knew she should stop right then. If she did, she could play it off
as a teasing trick on her maid. It was not as if anyone would believe
the girl over her or think that Victoria was serious about the swap.
All she had to do was turn around and say it was a ruse. The tingle
between her legs, however, urged her to follow through with her fantasy.
Victoria drew the doors to her walk in closet open and turned on the
lights. Julia stepped in behind her mistress and gazed around at the
wardrobe that had filled her with nothing but resentment and envy
before. There were glamorous things that she was sure would never fit
her right.
Victoria put the apron down on a dresser in the room while her eyes
searched the racks of clothing. Victoria's eyes came to a stop as they
came upon a loose fitting, silk maxi dress. She turned and looked back
at Julia. She was certain it would fit her, but she felt the twinge of
doubt return. Her rationality's momentary triumph over her libido,
however, was short lived.
Julia watched as Victoria removed the v-necked dress from the hanger and
handed it to her. Julia gave a curious look and said, "Do yah think
this'll fit me?"
"It should," Victoria said before sucking her lips into her mouth.
"Where do yah want me to change?"
"Here is good," Victoria answered, looking around as she said the words.
"Can't I get some privacy?" Julia inquired.
"Oh...Sure...Sorry," Victoria replied, uneasy about apologizing to a
maid, but feeling it was appropriate under the circumstances.
Victoria stepped out of the closet and closed the door. A smile came to
her face as she felt a tingle go up her spine from being effectively
ordered out of her closet.
"This is happening," Victoria squealed to herself, sure that Julia had
not heard her.
Julia's head jerked towards the door as she heard the words and
wondered, 'What is wrong with this girl?'
Julia was nervous as she pulled the dress over her head. A smile came
across her face as she felt the soft fabric rubbing against her skin.
It was far softer and more comfortable than most garments she had worn
in her life. She pulled it down over her stomach. While it took a
little doing to get the empire waist down to where it belonged, she was
able to fit into the dress.
After she finished situating the dress on her body, she turned and
smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The spaghetti straps and
sweetheart neckline showed off her ample cleavage that she was used to
concealing all day behind cheap uniforms.
Julia felt a strange sense of confidence while she walked towards the
door and slowly drew it open. Victoria's head jerked towards the
opening door and her eyes widened as she saw Julia out of uniform for
the first time.
"Well, look at you," Victoria said with a forced smile.
Julia could tell that her mistress was trying to seem kind to her. She
doubted her motives as she approached the girl and said, "I'm a little
too big for this."
"Nonsense, but you've to take off those socks," Victoria replied to hush
the girl.
Julia complied, taking off her sneakers and socks before Victoria told
the girl that she would feel better once she did her makeup. While
Julia doubted Victoria's words, she figured that getting a makeover was
better than working, so she decided to go along with her employer.
Julia sat before Victoria's vanity. Her eyes focused on Victoria's
efforts to locate cosmetics she felt would be best suited for Julia's
skin tone.
Julia watched Victoria's efforts with careful attention as she added
cosmetic after cosmetic to her face. She was silent while she watched
Victoria's work. She was amazed by the difference Victoria's skilled
hands had on her. She wanted to know how to do it herself, but she was
too nervous to ask, sure that Victoria would realize her foolishness if
she did so.
As she continued to work on Julia's makeup, Victoria started telling her
about how she and her childhood friends practiced putting makeup on each
other growing up. Julia could not help but feel jealous of her
mistress's upbringing as she listened to her stories.
Her mother's problems had forced her to keep any would be friends at a
good distance. There were girls that she was friendly with, but she
could never let them get close for fear of finding out what her family
was doing. Once the news hit the papers of her mother's arrest,
whatever friendly acquaintances she had deserted her.
Once Victoria finished with Julia's makeup, she turned her attention to
Julia's hair. The hair was far frizzier and frayed than she ever
expected. The flat brown color was too plain in her eyes too.
Victoria knew that it was going to take more than her skills to make
Julia's hair presentable. Still, she decided to do her best until
proper arrangements could be made.
As Victoria styled her hair, she advised Julia to get highlights to make
her hair more attractive. Julia nodded before she said, "I ain't no
good with that sort of stuff."
"I'll get you a good stylist," Victoria replied with a smile while she
coated Julia's hair with hairspray to keep it in place.
With Julia's hair done, Victoria straightened her back as she stood up.
Julia turned and smiled at her reflection. She could never remember
looking better than she did at that moment.
"Thank you," Julia said while Victoria squirmed in silence at the
praise.
"What about my feet?" Julia then inquired.
"What about them?"
"You made me take off my socks and sneakers."
"Oh, we'll get you into something. Follow me," Victoria said.
"Okay," Julia responded before following Victoria back into her closet.
Victoria's eyes searched through the sandals in her shoe racks. She
hoped that Julia could fit into one of her opened back sandals.
She handed a pair of backless, t-strap sandals to Julia. A smile came
upon Julia's face as she worked her unpainted toenails into the right
sandal and said, "They fit like a glove."
"Great," Victoria replied with knots in her stomach, wondering if they
wore the same size as Julia put the other sandal on her foot.
Once Julia finished gazing down at how her feet looked in the shoes, she
turned to Victoria and inquired, "Are yah gonna get changed too?"
Victoria paused before she gave Julia a silent nod. In the face of
Victoria's continued silence, Julia asked, "Do yah wan me to leave?"
Victoria nodded again before Julia stepped out of the closet. She drew
the door closed behind her, leaving her mistress to dress in privacy.
Victoria's eyes fixated on the maid's dress that had been dropped on the
floor, not far from the socks and sneakers that Julia had worn to her
home that morning. Reaching for the dress, she slowly stood up,
clutching it in her small, smooth hands.
The cheap polyester felt unlike anything that she had ever considered
putting on before. Victoria turned and looked in the mirror as she held
the dress to her body. She moved about for a few seconds as she
pictured wearing it, but she knew that she would never fully visualize
it until it was covering her body.
Victoria undid her bathrobe, letting it fall to the ground near where
Julia had left her uniform on the floor. Her eyes turned back to the
dress she had placed on the dresser top.
She reached for the black dress. Victoria paused before she pulled it
over her head. As the dress came over her head, the cheap, dampened
fabric felt slightly sticky on her body as it descended down her breasts
to her stomach.
Once she secured it over her body, she pulled at the hem that rested
over her smooth legs. Her eyes darted back to the mirror and gazed at
her reflection after she set about buttoning the two front buttons of
the dress over her bust.
Victoria could not believe how humbled she looked in the dress that was
decorated with a wide white lapels and cuffs. There was nothing more to
it than that. The cheap dress that was unmistakably designed to be a
cleaner's uniform made her look the part.
A grin came across her face as she thought about the shame she would
feel if her mother or a lackey could come upon her that moment. She
could never explain away why she was dressed in a used cleaner's
uniform. She was not born for the role. Still, she felt the need to
separate herself from what she had been.
Victoria bent down and clasped Julia's socks. She turned her nose at
the dampness of the socks before she brought them to her face. She
sniffed the socks and smelt a distinct odor of feet that was less
powerful than she anticipated.
Blushing at what she had done, Victoria lifted one foot to put on the
sock before she did the same with her other foot. She then worked her
feet into Julia's white canvas sneakers before she laced them up.
"A perfect fit," she said to herself with a smile that quickly left her
face.
Standing up, Victoria gazed back in the mirror. The apparent maid in
the mirror mimicked her every movement. Her eyes caught sight of the
apron she had left on top of the dresser.
She turned and grabbed the apron. She put it on before she tied the
apron straps. The way the straps apron brought the loose dress closer
to her body was not lost on Victoria. She felt that the maid's uniform
was now hugging her form.
She gawked in silence at how lowly she appeared. If anyone stumbled
upon her at that moment, she was certain that there would be no
confusion about what role she held in her own household.
Victoria's quiet gaze was soon interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Miss...Victoria, are yah all right," Julia asked through the door,
catching herself before she referred to her mistress as she normally
did.
"I'm fine, thank you," Victoria replied.
'You're not fine,' a voice in her head retorted before it continued,
'Look at you.'
Victoria's eyes veered back to her mirror. The discontent caused by one
voice dissipated as she looked at herself again. She knew she looked
the part she wanted to play for real. Her hands crept towards her
panties, but they drew away as another knock on the door came.
"Do yah need help?" Julia asked.
'Does she think I'm stupid?' Victoria wondered before she moved towards
the door to show herself to her mistress in waiting.
'Don't open that door,' a voice of caution counseled from within her.
The feeling between her legs, however, let her know that opening the
door was exactly what she wanted.
Victoria drew the doors open and saw Julia turn to face her. Julia's
jaw dropped as she looked at her rich mistress wearing the uniform that
she had worn to her home that day.
The maid's dress was loose around Victoria's waist, but the apron she
tied around her held it closer to her body. The socks and shoes were
clearly hers as well. Julia could not believe that the heiress had gone
through with it.
Victoria felt exposed as she stood before her maid being gawked at for
wearing the very outfit Julia had put on that morning. She wondered if
Julia felt out of place seeing it on someone else.
Julia was dumbstruck. She did not know how to break the silence between
them. It had never been her place to break it before.
Sensing Julia's confusion about what to do next, Victoria took the
initiative, "What's my first task, Miss Julia?"
Julia was taken aback by the respectful tone used by Victoria. She had
never spoken to her in such a way. She could never remember anyone
showing such respect to her. Men had showed her a lesser, passing
respect, but that was only in an effort to flatter her as a means to an
end.
Victoria was the first woman to ever show her any modicum of respect.
It caused an odd feeling to stir inside of her.
Julia gazed at the nervous and eager heiress standing before her in a
maid's dress. A smile came to her face as she decided to give her
mistress what she wanted.
Julia nodded as she said, "You can start by cleaning up in here."
"Yes, Miss Julia," Victoria replied with a quiver in her tone.
Julia then added, "And when you're done, go and clean up the dinning
room and kitchen."
"Yes, Miss Julia," Victoria replied again, enjoying the quick succession
of orders she was given.
Victoria turned and went towards the bed to make it. Julia stopped her
before she said, "Don't start with the bed. Yah need to get some
natural light on the subject to see all the dust."
Victoria blinked in silence wondering what she meant before Victoria
drew open the curtains in the bedroom. Victoria winced from the bright
light that filled the room.
The natural light bathed upon her as she stared off into the horizon.
At that moment, Victoria was happy that she was several acres from the
nearest home and that the tree lined street kept her windows largely out
of the view of cars passing by her mansion.
Victoria then turned to Julia and said, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Julia replied, knowing that she should be thanking
her mistress instead.
That thought made Julia freeze. She turned to Victoria and asked, "What
should I do?"
"Just do what I...what a mistress would do," Victoria answered.
Julia nodded as she walked out of the room and went down the stairs.
She took hold of Victoria's kindle and stepped into the warm backyard to
layout in one of her mistress's pool chairs.
While Julia sunned herself, Victoria went to retrieve the cleaning
supplies from the supply closet that was beneath the staircase. She
walked down the hallway she had passed through thousands of times
feeling very different. The expensive paintings appeared out of place
to her, almost as if she was undeserving of them as she passed them
wearing something that she was sure their prior owners never would have
considered dressing in.
Victoria felt alien to her familiar surrounding while she made her way
downstairs. The sound of the sneakers on the hardwood floor seemed far
different from the normal sounds of her slippers, flats and heels made
on it.
Victoria drew open the door to the closet beneath the stairs and looked
inside. She could not recall ever opening it until the fantasy entered
her mind. Since that moment, however, she had developed a good
familiarity with where Julia placed everything.
She wasted little time in retrieving the wood cleaner and a rag before
starting up the stairs for her bedroom. She walked up the stairs and
went back into her room and began to clean the dust off the furniture
while she polished it.
Once she finished, Victoria turned her attention to the bed. The sheets
were the familiar mess she left them in each day.
Until the fantasy started playing out in her head, she had never made
her bed a day in her life, except as a rare form of punishment from her
mother. She pulled off the comforter before she fixed the pillows as
Julia had done for everyday of her service.
A familiar sense of excitement ran through her as she thought about
Julia sleeping in the bed that night. It would be just the opposite of
the day before. She would be making it for Julia, and she would be only
allowed in the room for the purpose of cleaning it.
Victoria giggled to herself as she tucked the soft silken sheets under
the bed before she laid the comforter back over the bed. After she
adjusted the comforter to get in place, Victoria carried the cleaner and
rag out of the room to retrieve the vacuum from the closet.
The vacuum was far heavier than most things she carried in her life. It
was not heavy to her, but it weighed her down as she trudged upstairs.
Carrying it down the hallway was a far more comfortable task for her
before she stepped into her bedroom to plug the machine in. With the
plug in the outlet, Victoria fiddled with the controls before she turned
the machine on.
The loud hum drove many thoughts out of her mind. She found that it was
difficult to think of anything other than what the machine was being
dragged across while she made her way over every inch of the plush
carpeting.
After she finished vacuuming, Victoria carried the vacuum back down the
stairs. She put it away and started towards the dinning room. She
collected her soiled plate and cup that Julia had gone to grab before
she had clutched her wrist. She smiled as she knew it was now her job
to clean them while she brought the cup, plate and utensils into the
kitchen.
She carried the dirtied items into the kitchen and started towards the
sink. She came to a stop as she saw looked out the window and saw Julia
basking the sunlight reading her kindle.
Victoria was stunned by the sight of her relaxing maid. Julia looked
far more elegant than she imagined she could be as she splayed across
the patio lounge chair. Victoria's eyes lingered on the girl's shapely
legs, which were crossed and peeking out from beneath the ankle length
hem of the dress that she had pulled far up her legs.
Victoria started to laugh as she thought what her mother would have said
if she caught her maid using one of her electronic devices and relaxing
in her house. She knew that her mother would have fired the girl right
on the spot. Victoria paused before she shook the thought away as she
thought, 'No. I'm the maid now.'
Reaffirming that thought, Victoria repeated it to herself like a mantra
while she scoured clean the plate and cup she had used that morning
before she put them aside to dry. She laughed as she thought about how
her mother refused to get a dishwasher, preferring the cleanliness
provided by manual labor.
Victoria was certain that her maid would have preferred the machine, but
she never got one after she inherited the home. The thought of having
to clean each item by hand made her nether regions tingle. She realized
that she would be the victim of her mother's preference to not make the
helps' life any easier, which was something that she never considered
before that moment either.
Looking up at the clock, Victoria felt her stomach start to rumble. She
was surprised by how late it had gotten already given how little she
felt she had accomplished. She walked out of the kitchen and opened the
door to the backyard.
She felt the warm summer sun on her. It heated her quickly through the
black polyester of the uniform.
Victoria was shocked that even the warm sun felt different in a maid's
dress. Everything felt different to her already.
She cupped her hands together in front of her waist while she said,
"Excuse me, Miss Julia."
Julia smiled as she veered her eyes away from the screen. She was
startled for a second by how meek her mistress looked.
"Uh...yes?" Julia replied.
"Would you like something for lunch?"
Julia paused before she said, "Sure. That'd be nice."
"What would you like?"
"Surprise me," Julia replied to Victoria's evident displeasure. She
wanted to correct herself in the face of Victoria's disappointment, but
Victoria nodded and made an obedient turn into the home.
Julia shook her head at what she witnessed as she thought, 'That crazy
bitch is really going with this.'
Victoria felt conflicted as she started making a sandwich for Julia.
She had hoped for a detailed order. Something that would take her out
of her comfort zone and remove any choice she had concerning the
subject. Victoria sensed that Julia noticed her disappointed response.
She stepped away quickly though, knowing that she had to condition Julia
to be a proper assertive mistress of the home.
Victoria knew that Julia was going to require more training than she
could give her though. She made mental notes to herself as she put the
porcelain plate containing Julia's sandwich on a silver platter beside a
bottle of sparkling water.
Julia watched in amazement as her boss presented her with her lunch the
same way she presented her lunch and dinner each day. Julia thanked her
mistress, not thinking to give her another order. The lack of further
instruction disappointed Victoria as she went back inside to fix her own
lunch.
Victoria ate her meal on her feet while she researched speech therapists
to work with Julia. After searching online for a short time, she found
a highly regarded one in her area. She called to make an appointment.
The woman on the other end was hardly eager to make the house call that
Victoria requested, but the significant amount she was willing to pay
over the therapist's regular hourly fee made the woman change her mind.
The arrangement was set for a morning training session each weekday with
the speech therapist before Victoria called a personal trainer.
Personal trainers were a subject she had far more familiarity with than
speech therapists. She had used a personal trainer since her mother
hired one for her when was thirteen, believing that her daughter was
starting to carry too much weight in her stomach. Personal trainers had
helped shape every inch of her body before she let her most recent
trainer go a week earlier as part of her efforts to cut herself off from
the gilded existence of Victoria Lightfoot.
The personal trainer was easier to book for several hours each afternoon
than the speech therapist had been. Victoria figured that Julia would
chafe at having to work with them, especially after having a day to
lounge about, but she was sure that the girl would quickly come to
understand that it was all being done for a greater purpose.
Victoria then made arrangements for Julia to go to a beauty salon the
following day. That was going to follow the day of shopping she had
planned for the girl. Victoria figured that if she better looked the
part, Julia might grow a little more into the role in the interim.
With the arrangements finalized, Victoria started towards the dinning
room. She cleaned every inch of it before she went into the great room
to begin to clean it.
As she cleaned it, Julia walked into the room. Victoria and Julia
caught eyes for a second before Julia turned to exit the room.
"Miss Julia, what's wrong?" Victoria asked, struggling not to smile at
calling her maid "Miss."
"It's nothin. I was just gonna put on the TV."
"You can watch it. I'll clean up in here later," Victoria replied,
hoping that Julia would understand that she was supposed to play a
dominant role and take her up on the offer.
"Oh, okay. Yah. Let's do that," Julia replied.
Victoria gave her an obedient bob of the head before she asked, "What
would you like for dinner, Miss Julia?"
"I don't know..."
"Is there really nothing you want?" Victoria replied, cutting off Julia
before she could leave the decision to Victoria again.
"Well, what do we have?" Julia asked.
Victoria furrowed her brow. She knew that Julia had been there when the
deliveryman dropped off the packages from the grocer the morning before.
Julia sensed Victoria's frustration and thought about the steak filets
that had been dropped off. She smiled as she asked for something she
rarely ever had in her life, "I'd like a steak."
"Yes, Miss Julia," Victoria replied with a bob.
She grinned at her maid's realization of what was expected of her.
Victoria scurried off for the kitchen.
Julia shook her head at her mistress's eagerness to serve her. As she
turned on the television, she thought, 'The bitch has gone crazy!'
Victoria went into the kitchen and retrieved the steak. She then
reached for one of the cookbooks that had been purchased by her mother
for the help to see how to prepare the steak.
Victoria reached for a cast iron frying pan and was shocked by the
weight of it. She had difficulty getting it onto the stove before she
prepared the meat for her pretend mistress.
Victoria set about preparing the steak and side dishes. The preparation
of the side dishes took far longer than she ever expected.
Once she finished, Victoria carried the dishes to the dinning room table
for Julia. She set the table, like her maids had always done for her,
before she told Julia that her dinner was ready. Julia thanked Victoria
while she got up to head into the dinning room.
Victoria then retrieved a bottle of wine for Julia at her request before
she served the girl and stood to the side of the table awaiting further
orders. She was surprised that none came before Julia started reaching
for a serving spoon.
"I'll get that for you, Miss Julia," Victoria replied as she rushed to
the table.
"Umm...thanks," Julia said after some hesitation.
"What's wrong, Miss Julia?"
"I'm used to not bein' treated like a child," Julia answered.
Victoria was struck by the response. She wondered if her pampered
existence was nothing more than an extended childlike state. She had
not been allowed to serve herself or otherwise take care of herself her
entire life.
'No wonder I'm so stunted,' Victoria thought, stunned by the perceived
astuteness of her maid's observation.
Victoria collected herself and served Julia while she said, "You'll get
used to it."
"I guess," Julia replied, her tone belying her belief in her words.
Once Julia finished eating, Victoria cleaned up the dinning room. She
cleaned Julia's plate, utensils and wine glass before she started to
think about what to make herself for dinner.
Her eyes darted to the leftover side dishes she had prepared. While
there was no meat left, the vegetables and mashed potatoes were a quick
fix that would keep from having to spend too much time on herself.
The thought of eating her maid's scraps excited her the more she thought
about it as she took to cleaning the cast iron frying pan. By the time
she finished cleaning the last pot she used to cook, she convinced
herself that it was the only rational choice under the circumstances.
As she took the first bite of the lukewarm leftovers, Victoria felt as
if she had lowered herself more than by putting on the dress and serving
her maid. She felt not even deserving enough of a meal of her own as
she ate out of the porcelain serving bowls, not wanting to soil another
plate she would have to clean by hand.
Once she finished, Victoria went to the living room to tell Julia about
what was in store for her. Victoria was unsurprised that Julia was
hardly thrilled about the prospect of having to work with a speech
therapist and a personal trainer each day. Still, the girl offered no
active resistance to the arrangements and seemed to enjoy the prospect
of the day of shopping and beauty treatments Victoria had planned for
the following day.
Once they finished talking, Julia stood up and said, "I guess I should
be gettin' home."
"What are you talking about?" Victoria inquired.
Julia gave her a curios look before Victoria said, "You're the mistress
of this home, now. You can stay in any room you want."
"Even yours?" Julia asked with raised eyebrows.
"It's not mine if you want it," Victoria replied to Julia's shock.
Julia picked up the hint that Victoria wanted her to take it while she
replied, "Okay, but where will you sleep?"
"I'll go to the au pair quarters."
"That's what that room is?" Julia inquired as she thought about the
room that was located off the kitchen.
Victoria nodded before Julia said, "I thought it was a Maid's Quarters."
Victoria shrugged before Julia added with a laugh, "I guess it is now."
'It is,' Victoria thought. A quick smile came to her face, but it left
just as quickly as Victoria felt a quiver over sleeping in her maid's
quarters.
As doubts began to return to her mind, Victoria hastily changed the
subject and asked Julia if she needed help taking off her makeup.
Julia shrugged and nodded before they went up to the master bedroom.
They proceed into the bathroom where Victoria took hold of her makeup
remover. Victoria set about wiping away Julia's makeup before Julia
removed her dress and dressed in one of Victoria's lacy sleepshirts.
Julia decided to rest as she turned on the television in the room.
Victoria turned to Julia and asked, "Will you be needing anything else
tonight, Miss Julia?"
Julia shook her head as she turned on a reality television show.
Victoria walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, knowing
that she had to improve the quality of the television that Julia
watched. She figured that that, however, should wait for the next day.
Victoria went back downstairs and started for the au pair quarters that
was located off the kitchen. It was a room Julia rarely entered because
it was never used. Victoria pushed the door open and stared at the room
she had made up the night before. The cheap, discount retailer
comforter and sheets were unlike the luxuries that she had made up for
Julia that morning.
Victoria took off her maid's dress, socks and sneakers and got into the
shower of the bathroom that was the only other room beside the bedroom
area in the au pair's quarters.
Once she finished showering, Victoria climbed into bed. The aches in
her body eased up as her muscles relaxed before she fell swiftly to
sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Victoria scrunched her eyes at the grating sound of
the alarm going off. She was not used to rising so early. Still, she
knew that her new mistress was used to getting up early, so she figured
that she had to be prepared for her to rise.
Victoria forced herself out of bed and went into her bathroom. After a
quick shower, she dressed in her uniform and pulled her hair back into a
low ponytail. Thoughts about putting makeup on quickly left her mind.
She did not want anything on her to show that she was anything other
than she wanted to show herself to be.
She walked out of her quarters and went into the kitchen to make Julia
breakfast. She set about preparing it in relative silence. Julia was
surprised to find that her breakfast was waiting for her when she got up
early, as she was conditioned to do so each morning.
Julia thanked Victoria before she ate, not noticing Victoria's
discomfort for being thanked for doing her duty. Once she finished,
Victoria asked, "Miss Julia, would you like to get dressed now?"
"Uh...sure," Julia replied with a smile.
Julia went Victoria up to the master bedroom. Julia took off Victoria's
silk bathrobe and put on the same outfit she had worn the day prior
before Victoria did her makeup and her hair the same way.
With Julia dressed, Victoria took to dressing herself in her closet.
She decided to go for an understated look. While she could not go
shopping as a maid locally, she did not want to detract attention from
Julia.
Victoria searched her wardrobe for the plainest outfit she could manage
to put together. Settling on a plain, black, short-sleeved tee shirt
and dark jeans, she dressed herself in them before stepping into a pair
of white flip-flops that she normally reserved for the beach.
She smiled at the sound the cheapest footwear in her closet made as it
slapped against the soles of her feet while she went into her bathroom.
Julia watched her in silence, surprised to see her mistress in something
other than a dress, leggings or a skirt. She could not remember seeing
her wearing non-heeled shoes outside either. She thought to herself,
'She's really gonna let herself be seen like that?'
Victoria retied her hair back in a mid high ponytail with a black
ponytail holder before she put on light, understated makeup. Victoria
gazed at her unusually plain appearance in the mirror. A smirk came
across her face as she wondered what the girls at the salon would think
of her out of character look.
Julia's eyes widened as she saw her mistress's understated look when she
emerged from the bathroom. She had never seen her face with less color.
Her hair had never been anything but down when she stepped out of the
home either. She could not believe that she would really step out the
door looking as she did while she followed Victoria into the garage.
"What car are we takin?" Julia asked.
"We're going to have a lot of bags, so we've got to take the Range
Rover."
"Oh," Julia replied, clearly disappointed to not get a chance to ride
her in her boss's white, convertible Lamborghini.
"Don't worry. You'll get your chance to drive the Lambo," Victoria
replied, trying to cheer up the girl.
Julia perked up at the words before Victoria handed her the keys and
said, "Here."
"You want me to drive?"
"You have a license," Victoria countered.
"But it's your car."
"No, Miss Julia, it's your car, now," Victoria responded with a smile.
"So, does that make my Honda yours?" Julia asked with a laugh.
"I guess so," Victoria replied thinking about the old, light blue, cloth
seated Honda with a dented in bumper that was parked outside of the
house.
Julia shook her head with a laugh that made Victoria uncomfortable.
Victoria got into the passenger seat and thought, 'She thinks I'm nuts!
Maybe I am. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME? Why am I doing this to
myself? I can start again and be myself! I don't have to be someone
else for a while to do it!'
The ring of her cell phone in the car broke her concentration. Julia
peered over at Victoria while she pulled out of the garage and asked,
"Who is it?"
"It's no one. Don't answer it," Victoria answered, not wanting to speak
to her discarded toady.
Julia nodded in response before she pulled out of the driveway and
started down the street. She followed Victoria directions to the
nearest mall before they parked and made their way inside.
They walked through the mall before veering into a high-end department
store Julia had never stepped foot in before. They made their way to
the lady's section to peruse through the various racks of clothing.
Julia was aghast at the prices that Victoria did not even blink an eye
at while she gave her former maid outfit after outfit to try on. Julia
accepted them in stunned silence, knowing that many of the dresses were
retailing for more money than she had been taking home in month.
Victoria led Julia into the dressing room and waited for her to try on
each outfit. Julia came out after trying each outfit on to receive
Victoria's opinion of how she looked in it. Julia could not find one
that she felt did not flatter her, but Victoria found flaws with various
outfits that whittled down her selections before they settled on what
she was going to buy Julia.
Julia was excited by the outfits she carried to the shoe department.
She looked around the department and asked, "Do I need shoes?"
"A girl can never have enough," Victoria rejoined.
"But yours fit," Julia whispered.
"My sandals fit you. That doesn't mean you'll fit into the shoes that
don't have an open back," Victoria replied, wanting Julia to get her own
footwear to differentiate herself from her former mistress.
Julia nodded as she watched Victoria select a few shoes before she had
Julia's foot measured. With the measurement done, the salesgirl
retrieve shoes in her size and had Julia try them on. As Julia walked
around the store in the shoes, she could never remember having pairs of
heels that fit so perfectly or were so comfortably padded.
"I could get used to this," Julia gushed as the clerk stepped aside.
"You should...at least for a little bit," Victoria replied with a nudge.
Julia smiled before the clerk rung up their selections and they headed
for the makeup department. The girls at the makeup counter swarmed
around them. They started giving Victoria recommendations about buying
and applying makeup.
Victoria was humiliated by their publicly stated conclusions, hopeful
that no one overheard them. She wanted to retort that she was perfectly
capable of selecting and applying her own makeup, but her deliberately
plain appearance made the salesgirls' assumptions seem valid to her.
Victoria brushed aside their words and told them they were only shopping
for Julia.
Julia felt self-conscious as they unleashed a barrage of recommendations
of various products for her face and nails. As Julia processed them,
she thought, 'Why don't yah just say I'm ugly?'
As insignificant as the salesclerks were making her feel, Julia nodded
and tried to internalize their recommendations before Victoria slipped
her the money to pay for the cosmetics. After the cosmetics were paid
for, the two carried Julia's bags to the car.
"Thank you for everything ," Julia said as she got into the drivers
seat.
"It was my pleasure," Victoria replied before adding, "Now, I've got to
get some uniforms for me, and we'll be good to go."
"Yah could just wear my clothes. I mean who's gonna see yah" Julia
countered.
The idea caused a smile to come to Victoria's face. She figured that
Julia's secondhand clothing was more fitting to complete their swap than
any thing else she could buy.
"That's a good idea. Do you mind stopping by your place?"
"Now?"
"Well, yes. We have to pick your clothes up."
"Oh...okay."
Although Victoria could tell Julia was hesitant to let her see where she
lived, she figured it was best to get it out in the open. Julia started
the car and drove towards her home.
Victoria sensed the continued unease on Julia's face. Julia's eyes
darted away from Victoria as they pulled into her neighborhood.
The boards over a number of windows they passed turned Victoria's
stomach. Julia saw the mortified look on Victoria's face and asked,
"Still wanna switch lives with me?"
Julia punctuated her question with an uneasy laugh. The neighborhood
looked even worse to her than usual after her day of being catered to by
people who were better off than she had ever been.
Julia's eyes glazed over while she pulled over in front of a decrepit
looking building. Victoria tried to overlook the building's overgrown
lawn and damaged and discolored asbestos shingles, as she endeavored to
sound impressed, "You have your own home?"
Julia gave her boss a blank look before she shook her head as she
replied, "The house was split up into three parts. My landlord rents to
three of us, but one lady has got like 10 people living there, I swear."
Victoria nodded, slowly realizing her naivety, before Julia got out of
the car. Victoria hesitated as she reached for her door handle. She
had never stepped foot in an area like this before.
'This isn't safe,' she told herself. Her reservations prompted an
internal rebuttal though, 'This is what you want! You didn't want to be
safe. You wanted real!'
With that thought in mind, Victoria opened her car door and got out.
She hurried behind Julia and followed her up the stoop to the back door
of the multifamily home.
Julia unlocked three locks before they stepped into the apartment. The
apartment was tidy, but the interior walls and flooring were nearly as
discolored as the outside walls and roof. Victoria figured that no
amount of cleaning could make Julia's cramped quarters seem clean.
"Welcome to my palace," Julia said, offering another self-deprecating
joke.
"It's nice," Victoria lied.
Julia gave her a disbelieving look before she joked again, "I almost
hate to give it up."
"Really?" Victoria inquired.
Julia smirked at Victoria's shocked response. She could not believe the
sheltered girl actually believed such an obvious lie.
"Well, it is yours. No one can take that away from," Victoria remarked.
'Except the landlord,' Julia rebutted her boss in her mind, but elected
to keep to herself while they walked into her bedroom. Julia then drew
open her closet, revealing the many uniforms she possessed.
"Wow," Victoria exclaimed with wide eyes.
"You bought 'em for me," Julia noted to her boss, shaking her head at
her surprise by the number of uniforms.
"Well, I sent the money to the store. I didn't know it bought so many."
'Must be nice,' Julia thought to herself with a shake of her head at her
mistress's unfamiliarity with the value of a dollar.
"Do you have anything to put them in?" Victoria asked.
"I've got some garbage bags."
"Do you have anything else?" Victoria inquired, turning her nose at the
prospect of putting her new clothes in garbage bags.
"They're clean," Julia retorted.
"I know, but...it doesn't matter," Victoria replied as Julia left to
retrieve the bags.
'They're all mine,' Victoria thought as she turned and faced the
uniforms again.
'Why does that excite you?' A voice countered from within.
"Here are the bags," Julia said, breaking her mistress's inner
monologue.
"Oh, thanks," Victoria responded before she and Julia went about putting
the uniforms in the trash bags. As they packed away Julia's clothing,
Julia asked, "You're really fine with my hand me downs?"
'Are you?' A voice in Victoria's head demanded an answer.
"It's just for a little while. I'm already spending enough money on new
clothes for you," Victoria answered Julia, trying to justify her choice
to both of them.
Julia nodded before she joked, "Well, if yah put on a few pounds,
they'll fit yah anyway."
Victoria blushed in response to Julia's attempt at humor. Julia
grimaced as she saw the look on Victoria's face. She was sure that she
had gone too far.
Victoria, however, did not say a word as they approached Julia's
dresser. As they began to put away Julia's intimates, Victoria was
struggling not to smile at the thought of putting on 15 to 20 pounds to
make Julia's clothing a better fit for her body.
Her mother always reminded Victoria that she had her father's body type.
From the pictures she cherished, she knew that he had a perpetual beer
belly. It was only her constant exercise that kept away the pudginess
that her stomach started to take on when she transitioned from a tween
to a teen. She felt a tingle as she thought that it would not take long
to put the weight back on.
Once they finished putting away the clothing, Victoria told Julia change
into one of her new outfits. Julia felt ridiculous as she went to
change in her cramped bathroom. The luxurious outfit looked out of
place given her squalid surroundings. She pulled off the dress that
barely fit her and put on a floral print, silk, Georgette dress and
high-heeled, beige sandals.
Julia could not help but contrast her expensive, mid-thigh length dress
with her water stained walls her landlord refused to paint. They
appeared too incongruous to co-exist together. The walls she paid to
surround her almost seemed to mock her as she pulled the dress down her
body.
Her eyes turned to face her reflection. Julia shook her head at it as
she finished changing. She hung her head and muttered, "I look like a
fraud."
Emerging from the bathroom, Julia was showered with compliments by her
boss. The words brought a smile to her face, even as she could not cast
away her doubts about the true nature of Victoria's plans nor their
inevitable failure.
At Victoria's request, Julia helped Victoria carry the trash bags
containing her uniforms out to Victoria's car. They packed the clothing
away in the car before Julia started to drive them back towards
Victoria's home.
Once Julia started down the street, Victoria turned to her and said,
"You know, you really should have refused my request."
"Why?" Julia asked with surprise that Victoria expected her to say no
to her reasonable request for assistance.
"A mistress is not supposed to help her maid do her duty," Victoria
lectured.
"I'm sorry," Julia apologized with a confused look on her face to
Victoria's shaking head.
"And don't apologize to your maid, you're supposed to be the mistress,"
Victoria lectured, trying to get Julia to take on a more authoritative
personality.
Julia only nodded in response while she thought, 'She is bat shit
crazy!'
The two were quiet as Julia continued to drive before Victoria said,
"Make a left."
Julia gave Victoria an inquisitive look before she asked, "Why?"
"Because I told you to," Victoria answered.
"I thought I was the boss," Julia inquired, trying to be more assertive
in her role.
"You're not a mistress yet, but this will get you closer," Victoria
answered.
Julia nodded, confused by her employer's words. As she drove, Victoria
continued to direct her while they made their way into a neighboring
town. Julia parked the car and started down the main street sidewalk,
wondering where her boss was taking her.
A smile came to her face when she caught a glimpse of the prestigious
salon that Victoria was known to frequent. While she knew that Victoria
had made arrangements with a salon, she was certain that it would not be
at Victoria's exclusive salon.
Victoria held the door open for her and said, "After you."
"Thanks," Julia replied as she walked through the doors she never
expected to pass through.
"Good afternoon, Victoria," the receptionist said with a smile that
belied her hatred of the heiress. Although Victoria had mellowed
significantly since her mother's death, many of the staff still hated
Victoria for the demanding nature she had frequently shown with respect
to the cut of each strand of her hair while her hypercritical mother was
alive. It was only Victoria's tipping that made her tolerable to most
of the staff.
Victoria gave the girl a smile as she told her about the appointment.
The receptionist turned to look up the appointment. She tried not to
smirk at Victoria's appearance. She wanted to say something about it,
even though she knew that she could not. The girl who never left with a
hair of place was easily the shabbiest looking girl in the establishment
at the moment.
The receptionist confirmed the appointment before she said, "Marcy will
be ready for you in just a moment."
"Oh, it's not for me," Victoria countered to the receptionist's surprise
before Victoria explained that they were there for Julia. The
receptionist gave Julia a curious look. The high quality of the girls
clothing and makeup were in sharp contrast to her hair. She saw the
split ends and evidence of substandard hair maintenance that was absent
from the clientele that regularly entered the salon.
Julia's squirming under her glance only further served to make the
receptionist certain that Julia did not belong in such an establishment.
She smiled at Victoria and said, "I never saw your friend before."
"She's new to the neighborhood. This is my welcoming treat," Victoria
explained.
"Oh, how nice," the receptionist replied with feigned niceness before
telling them to have a seat.
Once the shampoo girl was ready, Julia was taken back to get her hair
washed. Victoria watched as Julia's hair was washed before she was
brought over to the stylist.
Victoria helped Julia and the stylist select a new style for Julia.
Once she started shaping Julia's hair, Victoria stood to the side and
watched with a smile as Julia's hair was given layers that made her hair
seem more dynamic than Julia ever thought was possible. Julia gazed in
quiet amazement as the stylist transformed her scruffy hair into
something she no longer wanted to deemphasize with a utilitarian
ponytail.
After her hair was finished, Victoria paid the stylist an