Written Wonderland

It was just him in the room behind the desk when she walked in for the interview. His tailored cream suit, milk chocolate skin, and tightly trimmed beard made her feel underdressed in her mid-length black skirt and button-up blue blouse. But this was just a waitressing job, right? She unconsciously grabbed a lock of her hair as it fell just past her breasts and gripped it tightly.

"Have a seat, Belledor," he said, gesturing, and she realized she had been staring. Embarrassed, she flushed and sat down quickly, trying to remember what to do with her hands and deciding to grip them together in her lap.

"Thank you, Mr. Kade."

She couldn't look him in the eye, but she could feel him looking, taking her in.

He asked some questions about her résumé, and she answered, the knots in her stomach loosening as they entered more familiar territory. She looked up and smiled even when he said he had been impressed with her formatting and writing style. She had worked hard on it.

And then he had asked a question she wasn't prepared for.

"How comfortable do you feel entertaining the fantasies of others?"

Her face flushed immediately.

"I'm sorry?"

"As a waitress at our lounge, people are going to be looking for a good time. To be successful here, we need to make them feel..." She couldn't help noticing the ways that his eyes surveyed her subtly, glancing at her hands in her lap, "...that their fantasy is just within reach. Even if we never give it to them."

He stood up then, coming halfway around the desk, and Belledor got a proper look at him. He was tall and felt even taller because she was still sitting. Despite the suit, his posture was casual and inviting. She had to remind herself where she was. This man was to be her boss, and he wasn't about to fulfill her fantasies.

"Right... of course. I can do that."

Serio smiled, and she knew she wouldn't be able to say no to the job if he offered.

She didn't see him at all the first day--one of the other waiters trained her. It didn't take long as she had done this sort of work before, though admittedly not in a bar environment. By her second day, she was comfortable enough with the table assignments and had even gotten to know a few of the regulars who had struck up conversations with her because she was new.

Belledor smiled and tried to remember Mr. Kade's advice, keeping their fantasies in mind. She felt... graceful even in her long black pants and black button down as she carried trays and drinks, collected tips, and waved as customers left.

On her third day, she tried to slip quietly away between breaks to use the restroom--a customer had offered to buy her a drink, so she had poured herself a soda water with lemon--but Mr. Kade came out of the men's restroom just as soon as she arrived. She startled when she saw him, stopping in her tracks. It wasn't as though he hadn't noticed. He adjusted his suit--a pale gray one this time with subtle pinstripes--and looked straight at her. In all the newness, she had all but forgotten about him and had begun to assume she wouldn't see him again. He was a busy man, after all.

He wasn't blocking her way, but he also wasn't moving from his place in the narrow hallway, and all at once, she felt like she needed his permission, somehow, to leave.

She desperately needed the bathroom--she had already waited longer than she probably should have, what with making sure all the orders had been completed for the moment. The pressure in her bladder mounted immensely, but still, she did not move. A question was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say anything.

He smiled a little, perhaps noticing her widening eyes and her utter confusion.

"You've been doing excellent work these last few days," Mr. Kade said, still not moving. She appreciated the compliment but was surprised that word had already gotten back to him already. She hadn't seen him at all.

"Thank you," she said. The words were a little breathless, but she had managed to break her tongue tie. She glanced up at his face again, her eyelids heavy as the pressure in her bladder induced a number of rather inappropriate fantasies. Stroking her fingers gently across his sculpted stubble, leaning into his arms, his fingers gently pressing on her low stomach to increase the pressure she already felt.

"Sir..." she said, gesturing toward the woman's bathroom, "May I...?"

His eyebrows rose as though he hadn't realized that she had been keeping herself from what she needed this entire time. She bit her lip, realizing she had trapped herself into needing his permission.

He took a step toward her and then another as he casually moved around her back toward the lounge. But then he turned around just briefly to whisper. "Yes, Belledor, you may go."

Belledor tried to sleep that night, but she rolled over and over, thinking about the relief she felt after being given permission. It was absurd, right? That she should get so much pleasure from the mere permission. But she couldn't deny it had been potent. She idly wondered if she would see Mr. Kade the following day.

Another set of days went by uneventfully. Sarah came to visit twice--once on her own and once with a group of friends.

"Careful, that one is looking for marriage material," Sarah whispered in her ear, giggling on her way to the bathroom. Belledor smiled at the man but moved on from the table until her friend returned.

A week into her shift, Belledor walked into the lounge to find Mr. Kade at the bar, cleaning glasses. Belledor stopped walking unconsciously, then forced herself to walk normally to the back rooms where she could put her things down. She did look at him briefly with a smile, but if he saw her, it was only out of his peripheral vision.

She put on her apron and took a deep breath--she needed to get herself under control. Belledor was imagining all this, right? Surely. Surely Mr. Kade hadn't felt the way she had about their interaction in front of the bathrooms, hadn't rolled it over in his mind a hundred times from every theoretical angle.

Another waitress came in behind her, and Belledor started breathing normally again, her cheeks red as she walked back out into the dining area. She took a few orders, doing her absolute best not to look at Mr. Kade where he sat behind the bar. But she knew he was looking at her, watching what she was doing. Of course he was. He had hired her.

He wanted to see how she performed.

A burst of energy lit like a firework in her chest, and a genuine smile overtook her face as she finished up the order, her sudden joy reflected in the patrons. She scribbled a few notes on the pad and went to a table nearer to the kitchen, collecting their order as well--efficient but personable.

She passed off orders to the chef and his staff, greeting them by name. Taking a deep breath, she went back out to the dining room again, determined to do her job well. Tending to people exactly the moment they realized they wanted something and no sooner.

Act like you might fulfill all their fantasies.

Belledor smiled freely but maintained a sliver of her shy demeanor, just enough to allow her to duck away when she needed to disengage, deliver food, or take orders.

But as the night went on, the patrons started ordering drinks. Belledor treated Mr. Kade no differently than the kitchen staff--greeting him by name, staying practical.

He made eye contact with her but otherwise wordlessly filled her requests, setting them on her tray with a flourish. Carefully, she picked up the collection, met his eyes, and tenderly guided his works of art to their new owners. She gracefully dodged another waiter who backed up in her direction, smiling as she pivoted around them with ease. She felt almost like she was dancing, matching her own rhythms to the musicians', who had just begun to play soft jazz on their short, small stage.

The fourth time Belledor came to the bar with a drink order, Mr. Kade spoke to her as he mixed the cocktails.

"I haven't seen you drink anything since you arrived." Belledor didn't know what to say. It was true--she hadn't taken a break or used the restroom since her shift had begun.

Mr. Kade spared her the need to answer, passing her a glass of water. "Once every two hours, at least. Please," he said casually, lifting one eyebrow and leaning in as if to silently ask, do you understand?

"Yes, Mr. Kade," Belledor said after a moment, taking the glass of water. After a moment, she walked to the far side of the bar, nearer to the door shadowed, and without patrons at present. But, she was still within sight of Mr. Kade, should he care to look.

Why would he want to watch you drink? she asked herself. But she didn't want to go all the way back into the break room to drink it.

Belledor drank half the glass, swallowing delicately through it. For a moment, she held the glass, taking a few breaths, before finishing off the rest of it. She pushed the glass to the far edge of the counter and walked back over to Mr. Kade, where the cocktails were waiting for her. Belledor looked at him, realizing that she was seeking some kind of approval. He nodded at her in response.

She forgot to smile as she delivered the next set of drinks, but she caught herself, allowing herself a small laugh. What was happening here?

Soon enough, the water worked its way through Belledor's system, and she needed the restroom. Urgently.

The patrons were settling into the music, and the food orders were dying down--surely there was enough time for a break. Maybe even some dinner for herself.

She checked in with one of the other waitresses, confirming that now would be a good time. Only then did her gaze flick over to Mr. Kade.

Emboldened by the music, the sway of her own rhythms, and the memory of him asking her to drink water in the first place, she casually went up to the bar, walked to the side nearest the restroom, and looked at Mr. Kade.

After a swallow, she asked, "May I...?" Immediately, her nerves jumped into her throat as she gestured to the bathroom door, just around the corner from the bar.

He paused what he was doing and looked at her. "I may need you to be more specific," he said with a small smile. She swallowed hard again, blinking at him in quickly mounting embarrassment.

"I'd like to use the restroom," she said quietly, unable to meet his gaze.

There was a pause, and then, "You know you don't need to ask me," Mr. Kade said, kindness in his statement. Belledor looked up at him and nodded but didn't move, wondering if she had made a terrible mistake.

She nodded slowly, not moving--partly out of fear and partly out of desire. Belledor didn't want to give up this game yet. Maybe she had already ruined it. She watched Mr. Kade's face for the slightest indication of a reaction, but she didn't have any idea what he was thinking.

At last, he said, "Promise you'll take care of yourself when I'm not around?" Belledor's heart started beating faster, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips.

"I promise," she said seriously. Still, she didn't move. She didn't yet have permission.

After another pause, he said, voice lowered slightly, "Yes, you may go. I'll have a glass of water for you on your way back." He smiled at her, and she was grateful, lest she might worry that she had annoyed him. But, as far as she could tell, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Yes, Mr. Kade," she said, walking quickly toward the bathroom.

As she relieved herself, Belledor wondered if he could hear her from where he stood at the bar.

For the next week, Belledor did little other than work. She was still adjusting to the late-night work schedule and had a difficult time staying up after her shift or getting up early. She supposed it would come with time. Given that, the fact that she was still settling into the city, and her willingness to pick up her coworkers' shifts, she didn't have room for much else. Sarah had dragged her off to a different lounge on one of Belledor's days off, but other than that, Belledor spent much of her time at the Mimosa Bloom. She liked the work--felt capable doing it--and there was always that extra thrill that maybe, just maybe, she would interact with Mr. Kade.

She hadn't seen him much, though, since that day at the bar. He had come in one evening from out of doors and headed almost directly to the office--albeit greeting a few regulars along the way. Belledor thought he had seen her, but he didn't acknowledge her at all. She tried not to feel disappointed.

In all honestly, she saw more of Mr. Petersen. He was a tall, light-skinned man with long hair that he tied elegantly back into a ponytail. It felt obvious to Belledor that the tension in the room changed whenever he walked in. The staff became a little more reserved, and there were more than a few nervous glances in his direction. Belledor wondered what all that was about. She greeted him as she did everyone, curtsying a little. He was, after all, her boss' boss. Mr. Petersen turned a curious eye on Belledor as she did so, sizing her up subtly. It was unexpected but not uncomfortable. He nodded and moved on. He never stayed in the dining area long.

Still, she checked her watch every couple hours, drinking down a glass of water and taking her breaks as instructed. She had promised she would, after all.

--

Back in the office, Mr. Petersen sat down at the desk opposite Mr. Kade with a sigh.

"We'll have to move more carefully. They are requiring entertainment licenses in the city now. If we want to keep hiring at our own discretion, we'll have to have some licenses on hand."

Mr. Kade nodded, although the news was grim. He didn't like that the musicians and other performers in the city were being tracked by the government, but he was nevertheless grateful for the information. "We can work with that," Mr. Kade said. He knew a few of the people in the bureau who owed him some favors. He was certain he could be discreet about it, if he needed to be.

Mr. Petersen crossed his legs, looking over at Mr. Kade.

"That new girl you hired," Mr. Petersen said, clearly leading into something, though he didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he lit a cigarette.

"Yes?" Mr. Kade asked, playing along.

Blowing his smoke toward a corner of the room, Mr. Petersen said, "She's cute. We've got some regulars asking for her by name. Works hard." Mr. Kade's stomach clenched slightly. He hoped he was wrong about where Mr. Petersen was going with that.

"She's doing well," Mr. Kade agreed, "but still new." He hoped that Mr. Petersen's need for discretion would overpower any other motives the man might have.

"You're right. We'll wait and see. She'd make a good addition to the other girls, though." Mr. Kade did not respond or react, instead turning back to his papers. Mr. Petersen seemed more focused on his cigarette anyway.

Belledor was nearing the end of her shift when one of her coworkers walked up to her frantically.

"Would it be possible for you to cover my clean shift tonight? My brother came into town to surprise me, and... I'd owe you one!" Belledor looked up from sweeping up a mess on the floor, eyebrows raised momentarily. She believed her coworker was being genuine, but Belledor worried that she might need to start setting her own boundaries about how many extra shifts to take on.

Belledor looked back to the ground, checking in with her body. Another four hours? She would need another glass of water. Maybe two.

"Yes," she said quickly, looking up at her coworker again with a smile. "That shouldn't be a problem."

"You're the best. Let me know when I can cover for you." Belledor nodded, finishing with the mess.

--

Belledor was certainly tired after her extra-long shift, gently waiting before she ushered the last of the patrons out of the lounge--almost into dawn. She yawned behind the kitchen door for a moment, still not used to staying up late just yet. Getting the broom, she began the nightly sweeping while the bartender wiped down the drink stations, both doing their work wordlessly. Belledor hadn't bothered to go to the restroom recently, knowing the sensation would keep her awake. She had to admit, there was something about the building pressure that was pleasant. And it helped her complete her work with more energy.

But, she had been drinking water steadily, so the pressure was building fast. Belledor looked at the bartender, wondering if she should use the restroom now or after they were through. She decided to keep cleaning, at least unless it became more urgent.

She heard a door open and looked up, worried a patron was coming in off the street. Hadn't she locked the door? But, she soon realized she had heard the office door, and sure enough, there was Mr. Kade, looking flawless in a tailored suit and hat, black with purple accents. For all she could tell, he could have just gotten dressed. In contrast, Belledor, was sure she looked tired, perhaps a little disheveled, even. It had been a long day.

He didn't see her until he fully stepped into the dining area, but then she was standing in the middle of the room, and he stopped, looking at her. She watched his eyes move, though his head did not, as he looked toward the bartender, who had his back to both of them. He took several casual steps toward her, almost looking like he was going to walk past her and out the door entirely. But then he made eye contact again. She didn't know what to say, and he wasn't saying anything. Just looking at her, searching her eyes, maybe.

Quietly, barely a whisper, she said, "I've been drinking glasses of water, as you requested." Her eyes fell down and to one side, unable to continue meeting his gaze. She only caught the edge of his nod.

"Have you been taking your breaks?" He asked, the question innocuous enough that he didn't seem to mind the bartender overhearing it.

"Yes," she said at first, but then looked up at him, "except just now." He looked at the broom in her hand and nodded knowingly. His eyes flicked over to the bartender again, whose back was still turned.

Mr. Kade then took a step forward at bent toward her ear, whispering, "Belledor, please go relieve yourself in the restroom." Carefully, she set the broom down against a table, briefly met Mr. Kade's eyes, and walked around the corner of the bar to the restroom, her fingers clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

When Belledor came out of the bathroom, Mr. Kade nodded at her from across the room, exited the lounge, and locked the door again behind himself, leaving Belledor to the rest of her cleaning shift.

((At this point, the next time Mr. Kade and Belledor see each other is at this party: viewtopic.php?t=9&start=80#p745))

((This next post picks up after this post: viewtopic.php?t=9&start=100#p1090))

"This might sound odd..." she began, "but I'm actually really enjoying wearing this dress. I don't know when else I would have ever had the opportunity." It was a perfectly innocent and honest answer. Mr. Kade did not react, and Belledor wondered if she had been too honest. Although, she hadn't out and out said that it wasn't her dress, but she suspected he was well aware.

Suddenly, Mr. Kade looked toward her hand, looking surprised. He signaled one of the waiters standing at attention off to one side of the room, who came at once. Mr. Kade asked for a glass of water. Belledor's eyes went wide as Mr. Kade turned back to face her. She was sure she was blushing. She needed to get herself under control. But, then again, here at this party, who could possibly guess that the two of them had a work relationship first and foremost? Belledor tried to relax a little, taking a deep breath.

The waiter returned quickly with the water, handing it to Mr. Kade. He waited until the waiter had left to hand the glass to Belledor. She accepted it, a little shake in her hand.

"The dress is beautiful, and I imagine it is certainly interesting to navigate in the ladies' room," Mr. Kade said with one eyebrow lightly raised, sipping his own drink with a slight smile behind his glass.

Belledor blushed heavily, sipping her water because that felt like the polite thing to do, though it only made her more affected.

She rolled what he had said over in her mind, unable to stop herself from imagining holding her large dress while she navigated the restroom… and imagining him holding her dress.

Dear gods, she thought. What am I doing?

But, Mr. Kade had done nothing except play along with it all, had he not?

“Are you…?” Belledor began, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to break whatever delicate balance they had curated by asking questions about the game they were playing. She shook her head, deciding to go a different direction.

“At the theater, how might you introduce me to your friends?”

Mr. Kade raised an eyebrow, almost as if impressed by the question. He looked at his drink, contemplating his answer.

“You’re new in town, yes? And I’m interested in helping you find more… community.” The way he lingered on the last word, tilting his head her direction,
Belledor had the impression he was testing the waters with her. Was it some kind of code? If so, she had no idea to what he might be referring.

Belledor nodded, taking a sip of her water and blinking at him once. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

But then something or someone seemed to catch his attention, and his face fell slightly. He looked back at Belledor, and she had the impression he was looking for a way to disengage. Before he did, though, he leaned forward, speaking in a low voice.

“I want you to know,” he began, “if Mr. Peterson offers you a… promotion… I would appreciate it if you come discuss it with me first.”

The statement was so out of the blue that Belledor was sure her confusion was plain on her face. She had only just started at the lounge a few weeks prior. Was a promotion already on the table? And why wouldn’t she take it, if offered?

Mr. Kade then straightened, gently taking her free hand and kissing it with grace.

“It has been a pleasure seeing you here, Belledor. I’ll send a car to bring you to the theater later this week. Until then.” He then gracefully stepped away, leaving Belledor dumbfounded and giddy, tucking the memories of the conversation away for further review later.

Again, there was a span of days when Belledor did not see Mr. Kade. She hoped she might catch his eye, maybe play another round of him pouring her water, but it didn't happen. Still, she clung to the thought of meeting him at the theater, trusting that he wouldn't have invited her if he didn't want her to be there.

Thankfully, on Thursday, Sarah had come over to help her get dressed, even bringing some options. Belledor didn't have any clue what people typically wore to such things.

"It's not an upscale theater," Sarah explained. "Though you might still get looks if you decided to wear pants."

Belledor had enjoyed the feeling of wearing pants at the Mimosa Bloom, but she understood that was part of the gimmick, part of the uniform. She didn't exactly want to feel like she was in uniform tonight.

Ultimately, the two of them decided on a loose knee-length white skirt with large black polka dots and a tight-fitting black long-sleeve shirt.

"Accessories!" Sarah said after Belledor felt dressed, holding a fashionable beige belt. They tried several configurations, but they couldn't quite find the right way to style it. Belledor looked over the options Sage had brought and picked up a medium-width black ribbon.

"Do you think you could tie this around my neck in a bow or something?" Belledor asked. Sarah's eyebrows shot up.

"You'd definitely get some attention then!" Sarah said, nodding enthusiastically.