He Came from a Land Down Unda Ch. 04

"Well well, look who remembered where her milk was coming from." Casica fumes from Carina's comment but plasters on the most apologetic look she can muster.

"C I'm so…"

"Car." Carina interrupts Cassie, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?"

"Call me Car." She says simply as two effeminate males slink from the salon blonde bombshell. They're all dressed in ostentatious dance gear that makes them look more ridiculous than fashion forward.

"Just before we left for Australia, you told me to call you C. Since when has it been Car?" The laughing bemusement in Cassie's voice mirrors a mother's when speaking to her six year old for doing something equally strange. Carina is insulted and looks to her counterparts before snapping back to Cassie.

"Since yesterday, not like it's any concern to you. A person should be called whatever they want! Besides, men usually care more about their cars than their girlfriends anyway. This way, men will be getting the same thing outta me when they fantasize about me." She ends it with a coquettish giggle. Cassie slightly shakes her head at the sad little girl. She walks off towards the side of the dance studio to put her stuff down. She sees now that it is going to be a long day if Carina has kicked the bitch level to orange already. Taking off the oversized sweatshirt, she can see them through the wall-to-wall mirror scrutinizing and whispering about her.

~*~*

Carina Brandon didn't really care much for Casica, then again anyone prettier than her she deems an enemy before the first handshake. One of the cons of working in the entertainment business is to adhere to "What's Hot" mentality. By present standards, Casica Daniels is what's hot. Her moves are the most sought after by every pop and R&B artist in the business so Carina's label is paying a pretty penny for Cassie. The fact that they almost see her as more of a commodity than Carina pisses her off. Her scowl deepens as Cassie begins to stretch on the bar. Leon and Cole, her closest gay confidants/backup dancers, giggle like girls stirring Carina from her seething.

"What's so funny?" She says with more baritones in her than she means to have.

Leon and Cole both stop abruptly in mid air of high-fiving each other. Leon clears his throat, "Nothing."

"We were just saying that Cassie's body is banging!" Cole pipes in, ignoring Leon's silent repeat of the words 'SHUT UP!'

"What?" Carina seethes.

"Not as banging as yours!" Leon quells

"Uh uh! Look at her tits…they're at least a cup size more. And her ass…Leon even you said that it was an onion."

"And what's that Leon?" Carina turns on both of them and Cole finally realizes that maybe he's said too much. They shrink down as she steps towards them, "Go ahead… What's an onion?"

Leon clears his throat once more, "An ass so perfect it makes you cry." His voice quivers. That's all Carina needs before launching a barrage of assaults on both the men. She knows that when a woman can turn a gay man straight, even for a millisecond, then the girl is a force to be reckoned with. At that moment all Carina could think of is how that girl isn't her and it pisses her off. She's come too far after losing everything to let it be in vain.

~*~*

Cassie watches the whole display in the mirror and continues her stretches with a secret smirk on her face. When she sees Carina hitting both of the boys over the head repeatedly, she finally thinks it's time to step in.

"If you guys are ready, I can show you some moves I've been working on."

"Actually," Carina punctuates the sound of each letter of the word as she turns on her heels. "I've been thinking that I should get a more hands on demeanor to my career." Cassie eyes Carina coolly while she slinks around her. It's amusing to Cassie to see this hack of silicone try to intimidate her.

"Please…continue." Cassie folds her arms over her chest.

"I've decided to co-choreograph this project." The shock is evident on Cassie's face as Carina talks through her drop jaw. "Don't worry about not getting paid your full rate or anything. The label already said they're okay with it." By calling it "rate" she demeans Cassie to a mere prostitute and Carina smiles in her mind at the subtle infraction.

This hasn't fallen to the wayside to Cassie. "It's not that C…I mean Car…It's just that this is all very new to me. My "rate" only changed with you because I had to take more time with basics. Last time we worked together you didn't…" She pauses for emphasis. "It's just you gave me the impression that…you didn't know much about dance and didn't care. It's just really sudden now… " Cassie's voice fades as Leon and Cole are snickering so loudly at this point it's hard to finish. Two can definitely play this game girly.

Carina holds up her hand to stop the hyenas, "Well could you at least take a look at what I've been working on before you just ground it to dust!" she snaps.

Cassie walks over to the sidelines and sits under the bar to watch the show. "I apologize. By all means." She didn't want to make Carina feel bad but it is the truth and she started it. The first time they worked together, the label put her under the impression that the child was more than capable with traditional dance making her at least aware of posture. Turns out it was all a ploy to ensure that they could get Cassie on such short notice. The girl is rhythm-less nation at best. This makes it beyond hard for the timeframe they are working in and ultimately Cassie made the label pay her more for the trouble. It got back to Carina's people that Cassie is bad mouthing her and it just isn't the case. She knows that a girl of her young age is being exploited by this big franchise of a label and it saddens her to know that she's allowing herself to go down this road. It's probably the reason why she talks to her like a child sometimes. Though being 26 to Carina's 19 is not a huge difference in age, they're minds are in such different places. Life no longer ends because your favorite lip-gloss has been discontinued… Maybe your nail polish but definitely not lip-gloss. Still, Carina is an uber-bitch and any maternal feelings Cassie feels for her fades almost as quickly as they come.

As the music cues, Cassie finds something to occupy her mind while Carina begins to gyrate around. The inside of her cheek is turning raw from the show and nothing wipes the rising smirk from her face but the thoughts of her night with Lochlyn. She's sitting on one leg but shifts to her bottom after thinking of all the naughty positions the leg has been through. Her bum softly plops to the hard floor and her throat tickles with a moan. The same tickle travels back down to her rear with thoughts of Lochlyn's hard hand popping her cheeks to a tinge of brick red color. Her body shivers remembering his words that he whispered against her ear after rubbing her battered flesh, "You're arse looks like a Sydney sunset bunny." Then he commenced to lick the nape of her neck, down her spine and ending on the heated plane of her ass. Involuntarily, her back arches from the mirror wall much like it did the night before. She no longer sees the bumbling movements of Princess Carina and her fairies but heated images of her last fourteen hours. At first he was teasing and leisurely with is ministrations. Bringing her to heated shrieks of release over and over before falling into a fitful sleep. It would prove to be a mere catnap when his hands find her out in the sea of sheets three times that night. She sleepily glided over to him like a magnet. Her mind still groggy but her body was on autopilot. The moon shining through the parted curtains highlighted his face enough to show his ravenous eyes. He wasted no time with foreplay like the previous times. He turned her into a contortionist, unrelenting in his desire for her. Using her body as he saw fit. Quenching his carnal instincts while renewing hers. Her cheeks warm of how easily she surrenders to him. He takes what he wants while she gives more than willingly. She impishly put the tip of her pointer in her mouth with all new memories of the morning's escapades. His definition of breakfast nearly makes her cum right there.

The songs finally stops and she wakes from her reverie just in time. She plasters on a fake smile and lifts to her feet. Even though she isn't paying much attention, from what she saw, this is going to be a long day. Taking a deep breath she strides over to the three stooges, "Okay you guys that was good! Um… Why don't we take it from the top again and see if we can incorporate some…more advanced moves."

~*~*

Lochlyn stumbles through his service entrance that leads to the kitchen. He sets the grocery bags on his breakfast nook table. He doesn't notice Pertiwi, his live in maid/cook and mother figure for as long as he can remember. He's unpacking the contents and setting them on the table when rapid clicks of Perti's tongue startle him to her direction. She rises from the floor to his view with a brush in one hand and a spray bottle in the other. A pointed brow peeks above her large frame glasses before turning to the sink. Her small frame is expected with her 68 years but her feisty nature give her the appearance and endurance of someone at least twenty years her junior. White streaks gleam through her coal black hair running on both sides of her head and tucked into a tight donut in the back. Perti washes the brush with her back away from him. He braces himself for the scolding of a lifetime, "Uh hey Perti! What are you doing back so early?" He'd given her a more than deserved two-week vacation and by his calculations she still has eight more days.

"Eh! I come back early. I like being places I am needed." He smiles at her fragmented sentences. He still thinks it's funny after all the years of having her around. His relationships with his help are best described as buddy cop movies. Jesse and his relationship are "Bad Boys" with Jesse being the family man always telling him he needs to settle down. Perti is "Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot" If his "mom" is a broken English speaking Javanese woman. She turns off the water and back to him with a line in her mouth but bemusement in her dark eyes, "Think you get rid of me easily 'cause I on vacation?" Her mouth twists into an upside down U and she shakes her head, making the chains from her glasses shake vigorously, "Nah!" He laughs as he eyes the spot on the counter where he ate his 'breakfast' earlier. He goes back to unpacking the groceries. He thought he would have ample time to clean his mess, he can only imagine what Perti's mind is churning. She begins to scrub at the sticky surface with concentration on her face. She pauses long enough to roll more of the blue billowing crochet cardigan up to her elbows and plunges back in with her all knowing tongue clicking. He winces from the sound. She only clicks her tongue when she knows of his transgressions, which is every time. It's like she can smell it in the air or something. Just once he will like to pull one over on her.

"You and lady friend know ants love sweets?"

"I was going to clean up as soon as I got home Perti." He says, mocking a teenage son's demeanor when a mother is on his case.

"Phooey!" He laughs at her interjection. She loves using similar outbursts like that in most of her conversations. "All it take is one looker ant to go tell rest of military."

Lochlyn is heaving at this point, "I think you mean the 'scout' ant goes to tell the colony."

"No difference, you get meaning. The time you take saying this to me you can tell me why you have all that food. I gone for week and I know you eat out whole time I gone."

"Well my lady friend is coming back for dinner tonight and I wanted to make it for her."

Perti halts in her actions and slowly looks up to her employer's back as he finishes taking the last item out of the bag. He turns to put the excess bags in a draw and finds her glowing expression on his. Her usual wrinkles in her mouth elevate to her eyes. She's all but laughing as she speaks, "You mean she come back?"

"No need to be so surprised. Yes, she is coming back." He answers with a slight blush.

"First one come back ever!" She puts her hands on her hips in a scolding manner. "You like this girl?" She comes over to the table to look at all the ingredients strewn on the table.

"Yes Perti, but calm down. I know what you're thinking."

She looks up to him with a look of surprise, "What?"

"You're always havin at me to settle down. Have some kids. I don't know this girl but I do want to get to know her. That's it, nothing more."

"Heh! I get after you to marry 'cause it not natural for one man live in such big house alone…"

"But I have you, the PERTIest woman in town." He throws an arm over her shoulder and she promptly elbows him in the ribs.

"Don't get fresh! Like I say, you need children to carry your name. Soon you not need me no more…have children and they need me." She walks back to the counter to finish. He chuckles lightly as her midwife/nanny colors shine brightly. This reminds him that she is Jesse's wife's midwife.

"Speaking of children needing you, how's Katrina?"

"Fine, she will deliver soon. Don't change subject…" she begins to take out mixing bowls, pots, and pans. "Aussie or Kiwi?"

"Neither…Seppo." She clicks hers tongue once more.

"Smart?"

"Perti, why don't you meet her tonight when she comes back over?"

"No no. I stay on my side tonight. You get to know this girl. So much to do in little time."

She takes necessary items out to assist. He grabs everything from her hands as soon as she gets them. He knows she's about to attempt to cook his meal for him and he's trying to stop her. She glares at him till he grins. They both know of the other's plans and now it's a battle of wills.

"I said I was going to cook for her."

"That was before I come back. I here now, you go."

"Okay then I'm glad. I got a lot of laundry in my room and…"

"I wash already, Lester Brown!" She gives a sly smile as she moves to take the pot out of his hands.

He chuckles but moves it out of reach, "You mean Buster Brown Perti, and I'm not letting you cook this meal for me. I really like this girl and I want to do this for her." Perti's eyes warm over with his admission. In all her time in his service, she's never seen him like this.

She decides to compromise with him, and teasingly says, "Well I help. You cook, she never come back." He sees the determined glint in her eye and nods through a chuckle. Touché he thinks, as he probably would have flubbed it up to the point of having to get take out. Lochlyn's no fool though; he knows he would have at least gotten brownie points for effort. This isn't bad either. At least with Perti, it will be guaranteed good. He on the other hand just bought stuff and planned to experiment. Hell cooking can't be that hard, but as Perti begins rattling off instructions that he doesn't understand like, "folding the egg" and "blanch the potatoes", he knows it is heaven sent to have her come back early.

~*~*

Cassie comes from the studio pulling at her sore neck and rubbing down to her shoulder. It's like keeping kindergarteners in line at the Smithsonian with the three of them making the chances of work being slim to none. She rummages in her bag for her phone to call a cab but a voice yelling her name stops her. She looks up to see Jesse waving at her from the parking lot. A huge grin spreads across her face like she's seeing an old friend; she didn't actually think he was serious about leaving his driver with her. Jesse holds up his hands for her to stand there and gets in to drive to her. Once she's safely in they do their greetings and politely ask each other how their day went. Jesse tells Cassie of Locklyn's two requests as he drives her to her hotel. The first is to shower and change. The second request leaves her breathless.

"He also said if you have any questions to call him." Jesse reasons, because her state of shock still hasn't lessened by the time he pulls in to the hotel drive. On autopilot, she gets out to go to her room. Hand on the doorknob; Jesse's last words to her resonate in her mind. Once inside she goes for her cell phone to call Lochlyn.

"Hello?" He answers in a hurried but sultry voice, almost like he is waiting on her call.

"Are you nucking futs?" She squeals.

"What?"

"Nucking futs…. as in fucking nuts but ass backwards! Like you!"

His deep chuckle sends tingles down her spine and she has to shake it off to remember why she is calling. "Ah bunny where's your sense of adventure?" Her voice catches and she steadies herself on the nearby desk in her room. 'How does he know?' She thinks. "Cassie? Cassie did I lose you?"

"I-uh-I…No I'm here."

His voice turns into a gravely whisper, "I told you we have unfinished business." Her throat dries up instantly and she makes an audible swallow. "Just bring a change of clothes for tonight and we'll discuss details when you get here. I have a surprise for you bunny." Next the only thing she hears is the blare of the dial tone.

~*~*

As she's toweling her hair she has time to let the conversation and events sink in. He wants her to check out of her hotel and spend the rest of her time with him when she's not working. How did she get herself into this? A wealthy, gorgeous, knock your socks off in bed man is actually pining for her. A small quirk in her lip appears then slips again. What is the matter with her? She's usually so sure of herself in everything else she does so what's so different about him. She looks up to the steamed over mirror at her diffused reflection.

"It's not him, it's me." She mutters absently. "It's me?" She croaks to the hazed image. That's it! Cassie rubs the mirror, clearing away a more true vision of her self. She's been wrapped up for so long in not having a real man she forgot what a real one does to her. Why is it so hard for her to believe that someone as hot as him can be interested in her nevertheless want to spend so much time with her so fast. "You're worth everything this man is trying to lay on you girl. Now get over it." Without a second to spare she goes over to the phone on the nightstand to call the front desk. "Ah yes…Can I get someone to help me with my luggage in about 30 minutes? Yes, I'll be checking out." As she places the receiver back on its hook, she dawns a determined smile before going to her bags to fish out something to wear. She's putting the finishing touches on herself as a light rap on the door calls her attention. With a whoosh of breath blowing past her lips she thinks, 'Well here goes."

~*~*

Perti is in the kitchen finishing the meal while Lochlyn is upstairs taking a shower. They decide on black tea braised lamp chops, rosemary roasted red potatoes, and wild mushroom quiche. Lochlyn thinks it to be a little too fancy for a casual dinner in but Perti says "Nonsense!" and continues to cook. She is buzzing with so much energy she can barely contain it. She knows nothing about the girl but to keep Lochlyn's attention more than 24 hours means a lot in her book. She tells Lochlyn she plans on staying out of sight tonight and to leave the dirty dishes on the table for her in the morning. Before she leaves the kitchen though she wants to catch a glimpse of the woman then she'll dash to her wing of the house through the kitchen hallway. Like on cue, she sets the quiche next to the lamb chops right when the doorbell rings. A flustered Perti runs to the swinging entrance of the kitchen to peer through a sliver of opening allowable before the door will begin to creak. She sees Lochlyn running through the foyer and has to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as he almost stumbles to the door. He quickly opens it, and to Perti's approval upon seeing Cassie she turns beaming like a mother hen. She is beautiful and not dressed like a harlot like the other ones he's brought home. In her native tongue she clucks out, "Good….Good."