Amanda Ch. 01

The scent that assailed her as she entered the store was overwhelming, but brought a smile to her face.

A man about her own age came up to her. "Can I help you Ma'am?"

Amanda smiled at the 'Ma'am' and then looked around. "I'm looking for a dress to wear for a special event."

"Yes Ma'am. Of course." He drew her to the back of the store, beyond the jackets and accessories to where a full display of rather interesting looking dresses were hanging. He paused and looked at her and then nodding, pulling a black leather dress from the racks. It looked way too short and was sleeveless, but he propelled her to the changing room. "Try this one on."

In the cubicle, Amanda stared at the dress, inhaling the rich smell of leather and sighed. Well why not? She wanted to make an impression on people and this would definitely do it. She slipped out of her clothes and slid the leather dress on, noting that she wouldn't be able to wear regular undergarments with it. She peered at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that. WOW! Was this too sexy to wear to a house warming?

Amanda shrugged. Oh what the hell? It was once and she would probably never wear it again. She slid it off once more and struggled into her regular clothes before venturing out of the dressing room.

The salesman was there waiting and she lay the dress over his arm. "I'll take it."

Shoes..she had. But where to get undergarments that would be appropriate?

As she paid the extraordinary amount for the dress(gulping..it was once in a lifetime) she spied a lingerie shop that she usually avoided for a more practical lifestyle. Today though...

Amanda held the dress wrapped in tissue and plastic and ran across the street to the store. Her Saturday was almost gone and she still had house chores to do before she got ready for the party.

The girls at the counter looked up at her entrance and blinked. They both appeared to be high school kids, but as Amanda walked closer, she noticed a wedding ring on one and the slight hint of grey hairs in the other.

"Hi there. Can we help you?" They both straightened up as if they were siamese twins, their movements were smooth and together.

"I need something to wear under a dress I just purchased. I don't think what I normally wear as undergarments would be appropriate." Amanda held up the dress bag as if in explanation.

The girls both ooh and awed over the bag and then gently pulled the leather dress out, nodding.

"Yes Ma'am of course," One went one way while the other went to the other side of the shop. Amanda watched in bemused silence but was rather shocked with what they returned with.

The one held a garter belt and stockings, while the other held out a bustier, but it was cupless, more like an old fashioned corset. "I couldn't..." Amanda started. The one girl shook her head. "You really don't need any support with this dress and your figure is lovely. As for the garter belt..well pantyhose wouldn't work in this case..you'd have a problem with static build up."

"I think we got the right sizes too, you may want to check." The other girl spoke up, as she smiled at Amanda.

Amanda felt the warm feeling of a blush rising against her neck and face and nodded.

"No, I'm sure these will do," she was extremely embarrassed because they both seemed to be so well informed and were looking up and down at her appraisingly.

Amanda quickly paid and rushed out of the store into the mid afternoon sunshine once more, shakily breathing in and out.

Amanda thought to herself again, "Oh hell, it's just for one night. I can do this." *~*

It was just after five in the evening when she finally got back to her apartment. She had her grocery shopping finished and had found a rather tasteful bottle of wine for a housewarming gift. She decided to procrastinate on her laundry for one day.

She put away her groceries and then Amanda stepped into her bedroom and carefully laid out her clothing purchases. How had she ever gotten the courage to purchase such interesting clothes? She fingered the silk of the lingerie and deeply breathed in the smell of the leather once more.

The phone rang, it's bell breaking the intensity of the moment. Amanda looked at the phone incredulously..she hardly ever got calls, and today of all days.

She picked it up and said a soft hello, only to hear laughter, hearty female laughter on the other end.

"Amanda! Hello dear! It's Kathleen. Just calling to let you know when the car will be around to pick you up."

"Oh..um ok," Amanda started. "That's very generous of you. I can drive myself if you need to use it for other purposes."

The laughter once again, light and airy but so full. "No dear..it's fine. The driver is on loan to me and I'm taken full advantage of him. So is 7 a good time?"

"Yes Ma'am," Amanda said quietly.

"Good girl!" The quick response came. "Can't wait to see you again tonight! I've missed you!"

And the phone went dead.

Amanda took a quick look at the clock and dashed to her bathroom, dislodging clothing as she went.

*~* After a luxurious bath, Amanda had dried her hair feverishly and then set curlers into it.

She had always worn very little makeup, so her primping consisted of choosing her perfume and eyeliner to match the outfit. As the curlers came out, her hair hung softly framing her face.

Amanda stood at the foot of the bed looking down at the clothing once more. She slid on the bustier and the garter belt, thoughtfully slipping on the stockings and snapping them into place.

As she turned back to the bed to collect the dress, she caught a view of herself in the mirror. She paused and felt the flush covering her watching her skin tinting a soft pink and her nipples hardening above the bustier.

"WOW"

Amanda knew that she had a half way appropriate figure for her height, yet the view she saw especially with the bustier drawing it into a more hour glass shape. She was very awed.

Just as she started to wiggle into the leather dress, she realized that she had forgotten underpants. She laughed as the leather covered her face, her arms straight up in the air. Now was not the time to worry about this, dammit, she was going to be sexy and slinky and vogue this evening.

One thing she had from her mother that didn't get destroyed in the fire was a lovely gossamer shawl. Her parents had attended a late night party and the shawl was left in the car in their haste to get to sleep. The chill of the evening must have made them crank up the old heating system. The cause of the fire was never disputed.

Now she flung it over her shoulders. They were too bare for the Autumn air. As she checked her appearance once more and stepped into her shoes, the doorbell chimed.

With a quick glance at her wristwatch, she scooped her bag and the festively decorated bottle of wine and made her way to the door.

A tall mildly attractive man stood there dressed as a chauffeur, complete with a cap.

"Good evening, Miss Amanda. My name is Sean and I'll be driving you this evening." Even with the droll statement he delivered, his eyes appraised her quickly and then motioned to the limousine.

Long sleek and black and as the door was opened, Amanda left her paltry life behind and felt as she had stepped into a dream. *~*

The house was amazing. Ms. Kathleen was suspiciously absent from the crowd of revelers as Amanda waded through. She noted each addition to the main living area and smiled because she had seen the full transformation.

As the car had driven up the drive, she glowed as she noted the now complete landscaping. The trees were planted and within a year would provide some lovely shade to the front of the house. Some bushes lined the drive and provided a unique divider to the now lush lawn that was meticulously manicured.

Now though as she walked through the interior, making small talk and smiling indulgently, she suddenly felt out of place. She placed the bottle of wine on the kitchen counter, smiling to the man who had once served lemonade to her and made her way back into the living room. *~*

"Come in!" Ms. Kathleen was growling at the computer, feverishly typing up one final report of the plumber's behavior with insistent suggestions of further training. Her eyes raised as Mitchell walked in, noting that his very tight uniform was showing more than she expected.

"You are missing your party, Mistress." Mitchell voice was edged with excitement and she stood suddenly and walked over to him, grasping his arousal through his trousers.

"What has you all worked up, hmm?" She manipulated his strong throbbing cock against the zipper, tugging a bit too tightly, making him gasp.

"She's here, Mistress," Mitchell's eyes had closed in pleasure and the statement came out in a hiss.

"Oh?" Ms. Kathleen, paused in Mitchell's torture to allow herself a small smile, the dark red gash of lipstick parting over brilliantly white teeth. "And this is your reaction to her?" She pulled his cock roughly toward her.

Mitchell whimpered, and then panted slightly before answering. "Only because I knew what pleasure it would bring you, Mistress."

"And how is she dressed, my darling Mitchell?" The zipper was down now and her nails were against his flesh.

Quickly and quietly, pausing every so often for a hot panting, the details of Amanda's dress came out. Ms. Kathleen suddenly shoved the cock back into the trousers, and zipped it up a little too quickly. Mitchell's hairs were caught in the enclosure and he glanced down before eyeing her.

"Mistress?" His whimpered plea came out.

"Leave it. The pain should bring you pleasure for this evening during this little excursion into vanilla entertainment." Ms. Kathleen's mind was now beyond the man beside her and she made her way out to her room to find an outfit to match Amanda's.

*~* Amanda was on her second mug of hot apple cider and was becoming a trifle bored. Already half the professional men from her dinky little town had propositioned her, and although she had thought she would enjoy the attention, they all were just too obvious.

The local women were shooting her looks of hatred, and this she found quite amusing. The wonders that a proper dress and attitude had on a mousy girl. And as Amanda made the simile to Cinderella, she almost choked against the cider going down her throat.

It was almost 8:30 when Ms. Kathleen finally made her appearance. In a stunning royal blue leather floor length dress, the back of it all laced up from the very small of her back to her bare shoulders. So much skin was showing that Amanda chuckled as the attention drew away from her and focused on the hostess of the evening.

Dinner was served immediately after Ms. Kathleen's arrival in a small tent that she had arranged on her back lawn. Rose bushes were still blooming with lovely red and sterling silver blossoms and the music that was provided completed the austere setting. She was seated between two men who constantly made their presence known, not by chatting with her, but by their palms resting on her thighs. With a twinkle in her eye, she picked up both her salad fork and her dinner fork as if inspecting them and sharply stabbed both hands simultaneously. The palms did not invade again.

After a lovely dinner and small conversation, Amanda was relieved to see most of the guests being shuffled to the door. Her own boss had made a very untoward suggestion and she was hanging back from her own departure to be sure that he found his way to his home and not hers.

Ms. Kathleen had watched Amanda very discreetly for most the evening, noting with pleasure how she had managed the maulers at the dinner table and the high flush on her cheeks now as she sipped another cider. This was her third drink of the evening, Ms. Kathleen noted. She wasn't drinking alcohol, but the juices that were provided. With dinner she had cleaned her palate through the courses with water.

She snagged Mitchell as he was on the way to fetch another wrap of a dowdy wife and whispered her instructions to him. He nodded and glanced toward Amanda before scurrying on his way. *~*

"Ms. Kathleen would be honored if you were to wait for a bit. She wishes to show you the entire house as you were instrumental in the beginning." Mitchell's low tone caught her by surprise.

"Of course! I'd love to see the rest!" Amanda was thrilled. Now she had a valid excuse for waiting to leave. She watched amused as couple after couple made their way out. And then it was just the staff and Ms. Kathleen.

Ms. Kathleen plopped unceremoniously in the couch next to her. "What do you think, dear? Have I made the proper impression on the ‘who's in' crowd? I would dread having them wondering all winter who the hell I was."

Amanda laughed politely. "You had most of the upper crust of the town here. But personally I think you gave of yourself without giving yourself away."

Ms. Kathleen laughed heartily. The same laughter she had heard on the phone so much earlier today. "Mind explaining that, Amanda?"

Amanda nervously fingered the hem of her dress. "Well. You spoke on many topics, you have a flair that is undeniable, but at the same time, you never spoke of yourself. What you do. What you plan to do. Where you are from."

"Good job!" Ms. Kathleen stood up from the couch. "You are absolutely right! And if you remember, I enjoy the privilege of my privacy. In this kind of game though, you need to give them a little bit. Let them think I'm eccentric. There are times when I think that myself." Ms. Kathleen held a hand out. "Ready for the tour?"

Amanda grasped the strong hand and stood up, shifting the leather ever so slightly. She smiled at Ms. Kathleen and nodded. "Yes please. I'd love to see what you've done to the rest."

Ms. Kathleen now pointed out the hidden treasures of the living room. The fireplace was wood burning and was still roaring merrily in the hearth. The entertainment system that had provided music for the dinner had speakers so cleverly disguised that Amanda hadn't realized that they were there.

"Music is handled through a main control area, but there are speakers throughout the house, including into the back yard area." Ms. Kathleen led her into the kitchen were the staff was now cleaning dishes and packaging leftover foodstuffs away. "I like my nook there, that is where I usually dine." What Ms. Kathleen pointed out was more a window seat than a nook. It had a table that was placed diagonally from the seat and looked quite comfortable.

What struck Amanda as odd was the lack of chatter. Even with the soft muted music that must go through the entire house, the staff was very quiet. The four men dressed smartly in waiter apparel were almost automaton in their motions. The man that had served her lemonade was not among them and she wondered briefly if she had missed his departure.

As they continued down the hall, Ms. Kathleen pointed to the guest lounge which Amanda smiled and confessed to already having seen. The next room appeared to be a bedroom, but had two sets of bunk beds and bare minimum of furniture beyond that. There was one dresser in the room, but no chairs, no desks and everything was perfect. The beds were made with military precision and Amanda could see a drill sergeant bouncing a quarter with no problem.

The next room was a bit less severe. A single bed with a decidedly feminine comforter. A huge overstuffed chair. A wide chest of drawers. A desk with a computer and office chair along with a phone.

"Is this your room?" Amanda asked innocently and was astounded with Ms. Kathleen hearty laugh once more.

"Good heavens, no." Ms. Kathleen walked to the other side of the basement stairs and pulled open the double doors. "This is my room, dear."

A beautiful suite in burgundy and forest greens with the rich red of the mahogany wood. The huge almost sinful bed was the dominating feature, the accents adding to the decor rather than detracting from it. There was another door partially opened into a lounge area and a huge walk in closet as well.

"You've redone this so nicely!" Amanda smiled as she surveyed the room. Ms. Kathleen watched Amanda's expression through each room and then nodded to herself, making up her mind.

"There is more." Ms. Kathleen hit a switch, highlighting the basement stairs and Amanda eagerly followed her down.

There was a huge washer and dryer, almost a commercial quality that was fronting the stairs with a linen closet above it. As they turned the corner, a huge family room was revealed. Ms. Kathleen had redone it in dark browns and rust. A flat screen television, big enough to be mistaken for a slide projector screen stood on one side with a huge wall of contemporary movies for both VCR and DVD players. The entertainment system that she spoke of was situated on another wall with several classical CDs littered across it. With a smile, Ms. Kathleen flipped a switch and the strains of Meredith Brooks' ‘Bitch' started to lull through the speakers. The rest of the room was just one continuous couch.

"So have you done anything to the fruit cellar?" Amanda asked, still eyeing the expensive equipment with a wry smile.

Ms. Kathleen looked at Amanda and Amanda returned the gaze with question. Once more, Ms. Kathleen nodded as if making up her mind. "Yes in fact, that's one of the reasons I had you stay. I WANT you to work for me. NEED you. I'm a complete mess when it comes to paperwork and I've really come to the end of my patience with it. In my profession, I constantly need reports written, correspondence kept up, and daily tasks done on the computer."

Amanda gulped. "Well there is a rather respectable temporary service in town that could probably help you out. What kind of business do you do?"

"Ah..." Ms. Kathleen smiled and then motioned Amanda to join her at the fruit cellar door. "You see that is the key. My business is specialized, and I do believe that you are the only one in this little hick town that could possibly manage to help me with it."

The door opened and the first thing that Amanda saw was that the cellar had actually been divided into separate sections. To her left was pretty much an identical room as the family room but it was ALL couches in a U design, with a wooden post in the middle. To her right was what appeared to be a tack room. There were crops and whips and what looked to be leather reins and harnesses. As she entered into the cellar a bit more, there was a lounge down here as well, back behind where the laundry facilities was, complete with a shower. A room that looked like a chapel came next with row upon row of candles, none lit and a wooden plank table in front of it. What looked like a storage room was the last room on the right. It looked to be a carpenter's shop, with wooden horses, and an odd looking cross. Ms. Kathleen remained quiet through her inspection, but tugged her hand slightly to lead her to the last room on the left. As she walked into the room, the heat of the water steamed against her face, and she was looking at an indoor pool lavishly made with stones and plants, a small waterfall falling at one side.

"Well this is all lovely, but I still don't understand." Amanda turned to face Ms. Kathleen. "Are you planning to train horses?"

Ms. Kathleen let her head fall back and her laugh echoed into the walls of the grotto. She controlled herself and led Amanda back through to the stairs once more. "You are an innocent little thing aren't you?" She continued up the stairs and paused before the hall door to her office. "Come with me, Amanda. You may be a bit confused at the moment but all will be explained."

As they walked through the door, Amanda spied the man who had served her lemonade standing very much at attention with his hands laced behind his neck.

"Oh good. Mitchell. Perfect." Ms. Kathleen nodded toward a seat for Amanda and sat behind the desk herself. "Mitchell, describe your function here."