Decor Ch. 08

With the water running in the background, Melissa felt the coldness of the toilet seat beneath her. Her hands were placed above her head leaving her breasts completely exposed.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Legends said in his modified voice.

He moved her mouth into a smile and groped her tits.

"I don't know why you don't freeze more often, you make a wonderful decoration."

Melissa stared back. She concentrated on her mouth to speak, but the effort was futile. The water stopped. Legend lifted her and the warmness of the tub engulfed her body with only her head resting comfortably on the back of the wall. Legend sat on the counter.

"Now I'm going to unfreeze you and you are going to remain in the tub. Any sudden movement and I will freeze you and leave you like that until someone finds you. I hope I made myself clear."

So far Legend had been nothing but trouble, so she was inclined to believe him. She felt her body relax and moved her hand slowly in the water. She turned to Legend.

"What the hell do you want?" Melissa said sternly.

"Well last time we chatted I brought up a certain issue. What was it... something about people freezing and they can't stop..."

"The addiction to freezing."

"Of course, that's it. The addiction to freezing." Legend said. "You know it's funny you remember, because the first thing you did after I told you was... get frozen. I mean it's almost as if you thought I was lying."

Melissa shifted uncomfortably in the water. Would antagonizing him have the same result of trying to attack him physically?

"That was an accident." Melissa said. "And for your information, I told my boss about it. We need evidence to make a claim like that."

Legend fiddled with the camera and remained silent. He shook his head and leaned forward.

"This is my fault. The persona you put up waitressing evidently is just that. A persona." Legend said. "I really thought you had some tough skin."

"What are you talking about?"

"If you think the freezing addiction is the only thing this company is hiding, you're more naive than I thought." Legend said. "You weren't supposed to 'go public', you were supposed to dig deeper."

Legend stood up. "Good thing I put a reporter on the same story. Now there's someone who will dig shit up."

"That's all this was, you wanted dirt on Lawson Corporation?"

Legend nodded his head. "The good news is I don't need you anymore."

"Don't you dare lay a finger on me." Melissa yelled.

Legend laughed. She felt her body freeze up again. He knelt and lightly groped her wet tits.

"I don't need this device to get you or any woman in bed." Legend lightly brushed his finger against her lips and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm speaking from experience of course."

Melissa could almost see the grin through the thin black mask. Was he implying they slept together before? There was a period of a few years in her life where sex was an escape from everything and until she got her job at Decor, it was the only thing. The many men she slept with filtered through her mind. Some were one night stands where she couldn't even remember their name and some were long term arrangements, but never anything serious. Figuring out who he was from that was picking apart past relationships she'd rather not stir up.

"Goodbye Melissa." Legend stopped at the door. "And by the way, that Selma display. You made a really hot bitch."

After a few flashes, Legend was gone. She bolted out of the bath and down the hall naked and wet, carefully stepping so she wouldn't slip on the hardwood. Her house was empty. She locked the door. For all the joy and entertainment it brought Decor, the freezing device was a nightmare in the hands of someone like Legend. She believed him about not touching her, but that didn't shake the feeling of her privacy being violated whenever he decided to drop in. Until he was caught, there was always going to be a threat. She knew what she had to do to get the ball rolling.

***

"Where the hell were you?" Kara yelled.

She still looked as beautiful as when she was on display, and despite the amazing experience, the time since she had been unfrozen was spent building anger towards Paul. The car ride home was silent and once the doors closed, the gloves came off.

"I told you, I had a work emergency, then when I came back you were on display. What the hell was I supposed to think?"

"That Rick tricked me again. I followed both of you into the back and somehow you disappeared."

"I was pissed at Rick about this whole bet, but I got a call and took the exit." Paul said. "Look this is just like what happened at Decor. You said you weren't going to go on display and then suddenly you're frozen. You keep sending me mixed signals, Kara."

Kara just wanted to be angry and although his excuses had some legitimacy, it still didn't make things any better.

"I'm sorry, okay." Paul said.

He moved in and grabbed her hands.

"If it makes you feel any better, people were really enjoying the display. I lost count how many compliments I heard." Paul smiled. "I felt real proud knowing that was my girl up there."

Along with his patience, it was one of his many redeeming qualities. The ability to own up to a problem and provide a silver lining. Kara's emotions were still high, but it wasn't Paul she was angry at. It was herself. She felt foolish for being tricked not once, but twice by Rick and it likely cost her the bet. The anger dissipated as Paul hugged her tight. She didn't want to be angry for the sake of being angry and blaming it on something she actually ended up enjoying would have been hypocritical.

"How about we get some comfortable clothes on and grab some ice cream." Paul suggested.

Being angry and coming off a high of bliss put Kara in a certain mindset. She bit her lip seductively.

"How about you take your clothes off?"

She grabbed his hand and led him to their room.

***

Mr. Lawson compared the two totals and then slid the document across the desk. He leaned forward with his fingers clasped.

"The official winner of your little inter-office bet is..." Mr. Lawson gave Rick a look of disappointment. "Rick."

He looked at Kara sincerely. He had heard their little bet and knew right from the start Kara was going to lose. But it wasn't his business. His son was starting to take his job seriously and although his methods were disappointing, the results spoke for themselves. Kara deflated in her seat. It wasn't surprising she was in that position. Her interest in becoming Decor long predicted where she would end up.

Rick smirked at Kara. "You are going to look awesome in my man cave."

"Your man cave? Is that what you call your stupid office now?"

"No. The winner gets the loser as Decor. We never specified where or when." Rick said. "I want you as Decor in my basement from 6 pm to 2 am."

"That is ridiculous, I did not agree to that." Kara looked at Mr. Lawson.

"Unfortunately the contract you signed had a clause with that as an alternative" Mr. Lawson said pointing to the line.

Kara grabbed it and read it. Her body language said it all. Rick couldn't keep the shit eating grin off his face.

"And you're going to trust him with the camera?" Kara said.

"The new cameras have a tracking system and a security camera will be set up to monitor you. If Rick breaks any of these rules, the contract is terminated." Mr. Lawson said.

"I'll send you the outfit details through email. Your first shift starts tomorrow." Rick said. "See you later, Care Bear."

Rick left and Kara stared at the contract. Mr. Lawson grabbed it back.

"I thought you always wanted to be Decor." Mr. Lawson said. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

Kara shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly. That's what I'm afraid of."

She stood up and grabbed her purse. "See you later, Mr. Lawson."

Kara passed by his secretary, who handed him an envelope.

"This was just delivered." She said and walked away.

Mr. Lawson opened the envelope. Inside were detailed pictures of him fucking Katerina. Mr. Lawson quickly hid them with the blond statue standing right behind him. The ironic feeling of being violated settled in. Someone was in his office that day. He clicked through his phone and found the time he called Michael: 2:40. He checked the time Natasha called on his personal phone. 3:20. Mr. Lawson paced in front of his desk. Twenty minutes of that day were gone and someone had photo proof of him raping Katerina. Of course he fucked her mouth, but he never went through with the sex. Natasha's call saved him from a reckless decision.

He rushed over to his phone and called Michael.

"Please tell me you've made progress on Project Contact." Mr. Lawson said. "...Good. I'm coming down now."

Mr. Lawson pocketed the envelope and headed towards the door.

***

Samantha took a breather and pushed the keyboard in. The emails were still coming in. Running Winter's Women was much more work than she anticipated. Once she got Ashley out the door, she thought it would be mildly challenging, but manageable. A lot of Ashley's connections were built on trust and past experience. With Samantha, the slate had been effectively wiped clean and all the goodwill from over the years was being put into question. The emails were from old contacts asking her about herself and the business. It was tiring answering them all and she eventually started copying and pasting responses to similar questions. It was a rough period of transition, but once through it, she was confident her changes would propel the company to greater heights.

Of course having Ashley working for the enemy didn't help. Her image was plastered all over Sexie marketing. She was their new face and it was wreaking havoc on Winter's Women's clientele. Another problem to deal with. The only good thing so far was her new prized possession. Her rival Zoey had always been a pain in her side when it came to promotions and raises. She never did any work, but knew how to play men and it worked until she got to Ashley. From there Samantha was able to show her true capabilities without a saluted dick getting in her way. Once Samantha took over, she offered Zoey a new position as a 'trend setter' model. Her position would pay more and her job was to wear the latest fashion for social media posts and be on display in Samantha's office. Little did Zoey know, Samantha just wanted her as a trophy. She turned to the busting beauty in her blue cocktail dress and smiled. Zoey always used her body to her advantage, now it was more useful to the company than it had ever been.

"Delivery for Ms. Samantha." A voice said from the distance.

Logan, the handsome delivery man, placed a box on her desk. Samantha faintly looked down at her engagement ring and bit her lip as she stood up to greet her guest.

"How do you always get my deliveries?" she asked.

Logan's smile melted her.

"Luck of the draw."

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Her phone beeped. She broke the kiss and checked the time.

"Oh no. I'm really sorry, but we're going to have to reschedule this." Samantha said pointing to the stirring in his pants.

"You sure?"

Samantha giggled. She wanted to so bad, but she had other plans.

"I'm meeting the girls for lunch and I'm running late. But..." Samantha traced her finger along his chest. "Feel free to stop by later for a 'delivery'."

Samantha pecked him on the lips and then grabbed her purse.

***

"I'll sign the damn contract." Melissa said.

Bill jumped from his chair with a mixture of relief and joy.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down."

"On one condition. You need to tell Mr. Lawson about the stolen camera, about Legend, about everything."

Bill sat back down dejected.

"No way. I'll be fired immediately."

"Then threaten to go public."

Bill threw his hands up in frustration. "You always have to make things difficult."

"Look, I didn't ask to be frozen or for this stupid contract. That's your fault. Now if we want to maintain our positions here in order to bring this issue to light, we're going to have to make sacrifices." Melissa said. "Your choice, Bill."

****

"What the hell is this!" Ashley Winters threw the skimpy bikini, if it could even be called that, on Roman's desk. "I'm not wearing that thing. Nor am I having you write all over my body."

Roman picked up the bikini, thong combination and smirked.

"Listen Ashley. Dear. You're the face of Sexie now, we need you to be well... sexy."

"I should be going on promotional tours and teaching your models, not stuck in some stupid display case."

Roman stood up.

"We hired you for your image not your knowledge. Yes you gave us a few modeling tips and business advice, but this business is all about the image." Roman said. He held the bikini in front of Ashley and lined it up as if she was wearing it. "And quite frankly, as they say, an image is worth 1000 words."

Roman outstretched the bikini and thong to Ashley.

"Winter's Women is failing harder every day. If your loyal fans see you in our lobby donning this provocative piece, any goodwill from your name will be destroyed. So the question is, do you choose pride or do you choose revenge?"

***

Samantha walked through the restaurant in her high heels like she was working a catwalk. The greeter pointed her in the direction of her party and she maintained her gracious demeanor, drawing wandering eyes from the customers as she passed. The restaurant was fancy and far from the raunchy Decor atmosphere when they celebrated Samantha's Bachelorette.

"Hello ladies." Samantha said as she took a seat. "Where's Julia?"

Lexi shrugged. "I tried messaging her, but no response. Probably chasing down a lead or something."

Samantha looked at Cali. "Cali."

"Look before you say anything, they offered me a lot of money to host it." Cali said.

Samantha put her arm gently on all Cali's arm.

"I get it, it's business. Certainly didn't make my life easier, but I'll manage." Samantha's eyes wondered over to Katerina.

"And how is Ms. Perfect? Decor job going well?" Samantha said sincerely.

Katerina nodded as she took a nibble form her salad.

"Mr. Lawson seems a bit stressed ever since the Winter Scandal, but hasn't affected my job."

"Does he ever, like, touch you while you're...you know." Cali asked.

"No. He would never do that." Katerina said.

"And what about you, Lex, any unwanted advances from what's his name..." Samantha said

"Paul. No he barely looks at me." Lexi's cheeks flushed. "But I have met someone."

The girls stared at Lexi.

"Go on." Samantha said.

"Let's just say I think I may be swinging the other way."

"You go girl." Katerina said.

"What can I say, she started it." Lexi looked down and stirred her drink. She was thinking about something, and it wasn't the drink in front of her. Her eyes popped back up to Samantha. "But enough about us. What about you Sam?. What's it like running one of the biggest fashion brands in the world?"

Samantha took a drink from her wine glass partially to think of a good answer, but mostly to drown her sorrows.

"It's been a whirlwind. Mostly because that stupid bitch joined Sexie. Now all our contacts are up in arms." Samantha said. "I just wish there was a way to make that problem go away."

"Have you tried a different approach?" Cali said.

"Parade around in a skimpy little bikini, no thank you." Samantha said.

"Winter's Women has always been about a professional sexy look. It's the old dynamic of mystery that seems to have been lost in the fashion world." Cali said. "Once men see it, there's no mystery. You could become that mystery.

Samantha immediately thought of Marilyn Monroe, and the many other past fashion icons that used mystery to their advantage. No one knew who Samantha was which gave her an opportunity to shape that narrative before someone else shaped it for her. She smiled at the group.

"Lunch is on me."

****

The man cave was exactly what she imagined if a guy had the all money to create it. She knew the Lawsons were rich, but she didn't expect Rick to have so much stuff. Large screen televisions, pool table, bar, video games, and on the far right, taking up the entire wall, a trophy and memorabilia case. There were trophies likely from his younger sporting years, movie and television props with a few historical artifacts such as swords, shields and artwork sprinkled throughout. In the middle, a spot had been cleared out. Her spot. The podium was just enough space for her feet to fit and painted gold to match her outfit. The plaque on the front read:

'Top Salesman: Rick Lawson Jr.'

She expected something more degrading, but the implication seemed much worst. Was she the new Top Salesman trophy? Would they pass her around year to year? Was that her fate for a career, a trophy? She looked down at her ridiculous outfit. Everything was mandated to be gold. Real gold, which Rick gladly purchased. Gold hoop earrings. Gold choker. Gold rings and bracelets on either hand and wrist. Gold belly button ring. Gold bikini and thong that barely fit. Rick even paid for a spray tan to give her a more bronzed look. Her hair was professionally done up behind a gold tiara and she stood atop 5-inch open toed gold heels with complimentary painted gold nails. The only thing that wasn't gold, was her makeup, with the traditional red lipstick and black mascara highlighting her facial features.

She never felt more slutty in her life, especially knowing her outfit was worth more than her salary. Rick enjoyed every minute of it. He lead her to the trophy case and opened the door like a gentleman. The podium was a few feet off the ground and Rick held her hand as she stepped up and gained her balance on the thin heels. She turned and overlooked the rest of the man cave. She couldn't believe she was now part of it. Just another object in Rick's collection. All the jewelry dangling off her body reminded her what she truly was in this moment. An expensive decoration. She put her hands on her hips and mustered up a half smile.

"Smile like you just won the lottery." Rick said.

Kara's mouth grew wider, but it still looked fake.

"Must have been a shitty lottery." Rick said.

The joke was enough to loosen Kara up as her smile became genuine through her small laugh. She felt her body stiffen and she held the pose with contained laughter stuck on her face. She was no longer Kara for the time being, she was now just a trophy. The Top Salesman Trophy. Rick closed the trophy case door and admired his new prize briefly before leaving the room. Somehow it was more embarrassing with him not there. With no one to admire her, she felt exactly like a trophy. There's a brief moment of pride as the owner looks on at what he won, but once that passed, its on to the next goal. Rick pursued her for so long that she expected more, but it was a means to an end. He would go on with his career and she was relegated to just another notch on his belt. He won and there was nothing she could do about it.

Kara realized why it had to be in his man cave. He knew she derived pleasure from other people watching her. But being isolated meant only he had that opportunity. She would only derive pleasure from him watching. When he wasn't there, the pleasure was from being an object. Being a trophy. If this repeated itself day after day, her mind would start associating that feeling of being an object as the most pleasurable experience. She would crave it.

The frozen bliss soon took over and the pleasure began. Kara stood tall and proud. She was a trophy now. It felt good for her mind to finally accept it. She thought she wanted a career, to make her way in the world, but truthfully, she wanted to be put in her place. In the back of her mind, that's why she accepted the bet. Because it was a win win. If she won, she'd get revenge on Rick, and if she lost, she would be 'forced' to become an object. The added bonus of being a literal trophy was overwhelmingly mind numbing as her outward smile matched her internal state.