Electra Complex Ch. 01: Tied Up for Daddy

Lilly was surprised to hear from Amber after so long. After their fight she was sure the friendship was over. She had never seen anyone so furious. Amber had sworn revenge, actual revenge.

Yet there was her name on her phone screen, next to a brand new text message. Lilly reread it for about the fourth time:

It said: "Hey Bills. Major crisis. Need help. New client booked tonight, but Moneybags has just flown in for a surprise visit. You up to earn a few $$$?"

There was no mention of the fight or that Lilly might be forgiven now that nearly three months of icy silence had passed between them.

Lilly gnawed on her bottom lip.

It had shocked her when she first found out that her new college roommate was paying for her education by moonlighting as an escort.

Lilly's parents were rich, she had never wanted for anything. Sure, it came at a price. She had more or less grown up without a father. He was seemingly always at work, paying for their brownstone apartment in the right neighbourhood, her private education and her mother's country club membership.

Lilly had also never been very close to her mother. Lilly always felt like her mother saw her as competition rather than as a daughter.

Her mother was a celebrated beauty, much admired in society for her natural red hair and flawless fair complexion, both of which Lilly had inherited. But Lilly had her father's wits too, which her mother had always seemed threatened by. Even though she knew it was petty, Lilly couldn't help but feel she needed to rise to this lifelong contest.

With her privileged background, it was initially difficult for Lilly to understand Amber, who was paying her own way through college and could not hope to afford the exorbitant repayment on her student loans through conventional means.

That was how it had been when she had first met Amber, but things quickly changed. Her father, a highly prominent defense attorney, had wanted Lilly to follow in his footsteps, she certainly had the grades and the right education, but not the heart for it. Their already distant relationship had fractured, seemingly beyond repair, when she had announced that she was dropping out of pre-law to study a Fine Arts degree.

She could have handled it if he had grown angry, but instead he turned cold and cut her off, both emotionally and financially. It had broken her heart. The hope of close relationship she had always longed for seemed lost forever now.

If not for Amber she might have sunk into a depression she would never have climbs back out of. That was why it hurt so much when Amber had done exactly the same thing to her.

It was Amber who had wiped away her tears, gotten her out of her room, and reminded her that it was okay to laugh again. For a while Amber had even paid for her food and her half of the rent, after Lilly's credit card stopped working.

Lilly had nearly broken and gone back to her father, crawling on her knees. There was no way she could afford the fees of an art college; she could not even afford clothes.

All the while Amber had been there. Amber who always seemed to have cash to spare, designer clothes and new cars, despite never seeming to work.

Looking back, Lilly knew she would never have gotten into it if she had not been at rock bottom. But, as Amber described it, escorting was a quick easy way to make a lot of money for very little work. Lilly certainly had the looks to set a very high price.

Really, Amber explained, it was like getting paid to party. Yes, sex was usually expected, despite what people might claim, but Amber worked for a very high class agency. The clients were rich, well-mannered and respectful. Any who were not were immediately cut off from the service.

Lilly still remembered her first client, it had been a terrifying prospect, but he had turned out to be a real gentlemen. She even found that she enjoyed the sex, despite it being with a relative stranger. Possibly even more so because of that. It was as easy as Amber had described and, while it wasn't always as enjoyable as that first time, it was never particularly unpleasant and the money was even beyond her best expectations.

More than that, it had taught her things about her body, and sexual proclivities, that she had not even realised.

Still, she knew she could never feel pride in the work, as Amber seemed to. As soon as she had enough saved to get her into Art college and to pay for food and rent for a while to come she had quit.

She had sworn she would never go back. She would start looking for a waitressing job instead.

But now there was this new opportunity, and waitressing paid next to nothing. Since Amber had moved out and into a fancier uptown apartment, Lilly had realised what she had saved would not be enough, even if she could find a new roommate.

Also, if Amber was reaching out to her, this might be a way for to mend that relationship. Since the fight with her dad Amber was the only family Lilly had.

While she vacillated between options she heard the sharp ping that signalled a follow up message from Amber:

"?"

The single question mark was quickly followed by a longer message:

"Come on, Lilly-bills. It's an easy job and there are serious $$$ on the table! Plus, I could really use your help. Please?" This was followed by a puppy dog eyes emoji.

There was a brief pause, then, "You kind of owe me." This last message was difficult to read tone into. Had Amber meant it to sound passive aggressive?

Lilly certainly felt she did owe Amber something, but this was no ordinary favor. Amber did not stop there, however, she followed up with:

"it's not like it's anything you haven't done before."

Lilly felt her reservations crumbling. Could it really hurt? She really needed the money, and it might help her get Amber back.

Her finger hung over the keys as she thought it through again. She felt oddly nervous, even more so than the first time she had done this for Amber.

Finally, with a deep breath she began to type.

"Hey Ambs. Good to hear from you. Missed you, babes. I might be interested. When? How much?"

There was a brief pause during which the phone indicated that Amber was typing a reply. When it popped up there was no reference to the first part of her message, the response was terse and direct.

"$2K. It's happening tonight. Sorry for the short notice, but Moneybags only just called. Could really use your help, babes." again, she made liberal use if the emojis she obviously thought would best inspire sympathy. It was a habit Lilly had always found mildly annoying.

Lilly sucked in a breath. The money was even more than she had hoped for.

This really would be the last time, she told herself, before typing:

"Time? Meeting place? Wardrobe?"

These were all important details and it was unlike Amber to be so coy. Lilly was in now, she felt a little more confident now that she had made the decision.

"Don't worry about it. Will come by and pick you up at 8. Put on your best lingerie but dress casual. Will prep you at the location."

'Prep you?', 'At the location?' The phrases were unusual and not what she had expected, but Amber had always carefully vetted Lilly's clients before and she had no reason to expect this would be any different.

She decided not to pursue the matter. After that her phone went quiet and she spent the rest of the day mulling over what might lie ahead of her tonight, and convincing herself that one night did not mean she was returning to a life she had thought she had left behind.

At 7 o'clock she took a shower, dressed in her best, lacy underwear, then took a moment to admire her body in her full length mirror. She had lost weight since she had been on her own, her belly growing taught, but her curves and generous bust remaining. Lilly wished her mother could have seen her. The woman seemed to derive a savage pleasure from criticizing Lilly's weight. She might have been firm and fit well beyond her years but, as Lilly was not afraid to remind her, the woman's only job was going to the gym and the country club. She, unlike Lilly had no life beyond that. But now she would turn green if she saw the transformation a little financial and emotional suffering had wrought on Lilly's already fine body.

After another a moment's consideration, Lilly threw on a plain grey t-shirt and jeans. She didn't have the clothes for this type of work anyway and had always borrowed from Amber. She knew tonight would be no different.

At 5 minutes to 8 Lilly got a missed call that told her that Amber was waiting outside.

It was unlike Amber to be early for anything.

Once outside her apartment building, Lilly actually walked past Amber's car. Apparently she had upgraded in the 3 months since their falling out. Amber flashed the lights of the sleek white convertible she was sitting in. Lilly approached nervously, the roof was up and the glass was heavily tinted. She peered cautiously in when the passenger side door was pushed open, before she heard Amber's voice.

"Lilly-bills!" Amber greeted her with unexpected warmth and leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek as Lilly climbed into the passenger seat.

In the three months since Lilly had last seen her Amber seemed greatly changed. It was as if she had been given an extra polish. Her skin was more evenly tanned, her teeth whiter, the shades of her auburn hair that much richer.

Lilly already knew that being an escort had proved so lucrative for Amber that she had dropped out of her communications degree and gone full time. She now had a stable of regulars who had made her wealthy in a very short time.

The guy she called 'Moneybags' had been with her since before Lilly had met Amber. By himself he was probably responsible for paying off Amber's entire student loan. He had probably bought this car too, if what Amber said about his generosity was true.

It was not the first time Lilly had had to substitute in for Amber when Moneybags arrived unannounced. The man flew into town on a private jet, for crying out loud!

Lilly had barely strapped in before Amber gunned the rich throated motor.

Sitting there, while Amber guided the car like a speedboat on a canal, occasionally looking at her own reflection in the rearview mirror to brush aside a strand of hair, or fix an invisible smudge to her lipstick, Lilly found she had nothing to say. Actually that was not true, she had too much to say, she just didn't know where to begin.

Amber hardly seemed to be aware of her presence

Finally, before her nerves failed completely, Lilly blurted out, "I'm sorry about John."

Amber half turned her head to look at her, her expression unreadable.

"I'm so sorry." Lilly gabbled, the words coming faster than she would have liked, "I know I said at the time that you had no right to be angry because you had been broken up for months, but I know how much liked him. We didn't intend to hurt you."

Lilly noticed a slight tightening in Amber's grip on the wheel but, when she looked up, Amber was smiling.

She waved a hand in dismissal and said, "Forget about it, darling. Water under the bridge. Really. John and I..." She gazed into the traffic ahead as if it held the words she was looking for before continuing, "We were never going to work. He could never accept what I did for a living."

"Besides," she gave Lilly a conspiratorial glance out of the corner of one eye, "I think he always kind of had a thing for you, even when we were dating."

Lilly said nothing to this, John had told her as much not long before Amber had found the two of them in bed together. Even after Amber had left in a fury, John had begged that they keep seeing each other, but it was no good. The budding relationship that had begun over a chance encounter in a coffee shop, long after John had stopped dating Amber, had died that night. Amber's mortification and Lilly's burden of guilt had seen to that.

"It was a pity," she thought, ruefully, "I really thought John and I had something for a moment there."

Amber interrupted her reverie by slapping the steering wheel with one hand and, in a voice perhaps a little too cheery, suggested, "Let's not talk about that, shall we? I missed you, Bills."

"I missed you too," Lilly replied, truthfully.

"Any news from your dad?"

"No," Lilly could not hide the disappointment in her voice. Amber was the only one who really knew her whole story.

"I haven't heard anything since you left. He has been angry with me before, but he has never done this to me. I really think he means it this time." She could not hide the quaver that had come into her voice.

Amber patted her thigh again and said, "Hey, don't worry about it, Bills. He will come around. I'm sure soon you guys will be closer than ever. Just stay strong."

It felt good to talk to Amber again, and Lilly felt the tears that had been building up behind her eyes, recede back at Amber's warm touch. Perhaps she was right. She just needed to give him more time

With a deep breath to steady her voice, Lilly changed the subject, "Is there anything I need to know about tonight?"

Amber swayed her head from side to side, to indicate there was a "yes," and a "no," answer to that question, before saying, "He is into some interesting stuff, but nothing you can't handle. The client is a complete sweetheart, really, and there is nothing you really have to do, it is all organised. Just keep an open mind, will you?"

Lilly nodded, but her mind reeled with the possibilities. Amber must have sensed this, because she placed her perfectly manicured hand on Lilly's arm and added, "I promise, Bills. He won't hurt you. It might look a bit strange, but it is a lot of fun, trust me."

Soon afterwards Amber pulled into a narrow alley in a poorly lit, rundown area. There was no signage to suggest where they were or even where the alleyway led.

They stopped at a gate that blocked off access halfway down the alley. Incongruous to the area, a large man in a very smart suit stood by the gate. Amber wound down her window and said something to the man Lilly could not make out. It obviously had the intended effect though, because he immediately moved to open the gate for them.

After the gate the alleyway opened into a large rectangular parking lot, walled off on all sides by the surrounding buildings. There were about two dozen cars already parked there, with at least as many spots still open. Amber picked one and then stopped her car with her bumper inches from a graffitied brick wall.

They climbed out, Lilly very reluctantly, as she took in the scene around her. It was not a very inviting scene.

Amber was completely unconcerned, however, and she took Lilly's hand and led her to a scratched, battered metal door that was sunk into one of the surrounding walls. Lilly felt a growing fear. This was far outside of her comfort zone.

Amber pounded on the door. After a moment an eye slit slid open. the situation had become almost cartoonish. It reminded Lilly of old speakeasies or illegal gambling dens she had seen on TV. Lilly might have laughed if she hadn't felt so nervous.

The eyes only stared back at them with unwavering impassivity, until Amber spoke, this time Lilly heard the word she said: "Gorgon"

There was a resonant clank and then the heavy door swung open.

Lilly followed Amber in, past the enormous, stone faced man in a tuxedo who held the door open. Together they descended a staircase below street level. As they stepped through another doorway, Lilly was taken aback by the contrast in environments.

From the bleak stairwell, that looked like it was the entrance to a drug den, it opened up into what could have been the reception area of a luxury hotel. Rich carpets were on the floor and the artworks on the wall were skillfully rendered. These would have not looked out of place in a museum, if not for the gratuitous and carnal acts they each depicted.

An asian woman, perfect in her petite symmetry, sat behind a desk. When she saw Amber she rose and greeted her warmly with a hug, asking in unaccented English, "Is this the new girl?"

Amber nodded and pushed Lilly forward. As she stood there Lilly found herself squirming under the small woman's intense scrutiny.

"You were right. She is lovely. Have you explained the rules to her?"

"Most of them"

"Amber?" The woman gave her a stern look.

"I wanted her to see for herself before she let anything I said scare her off. Honestly, she's as timid as a little mouse, Mimi. Sometimes she needs a little push. But, you can relax, Meems, she's cool."

The woman, who Lilly could only assume was called Mimi, looked hard into Lilly's eyes before she addressed her directly, "Hello, Lilly. Did your friend explain anything about the Electra Complex?"

Lilly shook her head, "Complex?" She asked.

Mimi gave Amber a glare that suggested they would talk about this later. Amber at least had the decency to look chastised.

"This is a club of sorts," Mimi began, "a very private and exclusive club where people come to do things that polite society might frown up. Its divided into sections and runs underground along most of this street. That's why we call it the complex. Nothing illegal happens here, mind you. Just things that our clients might not want want their shareholders, employers or spouses finding out about." She said this last part with a wink.

Lilly felt the little knot of fear in her belly tighten a little. "It's a brothel?" She asked in small voice.

"No, no" Mimi actually laughed a little a this, "It's more like a country club. We organise some activities that members partake in, but we also rent out rooms and facilities to members like Amber here. We cater for a very wide variety of tastes."

She gave Amber another hard look before asking, "Does she at least know why you have the room?"

"Of course, Meems. This is not her first rodeo, right Lilly?"

Lilly confirmed this with a small nod.

Mimi still didn't look convinced, but she finally relaxed her narrowed eyes a little and said, "Amber is a member, but freelancer. She sometimes hires rooms for her clients. You will be using the room she has booked for tonight. Has she explained that to you?"

Amber interrupted Mimi, saying "God, Mimi, you are not her mother. She's fine. I will take her in and show her now. She knows she is under no obligation to stay," she looked directly at Lilly before adding, "She won't get paid, but she can quit at any time."

"Do you have a safe word?" Mimi asked, straight faced.

"Um," Lilly stammered. What kind of kinky shit did Amber have planned if she needed a safe word?

Mimi, seeing her consternation intervened, saying, "Don't let that bother you. It's a requirement for every submissive who enters the complex. That is what you will be taking on tonight, if you are standing in for Amber's usual role."

Mimi looked at Amber, who nodded, before going on, "Just pick something you wouldn't ever say in normal conversation. Whatever happens, if you say that phrase the night ends, one of our guys comes in and stops the party." She indicated up the stairs they had just descended to where the human totem pole who had let them in was, undoubtedly, still standing.

"The rooms have no cameras, but they are wired for sound. You even whisper your safe word and we'll come running." as she spoke, Mimi placed a reassuring hand on Lilly's arm, "It's not that anyone who comes here should feel under threat. Quite the opposite, it so so our clients can pursue the fulfillment of their every desire, knowing they do so in complete safety and without judgement."

Mimi raised a questioning eyebrow at Lilly.

Not sure what to say, Lilly said the first thing that came to mind, "Pineapple daiquiri?"

Amber sniggered and, despite everything, Lilly smiled too.

Mimi looked at them both before asking, "Am I missing something here girls?"