In the House of Spite Ch. 09

It looked like a stereotypical 1950's housewife's dress, petticoat and everything except for the bra. Pearl hated bras, and she'd be damned if she was going to wear a 1950s bra. They were fine for the time period, especially considering the technology they had, but Pearl couldn't be paid to wear one. That's how much she hated them. A thin camisole was a suitable alternative.

Darren seeing loved dresses on her sometimes, and certain vintage dresses were favorites. He'd personally searched on the Internet to find shops that sold such things. He'd ordered a few of those things, and the one he picked out this day was a more casual style.

The petticoat was a bit small, not quite poofy. Short cap sleeves. Pale pink gingham check fabric. Peter Pan collar. There was even an apron with huge pockets. Long white socks on her legs and penny loafers on her feet. She was, as Darren put it, adorable.

She refused to wear makeup, though. Because work and makeup didn't mix in her mind. Plus that stuff was not only expensive, but also difficult to wash off. And she could always smell it all around herself. Makeup was definitely not everyday wear for her. At least her hair was in a cute topknot.

As Pearl swept the kitchen floor, she listened to the guitar music being played upstairs. It was a type of electric guitar. Darren had a metal side. The dogs were playing with each other outside. The air smelled like cleaning products, oddly safe. Even the dishwater made everything smell better.

She'd moved on to mopping when the music was done and Darren walked downstairs. He was careful to keep out of the way as he went to the living room. He called out, "Protein shake?!"

"Not a problem!" Pearl put the mop aside and gathered the ingredients. A few minutes later she was handing Darren a shake. He was sitting down in a recliner and watching something. He took one sip, put the cup on a little table, and then rather unceremoniously pulled Pearl's arm.

She gave a light, "Oh!" Then she was put in his lap. She snuggled with him for a while as he drank his shake. Then, when the cup was pretty much empty, she took it and said, "I need to get back to mopping."

The floor was all shiny and wet when she went back into the living room and asked Darren if he needed anything. He paused the Netflix stream and told her to get back in his lap. Her apron, skirt, and petticoat rode up a little, but that was okay. She wasn't in public, and she wasn't wearing 1950s style panties. She had on modern panties, plain blue cotton. She wasn't worried about Darren judging her, not that he was a very judgmental person in the first place.

His lips were pouting a bit. His nose was wiggling. His pale eyes seemed unnerved. His fingers on her body were tensing. "Hey, Baby?"

Her cheek a bit under his chest, Pearl asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Do you think I'm mean to you?"

She rolled her eyes and nuzzled him. "Who's the dumbass that said you were mean to me?"

"Nobody." His fingertips slipped under her bunching skirt. "I just worry. I tell you what to do a lot."

"You make the money," Pearl said. "You take care of me. As long as you're being reasonable I don't care." For example, whenever he wanted her to buy a specific thing to wear, he typically handed her the extra cash for it or ordered it himself. He never cut into her pocket money, even though he was the one who provided that.

Pearl thought that was more than fair. She thought that was sweet. "Besides," she said, "I gave you permission to own me."

"Hm?!" He gripped her tighter. "Is that what you did?"

"Lots of people wouldn't think that way, especially not women." Pearl sneakily tugged her skirts and petticoats up a little more. Well, she thought she was sneaky, but there really was no way to do that well. Petticoats can be loud. "But this makes me happy, because it's you I'm with," she said. "Nobody else gets to tell me what to do."

Darren had to kiss her then, or that's what he told her later.

It became a hot make out session. Then Pearl was carried off to the bedroom upstairs and dropped right on the bed, which made her laugh. His right hand slid up her arm, then her shoulder, then her throat. No pressure applied. He practically hid her neck with only one hand, but he didn't grip her. His eyes were in a weird state, worried but also heated. "Aren't you angry? Aren't you scared?"

Her lips formed a breezy little smile. "You wouldn't hurt me."

He bent down and put his tongue in her mouth for a while. Then he told her about something he'd like to try out.

They didn't have any fancy equipment. Everything was improvised. Well, there wasn't too much of an "everything." All Darren could find was some thick rope previously purchased from a hardware store and some duct tape. He said a thinner rope would be too dangerous. Not only that, he wanted it just loose enough for her to be able to slip her wrist out in case of an emergency.

Right behind her back. That's where her hands were tied. Right on her lips. That's where a strip of tape was placed. But Darren made sure she could breathe well through her nose.

Naked but warm.

Belly on the mattress. Her face's cheek on a pillow. Another pillow under her hips. Words that sounded like they came from the top of a mountain, but still felt as though they were right at her ear. Firm. Not quite angry, but uncompromising. He was going to have everything he wanted.

The heavy right palm, long fingernails, only so lightly drawing unseen lines down her back, Pearl trembled at the dangerous impressions.

He could mutilate her, but he wouldn't dare to leave any mark other than a hickey.

Something about that was hot.

"I don't want to hear any whining," Darren said very strictly.

Her breath puffed out her nostrils.

He squeezed one of her buttocks. She heard him adjust his position. She was sure he was kneeling. His breath was on her ass, pussy, and the space in-between. One of her legs moved to kick, but Darren held it down with his free hand. "No, no, no. Am I going to have to tie your legs up too? Or are you going to be a good girl?"

She made something like a nod and squeaked out a wriggling kind of noise.

He put a kiss on her thigh. "Alright."

Slow bliss was what Pearl felt. A hot, slick tongue gliding up her slit. Her fingers bent harshly. Little frissons danced through and around her nipples. Her eyes shut and her belly lurched.

"Hmmmmmm ... you've been taking good care of yourself, Honey. That's good." Another lick, this time with a bit of his tongue dipping between the labia and past the opening. He slurped. "You taste just like you need to."

She loved praise like that. It gave her goosebumps.

A few seconds passed on with this sort of light treatment. Then he pushed his tongue in and licked at everything he could reach. His lips were so hot. Pearl was trying not to rock her body.

His long fingernails ran down her right leg as he hummed and lapped at her. Then his mouth moved away. His left hand moved up. Two fingers pressed inside, the callused pads rubbing her G-Spot. Her toenails scratched at the carpet, and she had rather short toenails. Small noises were muffled behind the tape.

"I know it feels good, Baby."

Pearl didn't just feel the wetness cushioning his digits. She heard it too.

"And you're going to cum for me, aren't you?"

Her arms and bound hands wiggled as she gave a noise. "Mm hmmmm!"

"You're going to cum on my cock, right? You're going to make your Pa feel good?"

Another humming response.

He pulled his fingers out then put his fingertips right on her clit. Slow, rough circles. Tight and teasing. "You'd better cum on my cock. I want you squeezing me hard."

She almost kicked. She wanted to get away but she also wanted to bind him to her.

"And that's what you're going to do." His fingers slipped away and he got up. The nightstand drawer. Condoms. Same old song and dance but it was still exciting.

He soon held her hips. With a sigh and a groan he put himself inside. The first stroke was slow, but the rest were fast and hard. Pearl whimpered as she was rammed into. She was practically helpless. She could only feel the wonderful, throbbing, pleasure.

It didn't take long for her to cum, and she did it so hard that she couldn't even tell when Darren had his turn.

***

Night. Cozy, sleepy night.

A scary dream woke Pearl up, and she quietly laid in bed. Some moments went on and she heard Darren grumble. Then he got out of bed to pad on over to the bathroom.

She heard the door click shut, then running water. The shower? Why did he suddenly want a shower? Pearl turned her body around to stare at the door. Light shone through the cracks between the door and the archway. What was going on?

Coughing. Hissing. Other noises she couldn't exactly understand. The shower's noise overpowered most of them. Was he sick?

Pearl rubbed her eyes and flipped her blanket away. Then she put on her slippers and walked over to the bathroom door. She rapped on it. "Hey, are you okay?"

No answer, but plenty of splashing.

"What's wrong?"

Coughing. Then a very wet, very deep, very growly sounding, "Okay!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah!" That time he sounded hazy. She could hardly believe that was Darren's voice.

"Well, if you need any help, let me know." Pearl shrugged and yawned. Then she went back to bed. After what felt like half an hour, the shower was finally turned off. The light was eventually put out. When Darren went back to bed, he smelled like cotton towels.

Ohhh ... kay?

She tapped his slightly damp arm. "You okay?"

"Hm?" He sounded like he'd just woken up. "Oh." He yawned very heavily and stretched his long limbs. "Yeah. My back was hurting. Needed a hot shower."

"Next time, tell me and I'll rub you down."

"I like hot showers." He yawned again. "Goodnight."

Pearl turned her body around. "Okay. Goodnight."

***

"Hey there Ma! It's good to see you!" That was Suzy, one of the nice Lumbee women Pearl worked with in the summer. They were at it again this year. Pearl had just got into one of the units to work with her favorite group.

"Hi! How can I help?" Pearl was smiling and her nails were painted a silly yellow color.

Freckled Nancy leaned in to say, "The bathroom down there needs to be done." She pointed at it with a long fingernail.

Nodding, Pearl said, "I'm on it!"

It was physically cool, quiet work. When the bathroom was done, Pearl went off to help Grace, the White teenager, dust and vacuum. Later on, she heard Rachel, the tall Lumbee, say, "Greg just left to help his wife with the baby. We got just Britt today."

Suzy, who was wiping the kitchen counters, said, "He leaves us alone, I guess."

Pearl didn't really know the man, not very much. She'd mostly dealt with the older brother and the mother.

"I heard Britt's girl broke up with him," Nancy said as she went to get a mop bucket.

"He was running around on her!" Suzy practically cried out, smiling and trying not to laugh. "I'd beat his ass!"

Pearl randomly said, "I've never been run around on." She was winding a vacuum cleaner's electric cord back in its place. "I don't know what I'd do." She shrugged. "Well, I've screamed at Darren before. I can do it again."

"Wait." Suzy smiled at Pearl. "Who's Darren?"

"Oh!" Pearl gripped the vacuum's handle. "I got a new boyfriend. He used to be my boss but now I live with him."

Pretty much everyone popped in to look at her with surprised expressions. This was a story that would have to be told the next time they took a little break, and they decided to take it after the next house was done. They chilled out on a porch in the back, sipping sports drinks and munching on various types of bars. For around five minutes Pearl gave a basic description of events, minus the most important details. By the end of it, she was asked to describe him.

Pearl reached up with a horizontal palm and said, "Big dude. Six feet nine inches tall. And I'm only around five feet, so it can get a little tricky." Some of the women's eyebrows rose at that, and one said wow. Then Pearl said, "He's half-Black, half-White, and he's got the prettiest ice blue eyes. He owns a gym, and he works out a lot. So, he's pretty beefy and tough, but I don't think there's anything mean about him. He spoils me rotten."

When all the units were done, all the cleaners waited outside for Britt to get their cash. Strangely, Pearl saw Darren's truck pull up. She'd used his older truck to get here. She didn't know why he'd appear. Pearl ran up to him as he stepped out of the vehicle, and she said, "Hi there! What's going on?"

He patted the top of her sweaty head and said he thought they should meet up at the tiny amusement park near the lake for a few hours of fun. "But if you're too tired," he said, "we could just go to a burger place." These locations were only open during the tourist season. The tourists were unavoidable.

"Oh, that would be nice." She gave him a quick hug. "I'm not too tired. I'd love to see the cute rides." Her chin was up against the man's warm body as she grinned up at him. "I need to get my money first, okay?"

"Alright. I'll wait in the truck. Then I'll follow you to the park."

Back with the other cleaners, Pearl was in a significantly bouncier mood. The Lumbee women in particular were giving her knowing looks. Suzy even said, "So that's your new man?"

"Sure is," Pearl said.

Britt was giving out money at this point.

"Damn girl!" That was Rachel. "Dude looks like he'd knock you off the bed!"

Pretty much everyone laughed at that.

When Britt had to give Pearl her cash, he said something that made her frown. He was an average looking man, or she thought he was mostly so. Not tall, not short, dull hair and eyes. With a crooked smile, complete with hopelessly uneven teeth, he said, "That's your boyfriend? Aren't your parents upset that you're hanging around a dude old enough to be your daddy?"

Ruffled, Pearl snatched up her cash. "I'm thirty." She didn't bother looking up at his face. She just counted the money. "You're short ten dollars."

She dared to think to herself, "And if you don't give me those ten dollars I earned, I'll get my boyfriend to stomp on you."

"Okay, okay." Britt made a sucking sound with his teeth and went back to get the cash.

When everybody was paid, Pearl said goodbye and waved at Darren. Then she got in the other truck.

At the amusement park, Pearl made sure to vent to Darren about how her love life was none of that asshole's business.

***

Snuggling on the couch was always an interesting time. Pearl often felt so small when beside Darren. Her socked feet were lazily kicking in the air. They were watching a Chinese historical drama.

Pearl had connected her laptop up to the TV so they could watch an obscure streaming service. Pearl had a strong hatred of the Chinese government but she had nothing against the Chinese people in general, and she was fond of some of their historical dramas. Her favorites involved imperial concubines scheming against each other for an emperor's favor. She wasn't sure why.

To Darren's credit, he watched the show very patiently and even had the show paused at times to ask questions.

When the episode was over, Pearl announced she was tired of it. Then she went to disconnect the laptop and put it on a desk. She'd recently ordered a new desk and chair for herself. It had been placed in the living room so she didn't have to stay in the kitchen.

She heard one of the dogs come downstairs. She figured out it was Gunner. She said aloud, "I hope you weren't in Daddy's bed again. I don't want to have to beat hair off the blanket." Then she realized she couldn't remember the last time she had to beat the hair out. The bed had been remarkably hairless for a long time. With a shrug, she figured it was just another thing to be happy about.

"Baby, get me a shake."

"Okay." She went to make one for him. He was in a peach phase. She made sure to put in some slices before working the blender. Then she poured a cup and walked up to him. When his long fingers took the cup, his eyes were focused on her, and they stayed that way even when Pearl went to her laptop.

She was playing a rather difficult indie game when Darren suddenly spoke up. "Hey, Little Girl."

Pursing her lips at the sprite on the screen, Pearl said, "What do you need?"

"Next time that man at your job talks shit to you, you should yell at him and quit. You don't need that job."

"But you said it might be good for me." Her fingers were making a pattern with the keys. "And I like the job."

"Yeah, but that guy's an asshole. Anybody that talks to employees like that needs to be put in their place."

Aaaaaand she died. Damn it. Pearl sighed. "He's not the only manager I have to deal with."

"One bad manager can ruin a business," Darren said. Pearl heard him tapping the bottom of his cup on a table. "Too many managers will ruin a business even faster."

"What really gets me is when coworkers are given special treatment," Pearl said as the game finished restarting. Brand new randomized level. Let's go!

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Sometimes we're told we're being too slow but the older group are the slowest of all. I mean, they usually have less people but it's getting ridiculous. One week, even when one of the managers was helping them, they only did two houses and half of another in a whole work day while we did all the rest."

"Are they young women?"

"Older women. At least one of them has worked there for decades. They know how to work fast. They've been at it forever."

She heard the recliner creak as he got up. "They're probably afraid of being understaffed. They don't want to offend the senior workers."

"I can still remember when early on, I was working with the older group, and they told me I was being too slow. One of them told me I needed to stop pulling the toilet seats off when I clean the bathrooms."

She heard his footsteps. He closed in. "Huh? You removed the toilet seats?"

"The first thing I was told was that most of the toilet seats can be popped off. So, every time I clean a toilet I should see if the seat can be removed. If I can remove it then I should do it to get in all those little tiny spots. It keeps the toilet smelling good and just makes it cleaner."

Pearl had to use a healing item. Most of the game's healing items were in the form of potato snacks. Food based healing items always amused Pearl. "Well, whenever I did that, I was told by the older woman not to do it. In her mind, I was taking too much time. When I told Greg, oh that's one of the managers, he said to just keep removing the seats like always but nothing really happened with those women."

Pearl smiled a little because she'd just found an item that had the form of bottled milk. Milk was good in this game. "Sometimes, my group would be at a house we knew the older group cleaned the last week. And we'd find signs that they'd taken a few shortcuts. They'd even hide dirty pillows in pillowcases they didn't belong in, the thick and colored pillowcases, just so they wouldn't have to wash the pillows. You don't even have to wash the pillows every week. And we'd find so much dust from the last week that we were surprised the guests didn't complain."

She got into a fight with a cat demon thing. "Actually, we've been told that customers have complained before. Old egg stuff in frying pans. No linens on the beds. But none of that was ever in houses my group was in. Trust me. But the owner, she's the guys' mom, she complains to us like we're the ones who dropped the ball."

Darren's fingers curled over the back of her chair. His breath tickled her cheek and ear. "Baby, you really need to quit that job."