The Gift 1923 Pt. 04

(Author's note: Hi everyone and thank you, once again, for checking out my stories and commenting on them - please keep them coming as i always enjoy reading them! This series is the novelisation of the film, The Gift, which will feature Bethany Starr as Florence and Noa as Lulu. The plan is that at some point, the events depicted in this series will be reflected in other stories in the present day - for example, (Rock Chick) Bea will attend the premiere of the film, alongside Noa, and of course, Chloe herself is making her proper debut in the film version... all to look forward to! - I hope you enjoy!

Chloe)

Lulu found herself being awakened by the sudden daylight invading her room.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" called Florence, as she flung open the curtains, making Lulu cover her eyes momentarily with her arm. It took her a moment for her brain to catch up -- where she was, who this woman was, robbing her of her dreams.

"Oh, my head..." she said, as she slowly sat up.

"That brandy does pack a punch, doesn't it, dear ward. Don't worry, some breakfast will help sort you out!" Florence beamed as she left the room. Lulu waited until her eyes had fully adjusted to the bright sunshine, then slowly pulled herself together.

She followed the thick aroma of cooked food coming from the other end of the apartment and found her mentor placing some toast and soft-boiled eggs on the table. Florence placed a cup of black coffee and a small glass of orange juice in front of her.

"Drink the orange first, then help yourself to an egg and soldiers!" said Florence, indicating the thin slices of buttered toast.

Lulu did as she was told and found the cottonmouth and headache soon dissipated.

"I've had too many rough nights to count, Lulu. Everyone you'll meet has their own cure for the morning after, and I daresay at some point you will find one which suits you. But I think you'll find this is a good starter!"

"I do feel better, thank you Miss Florence." Lulu smiled.

"Good girl," Florence replied. This made Lulu blush, and Florence chuckled, "oh, you like me calling you a good girl, dear ward?" She reached across to stroke Lulu's cheek with the back of her hand. Lulu's eyes were downcast, and she blushed even more heavily, nodding her head in response.

"Well, darling, you were certainly a good girl in bed last night. I'm looking forward to more of that later, if it interests you."

"Oh, God...Miss Florence, it was wonderful."

"Well, I'm sure today will be even more so. We have a lot to do, so go and have a shower and I'll pick out some clothes for you."

-----

It was the middle of the afternoon, and the pair of women were inside Harrods in Kensington. Florence had guided her ward on several purchases already, to ensure she had plenty of skirts and dresses and shoes, perfumes and makeup for all occasions. They were now in a secluded part of the store, sitting waiting patiently while some models got ready for them. A man wearing a three-piece suit was serving them, paying all his attention on Florence as she was clearly in charge.

"And now, ladies," he said, "Our latest selection, straight from Paris..." As he spoke, four young women appeared through a doorway. Each model was wearing a matching set of lingerie. Lulu swallowed hard as she gazed upon the very attractive ladies in their provocative attire. Throughout the day she had witnessed other women modelling the clothes she ended up purchasing, so logically this was the same -- except, of course it wasn't. She glanced at Florence, who seemed to be most accustomed to such sights. The four women paraded around in front of them, turning, twisting their bodies slowly, before standing in front of them. Lulu was taken with their demeanor, a laid back attitude as if parading in sexy lingerie was completely natural.

"Well?" said Florence, turning to Lulu, "see anything you like, dear ward?" Florence idly played with Lulu's hair, twirling it around her fingers.

"The black lace, Miss Florence. I think it makes a strong contrast to my skin colour. And... the red set, also."

Florence motioned for the assistant to come over.

"Two of the black set, one red and one white, please. You have her measurements and the address?"

"Yes, Ma'am, he replied."

"Good. Thank you so much," she said, shaking the man's hand and ushering Lulu out of the area and towards the restaurant.

The pair sat in silence for a moment. Florence ordered them some tea and sandwiches, then placed her hand on her ward.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she said.

"Um...that last boutique...the lingerie... I never expected... models, Miss Florence."

Florence moved her chair a bit closer to her ward, so she could whisper conspiratively.

"A little different from the other girls you've seen today? More... provocative?"

"I couldn't help myself; I was almost drooling at them Miss!" she laughed bashfully.

"They were rather tasty, weren't they? Would you like to bed one of them?"

Florence chuckled as Lulu blushed and stammered. "Oh, darling, look at you! If it's of any help, I certainly would. Especially the redhead, don't you think she was cute? Perhaps we can convince her to join us some time soon."

Lulu gulped her cup of tea and sat in silence for a moment, allowing her complexion to calm down, before turning to her mistress.

"I've never known anyone like you, Miss Florence. The way you talk about," she looked around and leant in, lowering her voice, "about sex, and your desires. It amazes me, honestly."

Florence finished her own cup of tea and looked at Lulu appreciatively.

"We're living in an age where women still cannot vote or take agency for the things that matter to them, Lulu. However, we should not act as meek maidens waiting for a man to dictate our own desires. You and I have shared the most intimate of moments," she gently squeezed Lulu's hand, "so is it not right that we share our intimate thoughts as well?"

"Agatha and I," said Lulu, "we would often talk while we were laying together, but this feels different, Miss. You are talking of such things in the cold light of day, not while in an intimate embrace!"

"I do not see the need to have to wait to discuss such matters, dear ward. Again, who dictates that there is a time and a place for such conversations, if they are to happen at all? We are intimate friends, lovers, even. And I am enjoying sharing my thoughts and desires with you."

"And I am enjoying this so much, Miss Florence! It is beyond anything I could have comprehended at St Cath's."

"I'm glad to hear it, Lulu!" Florence looked over at the clock hanging above the doorway; it was a quarter past five.

"We have one more appointment to make, dear. I hope you are not too tired from the day so far?"

Lulu stretched in her chair, and said, "I still have some energy left, Miss Florence, although it has been a busy day. I've lost track of all the packages we've sent to the apartment today. So, what do I need now?"

Florence thought for a moment before answering.

"Do you trust me, Lulu? Do you trust my judgement, and my desire for the best for you?"

"I absolutely do, Miss," Lulu said earnestly.

"Good, then I'll keep our next destination a surprise, for now. Come on, it's time we were off!"

The pair took a taxi from Knightsbridge, and headed into the throng of central London, past Piccadilly Circus and down to the Strand, where Florence instructed the driver to stop and let them out. Lulu looked around and marveled at the large, imperious buildings, wondering why her mistress had brought them there. She was happy when Florence held out her hand, as she felt as if she'd get lost very easily. This feeling increased when Florence turned them away from The Strand and along a side street. This was lined with smaller shops and boutiques, specialising in different things -- books, shoes, antiques, as well as a couple of pubs and cafes. They crossed the street; Lulu noted that Florence had increased their pace, as if she were getting impatient to reach their destination, whatever it may be.

Most of the traders were either closing, or had already done so, and the street was a lot quieter now that the hustle and bustle of the day was done. Florence suddenly stopped, taking Lulu by surprise as she couldn't see any place they could have been heading to.

"We're here," Florence said. Lulu could detect an element of excitement in her voice. She looked around, perplexed.

"Where, Miss?" she asked. Florence pointed up, and Lulu saw a barber's pole. She glanced at the building they were standing in front of.

"But it's closed, Miss."

"Yes, the ground floor shop is closed..." She took Lulu's hand and led her down some iron steps to the lower level, which had a picture window with curtains pulled closed, still letting a sliver of light escape between them. There was a door, with the words "Hair by Chloe" written in large letters on the glass.

With the curtains closed across the picture window, the room Lulu was ushered into was intermittently lit, with overhead lighting centred above the three large chairs which faced their own sinks. The polished floor was tiled in a black and white checkered pattern and the place smelled of soap, oil and tobacco smoke.

In the central chair, Lulu saw, was a person, their feet reclined on the sink, as they held a cigarette and read a book. Lulu glanced into the large mirror in front, and saw from the reflection, as they lowered their book, that it was a woman.

The woman in question stared at Lulu for a moment, a puzzled look on her face, but then smiled broadly when she saw Florence.

"Florence! What a pleasure, to have you back so soon. I was surprised to get your note!" the stranger said, her voice carrying a French accent. She took her feet off of the sink, and slowly pulled herself to her feet in a lithe and graceful manner, before quickly closing the distance between herself and Florence, hugging her tightly. She whispered something in Florence's ear, but Lulu couldn't make it out.

"Lulu, dear, please meet Chloe, a very close friend who looks after my hair for me. Chloe, this is Lulu, whom I told you about!"

"Enchanté, Lulu! I understand you are to receive a makeover from me. I am very much looking forward to it!" She shook Lulu's hand.

Lulu's mouth gaped open but nodded to Chloe. "Yes Miss Chloe, so am I!" she found herself saying.

"Très Bien! Why don't you take a seat while i have a little chat with Florence, hmm?"

Lulu went and sat in the big chair in front of the mirror, overlooking the deep sink. She breathed deeply, her mind trying to take in the shock of what she'd just learned. Her mistress had been rather circumspect about this, wanting it to be a surprise, or a shock for her. She'd asked her to trust her judgement, and had done so, accepting the situation. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was pinned up at the moment, so she started to take it down, letting it spill over her back. The girls at St Cath's had been forbidden from cutting their hair shorter than their shoulders, and Lulu's strawberry blonde locks went as far as mid-back. She thought about Florence and her stylish, modern bob, and admitted she envied it. She had seen many women out and about today with similar styles and knew that if she were to blend in, she would need to look the part. She now had the wardrobe, and makeup; it was time for her hair to be brought up to date!

Lulu looked past her reflection and studied Chloe. Should she call her Miss Chloe? She thought it would be best. She seemed quite androgynous, wearing black slacks with a white blouse...no, a men's shirt, she realised, with gold cufflinks. Her own hair was styled in a very sharp bob, which had a weight line above a short clippered nape. Whereas Florence had a low-cut fringe, Chloe's hair was parted off-centre to the right, with a deep parting. Her lips were a dark red, and her eyes were dark, dusky. Like herself and Florence, she was slender, but a couple of inches taller than the pair of them. Lulu watched as Chloe offered her mistress a cigarette, and wondered what they were talking about.

Chloe lit her own and leant her shoulder against the wall as they talked.

"So, she is the one you mentioned? Your...how you say...ward?"

"Yes, her stepmother has entrusted her into my care for the foreseeable future. She was...rather taken with my talents."

"Yes, I remember you saying she was there at Archie's orgy! Darling that was a hot night, oui? I could hardly walk afterward!" Chloe chuckled. She glanced over at Lulu.

"So.. what is she like? Have you bedded her yet?" Florence nodded as she took a drag on her cigarette and tilted her head to exhale the thin plume of smoke.

"Last night. And yes, she is wonderful to play with. She has lots of potential, and the foundation of that starts with us, today."

"The style you have chosen for her will suit her very well, but it is going to take some time, oui?"

Florence smiled and turned Chloe to face her. "Time enough for us to have some fun, I hope." She touched Chloe's face and said, "I've missed you," she said as she leant closer to kiss her, softly at first, then deeper. Chloe's hand slid to Florence's waist.

Chloe whispered against Florence's lips, "I'm sure your equally excited about this, oui? You want to watch me modernise your girl, i can't wait to see you grow excited Mon Cheri... I'm aching to start with her!"

"You know me so well, darling...let's go get her ready!"

Chloe went to the door to the shop, flipped the sign from "open" to "closed" shut the blind and locked up. Florence walked up behind Lulu, who was excited to see Florence and Chloe's intimate kiss. Placing her hands on Lulu's shoulders, she spoke to her ward's reflection.

"I would like you to take off all of your clothes, Lulu," she said.

Lulu did not object; it took but a moment for her to move out of the chair and to start to disrobe for her mistress. She had meant what she'd said earlier: that she absolutely trusted Florence's judgement and saw no reason to question her command. She took off her dress and undergarments as quickly as she could, until she was standing naked. Her nipples hardened under the gaze of the two women, and she could feel a moistness developing below. Although she was a little self-conscious about her thick thatch of pubic hair, she managed to keep her hands from covering it.

"I like her. I like her attitude. Tres bien, Lulu. Tres bien!" Chloe walked over and placed a towel on the seat of the chair and motioned for Lulu to sit back down. As she did so, Chloe draped a large cape over her body, smoothing the material down at the back and front, over her shoulders, and clasped it tightly around her neck. There were slits in the cape on either side, and Lulu pushed her bare arms through. This in effect trapped the material against her body, especially her pert breasts, rubbing against her hardened nipples.

Lulu watched through the mirror as Chloe prepared herself. She put a leather apron over her clothes, tying it across her slender belly. The apron contains small pockets containing various scissors and combs. She noticed Chloe's hands were manicured and polished in the French style.

Chloe picked up a hairbrush and stepped behind Lulu, addressing her through the mirror.

"Ok Lulu. You have given permission to Florence, and she has in turn instructed me, understand? I am giving you a hairstyle to your mistress's instructions, oui?"

"Yes, Miss Chloe, I understand," said Lulu, smiling when she saw the reaction on Chloe's face when she called her "Miss".

"We are going to get on very well, my dear!" said Chloe as she started to brush through Lulu's thick strawberry blonde hair.

As she dragged the brush through her hair, she continued talking.

"So, we are going to do this in..." she counted her fingers and muttered in French, "une-deux-trois" then held up three fingers. "Trois! Three, stages. Three. Ok?"

"I am in your hands, Miss Chloe," Lulu smiled as her head was tugged back by the brush. Each tug made her breasts rub against the cape just a little.

Chloe continued brushing Lulu's hair, pulling it back behind her ears until she was satisfied that she has smoothed it all backward. She held the thick rope of it tightly in her hand and reached into her apron. Lulu's eyes widened as the size of the scissors now in Chloe's hands. They were at least six inches long and the blades were very thick. Lulu found herself holding her breath as Chloe begun to cut through the hair held in a ponytail. She sat stock still, her eyes glued on the mirror, staring at Chloe's intense, concentrated face. As she felt the scissors crunching through her hair, she sensed movement to her left and looked across at Florence, her mistress, and was surprised to see the look of lust on her face as she touched her own breasts through her blouse.

"Your Florence likes to watch me work, Lulu", said Chloe, still focused on sliding through the thick rope of hair. Lulu could feel the cut ends falling away. She had no idea of the progress made until finally her hair slid away, falling back into position at the back of her head. She swallowed hard, as she could feel the ends on the middle of her neck. Instinctively, she kept herself from touching it. Instead, she watched as Chloe combed through the remainder of her hair seeing in the mirror a woman with a blunt, choppy bob, while Chloe held up the length of hair she'd just hacked away.

"Don't worry, Mon Cheri, we are not finished with the cutting. However, it is now time for part deux, the colour!" Chloe said, as she pushed her fingers through the back of Lulu's hair. Unexpectedly, Lulu felt a thrill when she did so as her hair felt more sensitive now it was cut. She closed her eyes and shivered slightly.

"I need to go prepare your colour treatment, Lulu. I shall be back shortly," Chloe said, smoothing the cape over Lulu's shoulders. She smiled at Florence and said, "It is going so well, oui?"

"Most certainly, darling!" Said Florence. Lulu realised that it was the first thing her mistress had spoken since the haircut began.

Once Chloe had moved to the back of the shop and out into a back room, Lulu said, "Miss Florence?"

Florence moved closer to her ward and ran her own fingers through her hair, pushing into the back.

"You've been wonderful, my dear."

"Miss... have you been aroused, by watching Miss Chloe cut my hair?"

"Its a strange thing to think about, isn't it, dear ward? But ever since Chloe first cut my hair, in Paris,"

"What?" exclaimed Lulu, "She was the one who styled you so?"

"Oh yes, and ever since, darling. And since that first time, I've always felt a sexual thrill from it." She moved closer still, lifting her foot onto the seat, and taking Lulu's hand, placed it under her skirt.

"Shall i show you?" she said softly, and lifted Lulu's hand to her underwear, pressing her fingers against her damp gusset.

"Oh, my God, Miss! I can feel it!" Lulu was blushing, aware that she was pressing against her mistress's pussy through her underwear. Lulu herself was aroused and very wet, and if not for the towel under her, would be slipping and sliding on the leather seat. Florence let her continue for a moment, sighing, before removing her hand and regaining her composure. Lulu was a little disappointed; she would have loved to give Florence an orgasm but surmised that this wasn't the appropriate time to do so.

A moment later, Chloe returned, carrying a small bowl, stirring its contents. Had she seen us? Lulu wondered to herself.

"Now, Lulu, we come to part deux. Part two! The colour!"

This intrigued Lulu greatly, as she had never known anyone who'd altered their hair's colour before, although she had heard of it. She watched as Chloe handed the bowl to Florence for a moment, while she draped a second cape over her.