The Rise of Rachel Price T-Girl Pt. 18

Rachel was lying in her new bed when she was woken by the morning light coming through gossamer cotton sheets. She rolled over in bed to find Charlie had gone. Charlie had been a good friend that night. After Levant had left, Rachel had told the story of what Levant had done. Charlie had listened patiently and tried her best to be sympathetic. Her bottom line was that Levant did have his petty revenge when he felt slighted. Charlie said, for Levant, that was remarkably restrained. Charlie and Rachel had made love - no games, nothing kinky, just vanilla sex. It was all Rachel could manage, given the day she had just experienced.

Rachel received a text from her mother. People had turned up and started to organize her grandpa's movement to a private clinic. Mom had followed the ambulance to the clinic and was shocked by the lavishness. The latest news was that grandpa was undergoing new tests but was comfortable and in a stable condition. The last words were 'this place was like a hotel. Can you really afford this? How is training going?' Rachel had wanted to text, 'it's quite stressful,' but then changed it to 'it's fine, just orientation stuff. I'm traveling out to the training place tomorrow.'

Rachel looked around; the morning felt new. She felt strangely calm. The tension of the last few days was over, and she felt at peace. The clock was nearly nine. There was a penalty for not getting dressed. Levant would be watching. She had to get dressed and tuck herself in. She went to the mirror in the bathroom and applied her makeup. She had to admit, her eyebrows looked much better than before. Looking in the mirror it was odd being blonde with no wig. The extensions looked good, she thought. The down side was she had to brush and fix her own hair. On the positive side, she didn't have to fanatically remove all of Rachel's makeup, checking every square inch of her head in case Denver's family noticed. She could also keep the nails on which was another improvement.

Pulling on the bra and pads, she slipped into a pencil skirt, tights and heels, she looked around the flat. It was almost too clean, too organized, and too impersonal for her. This was the apartment of a pinstripe nomad, not a home. It was a location, a backdrop. Breakfast arrived, and the smiling waitress set it up outside on a table in the shade near the pool. San Francisco skyline could be her morning television. The fire pit with Denver's lucky burnt clothes reminded her of the night before had done. So she got up, lipstick-kissed cup in hand, and wandered around her new penthouse prison cell: pool, bedrooms, living room, and a bar which was also a kitchen. Some of the cooking utensils were still in their wrappers, as Levant's preferred cooking technique was calling room service.

At first, Rachel looked for a place to hide scratches on the wall to make a tally of her time. She wandered into his office. It had its own separate entrance via an elevator with a small reception area. In Levant's main office, she noticed drawings and a building model for a new project Levant was working on called the 'Emperor Hotel'. It was another renovation and expansion, like the Thornbury. Large internal rooms were demolished, and externally it looked the same, if cleaner. Internally new parts were grafted onto the original historic Victorian building. Modern, sleek shopping and dining opportunities were squeezed in a frenzied way into the fabric of the landmark building. Notes on the plans said Levant wanted to rename it 'The Empress Elizabeth Hotel.' Rachel marveled at the model's tiny figures walking around it. From his executive jet, is this how everyone looked to him in real life? She noticed a tiny grey couple walking into a tiny Sephora. For some reason, she felt the urge to go makeup shopping later.

'I always wondered what people who did really well on their dioramas at school ended up doing,' she said to herself, standing up.

Looking around, she noticed the chair Denver had pleaded for. From the other side, she found the drawers of Levant's table were empty, and the computer was not even plugged in. Then Rachel noticed a framed photo on his desk, and looking closer, she discovered her own image smiling out. Denver had noticed the frame from behind a few days ago. Looking around, this was the only room she had seen without a camera hidden in the corner. Rachel remembered Charlie saying that Levant had a secret panic room hidden somewhere in the apartment. She looked at the painting which hid the safe; it was a 1930s-style portrait of a woman in a light green dress by an artist called Gottlieb. Behind those sullen eyes lay Denver's life. Perhaps Rachel would try numbers out. Maybe, like some weird locked room mystery, the numbers were hidden somewhere secret nearby. Shrugging, she continued her self-guided tour.

There was a tiny, albeit used, gym. His bedroom was massive, and he kept plenty of condoms in his drawers. He had a large walk-in wardrobe filled with freshly pressed clothes, and an ensuite bathroom. It wasn't that different from Charlie's suite except for the balcony. Next was her own room, which also had a hidden walk-in wardrobe. Rachel's dumped suitcase was in a corner, and the clothes were sparsely hanging up like a modern art exhibition. No camera was here. According to the contract, this was the only place where Rachel could be untucked. The door had a lock, and by law, untucking required the door lock to be on. Looking up she noticed another camera hidden in the corner. Only Levant would have access to the video streams, the contract said. He wanted to be able to check on her anywhere in the world, to make sure she was okay.

She passed one hidden door, which was a locked doorway leading up to the helipad on the roof. In the end, she found no real place to scratch the time away, so she ended up writing "Only 310 days left" as a note on her new top-end iPhone. That was 310 days if she didn't have a penalty. If she broke Levant's rules, that would be an extra penalty week or month, depending on the infraction. This would likely add up to a twelve month, but if she was determined to be Rachel, she might get time off for good behavior.

After more coffee, she continued to explore more of Levant's large penthouse, starting in the lavish living room. Before she got very far, she discovered the hidden large screen TV, which also hid the game machines. Denver had made sure of that in the contract negotiations. Most of the equipment was new and some even unboxed. They had done enough to make sure it worked which was a blessing, as a Playstation was not designed to be assembled with stiletto nail extensions. Next to the machines was a long stack of unopened games. TombRaider, Assassins'c Creed III, Mirror's Edge, Silent Hill 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, and few not in the contract like Hellblade: Senna's Sacrifice, and Life is Strange sat in a pile. Rachel found a mean little grin on her vermillion lips.

Unable to transfer Denver's game accounts, Rachel was forced to start fresh, playing longer games from scratch. This would take weeks. There was something calming and comforting about playing games from Denver's childhood and beyond. It was like revisiting an old familiar neighborhood from your youth, which soothed her in a way she found difficult to express.

It was almost one o'clock when Rachel realized she had promised herself to stop playing at twelve and eat. She called room service and ordered something light, as she didn't feel very hungry. Rachel never felt hungry when she was upset, but she tried to stay optimistic. Since she would be alone most of the time, gaming and room service could be a potent mix.

Rachel's phone buzzed. Word had gotten out that Rachel was back. She had a few invites to parties, clubs, drinks, and coffee. Lady Faith left a wonderful message, as did Lil Kayla, Emily Fromm, and Ryan De La Hoz. Before she had disappeared, she had individually WhatsApped her list of socialites, saying she had immigration problems and had to disappear on the next flight. If they were ever in London, they should look her up. It was in Rachel's character that they didn't think they had done something wrong or offended her. They were such a quixotic crowd, so she felt she would be forgotten as quickly as she appeared. It was charming to be remembered. For Rachel, San Francisco had open arms. Denver had never received an invite to go out from anyone. The best he had gotten was responding to open invites in Discord.

It had been a bad start, but she admitted to herself that it wasn't going to be that awful. Levant only spent a few days in California in any random fortnight. During the day, she could play games full-time. Then in the evening, she could moonlight whenever and wherever she wanted. She could visit clubs by herself, attend some of the invites to upcoming fashion shows with Samantha and others, or visit galleries with Ryan De La Hoz. She might even have more time with Charlie, who now lived just downstairs. She was earning money and saving up for her college fund. All that, and the knowledge that Grandpa was getting the best care possible, made it an unexpected gap year.

Rachel was halfway through a run of Tomb Raider's Venice level when she first heard the faint sound of a helicopter. This was strange because Rachel didn't remember any helicopters in this level of the game she was playing. There was a sound, and pausing the game didn't pause the sound of the helicopter as it traditionally would. The sound was getting louder, and Rachel could feel the thud of the helicopter in her chest. The front door opened, and Rachel panicked. Was it room service? She was wearing a skirt, but under it was untucked. The adrenaline rush of being discovered was far worse than any vertical drop Lara Croft might fall down.

"Rachel, are you here?" Charlie asked as she came through the door, looking hurried and dressed in a business suit. "Levant is coming back. He will be here soon," she added.

Rachel stopped and looked shocked. "No, he's in New York, Lucy said so," Rachel replied.

"He's coming back in his private helicopter. You need to be match-ready," Charlie said with a serious look on her face.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm wearing my pumps!" she said.

Charlie rushed forward, and Rachel could tell that she was serious. "Okay, I'll get dressed. Just let me save," Rachel said.

"No, dress first," Charlie insisted. Reluctantly, Rachel put the controller down and rushed into the ensuite to get ready.

Rachel was reapplying some more lipstick when she heard Levant's call. She checked herself out in the mirror. There was a small book next to the makeup mirror that had the 'official' approved Bess designs. Rachel had done daytime-casual-1 enough to get room service and thought she was okay.

"Cinnamon!" Levant shouted from the living room.

"Coming!" Rachel replied. She shot out of the ensuite and moved towards the sound of Levant's call.

Levant was standing there, wearing a somber dark suit, but his expression was anything but somber.

"Rachel!" he said excitedly, like a puppy dog. He was carrying bouquet of complex orchids.

"Douglas," Rachel said. "I thought you were in New York?"

"I was going to, but I couldn't sleep," Levant said hugging Rachel "Look, I realize I overstepped the mark a bit. I know that. I'm sorry. I really am going to change, I promise. It wasn't me, the real me. Something of the Alpha male comes out a bit sometimes. I know it shouldn't be on the ones who love you. I'm so, so sorry."

Levant let go, and Rachel was able to breathe again."here these are for you" he said handing over the handing the flowers to Rachel, "Anyway, I canceled the meeting and turned the plane around mid-flight," Levant said, taking Rachel's hand and pulling her after him. "So I thought nothing says sorry more than the right present. So I have got a present for you."

"You don't need to do that" Rachel said.

Levant led Rachel deeper into the penthouse apartment. He took her up a set of hidden stairs that had been unlocked. It was obvious that the stairs led up to the helipad above them.

As she emerged from the floor, Rachel looked up at the huge metal beast, quickly slicing the air like a deranged giant bee. The blades rotated, causing a huge downdraft.

"You bought me a helicopter? Does it come with lessons or something?" Rachel joked, following Levant now.

They both stood on the roof of the penthouse, which had a metal mesh covering it and a large H painted on the ground to act as a landing pad. The lack of any handrail felt weirdly dangerous.

Levant shook his head and shouted, "That's not it. It's more expensive. Come with me, I will show it to you."

The door was open, and Rachel could see a pilot, Lucy, and one of Levant's guards, Mike, waiting inside. The noise and the downdraft of the air were amazing. Bending over for fear of being decapitated by the blades, Rachel got onto the bird. She looked around as Levant passed a large pair of headphones, which she put on. This dampened the noise, and the door shut, greatly squeezing the rest in.

"Seatbelt," Levant said, reaching forward and grabbing the ends either side and joining them around her. Once on, he patted the buckle, and the helicopter took off.

***

Very quickly, they were in the air. The helicopter's interior was soft and well-designed, in the same style as Levant's aircraft," Rachel looked around, the view of the city was spectacular.

"Wow, I've never been in a helicopter before," Rachel said, now smiling. The terror and excitement of flying erased the memory of the last twenty-four hours.

Levant nodded. The helicopter moved more like a small rowing boat shifting in the sky. Every twist and turn pushed you like a motor bike rider from side to side. Looking down, San Francisco looked spectacular. The cars drove, people moved; they looked tiny like Levant's models. As they flew, Rachel couldn't help but point out some of the landmarks that she could now recognize from the strangest of angles. It was like she became a real version of Google Earth. It was weird how something could be at once so familiar and yet, from this angle, suddenly be so unknown and other to itself.

Quickly, they flew north over the Golden Gate Bridge. The sight was as spectacular as it was strangely graceful. The morning sun reflected off the sea below, gilding the city in a halo of silver. The whole thing felt so immediately real, and yet somehow all it actually needed was the sweeping orchestral backing soundtrack to be a movie.

They passed a forest on the right, and on the left, there was nothing but the Pacific Ocean running off to the horizon. The Pacific Highway was below, but Rachel had no idea where they were. Rachel grew slightly tense and grasped her phone. Perhaps this was a test or some kind of revenge act. Possibly, he was going to dump her somewhere. She took a deep breath; she had survived that nightmare once already. Levant looked sharply forward through the window.

"This is it," Levant said, pointing. Rachel could hear him easily over the headphones but couldn't see what he was pointing at. Rachel strained to see where Levant pointed. Suddenly, the helicopter banked, and what was hidden was now quickly revealed, like a curtain pulled from a show car.

Above a striking white cliff was a large, modern building surrounded by acres of highly manicured gardens. The entire estate was set in a forest. The building itself appeared to be a collection of cylinders and blocks, each larger than a house, all put together in the arrangement of a set of flowers. There were strong, bright colors and large amounts of glass. At first, Rachel wondered if it was some kind of art gallery set in the countryside. It was huge, bigger than any single building she'd ever seen.

"What do you think about it?" Levant asked. "It's done by some big-name architect. I bought it for us. It's like our place."

"Our place?" Rachel repeated in surprise.

"Yeah, I wanted something with no history, no memories. Something new, you know. Something that says, 'us,'" Levant explained.

Rachel looked at Levant skeptically. "Us ten months us. That us?"

Levant looked down. "Well, you could say that, but I know that when something comes along, you've got to grasp it with both hands. I have a wonderful feeling about this, about us."

"You bought this because of me?" Rachel said pointing.

"No, I bought it for you," Levant clarified. "But don't worry, if you don't like it, we can get somewhere else. I can phone the realtor, and you can start checking out properties in Presidio Heights and Pacific Heights tomorrow."

"You know this is insane, right?" Rachel said, looking out and smiling.

"Well, that's just it. I'm crazy about you," Levant replied. "Say you like it. Say you're happy. That will make me the happiest guy on the planet."

Rachel gazed out as the helicopter circled the massive property. There were a number of outbuildings, a private drive, and what looked like stables.

"Well, I'm giddy. That must count, right?" Rachel said.

A smile spread across Levant's muscular cheeks. "Oh yeah," he said, fists clenched. "Let's land."

*****

As they stepped onto the landing pad, Rachel couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. The landing pad was sleek and modern, seamlessly blending into the surrounding forest. The trees towered above them, their branches reaching towards the sky like giant fingers. The air was filled with the sweet scent of pine needles, and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore.

As they walked away from the helicopter, the blades gradually slowed to a stop, and the forest sounds became more prominent. The chirping of birds and rustling of leaves filled the air, creating a peaceful and calming atmosphere. Rachel couldn't help but feel a sense of tranquility wash over her.

The cobblestone path they followed was lined with vibrant flowers and lush greenery, giving the impression of walking through a secret garden. The path led up to a grand entrance, flanked by towering pillars made of smooth marble.

Levant's excitement was palpable as he opened the door, revealing a stunning hallway made of polished ash wood and concrete. The walls were adorned with tasteful artwork, and the lighting was warm and inviting. Rachel couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the design of the space - it was like walking into a work of art.

"This place is ridiculously beautiful," Rachel said, her eyes scanning the surroundings. She couldn't help but feel like Levant was trying to impress her, to show her that he could provide for her in a way that few others could. But she didn't mind - the beauty of the estate was undeniable. "This is like someone has taken the words of Milton and recast them into stone," she added, marveling at the poetry of it all.

"Isn't this great? They say you know if you're going to like a place within the first minute of looking at it. To be honest, I was sold as soon as we flew over it. Tell me honestly, do you like it?"

The side entrance from the helipad had obviously been designed for functionality. The whole place was immaculate in its modernist design. Levant typed in a code at the door.

"I'm overwhelmed," Rachel said. "It's like being a child's battery-powered toy and then being plugged into the mains."

"I know exactly what you mean. I love it too," Levant replied.

As they walked through the glass doors, Rachel felt like she had entered into a different world. The interior was like a futuristic dream, with high ceilings and a sleek design. The walls were painted in a pristine white, which was accentuated by the natural light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The polished concrete floors were so reflective that they appeared to be made of glass.

"I feel massively underdressed walking around here," Rachel said. Levant looked at her "You look lovely" he said. "Anyway this is your house. You wear what you like."