Chapter 8: Served Hot

Eden MacMaster - Saturday, June 20th

"Baby girl!" My dad pulled me into the house with his hug. Used to the onslaught, I avoided stubbing my toes on the step, "You look wonderful!"

"Thanks, dad," I smiled and brushed a braid back over my ear, "You're looking like you always do."

He laughed loudly. He was dressed like he wasn't used to being formal. He was wearing a slightly misfit brown suit with a purple tie over a dark shirt. His puffy white hair framed his big ears and too wide smile. He had put on nice shoes, black leather dockers; I gathered mom had hid his work boots.

I was dressed for the occasion. I was wearing a dress, blue with a much higher neckline than I'd wear anywhere else. The skirt was also closer to the knee than the crotch. It was a lovely dress though and the weather was great for it. I was in my favorite heels. I had a heavy jade earrings on and three different necklaces laying over the top of the dress. Dad immediately spied the new bracelet on my otherwise bare wrists.

"Is mom ready?" I asked before he opened his mouth.

"She'll be a few minutes yet," He rolled his eyes, "After all it's only a half hour beyond when you said you'd be here."

He wasn't ribbing me. We had a standing rule to tell mom a half hour early so we'd only be fashionably late.

"That's new, yeah?" He asked pointing to the gold braided chain.

"Yeah, a gift," I explained.

"Oh, is he cute?" Dad laughed.

"Cute's the right word," I smiled, "We're going to the theatre tomorrow."

"Oh, what movie's playing?" Dad asked and I laughed at him and Matthew.

"Honey, are you ready? Eden could be here any minute!" My mother called out in a preemptive defensive strike.

"I'm already out in the kitchen with dad!" I called back.

"I'm coming!" Mom hurried out in a mad waddle. I got my height and my shape more from my father obviously. Dad had a perpetual grin. Mom had a resting bitch face. My parents looked like an old black married version of Riddler and The Penguin.

"Eden's met a cute boy," Dad announced to Mom. Fuck. It was one thing for dad to needle. Mom...

"What's his name?" She leered from under too much eye shadow.

"Matthew," I answered with a smile, "C'mon, today's about you two. Twenty eight years! That's crazy!"

"We are crazy," Dad beamed.

"And his last name?" Of course.

"Reid," I said as dad threw me the keys to the Subaru, "I've booked brunch at Le Chateau Vert. They do an incredible spread. You'll love it."

"Well less talking more driving," Dad pushed me towards the door and looked back to mom, "The sooner we eat the sooner we can ditch the kid and go sailing."

"Matthew Reid," My mother mumbled, "Where'd you meet him?"

"At the restaurant," I admitted as we crossed the driveway to dad's Subaru. Mom got in shotgun, despite dad's height and legs. I climbed in the driver seat.

"What do you know about him?" Mom asked as she buckled her belt and I tried not to grind my teeth as I buckled mine.

"I've known Matthew for three years," I tried to fight her suspicions, "He's kind and thoughtful and he thinks he's really funny."

"All men think they're funny," Mom commented.

"I don't!" Dad volunteered a light punch to my shoulder as we headed out to the street.

"I'm sorry, dear," Mom seemed miffed for Dad's interruption but we all knew better. This impervious bitchiness is what all of my ex-boyfriends had been afraid of when they met my parents. It was mostly bluster, "All men know they're funny."

"Much better," Dad grinned.

"Now, I need to know about Matthew," She said, at least this topic would prevent her from commenting all over my driving, "Where does he go to church?"

Oh, this is going to be a fun morning. I falsified my smile. Just 10 minutes to the restaurant. 5 to get a table. 20 to get served. Eat fast and hug them goodbye. Eat fast and hug them goodbye. Eat fast and hug them goodbye. Gwendolyn Ashcroft - Saturday, June 20th, 2015

"Goodbye, I'll see you tomorrow," I waved to Deborah as I walked passed the office. I had just finished a rather crazy shift and was getting out just twenty minutes after my scheduled time.

"Have a good day," She replied without looking up from her computer.

I walked out through the restaurant to the front doors. Sylvie and Melody had the floor with Kelly rushing from table to table making sure they were fully bused. I smiled, happy to be dressed in something other than our dismal blue uniforms. I said hello to a couple of regulars as they were coming up to the door. I had a short walk to the south end to get home. I was looking forward to lazing around maybe finally watching the third season of Orange is The New Black. I figured it'd be twenty minutes alone at home before I found a friend to be somewhere else with.

I figured I'd go out tonight. It was wrong to say I was jealous of Eden going out with Matthew tomorrow. I was envious as hell. If Matthew had asked me I'd have said yes. If Eden had asked me I'd have said yes. I'm not gay. I know Eden's objectively hot but she doesn't set me off in any way. I just wanted to do something. I had tried a couple of times, just going out with some girlfriends and meeting guys but I'd chickened out going home with any of them over and over again. The couple of times over the last few months I did give out my number, but didn't at least make out with the guy, had left my phone silent.

It wasn't important. There were other things I could do. I wanted a pair of running shoes. I don't run, but if I did, I'd look fantastic. I had the cutest little shorts. I had owned sixteen pairs of sneakers but then had seen a really nice pair online. I had ordered them. I broke them in. They now felt perfect on my feet. I knew it was time for a new pair. A trip to the mall would let me window shop and try on a bunch but a seat at my laptop would get me something a bit more interesting and cool. Oh jeez, I really needed to pay my credit card bill.

"Gwen! Wait a second!" I jumped as I was pulled from my reverie. I turned at Matthew's voice. He was getting out of a sleek grey car. There was a woman driving and a bunch of women in the back. A brunette was getting out with him. I guess he was starting work at two. He started running up to me. He turned, the brunette was moving to get into the front seat. "Dawn! Come here and tell Carmen to wait for you. Grab my book."

"That your harem?" I laughed at him as he approached.

"No harem would be complete without you in it," He smiled nervously. I blushed.

"I am not touching that," I smiled, "Eden would cut a bitch."

"Yeah, we're going out tomorrow," He grinned. I cooled down a little, "I just need someone for an experiment and you're perfect."

"What kind of experiment?" I asked as the brunette caught up with us. The car rolled up alongside us. I could see that the three girls inside were gorgeous and the brunette was pretty cute too.

"It's harmless," Matthew assured me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin felt box. He opened it and there were beautiful bracelets in there, "Pick one and put it on."

"Jesus Matthew!" I pulled out a gold tennis bracelet with twenty little diamonds on it, "How much did these cost you?"

"Nothing," He shook his head, "It's not important. Now please wear it."

"Alright," I looked at Dawn and she appeared mildly impatient. I affixed the bracelet on my left wrist thinking: I'm going to hate him when he asks for this back.

Matthew handed the felt box to Dawn and took the green book. Catholic Book of Worship IV was declared on the cover. I flinched. He opened to one of several dogeared pages.

"You're not going to sing at me?" I tried to tease.

"No, just making sure I get the terms right." He nudged Dawn and she followed his finger over the page, "So would you say Gwen is Aware."

"Will you please call me Gwendolyn?" I asked with a smile.

"Of course," He smiled back, "Is Gwendolyn Aware?"

"Aware of what?" I asked.

"No, but she's definitely Primed," Dawn pointed a bit higher up the page.

"Alright," He looked up and down the street, "Gwen hop on one foot until I say stop."

"This is a weird experiment," I kicked up my right foot and started bouncing on my left.

"OK, stop," He scratched his head, "Now why did you do that?"

"Just helping out a strange friend," I laughed.

"Dawn, are you sure?"

"You want to tell me what's this for?" I looked to Matthew.

"Not especially," He shook his head.

"Yes," Dawn rolled her eyes, "She's Primed."

"OK," He looked at me, "You're going to do anything I say."

"Of course," I smirked and giggled. "Your wish is my command."

"Um..." He looked to Dawn and to me. This was such a weird moment. Matthew was looking good though.

"You shaved off the beard," I reached up and rubbed his jaw line. "I like it, but I think you should have checked with Eden first. She likes lumberjacks."

"You're killing me, Gwen," He sighed and saw my eyes, "Gwendolyn."

"Well, I have to have my fun somewhere," I explained with a smile. I reached a hand out to Dawn, "Matthew's busy being rude. I'm Gwendolyn. I work with Matthew."

"I'm Dawn," She shook my hand with a pinchy grip, "I just met Matthew yesterday."

"Oh, alright," I looked to Matthew as he stared intently at the page of his church book. He looked up to me and closed it hard on his finger. I smiled as he winced.

"Tell me something that you'd be too embarrassed to tell me about," He tried, looking smug.

"Well my sex life is none of your business," I explained with an eye roll.

"Cool! There's somewhere we can start," He said with a slump of relief, "Tell me when you had sex last."

"It's been a couple of months. I've been thinking of trying eHarmony or something," I looked away toed the sidewalk. I felt my cheeks get hot.

"You might not have to," He murmured and I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't planned to tell him that but I wasn't really keeping that close to the vest. He looked me in the eye and said, "What's your favorite sex act or position?"

"Having my face slapped," I locked closed my jaw and wanted to run. He reached for my hand when I turned. I stayed.

"OK, I think I believe it now," Matthew said. He brushed Dawn's hair and she looked from me to him, "So how do we change one person from being Primed to Aware?"

"You can't figure that out? Are you asking me how? Really?" Dawn raised an eyebrow, "Just like this. Gwen. You've been owned since you put on that bracelet. Matthew owns you. You're Matthew's sex slave now."

I felt my eyes go wide and my jaw hang open. I was a slave! Oh my God! I looked down at my bracelet. I wasn't going to give it back at least. Or had I really ever had it? Matthew owned everything.

"No! No, no, no, no. Gwendolyn deserves better," He declared. He passed the book back to Dawn. "Put that in my room. I need the stuff from Sara's too."

He dug his keys from his pocket. She took them. She turned to leave but he grabbed her elbow, "Give me the bracelets."

She handed Matthew back the felt box and walked to the car. She reached in to the glove box and returned. Matthew and I both watched in silence. Dawn handed him a rigid silver bracelet. It was too inflexible, too circular, to fit into the felt box. He took the box and the loose bracelet and waved goodbye. He turned to me. He took my hands in both of his. I was still a bit lightheaded. He waited until I looked him in the eye.

"Gwendolyn, you're beautiful and you're kind. I need you to do this for me." He smiled and then pulled me in for a little kiss. Just a little peck. Then he gave me a big kiss. I was pulled flush against him and he slowly toned it down. I felt immeasurably better. Especially, now that grey car and those whores long gone.

"Oh wow," I looked away from him for just a moment, "What now?"

"I need you to get Deborah to wear one of these bracelets."

"Ms Flynn too! Really!"

"Yeah, I need her help and this is the only way I can control it and afford it," He said sheepishly, "And you know what Deborah looks like."

"OK," I walked alongside him back the quarter of a block to the restaurant. Part of me was ecstatic. I was pretty enough for his harem. That little redhead in the back of the car was adorable and that Latina driving should have been a porn star. I was good enough. I knew I was pretty, tips and attention and working at Flynn's seemed to require a certain look. I just never saw myself as gorgeous as those girls with Matthew. Maybe I was prettier than Dawn but she was still high school cute. Matthew turned when we reached the awning in front of the restaurant.

"So, um, don't tell anybody about what's going on unless they're part of the team," He looked embarrassed. I gave a lopsided confirmational grin. We walked inside.

"I thought you had made it out," Sylvie laughed at me and Matthew scoped her out. She just walked across us and into the line. Matthew wasn't a lech at work. He respected us and made us feel safe to be working with him. He seemed like a cat in a box full of mice.

"I just have a little bit of business with Ms Flynn," I explained to the back of Sylvie's head. I gathered my courage and walked ahead of Matthew to the office.

"Good luck," he whispered to me. He passed a braided gold chain into my hand. I put on an awkward smile, "I'll be in the staff room when she's wearing it."

"Ms Flynn," I ducked my head in.

"Oh, Gwendolyn, what do you need?" She was going through her receipt book. I closed the door over behind me.

"Something weird happened to me and I kind of wanted your advice," I paraphrased my encounter.

"Oh, what's up?" She closed the book over and I walked up to the desk. I spilled the bracelet onto the desk and she looked at it cross-eyed.

"It's really hard to explain, can you just try this on?" Ms Flynn was sitting back in the moth eaten office chair behind the cluttered particleboard desk. Most women would kill to age as gracefully as Deborah. She was a little shorter than me, but we were both of a medium height. She had her lush brown hair in a shoulder length pony tail. Her fringe bangs fell beautifully to show off her pale blue eyes. She had just a tinge of laugh lines at her eyes and lips. Her mouth was made for a beautiful smile but I'm sure Matthew was all primed to figure out uses for her pink lips. She dressed nicely. A white ribbed shirt and a knee length dark skirt. She liked those dark pantyhose; I preferred to keep my legs bare out front. They brought in good money. She didn't wear jewelry, just a gold pip in either earlobe. I couldn't imagine her picking up the bracelet Matthew gave me.

"Oh, did you find this on your way out? Maybe a customer dropped it." She dangled it between her fingers. She should go for a manicure. Not that it'd last very long at the restaurant.

"Probably not," I could feel my hands getting clammy and I wanted to bolt. My stomach roiled into knots. Deborah laid the chain over her wrist.

"You know this is just the kind of thing I wear away from work," She looked up at me with a smile, "Oh, I see you found one for yourself. That is beautiful. What happened did a pirate ship crash outside and spill out it's booty?"

"Um, not quite," I rolled my wrist in front of our eyes. Deborah looked up at me, still a bit confused by this exchange. She picked up the bracelet and slid her wrist through it. I guess this is what Dawn felt when I put on the tennis bracelet. There was something clearly different in Deborah now. Matthew had her and she didn't know it yet, "OK, just wait here. I'll be right back."

"Are you feeling alright, Gwendolyn?" She asked.

"Surprisingly good," I answered before heading out the door. The new guy was trundling by with a tub full of silverware. He looked frazzled; I bet he couldn't wait for Matthew to start his shift. I checked the clock as I followed behind him to the back. Just three minutes for Matthew to clock in. I made certain to hurry.

"Matthew, we're ready for you," I ducked my head in the staffroom and startled Kelly who Matthew was laughing with. I breathed a sigh of relief to see she was bracelet free. That would have been crazy. The little redhead was adorable but that's a felony.

"Perfect," He was dressed in his kitchen ready rags and followed behind me to the office. He closed the door behind him on me and Ms Flynn.

"Alright, so what are you two up to?" She asked with a cup of coffee she hadn't had before in her hands. Even in two minutes she couldn't just wait for me here.

"I wanted to talk to you about that catering business you were planning a few years ago." Matthew said. He then looked at me, "She's wearing the bracelet did you tell her why yet?"

Deborah looked down at her wrist, "Not content with just Eden? I didn't think you were the plays with fire type."

"I think that answers your question," I gave a crooked smile.

"And, I put together a lot for that idea but I never had to follow through because I got control of the restaurant. I still have my notes and stuff if you want to get together and have a look. I think it would be an excellent project for you Matthew. I'd be honored to help you out. As much as I love having you here, you're meant for better things that peeling potatoes and washing teacups. Let's just pick a time when you're not supposed to be clocked in," She made sure we all looked up at the clock on the wall.

"Deborah," He said with a deep nervous breath, "That bracelet on your wrist, and on Gwen's too ... They're mine. They're my symbol."

"Are they now?" She raised her eyebrow. I wondered how much effort she put to keep them looking so good.

"Yeah, my girls wear my symbol and I get to own them," Every word came out of his mouth with less momentum than the last. Deborah waited patiently to the end of his sentence. She looked at me. She essed her wrist over the desktop and the metal scratch filled the room.

"Well holy shit!" She exclaimed. She was way cooler headed about this than either Matthew or me.

"Oh thank Christ," Matthew slumped and hyperventilated. He tossed the felt box, still open, and the silver bracelet on the desk. The fourth bracelet fell out and the box teetered over the far end, "You really belong to me?"

"Yeah, I do," Deborah looked at me with a bit of hurt.

"He told me to," I defended.

"I know he did, sweetie," She answered with pity.

"So, I'd like to put together that catering business," He scratched his head and wouldn't look at either of us, "I mean, I've come into some ... well women, to be honest, and I need to make sure we're all supported."

"It's a good plan," Deborah leaned back, "And I suspect you're going to be using my plans to carry it out."

"You're great at this," He waved around gesturing to the whole restaurant, "I trust you."

"Good," Deborah stood up, "Gwendolyn, can you clock in as a supervisor and cover us? Matthew and I are going to get the stuff he needs."

"Yeah," Matthew agreed, "Can we just tell the staff you need help with an important errand and I'm along as muscle. I'm not ready to advertise all this yet."

"Of course," Deborah agreed, "Gwendolyn?"

"Oh, the supervisor thing? I can do that."

"We'll talk to Franklin and see about getting ... the new kid some support. He needs a break. Probably Kelly if she has on those ugly sneakers of hers but maybe Zina because she's got those old beaters in her cubby. Matthew, do you need anything first?"