Chapter 27: Leon and Babette Attend the Auction

As Leon and Babette entered the third floor stairwell, they met five women descending from the floor above, the fourth floor, where the most expensive suites were located.

A slender redhead, younger than the other four women, greeted them.

"Heading for the Auction, Babette?" she asked, glancing at Leon with a smile.

Leon estimated her age at about thirty-five. He wondered how a woman that young would be so wealthy that she could afford Lecoliere Island. She gave him an interested stare, but he was accustomed to that. Out of courtesy, he responded with a brief smile.

"Oh, Kimberlee!" Babette exclaimed; it's wonderful to see you again!" She put her arms out, and the two of them hugged and kissed. Leon was amused by their lip to lip contact, but it was too brief for him to infer much from the kiss.

"I was hoping so much that you'd be back this year, Kim," Babette said. "This is Leon. We met in Paris after I broke up with Paul."

The redhead coolly gave Leon her hand and he gallantly kissed it. Smoothly if mechanically, he said, "Delighted!"

She didn't appeal to his taste. Breasts insignificant, and she looked mannish. He wondered if she was lesbian; and he thought to later ask Babette if they had been lovers.

As the seven of them continued down the stairs, Babette introduced Leon to the other four women.

Rita was a bleached blonde. Leon estimated her age at about forty-five. She was wearing a copious assortment of jewelry, with at least six rings on her fingers, multiple bracelets, long earrings, and even a sort of barette-like gold crown in her hair. Her dress was scarlet, a size too small, and as tasteless as the jewelry. Although she wasn't 'fat', she had a few more pounds on her frame than would have been ideal, and the tight dress, particularly without anything beneath the garment, only emphasized the extra pounds.

Behind Rita was another blonde. When she saw Leon, she grasped Babette's arm, exclaiming, "Goodness, Babette! Where did you find such a magnificent specimen of male?"

She smiled at Leon, boldly meeting his eyes with her own.

"In Paris, Deirdre. I met him about a month after I Paul and I broke up. We met at a reception in the American Ambassador's residence."

They continued down the stairs.

"I didn't know that you and Paul had broken up," the blonde replied. "What a shame. I did like Paul."

She looked again at Leon and smiled. "But I adore your replacement."

He guessed her age at about forty. Although her voluptuous figure was slightly overdeveloped, she looked well-preserved: Perhaps, like Babette, she worked out. Her hair looked bleached, but she'd chosen a pleasing shade of dark gold.

In height, she was about five eight; her oval countenance was nearly round, with a small, turned-up nose, large eyes, and sensuous, full lips that she had tinted a deep maroon. Her breasts were as prominent as Rita's and probably took D cups. Leon liked big busts on women. When it came to fucking, he'd prefer an over-buxom woman anytime to one with small breasts.

Through her gown, there was no indication of nipples as there had been through Rita's; doubtless she wore some support beneath it. Their mobility was due to their weight.

She was dressed elegantly, in a blue gown that contrasted well with her hair. Her makeup was unobtrusive. Her jewelry comprised small gold loop earrings, a solitary sapphire gold ring, and a gold choker necklace.

A fourth woman, Esther, was a small woman, her height he guessed was about five five and looked about Babette's age, close to fifty. Her figure was as trim a figure as that of the young Kimberly. Her hair was dark brown and Leon presumed from its lack of gray that she dyed it. She was dressed informally, in a simple white blouse and black cotton skirt.

The last of the five women was Lindsey Lebeau. Babette had told him that the brunette was lesbian. Behind her back, the cattier women called her 'Lezzie'. She looked in her upper thirties, with a shapely figure, including prominent breasts. Her dark brown hair reached to her shoulders. She said little when Leon was introduced to her, appearing preoccupied.

Leon had heard her name long before he had met Babette, but he couldn't recall when or where. She was someone of importance in Paris, probably in commerce. Even in France lesbians had difficulty cracking the political scene. He decided to, one way or another, photograph her; the Director could identify her.

She isn't the only celebrity here. I heard a few women call that large white-haired American 'Senator'. It may be that like 'Colonel', the term in the States is not necessarily an official term. Still, it could be. This entire situation is amusing; Monsieur le Directeur may discover that too many important people are here for him to dare sending in gendarmes or Securit.

The six women and Leon entered the Auditorium together.

Kimberlee stopped, and she looked about the room. "We're fortunate, girls," she said; "We're the first ones here."

"Let's go down in front," Rita said. "We'll be able to see everything from there."

Blue girls were carrying in folding chairs and setting them up at the ends of rows and behind the fixed rows of seats. Leon and the women went to the front of the room where they encountered and were halted by a ribbon that cordoned off the first row of seats.

Babette told Leon, "The first row is reserved for the new slaves. They sit there after they've been auctioned."

The women entered the second row, taking center seats directly before the stage, which was only about six feet in front ofthem.

Leon waited for the women to pass him, intending to take the seat after Babette.

"You go ahead, Babette," Deirdre said and, without waiting for a response, she grasped Babette's arm and urged her into the row before her. Deirdre followed her, and she took the seat beside Babette, separating her from Leon.

"Come, Leon," she said, patting the empty seat beside her. "You sit beside me. Babette won't mind."

Babette looked annoyed. She appeared about to object, but they were interrupted by a harried-looking young man rushing down the aisle holding out a sheaf of papers. About twenty years old, he had a mop of unkempt light brown hair and thick glasses and carried a satchel over one shoulder. He stopped when he reached their row.

"Do all of you intend to bid in the auction?" he asked.

Leon shrugged. "I think so. Why?"

"Here's the menu," the young man said. He counted out sheets and handed them to Leon. "It includes tonight's as well as this afternoon's auction. Would you take one yourself and pass along the rest?"

Leon took the top sheet and handed the balance to Deirdre. The young man withdrew a handful of pocket flashlights from his satchel, handed these to Leon, and then turned and hurried back up the aisle.