Chapter 6

Seven days later, shortly before ten, a Peterbilt tractor hauling a forty-foot trailer rolled to a stop at the front entrance to a major downtown-Los Angeles office building, causing consternation among the passers-by. The girl in the passenger seat leaned over and gave the driver a quick kiss, then opened the door and jumped down to the sidewalk. He waved, released a blast on his powerful air horn, and then eased out into traffic. Not surprisingly, none of the cars on the street contested his right-of-way.

The girl waved gaily and then turned to face the entrance. As she did, her smile faded, but she squared her shoulders and then marched into the building. Even in a city of beautiful women, the girl stood out. At five feet eight inches, she was a very tall girl with short dark hair and vivid blue eyes. Because she was only wearing a pair of skin-tight Levi's and a work shirt, the perfection of her figure was apparent.

A few minutes later the main door to the offices of Clifford & Jamison, Attorneys at Law, opened and Judy Jeffries looked up. Seeing the dark-haired girl she gasped, punched a button on her phone and said only, "She's here!"

The girl came to the reception desk and with her shoulders back and her head up straight said, "I am Kelly Carmichael. I would like to see Mrs. Carlson about a business matter. I do not have an appointment so I will be happy to wait."

Before Judy could reply, the door to the inner offices opened, and one of the most beautiful women Kelly had ever seen appeared. She had warm brown eyes and the most gorgeous hair the girl had ever seen. While it was basically brown, it had sun streaks which created a variety of colors in it ranging from medium brown to golden blonde to almost pure white.

She approached with her hand extended and said, "Good morning, Kelly. I'm Kathy Carlson. Won't you please come with me?"

Kelly took her hand and found she had a very strong grip. "Good morning, Mrs. Carlson. Thank you for seeing me..."

Before she could even finish the sentence her knees gave out and she started to collapse in a dead faint. Kelly was a victim of exhaustion coupled with near-starvation. For the last two days she had been going on only nervous energy and sheer determination. Having achieved her goal of getting out to Los Angeles and meeting Mrs. Carlson, her very last energy reserves were exhausted and she dropped.

Her appearance at their offices did not surprise Kathy. When a distraught Andy Taylor had called to report that Kelly was missing the morning after her brilliant success, Kathy had talked with Ginger and Sandy. It had been Sandy who correctly guessed that, when Kelly found out who Andy really was, she would also learn that Andy was enslaved to Kathy.

Knowing Kelly, she was certain that the girl would get out to Los Angeles somehow and volunteer to be Kathy's slave in place of her mother. Also knowing that Kelly had no money at all, her weakened condition came as no surprise so Kathy caught her as she started to collapse. In an instant, Judy was out from behind her desk and the two women, supporting the girl between them, brought her back to Kathy's office and stretched her out on the sofa. Judy ducked out and returned moments later with a pillow and a warm blanket. After putting the pillow under the girl's head and covering her, they darkened the office and left.

It was almost two in the afternoon when Kelly awakened. With her eyes still closed, she ran her fingers over the surface of the sofa and found it was leather. Then she realized her head was on a wonderful pillow and she was covered with a blanket that was so soft and warm she wondered what kind of material it was made of.

Opening her eyes she found herself lying in a darkened office with the same beautiful woman sitting in a side chair next to the sofa just looking at her. "Hi, Kelly," the woman said softly. "Do you feel better now? Do you feel like having something to eat?"

Kelly tried to get up but the woman just held her down. It was a commentary on Kelly's rundown condition that she didn't even have the strength to overcome the pressure of the woman's fingers. "Just lie there and don't move. I'll be right back."

With that Kathy left the room and returned moments later with a tray which she put down on the coffee table. Going to her closet, she took down two more pillows which she positioned under Kelly's head raising her to a semi-reclining position. Kelly was puzzled as the woman proceeded to spoon a wonderfully nourishing chicken soup into her mouth.

After eating three bowls of it Kelly started to feel human again. Seeing color come back to the girl's cheeks, Kathy grinned and said, "It's Jewish penicillin. See! It really works." Then she said, "This is a little tedious. Do you feel strong enough to sit up and eat now?"

"But Mrs. Carlson," Kelly protested, "This is—"

"Yes or no?" Kathy interrupted.

"Well, yes, but—"

"Just shut up!" Kathy ordered.

She took Kelly by the hands, lifted her and turned her so she was now sitting on the sofa. Quickly, Kathy folded the blanket and threw it along with the three pillows up on the shelf in her closet. Motioning to Kelly to follow, she left the office and went over to the conference room.

Emerging from the very dim office into the brightly-lighted office area, Kelly blinked owlishly but followed. In the conference room she was ordered to sit in one of the wonderfully comfortable leather arm chairs while Kathy opened up the room's cooking area. In no time there were wonderful food odors drifting by Kelly's nose in spite of the very powerful exhaust fan working over the cooking area.

When Kelly made a move to help, she was told in no uncertain terms that she was a sick guest and was going to remain seated. When the food was almost ready, Kathy picked up a phone, punched a couple of buttons and spoke a few muted words.

Turning to Kelly she smiled. It was the warmest, friendliest smile Kelly had ever seen. "Kelly, we waited for you to have lunch. Ginger and Sandy are going to be eating with us. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not, but..."

"Good!" Kathy interrupted. "Here they are now."

When Kelly started to rise to greet her two friends, Kathy held her down in her chair. The two partners kissed Kelly warmly while she was still seated and sat down at places set for them. Kathy served a marvelous salad followed by steak frites — a French-style pan-broiled steak served with crunchy french fries.

Kelly found that the food just melted in her mouth. Looking up at Kathy, her eyes were wide as she said, "You taught Mistress Andy to cook, didn't you?" When Kathy shyly nodded, Kelly continued, "It had to be you! I thought she was the finest cook in the world ... until I tasted this. As marvelous as her food is, this is even better. Mrs. Carlson, you are fabulous!"

By now Kelly was feeling uncomfortable. Ginger recognized the signs and escorted her to the ladies room. When she returned, Kathy served crème caramèl and then brought out a platter of fruit and cheese to nibble on while they drank their coffee.

Looking at Kathy, Kelly smiled warmly and said, "Thank you so much! Now I feel human again." The glow in her eyes died as she added, "May we go back to your office now, Mrs. Carlson? I have an offer I want to make to you."

Kathy just shook her head and replied, "We're fine right here. Ginger and Sandy are two of my partners and I want them to hear your offer, too." Kathy's face was impassive as she just looked at the younger girl and waited.

Kelly was going to debase herself but wanted to do it in private. Clearly, though, it was not to be. Swallowing hard, she said, "Mrs. Carlson, my mother, Andrea Taylor is your slave. I want to buy her freedom from you."

"With what?" Kathy asked.

"I have just earned $250,000 as a result of being selected New York's debutante of the year." Looking sharply at Kathy she added, "That's your money, isn't it?"

Kathy just nodded once and said, "It's a start, but it's not nearly enough. Do you have anything else to offer?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kelly replied. "I will be making $25,000 per day for each day I am in slavery. I will be your slave for as long as it takes to buy my mother out of bondage." She held her head up straight and continued, "I can be your slave at home, if you wish, or I could prostitute myself and add those earnings to my pay. Of course, there are endless opportunities to combine both. For example, you could rent my services for whatever you could get."

Now her eyes were bright as she said, "I am still a virgin. Because of what I achieved, I believe my virginity could be sold for a good deal of money. In fact, I thought of a party to which people would bid for invitations. The high bidder gets my virginity, someone else gets to take me in the ass for the first time, while afterward I would service the rest of the guests in any way they might choose. That should produce a lot of money in a single evening."

Kathy could feel her stomach turn as she listened to this lovely girl volunteer to destroy herself. Looking at her partners she asked, "What do you two think?"

Although her stomach was turning over, too, nothing Sandy Harris heard from Kelly came as a surprise. In their speculative conversations, in fact, this was the scenario they all agreed was the most likely.

She replied, "I think it might work." Looking thoughtful — like all top trial lawyers, Sandy was an excellent actress — she said, "There's only one thing, Kath. I think you will get much more money for her body in New York than you will out here. Let's face it: Who in Los Angeles knows — or cares — anything about New York's Debutante of the Year. In fact, the whole deb scene is really an East Coast phenomenon. It doesn't cut much ice at all out here."

"That's a great idea!" Kathy exclaimed. Then turning to Kelly she said, "You can buy Andy's freedom for $5 million. The $250,000 will be the down-payment. You will do absolutely everything I tell you to do. There will be no ifs, ands or buts ... ever!" Looking at the girl with her eyes cold she asked, "Clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kelly replied softly after swallowing hard.

"Do you agree?"

"Yes, ma'am. I will be your slave. I will do anything and everything you tell me to do. There will be no ifs, ands or buts or questions, ever. I will continue as your slave until you receive $5 million from my earnings and daily fees. Of course, the unpaid balance will draw interest. Do you think the rate of 10 percent would be fair?"

Hearing the last the three partners almost became ill. Ginger was truly suffering. She so wanted to take this beautiful girl in her arms and comfort her, but she had been convinced that the way they were playing it was the only way it could work. It was very important that she obtain Andy's freedom — that it not merely be given to her. Kathy had tried that on Maui and it had not worked. She nodded and said 10 percent would be satisfactory, then asked, "When do you start?"

"Immediately, Mrs. Carlson," the girl replied. Then she remembered something and said, "I would like to add some money to my debt, if I may." Reaching into her back pocket she took out a small sheaf of paper. It contained the names, addresses and comments about the truck drivers who had transported her cross country.

Remembering Sandy's skill at locating odd knickknacks, she reviewed the list with her. The items on her list ranged from a wide cowboy belt with a large brass buckle to a leather bomber jacket. When Sandy raised an eyebrow at that, Kelly said that she had one when she left New York. One of the drivers liked it a lot, but hers was much too small for him. When they got down to Carolina, she had sold it to get some money for food. Sandy agreed to locate the items on Kelly's list for her.

After receiving permission from Kathy, she was shown to an empty desk and given some paper that she used to write notes to each of the men for whom she had gifts. While she was doing that the three partners went into Kathy's office and closed the door.

"Now do you see what I mean, Kath?" Ginger said. "She is the purest, cleanest, nicest, most beautiful young woman in the country. And she is willing — no! anxious! — to sell herself into slavery to free Andy. It seems to me that it says a great deal about Kelly ... and about Andy!"

"You're right, of course, Ging," Kathy replied. "I'm hoping that it will get me out from under Andy. It seems to me that we can use Kelly's love for her as a demonstration of what a truly wonderful person she has become."

Then she swallowed hard and said, "Let's keep our fingers crossed. I really don't like what we're doing to that girl and to her feelings. She is really so nice! I don't want her to be hurt."

There was a quiet knock on the door and Kelly came in. In her hand was a small stack of notes she had just written. Looking at Kathy she said, "Mistress, a slave cannot communicate with anyone outside her household without permission. I would like your leave to mail these letters."

The girl pulled herself up straight and added, "I believe it's clear from the letters who is to receive which gift."

Turning to Sandy she said, "Thank you so very much, Miss Harris, for helping me with my purchasing. I consider myself to be deeply in your debt, now, too." Kathy told her to wait in the reception area; she would be along in just a few minutes.

"Just look at what's in your hand, Kath," Ginger said. "I haven't even looked, but I will bet that you have never seen anything like it in your life!"

Kathy took a look at the top letter on the stack and whistled softly. "My God! I have never seen such beautiful handwriting!" Then she quickly read the letter — Kelly's writing was so beautifully clear and legible it was a pleasure to read — and then read the ones following.

As she did she began to cry. By the time she had gone through the whole stack she had to hold the letters well away from her body to keep from ruining them with her tears. "Can you believe this?" she asked her friends rhetorically. "She is individually thanking everyone who gave her a lift over the last week. In most cases she is including the most incredibly thoughtful gift besides."

Looking at Sandy and Ginger she asked, "Is this girl real?"

"Kath," Ginger replied, "she is very real! And remember, she is also Andy's creation. She really, truly is." Kathy just shook her head, wiped her eyes and left the office.

On the way down in the elevator she complimented Kelly on her letters. "Thank you, Mistress," Kelly acknowledged. Then with a lovely little grin she asked shyly, "Mistress, do you know why a debutante never participates in a sex orgy?"

"No, why?" Kathy asked, waiting for the punch line.

"There are too many thank-you notes to write," Kelly finished with a lovely little giggle. Kathy just grinned fondly at the girl.

When they reached the lobby, they took another elevator down to the basement garage. Walking towards her BMW that was parked very close to the garage entrance she asked, "You drive, don't you, Slave?"

"Yes, Mistress, I do," the girl replied quietly.

"Then you drive while I rest," Kathy declared giving the girl her keys.

Actually, although Kelly did have a license, like so many other young people growing up in New York City there were few opportunities for her to drive. She had never owned a car. When she saw the magnificent gray BMW, she let out a low whistle and said, "Mistress, I really shouldn't be driving this car. It's such a beautiful automobile! What if something should happen to it?"