The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

The oldish lady fell—badly—falling on her arthritic knee before sprawling onto the ground. People around stared as the teenager who knocked her over immediately went to help her. “Sorry,” he said, as he helped her up. “It was an accident.” Once she was standing, he picked up the items that had spilled from her bag, a few knick knacks and some sort of garment which was wrapped up, replaced them in the bag and gave it back to her. By now the excitement was over and the crowd had dispersed. The incident was over. Civility was boring. All the oldish woman did was to acknowledge his apology. “Are you OK?” He finally said.

She answered “Yes,” much to his relief.

“Can you walk? Do you need anything else?”

“I’m fine, thank you” she replied. The teen smiled at her then walked off, relieved.

The oldish lady hobbled to the café that was only a few metres away. She ordered a cup of coffee (being a devotee of American culture she affected not liking tea, although she, correctly, didn’t expect this coffee to taste like anything from America) and tried to pay, but instead jumped, as a low, soft voice in her ear said “I’ll get this.” She never knew this newcomer was so close. Looking at her new helper she saw a tall, slim, young woman with unimpressive boobs, dressed in fashionable ripped jeans, green suede boots and a green velvet top. The green in her top complimented her long, thick, blonde hair which was held in two loose bunches by some sort of primitive hair tie. She looked good in a vaguely hippy way. She looked young. Early twenties on first impression.

This hippy chick, as the older lady immediately named her, helped her to a seat then went back to carry the drinks to the rickety old table.

“Thank you,” said the older woman when they were settled. She revised her opinion of this hippy chick when she looked properly into her bright blue eyes. Large eyes, emphasised by her make-up. Any larger and she would look silly, like one of those Japanese cartoons. She wanted to be alone and recover, but she was polite, and this person was trying to help her.

Hippy chick smiled. “That’s all right. You took a nasty tumble there. I saw it all. It really was an accident, if you’re wondering.” Her accent was pure Lancashire, no doubt about that.

The old lady had a strange accent. Born in Yorkshire, she had spent her first few years there, but had lived down south for decades before finally coming back to Yorkshire to live. That made her accent more difficult to place.

“I’m Rhiannon Pagan,” the maybe hippy said, “but call me Rhia. What’s yours?”

“Maria Worker,” the older lady answered.

“How are you feeling now?” asked Rhia.

“I’m fine, thanks” answered Maria.

There was a pause while Rhia sipped her tea. Maria took the opportunity to sip her coffee. “Now that’s not true, is it?” Rhia eventually stated, those massive eyes staring directly into Maria’s mind.

“No,” answered Maria. “I’m shook up and my knee, especially, hurts.” She thought ‘Why am I saying this? That’s not what I wanted to say. I just want to be left alone to recover then get back home.’

“Tell me about yourself.”

Maria looked at her. ‘No way,’ she thought. ‘I don’t want this and she’s no right to pry like this.’ “What’s to say,” she answered. “I’m Maria Worker, I’m fifty nine and unmarried, I live in a flat share and work in a call centre. There’s nothing more to say.”

Rhia held her cup in front of her chin, using both hands, her elbows on the table as she leaned slightly forward. “Of course there is Maria. There’s plenty more to say. Tell me about your sexuality. Are you straight, or gay? Or something else?” She considered Maria’s face for a while, then continued, “You know, I rather think it’s something else.”

Maria was appalled. She looked at Rhia wide eyed. That look by itself should tell this upstart this line of questioning just wasn’t welcome. “Fine. I suppose I’m bi, technically, although I think I’m asexual as a matter of fact. Bisexual, I mean. Although I’ve had more female lovers than male. But either is good. I’ve even been intimate with a female to male transsexual for a while.” She recovered herself and her growing anger to add angrily, “Does that answer your question?”

Rhia smiled, still looking deep into Maria. “I rather think you started out one way or the other and changed after your body changed. That doesn’t matter though, it’s your mind I’m after and you have a strong mind Maria. I’m going to have to watch you. Now, what else do you do? Any hobbies or activities that consume you?” She thought for a while. “Or don’t, just take up your time?”

Maria was starting to struggle now. She was naturally polite. Polite to a fault actually. She knew this. It didn’t worry her, it was just part of who she was. But this was going too far. Far too far. She determined to stop this conversation now and leave. It took her far too long to actually say the words, but she did. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to go on with this. I’m leaving. Thanks for the coffee.” That last wasn’t meant as an insult or anything sarcastic. It was meant as she said it. She was polite.

“Stay,” ordered Rhia. “I want to know everything there is to know about you.”

Maria had put her slightly arthritic hands on the table to help her rise, but she never completed that action. She just sat there looking at Rhia.”

Rhia ignored Maria’s attempt to leave. “Answer the question,” she ordered in her soft, insistent tone.

“I work in a call centre and I spend most of my spare time writing erotic novels for sale,” she answered. “I’m also a moderator on an erotic story website and I spend the majority of my time there. I’ve my own blog as well. There’s nothing now, apart from that.”

Rhia just stared at her with her head tilted to her left. It took a few moments but Maria eventually said, after an internal struggle, “All right. I’m fascinated by the twenties, especially the flappers and that era. I love all the old Hollywood films and the actors, both male and female. I dream of living at that time and I’ve written a lot of my stories around that era. In fact I’m just back from one of my regular holidays to LA. I soak in the atmosphere as well as try to get any sort of job in a film or somewhere around a set.”

Rhia didn’t say a word, just looked and waited. The response was faster this time. “And I have a specific fetish for robots. I’d love to become one, one way or another. Satisfied?”

Rhia smiled the smug ‘I knew it’ smile. Maria looked around for help. This was a small cheap café in an indoor market. People were crowded around, well within hearing distance, but no one exhibited any interest in what they were saying. She knew for certain she would have turned around if she overheard this conversation at another table. Her mouth opened as she looked around, obviously preparing to speak to anyone who would listen.

“Don’t bother,” said Rhia. “They’re not hearing what we’re talking about. Just ignore them. They’ll ignore us no matter what.”

“Who are you?”

Rhia just smiled. “I’m Rhia Pagan and I’m interested in you. Now, just so as you know, I always get what I want.”

Maria looked at Rhia. She hadn’t said what type of erotic fiction she was interested in. “Can you control minds?”

“Wow, you are quick. And highly intelligent too, I bet. Of course I can. How else could I be doing this to you?”

Maria was quick to answer. “I can’t think of anything else but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything else.”

Rhia smiled her broadest smile yet. It lit up her face. “I was right. You are intelligent. What’s your IQ?”

“One four nine.”

“Way above average. I knew it.”

Over the next half hour or so, Maria told Rhia everything she wanted to know, including the truth about herself. She was not panicking as she knew she should be. She concluded this non-panic was induced by Rhia. Eventually Rhia stood and said, “Come with me.” Maria stood and went with her. “Don’t worry about your job,” Rhia said. “You can phone in your resignation when we get back home. As for your flat, well, you can call and arrange things. I’ll make sure there’ll be no loose ends. Everything will be paid and finalised.”

They soon arrived at Rhia’s home, which was a disappointing mid-terrace on the outskirts of Wakefield. On entering Maria saw a normal home without the obligatory slaves milling round to welcome Mistress home. There was nothing to distinguish it from a myriad of other such mundane homes in the land.

“Welcome to your new home Maria,” announced Rhia. “Have a walk round and get used to it. Everything’s open, wander through the bedrooms as well. You’ll recognise mine and there are two others that are empty. Chose one for yourself. I’ll make some coffee while you do that.”

Maria did as she was told and quickly accomplished this simple task. The house wasn’t that big. It was cold though. Maria was glad of her pants and jumper. At home, or rather, her old home, she would change into something far more comfortable and more suited to a warm and cosy environment. Not here though.

When she returned downstairs, she found Rhia sitting on the settee in the living room sipping her tea. She nodded to a chair and told Maria to sit down. Her coffee was on the occasional table in front of her. Maria sat and picked it up. Her mind started racing again. What was happening to her? This behaviour was not normal. One of her fantasies was this very scenario, but, even so, she tried to free herself again.

Rhiannon looked at her. “You are strong willed. I’m sorry, but you won’t succeed. I need you and here you’ll stay until I say you can leave.” She smiled, “Don’t worry. It’s not so bad. All I need you for is a little light housework and a few light tasks as and when I need them because I’ve better things to do with me time. And I won’t dump you on the streets when I’m finished with you either. You’ll be well taken care of. Now drink your coffee and relax. Do you know what’s on the telly?”

“No. I’m never usually back at this time.”

“OK. What would you usually do when you normally get home?”

“Get in and microwave up the meal the others had earlier, is where I usually start. Then after that, head to the laptop, get on the internet, run through far too many sites until I reach the end. And yes, Garden, and Forum are pretty near the last places I get to, in truth. I tend to have the TV on in the background, if there are any matinee US time baseball matches on ESPN, I tend to watch them. If, like tonight, there isn’t any live coverage, which is a shame as Dodgers are playing early—my team—I tend to flit to golf, rugby league, cricket, or a few other things, or more likely, the news. I’ve never gotten too involved in series, because until this job, my hours varied so much that following them was almost impossible. But unless something happens, I tend to have the TV on, but more focused on computer things, in truth. That all done, tends to be bed. Yes, really wild life—not!” She laughed at this revelation.

“OK,” Rhia said. “That sounds much better than the telly.” Rhia got up and went out for a short while and returned with a laptop, which she gave to Maria. “Use that and do your normal stuff and comment about what you’re doing so I can get up to speed.”

Maria did just that, commenting as she went. Rhia took in the comments without saying anything much. At the same time she was reading the latest batch of stories Maria was scheduled to comment on on her phone. Maria didn’t believe she was taking the stories in because she was reading so fast.

Maria quickly settled into a routine, despite Rhia not conforming to any of her previous experiences or not even coming close to any stereotypical expectations of a mind control Mistress. She initially thought Rhia was simply scatter brained as she eased herself into her new life. Rhia was simply not to be trusted to remember anything of a mundane nature. She drifted off regularly into what appeared to be a world of her own and Maria was left to deal with the day to day events. She would pick up Rhia’s clothes from her bedroom floor soon after Rhia made an appearance downstairs. Maria never learned to predict when this would happen, which made for a flexible routine. She didn’t like that, but was unable to complain.

A couple of days later, Maria and Rhia were sitting in the living room when Maria’s stomach emitted a loud grumbling. It was so loud Rhia immediately returned to the here and now from where her thoughts had taken her. She looked at Maria. “Are you OK?” she asked.

Maria looked embarrassed. “I’m just hungry.”

“Why don’t you eat?”

“Because you haven’t given me permission to eat.”

Rhia looked extremely puzzled. “You’re here to make my life easier. How can you do that if you don’t eat?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll get something now.”

“Wait a moment,” Rhia added. “When did I last eat?”

“I don’t know. You haven’t since I got here.” Maria was now afraid. Obviously she had done something wrong but she still couldn’t work out exactly what it was she was to do.

Rhia wasn’t angry. Rhia was never angry. She simply gave more instructions. “You’re here to help me live my life. That means you eat and I eat. Make sure that happens in the future. And tell me when a meal is ready. I may eat or not, but meals must be there. I don’t care what time or what the meal is, as long as it’s food and fairly regular, At least once a day. That’s your job”. She looked at Maria, who was repeatedly nodding her head. “And what about you? Are you keeping up with your forums and site? You should. I don’t want you going strange on me.” Maria struggled to say nothing at that little comment, but she managed it. “Use your laptop, go out, put the telly on, do whatever it is want to do. As long as I’m OK, you do whatever you want.” She paused and looked closely at Maria. “Why are you wearing all those clothes?”

“I’m cold.”

“Then turn the heating up. Why haven’t you already done this?”

“This is your home. I’m here, against my will, I may add, to help you and you haven’t mentioned the cold. In fact, why are you wearing so little? Aren’t you cold?”

Rhia looked puzzled. “I’m not cold but I don’t care what the temperature is. Suit yourself. All you have to do is look after me and that means you look after yourself as well. Why don’t you understand this? Now go and prepare us a meal.” Maria nodded and went. As soon as Rhia stopped speaking, she drifted off to, presumably, wherever her mind was before that little episode.

After that Maria set the room temperature to suit herself. Rhia never seemed to notice and she never mentioned it again.

The relationship proceeded more smoothly after that. Once things had properly settled down, Rhia noticed something strange about Rhia. She never noticed her. She knew when Rhia was in a room because she could see her. But it took an effort to register her. Maria had to concentrate to hear her moving. The sounds were there but somehow, Maria’s brain didn’t want to register them. Maria had difficulty learning how not to react when Rhia drifted by as she never knew Rhia was there until she, from Maria’s point of view, just suddenly appeared in the most unlikely places, which, at the beginning, resulted in a series of small screams and dropped plates throughout each day. On each of these occasions, Maria could see Rhia being jerked into the now, assessing the situation, and drifting back to wherever she was, without saying a word.

Maria was glad Rhia was not malicious as she made so many mistakes like this. But she learned and improved, until days, and then weeks, could pass with Rhia ‘elsewhere.’

Rhia regularly went out. She just did, either on a whim or to some schedule Maria was not privy to. Maria learned to listen out for the front door opening and closing then rushing to a window to check Rhia was leaving. It helped to know if she was in the house or not. One thing Maria always did was wait up for Rhia. Rhia told her once it wasn’t necessary, and indeed it wasn’t, for Rhia didn’t need Maria when she came in. When Rhia came in late she either resumed her introspection (Maria just didn’t know what else to call it) or went to bed, dropping her clothes where she took them off for Maria to deal with in the morning. Maria just couldn’t not stay up for Rhia. It was part of her Mistress/Slave mindset which, over time, morphed into real concern for Rhia.

Over months, Maria slowly improved in her duties and also in her health, which improved gradually, so gradually she didn’t realize the extent. She knew her knees and wrists ached less, but those aches were cyclic anyway. And she was happy and that counted for a lot when general aches and pains were involved. But, one morning she woke up and got out of bed in an unusually good mood. She’d been strange for a couple of days before, snappy and clumsy. Rhia just ignored her. After donning her warm, long, bright red, oriental looking night-coat, which she had bought in Wakefield indoor market on that fateful day, she started to make the bed when she saw blood on the sheets. Her eyes rounded and she checked herself. Her brain couldn’t cope with her findings. She was menstruating? This is impossible.

She attended to the mess and wore three pairs of knickers with an improvised paper towel lining as a short term measure, then, against the natural protocol that had evolved, went and asked Rhia about it.

Rhia was fine, as always, about being interrupted in her thoughts but answered brusquely, her mind still more than half way where it was before.

“Of course you are,” she answered. “Why’re you asking me? It’s your problem so deal with it.” Her whole mind immediately started to return to wherever they had been.

Maria had to interrupt. “But I can’t deal with this. I have no money to buy anything and I have to deal with this now. I can’t just drip blood all over your house. I just can’t. Unless you have some pads or tampons I can have?” She stopped there wide eyed and panting. That outburst had cost her a lot and suddenly, she was afraid.

Rhia’s mind was thrust severely into the here and now from the vehemence of Maria’s speech. She paused, staring at Maria.

“Of course you’re right. I’ve been remiss. Sorry. Go get me handbag.”

Maria went and returned with the bag. Rhia took it and emptied it on the side table and rummaged through the jumble. “Here it is. I knew it was here. I don’t have anything like pads or tampons. I don’t believe in such things.” She picked up a large wad of notes and gave them to Maria. “Here. Go and get what you need.”

“I don’t need all that,” she responded, her voice rising an octave or so, while picking out a note. It was a fifty, which seemed to be the same as all the rest. “This’ll do easily. I’ll bring you back the change. And a receipt,” she added.

“Oh God no,” replied Rhia. “I can’t be bothered with that.” She looked around and saw, as if for the first time, a large vase in the corner. “Look. Put the money in there,” she said, pointing to the vase. “Then just get what you need whenever you need it. You’re right to bring this up but I don’t want to be bothered with it again.”

Maria was stunned. “Yes ma’am,” she replied automatically. She was going to say more but Rhia stopped her.

“I told you before, call me Rhia.”

“Yes, er… Rhia.”

“Now, does that cover it? Or is there anything else you need?”

“That’s fine for now, thanks. But it will run out sometime, especially when I have to get supplies in.”

“How’ve you coped so far?”

“This house has, or had, supplies. But they won’t last much longer. Another week or so, I think. There’s a large chest freezer that was full. I’ve also been using the clothes I found in the spare room. They fit me, well almost.”

“OK then. Every day, you can check my bag and clothes and take out any cash you find. Put it in the jar. That should keep you stocked up on food and clothes and whatever else that’s necessary. Anything else?”

“I can’t think of anything.”

“Good. Now don’t bother me with this again.”

The conversation was over. Rhia sat back in her armchair and her mind slowly drifted back to where she wanted it to be.

Maria didn’t like this. It was too vague. She was used to spreadsheets and accounting and all the paraphernalia that goes with successful budgeting and planning on a low income. But it worked. Rhia went out often. And every time she returned, Maria went through her bag and pockets, putting all the cash she found in the jar. There was always cash there somewhere.

Quickly Maria noted the vase was starting to fill and it looked like it would continue unless she did something about it. She considered asking Rhia, but decided against it. Rhia had her priorities and Maria’s job was to give her as much freedom from the mundane as possible. She had worked this out but she didn’t understand it. After much thought she had come to the conclusion she literally couldn’t understand it. But the money still kept rolling in and it was her job to fix this problem. Maria didn’t even consider recommending her to get a bank account. She just opened one at a local bank in her own name and kept a vaseful of money as a healthy float. Now she could buy from the internet. She briefly worried about burglars—there must have been thousands in that vase—but, somehow, that worry just couldn’t gain any purchase in her mind.

In order to improve Rhia’s life, Maria started to cook, instead of using the freezer stored ready meals she had been. She could cook but she knew she wasn’t an expert. She briefly considered cooking classes but swiftly vetoed that in her mind. She had to be available as much as possible. Maria rarely left the house. In fact, she only left it to go the local corner shop for the small things or to the bank. Her main shop was done electronically from the local Asda. Specialities she got from national chains that sold such things, and Amazon, of course. After a while, even the loneliness left her.

But it’s amazing what can be done with internet access. Maria taught herself to cook properly from online courses. It helped that she didn’t have to worry about spoiling food when a recipe didn’t work. That was the main problem of people without much money learning to cook.

This online shopping routine created other problems for Maria. And that was Rhia herself. OK, just the delivery men were coming in to deliver the shopping, but Rhia simply ignored them. One day, soon after Maria started this regime, Rhia wandered downstairs and passed the delivery man. She was wearing her knickers, nothing else, and was absorbed in her book. She ignored him completely, assuming she knew he was there at all. He had to quickly step out of her way when it became apparent she wasn’t going to stop. Rhia went to her seat and sat down, still reading. Maria didn’t know what to say. In the end, she just shrugged to the delivery man and ignored it. She was still learning that Rhia’s perception of the world was very different to hers. It seemed to her that Rhia lived more in some other world.

Maria chided herself over that incident. After all, she knew what Rhia was like. Early on, she had to quickly buy and install (she didn’t have the float at that time so she used the last of her own money) thick net curtains to stop the people ogling Rhia from the outside. So, she should have predicted what would happen when the delivery men called. Eventually, she told them to leave the boxes on the step and she carried them in herself. She was pleased to realise, that first time, she could carry those boxes without much problem. She seemed to be getting fitter as well as… well, she was too embarrassed to even think of that. Her figure was improving also. And, just then, she realised she hadn’t even thought of her medication ’till then. She was thriving and improving without it. Maria realised she was supremely happy.

One of Maria’s self-imposed duties was to tidy up Rhia’s books. Rhia seemed to pick up a book at random and read it from cover to cover. Maria never discovered where they came from. She was a fast reader but seemed to slow down with certain books. Maria tidied the books and placed them in a bookcase, which was empty when she first started here. Soon it was overflowing. She had to ask what to do with them and was told Rhia was finished with a book permanently when she stopped reading it. In practice that meant she left them wherever was convenient for her at the time. Maria ended up binning them as the local charity shop wouldn’t take them, even in the superb condition they were in. Maria didn’t blame them. Books with titles such as ‘Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Written BY Henry Cornelius Agrippa’, in the original German, or ‘the Almagest’, in Greek, or ‘’ Bernardini’ by Enrico Fermi or ‘Masks of the Illuminati’ and ‘Prometheus Rising’, both by Robert Anton Wilson, or ‘The Naked Ape’ by Desmond Morris, or ‘The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage’ in the original Hebrew, or ‘777 and Other Cabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley’, didn’t make for light reading. She found one book she kept and read. That was ‘The Code of the Woosters’ by P.G. Wodehouse. She wondered why that one was in the house, never mind Rhia reading it, but never asked about it. That was Rhia’s private affair and Maria wouldn’t pry. That wasn’t right.

It was months later when he arrived. She answered the knock on the door and he said, “Hi, I’m Ritchie Wiblin. You must be Maria. Rhia’s told me about you.” Like Rhia, he was Lancashire by his accent. He walked in without an invitation and went to the living room. It wasn’t arrogance or dominance, just supreme confidence. The same confidence Rhia had. Rhia had told her a short list of names of people who were allowed in no matter what and Ritchie was one of them. Maria closed the door and followed him in. “Can I get you anything?” she asked when he was settled on the settee after grabbing the remote. “Tea,” he answered. Plenty of milk and three sugars.” He turned the telly on and tuned into one of the trashy daytime shows. He was wrapped up in its banality when she returned with his cuppa on a plastic tray. She set it down on an occasional table and moved the table next to him.

“Anything else?” she asked when this task had been done. He shook his head without his eyes leaving the screen. Maria left the room to continue her tasks for the day.

After a while he called her back. His tea and the trash he was watching had finished. “Give us a blowjob, love.” She paused. Now it was coming. She loved the thought of being controlled, but she did think her feelings would be manipulated as well. They weren’t. But she knew she would anyway. Kneeling down in front of his parted legs, she gently removed his genitalia from its confines and proceeded with her task. This she had done before under a number of different Masters and on the orders of her more frequent Mistresses. She knew how to do this. Ritchie was relaxed and tranquil, so she went slowly and gently, licking his cock thoroughly before putting her mouth around it. It wasn’t anything massive, or too small either. It was normal.

She took her time, hoping he would savour the experience. It took a long languid time before she felt him stiffen in her mouth. Increasing her pace and suction, she controlled his ejaculation with the skill of a supreme courtesan. He came in her mouth and she immediately swallowed it all. There wasn’t too much of it. She had expected more, but she quickly realised she was now used to the stories she critiqued where there was usually ropes and ropes of the thick viscous stuff that tasted and smelled delicious. This didn’t taste delicious. It tasted ordinary. She wasn’t overly fond of the taste, but it didn’t disgust her either. It was what it was.

“Impressive,” Rhia said from behind her. Maria jumped—a striking feat as she was still on her knees. She had no idea Rhia was there. Rhia ignored her. Addressing Ritchie she said, “What was it like? Any good?”

“Absolutely,” he answered. “I don’t think I’ve had a better one.”

“You’re welcome,” answered Rhia. Rhia stood there for a while doing nothing, then she turned to Maria saying, “Are you on any contraceptives?”

Maria blushed. That was the last thing on her mind. “No, of course not. You know I’m a…”

“Yes, of course I know. But I’ve corrected that. You bleed now don’t you?”

Maria blushed deeper. Her cheeks heated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that.” She was going to add, ‘That’s not possible’, but she decided that was an incredibly stupid thing to say after everything that had happened to her.

“That’s what you’re here for. To think. Do better in future.” This was said in a neutral tone. There was no animosity, just a command and an expectation. Maria nodded. She turned to Ritchie to ask him if he wanted anything else, but he was lying on the settee, fast asleep. He wasn’t snoring.

At the next opportunity, Maria went to the nearest doctors for a check-up and a prescription for contraceptives. Strangely, she was immediately accepted on their list and obtained an appointment in an hour’s time. By now, Maria just didn’t wonder at this sort of stuff anymore. Things just happened. Go with the flow.

Six months, or so, later and Maria was totally into her role. Rhia was as strange as ever and there had been another two guests, who stayed for an hour or two. They just seemed to need being in Rhia’s locality, as they never said anything but trivia. One of them had sex with Maria. It was nice, but nothing special. She didn’t insist on a condom and afterwards wondered if these people caught STDs.

One evening, Rhia returned home with another guest. At least, Maria assumed he was a guest when they entered. Rhia had to call for Maria when they entered as she was busy upstairs. She came running. This was different. Normally Rhia let herself in and out without any ceremony.

“Get your things, we’re leaving,” Rhia announced when Maria arrived. She looked at Rhia and saw she wasn’t joking, so she got her bag and coat and walked out to where Rhia and whoever he was were entering a car. He was driving. “Lock the door and push the keys through the letterbox,” instructed Rhia.

“What about your things and the money?” asked Maria.

“Forget that,” she answered. So Maria did as she was told.

“Where are we going?” she asked Rhia as she opened the rear door.

“No,” Rhea replied. “You’re not coming. It’s over. I’m going to live in America.”

Maria slowly closed the door, leaving herself on the outside. She looked back at the house. “Don’t worry about that,” said Rhia. “Here,” she said, handing her bag to Maria. Everything inside is yours. He started the car.

“What about your money?” asked Maria in a panic.

“Someone will find it. Don’t worry about it.”

“No. I mean your money in my bank account.” Rhia looked puzzled. “I had to have an account to buy all your stuff from the internet. It’s in my name but it’s your money.”

Rhia smiled. “Well done. I knew I was right to choose you. Keep it. I’ll get some more. Oh yes, your home is still there for you. The rent has been paid ’til next year.”

At that they drove away.

Maria stood there, lost and afraid. She had money now, but that wouldn’t last forever. She’d have to start the job hunt all over again. And she had to get back to her old home in Huddersfield. She trudged to the station.

Once home she discovered her flat mates had moved out and she was all alone. She didn’t know what to do, so she had a shower, went to bed, and cried.

Maria settled back down into a routine. She started looking for a job, but didn’t sign on because she now had far too much money to be allowed dole. She used their resources though, just to let herself be seen and known there. This would help if she ever had to apply for dole. Her contacts and her own researches were the mainstay of her job hunt.

After a couple of weeks, she picked up the handbag Rhia had given her. When she returned home, she had put it in a drawer and forgot about it. Probably because she didn’t want to remember the hope she had built up for a future with Rhia. Emptying the bag’s contents on the table, she finally sifted through the contents. The wad of cash was obvious, another few thousand she estimated. The rest was rubbish. Scraps of paper, sweet wrappers, receipts and other such debris. She nearly missed the Lotto ticket. It was for last Saturday and she checked the numbers.

She won £498,645.58.

It took a few weeks until the money was in her account and her privacy assured. Now she didn’t need to work, she realised she needed to, or she had to get a substitute. She couldn’t live on her own like this. Without any sort of local network, she would go mad and collect cats.

An idea formed in her mind. She could go back to L.A. and really try for what her heart had always yearned for. Something involved in films in Hollywood. Preferably an actress, or an extra or even a gopher. Whatever, as long as she was there and involved. She knew this wasn’t what most people would call a dream at her age, but it was hers and, now, she could do it. She checked herself as best she could in the mirrors available in her flat and thought. She had been in LA a few times in her life, in a sort of holiday while pursuing her dream scenario, so she generally knew what her competition would be like. She wasn’t a star and never would be, but she did think she could pull off a background role, something small, but onscreen.

Her body changes seemed to have stopped now she was outside Rhia’s influence. She looked in her late forties, still not pretty but more pretty than before and, while she had lost weight, she was still carrying a few kilos more than she should. She got herself a trainer and worked on herself. She surprised herself at her determination. This focus had never happened before, well, except for the obvious. It helped that her old aches and pains had gone.

A year later, age sixty two and looking fit and fortyish, Maria was in a restaurant in Los Angeles with her agent. Her heart was beating hard and she could hardly stop herself trembling. She had a part. Not a big part, but still a regular in a popular sitcom. It was the sort of role that could be blown up into its own show, if her dreams went right. She could hardly believe what was happening to her. Her life had changed drastically since Rhia had taken her. Now she would fulfil a lifetime’s ambition. The agent had given her the contract and talked her through it. It was on the table in front of her, waiting for her signature. There were problems with it, but they were small problems that wouldn’t stop her signing.

“Maria,” came the cry as she picked up the pen. She looked around and there was Rhia, looking the same except with sunglasses. “Guys, this is Maria. She’s the one I told you about. What’re you doing here Maria?”

Maria looked at Rhia and her two friends in amazement. “What are you doing here? Are you following me? Or is this a coincidence?”

Rhia laughed. “Coincidences don’t exist, Maria. And why would I follow you?” She turned to her friends. “You know Ritchie Wiblin don’t you?” They nodded. “Well, Ritchie told me that Maria here gave him the best blowjob he ever had. He said she’s an expert.”

Maria blushed. Her agent looked on with interest. There was giggling at the next table. Maria determinedly didn’t look round at them. From memory, they were a group of young millennials, early twenties probably, and she knew they wouldn’t display the British inhibition against staring and listening in.

“You know,” Rhia told her friends, “Maria here was my property for a few months and she did an incredible job. I realise that now, but I just ignored her at the time. She really made things easy for me. You know what I’m like. Do you think I should take her back?”

“Why not,” answered Phyllida in her American accent, shrugging her shoulders. “Just drop her if it doesn’t work out.”

Flavius nodded. “I think I’d like to try her out if she’s as good as Ritchie says.” Another American Maria noted.

Rhia looked thoughtful. “I do have a lot of work coming up and I’ll need someone. I was going to take a local, but Maria is already trained.”

“Hey Penny, isn’t this what you do?” This was asked by a guy on the gigglers table.

Someone, presumably Penny, giggled and said, “Shush, she’ll hear you.” The giggling talkers were ignored.

At that Rhia turned to leave, taking her companions with her. Maria hadn’t moved during this episode. She stared at them open mouthed as they left. The gigglers hadn’t stopped and were now adding comments to each other in what they thought were whispers. Two paces away, Rhia clicked her finger and pointed behind her. Maria stood and followed, leaving her agent and her prized contract behind on the table. The gigglers stopped giggling and stared.