The Spa
Chapter 8
9 P.M. Friday night...
The well-dressed gentleman stepped out of his car, as the valet took his place. He and his female companion, dressed in a beautiful beige gown, walked purposefully up the walk to the large double doors. The attendant smiled at them both as he opened the door, letting them in.
The hall they stepped into was grandiose with its high ceiling, chandeliers, round tables throughout, and servers walking amongst the patrons, offering them hors d’oeuvres and champagne. The servers—all female—were dressed in identical short, tight, black A-frame dresses with stockings and heels, and matching perfunctory expressions; only their hair color—raven, sandy, auburn, cherry—distinguished them from each other. At the far end was a semi-circular stage with a dark curtain across it, obscuring the stage.
A woman approached them, wearing a black dress and heels, her blonde hair up in a bun, her face sparkling as she smiled. “Mr. Devereaux. It’s always a pleasure.”
“Likewise, Ms. Hutchinson.” He reached for her hand and took it, kissing the back as a sign of mutual respect.
“Who is the gorgeous young lady with you tonight?”
“Ah, yes, this is Sofia. She’s our housekeeper, and we’d be lost without her, believe me. I thought having her accompany me would be a nice reward for all her hard work.”
“I agree. Welcome Sofia!” Ms. Hutchinson effused. “Perhaps if you twist Mr. Devereaux’s arm enough he’ll buy something for you. He is quite generous.” She paused before adding, “You’ve arrived at the perfect time—we were just about to draw back the curtain so everyone can look at the items before we begin the auction.”
Sofia nodded, as Mr. Devereaux grinned. “It’s okay Sofia, you may speak; Ms. Devereaux isn’t here to berate you.” He turned to the manager again. “My wife is away at one of her spa weekends—she would never have stood for me to bring our housekeeper to an event like this. But then, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her right?” he added with a wink to Ms. Hutchinson.
“Precisely.” Ms. Hutchinson smiled back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to perform my duties.” Turning, she started up the steps to the stage; stepping next to the microphone stand that was positioned on the outside of the curtain, she tapped on the microphone ensuring it was on.
Grinning mischievously, Mr. Devereaux leaned and whispered into Sofia’s ear, “Remember, these drones you are about to see, they’re simply labor-saving devices. In a way, they are no different from a vacuum cleaner, or a dishwasher. There will be several models to choose from so make sure you take your time to inspect them fully.”
As the crowd gathered around the stage, champagne flutes in hand, Ms. Hutchinson began to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this week’s auction. In a moment, the curtain will be drawn back and you’ll have thirty minutes to walk around and inspect the diverse items up for bid tonight. Remember, you can open the cases and touch the items gently but be careful—‘you break it you buy it’!” That drew some laughter. “We have several classes of items available tonight. Whether you’re looking for a maid, or a pleasure unit, there’s likely something here for you. Now without further ado...Open Sesame!”
The soft music that had been playing in the background rose in volume as the burgundy curtain parted, revealing twenty glass cases, each containing a different ‘item’. As the patrons made their way up the steps and onto the stage, they could see that each case was illuminated from within, and every item was nude with a similar ‘mask’ covering its face.
Mr. Devereaux led Sofia over to a group of cases, smiling as he watched his housekeeper’s eyes widen. “These are the maids up for auction tonight. Take your time, and don’t be afraid to open any of the cases and even touch them if you like. They are all in ‘display mode’ so they won’t do anything except stand there.” He grinned as he watched Sofia’s eyes scan back and forth; she took a few steps and was standing in front of one of the cases, gazing at the drone inside. “Yes, that’s a very nice one, isn’t it?”
“What does the...L thirty-four on the tag mean?” Sofia asked him.
“That’s just a lot number, I think. They each have a different one, that way they know which is which.”
Cautiously, Sofia reached for the latch, opening the front of the case. She reached inside to touch the drone, her hand stopping as she looked back to her boss for approval.
“It’s ok, you can touch. They wouldn’t let you open the cases if you weren’t supposed to touch them.”
She nodded and reached in, her fingers gently touching the drone’s neck, trailing down over its chest, and playing with its tag for a moment. “It feels so...real. How...?”
“Beats me.” Mr. Devereaux chuckled. “I think you really like this one, don’t you? Well perhaps I’ll make a bid on it then. Keep looking, I want to check out the pleasure units.” He left Sofia standing there, amidst a few other patrons, and walked to the larger group that was standing around the pleasure unit cases. One case in particular seemed to be getting the most attention, and so he joined the crowd that was around ‘D36’. The case was already open, and different hands were reaching inside, caressing its chest, hair, arms, and thighs.
“I’ve been coming to these auctions for quite a while and I do declare, this may be the finest pleasure unit I’ve seen,” an older gentleman drawled as he turned to Mr. Devereaux. “What do you say, Harold?”
“Well, you know what they say—they’re all programmed to do the same things. It’s a matter of preference, I suppose. Like buying a black Rolls instead of a silver one.”
On Harold’s other side, a couple were looking at D36 with the same level of interest.
“I think she’s beautiful, Jeremy,” the woman, a short brunette in a red dress, gushed. “And she’s a blonde! I’ve always wanted a blonde in our bed. Please?”
“I agree, dear, she’s stunning, but can we afford her? Look at all the people here, the bidding is going to be fierce.”
“Oh, Jeremy, you do love me, don’t you? I think this would be the perfect anniversary present for us. You’re the one who’s always said you wanted to try a threesome.”
Jeremy nodded as he ran his hand through his thick sandy-blonde mane. “Yes, Jasmine, you’re right. It’s the closest we’d find to a unicorn. I’ll try my best, okay?” He watched his wife as she reached inside the case and stroked the motionless drone.
Jasmine knelt as she leaned closer. “It’s perfect, even down here.” She turned her broad, child-like grin towards her husband, asking, “Do you think they get...excited?” Her hand went to where her eyes were. “I think it is, Jeremy! I think it’s getting excited!”
“Keep your voice down, honey. We don’t want everyone to think we’re overly enthusiastic or someone will outbid us for sure,” he whispered. “We should probably look at the others too, in case we can’t get this one.”
“Fine,” Jasmine pouted as she backed away and stood up. “But I won’t be happy with any of the others, not like I will with this one,” she added as he dragged her over to one of the other displays...