The Collector

Feeling Master’s sweaty hand totally engulf her own made Polina want to let go but she thought better of it. He definitely didn’t like for any of the girls to defy him in any way and she knew that would be a mistake. She could still remember the day that Daniela had resisted him when he had leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. His face had turned as red as a beet! After a moment of silence that seemed like an eternity, he had told her in a calm voice (he was clearly forcing himself to be calm when in fact he was furious) that it was very rude of her not to accept a kiss from him. Daniela had blushed and then willingly offered her cheek to him. Master had smiled and kissed it for a little too long.

  They walked across the hall through the foyer and down another hall before entering one of the smaller studios. Polina had only been in this room once before and that had been with Sveta. Master had instructed them to simply practice some dance moves together while he snapped away with his camera from all kinds of different angles.

  Now that she was inside the room, Polina realized that she felt nervous. She had never been in a room alone with Master and this frightened her a little. She had heard stories of him touching some of the girls improperly and she wondered if that was going to happen to her now. She had pondered what she would do if the man ever tried to make any sexual advances on her and the answer had been simple. Nothing. She would do nothing because she knew that she had no choice but to let him do as he wished with her. Period.

  But Polina felt her fears allay as he motioned for her to sit down on a wooden chair placed in the middle of the room. She had never once heard any of the girls say that he had actually tried to have sex with them and she wondered if the inappropriate touching had perhaps been exaggerated or even imagined. Master had always been gentle with the girls, patiently working with them to get into their positions for the photo sessions, touching up their hair and makeup with a skill and tenderness she had never known before. It was even rumored that he may be a homosexual, and she considered this a strong possibility.

  “My dear girl, you look wonderful sitting there! What we are going to do today is really very simple. After we get your hair dampened up a bit and the makeup just right, you are to remove all of your clothes and simply sit there until I give you further instructions. Have you any questions before we begin?”

  Polina forced herself to look up at him and offer a wan smile. “No, Master.”

  Surely, she thought, he was not going to do anything inappropriate.

  Not that she could do anything about it.

  She sat as still as possible and watched Master pick up some eye shadow before going to work on her.