“You are aware that you must at all times obey my rules?” Anthony’s eyes penetrated.
“I am aware that I must do as I am told.” The words hurt her throat but sounded easily spoken. She was not going to let him fluster her. And damn, she didn’t need that skin on her palms anyway. Her smile remained steady and undaunted.
Anthony remained silent for an extended period of time, watching Claire. Finally, he spoke. “Very well.” He stood. Claire expected some kind of directive. Instead, he walked toward the door.
“Wait.” She proclaimed. He turned to look at her. His expression showed astonishment at her command. She immediately realized her words overstepped her bounds, but she couldn’t go on locked alone in the suite. Her tone softened. “I am sorry, but may I leave this suite?”
“As long as we are certain on the terms of our agreement and you follow the rules and orders given, I see no problem with you roaming the house.” He reached for the door handle. “It is rather large. I will be working from home tomorrow. Your services will be utilized then, so be prepared for my call. When I have a chance, I will give you a tour of the house and define your limitations. I think it is best that you do not roam tonight. I do not want you getting lost.” He started to leave. She heard the beep as he reached for the handle.
“Anthony? I don’t have any . . . duties tonight?” Her voice began to fail her. She sounded less like the strong, lighthearted woman she desperately tried to project and more like a child.
“I have recently arrived from a series of meetings in Europe and am quite tired. I am glad to know we have a mutual understanding. Good night, Claire.”
“Good night, Anthony.” He shut the door. She heard the beep and the lock.
Her thoughts swirled. He has been in Europe! I have been locked in here while he was on another continent! Okay, focus, the door will be open tomorrow. I engaged in a conversation, the first one in almost two weeks. He didn’t say anything about my appearance. All that work and not a word. Perhaps compliments aren’t his style, only criticism. That was all right, because tomorrow I am leaving this suite. And leaving the suite is one step closer to going home!
Tossing and turning, Claire had too much energy to sleep. It wasn’t just her body, her mind spun with the excitement of her impending release. During the past thirteen days her every need was met, except her need to be with people. She couldn’t remember a time in her life that didn’t include interaction. It was something she took for granted, until now. The isolation was unbearable. While it was happening, she wouldn’t allow herself to think about it, but now that the end was near her anticipation mounted.
She lay in bed and pondered Anthony Rawlings. What kind of man was he? He obviously liked control, complete control. What did he mean when he said, “Be prepared for my call”? Did that mean she should be up early waiting for someone to come and get her? He didn’t give her a time. She looked at the clock: 5:33. Should she get up now? What if she fell asleep and wasn’t ready when he called? Could she end up locked in her suite another thirteen days? She couldn’t take that. Claire needed companionship.
Her mind slipped back to college and recalled living in the sorority house surrounded by girls. She often longed for some alone time, away from the drama. There were always issues between sisters, with boyfriends, classes, or parents. She wished for a place of her own and time by herself. Another of Grandma’s sayings came to mind, “Be careful what you wish for.” She would love to have that camaraderie and even drama again.
At 6:00 a.m. she gave up, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to get ready for whatever the day had in store. She spent almost two weeks doing the same thing. Now she prepared to venture into the unknown. It both scared and excited her. It was like the unpredictability of weather.
Her breakfast waited on the table when she left the bathroom. Her hair styled in a low ponytail, casual yet classy. Her makeup done, she decided to dress before eating and entered the closet. Stepping into the sea of material Claire wondered if every outfit would be so difficult to choose, and if every action a test? Decision made, she put on dark jeans and a sweater. Entering her suite, ready for coffee, she suddenly dropped her shoes and let out a startled muffled scream.
Lost in her own thoughts, his presence caught her off guard. She hadn’t heard him enter. Damn. Could he learn to knock? The look of surprise and shock on Claire’s face accompanied by the dropping of her shoes made him smile. He startled her. She knew that made him happy. “Good morning, Claire.”
“Good morning, Anthony, I didn’t hear you come in.” She picked up her shoes and regained some composure.
“Are you ready for your tour?” He looked at her uneaten breakfast. “Did you plan to eat first? I have a web conference in forty-five minutes.”
“What’s a web conference?” Suddenly, she thought she shouldn’t have asked, or should she? She just didn’t know what to do or say. She knew it was just nice to have someone to talk to, even him.
“It is like a conference call between many different people, but instead of being on the phone it is over the Internet.”
She couldn’t believe how casual and friendly he spoke. He even looked more relaxed, wearing slacks and a shirt but no tie or jacket. It reminded her of the Anthony she met in Atlanta. “It is okay. I’m really not hungry. I’m more excited to get the tour.” She put on her shoes and sipped a little coffee.
He began by explaining the shape of the house, a main section which housed the dining room, formal living room, sitting room, kitchen, and the grand foyer. The foyer contained the main stairway. Two large wings projected off from the main section. Stairways were also found at the end of each of those wings. The staff had access to an elevator for transporting carts and larger items to the second and lower level.
He continued to explain Claire’s suite was located on the second floor of the southeast wing as they stepped out of the suite. Claire looked slowly down the great expanse of the hallway at many other doors. She hadn’t heard anyone or anything her entire stay. Anthony moved five steps ahead before she remembered to walk. The sensation of stepping out of the suite was frightening, like leaving the security of a nest.
She quickly caught him and did her best to walk at his fast pace. At times he wouldn’t say a word, just walk. Other times he spoke at great length about this piece of art or that antique.
Along the tour he showed her a library adorned with beautiful cherry woodwork and book-lined shelves. It occupied two stories and contained a back wall with a sliding ladder like you see in movies. She could get lost in there for days. She looked around for a computer. Didn’t all libraries have computers? “Is there a computer in here, some way to find books?”
“I think it would be best for you to not have access to computers, the Internet, or telephones.” Anthony’s statement wasn’t an answer to Claire’s question, it was a proclamation.
The tour of his magnificent house held so many treasures that Claire momentarily forgot why she was there. His declaration brought the reason rushing back. She knew all forms of communication were absent from her suite, but assumed that outside the door there would be Wi-Fi. Even though she hadn’t seen her Blackberry for over two weeks, she hoped she would once again be connected to the real world. He looked at her with his dark eyes as he spoke. She did her best to maintain his gaze, swallowed, and nodded in response.
Next he took her to an exercise room in the lower level, complete with all kinds of weight equipment, as well as a treadmill, elliptical, and stepper. Attached to the workout room was an indoor pool. Though not full sized, it was big enough to swim laps in. When she saw the pool, the stunning mosaic tiles that covered the walls and floor, the windows that allowed sunlight to penetrate, and smelled the familiar chlorine, she let out a gasp. “Do you like to swim?” he asked.
“Oh yes. This is amazing.” Claire’s eyes glowed.
“You shall have bathing suits tomorrow.” His words surprised her; she hadn’t asked. However, he was offering, and she di
d like to swim.
“Thank you.”
The formal dining room was exquisite. The table currently set for ten but the room seemed as though it could seat at least three times as many. The intricate woodwork accented light yellow walls and included hand-carved trim, molding, and built-in cabinetry. The ceiling was divided into sections separated by wood trim, each section embellished with different designs and some sort of gold flaking that created a shimmer in the light of the sun. The cabinetry held what Claire believed to be very lavish crystal and china. The height of the ceiling allowed the windows and French doors to be taller than most, at least ten feet, and adorned by exquisite flowing draperies. “We will eat in here when I decide. If I am not home, you will eat in your suite.”
Down the west corridor just off the main section was a set of grand double doors. “This is my office. Your services will be required in here on days I work from home, like today. My office is strictly forbidden without my permission. Is that clear?” Claire nodded. Anthony turned to look at her, standing very close. “Claire, I want verbal responses to my questions. Do not make me tell you that again.”
“I understand. Your office is off-limits unless you tell me to be there.” Her eyes fluttered from his to the wall, straining to maintain eye contact. They hadn’t made it down the rest of the west corridor when Anthony looked at his watch.
“I have business I must do. It is seven twenty-five. I want you back at my office at ten thirty. You have some debt to pay off.” He obviously enjoyed the uncomfortable feeling his remarks produced. “Do you think you can find your way back to your suite?”
“Yes, I can. But do I have to?” She told him how she would like to go back to the library and look around. She promised she would be back by ten thirty.
He hesitated but reluctantly agreed. “We have not discussed all of the rules pertaining to the house. At this point, do not go outside. Permission for going out on the grounds will be contingent upon your ability to follow rules within the house.”
“I understand, and I will be back by ten thirty.” Filled with exhilaration Claire walked down the marble corridor toward the library. The sensation of her shoes on the marble floor, the sound of her steps, and the coolness of the empty hall thrilled her senses. To be so deprived of anything except the same four walls, no matter how beautiful, and to be free to roam was ecstasy. She had three hours to spend in the library.
Anthony’s collection of books was amazing. He had classics, “Tale of Two Cities,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Great Expectations,” “Moby Dick,” and literally hundreds more. There were resource books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and language translation books. She found biographies and memoirs, science fiction, romance, and fantasy. Just as she entered another section Anthony met her face to face. Once again, she jumped, but this time he wasn’t smiling.
Claire’s mind spun, I can’t be late, I have been watching that clock over there. The clock read 10:37. Where had the time gone? “Oh, Anthony, I am so sorry. I was just engrossed in all you have—”
His hand stuck her cheek. She didn’t fall but wobbled off balance. He then pulled her toward him. His hand warm on the back of her neck, entwined in her hair, caused her face to tilt upward until all she could see were his penetrating eyes.
“Simple instructions, which are what I gave you. Perhaps you are not ready to leave your suite quite yet.” He loosened the grip on her hair.
“No, please don’t say that. I can follow instructions, I can.” Claire didn’t want to beg, but she couldn’t stand the thought of being locked in her suite another day.
“Follow me to my office, now.”
Each of his strides equaled three of Claire’s, she practically ran to keep up. When they reached the double doors of his office, he opened one and shoved her inside. She had only seen his office doors, but now she looked around the interior. Like everything else in the mansion it was lavish and substantial. The walls were surfaced with more of the impressive cherry paneling, decorative trim, and ornate bookcases. There was a very impressive mahogany desk, a leather sofa, chairs, and a conference table. His desk contained many computer screens as well as a large screen on the wall that could be one or divided into multiple screens. Currently, it was subdivided, and each screen contained stock information. The lights on the telephone indicated that it contained multiple lines.
He turned and locked the door. Claire’s heart pounded in her chest, her face felt flush, and she could feel herself begin to tremble. Standing alone in the vastness of his office she watched Anthony as he contemplated his next move. His angry expression included the completely black eyes she witnessed in her suite two weeks before. After a protracted silence, he spoke with an even flat tone.
“So you say you can follow instructions, we will see.” The debate was over. It was the outcome that frightened Claire. A few hours ago he had been another person. Now the man standing before her was the same one who abused her so violently the first two nights of her stay. His grin wasn’t playful, it was ruthless. “Let’s start with you taking off your clothes.”
Doing her best to be obedient, Claire did as she was told and removed her clothes, starting with her shoes and ending with her sweater. Next he told her to lie down on the carpet, face first and keep her eyes down. She did and felt the plush carpet rough against her skin. The vulnerability of the position alarmed her, intensifying her trembling. She couldn’t see or hear his movements. Straining to listen she eventually heard his belt as it passed each loop. The first lash hit so unexpectedly that it made her scream out in agony and shock. She moved her hand to her mouth, bit down, and refused to scream anymore.
When she didn’t respond he turned her over, stood above her, and removed his tie and slacks. He didn’t say a word but watched for her reaction. Perhaps she was in shock. Whatever it was, Claire was unable to respond. She watched, knowing that whatever he chose to do would be bad. His hands forcibly moved her legs as she watched, disengaged as if in another dimension. The scene she saw was brutal and domineering. By the grace of God, she felt everything in a removed yet present fashion. She watched his actions and heard his demands. She was present, saw his expression, felt his body, smelled his skin, and tasted her shame. Yet she was somehow detached, not there. By the time he finished, her body exhibited various rug burns, and her hair was tangled and matted from the same lush carpet.
Anthony Rawlings callously stood and dressed. He paused for a moment, standing six feet above her, and then silently walked to the attached bathroom. There he combed his hair and replaced the tie he’d removed. Meanwhile, Claire sat in the middle of the room involuntarily shivering, holding her clothes, and silently weeping, unsure what to do.
Returning to the office he looked at her with disdain, his tone flat and cold. “You may go to your suite, clean yourself up, and get ready to demonstrate to me again your ability to follow instructions.”
Claire began to gather her clothes and dress when he added “Do not leave your suite until I decide. Your pass to roam is revoked.” Her mind was beyond comprehension, thinking outside of the box was more than she could handle. She remembered an agreement with herself for self-preservation, conceding to demands. Yet at this moment in time, Claire didn’t know or understand what she was doing, agreeing to, or being forced to do. She was lost and most likely suffering from shock. She only remembered his directives to go back to her suite and clean up.
Leaving his office she turned toward the grand staircase. Beyond the stairs through the magnificent foyer with the high ceiling Claire saw the double doors that led to the outside. They were tall and ornate. Without thinking she walked toward them, perhaps she should have run, but no one was around. The house was empty, like a museum. She could hear her heart pound in her ears as she approached the handle wondering if it would open. She wouldn’t learn. Suddenly, she heard the sound of shoes on the marble floor of the corridor. The footsteps didn’t sound rushed but determined and were getting closer. Claire quickly turned
and began the ascent to the second floor. She didn’t look back down. She didn’t want to see the person that produced the footsteps, especially if that person would meet her gaze with a black-eyed stare. Instead, she walked toward her suite.
By the time she closed the door her internal monologue was in full gear. He actually hit me with his belt! My god! The man is mad. I have to find a way out of here!
At that moment, she didn’t search for an escape. Instead, she showered, redid her hair, her makeup, and put on another outfit. While she cleaned herself up she contemplated fleeing. Questions arose. Where would she go? How would she get there? How far to civilization? And what were her chances of success? And most importantly, if she failed, what would he do?
Her lunch arrived. Even though she missed breakfast she barely ate. She sat quietly on the sofa, read a book, stared into space, and waited for instructions. A feeling of helplessness settled into her chest like nothing she’d ever known.
About four thirty, the beep sounded, the door opened, and she dutifully obeyed. His demeanor, less malicious than before, seemed merely callous. The forbearance of the early morning and the tour were gone. Anthony had a goal for his actions. Claire needed to understand who was in control. She had done this to herself, he told her. She needed to do what she was told. But did she? No. He made her say, “No, I didn’t do what I was told.” And behaviors have consequences. Could she remember that? “Yes, I understand behaviors have consequences.”
That evening they didn’t dress appropriately for dinner in Claire’s suite. Anthony decided he wanted her to model some of the lingerie. Dinner was eaten while wearing a flowing black silk negligee.
Every time she thought he was done and would leave, he regrouped. Maybe a drink of water or check the messages on his iPhone, then he resumed. The violence ended, but the domination continued. Claire wanted to scream. But she didn’t. The more she obeyed, the less ruthless his instructions. After midnight, Anthony left her suite. He didn’t say whether her door would be unlocked in the morning, and she couldn’t remember if she heard the familiar beep. She wanted to check, but her body barely moved. Instead, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.