[Mercy Merchant]

Friday  8 June 2075  0730  Elaine's House


>>Roger.  Er, Oh.  I will get right on that.<<  While in the bathroom, you note that the tub in here could easily seat four or five people.  Returning to the bed, you find Robin twitching from what Elaine has done to her and Elaine holds out a hand to you.  The two of you are like putty in her hands as she educates you on the joys and pleasures of sex.  The woman is far more experienced than either of you and is a surprisingly good teacher and of course it helps that both of you are actually interested in learning what she has to teach.  Some time passes and all three of you are laying on the bed in a mass of converging body parts, panting and reveling in the glow of extremely enjoyable sex.  Elaine weakly climbs out of the bed and says, "I think a bath is in order, ladies.  Crawl off the bed and join me.  I think you will find that the tub is more than large enough."

Robin groans and follows her on shaky legs.

[Irn0rchid]

Exiting the bathroom, Rose laughs a little at Robin's condition on the bed. "Did this end up being more than you bargained for?" she asks. After some time on the bed, <<Well, even if we get nothing else out of this job, we've certainly improved our love life!>> When Elaine is finally exhausted, Rose is a bit relieved, "I don't know how she can have this much energy. Robin and I are wiped out! Following Elaine and Robin to the bathroom, she comments, "I was wondering if we were going to get to try that out, it looks amazing. Much better than our shower!"

[Mercy Merchant]

Elaine laughs.  "I had this added after I moved in.  So, scented oils, bubble bath, or both?"  As she turns the water on in the tub, she turns to both of you and says, I cannot remember when I have had so much fun.  Or so much pleasure.  You two might be new to this, but you learn very fast.  I am practically worn out.  I would feel pleased if you decided to stay as long as you can before going out.  And would it be presumptuous to ask if you would like to return?"

[Irn0rchid]

Rose and Robin turn to each other and say simultaneously, "Bubble bath!" After Elaine's question, they again look at each other and Robin shrugs. Rose says, "We're happy to stay here for the day, but I, at least, have to leave at some point to get ready for tonight. This has been an amazing time though, so I'm sure we can get together again." She grins and offers the number to one of her prepaid commlinks. "So what else did you have in mind for us today?"

[Irn0rchid]

Email action

Elaine pours in enough bubble bath liquid to get a good head going. After all of you are ensconced in the protective cocoon of bubbles, she looks around at both of you then her face gets a bit sad and she quietly says.  "You know, I do not actually know what I would do. Certain parts of me are feeling quite used after our heroics of last night and this morning and could use a short rest, I think.  If I were alone, I would probably do some laps in the pool in the basement and sit on the patio outside if it is sunny.  Otherwise I.................well, to be honest, I really don't do much of anything.  I suppose that rather makes me out to be quite a sad and pathetic person, if I put it those words."  She laughs a bit ruefully.  "And this has been so refreshing.  I usually have to pay for company in bed but you two have not asked for a single nuyen.  I would have to say that this has been the most fun I have had in years.  I hope that you do not mind that I want it to last a bit longer.  You pretty much know all about me already, so tell me what you two do for a living?  "

Rose frowns for a moment, "What did you do before you got married? Surely you had interests or hobbies or... something? Like I like to work on cars. Robin here mainly likes to play video games." She pokes Robin under the water and grins. "Work is really whatever we can find, although I have some money from my family, so it's not a big issue. Although, if you're paying..." she laughs. After thinking on it for a minute, she continues, "Maybe you're just bored...?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Elaine looks at you and smiles.  Her eyes light up as she says, "Cars?  You like to work on cars?  Me too, or at least I did.  My brother was always out working on his latest find.  He would go to scrap yards and have the ugliest things brought back home and then put them back together. Mother hated it and made him do it in the garage.  Father did not understand it.  But I did.  He was five years older than me and we got along great.  I would come out to watch and he would send me after tools and let me hold the lamp for him when I was little.  When I was a bit older, he started showing me everything about how to fix a car.  Soon I was spending all my time with him and usually ended up as covered in grease as he was.  We must have rebuilt a dozen cars together.  I think I have never been happier.  Then Rob and Father had an argument; a real rip-snorter.  Rob left the next day and I think I hated him for a bit for not taking me with him to work on cars somewhere.  It was not the same at home without him.  Mother had the garage cleaned up and that was the end of that.  I toyed with the idea of running off to look for Rob, or maybe just go find a garage that would hire me.  After all, I was a damned fine mechanic back then.  None of it happened.  I was a bit too afraid to try it on my own and I slowly became like my mother."

"Then Father's business began to fail and I overheard my parents arguing about finding more funding.  Mother hated the idea of being poor and Father hated the idea of being embarrassed among his friends.  The fights and money problems went on several years, both getting worse and accusations began to fly.  I think they fell out of love, if they were ever in love.  Then Howard came along with an idea about how to save the day. I was pimped out and basically traded away for enough money to keep Father afloat if he was smart with the money.  He is not a smart man and the Yaks just added more debt until he just up and shot himself one night.  Mother killed herself with pills three months later.  The creditors got everything except for me, but I already belonged to Howard by then.  There have been times when I have dreamed that Rob would come along and take me away, but I think he is dead, too.  Very sad story all around, I would say."

"And that is far more than what you asked.  I am sorry to be such a talker." 

[Irn0rchid]

Rose widens her eyes a little as Elaine opens up to them. Once she finishes, "So why are you still here? Your parents don't need the money anymore and it doesn't seem to be doing you any good. You obviously don't seem happy. Have you tried using Howard's connections and resources to find your brother? You can't just assume he's dead without at least trying to find him..." To Robin she sends, <<What do you make of this? You haven't really said much since we got here. Is there another play here other than just trying to distract her so we can examine that room?>>

[Irn0rchid]

From Email
Elaine grimaces a bit.  "You are pretty much right on all counts.  I am unhappy here, mostly because there is nothing to fulfil me.  Howard is totally against having children ruin his perfect little world and so I do not get to be a mother..................or grandmother.  The problem with leaving is that Howard once told me that he would be the one to leave and that he would hunt down and kill me if I tried it.  And if I left with someone, he would kill them, as well.  He was not joking, in my opinion.  Besides, where would I go?  My skills in a garage have been passed by with new cars and new tools, and younger mechanics.  I suppose I could learn, but see argument one above.  I did try once to use some of Howard's connections to find my brother, even hired a private detective.  After a couple of months, Howard paid the guy off and told me to drop it.  I was angry and went behind his back and hired a different guy from the allowance Howard gives me.  He found out and threatened to cut me off.  The detective called me the next day and said he had been warned to leave well enough alone.  That was that.  I knew that Howard or his backers had got to the man.  I am pretty much at a loss here.  I do have a bit of money saved in a bank that he does not know about, but I have no way of contacting another detective that he will not find out about."

As Elaine finishes, she casts her eyes down and shakes her head before looking back up.  "See, sad and pathetic."

Robin texts back, >>I have no fragging idea what to say to all of that.  Just how much information are you supposed to get on this guy?  We might already know enough to impress your new boss.  Do we need to get into the secret room or is that just showing that we go the extra mile for our clients?<<

<<Well, more is always better. There was no objective criteria given for 'enough'. As long as the risks stay small, I don't see any reason not to continue. At this point though, there seems to be some potential here for actually turning Elaine if we were able to offer her a way out of her current situation. Let's stick to the current plan, but that's something to consider after I talk to the boss. That would certainly result in a font of information.>>

"Oh, he's basically got you chained up then, just without the physical chains? That sounds... hard." Rose frowns at Elaine, "No wonder you were so eager for company..." Rose splashes her a little to try and lighten the mood some. "But would you really be willing to give all this," she waves her arm around at the opulence of the bathroom, "in order to leave him?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Elaine laughs a bit and splashes back, although it is mostly bubbles that get pushed around.  "To be honest, I do not really know.  I despise my life and my husband and I dislike myself, bit I do not know what I would do if I left.  And you have not seen his friends.  When he is home, there are guards on the premises.  They walk around in pairs and carry guns and are generally very scary people.  I am sure that he would send some of these people after me and find me.  But it is a nice fantasy and I dream of it often."

[Irn0rchid]

Rose frowns even more at Elaine as she describes her plight, "Well surely a man that powerful has to have made some enemies along the way? Maybe if you dug up some dirt on him you could leverage that to get away somehow? I guess it would depend on how willing you were to potentially hurt him while extracting yourself from the situation. Although if you don't know what you'd do if you left, that's probably the first thing you should figure out," she grins. "I mean, this isn't all bad, right?" Smiling at Robin, "We certainly wouldn't say no if someone presented us with all this, eh? The strings attached seem pretty heavy though." Then to Robin, <<Maybe we can get her to do some of the work for us? If she comes up with dirt on him on her own, then we're set!>>

[Mercy Merchant]

Elaine shakes her head.  "No, this is not all bad.  I have all the comforts I need and I am taken care of.  What sane woman would not like it here?  You two have been the only real bright spark in my life for a long time."  She looks from one to the other of you.  "I know it sounds crazy, but would you both like to live here, sort of?  You could have your own rooms for private and pair time and access to the house.  I know that you have day jobs and need to come and go, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to and actually make love to instead of cardboard hookers that are paid to say nice things.

[Irn0rchid]

To Robin, <<Okay, this is getting kind of weird. Move in with her? I mean, that would make exploring the house easy, but that seems to be just inviting trouble down the line, right?>>

"I mean, this place is certainly nice, as are you, but how would your husband handle something like that? I'm not sure we want to end up tied down by the same strings he has on you. And we certainly wouldn't want to deal with him having any... expectations of us..." Rose looks at Robin, raising an eyebrow, asking for her input.

[Irn0rchid]

From Emails

Robin quickly sends a note back. >>Yes.  Very weird.  Exploring the house would be easier, but there could be complications.<<

Elaine looks a bit sad. "Yes, well, I guess if he noticed you here he might actually try to get something on with either or both of you. On the upside, he is very generous to the women he sleeps with, if that is any compensation, and apparently very nice.  You would almost certainly get clothes and money, and probably some jewelry as well. And I would have someone to talk to and do things with.  You would have full range of the house, not just this wing.  He is a very attentive lover, just not to me anymore, and he would not be around all the time as he has a current mistress living in the apartment in the city.  Depending on your point of view, this could be a real win-win for all three of us."  She looks at both of you with some hope in her eyes.

Robin reaches for your hand under the bubbles and squeezes it.  >>OK. Weird just got a bit practical.  If we play our cards right........?<< Out loud, she says, "Well, that is a tantalizing thought.  After all, what girl doesn't need clothes, money, and jewelry?  But I don't have much experience with men at all.  Is he a hitter?  A mean drunk or druggie?"

Elaine smiles and shakes her head. "None of those.  He is a social drinker, but I have never seen him drunk, he refuses to do drugs, and he has never hit me."  She blushes a bit.  "Well, except early on when I was still new and he would spank me a bit during sex. Loved it. And I am sure he would enjoy both of you.  Singly or together.  At least for a few months, and then he would not be a bother anymore. Is it worth a thought?  I could certainly make it worth your while if you agree to give it a try."

Robin looks over at you and squeezes your hand under the water again. >>It is just sex, right?  The things we even think of doing for the client.  To be honest, I could do this for a bit if you think it would help.  We would be in the house and might be able to have one of the drones follow him about in his secret room.  What do you think?  Are you ready to even consider this?<<

Tilting her head slightly and appearing to consider what Elaine is proposing, Rose continues with Robin, <<I don't know, this is just a big too much all at once for me. I've never been really interested in sex and the last two days have been making it pretty apparently that I was really just never that interested in men. I was okay with this whole Elaine thing because it was 'just business' and you were on board and encouraging, but I'm not sure that would be enough to feign interest with him. If it's something you're interested in, maybe we could propose an arrangement where you're available to him but I'm off limits? Only if that's something you'd want to do though. I have to admit, more money *would* be nice.>>

Robin squeezes your hand again and replies.  >>OK, I will admit that I might have let nuyen signs cloud my judgement and take me away from the "just business" concept.  As to feigning interest, I doubt that is very hard.  I have heard that once a guy gets his little head into operation, he really only has one thing on his mind and it is not likely going to be whether or not we have any interest in him as long as we are available to him.  The extra money would certainly be good and we would likely be able to afford real food once in a while, and if having me get laid by this guy will help us with this project, then I am for it.  I am sure that I could fake it with him for a bit, but it would definitely be better with both of us.  You being off-limits could work, but if it upsets you or alienates you then I am not for it.  I do not want to lose what I have just found in you.<<

<<Oh, honestly, as long as you're honest with me, what you do with someone else isn't going to bother me or hurt what we have.  I just wanted to make sure you weren't potentially doing something you didn't actually want to do just because you thought I wanted you to do it. For me, the thought of being with him as a means to an end is somehow different than it was with Elaine, I'm not sure why. Maybe I could feign enough interest to get him going like you said, but I'm not sure.>>

>>OK.  I'm in.  I have no problem doing it as a means to an end if it will help, and I think it might.  So the plan is to stay here for a while and let Howard seduce me, but you are currently off the menu? Let's go with that.  Oh, by the way, just in case you did not receive the memo yet, I am definitely in love with you.  If I have the plan right, go ahead and tell her; I think she is about to go crazy wondering.<<

Finally looking back at Elaine, Rose responds, "Okay, I think maybe we can try it? I will likely try to avoid Howard though, if that's okay? I think Robin would be willing to play with him, but I just really have no interest there. Do you think that would work? Or is he going to get pissed off and kick us out on the curb?" She grins and then gets serious again, "I'm still going to have to go to work though, because I can't count on this lasting forever, and I'll still need the job afterwards. Maybe I can time that for when he's going to be here and avoid the situation?"

If there were ever a poster child for a grateful woman, it would be Elaine.  She brightens up and smiles at both of you. "Really?  I was so sure that you would run.  I am positive that we can work things out, although I never really know when he will come home.  Sometimes he lets me know, but it is more a hit or miss thing.  But we could certainly arrange to be going out together if he shows up and let Robin stay with him."  She takes a deep breath. "You have no idea what sort of lifeline this is for me.  I feel younger and rejuvenated already.  But listen, this should not be just one-way here.  Is there anything I can do for you?  Besides the sex, I mean?"  Her entire outward appearance seems to have made a radical change.  "And to think that is was a busted vibrator that sent me to the club last night.  If I had not gone I would not have met either of you and my life would not be changing for the better.  So, what time today do you need to leave?"

"What, you mean the sex isn't enough?" Rose jokes. "But not to be crass, and at the risk of being compared to the 'cardboard hookers,' we're in it for the money and nice things as well as the experience. It sounds like we're all going to have a good time, but good times seldom last forever and the hope is to leave with some material things to go along with the memories," she grins. Alluding back to their previous discussion, "Maybe we'll even leave with you...? Who knows! As for tonight 4pm should give me plenty of time I think."

[Irn0rchid]

Elaine looks serious, as well.  "Well, I can certainly understand your position.  And, no, I do not put you in the same category as the people I normally pick up.  With them, a price is agreed on and money changes hands in advance.  And you have been so much more fun to be with and the emotions seemed much more real than what I am used to. So I do not begrudge you a desire to profit from this.  I get an allowance each week that I am allowed to spend on just about anything I want, except for private detectives, apparently.  I do not spend it all and have saved some in an account at the bank.  What if I offered the pair of you three thousand a week to stay with me.  You also get rooms here, plus board if you are here for meals.  And as much sex as you want.  A deal with Howard will probably get you some more money as well as other perks.  Interested?"

Robin looks at you with a grin.  >>Wow.  We could be getting paid three times for the same work.  Does it get better than this?<<

"Make it four and *you* get as much sex as you want," she haggles with a grin. "We can give this a try for at least a week and see how it goes. Assuming Howard doesn't kick us out immediately that is." Responding to Robin, <<Well, anything you can get from Howard would be just gravy for you. I'm not expecting you to split that if I'm not helping with the... work. Least it doesn't seem like we need to rush things now. I've got 5 more days to gather information so we can wait for a good opportunity to go exploring that passage.>> Returning her attention to Elaine, "So, did you have any desires for the rest of the time till I have to go? We could just stay here in the hot tub. Although it could use more bubbles," she laments.

[Irn0rchid]

Elaine looks surprised.  "Four?  Done.  And you may find that I want a great deal of sex.  As to what to do before you leave?  Hmmm.  There is the bed, of course.  A swimming pool in the basement that has a real hot tub.  But of course, no bubbles there.  We could walk in the garden or just sit in the sun.  I do not know what you like for entertainment.  I have a charity event that I have to attend this evening so your timing is perfect.  But we can go out on other nights.  I have memberships at several clubs that we could go to.  I need to get your IDs into the security system at the gate and the house or things could get embarrassing."

She stands and wipes at some of the bubbles before walking to the large shower, where she turns on the water before looking at you both.  "Come on.  We can get rid of the bubbles and then get you into the house registry before we do too much else.  I do not want to forget it."  Once in the water and washing you down, she adds softly. "Were you kidding about taking me away?"

To Robin, <<I can't wait to see Elaine's face tonight when she sees me at the event. I'm going to have to work hard to not give the game away. Oh, I just realized she might leave you here alone during that time. That could be ideal for our purposes.>> Following Elaine out of the tub, "Well, recently we've been passing the time with sex and videogames, really. Mutual interests. Trying out some clubs could be interesting. I guess we'll just have to try things and see what works." Enjoying the shower, Rose is a little surprised by Elaine's question, "Well, yeah, we already kind of talked about it some. You want out but don't really know how or where to go. If this works out, we could possibly be the where, but the how remains an issue."