I wake up and Claudius isn't there, but I find it no surprise. Perhaps it's with that moment that I realise I'm already used to Claudius appearing rarely and when he so chooses. So, I get straight into maintenance of the Red Wing. I know I won't have to clean the whole time, but I want to do something new each day. After eating some breakfast alone in the stables where the fridge is set, I walk back into the looming mansion where I find a whole cupboard of old boots that need a polish. Rob left me with all the equipment by the cupboard.
I take out all the dusty old boots, I line up the twelve pairs and admire their leatherwork. They are in worn condition but they have been fixed a few times.
There were work boots, cowboy boots, fancy ballroom shoes. Claudius wore a working pair, just for daily work, and there is an identical pair in here, less worn.
I take that set, able to feel it properly.
He would wear these in 6 months.
He had asked me to be his wife but I had not really agreed just yet. I mean... he is a ghost. It's not like I could even consider it a real deal or anything like that.
I was just here, for the money, the beautiful accommodation, the rare opportunity and the extra extended break before study.
I was not here considering a marriage proposal.
At that – to a handsome control freak.
"Heh, control freak, so true," I murmur it aloud, as I wipe over his spare pair of boots with a cloth to get off the dust first before the polish. I wonder if he had ever been called that in his life? Control freak. But I'm sure no one spoke like that back in his day.
I reach for the polish, and I start to apply it to the front section, dabbing it on and watching it gloss up nice and bright. I feel a cold woosh behind me in the corridor I'm in, while sitting on a small bench.
I know Claudius is there, but I keep dabbing the polish on the boot, "I had a dream last night, Fontaine," I use his name correctly, as I murmur my vivid fantasy, "That you told me you were an incubus... a 'sex demon'. Heh," I chuckle a bit, "Good thing it was a ridiculous dream because if you were a demon there is no way I would stay here. A ghost is one thing. A demon is another. Thank god you're the latter," I smile to myself and look over my shoulder.
To open air. Oh. Perhaps it's a draft from the front door I left open.
I stare at the sparkling antiques in the opposite cabinet and I turn around with a sigh – which turns to a high-pitched scream and then to an abrupt squeak.
Claudius Fontaine's fucking draws are in front of my nose.
Okay, not that close.
He's standing in front of my knees, arms crossed over his chest as he looks down at me.
"Did you just call me a control freak?" Claudius drawls, but he isn't amused right now. He doesn't care that he just scared the living daylights out of me either.
"How do you know I was talking about you?" I rush off in a mumble, putting the shoe and polish aside. I'm nervous and my hands shake – so I drop it just before I balance the polish, and it lands on the tiles, leaving a black mark, "Fuck."
"I came to tell you this is my property and you'll tend to it how I see fit, Alix. I wanted you in the laundry this morning."
Fuck him. I'm just staring at the mark on the floor, not at him, while biting my cheek.
Great, he's gone from sexy ghost to annoying manager.
"I know what I'm doing –"
"So why are you staring at the mess you just made, why aren't you immediately leaning over to clean it?"
I feel like he's talking to a peasant. I look at his boots next to mine.
And I slowly realise what he's doing, now that the shock has died off.
He's being a fucking pig. He's trying to 'show me' my place.
Breathing in tight, I stand up now, until I'm flush with his cold skin, and I'm still smaller but I don't care as I look right up into his dead eyes.
"Back off," I snap, "You scared me and you made me drop the polish and now you demand me to clean up your mess. How dare you? I have no reason to stay here if you're going to be so mean for no reason."
"I'm not being mean," Claudius bites back, nor does he blink as he matches my glare, "I'm telling you to get down quickly, if you dare do such a horrible thing – and wipe it up before it dries in the frigid air. I wasn't aware you were scared of me, Alix."
"I'm not scared of you," I growl.
"Then why are you so defensive with me?" Claudius blinks, finally, and looks away, and steps away.
Seemingly exasperated, and so am I.
As he's turned from me for a split second, I quickly lean over and wipe up the mark, it doesn't come off straight away so I spit on it and wipe it again. It starts to come off.
As I'm finishing, I feel a hard smack on my ass.
A cheeky slap.
I shoot upright and look at Claudius.
Who is not there.
I turn around.
And he's there.
I'm up against his chest again, so I step right back, hands up.
"You spanked me," I state, "The hell?"
"Why are you blushing?" Claudius asks, a neutral look on his face, "Did you like it?"
"No of course I –"
My eyes roll down to Fontaine's lifted boot, which is now on the bench.
"Would you agree?" Claudius inquires, a dark brow raised inquisitively, "Say yes... dare to obey. Maybe I'll reward you later if you're a good girl for me today."
"I haven't agreed to those kind of games," I gulp, "What is the response to 'no', another damn spank with your gloved hand?"
"...the belt then," Fontaine changes his tone, getting quite serious, since he doesn't appreciate me demeaning his spanking threat.
My lips twitch up and down, as I slowly drop to my knees.
Fucking asshole.
The very moment I finished cleaning his boots, I was getting in my car and ditching this place for the day.
I pick up the polish dramatically and press it to his boots.
I watch as nothing is applied, despite the pressure of me swiping it over his shoe.
"This is going to take a while," I smile sarcastically and put on an overly joyful tone as I rub the polish over uselessly in circles, smiling up at him.
"The polish won't work, but a bodily fluid will, your saliva will do," Fontaine adds, "You can lick it clean."
"You've walked through horseshit –"
"The dust won't taste like anything to you," he whispers, "Trust me, Alix. I'm looking after you." I was sure he was looking after himself... but...
...now I'm kind of curious. Will it really taste like nothing because he is a ghost?
I furrow my brows, as I slowly lean in, poking out my tongue. I touch his shoe with my tongue briefly and pull back, waiting for a horrible taste.
Nothing. Maybe a slight chill.
I look up at him and he nods, leaning on his bent knee to encourage me to lean forward myself.
I build up enough spit to coat my tongue and I lick it once.
Right now this is a science experiment, nothing else!
My tongue is a little cold, but the boot is actually shining. And it tastes like nothing.
"It's working," I whisper in awe, "...don't judge me, Claudius..." I whisper again as I try it once more, far too curious to experience that weird sensation again.
Before I know it, I've closed my eyes and I'm licking all around his boot. Every nook and cranny.
Yup. What the actual fuck.
I don't even realise I'm doing it so passionately until my tongue starts to feel numb, and my lips tingle. I open my eyes and see the perfectly clean boot. For some reason, I enjoyed that.
I pull back to look at my reflection from a mirror nearby, for the shoes, it now shows my lips, and they're... blue.
Dead lips.
I gasp and jump to my feet, covering my mouth with my hands, as I see Claudius admiring his newly cleaned boot.
"We can wait for the other one," Claudius looks at me, and notices how scared I am, and says this to calm me, "You need to relax."
I drop my hands from my mouth, yelling, "Relax?!"
"I won't let you die," Claudius 'reassures' me in a steady tone, "Why would I want a dead wife?"
"Is that meant to make me feel better?" I choke on tears from overwhelming fear, I don't know what to feel. I turn around from him, "What's wrong with me? Why am I even here?"
"Because, silly woman," Claudius speaks low. I hear the distinct change in his tone. "I'd like to tell you that it's all up to you," he whispers in my ear, "But the truth is you don't have a choice and you never did. I won't let you run. You will stay at my order."
"No," I jerk away from him and start to directly run for the main door.
His property. I've left the front ajar to let in some fresh air, as the place could smell a little ancient sometimes. But as I'm reaching my fresh breath of air, just to feel some freedom from his mansion and his presence – Fontaine does the unthinkable.
The front door slams shut. Bang.
The lock slams in place. Snap.
I halt mere feet from the door and I look around but I can't see him.
"No – I didn't think you were like that," I whimper, "I didn't think you were this kind of person, Claudius?" I don't care it's his first name anymore.
I wait for his response.
At first nothing happens, but then I hear a pull and a rustle, and I notice the lighting change.
Every curtain along the windows within sight, unfurls and crawls across their railings. And so the natural light starts to dim further. My shadow starts to grow bigger. My phone is up in my room. That's my first thought. I want my phone!
Claudius finally reappears in front of me, bathed in the darkness, where his form is colder – more physical but far more menacing. I can see his veins clearly, still, no pulse, but there.
"What kind of person would that be?" Claudius asks me, a simple question. He's showing me who he is. A dead man. So I don't forget how different we are.
"I thought we were friends," I'm timid now from all this fright, but I'm honest, "Why lock me inside?" Claudius can't answer me, "Just let me out. Please," I ask it as calmly as I can, "Fontaine... Sir? Why–"
"I can't help my tendencies," Claudius finally answers, after looking away over my head he locks his eyes back on mine, "I can't help that when I choose what I undoubtable want, I'm then unwavering," The curtains start to open back up with his sudden composure. Claudius starts to smirk a little at my sight, "Anyway. You really believed all that rubbish? I was trying to scare you. To test your resilience. Go. Leave. I don't care. In fact, I couldn't care less what you do, Alix," he shrugs, giving me a cold glare as he walks off with one clean boot, "Thanks for the mild amusement."
In shock, I spin to another mirror, and my lips are back to normal.
Maybe he was just... cold.
But that big 'joke' of keeping me a prisoner to scare me wasn't funny.
Still... I have a funny feeling in my gut.
"I'll stay," I tell the corridor, looking directly at the front door, that is still very much closed and locked.
Apparently? I wasn't the only liar.