H-543: Previously on Dominion Space – recap after hiatus

Previously on Dominion Space

Responding to Cinna’s, unusually slightly cryptic invitation for Lia to meet her in a private function room at the Victory Hotel in the Soufoot District of Cap Isle on Captree, Lia finds herself at a multi-storey hotel of plain brown stonework. It’s slightly taller than the buildings around and separated from them by a concrete plaza in front, and some other space out the back behind high walls. The star has just set and it is mostly dark, a faint glimmer of light still in the horizon sky, mostly blotted out now by dark clouds. A brisk breeze is blowing, bringing the first drops of rain from a storm. Lit windows dot the building face above.

Lia has been dropped in a semi-circular driveway under an awning. A flash of lightning briefly illuminates the concrete plaza, stark low walls and benches bouncing the bright light back; thunder echoes.

Beneath the awning, glass doors to a lobby beckon, shaded lamps give a yellow cast off more brown stonework and earth-toned fabric furniture.

Lia looks up at the building before heading inside to escape the looming storm – it’s an ugly brown box, looming above her in the darkness.
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Inside the lobby, the high-ceiling is lost in shadows and there is indirect lighting from lamps and wall fixtures only. A bank of chocolate-coloured metal elevator doors sit off to one side next to a wide stone staircase leading up to a destination out of view. On the other side, frosted-glass double doors lead somewhere undescribed by signage. Several couches with mustard-fabric and low tables are scattered around for waiting purposes – none occupied. Opposite the entry doors, is a large, brownstone reception desk, inset with metal panels throwing muted yellow light. Lia’s shoes echo slightly on the stone floor.

A receptionist, the only other person here, is standing behind the desk and has noted Lia’s arrival.

Lia approaches the receptionist with a smile and ask if she can direct her to the private function room.

The receptionist asks for Lia’s name, and then directs ‘Emerald Winta’ to level 15. She touches a control behind her desk and an elevator in the bank to the side pings, beckoning Lia to enter.

“I’ve called an elevator for you – it will take you straight up.”

Lia heads for the elevator, which waits patiently until Winta presses the close doors button and then whisks her silently up to the 15th level.

The doors open to a foyer, still keeping with the yellow-and-brown décor theme, but with more emphasis on fabric coverings and less on bare stonework. There are several sets of glass doors opening from the foyer here, all onto secondary anterooms with other, opaque doors that preserve the privacy of whatever might be happening beyond. Discreet signs indicate the rooms’ status; most are apparently vacant, one has a simple sign that says ‘Smith-Doe’, its anteroom equipped with urns, cups and similar equipment.

Behind one of the pairs of glass doors, Cinna is standing waiting in the anteroom. She is poised, attentive, watching the elevator. The sign says simply ‘In Use’.

Lia smiles at her and heads in her direction. There is a sway to her hips.

The doors to the anteroom swing open as Lia approaches.

Cinna watches Lia as she sways up to her, gestures toward the doors behind her.

“It’s good to see you. I booked the room for … privacy. You go in, I need to attend to something.”

Lia senses something amiss – Cinna is not being fully open with Lia. She is not happy and her usual reserve is dialled up high.

Cinna gestures again to the inner doors, takes a couple of steps toward Lia and turns, inviting Lia past her.

Lia narrows her eyes very slightly but keeps her smile up. She is simply hoping that this will be a problem that she can help Cinna work through or forget about during their time together. She will make an unusual concession and reach out to touch Cinna’s arm as she goes past her. This is not something she would usually do considering Cinna is not always comfortable with touching but she wants to convey her willingness to help without making things uncomfortable. It’s just a very light pressure of her hand, conveying an ‘I’m here’ feeling. She moves past her towards the door but she does keep her gaze on her as she goes.

“Don’t be long.”

Her tone is warm and welcoming. She smells like wild violets and honeysuckle.

Cinna looks down to Lia’s touch, then back up to her face; studies her for several long seconds, her face a mask but conflict behind her eyes.

“Go through,” she whispers, and leaves through the outer doors.

Lia watches Cinna leave with a small frown between her brows, feeling oddly unsettled by the experience and not knowing why. Eventually she will turn and head through the inner doors.

The inner doors open for her and she is in a short L-shaped corridor. Assuming she proceeds and turns the corner, the corridor opens out onto the private room proper.

It is warmly lit, and maintains the hotel’s apparently universal brown-and-mustard styling. A dining table with two chairs has been set near the centre of the room, though slightly offset, a candle flickering in a glass sconce. To one side is a couch with and some soft chairs with a low table and a lamp. Another door, closed, leads off to the side.

Soft, slightly jazzy music is playing.

Ahead, standing side-on to the window, watching the storm and lightning and occasionally lit by a flash from outside is Raina.

Raina has chosen to wear a sand-coloured pant suit, with soft-cut lines rather than her more usual sharp shoulders or creases, and a wide, brown belt – possibly of real leather, and matching lightweight ankle boots. She is wearing a dark chocolate brown shirt, glittering highlights sewn into the material, its collar open to her sternum but remains modest due to the loose cut; underneath, Lia can catch a peek of a matching high-tech bra without a cross-piece between the cups. Her hair has been dyed a honey-blonde and styled at the top, with three rows of braids pulled to the sides and tied at the back with an ornate clasp. She’s wearing various items of gold and gold-themed jewellery, some of which is a little garish.

Raina turns, and in a soft voice beckons, “Come in Lia – Winta?”

Lia doesn’t make it very far into the room before she spots Raina and stops. She is a little startled to see another person initially, then that reaction freezes over when she realises who she is looking at and the possible implications of that person being in this room, whilst Cinna has run off… Raina sees this realisation flash across her face as she puts two and two together and it is evident that she is not happy.

Lia spares a glance in the direction of the doors through which she just entered and the general direction that Cinna went before swivelling her head back to glare at Raina.

Lia crosses her arms and says one word…

“Why?”

Raina nods slowly in understanding and acceptance of the crossed arms and the glare.

“Cinna asked you to come here tonight to engage your services in your other professional capacity, didn’t she?”

Lia raises an eyebrow in an obviously pointed ‘And?’ response, without opening her mouth.

Raina waits briefly to see if Lia – and it’s definitely Lia, not Winta, at this point – will respond before continuing,

“It’s a genuine question, not a rhetorical one; it’s important we have a shared understanding. But, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, yes?”

Lia huffs out an annoyed breath, “Whatever Cinna may have asked me here for is none of your damned business and speaking of that? Considering it was Cinna I came here for and she is clearly not the person I am going to see, this conversation is over.”

She turns and begins walking straight back down the corridor to the door.

Softy at Lia’s retreating back, but enough to carry across the space, “You are free to leave if you wish, but aren’t you curious why I asked you here like this?”

Lia she makes it all the way out of those inner doors and into the anteroom, where she storms up and down, her boots clicking on the hard flooring. She is now also annoyed with herself that she hasn’t just stormed out completely as she intended, stayed by her curiosity, but working up quite a head of steam.

After a few Moments, Raina pokes her head around the door.

“Well?”

Lia turns sharply at the interruption and stares Raina down. There is high colour in her cheeks and her eyes are practically spitting sparks. The lines of tension in her body are outlining muscles not previously visible. The stare lasts for a full minute until it is obvious that she is so worked up that she cannot think of anything to say. Finally, with a flare of her nostrils, she grits her teeth and stalks through the door, past Raina and into the small corridor.

Raina steps back and allows her to pass, and Lia makes her way to a window to stand with her back to the entrance, arms crossed and looking out.

Raina turns toward her, watches her for several seconds.

A flash of lightning illuminates the room, briefly throwing Lia’s shadow starkly across it. Though the windows block most of the sound, standing beside one, she can hear a crack and rumble of thunder.

Raina, softly, “If I’d asked you to meet me openly under these conditions, would you have come?”

Harshly, “that’s generally how it’s done.”

Lia’s stance is telegraphing far more information than Raina has witnessed from her so far. It is evident that this situation has broken through the usual barriers that she is so careful to maintain.

She turns and pierces Raina with that glare from across the room, “And no. Obviously I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you. There are several reasons…”

She turns her body and throws her hands up in frustration.

“You’re my boss, for fuck’s sake! It’s would create all sorts of… this is not going to happen, Raina and you going about it this way, getting me here under false pretences… using Cinna?”

She takes several steps towards Raina, her anger giving her momentum.

“That was low. You crossed a line. Why? Why did you have to bring her into this?”

Lia’s anger is clear and loud in the space but Raina can clearly see that there is shame mixed in with it and the anger is also self-directed as well as aimed at Raina herself. There is also a lingering note of fear that she is trying and failing to mask with her anger.

“Cinna is your boss,” Raina observes, maintaining her soft tone.

Something flares in Lia’s eyes. It’s almost surprise, as if that thought hadn’t occurred to her until now.

“No. On occasion, I agree to do jobs for her. It’s transient and… it’s not the same.”

She turns away briefly, staring out the window.

“Did it occur to you that what you did tonight might hurt her? Did you think of her at all?”

“Transient,” Raina repeats, flatly.

Still softly, “Cinna is not responsible for any decisions I have made, and you should not hold her responsible.”

Lia’s gaze snaps back to Raina.

“Oh, I don’t blame Cinna.”

She moves towards Raina as she speaks. The tension in her body has leant her a coiled grace that is unlike her usual sensuality.

“What did you think would happen when you organised this little…tryst? How did you imagine I would react to being manipulated like this?”

She stops within touching distance. She is staring at Raina intently.

Raina responds, “I thought it would probably go one of two ways, and it has. I thought you’d yes, likely get angry at, in your words, ‘being manipulated’.”

Lia’s eyes rove over Raina’s face as she speaks, focusing mostly on her eyes but flicking occasionally to her mouth and then away again. Her breathing is quite rapid and her loose woolen top has fallen completely off one shoulder, revealing the creamy lace of her bra strap and an enticing amount of cleavage as she takes each breath.

“It’s good, though less pleasant for me, and you too, but shows you have the independence of mind and spirit that I have enjoyed meeting in you. Not many people have the courage to lose their temper with me.”

Raina pauses briefly, taking a slow breath before continuing and a flicker of concern crosses Lia’s face at Raina’s comment. Lia opens her mouth before snapping it closed again as Raina continues.

“I really don’t want to argue with you, I do want to have a discussion with you, and I thought carefully before taking this approach because, as you said, you wouldn’t have agreed to meet with me to discuss this if I had asked you. I did take this path to get you here, but only that. I can’t deceive you into actually having the discussion, that has to be open and honest. I’m now being open, and you are, of course, free to leave if you don’t want to have it.”

Frustration creeps across Lia’s face as Raina keeps speaking.

“What would you like to do? Or ask,” Raina finishes.

Lia clenches her jaw and with one last flickering glance at Raina’s mouth, Lia throws up her hands and moves away.

“I want to be angry! I don’t want to discuss things reasonably, I want to yell! I think I have a right to be pissed off right now and you’re robbing me of it by being all…”

She turns and hurls the next word at Raina. “… reasonable!”

Raina’s words have punctured Lia’s fury and the heat is leaking out of her. There are shades of a petulant child evident in that speech but the anger seems to have been covering pain of some kind.

“So maybe I should have asked what you would like me to do. Cross my arms and get defensive?”

She briefly alters her stance and crosses her arms, altering her face deliberately into an exaggerated scowl, before immediately reverting back to her more open posture, palms open, heads tilted slightly. Lia narrows her eyes at the mocking response but doesn’t openly object.

“If you’ll let me, maybe I can be even more frustratingly reasonable?”

Her look says she’s clearly waiting for Lia’s permission to continue.

“Fine. If you must. You be as reasonable as you like.” There’s a definite challenge in that tone.

Raina pauses for a fraction of time, perhaps assessing that her comment about getting defensive may not have landed as she intended, but decides to move on without comment.

She moves from the doorway, crosses the room to the low table and bends to retrieve something from it. As she straightens and turns to Lia, she’s caught in Lia’s shadow as another flash of lightning illuminates the room around her.

“I thought, given the way I brought you here, that it might be… reasonable… to get you something.”

She approaches Lia and proffers a small box on the flat of her hand.

There is a flash of something that crosses Lia’s face very quickly before being ruthlessly crushed. Then her eyes narrow considerably as she regards the box in Raina’s hand before sliding up to her face. She is suddenly very still.

With absolutely no inflection in her voice, “You thought you could buy me… something.”

“Give you something,” Raina clarifies, “Yes.”

She remains motionless, palm extended with the box on top.

Lia tilts her head very fractionally to the right, “so it wasn’t… bought.”

Raina narrows her eyes slightly, studies Lia closely for several seconds, tilting her own head slightly; Lia’s mirror.

“Not with Money. It’s something I’ve had for a long time.”

She pauses.

“I think it could be better with you.”

Lightning flashes, holding Lia and Raina frozen for an instant.

Something like surprise flashes across Lia’s face, followed by intrigue as she studies Raina’s face intently. Something in her posture softens fractionally. She holds Raina’s gaze for an uncomfortably long moment. Eventually her eyes are drawn back to the box with a flash of curiosity. After another moment she approaches and takes the box from Raina’s outstretched hand. Her movements still have that dangerous grace but they appear a little less tightly wound than they were previously. Still standing in touching distance and with another assessing glance at Raina, she opens the box.

Inside is a topaz pendant, deep yellow-orange in colour, pear cut, with a gold clasp on a gold chain. Lia’s jewelery brain begins cataloguing – the gem is about 15 mm on the long axis – roughly 6 carats. There’s a slight colour difference between the chain and the setting, suggesting this is not the original chain. Lia removes it from the box to study.

The design and provenance of the piece are not familiar to Lia. There are some tiny markings on the back of the bail, but she will need her loupe to read them. The stone is of high quality but has some minor damage – not enough to mar it in casual viewing, but small scratches and wear that stand out to Lia’s professional eye. The setting has been cleaned recently, but even that can’t conceal the wear on the exposed edges. Definitely hand-crafted – by someone who knew what they were doing. Lia’s sense is this is an old piece, but not quite like anything she has seen before. She’s not able to evaluate it properly without a proper study at her bench and maybe with her reference books.

Her attention reverts back to Raina, her expression is very hard to read, “Why are you giving this to me?”

Raina breathes out slowly, drops her shoulders, lowers her hands to her sides, palms open.

“Because, I wanted to give you something. You’re angry, angrier than I expected, and it may make up for the deception – though I won’t apologise for that; consider it fair accounting. Though that wasn’t my original intention – I was hoping to gift it later in our talk, if things went well.”

She pauses briefly, continues.

“Because I trust my intuitions. I’ve had it a long time, and it’s not without sentimental value to me, but as I said, I’m gifting it because…

“I think it would be better with you.”

Lia takes a moment to process that info dump. Her head is tilted very fractionally to the side as she listens but there is no discernable emotion on her face. Her fingers are gently running through the chain in her hands.

“So…”

She very carefully places the necklace back in the box after glancing at it once more and replaces the lid, carries the box over to the table that is set with two chairs and sets it down.

“… you want to talk.”

She pulls out a chair and sits down, smoothly crossing her legs as she faces Raina.

“Then let’s talk.”

She places a polite smile on her face and gives Raina an enquiring look.

Raina inclines her head – let’s. She follows Lia to the table.

Before sitting she asks, “Would you like something to drink, or perhaps to eat?”

Lia’s perfectly plastered smile doesn’t waver.

“Oh, no thank you. Business first.”

She gives Raina a slow blink and then brightens her smile, “What exactly is it that you are looking for? Apologies for my bluntness but it helps if you are specific about your needs at this preliminary stage.”

Raina sits at the round-shaped table, the chairs are offset so the table is slightly to their side and they are not opposite across it.

She settles herself, studies Lia for several seconds before proceeding.

“Interesting. Have I met you before?”

One tiny eyebrow raise and a wrinkle of the nose, “Well yes but that was cheating. If we’re going to discuss this side of business then this is who you’ll be doing business with.”

Winta tips her head to the left, “that is if this initial meeting goes well and I decide to take you on as a client.”

A beat.

“You see, had you done things through the accepted channels, this meeting would have been the first step. A discussion of your needs and requirements and an establishment of clear rules and boundaries.”

There is also a definite glint in her eyes that holds that same fire from earlier – that is all Lia, despite the plastered smile and polite demeanor of Winta’s facade. Raina might get the feeling that if this meeting had happened under different circumstances, that glint would be absent right now.

“I assume you have viewed my site.” Not a question.

“That’s inconsistent. You’ve already confirmed that you would have refused this meeting through ‘accepted channels’.”

Lia’s nostils flare and her lips tighten slightly at that, before her expression resumes that perfect smile.

Raina notes Lia’s reaction, though continues on, “But, we can have a discussion about rules and boundaries, and needs.”

She leans back in her chair.

“We could start with your limits, usual expectations?”

Winta-Lia says, “If you have viewed my site, there is a clear list of ‘No Go’ areas. If any of those are things you’re looking for, this will be a short conversation.”

That challenge in her gaze increases.

“I’d like to discuss your definition of ‘submission’, from the list of no-go areas on your Net Page, just so there are no misunderstandings. Also ‘discipline’, ‘role play’ and ‘experiences’.

“But, from your reaction, you seem to disagree with my statement about inconsistency. Do we need to resolve that?”

Lia takes a moment to assess Raina and the various things she just mentioned.

“There’s nothing to resolve. You have circumvented the usual channels and we are now conducting a preliminary meeting. I have assumed that you are interested in booking my services due to the fact that I am here ostensibly to fulfil those duties. I am now attempting to establish what exactly you are looking for in seeking me out like this. If I might continue?”

Winta gives Raina a polite smile and doesn’t wait for an assent before she speaks again.

“Given that submission is listed on my No Go list, I don’t feel the need to quantify it for you. Suffice it to say that submission requires trust. The nature of my work requires that a level of trust is given to me. That relationship is not reciprocal.”

Her pleasant smile remains in place but she is again sitting very still and watching Raina like a hawk. Observing that she has become tense, stiff and possibly slightly frustrated and appears to be tightly controlling herself so as not to reveal how tense and stiff she now is.

“Noted. Both items. Including your unwillingness to clarify terms to avoid misunderstanding, for which I have to assume you’re taking on responsibility for that risk as a consequence. But, the additional information on trust is useful.

“What does the girlfriend/wife experience usually include?”

Raina will note a flash of reaction to that question that briefly cuts through the Winta facade. Lia seems surprised and then nervous. It might appear as though she did not anticipate that loophole to be taken advantage of and that she has not fully regained as much control of her emotions as she is pretending.

“Oh.”

She blinks a couple of times before forcibly superimposing Winta’s smile over her scrambling.

“To circle back to your previous question. I am not attempting to be uncooperative. For me, submission is…”

Even Winta seems to take a moment here. “…a level of safety that is impossible to achieve under the circumstances of my service. It would require me… trusting that my partner would understand my limits and respect them, allowing me to fully immerse myself in whatever experience they were attempting to create for us to enjoy together, without fear of crossing those boundaries. Full submission requires absolute trust on both sides. Otherwise the risk is too great. Hiring someone to submit? Is incredibly risky and can result in serious injury or trauma.”

As she speaks, her voice becomes quiet, almost reverent in tone. It is evident that this is something she takes very seriously. This time when she looks at Raina, it is clearly Lia speaking.

“If you are looking for someone to submit to you as a Domme, then that is not a service I am willing to provide. There are submissives for hire out there and I can put you in touch with some if that is what you are looking for. But I can’t do it. I won’t.”

She takes a slow breath and looks away for a moment. Gazing out the window briefly. Oddly, her left hand has begun to fidget with the jewellery box on the table. Her fingers are making light circles on the cover. After a few seconds, Winta turns back to Raina with a professional smile.

“As to the other things you queried. Discipline falls under the BDSM umbrella, but as listed on my site, it refers to me handing out the discipline,” she raises an eyebrow at Raina, “Unless you are interested in encountering the business end of my whip and paddle collection, I assume that is not for you.”

Her lips quirk up in amusement at the notion.

“Naturally, discipline covers areas other than physical punishment. Some clients are more interested in verbal or behavioural discipline, all services I offer at the right price. Again, these are all things I supply, rather than receive.”

There is a slight narrowing of the eyes there.

“Roleplay is a different area, though perhaps could draw comparisons to the BDSM lifestyle.”

Raina will note here that Lia does not refer to BDSM as play, she instead uses the term lifestyle. Raina is impassive, if she has strong feelings – pro or con – about BDSM as a lifestyle, she does not show them while Lia is speaking.

“Generally, roleplay is a simple scenario that plays into the client’s fantasy. It might be a naughty maid caught cleaning the room in her underwear. These play acting moments are often deceptively simple and serve to spice up what would otherwise be a straight sex act.”

There is a moment of silence where Winta seems to be gathering her thoughts, “my Experiences are a different matter altogether. They are created bespoke for each client and involve a great deal of input by each person in order to fully cater for their needs.”

She pauses again and her eyes drift towards the door briefly. Thought she notes Raina tense and lean forward, almost imperceptibly,

Lia’s fingers are stroking the jewellery box a little faster than before. She swallows and licks her lips before looking at Raina. Raina’s eyes flick to Lia’s hand, fidgeting with the jewellery box

“Might it be possible to get that drink now?” Lia asks.

Raina stands, also looks toward the door.

“I’m not looking for Dom-Sub sex games. From either direction.

“You’re not a prisoner, you can leave whenever you like. What will you drink?”

Lia seems relieved that she is not looking for a submissive. “I’ll have a whiskey, if it’s available.”

Raina crosses to a cabinet beside the couch. Crouching slightly, she withdraws two double-walled glasses with a chilled inner wall and a bottle and pours. She returns, places a glass before Lia, and one for herself.

“Small distillery from Memoria Niccolo.”

Raina seats herself, pours in a few drops of water from the small pitcher on the table and swirls the liquid in her glass. She seems marginally more relaxed now.

Lia will sample the whiskey before adding a little more water than Raina.

“So.”

A beat.

Lia takes another slow sip and savours the warm burn.

“You asked what the girlfriend/wife experience usually entails.”

Another beat.

“That particular experience is for clients who are interested in something that has less of a… transactional feel to our time together. They are usually looking for all of the perks of a relationship without the typical drawbacks or baggage that can be associated with something long-term. Part of that arrangement involves a more relaxed feeling in my interactions with them, allowing an illusion of established feelings and a shared history. We might simply share dinner and curl up on the couch together. Or I might be there waiting when they arrive home from work to ask them about their day and give them a back rub.”

She takes another slow sip.

“These often entail spending the night but not exclusively so. Such details are at the client’s discretion.”

Raina responds, “Less of a transactional feel. Yes.

“What is your take on typical drawbacks or baggage associated with something long-term? You must hear a lot of stories – at least as part of the -”

Raina waves her hand to indicate their current situation.

“-initial process. What sorts of things are people trying to escape from?”

She sips her drink.

She tilts her head and gives Raina a slight eyebrow raise over her perfect smile, “Obviously discretion prevents me from being specific but in general terms, most people seem to be seeking the warmth and comfort of a relationship, without discussions about worries or bills to pay; fights about who has done the dishes and whether they need to buy a new lawnmower because the grass is getting out of control. The sorts of day to day minutiae that drag on a relationship and lead to arguments.”

There is a small beat as she seems to weigh up whether to mention the next part before proceeding.

“Also…a number of people prefer to unload about their worries and concerns into a listening ear. Some seek advice but most simply want to be heard. These people often prefer this conversational aspect to be one-sided. They wish to unload without having to then hear about my day or my concerns, if that makes sense.”

Raina sips her drink, “I offloaded my mundane long ago in order to focus on the issues most worth my attention. It’s why I maintain a household staff.”

Raina takes a beat herself in matching and responding to Lia’s topic shift.

“Are the other side ever interested in listening and assisting? Problem solving? Or does that become awkward?

“Also, what about discussions that get away from the vocation to discuss-”

She pauses briefly, perhaps uncharacteristically, “-other things?”

Winta seems mildly amused by Raina’s reference to the other side. She takes a moment to assess Raina when she makes her last comment, “All sorts of topics can be covered in this situation. What sorts of… other things are you interested in?”

“Topics outside the vocation, exploring other areas of development and personal enjoyment.”

“Yes. We can discuss anything that is of interest.”

She sips her whiskey, taking her time, “and to answer your previous query about the…other side. Occasionally my advice is sought and problem solving can also occur. Sometimes we can… work together to figure out issues that may be happening in their lives.”

She takes a moment to study Raina. “What do you think you might be looking for from my service?”

Raina doesn’t answer Lia’s question immediately.

“That’s not quite what I meant. Essentially, I run a service organisation; it’s profitable because I provide people things they want. That includes solving problems, and it’s part of what I do that I enjoy. Does anyone ever want to help you solve problems you may be having?”

Lia seems a little taken aback by the question. The Winta facade falters again as she looks mildly flustered and appears to be scrambling for a response.

“Well… that’s not…I mean, the service I provide doesn’t really allow for that. I also run a service that provides people with what they want but as I mentioned earlier, that trust does not run both ways. Consider me to be…an independent contractor if you will. I am here to provide a fantasy. That fantasy doesn’t have problems that need solving. It would muddy the waters and ruin the fantasy.”

She seems a little confused by the question.

Raina ponders Lia for several seconds, a knuckle uncharacteristically to her chin, “Hmmm, interesting.”

Raina doesn’t elaborate.

The Winta facade flickers for a little longer before giving out completely, leaving Lia staring shrewdly at Raina. She sips her whiskey and recrosses her legs. They are now facing away from Raina.

“You are not making this easy for me.”

A beat.

“You must know that allowing you access to any ‘problems’ I might be having would ensure that you are spending time with me, rather than Emerald Winta. There are excellent reasons for the strong separation of those two… people.”

She looks away after another beat.

“Besides, I am not entirely certain what kind of problems you think I might have that you could solve. I would say that you would be engaged to solve problems on a far larger scale than anything within my little world.”

Raina’s face softens ever so slightly in response to the change in Lia and she responds to her last statement first, “don’t undersell yourself.”

“I think your worry was what I was referring to when I asked about things becoming awkward. Will I take that as a yes?”

“Yes. There are obvious reasons for me keeping myself separate from my business interactions. I would refer to it as messy and dangerous rather than awkward.”

She looks back at Raina, “consider it the mirror image of why I don’t date. Intersecting those two aspects of my life becomes… complicated.”

There is a pause as she takes another slow sip of her whiskey. Her eyes remain on Raina as she does so. She returns the glass to the table and begins playing with the condensation on the sides.

“What do you want, Raina? Why am I here?”

“Near enough to ‘yes’ then,” she murmurs quietly.

Raina swirls her drink in the glass and takes a good sized mouthful, stops to savour the taste before putting the glass on the table. She looks to Lia.

“Candidly,” she pauses, as if testing that word for accuracy, decides it fits, “Candidly, I enjoyed our talks, our interactions, and, I enjoyed them in a way I’m not used to with business dealings.

“I want more.”

Lia gazes at her inscrutably for a moment, “you want more.”

A beat.

“More talks. More… interactions.”

“Yes, but something more.”

Raina’s not elaborating – Lia wonders if it’s possible that this is how she portrays uncertainty. She studies Raina for a moment.

“Something more,” a beat as she continues to play with the condensation on her glass, “what do you imagine that something more might entail?”

Raina takes a little time to respond.

“Something different. Something to share.”

She glances to Lia’s fingers on the glass, returns her gaze to Lia’s face.

“Something intimate.”

Lia’s fingers stop moving on the glass.

“I see.”

She lifts her glass and takes a long sip.

“Intimacy is obviously my business but it is something that I handle as Winta, rather than myself. Is that what you want?”

Raina stares levelly at Lia, “Now that I’ve met ‘Winta’, I don’t like her as much as you.”

Lia glances at the window, watching the storm outside.

“It’s Winta’s job to be whomever the client needs her to be. There’s only one thing that she is incapable of being…”

A beat as she watches lightning fork across the sky.

“… and that’s me.”

Raina considers that.

“So, what’s the biggest difference between you and Winta?”

Lia huffs a short laugh, “Isn’t that the question. The very purpose of Winta is to prevent people from seeing me at all. Which is somewhat of a problem in your situation.”

  

 

Cap Isle, Victory Hotel, Private Room

Raina studies Winta for a long time – it’s like a whole hectoCycle goes by…

“Alright, but why don’t you want to be seen?”