Interrogation Inter Alia

LIVING THE DICESTYLE - Chapter One

My apartment on the top floor of the old W. Burrows & Sons building was, like the rest of the building, in need of major renovations. However; it was clean, comfortable and most of all, rent was cheap. It also had a kind of nostalgic charm for me in that it reminded me of lodgings I had twenty years earlier when I was a college student. Those were fun, carefree days and, after recently finalizing a bitter and acrimonious divorce, I felt I needed some fun in my life again.

The landlord, Mr. Ademetos, lived alone below me on the first floor. He was very charming and I liked him the moment we met. He had that kind of gentlemanly, self-confident air about him that I found very attractive in men. There was also a lively glint in his eye whenever we spoke that betrayed his age and gave me the impression he could easily be fifteen years younger than his middle-fifties age. More than this he revealed a playful side that I thought was very endearing for all sorts of reasons.

It first came to light several months ago when I went downstairs to pay him the weekly rent. Even though it wasn�t a large amount I�d had a particularly unfortunate week with other bills that required immediate cash payments. I had just enough cash left in my savings to pay Mr. Ademetos his rent but, as I explained to him, that would leave me completely broke until my next pay day, which wasn�t until the end of the month.

He was sympathetic to my predicament and offered me a uniquely generous solution. It was simple and even fun. He reached deep into his pockets and pulled out a dice.

�I�ll tell you what, Ingrid,� he said. �You can roll this dice. If the result is a one or a two, I�ll take your rent today. If it�s a three or a four, I�ll wait until the end of the month for your rent.�

�And if it�s a five or a six?� I asked, intrigued by the game he suggested.

�If it�s a five or a six,� he said and paused to think for a minute. �If it�s a five or a six, I�ll waive your rent entirely for the rest of the month but��

My heart skipped a beat and I smiled excitedly. �But?�

�But you�ll have to work it off for me,� he added. �As you can see my current maid isn�t doing a very good job.�

I glanced past him over his shoulder into his apartment. It didn�t appear to be any more untidy than my own; which is to say, it was relatively neat and it was merely the run down condition of the building that made it seem otherwise.

�What do you say, Ingrid? Are you game to take a chance?�

I looked into his eyes; his teeth gleamed in a broad, friendly grin. �OK,� I replied. I then smiled broadly myself. �OK, I�m game! I mean; what have I got to lose?�

�That�s the spirit!� he laughed and handed me the dice.

It felt light in my hand when I rattled it around in readiness to cast it on the floor between us. I then blew a quick superstitious breath into my hand holding the dice and dropped it to the floor. It bounced several times on the threadbare carpet before it revealed its result.

�Five!� I squealed instant delight at my win.

�Yes, five it is,� Mr. Ademetos echoed. He reached down and collected the dice from the floor. �It must be your lucky day!�

�Yes, Mr. Ademetos!� I replied happily.

�Well,� I said. I didn�t know what to say next.

�Well, indeed. It appears as if I have you as my maid for the rest of the month. Are you looking forward to that?�

I actually hadn�t had time to consider what that entailed but I nodded agreeably nonetheless. �When do I start?�

�Tell you what; go back upstairs and make a list of your work schedule for me. I�ll use it to create your roster of duties. Bring it back down as soon as you�re done and you�ll start tomorrow. Do you have to work tomorrow?�

�No, it�s Saturday,� I replied.

�Good,� Mr. Ademetos said. �You�ll begin at eight in the morning. That�s not too early for you, is it?�

�Oh, no! I�m an early riser,� I said enthusiastically.

�Good. Make it seven then,� he said. �Now, don�t forget to make that list of times for me. I have to go out in a minute so just slide it under my door if I�m not here.�

I nodded agreement and then skipped happily up the stairs to my apartment.

-=0=-

Friday night was a strangely restless time for me. I delivered the list of my work schedule to Mr. Ademetos just as he�d wanted and then returned upstairs to watch television. There was something about the way Mr. Ademetos firstly had joked about his need for a maid and secondly; the way he referred to me as his new maid. The former is a common enough joke that I�ve even used myself. But there was something more serious about the latter; that I was actually going to be a real maid for him. It wasn�t an unappealing thought; just that it made me feel strange in a way I�d never felt before. It conjured thoughts of a Victorian age when wealthy households employed maids and other servants. As the television programs blurred from one into the next I let my thoughts drift to savor the feeling I had about becoming a real maid. Questions about what I might be expected to do reeled in my mind. Would I have to cook for Mr. Adementos; serve him drinks; light his cigars? I imagined him as one of those English Lords of the Manor; dressed in a smoking jacket and sipping brandy while I performed my duties for him. It was an image I felt suited his salt-and-pepper grey hair; his dignified, stately demeanor.

-=0=-

I woke early Saturday morning and began preparations for my first day as Mr. Ademetos�s maid. I emptied my closet of almost all my clothes as I searched for something suitable to wear. Ultimately I settled on an antique plain white cotton blouse and caramel colored billowing full skirt. I considered wearing pantyhose but ultimately decided on lacy white stockings with a garter belt; it fitted the fantasy I felt develop from the previous night. The choice of shoes proved to be the most difficult to make. I looked at a pair of heels I owned; black, with small gold metal bows on the heels, but they didn�t go with my skirt. In lieu of having anything else, I chose a pair of low-heeled brown court shoes.

After I showered I applied fawn colored nail polish to my fingers and toes and a matching lip gloss. It began to feel like the preparations for a date; a strange feeling given it had been so many years since I�d felt that way I�d almost forgotten what it was like. The final touch was the choice of perfume. Gardenia was my regular choice but I decided on White Linen for its classic, age-old scent.

-=0=-

�Good morning Mr. Ademetos,� I said on arrival to his apartment.

�Good morning, Ingrid,� he replied. �All ready to begin?�

I felt a sudden rush of nervousness. �Yes!�

�Good; come in.�

I followed him into his apartment; my fingers clasped together behind my back.

�You look�� He stopped in the middle of the lounge room and turned to face me.

I looked myself up and down and felt suddenly afraid I�d over done my maid costume. �Is something wrong?�

�No, you look�perfect,� he smiled. �Delightful, in fact.�

I consciously tried to conceal my relief and smiled warmly back.

�Turn around; let me see you properly,� he said.

I happily turned on the spot and made my skirt swirl in a theatrical flourish before I faced him again and gave him a coquettish smile.

�Very nice,� Mr. Ademetos said by way of approval. �Except��

�Except?�

�Well, your costume; serving wenches are usually barefoot, aren�t they?� he smiled.

�I never really thought about it,� I replied after a moment of contemplation. His description of me as a serving wench also stuck in my thoughts and caused a brief tingle to run up my spine. �I suppose they are,� I finally said.

�You can go into the bathroom to remove your stockings,� he said. He waved his hand in the direction of a hallway. �It�s the last door on the left.�

I felt a rush of numbness race from my fingertips and up my arms and stared blankly for an awkward second at Mr. Adementos. In my mind a voice began loudly telling me, he�s telling you to go and remove your stockings and shoes!

�You don�t have to if you don�t want to,� Mr. Ademetos said. �It�s only a little detail; would you like the dice to decide?�

His suggestion cut immediately into my hesitation and seemed to sever any responsibility I had to make a decision. �Yes, OK,� I replied; my heart lightened at the proposition. Mr. Adementos was visibly pleased by my reply.

�Alright then; let�s see what the dice say,� he smiled. �If you roll one or two, you can keep your shoes and stockings on.�

I nodded agreeably.

�If it�s a three or a four, you remove them,� he said in a slower, more deliberate tone of voice.

�And if it�s a five or six?� I asked tentatively.

Mr. Ademetos folded his arms across his chest and stroked his chin between his thumb and forefinger. �If it�s a five, you remove your skirt and top as well. You are wearing underwear, aren�t you?�

I nodded but wasn�t thinking about that. It felt like all the blood rushed from my face to puddle in the pit of my stomach. I swallowed a solid knot of nerves that threatened to choke me. �And if it�s a six?�

�If it�s a six,� Mr. Ademetos replied with deliberate slowness. He left the statement to hang in the air briefly while he retrieved a white satin apron from the sideboard. �If it�s a six, you can wear this; but nothing else.�

I gulped. �You mean��

�It�s a simple enough challenge, Ingrid. After all, the odds are very much in your favor. What do you say?�

I stood mutely and considered the possibilities.

�Of course, if you don�t want to play this game, we can end it if you just pay the rent you owe me,� he said solemnly. �I wouldn�t want to do that to you but; it�s up to you.�

He seemed genuinely in favor of his option rather than to put me in dire financial straits. It was against every instinct I had but I agreed. �Yes,� I mumbled.

�Yes? Yes, you want to play the game or; yes, you want to pay your rent?�

�Yes, I�ll play,� I whispered the words and sealed my own fate.

�Here you are then,� he said as he handed me a dice. I reluctantly accepted it and shivered when he clasped his hands around mine for a brief moment after I took hold of it. �Are you ready?�

I wasn�t and I rattled to dice for a long while in my hand to delay the possible inevitability that I might cast a six. After a seemingly endless moment I closed my eyes, held my breath, and dropped the dice to the floor.

-=0=-