The Apprentice Dominatrix

Chapter One: Opportunity-2

She shrugged. It seemed like a logical request. Keeping her bag clutched to her side she walked the ten meters or so to the wall, turned gracefully and walked back to the table. Stefan was smiling when she got back.

“Zelda is betting you’ve taken ballet lessons…but I’m thinking gymnastics!” he chuckled. “So which of us is right?”

“Both of you,” Alina answered. She explained how she’d loved taking both of these classes…that she’d had some initial success in rhythmic gymnastics, but then she’d started to grow too tall. “Ballet was first to go!” she chuckled. “The boys were struggling to lift me. My gymnastics coach told me I had the talent, but it was just a matter of physics that was working against me. I also studied dance classes as part of the gymnastics training.”

“That’s excellent. But where did you learn to walk that way?” Zelda asked. “You move better than some professional models I’ve seen.”

“For a while the beam exercise was my specialty…but then I transferred to rhythmic gymnastics. You have to learn to walk with a certain style for both.”

“Well your hard work has given you excellent posture, my dear,” Zelda told her. “And you move so gracefully.”

There was a pause, and Alina took another sip of coffee. These people clearly liked the look of her…but she was getting more and more suspicious about what they wanted.

“Alina,” Stefan said, “you seem like a very sensible girl…and you must be aware that with your more womanly figure you don’t have a career on the catwalk – do you? They might try to starve you to death to make it work, but I don’t think that would be very healthy for you.”

Alina frowned. “Are you actually with the model agency?” she asked. “You seem to have some…official presence here.”

“Yes, we are here for a reason,” Stefan answered. “But we’re not directly with the agency. For a fee they allow us to set up here and talk to a couple of the girls if we find somebody suitable. Since we’re each looking for different types of women we’re not in competition.”

“So what kind of women are you looking for?” Alina asked.

“Look around you,” he told her. “See the skinny girls with no figure…and the piercings…and the bleached hair? Well that’s definitely not what we’re looking for. We don’t give a damn about a walking clothes horse. We’re looking for strong, beautiful women. We’re looking for intelligence, an aura of independence, and a certain…character.”

“What sort of character?”

“That’s what we want to talk to you about,” Stefan said, smiling politely. “While you wait for your turn, perhaps we can present an alternative…proposition to you.”

“I’m not interested in being a prostitute,” Alina said. “I’m sorry to be blunt…but I don’t want to waste your time.”

“I appreciate your honesty…but that wasn’t exactly what I was suggesting.”

“That doesn’t sound like a complete denial to me either,” Alina pointed out.

“You’re as bright as you are beautiful,” Zelda chuckled. “You know…your eyes are totally amazing. Are they really that color, or are you wearing colored contacts?”

“They’re real!” Alina said. Why the f**k did people always think she was wearing colored contact lenses? The combination of her dark brown, almost black hair and blue-gray eyes often drew comments. Some of her mother’s friends had been concerned it was a sign of the Evil Eye – an old superstition that ran deep in Romanian culture. But boys…and girls seemed to like them.

“Excellent – congratulations, my dear,” Zelda chuckled.

“Alina…Zelda chose you for a reason today,” Stefan explained. “We run a rather special agency of our own. You can think of it as a sort of matchmaking agency, actually.”

“Matchmaking?” Alina asked suspiciously. She was acutely aware that Romania had been implicated in various human trafficking rings in recent years; and this was starting to sound very suspicious.

“Exactly. Our clients are exclusively wealthy men…with a certain taste in women; and we help them find those women. It’s really quite straightforward…and more importantly it’s totally legal.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Alina asked. “What sort of men…and women? Look…I don’t want to be rude, but I think I want to go back to my seat now.”

“If you like, my dear,” Stefan said. “I won’t stop you. But before you go, will you answer a question for me?”

“Maybe…it depends on the question? You already asked me way too many!”

Stefan shrugged. “Then one more won’t hurt, will it? If you could have three wishes…what would they be? And it would be best if you are truthful – what three things would you like to have if you could?”

Alina was on the point of telling Stefan to go screw himself when she glanced at Zelda. The woman was staring at her so intently…as though the answer to the question was vitally important.

“That’s three questions…not one,” Alina pointed out.

Stefan laughed. He was really quite handsome – but he had a slightly dangerous look to him that made Alina glad she was in a room full of people.

“Once again you’re right…so at least tell me one wish. What have you got to lose?”

Alina hesitated, and then decided to answer.

“If you must know, my mother is ill; and I’d like to get her better medical treatment. To make things worse, our apartment is cold and damp, and the roof leaks. I’d like her to live somewhere nicer – less depressing; and to be able to get her proper medical care to make her better.”

Stefan was sitting back in his chair, sipping his coffee. He seemed pleased by her answer.

“Tell me your second wish,” he urged her. “Or go back to your seat, if you like. But if you stay we can have some chocolate cake. Zelda makes it herself, and it’s exquisite.”

Alina had seen the cake in the picnic hamper. It really did look delicious; and she’d skipped breakfast that morning to get to the pharmacy as it opened.

“OK…why not? My brother wants to give up school to get a job to help out. It’s crazy because he’s only fourteen, and my mother and I want him to finish his studies. He could be a doctor if he can focus on his school work. So that would be my second wish.”

“Excellent. So you might as well tell me your third wish – we’ve come this far, after all.”

Zelda had refilled Alina’s cup. For a second she was afraid the coffee might be drugged – but both of these people were drinking it too; and it tasted really good. She took a long sip.

“Well…I told you I already have my degree in Business Studies. But I’d like to work abroad…and maybe do an MBA in a good business school.”

“Why not go to the Bucharest Business School?” Zelda asked.

Alina felt a familiar anger rise, but she refused to let it get the better of her.

“Like I said…it’s a long story,” she said simply. “Let’s just say it would be better for me to study abroad.”

Zelda smiled. “Putting some distance between you and that ex-boyfriend, eh?” Zelda chuckled. “Well…I think it’s a noble ambition. Do you speak any other languages?”

“I’m fluent in English and Russian…and I’m not too bad with French.”

Zelda’s eyes widened in surprise. “OK…then tell me your three wishes again…in English this time,” she said in that language.

Alina repeated what she’d already told them, but this time in rapid and fluid English.

“My goodness…where on Earth did you learn to speak English that way?” Zelda asked her.

“My father was born in England…and he lived there for about fifteen years. We spoke English at home all the time when he was alive…but he died three years ago…it was a car accident.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Alina,” Zelda said softly. “I think he’d be very proud of his daughter.”

“How would you know?” Alina said, feeling her frustration at this bizarre meeting overflow. What right did this woman have to talk that way? “You know nothing about me!”

“I know that the first two things you would wish for were for your mother and your brother…and only then did you think of yourself,” Zelda said.

The two of them sat back in their chairs, grinning at her like idiots.

“You can go now if you want,” Stefan told her. “You told me your three wishes.”

Alina frowned. “But why would you even want to know what I wish for?”

Stefan shrugged. “To see if we could make them come true for you.”

“And let me guess…it just so happens that you can!” Alina said sarcastically.

Stefan shrugged. “For those three wishes? Of course…because all they require is money.” He started to count off on his fingers. “Money buys your mother a better apartment, and medical care for her illness. Money means your brother can stay in school and focus on his studies. And money buys you a trip to an international business school for your MBA – assuming you have the necessary qualifications.”

“And let me guess again…all I have to do to get that money is take my clothes off and let somebody f**k me?” Alina asked.

“Only if you want to…but that’s not necessary with most of our clients,” Stefan said, smiling again.

“Bullshit!” Alina told him. “I mean…seriously? You must think I’m a total i***t!”

“No…this is for real, my dear!” Zelda told her calmly.

Alina stood up in exasperation…this was really annoying. She’d known that in a place like this people would be trying to trick her, and persuade her to do things she didn’t want to. But this was way more “out there” than she’d ever imagined.

“Forget it! I’m not falling for this crap.”

“They just called number twenty nine…and you’re…what? Fifty something?”

“So what? Maybe I should go over to Police Headquarters across the square and see if they’ve heard of your little scam!”

“Let me save you the trouble, dear,” Zelda told her as she took out her cell phone. “I’ll call the Police Headquarters number for you right now and we can ask for Inspector Dragomir – he’s head of the vice and corruption division. He’s the man you should speak to.”

“Because he’s being paid off by you?”

“No…because if this was some kind of s*x scam it would be his department that would investigate it. But in the spirit of full disclosure, I do happen to know him rather well. Even so, he won’t lie to you because he’d be crazy to risk his career over something as trivial as this.”

“OK…let’s say I agree with your logic…how do I even know it’s the police you’re dialing?”

Zelda held out the phone. “I’m sure you’re savvy enough to use a web browser. Look up the number and dial it yourself.”

Alina looked at the phone…this was getting crazier by the second. But she decided to call the woman’s bluff. She’d use her friend Alexandra’s Android phone a few times, but this was an iPhone. Even so it was easy enough to find the number for Police Headquarters. She sat down and tapped it to dial automatically.

“When the operator answers tell them you’d like to speak to Inspector Dragomir…and that you’re a friend of Zelda Cebotari. He’ll be sure to take the call if he’s there.”

Alina was determined to see this through. She knew that the police would use caller ID on any calls to their main number, and it would be good to have a record of Zelda’s personal cell phone making such a call. As she sat back down the line was answered and a bored-sounding operator spoke to her. She followed Zelda’s instructions and sure enough she was soon speaking to somebody who called himself Inspector Dragomir at least.

After a brief explanation the man let out a deep sigh.

“My child, you must make your own mind up, of course. I can tell you that Zelda and Stefan are neither wanted for, nor suspected of, any crimes that I am aware of. I’ve known Zelda for several years, and I have never doubted her integrity. You are not the first girl to have called me like this, and perhaps I might suggest you ask to speak to some of Zelda’s other…apprentices before you commit yourself. Now, I don’t believe I wish to say any more on the topic. Please pass the phone to Zelda. Good day to you.”

Alina handed the phone to Zelda who leaned back in her chair to talk to the policeman.

“How about a slice of chocolate cake?” Stefan asked, smiling.

“Y…yes. Yes, please,” Alina said. This was crazy; and if she knew one thing about offers like this it was that if they seemed too good to be true, they probably were! But surely if that policeman was part of the scam he wouldn’t have been so…abrupt with her.

She watched as Stefan cut three slides of chocolate cake and serve them on little plastic plates. Alina took a fork and tasted the cake…it was divine! She allowed the rich chocolate flavor to wash over her tongue and she sighed contentedly.

“I told you it was good!” Stefan chuckled.

Alina blinked. “Wait a second…what am I supposed to give in return for my three wishes?”

“That’s easy,” Zelda chuckled. She’d finished her chat with the inspector and was pouring herself another cup of coffee. “Do you know what a Dominatrix is, my dear?”