Someone Competent

Chapter 9: Red

AN: Today's my birthday, so here's my gift to you all. <3

Xoxo, Roses
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After a passionate evening, you ended the night with the Baroness resting in your arms. Stroking her hair while she curled against your chest, you savor the moment. Your legs intertwined. Your sweaty bodies pressed together as a raw form of intimacy.

Whispering gentle words alongside sweet caresses, the Baroness drifts to sleep, comforted by your presence. You watch her chest rise and fall with relaxed breaths. Nuzzling your face into her scalp, you fall asleep, cuddling the Baroness.

When you awake, the blankets are cold. Missing the warmth from the Baroness, you sit up to examine the room. The chamber is empty. The Baroness is nowhere to be found. You glance over at an alarm clock. 5:04 am. An overwhelming sense of dread washes over you. Did the Baroness regret your encounter? Why else would she be out of her room so early?

You brush your thoughts away, wrapping a throw blanket around yourself and leaving the bed. You flick the bathroom light on and blink to adjust your eyes. Crouching down to retrieve your discarded clothes from the previous night, you smirk at the memories. You slip on your emerald green dinner gown and leave her bedroom. You slink down the hallway to your room, hoping no one will catch you.

Successfully arriving at your chamber without being caught, you get ready for the day. Dressed in your typical black attire, you head to the kitchen. You fetch the Baroness' morning tea and take it to her office at 6:15 am as always. You balance the silver tea tray on your arm and knock twice with your dominant hand. The Baroness' voice signals your invitation to enter.

You walk into the office, smiling. She returns the smile. Fresh red lipstick paints her lips. She wears a high-collared blouse to hide the color-corrected love bites you left on her neck.

You greet the Baroness. "Good morning, Baroness.". She raises her eyebrows and places her hand on her hip. She stares at you while you set the tea tray down and pour the pot. "What did I tell you last night, my dear? Greet me again, properly.".

You chuckle. At least she doesn't seem to regret your time together. You sigh dramatically and hand her the teacup. "Good morning, Victoria.". She smirks and accepts the porcelain dish. Taking a sip, she sighs. "Better. Although the theatrics were unnecessary.". You shrug your shoulders, rolling your eyes playfully. She shakes her head at you.

"Why did you leave the bed so early this morning?" you ask. She pauses. "I had a meeting.". "Before five in the morning?" you question skeptically. "My time is very valuable, my dear.". You scoff but decide to not press any further. To lighten the mood, you engage in small talk. The simple conversation eases the tension in the room. You leave the Baroness' office when she lays down for her 9-minute power nap, satisfied you didn't anger her.

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Two weeks pass, and you've ended up in the Baroness' bed more times than you can count. She enjoys stress relief, and you enjoy intimacy. Although in the beginning, it seemed she was only using you for pleasure, the Baroness has opened up to you more. She's told you about moments from her childhood and her marriage to the Baron. You let her cry her heart out onto your chest every time she tells stories about that awful man.

You didn't see it at first, but your relationship with Victoria has blossomed into something more. She'll kiss your cheek just because she feels like it. She'll wrap her arms around your waist when she wants to be close to you. She even told you about the warehouse fire. Even though it's wrong, you don't blame her for setting the fire. Cruella deserved it.

The Baroness is now stressed about her upcoming charity gala. The servants of Hellman Hall are frantically decorating. Exotic feathers in a variety of bright colors fly across the room. Maids carry them to the staircase, strategically weaving them around the railing.