The Bare Truth part 2

Chapter 18

Sierra was pacing her room again, desperate for a plan, when the phone rang. She walked to the nightstand and tentatively picked it up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Good evening Miss Christie," a professional male voice said on the other end of the phone. "Mr. Taylor asks that you join him for dinner at seven. He'll send an escort up for you. Formal attire is requested. You should find something suitable to wear in your closet."

Sierra hung up the phone and went to the closet. Sure enough, it was stocked with an array of beautiful designer clothes and shoes, all in her size. She wondered briefly if Dorrian's assistants knew Joe's secretary, and if there was some industry standard way they were all capable of figuring out her dress size.

She selected a slinky black silk Valentino dress and matching heels. The whole ensemble probably cost at least six grand. She wondered if this was all it took to make these kids so chock full of Stockholm Syndrome. Dorrian's money no doubt bought a lot of good favor.

There was a knock on her door promptly at seven. Jimmy had returned. He escorted her down the hallway. She passed Gina in the hall, who smiled at her shyly and complimented her dress. They took the elevator down to the first floor, which opened to a grand marble lobby.

Off the lobby was a dining room, where Dorrian was waiting for her. He stood next to the table in a tailored suit, and held out her chair. Sierra sat stiffly.

A waiter appeared, a boy of maybe sixteen, and poured them their wine.

"Are you enjoying your accommodations?" Dorrian asked. "I hope you appreciated the massage. Gina is very good."

Sierra sipped her wine and ignored the question.

"You employ an awful lot of child labor here," she said, indicating their young waiter.

"Well, I try to make sure they're ready for life outside of their home. They all learn job skills in addition to their standard education. Some of them even go on to work for my company. After college, of course."

"And they just get over the fact that you ripped them away from their parents?"

"Yes," Dorrian replied simply. "They do. The locks are just a precaution. They don't want to leave. They have everything they want right here. All the toys their parents couldn't afford. All the freedom they were never given at home."

Sierra choked on a piece of garlic bread.

"Freedom?" she asked. "Are you kidding me?"

"Freedom is relative," Dorrian replied. "The kids want to eat candy and stay up past their bed time. The teenagers want to drink and have sex with each other. I just give them what they want, until they no longer want to go home. Until this is their home.

"It will be yours too. You'll come around. Sooner or later they all come around."

Sierra was quite certain she was going to be sick.

"What about the kids that 'go home'?" she asked.

Dorrian smiled pleasantly and dropped his voice to an undertone, so their waiter wouldn't hear.

"Now and again, their parents back home will disobey my orders. The children pay the price for their parent's foolishness. Just like you will, if Joe tries anything. Though I am fond of you, Sierra. It would be a terrible waste to have to rip your beautiful body apart."

He took her hand as he said this, almost lovingly. Sierra pulled it away with revulsion.

"So what happens now?" Sierra asked, trying to sound braver than she felt. "You dress me up like a doll and force me to have dinner with you. Are you going to force me into your bed next?"

"You insult me," Dorrian replied, and in spite of herself, Sierra felt relieved by the answer. "I have no intention of forcing you to do anything. You will come to me. You'll hate me, and you'll curse me, and you'll miss your rough, simple man back home. And then one day, you'll get lonely. And you'll come to me. It's inevitable."

He paused to cut a piece of his steak.

"Besides," he continued, "I've arranged to allow Joe a Skype visit with you next week. It wouldn't do to have you tell him you've been mistreated."