Black Rose

His Gift.

In the morning, I woke to the sound of whistling, and the smell of bacon. At least, I thought it was morning. Days blurred together when you couldn't see the sun. I could only guess that it was Saturday morning.

I felt my heart sink just a little but I ignored it, and climbed out of the sheets. I was about to head to the kitchen, where I assumed Blake would be, when I noticed the black dress and shoes draped over the end of the bed with a little cream note.

I gently picked it up and flipped it over. On the back was a handwritten message, presumably from Blake.

Dear Rose,
I hope you enjoy this dress. I've left you some new underwear, stockings, and some heels in your size (as you told me last night). There is makeup in the bathroom, and my favourite perfume, so please promptly get ready and meet me in the kitchen for breakfast.
Sincerely,
Your master.

I frowned at the note, confused. Makeup? Perfume? What was going on? Why did he want me to play dress up?

Puzzled, I lifted the dress to look at it better.

It was a short cocktail dress, simple and professional, with a lace trim, a high neckline and long sleeves.

It looked expensive. It was kind of dress you would wear as a real estate agent, or at a law firm or an expensive company. It did not look like the kind of dress you would wear to a breakfast in someone's basement.

I pursed my lips and shook my head. There was no point puzzling about it. And I knew that Blake wouldn't want to be kept waiting. So I lifted the dress, picked up the lingerie, stockings, and shoes, and carried them all to the bathroom.

Inside, I hung the dress on the back of the door, went to the toilet, and got started.

Even before I was taken, I wasn't a makeup person. I wore it every so often, when I was going out, or when it was a special occasion, but it was hard to make it look good, so I generally just avoided it. Something told me that Blake wouldn't like it if I just ignored it though, so I summoned my best efforts and gave it a go.

I tried three times to get it all right and it was only on the third try that I thought it looked semi-passable, so I moved on, and started getting dressed.

It was fiddly to get the dress on by myself but I managed. When I was dressed, I turned to the mirror and stopped in my tracks.

The person looking back at me was a complete stranger. She was elegant, and sophisticated. She looked glamorous, and confident.

That person was not me. I felt like an impostor.

I turned away from the mirror, took a shaky breath, and prepared myself to face Blake. I didn't think I would ever be truly prepared, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed the door open.

The smell of bacon and eggs grew stronger as I came closer to the kitchen, and I was expecting to find Blake cooking over the stove. However, when I opened the door, he wasn't the only person I found.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked before they had even noticed I had walked in.

Gwen looked up from the eggs, startled. "Oh, Rose."

Then she stopped short, staring. Her eyes dropped over my dress and she blinked, dumbfounded. "You look..."

"Stunning, my rose. Just stunning." Blake said, walking towards me. He was dressed up too, with his hair slicked back and a black business suit. He gave me a smile. "Did you want to have some breakfast?"

I looked across at Gwen, who was still just staring at me, then looked down at the scrambled eggs in the pan she was holding. My stomach rumbled, but then I saw the judgemental look Blake was giving me.