Window Display Ch. 01

Carine had been dodging the meeting for days. She knew what it meant, Caroline calling her into the agency for a chat. Three years ago, she'd scoffed at it, seeing other girls go into Caroline's office and come out broken. Carine was the high-school prom queen, she'd gone on to win the district beauty pageant, signing up with the best modelling agency in the city straight out of school. Dark-haired, willowy, eyes like crushed ice, Carine was a force of nature, unlike those others. The Talk wouldn't ever happen to her.

But then it had.

She knocked on the door and a woman's voice called out from the other side.

"It's open, come in."

Carine stepped into Caroline's expansive office. There were couches, a desk, art on the walls. It spoke of taste, of money. Caroline's modelling agency was the pinnacle of the profession for a reason: the woman behind the desk.

Caroline was dressed in pants and a blazer, elegant in dark hues. She still had the looks that had made her famous, switching career effortlessly from the front of the lens to the power behind it. She smiled warmly and gestured to a couch. Carine arranged herself carefully on the cream-coloured leather, as if it was the deciding factor in Caroline's impending decision.

"Good of you to come," Caroline said.

"Yeah, uh, sorry, I've been off-colour. Sorry about the reschedule."

"Not an issue. Look, I'll make this brief. Danzig went to Emma."

Carine's heart sank. "But...."

"I know you're disappointed."

Carine tried desperately not to show it, but yes, she was crushed. Danzig would have saved her. They were launching their Spring collection, and to be the face of it would have been everything she'd needed. She crossed her legs, arranging the folds of her dress. Her best dress, her most up-to-date, she thought bitterly, trying to demonstrate that she had the pulse of the industry. It might as well have been a sweatshirt and jeans for all the difference it made. She made firm eye contact and raised her chin.

"I'm sure she'll do a good job for them," Carine replied.

"She will. Look...."

"What other opportunities are coming up?"

Carine winced inwardly at cutting Caroline off, but this was no time for subtlety. She needed to show her determination.

"Ah, yes. We're still looking, to be honest. A lot of interest is going to the new intake."

"I see."

"Fresh faces, new looks."

Carine smiled back, but it was fixed in place. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She tried desperately to pull in the indignation.

"Are you saying I'm too old for...?"

"No, not at all," Caroline interjected.

"I'm twenty-four. I'm not dead."

Caroline held up a hand. "I didn't say that."

"Amma Habib's still going strong and she must be in her thirties."

Caroline surveyed her for what felt like forever, then her face softened. Here it comes, Carine thought.

"Yes, darling, but she's a supermodel."

"She had to start somewhere. I can still do that."

"She had a lot of luck, but it was also a lot of hard work, plus she has a gimmick, which you don't."

"Like what?"

"Heterochromia. The different-coloured eye thing. She's stunningly beautiful, but the difference in her eyes makes you stop and really look at her."

"So, I just need a thing."

"You can't recolour your eyes, and even if you could, Amma's got that corner of the market."

"Chelsea Vale, her tattoos. They make her stand out. She gets lots of work."

Caroline paused, and Carine got an awful sinking feeling.

"She gets lots of work despite her tattoos, not because of them, Carine. Generally, designers prefer the clean look. They want a blank canvas. That's you. You're a perfect, beautiful blank canvas. You have versatility."

"But no bookings."

Caroline wrinkled her nose. She settled on the arm of the couch next to Carine, smiling down at her.

"It's the business. There's ebb and flow. You're the flavour of the month, then you're over-exposed. It's how it is."

"But I've never, really been flavour of the month, have I?"

Caroline didn't give her an answer, but Carine knew what this was. This was definitely The Talk.

"Into every reign, a little life must fall," Carine muttered.

Caroline's eyes widened. "Oh, that's very poetic."

"You sound surprised. I'm more than a pretty face."

Caroline nodded sympathetically. "Yes, you are. So much more. But in this industry, they often just want a pretty face."

Carine looked down at her hands, feeling a steady weight settling down on her shoulders.

"I don't know what else to do," she replied in a tiny voice. "This is all I've ever wanted."

"And it might just be a blip. One good gig and you could be back on course."

"So, get me that gig. I don't care about the pay."

"I want to, believe me."

Caroline hesitated.

"What?" Carine asked.

The older woman didn't answer, getting up from her perch and going back to her desk. She opened a drawer and brought out a set of papers. Carine watched in silence as she scanned the pages. Eventually, she looked up.

"This was offered to me a few months back, but I said the agency wasn't interested."

"What is it?"

"It's... uh, unusual. It's not a typical engagement. It's more of a longer-term contract."

"Like a brand ambassador? For what?"

Carine's mind raced. She could be the face of a new product, that would be easy. But, seeing Caroline's reaction, she wondered what the product could be. Perhaps it was something undesirable, something Carine shouldn't put her name to.

"Caroline, for what?" she repeated.

"It's a modelling contract, of a sort. I spoke to a few people. Apparently, it made quite a stir in Beijing, at their Fashion Week. No-one's really done it here."

Caroline stalled. Carine got up from the couch and approached her. She held out her hand. Reluctantly, Caroline passed her the pages.

Carine began to read. There was a non-disclosure agreement, and what appeared to be a rental contract. She frowned, mystified by the strange wording. The last page was a summary of the technology, and after she'd finished it all, she stared up at Caroline.

"Is this for real?" she asked.

"It looks like it."

"I've never heard of this. Is it safe?"

"They say it is. Like I said, the technology's all out of China, they're just rolling it out now. The company's a startup out of Austin, Texas. They've secured the worldwide rights."

"Can you really do this to people?"

Caroline gave her a look. "That's why I said no."

"But if it works?"

"You'd certainly attract interest."

Carine shuffled through the pages again. Caroline didn't say anything else, letting Carine come to a conclusion.

"I'd be basically leasing myself to them for six months at a daily rate that's a quarter of what I get now."

"But it's every day, for six months."

"I guess I don't have to pay rent."

"That's true. You'd have no expenses. You wouldn't be spending money on going out, or travel."

"Or food."

"No."

"And where would I be?"

Carine met the older woman's eyes, trying to control the little lump in her throat. Six months was a long time.

"You're familiar with Walker Terrin?"

Carine's heart soared. "Of course, she's a legend. She's got the store in Centrepoint."

"She's expressed interest, apparently. You'd spend six months there. What do you think about that?"

"Are you kidding? I love her stuff. I just wish I could afford it."

Caroline hesitated.

"Seriously, is it safe? If it's all legit, I could spend six months quite happily there."

"Are you sure?"

"Caroline, tell me. What's next steps?"

---

She got Telia to come along with her for back-up. The address was in one of the high-rise towers in the central business district, a nondescript door on the tenth floor. Telia was peppering her with questions still; she hadn't stopped.

"So, they just do something to you and then you're a mannequin. Babe, you really sure? We can just turn around. I mean, you haven't signed anything yet, have you?"

"Nah."

"So, you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"They're gonna put you in a shop window display for all the world to see."

Telia looked concerned, chewing her lip, dark eyes on hers. Carine felt a little twinge at her words, but it wasn't panic.

It should have been panic. The entire idea was insane, but her best friend hadn't managed to talk her out of it. Telia had just unwittingly done the opposite: she'd used the word 'displayed'. There was that twinge again, imagining herself in a Walker Terrin dress, arranged in a sultry pose in her display window with all the great and the good passing by, inches away on the other side of the glass, shopping for high fashion. It was the perfect opportunity, the exposure that she needed.

Of course, according to the documentation, she wouldn't be aware of any of it. For Carine, it would be the blink of an eye and it would be six months later, with a much healthier bank balance and a string of bookings waiting for her. It was almost too easy. She wouldn't be aware of any of it, but she could imagine herself there in Walker's window, being admired by shoppers, their eyes roaming over her body as she was put on display. She shivered, flashing her friend a little smile.

"Let's do this."

Carine opened the door and stepped inside.

An attractive, young Asian woman greeted them from behind her desk. She was dressed in a neat blouse and pencil skirt, with business-appropriate high heels. Her make-up was understated, her long, black hair brushed perfectly.

"Hello," she said. There was a trace of a Chinese accent.

"Hi, I'm Carine. I had an appointment."

"Yes, come in, please. Take a seat. Would you like a drink?"

"No, I'm good."

"I'll see if we're ready for you." The young woman nodded to them and disappeared through a door.

"Nice offices," Telia muttered. "Seems reputable. I mean, at least they splashed out on the fitout. That's a good sign, right?"

"You really think you're helping?"

"Not one bit."

The door opened again and a man strode through, followed by the receptionist. He was mid-fifties, lean, eager, with bright blue eyes, blonde hair and tanned skin like he spent a lot of time at the beach. He reached out to shake her hand with a firm grip. When he spoke, his accent was American.

"Ms. Damarck, so glad you came."

"Carine."

"Carine, my name's Tony. We spoke."

"We did. This is my friend, Telia."

Tony shook hands with her as well.

"Pleased to meet you both. I can't tell you just how excited we are to meet you. Do you want to come through? Ms. Li, would you accompany us?"

The four of them went through into a spacious office that was all glass down one side, letting the sunlight stream in as it provided a view across the city. There were a couple of white couches arranged in an L-formation on a sandy-coloured rug, and a desk near the far wall.

"Nice," Carine observed.

"Small," Tony replied, quickly. "But we have high hopes. This is going to revolutionise everything."

Ms. Li stood quietly to one side while Tony spoke, a sharp contrast to his ebullience.

"Now, I'll understand if you have questions. I'm here to answer everything I can, but I warn you, I'm not a boffin, so if you get too technical I might need to phone a friend."

"I do have questions."

"Understandable. Shoot."

"Uh, just, how does it work? The material you sent wasn't specific."

Tony's eyes flicked from Carine to Telia and then back again. He smiled.

"Maybe I should show you."

He walked over to the receptionist, brushing her hair to one side, reaching up to the back of her neck. She didn't react, smiling placidly at Carine as Tony tapped her skin with his finger. He smoothed her hair back into place. She seemed unconcerned by his actions. Carine frowned, shifting slightly. The young woman's eyes didn't track her movements.

"What?" Carine gasped.

The receptionist continued to smile softly, staring at the position that Carine had been moments before.

"What did you do to her?"

"It's perfectly fine. She was one of the demonstration models in Beijing. She's on loan, if you will."

"I don't get it."

Carine began to circle the immobilised woman.

"The back of her neck. Go on, she won't mind," Tony told her.

"This is freaky shit," Telia muttered.

"No, it's science."

Carine smoothed the woman's hair away from the back of her neck. There was a little black square in place just at the base of her skull, embedded in the skin.

"She's in suspended animation. Apparently, the Chinese were developing it for long-range space missions. It has a more practical use as well."

"She can't feel anything?" Carine asked.

"No. Her body is frozen. I mean, you can arrange her limbs, but for her, time's just stopped. Go ahead, try it."

"Really?"

"Sure. She's just like a mannequin."

Carine took the unresisting woman's wrist and brought her hand up to her mouth, as if she'd been shocked by Tony's comment. Her face didn't react at all, and when Carine released her hold, the young woman remained in her new pose.

"How long can you keep her like that?" Carine asked.

"The suspended animation field is self-sustaining providing the chip's charged. I guess at least six months, since that's what's in your contract."

"And she isn't aware of anything?"

"Not a thing."

Telia stepped forward, pressing the young woman's cheek. "Huh. She feels just normal, but the eyes... it's like no-one's there."

"It's so weird," Carine breathed.

"Babe, it's legit."

"What do you think?"

Telia looked at her and then broke out into a wide grin. "Shit, easiest six months of money you'll ever earn," she laughed.

Tony cleared his throat and then stepped between them. He stroked the back of the girl's neck and she blinked, momentarily confused at having her hand in front of her mouth and everyone clustered around her.

"Thank you, Ms. Li. You can go."

They watched as the receptionist drifted across the room and then through the door.

"So, she was one of the models? She looks like a model."

"This pays significantly better," Tony replied, "As you know from the contract."

"The rental agreement, you mean."

"Call it that if you want."

"I'd need protections if I agreed to this."

"You'll have them. You will be treated with the utmost respect."

"I'll be checking up on you," Telia interjected. "I can't wait to see you in those clothes. You'd be amazing."

"And if anything goes wrong?"

Tony smiled. "If the unit loses power, the suspended animation field cuts out and you're back in the world."

"And it's safe?"

"Ms. Li has been suspended and unsuspended many times. She's suffered no ill effects. It's up to you, but we're eager to move forward on this. It's going to be a breakthrough."

Carine looked from Tony to her best friend. Telia nodded.

"Okay, where do I sign?" she said.

---

Tony arranged a follow-up meeting for Friday, and Telia came along again. This time, there were more people in the office when they arrived, Chinese, none of them speaking English. Ms. Li greeted her at the door.

"Hello Carine, hello Telia, please come in."

There were three men, all aged between thirty and fifty, oddly stiff in business suits. One of them stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Please to meet you Ms. Damarck."

"Carine, please."

He frowned, glancing at the receptionist. She spoke to him rapidly, and Carine caught her name being repeated.

"Pleased to meet you Carine," the man said again. "I am Dr. Zhao."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Zhao."

He nodded, then spoke to Ms. Li again. She turned to Carine.

"We're ready for you. Would you like to follow Dr. Zhao?"

"Of course."

More smiles, and then the three men filed into Tony's office. Tony was there behind his desk, and he got up to greet them. There was a padded massage table arranged in the middle of the room. Carine eyed it apprehensively.

"Do you have the papers?" Tony asked.

That snapped Carine out of her reverie, and she fished around in her handbag, pulling out the folded-up contract and handing it to him. Tony read through, and then produced a pen to countersign next to her signature.

"Awesome. We can get underway."

"What do you need me to do?" Carine asked.

"Apparently, very little. They would like you to lie face-down on the table. They tell me it's a simple procedure."

"Okay."

She flashed a look at Telia as her friend eyed the table nervously, then Tony, then the Chinese scientists bustling around a large carry case that they'd put on Tony's desk. They were speaking animatedly to each other in a language Carine didn't understand. She found herself facing Ms. Li again.

"You did this, right?" Carine asked her.

"Yes."

"How was it? Did it hurt?"

"It is not easy to describe. But, no, there was no pain."

"I just lie face-down here."

"Correct."

"Okay. Easy enough. Here goes nothing."

She glanced at Telia again, who gave her a little encouraging smile.

Carine laid down on the table, her face through the hole at the end, inadvertently worried about the soft leather smudging her makeup. She tried to settle her thumping heartbeat, clenching and unclenching her fists. Several voices talked above her.

"Are you ready?" Ms. Li asked. "They want to know."

"I'm good. Let's do it."

More dialogue, and then a hand carefully shifted her hair away from her neck. A touch, ice cold; she jumped.

"It's just alcohol," Ms. Li reassured her.

The cold touch rubbed at her skin again, and then there were fingers touching the back of her neck, making her spine tingle.

"Stay very still please."

Carine closed her eyes and felt the prick of a needle, then warmth spreading out from the puncture point.

"Oww."

"Sorry, that was local anesthetic."

Fingers tapped her skin, and she began to feel a blankness in an area just beneath the base of her skull.

"Hold still again please."

She felt a pressure, but nothing more, then after a minute or so, the pressure was released. There was more talking above her, the movement of feet. Fingers touched the back of her neck again.

"Is that...?" Carine asked.

".... Just unbelievable. It's so simple too," Tony's voice boomed out close to her ear.

"... It?" Carine finished.

"It? What do you mean, it?" Carine recognised Telia's voice over the general hubbub.

"Is that it?" Carine repeated. "Can I get up?"

Telia giggled.

"Yes," said Tony, "You can get up now. We're all done."

Carine raised herself from the table, looking around the room. She caught sight of Telia with a wide grin on her face. Everyone was looking at her.

"What's so funny?" Carine asked her friend, but Telia didn't answer, so instead she turned to Tony. "Is it done already?"

"Yup," Tony confirmed.

"That was quick."

Telia smirked again, and Carine rounded on her. "Seriously, what's so funny?"

Telia pointed to the clock on the desk. Carine's eyes went wide.

"Two hours, babe. You were on the table for two hours while they finished checking on you. Don't you remember?"

"No, I... uh. I...."

The receptionist moved in, taking her hand. "It feels strange, but you will get used to it. As you can see, there are no bad effects."

"I was out for two hours."

"You were suspended, yes."

"It felt like two seconds."

"Yes."

Dr. Zhao spoke to her, and she nodded.

"We should test the full cycle," she said.

Carine reached up to her neck but the pretty receptionist caught her wrist.

"Don't. You may trigger the device accidentally. It just needs a touch."

She turned to face away from Carine, pulling her long dark hair to one side. There was a little skin-coloured patch on the back of her neck. She turned around again.

"For safety, to hide it and to stop it being touched."

There was something in the Asian girl's expression. Carine couldn't decipher it.

"Sure, okay."

Tony approached, and she stiffened. He hesitated. Everyone else in the room went quiet.

"You ready?" he asked.

Carine nodded, allowing the older man to touch the back of her neck.

Telia's smiling face filled her vision and she yelped, lashing out and catching her friend square across the face with her hand. Telia squealed, staggering back. The sun was lower in the sky and the scientists had gone. The receptionist was gone too, leaving Tony and Telia in the office.

"Oweee, shit," Telia exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"You made me jump. You were just suddenly right there."

Telia rubbed her cheek, but the smile returned. "That was freaky."

"What was? How... how long?"

Tony came around to face her. "They did some more checks, and then we chatted. I had some paperwork that needed to be completed."

"I scrolled my phone. I sent some messages, usual stuff," Telia interjected.

"How long?"

Carine looked out at the city. The sun hung orange over the horizon. The appointment had been just after lunch.

"I didn't feel anything," she murmured.

Telia nodded at her. "Yeah, it's like you were just gone. Talking of which, the doc cleared you. We're good to go."

Carine looked at Tony.

"Yep, all green lights. Walker is expecting you bright and early on Monday morning. Just need this."

He peeled a waterproof flesh-tone patch from its backing and gestured for Carine to face away from him. She held her hair to one side while he applied the patch over the little square on the back of her neck.

"There, to protect it. You can shower, do all the normal things."

Carine touched the back of her neck, feeling the patch.

"Come on. We got the weekend to get your shit together," Telia said. "Time's wasting."

"That's really it? I'm ready?" Carine asked.

"All done," Tony replied. "Have a good weekend."

He escorted them out of the office, and she found herself drifting along behind her friend in a daze. She didn't feel any different, but then Telia had just appeared in front of her and the sun was setting. Carine thought back to the beautiful receptionist, how she must have gone through the same thing. Carine wanted to ask her questions, but she'd already gone home.

She understood now what Ms. Li had been trying to tell her. Carine rubbed the back of her neck again, feeling the waterproof adhesive patch. Both women had been fitted with off-switches, rendered instantly into inanimate objects to be posed and manipulated in whatever way someone else wanted. It sent a chill through her, thinking about the implications, but it was too late now: she was under contract.

"We got you for the weekend, babe."

Carine blinked, glancing at Telia.

"I mean, it's like you're going on a vacation or I guess a work trip for half a year. We need to give you a send-off."

"Hell no. Wait...."

"Hell yes. My phone's been blowing up, babe. We're gonna...."

"Wait, seriously."

Telia rounded on her, laughing. "You're joking, right? You're about to become the hottest thing in fashion, and you're gonna miss it all. We're already booked. Everyone's coming."

"When?"

"The club, tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Gives you Saturday to recover, Sunday to get your shit together, then show up for work on Monday."

"But, what about the apartment?"

"Gina's taking the apartment."

"But I need to clean and pack."

"Shit, Carine. You seen how she lives? Your place is fine as it is, just put your personal stuff in a box. Leave everything in the fridge. I'll see she doesn't wreck the place while you're away. I'll make sure she pays the rent. Seriously, babe, I got you. Just live a little, stop worrying."

Carine regarded her friend dubiously.

"Seriously," Telia continued. "I'll be looking out for you while you're... whatever it is."

"A shop mannequin."

"A smoking hot shop mannequin. I can't wait to visit. Gives me an excuse to check out Walker's stuff. Maybe she'll give me some out-of-season clothes."

"Is that what this is to you? A chance for cheap designer gear?"

Telia grinned wolfishly. "Girl's gotta work all the angles, babe."

Carine stared back at her, and slowly Telia's smile faded.

"I'm trusting you," Carine told her. "I'm going to be helpless. I need to know you're not going to just go and forget about me."

Telia's expression softened and she moved in for a hug. Carine buried her face in her friend's hair.

"You'll be gorgeous and famous," Telia murmured. "You might forget about me."

"Never."

"You mean a lot to me, Carine."

"You mean a lot to me too."

Telia pulled back gently, meeting her eyes. "Shame, that."

"A shame? Why?" Carine asked.

"That I'm into boys."

Telia held it together for almost a second before the grin split her face.

"Oh, you bitch," Carine hissed, but she laughed too.

"Talking of which, you might meet him tonight."

"Your boyfriend?"

"Just been a couple of dates. But, maybe." Telia rolled her eyes comically, adding, "Which is why we're gonna go out tonight."

---

It seemed like Telia's invitation had gone out to everyone. They got dressed in tiny wraparound dresses, Telia in black and Carine in silver, with matching high heels, mincing into the noise of the club. They packed the club out, everyone asking her how she was, how she felt, a million questions. Telia ran interference as best she could, but she was clearly loving the notoriety of being Carine's sidekick in an insane escapade. They ordered champagne, they danced, they laughed. Telia's boyfriend was a no-show, but Telia said that it was for the best. Meeting her friend-group tonight would have sent him scurrying.

Carine was happy for her, but as they drank and danced and talked, Carine became conscious again of that little gap in her life. Going away for six months was easy to do because there was only Telia to say goodbye to. Sure, there were her other friends, but there was no-one closer. Telia picked up on her lowering mood, and pulled her to one side.

"It's wild, hey," she said.

"Yeah," Carine nodded. "It feels like a proper going-away party."

"It is. We aren't going to see you for half a year."

"But I'm not going away anywhere, not really."

"Yeah. We'll still see you all the time when we go through Centrepoint. It's gonna be so weird, looking at you, knowing who you are, but you're not really there."

Carine nodded, acknowledging her point. It would be weird, having all her friends looking at her, posed in whatever outfit Walker Terrin dressed her in. She would be staring out of the display window at them all, completely unaware of their attention. All those eyes on her, all the time, staring.

She felt a little twinge deep inside, but it wasn't apprehension. No, it was excitement: being on display, being noticed, showing her body off to the passing crowds. Walker Terrin would tap the back of her neck and Carine would just blink out of existence, leaving a mannequin to be posed, and then she would tap the back of Carine's neck again and it would be the end of summer, just like that. Carine squirmed in her seat, then looked around at her friends. Their lives would go on without her. She would miss out on the wild nights, the stories, the chances of meeting someone. But, they'd all be looking at her. That was the thing that mattered.

"Everyone's here," Telia said.

"Almost."

Telia frowned. "Ah, shit. Yeah."

"I just thought Anna would show. I mean, this is a big thing for me. I thought we'd left it on good terms. Clearly not."

"I'm sure it's not like that."

"Gris and Blue are both here. They made it. There's no way that they didn't talk to Anna about it."

"Maybe she's not in town."

Carine's mouth turned down. Maybe Telia was right. The night was impromptu, perhaps Anna was somewhere else. She could ask Blue. He'd tell her. But, she wasn't going to do that, she decided. If the woman she'd spent two years with wasn't even going to send her a message before she did something as big as this, it told her everything she needed to know.

"Screw her," Carine snapped. "If she can't be bothered, I can't be bothered. Bigger and better things."

Telia smiled, raising her glass and they toasted.

"Bigger and better things, babe," Telia echoed.

They went back to the booth, sliding in as everyone around them babbled excitedly. It all seemed to be kicking up a gear, and then the inevitable happened: Florence leaned across the table with her loudest voice.

"So, are you gonna show us?"

Carine stared back at her, like a rabbit in car headlights. Florence had always been brash; she was taller, more muscular, a fitness instructor and influencer, and Carine had always suspected Florence had a soft spot for her.

"What? Here?" she squeaked.

"Sure, why not?"

Telia laughed, reaching for the champagne to do refills, topping everyone up. Carine felt a cold chill. They were in the club, in public. Not here, surely. That wouldn't be advisable, not with all these people around.

"So, you want to?" Telia asked.

"I don't think I should."

"Why not? It's not complicated. I watched Tony do it. You just tap the square to activate the suspension field, then you tap it again to turn it off. It's simple."

"What if it goes wrong?"

"The receptionist chick's done it hundreds of times, she told me."

"Hundreds? I didn't know."

"We had a good old chat while you were under. C'mon, everyone's dying to see."

Carine hesitated, but Florence leaned over the table, her arms folded tightly across her chest as if to push up her cleavage on purpose, with a sultry smirk on her face.

"Go on, show me," she mouthed sexily across the table.

Carine sipped a little out of the top of her champagne flute because Telia had drunkenly topped the glasses up to the brim. She felt a little delicious tingle as Florence's dark eyes locked onto her. At last, Carine acquiesced.

Telia's hand stroked the back of her neck and she felt the protective covering being peeled back.

"Ready?"

Carine looked back to Florence, but she'd disappeared. The champagne glasses were empty too, all apart from hers. Florence nudged her and she turned to see her friend sitting next to her, eyes dancing.

"That was an absolute mindfuck, Carine," Florence breathed. "Ohmygod. You just sat there for fifteen minutes and nothing I could do could make you move."

"Uh, nothing...?"

Carine's spine tingled at the words, imagining the fitness instructor's hands on her body, prodding, tickling.

"What did you do?" Carine hissed.

"Relax, princess. I kept it PG. But, fuck, just imagine."

And Carine did. They were in a packed club amongst friends, with Telia sitting right next to her, but if it had been somewhere private, what would Florence have done? Helpless, frozen, Florence would have been able to do whatever she liked with Carine. Florence would have been able to touch her wherever she wanted, do anything she wanted. It should have filled Carine with dread, but the idea of being at the unknowing mercy of the trim fitness instructor kindled a heat inside her. Florence brought her mouth close to Carine's ear.

"I could take you home and stand you in the corner. You'd be such a beautiful decoration for my lounge."

"You wouldn't."

"I could just leave you like that. Gives me someone to come home to. I could dress you up."

Florence's eyes lit up, and Carine knew exactly what the other woman was imagining: Carine standing silently in Florence's choice of lingerie all day in her apartment, unseeing, fixed in place. A beautiful object instead of a person, displayed for Florence's personal viewing pleasure.

"You're such a slut," Carine managed to say, then, "I need to pee, can you let me out?"

"Sure, babe."

Florence slipped out of the booth and Carine threaded through the mass of bodies to the bathrooms. She found a stall and stepped inside, locking the door behind her. Florence had painted such a vivid, terrifying picture, but if it was terrifying then why did she feel so turned on? Anna had been months ago, and there hadn't been anyone since. Florence was making her case, hitting on her hard, kindling a fire. To put herself at the mercy of the taller woman, to be turned into nothing more than a pretty object to be adored, was terrifying, wasn't it? Why was she so turned on? What was wrong with her?

She finished in the bathroom and made her way back to her friends. They had colonised the dancefloor, and Carine pushed her way through until she found Telia again. Telia put an arm around her neck, pressing her lips to Carine's ear to be heard above the music.

"That was so freaky," Telia told her. "Everyone was looking. You didn't move a muscle."

Carine leaned into the nook of her friend's shoulder to reply. "Florence liked it."

"You bet she did. She's got the eyes on big time. You gonna?"

"What? No, no way. I don't trust her."

Going home with Florence would scratch an itch that had been brewing for months, and Florence was certainly willing, but placing herself completely in someone else's control was stupid. The only advantage of having been suspended was that she was a drink behind everyone else, and she was determined to keep it that way.

Florence's arms wrapped around her suddenly, a glass of champagne in her hand. It spilled, and Florence stepped back, shaking the droplets from her fingers.

"There you are," she shouted above the music.

"Yep, here I am," Carine fired back.

Florence made devastating eye contact, then slowly popped each wet finger into her mouth to suck the champagne off her skin. Then, before Carine could react, Florence reached behind her neck. She had the sensation of cold, wet fingers and then she was standing on the edge of the dancefloor holding a tray of empty champagne glasses.

The music had died down a little, and the crowd was thinning out. Telia stepped around from behind her.

"Had enough?" she asked.

"Enough of what?"

"It's three o'clock. Wanna head off?"

"Three? But...?"

She looked down at the tray she was holding. She'd been arranged on the edge of the dancefloor, feet together, staring out into space in her tiny silver dress and high heels for how long? Three o'clock? Hours. Florence had frozen her and then turned her into a drinks tray for the evening.

"I sent her home, in case you were wondering. She kept patting your bottom, the drunker she got."

"Is... is that all that happened?"

"Selfies. A lot of selfies. That's kinda why I let it go on until now. People were coming up and getting pictures with you. Videos too. Everyone wanted to know. It's the plan, right? Buzz? I dunno, was it okay?"

Carine walked over to the empty booth and deposited the tray. She'd been frozen in position, holding it for hours, but her arms didn't ache. Standing in high heels in one spot, too, but she didn't feel the discomfort. Carine had been surrounded by people all night and she'd been completely oblivious as they got up close, as they watched her. The silver dress was tight, coming down only as far as mid-thigh. It left nothing to the imagination.

And Florence had been caressing her rear while she was a defenceless mannequin.

"Yeah, let's split," Carine said. "I gotta get stuff into storage tomorrow, ready for going away."

They took a cab back, Telia dropping her off first to make sure she got home okay. Carine wandered into her little apartment, assaulted by the silence. She came to a halt in the middle of the lounge, her mind drifting after the exertions of the day. Her things were in boxes, her life ready to be stored away, just like her. She would cease to exist for six months, and in her place would be a perfect, beautiful doll.

Carine swayed over to the corner of the lounge and positioned herself facing into the room, her heels together. She rolled the hem of her slinky silver dress up until she had exposed her pussy. Gently, she began to stroke herself, staring blankly ahead, letting her thoughts dissipate. Would this have been how she would have spent her night if Florence had taken her home, unable to resist as Florence's fingers entered her?

She stroked herself more vigorously, imagining soft lips pressed against her labia, the warm urgency of a tongue sliding inside her. Anna had been so good at that.

Carine stared straight ahead, her fingers becoming more frantic even as she tried to remain immobile and serene. Her orgasm hit hard, wracking her body, but she clenched her teeth and didn't make a single sound.

Just like a mannequin would have done.

---

[Next chapter: Carine's first day at work, on display in Walker Terrin's window. But something has gone wrong.

This story will be released weekly in seven chapters.

Follow me for updates to this and my other stories. If you like what you read, please leave a comment or a star rating. Constructive feedback is always welcome. If you want further adventures, or to check out my other stories, my story page is here]