Dungeons and Dalliances

7.52 – Bordello III

A menu?

Blinking, Natalie accepted the small chalkboard. It hadn't been cleaned well since the last use; the black surface was smudged white, with the new menu written over top the smears.

Vanetta's service list was brief, with prices listed after each item. Her handwriting surprised Natalie; it was cutesy and neat, with loopy letters, the opposite of Natalie's own near-illegible scrawl that had earned her so many reprimands in school. The bubbly script was so feminine that heart-dotted i's wouldn't have looked out of place—but of course there weren't any.

"That's it?" Natalie asked, amused, when she'd read the entirety of her offerings.

Vanetta's glare appeared in full effect, arms crossing in a way that Natalie rather appreciated—propping her already nicely framed chest up.

"What do you mean, that's it?"

"A handie's the best I can buy?"

"What did you expect?"

Honestly? She hadn't thought about it. The lack of options did make sense. Even if the girl had only intended on having one customer from the start.

"Is there a friends discount? A loyalty rewards program? Any secret menu I can order from?"

"You aren't funny, you know that, right?"

"Not even a bit?"

"No."

Natalie met the glare evenly, then, to Vanetta's clear outrage, laughed. She brought her attention back to the chalkboard and made a show of considering her options, taking her time to mull her decision over.

Vanetta huffed, loudly, part-way through.

"Sit," she ordered. "And do you—do you want anything?"

"Want anything?" Natalie echoed.

"To drink. Or eat. There's stuff in this room. I'm supposed to be your hostess," she grumbled. "That's where half the tokens come from, it's not just about the—other stuff."

"Oh?" Natalie's grin slowly widened. "You're telling me you're contractually obligated to put me in a good mood? To be a sweet, polite hostess?"

She glowered. "It's part of the assignment. Don't get any ideas."

"I'm definitely getting ideas," Natalie said. "There's food?"

"Sliced fruit, for one. Snacks. And liquor, as I'm sure you saw." She gestured at the nightstand, where the bottle of amber liquid and crystal glasses were laid out.

"Sliced fruit?" Natalie repeated. "Ooh. Can you feed them to me? Is that part of the experience?"

"Feed you?"

"It's every girl's dream to have a scantily clad woman sit on her lap and feed her, don't you know?"

"Speak for yourself, pervert."

"You've been using that word a lot."

"I wonder why."

"You're lucky I like girls with attitude, otherwise I'd say you're not being a very good hostess."

Vanetta glared, but it shifted a moment later into vague amusement. Snorting, she turned and walked over to the nightstand and crouched down. Inside was a tray with an assortment of fruit, as promised, and she pulled it out and walked over to her.

"Sit, then." Vanetta pointed at the chaise lounge chair. "But I'm not getting on your lap."

"Aw. That's the whole point. What if I pay you?"

Vanetta almost bit off a second denial, but she hesitated. Probably realizing she was offering much more than sitting on a girl's lap through her menu, and that this was the whole point of the Bordello.

Her cheeks colored, and to Natalie's delight, she growled out, "Fifty tokens, and I'll think about it."

"Deal."

"What?"

"Fifty tokens, to fulfill a life-long dream? Sounds worth it to me."

"Don't be ridiculous." She hesitated. "… Five is fine."

"Pretty sure you're supposed to barter up, not down," Natalie said, amused.

"You're not paying me fifty tokens just to sit on your lap." She grumbled, "The whole paying part of this is weird, anyway."

"I'll take it for free, too, if you want."

"You wish." She sniffed, then, with some reluctance, settled onto Natalie's lap, who had lounged out on the comfy chair. She sat sideways, across her thighs, legs dangling off.

Vanetta blinked as she settled in.

"Wait, I can feel your armor."

"Not actually naked. I've told you that like three times now."

"I know, but—" She settled the weight of the food tray in one hand, and tentatively poked at Natalie's waist, surprising herself when she found the leather string that held her lower armor on. Shifting her eyes higher up, she poked at Natalie's chest next. In amazement, she cupped the metal of her bra. "Weird."

"Pretty sure I'm the one supposed to be groping you," Natalie said, lips quirking as she watched Vanetta massage her metal bra.

Vanetta didn't seem to realize what she'd been doing, because her hand jerked back.

"I was just—it's interesting. I wasn't touching you like that."

"You were literally squeezing my tit."

"Your armor. Because it's invisible, and I was curious. Shut up! Eat." She picked up a bundle of grapes from the tray—interestingly, they were cold, there must have been a cooling preservation effect—and thrust them at Natalie's face.

"Hey. You're supposed to do it sexily."

"Sexily isn't a word. And I'm not sexy anyways, so get used to it."

"That's a damn lie. Are you kidding me?"

Bizarrely, Vanetta seemed almost disoriented by Natalie's tone, which in turn made Natalie pause. Surely this girl knew—?

"Eat your stupid fruit," Vanetta mumbled. She dangled the edge of the grape bundle at Natalie's lips, putting in at least half an effort to fulfilling the scenario, and, Natalie's grin returning, she delicately plucked one from the bundle with her teeth. She held the other girl's gray eyes—as gorgeous as always—as she suggestively chewed, then swallowed.

"Delicious," she murmured.

Vanetta's face went impressively red, considering all she'd done was eat a grape. Natalie dared to venture her hand lower from where it'd been resting on Vanetta's hip down to her thigh. Not dangerously low, but Vanetta jumped anyway.

It continued for a bit. Vanetta's face stayed flushed, and Natalie delighted in teasing her simply by being hand-fed a variety of fruit. It was all fresh, too, which she appreciated.

And juicy. Messily so. Though maybe Natalie was playing that part up.

She wiped her chin, and said, "So. How's the Bordello work, anyway? Assuming you did your research."

"Which part of it?"

"The private rooms. All this," she waved around. "You pick your clients, that much is obvious, else you'd have left."

"We have right of refusal, yes," Vanetta said. "But only so many. We're expected to work. It's good you came quickly. I think I would've been kicked out soon."

Natalie's eyebrows went up. "You've had … people propositioning you?" That was what was implied.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Two men and two women, so far."

A weird feeling went through her at that, which she tried to ignore.

"What's that for?" Vanetta asked, poking at the corner of her mouth. Natalie realized she was frowning.

"Nothing."

"Don't like the idea that I might've had someone else as a client?" Oddly, Vanetta seemed—amused? Maybe even satisfied.

"Of course not. We're hardly—" She trailed off.

"A couple," Vanetta finished for her. "Yes, we aren't. Like I said, don't get any ideas about—all of this."

Natalie frowned for a second longer, then shook it off.

"I am the only one you let in, though," she grinned. "Aren't I?"

Vanetta narrowed her eyes. Natalie wasn't sure why she had pointed the obvious out; she hurried to move the topic to safer waters.

She did know they weren't a couple, and if Vanetta wanted to involve herself with other people, that was her choice. They weren't anything, much less exclusive. They'd only met yesterday, for heaven's sake. Yet the idea of Vanetta having other clients did bother her slightly. Maybe not full-blown jealousy, but there'd been a stirring in her chest.

Maybe she liked this girl more than she thought. She was seriously cute. Though saying so to her face might get her killed.

"Anyway," Natalie said. "About this 'menu' of yours."