by Becca Little
“Okay.” She relented to his will.
“You will want to say goodbye to the people you love.” His voice came through the line again, saying something that surprised Jennifer.
“Goodbye? Why would I say goodbye?” She asked in a confused tone.
“Once you arrive at my house tonight, you will not see them for a very long time. It is all part of the process.” He said.
“Oh.” Jennifer had not taken the time to consider that part.
“I need one more thing, and then I’ll let you go so you can make plans.” Damien sounded so caring again and Jennifer melted into his words.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Let your mother know someone will be coming to her house as well, to collect your belongings from your old room.” He said. “She still has those, right?”
“She does.” Jennifer didn’t need to ask why they would be required or why he would want them. If she was going to regress back to her childhood, it made sense.
“Good. I’ll see you tonight.” He hung up the phone before she could say anything else.
Jennifer held the phone in her hand as it went dead and quietly sat for a few minutes finishing her cigarette. When it was done, she called her mother and explained the situation as best she could. She told her that she had a new job opportunity that would require her to leave for a little while, but she would call as soon as she could. Her mother seemed suspicious and concerned, especially when Jennifer said someone would be coming to get her things, but she tried to be happy for her daughter. Their relationship was difficult, but she always felt like her mother wanted the best for her.
Once she had her mother squared away, her thoughts turned to Abigail. She really was the only friend Jennifer cared about enough to let her know she would be leaving. At one time, Jennifer was a social butterfly, but the stress of living in the city alone had held most of her friends at a distance. She didn’t have the courage to tell Abigail in person, because she wasn’t sure she could keep the secret of what she was really doing. They always told each other everything, but this was the one-time Jennifer had to keep it to herself. She decided to write her a letter. That would allow her to leave, and then Abigail would get it a few days later. Abigail wouldn’t have a chance to press for more information or try to talk her out of her plan. It was the only way. She pulled out a piece of paper and began.
Dear Abigail,
I hope this letter finds you well. By now you’ve probably figured out that I am gone. I haven’t fallen off the edge of the Earth or anything. I’m safe, and everything is okay. I wanted to tell you in person, but I was afraid you would talk me out of it. I made bad choices the last time we were together. I’m not even sure what happened, except that I woke up with Michael. Not only was he in bed with me, but I overslept, and didn’t make it to work on time, so I got fired. You know how hard it was for me to find a job to begin with, one that would pay the bills at least. I’ve been offered a unique opportunity that I must take advantage of. Unfortunately, this opportunity requires me to go away for a while, and I won’t be able to call. I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I am able.
Love Always,
Jennifer
With the letter written, she sealed it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and put it by the door. She went into her bedroom and dug out one of her old duffel bags, the only thing she had to pack as an overnight bag. She grabbed the essentials, and moved to the bathroom where she packed the items she would consider taking on an overnight trip. When she was done, she had a bag filled with a change of clothes, underwear, pajamas, and her most of her bathroom. She placed the bag next to the letter and sat alone in her living room.
The first pack of cigarettes she bought the day before was almost gone. She never smoked that much, but the stress had gotten to her. She could already feel her lungs screaming at her, but she lit another. Her nerves were completely shot and she had nothing left emotionally. She wished she kept alcohol in her apartment, because she needed something to take the edge off. She finally relented to pace the floor, questioning her decision. Before she knew it, the night was on her and it was almost six o’clock. She sighed deeply, picked up her bag, along with the letter, and takes what could very well be her last trip down to the ground level of her apartment.
Once there, she dropped her letter to Abigail in the mail bin and walked outside where she waited for the car. As she stood there, she suddenly became aware of a man watching her. He walked towards her and she panicked after the situation from the day before.
“Hey, were you in the alley yesterday?” He asked, tilting his head and looking at her face. “Yeah, that was you!”
Jennifer’s heart jumped up into her throat. Could this man be her savior? She was a broad-shouldered man, who stood at least six-five. His eyes were piercing blue and contrasted nicely with his sandy blond hair that was slicked back and styled. His dark black suit was tailor made. She shook her head and looked straight ahead, hoping he would just go away.
“No, that wasn’t me.” Jennifer clutched her bag in her hand.
“I know you were scared, I was just trying to help.” He extended his hand. “My name’s John Vogel, I live in the building as well.”
As much as she wanted to deny it and ignore him, she felt like there was gratitude owed. She placed her bag on the ground and shook his hand. “I’m Jennifer.”
“Hello Jennifer.” He smiled.
“So, did you catch him?” She asked without confirming it was her, but she was still curious.
“No. He was fast for a homeless guy. I’m glad you are okay. I was worried, but when I didn’t find you, I assumed you made it to safety. I waited around for a while to see if the cops showed up, but I’m guessing you didn’t report it?” He surmised.
“I didn’t. I just want to forget it.” She gave him a faint smile.
“Listen, I know this is kind of an awkward time to ask, but would you like to get a drink sometime, maybe after you get back from your trip.” He nodded to the bag on the ground.
“Oh, um... You seem nice enough, and you’re my hero for what you did, but I may not be coming back for a long time.” The limousine pulled up as she said it.
“I see.” He looked at the limousine and then his eyes locked on the license plate. “This car belongs to Damien Fields.”
“It does.” She confirmed, reaching down to pick up her bag.
The driver got out and walked around to meet her. He took her bag and her purse from her and placed them in the trunk, then opened the door. Jennifer took one deep breath and started to climb inside but she felt a hand on her arm. She looked over her shoulder to see that John’s face had turned from nice and jovial to one of concern.
“Do you work for him or something?” He asked.
“Or something…” Jennifer replied.
“Please release her, sir.” The driver separated John’s hand from her shoulder and ushered her into the limousine.
As the door slammed, Jennifer saw the look of concern plastered on John’s face. He put his hands on his hips as the limousine drove way, staring until she could no longer see him. She put the entire bizarre encounter out of her mind as she got to Damien’s house. The driver came around and opened the door for her again. When she stepped out, Damien was waiting. He motioned towards the house and she followed him.
“I’m glad you decided to take advantage of this opportunity.” He said, opening the front door for her.
“I hope I made the right decision.” She stepped into his house and the door slammed behind her.
CHAPTER 7: HELLO JENNY
Jennifer sat alone in Damien’s office. A plain wooden table had been set up with several pieces of paper. She had a glass of wine halfway finished and several cigarettes extinguished in the ashtray, but she still didn’t quite understand all the language on the paper in her hands. Damien had presented her with a contract, which he insisted was a formality. He said that she had to be the one to read it and she had
to be the one to sign it. She hated entering into an agreement when she didn’t understand the rules, but after reading boring paragraph after boring paragraph, her head was swimming. When she got to the end, she signed it without looking back over it.
It seemed simple enough, but there were words she had never learned sprinkled throughout. From what she could tell, it read like a fancy employment contract. He would agree to financial support her, let her live there, and pay for anything she wanted within reason. In exchange, she agreed not to hold him legally liable for anything that happened, and that she was making this decision of sound mind. She consented to turn over her finances to him, gave him power of attorney, and agreed not to disclose any of their personal matters to anyone should she wish to terminate the contract in the future.
Jennifer understood that Damien was a powerful man, and he didn’t get that way by being stupid. As caring as he seemed, it was his nature to take precautions. This was simply one of those times when precautions were necessary. It was a very strange agreement, to say the least, but she was entering it with a clear conscious. The life she left behind was done. She had screwed it up, and she was ready to go back to the moment when she lost it all. If he could give her that, she would do whatever was necessary. No part of the contract mentioned sex, and he had been adamant that wasn’t part of it, so she was willing to trust him. Sex was the last thing she wanted after the encounter in the alley.
“I see you have signed the contract.” Damien said, startling her from behind.
“I did, yes.” She gathered the papers back together in the original order, and handed them to him. “What now?”
Damien sat down across from her at the table and crossed his legs. He had another one of his cigars lit and glowing in his mouth. He studied her for a few minutes and then smiled after blowing a stream of smoke. His smile was warm and caring. He reached out and placed his hand on hers, rubbing it. His touch made her tremble a little bit. She thought she wasn’t ready to be touched, but his hand calmed and washed away all that fear. She closed her eyes.
“I want you to let go of the woman you are. Remember what it was like to be a child, to be safe without the worries life threw at you. You no longer have to worry about bills or responsibilities. All you have to do is wake up, and be a little girl again. From this point forward, Jennifer will cease to exist. You will be my Little Jenny, and I will be your Daddy.” He stated firmly, and then patted her hand.
“Jenny? I haven’t been Jenny in a long time.” She sighed. Only her family called her that. Her mother insisted that her name was Jennifer, but all the extended family preferred Jenny. It felt good to be Jenny again. She reached for her cigarettes, but found her new Daddy’s hand too quick for her. He pulled them away.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for a little girl to be smoking, do you?” He pulled them out of her grasp.
“No.” She craved a cigarette and the thought of having to give them up there on the spot scared her. She had quit before, when she didn’t have any money, but that was out of necessity.
“Good. I’m glad you can let this go without the need for discipline. Daddy is proud of you.” His cigar glowed bright as he puffed it again. Smoking cessation while living in his cigar cloud would be even more difficult than simply quitting.
Jenny nodded. The contract had mentioned discipline. That scared her a bit, but if she was going to be his Little Jenny, she understood it meant absolute submission. She silently vowed to be very good and make sure it was never necessary.
“And to be clear again, there’s no sex?” She had heard it several times, but she felt like it was important.
“I guess now is a good time to talk about that.” He uncrossed his legs and spread them apart before placing his feet firmly on the ground, making the tip of his cigar glow as he did. “Our arrangement is not about sex. Does it happen in these sorts of arrangements, absolutely, but only if it is something we both agree on. Right now, I have no desire to use you for any type of sexual relief. I need to take good care you, give you a chance to start over, and help you become the woman you should be.”
Jenny cast her eyes downward. Hearing him say that he had no interest in her body at all didn’t feel great; it hurt a little bit. If the arrangement did have something to do with sex, then at least she would feel like he desired her. Instead of a sexy young woman who had captured the billionaire’s eye, she felt like a charity case. The only men who wanted her were an abusive bastard who cheated on her, and a random homeless man who tried to rape her. She thought of John, but quickly dismissed that. He was probably just playing out his hero complex. Her only suitors were the scum of the Earth.
“Okay. Thank you for clearing that up.” She really needed a cigarette. “So, what’s next?”
“Everything you need is in your room. You remember where your room is, right?” He asked, not taking his eyes off her as he spoke.
“Yes, I do.” She nodded.
“Go ahead and head to your room. You can go to bed when you’re ready. The stuff from your mother’s house is in the garage, and the items from your apartment will be delivered tomorrow.” He said.
“Wow that was pretty fast.” Jenny wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or scared by his efficiency.
“When you’re ready for bed, I’ll read you a bedtime story.” He stood up and left the room.
Jennifer couldn’t believe he was going to read her a bedtime story. She hadn’t been read a bedtime story in so long that she had forgotten most of them. As she sat there staring at her pack of cigarettes she contemplated trying to sneak one with her to bed. It couldn’t hurt. She looked for her new Daddy and could hear him pouring a drink. She opened the pack and put a few of them in her pocket. He would have to go to work at some point after all, and what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. She would quit later, but she could wean herself off with those, she decided. She picked up her overnight bag and headed to her room. She walked past him and he turned to face her.
“Goodnight, Jenny.” He said. “I’ll be in there after you’re changed for bed.”
“Goodnight…Daddy.” She smiled and went to her room.
Once she was in her room, she looked around for a hiding place and found a desk in the corner. She opened the middle drawer and stuffed the cigarettes under some various coloring books and other artistic items. She took a moment to look around the room and found a pair of drop-seat pajamas on the bed, along with a couple of ribbons. She assumed those were for her hair. She made sure the door was locked, and stripped off her clothes. She wasn’t sure when she would get to wear real clothes again.
The closet was filled with adult sized clothing that was styled after what she would have worn as a little girl. She held a few of them up and looked them over. Most were dresses, although there were a few various t-shirts and a pair of blue jeans. She looked in the dresser and it was more pairs of pajamas, socks and various items. She dug around, but did not find any underwear. She was thankful she had her overnight bag. She dug out a pair and put them on, then slid the drop-pajamas over them. It was one of the most comfortable items she had ever worn, nice and loose. After she finished dressing, she unlocked the door and climbed into bed. She left the lamp by the bed on, since he promised he would be in soon. She laid there until he opened the door.
“Jenny, are you ready for bed?” He asked.
“Yes…Daddy.” She was still struggling with the term.
“Good. I have you a present.” He pushed the door open and held out a teddy bear. It was large and brown with a silly grin. He walked to the bed and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Daddy.” She hugged the bear to show her appreciation. It smelled like a department store and she instantly had a memory of buying a similar one when she was a little girl. She placed it beside her.
“So...” Daddy asked. “What is his name?”
Jenny blinked and looked at the bear. He was soft and fluffy, so she picked a name that fit. “I’ll call him Mr.
Fluffy.” She said with a smile.
“It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Fluffy.” Daddy reached over and shook a paw. He opened a book that was on the bedside table. “Are you ready for your bedtime story, Jenny?”
“Yes.” She smiled and slipped her feet under the blanket. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, nothing like the stiff mattress she slept on as a child. She chalked that up to being a billionaire’s little girl.
“Is Mr. Fluffy ready?” His voice was calm and soothing as he looked at the bear.
“I think he’s ready, Daddy.” Jenny smiled.
Daddy began his tale. Jenny had to take a moment to just recognize how surreal the whole experience was. She was dressed like a little girl wearing drop-seat pajamas and pigtails, while Damien Fields, one of the most powerful men in the world, read her a bedtime story. Most women could have come up with a thousand things they would like to do with Damien Fields and that situation would have never crossed their mind. She really had no idea how to express her gratitude. She wasn’t sure the experiment would work. She had been grown for a long time, living on her own, clawing to survive. She asked herself if it was possible to just start over.
Her mind came back to focus on the story, but she was feeling extremely tired. The fact she didn’t sleep the night before was taking a toll. Her body still craved nicotine, but she put those thoughts to the side. She would be able to take care of the craving once he went to work the next morning. The story continued as her head found the pillow and her eyes got heavy. Sleep was going to come better now that she knew she was safe. There weren’t many places she could consider herself safer than right there with him, her new Daddy. She finally allowed her eyes to close as the story concluded. Daddy tucked her in, kissed her on the head, and turned out the light.