Hostiles

by Ethan Johnson

  Lady Diamond nodded approvingly at this, then turned to Diane. “You’ll need shoes to match, then it’s on to your makeup.”

  Diane gasped. “I don’t wear makeup,” she said. “Except lipstick sometimes. Lyssa likes it when I wear red.”

  Diane was ushered onto a low stool by an attendant. Another unboxed a pair of glossy black heels and strapped one onto Diane’s right foot. Lady Diamond considered it, then shook her head. The shoe was removed and quickly replaced by another, then another. Finally, a pair of studded black 5-inch heels was approved. Diane had never seen heels so high… in person. Alexa and a few other women on Fortune and Destiny seemed to sleep in 6-inch heels, she recalled.

  Alexa gave Diane a questioning look. “My word, the girl’s tall enough as it is. You want her to get nosebleeds?”

  Lady Diamond gestured for Diane to stand up. Her feet immediately ached as they contorted downward and at a sharp angle. She felt like she was being forced to walk on her tiptoes like a ballerina. She had never tried ballet dancing before, but she assumed one led to the other. Diane struggled to stand upright. Lady Diamond ordered her to walk across the room and back.

  “Are you kidding me? My ankles feel like they’re gonna snap.”

  “Do as you’re told. We don’t have unlimited time together. Alexa has a business to run. I have other clients in need of my services. Proceed.”

  Diane swayed uncertainly as she took her first steps. Alexa covered her eyes with her left hand and shook her head. “Good lord, she’s like a baby deer.”

  “That’s not wide of the mark,” Lady Diamond said. “Walk. You’re strong and confident. Act like it. Go.”

  Diane nodded and took a confident step forward. The tip of her right heel skidded on the floor and she fell onto her right side. She caught herself in the nick of time from striking her jaw on the bare floor. An assistant stepped forward to help Diane back up onto her feet, but Lady Diamond intercepted her and ordered her to stand clear. Diane groaned and forced herself to stand up.

  Diane brushed herself off, then took a long step forward to exude confidence. She thought about the grand entrance Lady Diamond made in her stunning gown, each step forward making a statement before she uttered a word. Diane hoped to mimic this as she set her right foot down, followed by her left, then her right again. She felt her confidence rising with each step, but Lady Diamond waved her hands back and forth and urged her to stop.

  “Okay, perhaps you’re more of a visual learner. Stand still and watch me. No, not my face. Watch my feet. See? I walk heel to toe, placing one foot in front of the other. I’ve perfected my technique, as someday you shall. I don’t think about it as I’m doing it. It comes naturally now. See? One in front of the other, like so, then I stop, pivot, and repeat. Your turn.”

  Diane nodded and concentrated on copying Lady Diamond’s signature strut. She shortened her stride length and took deliberate steps toward the far wall. Her feet ached and her knees wobbled at times, but she felt a surge of accomplishment as she reached the far wall without falling over. She carefully turned around, using the balls of her feet to maneuver, then walked back to her original starting point. When she finished, Alexa clapped approvingly. “Baby’s first steps.”

  “I figure I can practice with lower heels, to you know, get the hang of it,” Diane said.

  “You may not,” Lady Diamond said. “You will wear heels of this height, or higher from now on. Never lower.”

  “That doesn’t seem practical,” Diane sniffed.

  “Practical? Miss Pembrook, do you recall the reason why I have been tasked with providing these lessons to you?”

  Diane shrugged. “To make me a better person.”

  “No. Not better, Miss Pembrook,” Lady Diamond said intently, staring directly into Diane’s eyes. “The best. As I told you during our first meeting, you have high aspirations. I am here to guide you to achieve those aspirations. To do less is to achieve less, Miss Pembrook, understood?”

  Diane nodded. “Yeah, but there’s starting small and working your way up, you know? Lots of successful people do that.”

  Lady Diamond squeezed Diane’s chin between her thumb and forefinger. She studied Diane’s face like the Masked Man did, which Diane didn’t appreciate. She didn’t dare shake her head free of Lady Diamond’s grip. She focused on a point on the wall to avoid meeting Lady Diamond’s inquisitive gaze. “Is that so? Tell me, how many successful people do you know, hmm? Two? Three? Tell me.”

  Diane gulped. “Uh, well, I mean, besides Alexa, I just mean that I heard—”

  Lady Diamond released her grip. “You heard? So you don’t know any successful people? Only things you heard, hmm?”

  Diane lowered her chin shamefully. “Yes, Lady Diamond.”

  “Then hear this: If you so much as lower your heels by one inch, you’re effectively lowering yourself. Down, Miss Pembrook. Down and away from your goals. Is that why you’re here? Is that how Ms. Charlevoix became the most powerful woman in Cape May? By lowering herself? By settling for less?” Her hard stare cut through Diane’s bones. Diane fought back tears as she bore the brunt of Lady Diamond’s intense questioning.

  “No, Lady Diamond,” she said softly.

  “Good, I’m glad that’s settled,” Lady Diamond said airily. “Now then, it’s time to apply your lessons. First, I was very disappointed in your entrance. As I told you before, making an entrance has nothing to do with your appearance, but in your case, making an underwhelming first impression was part and parcel with your casual clothing and casual attitude. To become successful, you must be serious, Miss Pembrook. Deadly serious. Every entrance is someone’s first impression of you. You must never forget this, if I don’t teach you anything else during our time together.”

  Diane wiped her eyes with her knuckle and nodded. “I’ll do better, Lady Diamond.”

  “Very good, Miss Pembrook. On to your makeup.” Lady Diamond summoned forth her assistants.

  Alexa raised her wine glass. “Chin up, buckaroo. She’s the best in the business. I owe her everything.” She took sip of her wine and sighed wistfully.

  Lady Diamond gave Diane a wan smile. “I do my best with what I am given to work with. It’s time for the real miracle workers to step in.” Lady Diamond left the room as a woman with neatly coiffed black hair and heavy makeup leaned forward. Diane squeezed her eyes shut as the woman’s moist fingers pressed into her bare skin, making tight circles as they went.

  Diane struggled to keep her eyes closed as yet another brush tickled her eyelids. “The eye shadow is coming in nicely. Just going to build up three more layers, hon, then we’ll really be cooking,” said the woman. She didn’t tell Diane her name, and Lady Diamond didn’t use it either. She used non-verbal cues to indicate which of the help she required assistance from, which Diane noted was in stark contrast to Esmeralda, who was absent this evening. Diane tried to ignore the sweeping brush strokes and turn her attention inward.

  When the makeup artist was in-between eye shadow layers, Diane opened one eye to check if Alexa was still in the room. To her relief, Alexa was still there, swirling her wine glass languidly as she watched the proceedings from her seat at the dining table. Diane closed her eye in time for what was called the “August Moon” layer. Having never worn makeup to this extent, she was dying to know what the woman was doing to her face. The sensations of the brushes flitting across her face left her to believe she would look like a clown, or a ridiculous painting.

  “Time for the eyeliner,” the woman announced. Diane heard the steady cadence of Lady Diamond’s heels approaching from the back entrance to the opulent room she shared with Alexa. “I’m going to apply the wings first, so whatever you do, don’t move.” Diane almost nodded her acknowledgement but stopped before a finely pointed object slid across her lower eyelid into the corner of her left eye, then the right. The ritual repeated itself three more times. Diane’s head was tipped backward. She heard Lady Diamond position herself behind the makeup artis
t and make approving sounds without uttering any words.

  Once her eyes were sculpted and brushed out to the artist’s satisfaction, she told Diane to open her mouth and make an O. Diane did as she was told, and to her surprise she did not feel the familiar sensation of lipstick sliding across her dry lips. Instead, another stiff-bristled brush was used to paint color onto her lips. Three more brushes were used to complete the effect.

  At long last, Diane was instructed to open her eyes. She was disappointed to not be shown a mirror, but the looks on the makeup artist’s face as she showed her handiwork off to Lady Diamond spoke volumes. Lady Diamond’s chest swelled as she took in Diane’s transformation. “Well, Miss Coco, I believe you have outdone yourself.”

  “May I take a picture for my portfolio?” Miss Coco looked up at Lady Diamond hopefully.

  “Absolutely not. Miss Pembrook’s privacy must be maintained. Your compensation will have to be enough, I’m afraid.”

  “Yes, Lady Diamond,” she said, crestfallen.

  Diane raised her finger. “I don’t mind. If it helps her out, I’m okay with it.”

  Lady Diamond shot her an annoyed glare and crossed her arms. “Absolutely out of the question. Do not contradict me.”

  “Yes, Lady Diamond,” Diane said sullenly, and gave Miss Coco a sympathetic look. Miss Coco mouthed her thanks in return.

  “Besides,” Lady Diamond said, gesturing for a hand mirror to be given to her, “you haven’t seen the new you yet. It might not be to your liking. Never give your full endorsement without hard evidence.” She turned the hand mirror to face Diane.

  Diane sucked in her breath at the sight of what Miss Coco had done to her appearance. She barely recognized herself. The first word that came to her mind was “goddess,” followed by “holy crap.” She turned her head from side to side and inspected the dramatic transformation. She had never heard of wings before in makeup terms. The corners of her eyes terminated into sharp points that seemed capable of cutting glass. The effect dissolved into what she heard referred to as “smoke”. She turned her attention to her cheeks. Her skin seemed painted on, and having sat through a full makeover, Diane was impressed at Miss Coco’s impeccable skill with the various techniques she used to convert Diane from a plain police officer to… Diane didn’t know what to say. A goddess. There was no other word for it.

  Alexa craned her neck to see the result. Lady Diamond clasped Diane’s fingers with her right hand and brought her to a standing position, then led her to Alexa like a prized piece of art. Alexa put her hand to her chest and gasped. “Oh, my word, that’s just divine. I wish my people were half that good.” She smiled at Miss Coco. “You’re hired, honey.”

  Diane was led by Lady Diamond to a wall panel beside the rear entrance to the room. It was framed out in decorative trim coated with gold… paint, Diane assumed. It wasn’t standard wall paint, whatever it was. Lady Diamond gestured to the wall panel. “Are you ready to see your new self?”

  “Yes, Lady Diamond,” Diane said. Inwardly, she wondered if that was true. Part of her was thrilled at the prospect of seeing everything Lady Diamond’s team had done to her this evening, but another part didn’t want to know. She had only known simplicity for most of her life. To have elegance thrust upon her was not expected or something she knew how to prepare for. She took a deep breath and nodded.

  Lady Diamond tapped the wall panel twice. The rich wood panel inside of the gold trim changed into a full-length mirror. Diane saw her hair pulled up into a tight bun, her face transformed into a goddess, her body outfitted with a sleek black cocktail dress, and her aching feet adorned with studded black heels. With another tap, the reflection changed to show different angles. Diane turned from side to side, checking out her new image in its entirety. She felt like she could go home with Alexa to Strathmore Manor and not look the least bit out of place.

  Alexa stepped behind her and nodded her approval. “My, my. Men will come from miles around and throw themselves at you, looking like that. Something I know a little bit about.” She winked into the mirror.

  Diane felt herself dampen at the sight of Alexa standing over her shoulder. Her hands rested on Diane’s shoulders. Her fingers brushed lightly against the straps of Diane’s dress. Diane hadn’t been sexually attracted to Alexa before, and never fantasized about the two of them, but now, here in front of Lady Diamond and her assistants, she welcomed the prospect of Alexa sweeping the straps aside and letting her dress fall seductively to the floor, as many men had done when taking the initiative with Alexa.

  Diane squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Lyssa! Not only would Lyssa never believe that me and Alexa slept together, Diane thought, she would never forgive me for it. She’s stuck in the hospital without me. I can’t cheat on her, not even with Alexa. “I’m uh, seeing someone,” Diane said sheepishly.

  Lady Diamond stepped forward. Alexa removed her hands from Diane’s shoulders and took two steps backward. “What in Earth does that have to do with anything, pet?”

  Diane took a hard swallow before responding. “It’s just… I can’t cheat. I care too much about—”

  Lady Diamond put her finger to Diane’s lips and shushed her. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself. Alexa was just paying you a compliment, but she’s not wrong. Men will line up to gain your attention, and your favor. That’s all to your advantage, and one you will learn to exploit to its full potential.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Well, by the end of our time together. We have much to cover before you are ready to take that leap.”

  “She’s not lying, honey. A man is a blunt instrument, but a useful tool, if handled correctly,” Alexa said, licking her teeth.

  “I’m not interested in men,” Diane said. “Not… not like that. Not since Lyssa.”

  “I see,” Lady Diamond cooed, “a one-woman woman, is that so? Or just not attracted to men, under any circumstances?”

  “I like some men,” Diane said. “But Lyssa’s been good to me. She’s been good for me. Hell, I wouldn’t even have known about you,” she jerked her thumb at Alexa, “if it wasn’t for her.”

  Alexa stepped forward and gripped Diane’s shoulders. She leaned in and whispered seductively in Diane’s ear. “Then what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

  Lady Diamond spoke firmly in Diane’s other ear. “As I have told you before, the key to getting what you want is simple: embrace what you hate.”

  “Cheating?” Diane turned to her warily.

  “Men,” Alexa replied.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Diane thought about Gabe. These days, he was reduced to a pathetic shell in her eyes. He once held promise: he was from an exciting city and initially willing to risk his life to help her escape from Newark during Arbor Day, despite barely knowing her and having kissed her exactly once. They joined the police academy together in the aftermath of the mysterious and terrifying attacks and seemed destined to live and work together. She tipped her head at her internal question: What changed?

  For starters, Diane mused, he chickened out. When Griggs gave him a golden opportunity to quit the academy, he took it. She by contrast stuck it out, and soon was put on the fast track to be a full-fledged police officer, though people like Griggs took every opportunity to count her out. Now she had proven herself time and again in tough situations, willing to do the dirty work in defense of law and order. Gabe came crawling back to the academy and was granted another chance by Griggs in hopes of using him for his own little kingdom, according to Sapphire.

  Diane frowned at this. She couldn’t trust Sapphire anymore. Sapphire told her not to. But she couldn’t write this off as a lie. She had seen the way Gabe sucked up to Griggs as a cadet, then the utterly unremarkable officer he became after completing the academy. Gabe tried to win her back, twice, but failed both times. She considered using him for her own ends but didn’t accomplish anything. What changed?

  Diane rolled her eyes. Lyssa. He walked in on her and Lyssa in bed together. It was
all a huge misunderstanding, letting him in the room, but the damage was done, and he never looked at her the same way again.

  Diane turned to Lady Diamond. “What can a man give me that I can’t get for myself?” She fingered her stallion pendant.

  Lady Diamond smiled and took a few steps in a wide arc. Diane noticed the sway of her hips, the sparkle in her eyes, the deliberate placement of each foot on the bare floor. “Depending on the man, Miss Pembrook, anything your little heart desires.”

  Diane thought of a man who had given her more than Gabe ever could: Lieutenant Kenner. While he never showed any interest in her in any way but professionally, he was the source of nearly all her blessings. She still wasn’t sure that Sapphire didn’t have something to do with her apartment at the Cranston Towers. She considered the lieutenant but couldn’t muster any feelings of desire for him physically. “I just gotta, what, get him in the sack and do whatever?”

  Alexa shook her head. “Oh, no, dear heart. Not unless he seems worth riding.” She winked playfully. “The last thing you want to do is put out unless there’s no other way to get what you’re after.”

  Diane scowled at Alexa. “Like how you slept with Brent Moorcroft in Italy.”

  Alexa chuckled. “Case in point, dear. I did it for PDX. Letting that oaf through my pearly gates was a small price to pay for a 95% controlling interest in my grandfather’s company.” She grinned. “Plus, Italy is gorgeous in the summertime.”

  “But what about Jackson? Was it worth cheating on him?”

  Alexa lowered her chin and made a conciliatory gesture. “Now, honey, don’t get me wrong, but Jackson knew what he signed up for when he courted me. Ask Sally Easton about how faithful Jackson was back when we met.”