Also published by
EroticExcursions.net Publications
Camille’s Captive
The Bridge Club
Ballerina in Bondage
Cream of the Crop
Twice in a Blue Moon
LoveBites
A Taste of Tears © 2009 by Arika Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
This material is presented as adult entertainment and is not intended for any person under the age of eighteen years. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, the author assumes no responsibilities for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. All characters and descriptions contained herein are purely fictitious.
It was in the wee hours of a Sunday morning and sixty stories up. Beyond a long window, the incessant lights of New York City glittered below, but Suzanne Sincere had already grown blasé over the view. Not yet thirty, she was not only high above the city, but also on the top rung of the fashion world’s ladder.
Suzanne tossed her long blonde mane repeatedly as she rifled intently through the handful of glossies a second time. Her long legs paced the imported marble floor with heels that echoed exasperation. Finally she tossed the lot dismissively into her assistant’s lap.
“Sometimes I think you must have water on the brain Maria. I told you that I am sick of this return to the Twiggy look! I simply will not have my new line paraded out on just another string of ambulating anorexic clothes hangers! You’ll have to try a different agency.”
Maria Sanchez had been with SinSin from the inception of the label. Early on in their relationship Suzanne had even taken her to bed for a time. Not only taken her, but often tied her there. But then Suzanne had found a new toy, the silk scarves had held someone else in sweet torment and Maria had been relegated from lover to girl Friday.
Maria let the insult wash over her. She understood that being a whipping girl for the designer’s rants was just another of her functions. She accepted the abuse along with the myriad other tasks required to keep SinSin on the cutting edge. She did this out of a combination of forlorn devotion and self-interest. Being the number two lady of one of the world’s leading fashion houses came with many perks.
“Those came from the last one in town, Suzanne. I’ll search again,” Maria appeased, “but you know as well as I that every stable in town is locked onto the long and lean look.”
“Yes, yes…look I’m sorry. It’s not your fault, baby girl.”
Suzanne dropped into her Kokuyo chair and rocked back to throw her feet up on the desk. Tented fingers tapped at her chin while her high brow furrowed.
Maria knew the signs and let her boss think in silence. She and Suzanne were of an age and the endearing term of ‘baby girl’ was a holdover from their earlier relationship. Even though she was no longer Suzanne’s submissive intimate, Maria still enjoyed being called by her pet name. Some minutes later Suzanne’s face cleared and her Nordic blue eyes sparkled.
“The answer is so simple I should have had it last week! Since you can’t get what I want from the agencies…I’ll find my own girls. Girl’s with a new look. A new batch every year…just as SI does for its swimsuit edition.”
Maria quickly saw the potential behind the idea. Such a search could be hyped up for a fountain of free publicity. There would be an avalanche of details to deal with though. She would need to assemble a whole new staff for such an enterprise.
“I love the idea, Suzanne, but...”
“But me no buts, baby girl, just get on it. Let’s get SinSin back to the glamour! I want to make the old looks brand new and hot again. I want to see some Susan Hayward sultry… some Kate Hepburn classy…and some Vivian Leigh vulnerability. Understand?”
“Yes. It’s a great idea, Suzanne.”
“Good. I’ll set you up a separate account to draw from. I want to see ads announcing auditions for the coming year’s SinSin girls in all the rags by tomorrow morning!”
“It already is tomorrow morning, Suzanne.” Maria said, hiding a yawn.
“Make it the evening editions then and don’t whine, baby girl. You can sleep forever after I’m dead.”
The first audition was held a mere week after the first notices appeared. With the blank cheque Suzanne gave her, Maria had managed to steal some good people to help, but it was still hectic and her normal ten hour days became nothing more than fond memories.
Maria was soon dizzy from staring at the kaleidoscope of femininity that spun past. It seemed that every girl who had ever heard herself called pretty showed up. They came in all races, shapes and sizes and ran the gamut from cute and curly to slutty and surly. The parade of blondes, brunettes and redheads was occasionally interrupted by a dyed do that ranged from violet to chartreuse.
Over the first three days and nights of hard work a thousand some odd applicants were winnowed to a mere two dozen, but the hopefuls were still coming and threatening to swamp Maria’s selection team. The one bright spot was that Suzanne would only be overseeing the choices from among the finalists. If SinSin’s dragon lady had been breathing verbal fire over the initial auditions, all the help she’d been able to gather would probably have fled in terror.
Of the girls that were singled out for a second look, many had been rejected by the agencies for something as obscure as a small birthmark. Maria found this amusing in an era where wild body ink was all the rage. A ‘Fuck you’ down the nape of the neck in Japanese characters seemed to have become the cat’s ass, whereas a blemish that might have once been called a beauty spot was a no no.
Another problem Maria faced was being sure that the girls were being appraised according to Suzanne’s standards. Maria’s own taste in women was much different. A sulky and defiant girl of twenty by the name of Deidre had caught her eye. Completely too boyish to consider for the SinSin look Suzanne wanted, but just what Maria liked. The longer she looked, the more she liked what she saw and she badly needed some down time. She made sure she was standing by when one of the judges gave Deidre the bad news.
“Thank you. We’ll call if we need you to come back.”
Maria watched the girl shrug and give a sarcastic sneer back.
“Yeah. Whatever.”
Maria caught up with her as she waited for the elevator.
“I’m sorry you didn’t make it, Deidre.”
“So I’m not the flavor they want today. No biggie.”
“You’re right. They aren’t really looking for a female James Dean,” Maria laughed apologetically, “but Anyway…I…I’d like to buy you dinner to make it up to you. We could find someplace casual.”
Deidre stood back with her hands in the hip pockets of her jeans and appraised Maria. She knew she was being hit on and the look she returned was more speculative than defensive.
“Oh yeah…I remember you in there. You were sitting in back watching when they had me strut my stuff. What makes you so sure I’m into women?” The girl asked.
“I don’t know that you are. This is just a dinner invite.” Maria countered.
“Yeah? Well your gaydar is working because I am les. You must have liked what you saw more than they did, huh?”
Maria answered the question with a smile. Deidre may have been young but she was wise beyond her years. She was sure that more than dinner was being offered. The woman coming on to her was obviously some sort of big deal with SinSin but she could also detect an underlying passive tone. A sound of need. That sound always raised a little itch in her so she decided to take a gamble and scratch it.
“What’s your name?’ She asked.
“Maria…Maria Sanchez.”
“Well, Maria Sanchez, how about instead I take you to a little club I know…and then back to my place to play. Before you say yes, I gotta warn you…sometimes I play rough.”
“I like it rough.” Maria answered and smiled as the elevator opened for them.
While Maria was stealing some time out with her new friend, Suzanne was 2500 miles distant in Los Angeles. She had mainly flown west for meetings with buyers but she also had a score to settle. A year ago, when SinSin was just catching on, many of the stars had passed her over for the more established names. Suzanne was determined that over the coming year things would be very different.
The fashion industry has long had an understanding with Hollywood. They would dress the stars in return for the promotion value. But once a designer reached the acme of acclaim this dynamic did a flip flop. Even tinsel town’s elite had to kowtow to acquire a top name original for special occasions.
Candace Barre was mega-big box office and usually had everyone and everything at her bidding. When she heard that Suzanne Sincere was in town she demanded that her agent set up a lunch so that she could get a gown lined up for Oscar night. He was back to her within an hour.
“Sorry, Candy. I couldn’t even get her to come to the phone. Some French secretary told me and I quote…‘Mees. Soozanne’s schedule eet ees eemposseebly fool.’
“She knew you were calling for me?”
“She knew. As far as that little French twist was concerned I was just another telephone solicitor. You’d better try yourself. She’s in the Premier Suite at the Beverly Wilshire. Good luck.”
Candace stamped her foot in pique. She had to have a SinSin original. She’d worn a LaRochelle last year but the buzz was that now she’d become…well...last year and SinSin was going to be big time in.
When Suzanne’s secretary, Michele, announced to her that Candace was on the phone personally, Suzanne was ready. She had fully expected the callback.
“Tell her to hold and I’ll be with her in a moment, and then give me the phone.”
There would only be one SinSin original at the Oscars and she had already made up her mind that, as Hollywood’s current Princess, Candace would have to be the one to wear it. But not before Suzanne made the arrogant little cunt beg for the privilege.
Suzanne’s business had all been seen to. Toying with the film Princess would be a passing reward for the haggling she’d had to suffer through with the merchant pigs along Rodeo Drive. She decided at last that she’d kept poor Candace holding the phone long enough.
“Candy darling! How did you know I was in town?”
“Suzanne, you know everyone keeps track of you. Listen, I’m having a few special people over for lunch…can you make it?”
“That’s very sweet of you but I’m booked.”
“Tomorrow then? Pretty please?”
“Sorry. I fly back tomorrow but…I’ll tell you what…You drop by my suite tonight. We’ll share some wine and you can catch me up on all the news.”
Suzanne listened for a moment further and then tossed the phone to her secretary with a smile.
“She will come then, Miss Suzanne?” Michele asked.
“You and I just might at any rate!” Suzanne laughed.
Back east, the little club to which the young model had taken Maria turned out to be a stone butch on fem den. Hours of being surrounded by close dancing and overt necking had made Maria more than damp. Several mannish women had asked to cut in but, small as she was, Deidre had possessively backed them off. Her toughness turned Maria on even more.