23 – Lady Callahan’s Lover (3)

 

The next morning, Stellaluna searched her closet for the perfect dress to seduce Yannick. Unfortunately, everything she owned was fairly modest. She’d have to go out and buy something. Perhaps she should go shopping with Zailey. She certainly had enough money to. With that in mind, she called up Zailey to see if she was up for a short trip to Redding.

The two women took a car to a high-class shopping center. They walked past posters advertising military recruitment, and other posters advising to report suspicious behavior.

“So, what’s the occasion?” Zailey asked Stellaluna, as they stepped into one of their favorite clothing stores.

“I just need a few new dresses. It’s been awhile.”

“I could use a few myself.”

They wandered over towards a section of everyday dresses. Zailey pulled out one with a floral pattern. “This would look nice on you.”

The neckline was high, and it looked like it would do a better job of hiding her curves than accentuating them. She shrugged. “I’m not really feeling that one.”

“Then I’m trying it on myself.” Zailey put it back, and thumbed through the rack for one in her size. Stellaluna stepped away to search for something a little more low-cut. There was a green dress with ruffles a few feet away, with a much lower neckline. Stellaluna grabbed one in her size, and held it up.

“That’s pretty,” Zailey said. “It’s a good color on you.”

Stellaluna agreed, and hung onto it. The two continued wandering about, pointing out and commenting on various dresses, occasionally picking one out.

Then, Stellaluna saw it. A stunning black dress. With thin straps, and a scandalously low neckline. She pulled it out. It barely reached her knees.

Zailey held her hand over her mouth. “That is way too revealing!”

It was exactly the kind of dress Stellaluna had wanted to wear for Yannick. “You think so?”

“Absolutely!” Zailey watched her go through the rack. “You’re not seriously thinking-”

“Why not?” Stelllaluna found her size, and pulled it out. She smiled. “Doesn’t hurt to try it on.”

“You’re mad!” Zailey tilted her head to the side. “And at our age?”

Stellaluna added it to her pile anyway. “I’m ready to try all these on.”

Zailey agreed, and they headed for the dressing rooms. They chose stalls next to each other. Stellaluna tried on all the dresses she picked out, saving the skimpy one for last. She put aside a few she knew Yannick would enjoy and Barry would approve of. After Zailey saw her in them, and gave her opinion, of course.

Then, Stellaluna tried on the little black dress. The only dress that showed ample cleavage and plenty of leg. It clung to her hips, outlining her curves perfectly.

Yannick would love it. But Barry would never allow her to leave the bedroom in it. Still, she stepped out of the stall to show Zailey.

Zailey covered her mouth. “Wow.”

“What do you think?”

“You look great, but… it’s a bit too… revealing. You couldn’t possibly go out in public in it!”

“Maybe if I wear a sweater over it.”

“Maybe.” Zailey’s eyes went down to her exposed legs. “You’d have to wear leggings as well.”

“You think I shouldn’t get it?”

“I mean, you look great in it. It’s just… maybe only wear it around Barry.”

If only Stellaluna could tell Zailey who she really planned on wearing it for.

 

~~~~~

 

Maple sat on her bed, against the pillows, waiting for her brothers to return from snooping through her secret phone- where they’d inevitably come across all her texts with Jake. And that inappropriate picture he accidentally sent. (At least Jake made it clear it was an accident. Still, it was there.)

Her door opened without a knock. Walker and Carter stepped in. Maple straightened.

Walker stared down at her, the phone in hand. “Jake gave this to you?”

Maple shrugged, but there was no point in lying. The texts were all there. It was obvious they were in contact.

“How is the information on it so different?” Carter asked.

“There’s a VPN. Our government is only letting us see what they want us to see.”

“I’ve sometimes wondered that.” Walker stared down at the phone. “I heard rumors. But this confirms it.”

“Why are they hiding information from us?” Carter wondered aloud.

“To push an agenda,” Maple said. “If people start hearing other viewpoints and arguments, they might vote for the other side instead. This keeps them in power. Not just here, but the rest of the American Union too. Nobody in power needs to force us into submission or obedience. They just have to cut away our sources of opposing information. So we’ll just agree with all the right-wing talking points.”

Walker and Carter stared at her.

“It’s the same in the ES, but with left-wing instead of right.”

“People have different views here,” Walker said. “We’ve got that Clark guy running for governor.”

“And what media is giving unbiased information about that?” Maple asked. “Where’s the support for him? All of our news outlets are trying to make him look bad, and Waylon look good. So that we’ll all vote for Waylon and keep fascism in the FS.”

Walker and Carter exchanged glances. Did they believe her? Or did they think she sounded like some conspiracy theorist nutcase?

Finally, Walker pointed her phone at her. “You’re not getting this back.”

Maple wasn’t expecting to, though she wished she could have finished that book first.

“And you’re definitely not leaving this house Saturday,” Carter added. “That Jake has been a terrible influence. You’re a girl. Girls aren’t supposed to be able to figure any of this out. Girls aren’t supposed to care about politics or government affairs. All that should matter to you is being a good wife and a good mother. Got that?”

“Neil might be infertile now,” Maple said.

“He also might want to adopt.”

Maple suppressed a groan. That thought hadn’t occurred to her. She watched her brothers leave her room, wondering if she should try finding a way to see Jake, or give up on everything.

 

~~~~~

 

The next day, Stellaluna and Yannick had made plans to meet in the abandoned cottage. Yannick still needed to help Stellaluna with her reading, after all. Stellaluna was sure to sneak in there early, to put on that new dress for Yannick. And touch up her make-up. And fix her hair. Stuff she could ask a servant to do for her, but servants might ask questions or start gossip. No. Some things she was better off doing herself.

She heard the front door of the cottage creak open, and close quietly. Stellaluna poked her head out of the bathroom to see Yannick take a seat at the table, dropping a paperback book next to him. He looked up as Stellaluna approached. His jaw dropped. “Lady Callahan?”

After everything they’d been through, and he was still referring to her as Lady Callahan? “You know you can call me Stellaluna.”

“Right.” He looked away, a slight blush in his cheeks. “You look… great.”

Stellaluna sat down next to him, her almost-bare shoulder brushing against the fabric of his shirt. She nodded towards the book on the table. “What’s that?”

Barely sparing her a glance, he handed it over to her. “Can you it… read it? The… title?”

Stellaluna looked at the book’s cover. To her surprise, she recognized both words. “Animal Farm.”

Yannick smiled. “We can next read it.”

Or do something else instead. She noticed Yannick’s eyes drop to her chest for a split second, then dart away.

Why wasn’t he pulling a move? They had shared a kiss the other day! She leaned in, but Yannick leaned away.

“We should not.”

Stellaluna sighed, though knew he was right. “Of course.” She opened the book. “So, are we doing the same thing? I read one line, and you read the rest of the paragraph?”

Yannick said nothing. Stellaluna looked over to find his eyes roaming her body. They met hers, and he apologized.

“I don’t mind. Really. I wore this for you.”

“I thought so.” Yannick let out a breath. “You are… beautiful.”

Stellaluna leaned in again, and this time, Yannick did the same. Their lips met. Stellaluna shuddered at the feel of Yannick’s calloused hands on her shoulders, his fingers slipping under the straps of her dress. She moved onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist, as his hands slid down. He ended the kiss to look into her eyes. “Is this okay?”

She nodded. “Please.”

They resumed kissing, Yannick’s hands groping her breasts. She moaned, the area between her legs aching with desire. He kissed her neck, hands sliding the straps down her shoulders. She removed her arms from them, allowing him to tug down the front of her dress, exposing her.

They were moving too far too fast. They should stop. They needed to stop.

Then again, how far and fast had Barry gone with the women servants? So she didn’t stop Yannick from putting his mouth there. From angling herself so he could slide his hand up her dress. From letting him carry her to the bedroom, setting her down just long enough to strip down to his underwear.

Stellaluna laid on her back on the bed, dress up to her thighs, as Yannick straddled her. He pressed his body against hers and whispered in her ear. “Are you sure?”

“What?” Barry had never asked her that. He’d never even stopped to make sure she was enjoying herself.

“You know. Or do you want to stop?”

Stellaluna definitely wanted to continue. She needed him to do something about that ache. “Keep going. Please…”

He ran his hand up in between her legs, running his fingers over the wet spot of her underwear. She moaned as he continued stroking in circles, faster and faster, until she came, panting and sweating like never before.

She laid in Yannick’s arms, feeling his hardness against her hip. “What about you?”

“It’s not a problem.”

“It’s only fair.” Stellaluna ran her hand over the bulge in his underwear, and he allowed her to work on him.

Learning to read had been long forgotten.