Chapter 20 The Invite
Elsie
"Good, you are here Elsie. Come over here and help me choose which dress you think I should wear tomorrow evening."
The command, delivered in a bright, ringing voice, stopped me dead.
It was Lena, waving me over from the chaise lounge. I was walking in with the juice pitcher, ready to be the silent ghost. I hadn't expected to be addressed, let alone invited to comment on birthday attire.
I felt a genuine spike of surprise. The last thing I remembered of Lena was the cruel smirk on her face when I walked into Aiden’s bedroom and saw them fucking. Now, this sudden, glittering kindness felt like a trap.
"Miss Lena, I am sorry," I said, forcing my expression blank. "I am just here to serve the juice. Mrs. Chavez said you called for it."
"Nonsense," Lena insisted, gesturing impatiently. "The juice can wait. Come over here. I need a second opinion."
I reluctantly placed the heavy juice pitcher down on a nearby side table. I took a slow step into the lounge, and that’s when I saw the reason for Lena's distraction.
Aiden was sitting alone near the fireplace, sipping whiskey. He looked utterly defeated, his eyes distant and shadowed. I saw Aiden quiet for the first time since I walked into the Lancaster house as a maid. He was trying to disappear into the heavy leather chair. He placed his glass down and pushed all ten fingers on the wooden surface so hard they turned white. He was terrified.
Someone giggled and when I looked up, it was Zaza. Jacob was seated there, looking annoyingly comfortable. Zaza was draped across his lap, her arm looped around his neck as they kissed. His hand was crawling up her thighs, slowly pushing up the short jeans skirt she wore.
Zaza was running her fingers through his dark hair. They were doing too much and that was far too intimate for a room full of people. How shameless.
My stomach seized. The cold rage I usually kept banked erupted into a searing jealousy. I was forced to watch the man whose touch still felt like fire on my own skin be casually claimed and possessed by this entitled girl.
His eyes met mine and he smiled, deliberately planting soft kisses on her neck. He was trying to rile me up and I wasn’t going to give him that privilege.
I dragged my eyes from them like it was too hard to do and I walked over to Lena. She didn't notice the fire on the sofa; she was too absorbed in her phone.
"Okay, so this is a 'Valentino', it's around thirty thousand dollars, but I think the neckline is too severe," Lena rattled off, swiping through pictures of elaborate, expensive designs on her phone. "Or maybe this 'Chanel', it’s more subtle, but then, it's my twenty-fifth birthday so maybe I shouldn't be subtle, right?"
I nodded politely, offering a brief, detached comment on the fabric. My eyes kept flickering back to Jacob and Zaza. I couldn't stop them.
Jacob looked over at me, and when he saw that I was watching, he smirked. He spun Zaza so she was facing me. He spread her legs apart, exposing her pussy. She wasn’t wearing panties. Her pussy was glistening. She was wet for him, her juice licking out and dropping on her jeans.
Zaza gasped when his finger touched her clit. Her pussy was puffy, pink and her clit was swollen like it had been assaulted all night. Her head fell back to capture his lips into a more fierce kiss, moaning softly into his mouth.
“Elsie?” Lena called, making me jump back to reality. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Uhm.. ah… yeah.” I stammered, clearing my throat and composing myself.
“So what do you think?”
“Uhm. I think you should go for Chanel. It’s elegant and classy. And the color is perfect and will suit your skin tone.”
“Hmmm. Is that so? How about this Gucci?” She went back swiping on her phone screen to show me more collections.
My stupid eyes trailed off before I could stop it. This time, Jacob’s finger was in Zaza’s channel. He was fucking her with his finger as he would with his cock. Her juice coated his finger with each thrust. She was wriggling her waist, pulling his fingers deeper into her cunt. She was moaning a little louder, her eyes rolling into her head.
Jacob used his other hand to pull up her top, exposing her full round breasts. She began shaking the moment he pulled her nipples. Her breath hitched and I knew she was about to shatter into pieces.
I looked over at Aiden and just like Lena, he didn’t look surprised. He wasn’t even looking at them. He was lost in his own thoughts. I realized this wasn’t new to them, of course the boys share women.
“I think I’ll settle for the Chanel you suggested earlier,” Lena said, giving me an obvious fake smile.
Finally, Lena released me. "Okay, now you can serve the juice, Elsie. Thank you for your input."
I went back to the table, my hands shaking slightly as I picked up the pitcher.
I poured the juice, moving to the sofa first. Zaza pulled back from Jacob with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Oh, Elsie! Hi! Perfect timing, honey," Zaza said, her voice dripping with sugary warmth. "We need energy!"
I stood there, pouring the juice. I could feel the heat radiating off Jacob’s body beneath Zaza, and the sharp, expensive scent of his cologne. He was just pressing me against a wall, threatening me. Now he’s a piece of furniture for her.
"Thank you, darling," Zaza said, taking the glass and putting it to Jacob's lips first, forcing him to take a sip before she did. It was a gesture of total, public possession.
I moved to Aiden and filled his whiskey glass. "Fill it up, Elsie," he mumbled. The sight of his absolute fear momentarily sweetened the venom of my jealousy. The plan was working. I was breaking him and that was satisfying.
As I moved to leave, Lena called out again. "Elsie, you have to come to the party tomorrow night. It's my birthday, and honestly, you seem like the most interesting person here. Please say you'll come. It's time for you to have some fun."
"Miss Lena, I couldn't possibly," I said, forcing humility into my voice. "I am just staff. I'm not allowed at a family gathering."
Aiden looked up, weary. "She's right, Lena. She has duties. Don't be ridiculous."
"No, it's not!" Zaza chimed in, leaning over Jacob's chest. "Elsie is beautiful! And she's very kind. She will light up the party! Aiden, don't be so stuffy. She's just a girl! Let her come and have fun. Please, Jacob, tell her she can come."
All eyes turned to Jacob. He shifted, forcing Zaza to readjust on his lap, a small, controlling move. He looked directly at me. I could see the longing flickering beneath the cold anger in his eyes, a powerful challenge.
"She can come," Jacob said, his voice flat, asserting his permission like a final decree. "If she wants to."
His eyes met mine. Mine were burning with rage. He was daring me to accept his offer, forcing me to play his game.
"I still can't, miss," I insisted, needing a final, undeniable excuse. "I truly appreciate it, but I don't have... the right clothes. I don't own a single dress suitable for a party."
Lena clapped her hands, solving the problem instantly. "That's no problem! I have tons of stuff I never wear. I have some dresses that are a little tight on me now—I actually keep them in a spare wardrobe in Aiden’s room."
I was out of excuses to give. I opened my mouth and couldn’t bring a word out.
"Come with me later, Elsie," Lena continued cheerfully. "After dinner, we can go look and see if anything fits. It's settled!"
I gave a small nod and hurried out of the lounge.