A Maid's Tail Ch. 12: Saturday

They talked like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time, trading jokes back and forth and going on about one game or another that they thought would get them more subscribers- half business, half for fun, it was hard to keep track of as they threw words like CPC, mid roll, and code back and forth. By the end of it, Kim was completely lost.

Rebeca swept around the booth to steal a seat next to Kim as the young man was on his way out the door. She nudged the older maid playfully. "Sorry about that, we've been trying to meet up for years. So, uh, what's next on the agenda?"

Kim stewed on the question for just a moment before she tried for a smile. "Uh, groceries."

"Groceries. Okay, we can do that."

Back on the road, Kim was careful not to make it too obvious as she took southbound highway- it'd take longer to get back to the house, but it also meant she'd have time to pick Rebeca's brain about a few things. She started simple: "So I get it that your parents aren't together, but do they still keep in touch?"

"Uh, yeah. My father insisted they keep in touch, y'know 'for the sake of Rebeca' and all. That was before he joined the Army, I guess. . ." She glanced out the window for a moment as Kim navigated the highway. "Didn't meet him until he was out- maybe after his second tour or something?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The first time I actually met him was when I turned seven."

Kim wasn't sure how far she could push her luck with what little she knew, so she tried for a safer bet. "He'd mentioned her was younger. . ."

"Yep! That's my father- taste for the exotic and the elderly- uh." Rebeca flashed a cheeky grin. "He likes older women is what I'm trying to say. My mother was like, I dunno, in her thirties when they got together. Thirty going on ten by the way she acts, but whatever." She made a vague gesture to wipe away the memory.

"What about Sylvia, though?" At the girl's irritated expression, Kim shrugged. "I'm just curious, do you know how they met?"

Rebeca went quiet for a long moment, seeming to take great pains in formulating a response- the rare show of considered through was punctuated by her pulling her smartphone from her pocket and flipping through it until she came to an image which she showed Kim.

It was Elliot. He was clad in military fatigues with body armor, and a rifle slung over his chest standing beside other men in similar outfits. Some had baseball caps with an American flag velcro patch and others wore insignias of the Mexican flag on their sleeves or body armor. All of them looked pleased with themselves.

In front of them was a carpet of shoe box sized bundles wrapped in brown tape and a mountain of cash all bundled up in bricks. Elliot didn't look a day older than when she'd met him but there was a wary earnestness in his expression that spoke of a job done and the satisfaction that came with it.

He was handsome in a uniform- even more so than usual. Kim smiled to his daughter. "I thought he was an engineer. . ."

Rebeca looked at her oddly. "News to me. He was a uh. . . .what'd he call it, a 'Green Beenie'? I dunno. This was like- maybe five years ago. They were doing some joint work with the Feds or something to combat terrorism, I guess? Lead to this big cartel case which he was doing advisory stuff on- wound up working with them for a while.

"So he's working with the Feds and they raid this Cartel place and free a bunch of people, make off with a fortune in drugs and money- can't speak a word of it until like a year ago because of ongoing investigations or something." Rebeca smiled at Kim's reaction. "Yeah. Crazy, huh? Apparently they met in uh- gonna butcher this. 'Guatemala?' They've been together ever since."

Kim's mind reeled with the possible implications- what they must've gone through together, how they must've met and what kind of things they'd endured together. . . .at some level it also made Sylvia's behavior seem almost understandable. Almost. Kim may have been right about her being afraid of Kim and Rebeca upsetting the life she was getting comfortable in. In the wake of all this, though, the only thing that crossed her mind to say was "Jesus."

"Yeah. . . .I mean, don't get me wrong I know 'she's had it rough' but I don't get why she's got to take it out on me. I mean, I don't even know her and she's up my ass like a splinter." Rebeca sighed theatrically. "Can't even imagine what you're going through."

"Uh, yeah. . ." Kim smiled uneasily. "It's not so bad, though. Apparently this was kind of her idea."

Rebeca looked at her dubiously before she laid her head back. Kim was too weak to break the silence, so she drove.

#

Fifteen minutes into what should've been a ten minute grocery trip, Kim was wishing she'd have left Rebeca asleep in the passenger's seat. Instead, she was waiting for the girl to finish sampling everything in the deli case while in the back of her mind an imaginary clock ticked down a warning that Sylvia was going to be furious with her for wasting too much time on this chore and not getting her other work done.

There was probably a way around this- aside from ushering the teenager back into her car and locking her in with the child proof locks. But Kim was damned if she could come up with the solution. Instead she 'politely' waited while Rebeca finished ransacking the sample trays and moved on to the whole foods section.

Maybe it was stupid- no, it definitely was stupid, but Kim caught herself watching the young woman as she bent to rifle through the shelf under a waist high display in search of whole grain bread. She had a shapely butt- the kind of subtle voluptuous curve that made her seem feminine and sultry if she wanted to be- it couldn't have been a coincidence, Kim decided. Her mother probably had some of the same curves. It was another little thing she'd picked up about Elliot- he seemed to have a thing for curvy women.

Kim felt herself blush at the idea as a little thrill ran through her. But just as Rebeca started to rise, the older maid looked away so as not to get caught perving on her employer's kid. Her gaze fell instead to an arrangement of flowers that served as the centerpiece for another display of natural foods. An idea struck her immediately.

"Hey, Rebeca?"

"Yes, I'm Rebeca." She strolled up tossing a loaf into the basket.

Kim nodded to the flowers. "Do you know what kinds of flowers Sylvia likes?"

"Uh. . . .I think maybe carnations or something?"

"Carnations, huh? Okay." Kim smiled to herself as her idea took shape. "Can you give me a hand with something when we get back?"

#

They crept in under cover of a warm mid day sun, catgirl maid and rambunctious teenager; slipping in the front like a rolling fog, gliding past the dragon's den and depositing their plunder from the arts and crafts store in the study before retreating to gather the groceries.

Rebeca set herself to the task of pulling together the tablecloth Kim had picked out and adorning it with the charms and carnations they'd picked out earlier in the day while Kim put things away and ran through her daily chores- by the time evening was setting in and she was to start dinner, Rebeca was setting up the dining room.

It was a riot of color- a complete mess of vibrant blue and yellow that clashed against the white walls harshly but made the dining area something uniquely its own for a moment- a little slice of somewhere different. Maybe not exotic- hell, maybe not even attractive- but it was different. Rebeca hung some matching streamers on the wall while Kim started a dinner of chicken fajitas, butternut squash chili and tacos along with ice cream to finish it off.

Maybe it wasn't 'authentic' exactly, but by the time she was finished the spread of colors and lightly spiced food had her mouth watering and heart swollen- no doubt a mix of pride and fear that it was all going to go down in flames.

Kim laid the plates around in a spiral from the dinner plates to the dishes themselves in the center, leaving room for what was still to come. Rebeca was just getting it from the study when the headlights of Elliot's truck swept the front room. Sitting in a silvery plastic vase was a swell of carnations and small marigolds alternating in floral halo crowned by two red roses and two white roses on top.

"That's awesome," Kim said quietly. "Thank you."

Rebeca winked and slipped off to run upstairs so she could be properly 'called' for dinner. Kim broke out the wine she'd chosen for the evening and set it beside the table before rushing off to meet the master of the house.

No sooner did he walk in then Kim sensed something off. Elliot stood there for a moment looking at her as if she might not actually be there. Then- just as quickly it was gone and he smiled like he'd only seen her for the first time. "Oh, hey."

Kim bowed slightly. "Master McKenna, welcome home." She smiled.

Almost immediately his tension evaporated and he focused into the moment, stepping in and glancing around looking for anyone to be nearby.

"She's upstairs," Kim supplied. "And I believe the mistress is painting."

"You okay?"

Kim nodded and then, rather proudly, she stepped back and motioned to the display. Elliot's gaze followed and something in his eyes sparked to life with amusement. Approval and amusement. He stepped up beside her and stroked her back, his fingers grazed gently down the satiny fabric of her uniform to cup her ass. He glanced at her as she looked away, blushing hotly.

Then he squeezed. "Thank you, kitten."

"Y- Yes, master."

And just like that everything fell into place- if only for the moment- Elliot went to get cleaned up and Kim went to invite Sylvia first, catching her in the middle of dancing one of her sultry dances. The moment Kim cracked the door her mistress looked right at her and beckoned her in as she finished her steps. They looked at one another for a moment and Sylvia stepped in, cupping Kim's chin and raising her head up, expectant.

Demanding.

"M- Mistress? Dinner is ready."

"Do you want to be our maid?" She asked cooly. The reply wasn't even necessary so much as the understanding of where Kim stood.

There were a lot of ways to handle the situation- a lot better ones than the one that seemed to make the most sense to Kim in that moment. . . .but none of them felt as right as her sinking to her knees and looking up to her mistress. She kissed Sylvia's belly, holding the young woman's gaze.

To Kim's surprise, the woman actually blushed. Despite this, she didn't let her facade crack in the slightest; she stroked an errant hair from Kim's face and slid it behind her ear before diving her fingers through the maid's blonde mane. Sylvia held her there for a moment. A moment longer.

Then released her.

"I'll be out in a bit."

"Yes mistress. . ."

Rebeca was easier to coax out, but only just so- Kim had to prod her awake again from where she'd fallen asleep at the foot of her bed.

Kim raced down to stand at her station but she was too late- Sylvia and Elliot were standing near the table speaking in quiet Spanish, none of which Kim understood. Sylvia was tracing her fingers over some of the carnations just as Kim cleared the landing. She looked to their maid. Was that a smile on her lips?

Elliot smiled as they took their seats and Kim served dinner, Rebeca wandered down eventually. The quiet moment seemed to stretch out, but unlike the previous meal Kim had seen the three of them share, there was a subtle warmth to it all. A true sense of everything being 'right' with the world.

If only it could last, Kim thought.

If only.

After dinner was cleaned up and everyone retired for the evening, Kim finished her daily chores and headed out. Sylvia caught her before she could get in to her car, standing at the top of the steps the young woman with the dual tone eyes looked like a queen- a queen draped in a bathrobe, with piercing eyes that missed nothing and forgave even less. Nothing could steal her majesty and power, but in that subtle look was a different kind of power.

Appreciation.

She and Kim shared that look. Sylvia said, "Have a good night."

Then she turned back, strolling back into her castle.

Kim smiled to herself.