China Maid, Chapter 12

Chapter 12
	Farrah had a surprise for her as they got ready for bed that night.
	As soon as they had finished their duties for the day, Farrah sought out Alice and took her by the hand to their room. Inside, there were candles burning and she had put up fresh flowers on the little nightstand.
	"I made it a little more homely for us, do you like?" Farrah asked.
	Alice examined the beautiful arrangement of flowers – obviously yet another domestic skill that the Middle Eastern girl had mastered.
	"It's beautiful," Alice said.
	Farrah approached and kissed her. Neither girl could contain their passion – soon Farrah had one leg wrapped around Alice as she pressed her against the wall. She pulled away from the kiss, and moved Alice out of the way so that she could lock the door. The mechanical sound made Alice quiver – Farrah's eyes were alight with ideas. But before the girl could pull Alice into another wonderful kiss, Alice had to know something.
	"Farrah, how come you don't want me to go down on you? Do you not like it or something? Alice nearly blurted out.
	Farrah gave a wan smile. She sighed, and seemed to debate something internally.
	"I would love it for you to lick me, Alice," Farrah said, "it is practically all I think about. If I had it my way, we would spend our leisure day locked in this room having a race to see who can have the most orgasms."
	Alice giggled – the idea sounded good to her!
	"Then why?" Alice repeated.
	"I can only have orgasms with Miss Zuang's or Miss Jocelyn's permission," Farrah confessed. Her smile seemed mechanical now, and forced.
	"Or Miss Delfina's," she added sourly, and she couldn't keep a smile up at that.
	Alice covered her mouth with her hand – this was unbelievable! She watched as Farrah sat down on their bed, pulled up her skirt and spread her legs, revealing her perfectly-shaped pussy. Although she wasn't trying to be seductive there was something incredibly erotic about the way her lips drifted away from one another revealing a telltale slickness between them. It glimmered in the light, but there was something else glimmering there too. Alice leaned down to more clearly see the little metal shield – some kind of clitoral piercing, it looked like.
	The piercing had a cursive "Z" engraved on it, and a leafy pattern that reminded Alice of the monogram Miss Zuang had on her tennis dress.
	"This piercing has a way of knowing how close I am to an orgasm," Farrah explained.
	"It will let me get close, infinitely close," the girl said with some contempt in her voice, "but as soon as I am about to finish, it sends a distracting electric shock down there. Sometimes, perhaps one in twenty, I may climax normally, but it is very unpredictable."
	Alice winced sympathetically.
	"The shock is not too painful!" Farrah hastened to add, noticing the look of horror on her friend's face.
	"It is just barely enough to take me out of the moment and prevent me from finishing. Sometimes, though, it will kick in when I am not close to orgasm, but am otherwise very aroused. Like when I was going down on you last night."
	"I'm sorry," Alice said. Farrah laughed.
	"Alice, I would submit to electro shock therapy to lick you, do not apologize!" she joked. Alice couldn't help but smile. Something about Farrah's confidence could make even the most absurd things seem okay.
	"Miss Jocelyn and Miss Zuang do allow me to have orgasms," Farrah said, "usually as a reward for excellent service, or in exchange for something I do not want to do otherwise. Miss Jocelyn enjoys making me cum with her toes, and she generally does it while she is busy doing something else – reading a magazine, or texting."
	Alice thought back to way Jocelyn ran her toes against her nylons in the car. Was this just a substitute for something the aristocratic girl wanted to do more?
	"But Miss Zuang is different," Farrah added, her voice taking on a reverent tone.
	"She makes me cum in ways I cannot comprehend. In her youth, her ballet teacher believed in intimate rewards as well as punishments. I do not know the full story, but I suspect that Miss Zuang was her teacher's assistant in charge of giving out rewards. Somehow, Miss Zuang became an expert on pleasing sexually frustrated young women."
	Alice was picturing it in her mind: she was dressed as a ballerina, one leg cuffed to the ballet bar, with Miss Zuang's expert fingers bringing her to a screaming orgasm. There was a gag in her mouth – someone's panties. Her own arms were gracefully stretched above her head, fingertips one scant millimeter from touching.
	"You cannot imagine the sensation of remaining on edge for days, maybe weeks at a time, then being at Miss Zuang's mercy. Sometimes it takes hours. She will wring every drop of sexual energy out of you and leave you collapsed on the floor, half unconscious. Then she will have you lick her fingers clean and thank her before ordering you to go give her daughter a massage in the nude."
	Alice was speechless.
	"If you decide to stay," Farrah concluded, "the Zuangs will certainly take control of your sexual needs. It may be sooner or later, but it will happen."
	"Okay," Alice said.
	Was she just confirming that she understood Farrah, or was she consenting to Miss Zuang telling her when she could cum? And how frustrating would it be to spend every night cuddling with beautiful, viraginous young Farrah while neither of them could satisfy their burning needs? She was already craving another orgasm and she had several in the past 24 hours!
	"Sit beside me," Farrah said, patting their shared little bed.
	Alice's thoughts were a jumble – she didn't even have a frame of reference for what was happening anymore. Farrah made it easier on the teenage girl, though. She wrapped her arms around Alice's constricted waist and kissed her neck.
	"Until you accept Miss Zuang's offer, though... How about I decide when you are allowed to cum? And I say, five times tonight," Farrah whispered in Alice's ear.
	"Farrah!" Alice giggled, running her fingers through the girl's dark hair.
	She wasn't joking.
	Soon Alice was lying back, Farrah's pretty face in her lap and her tongue running all along her freshly shaved pussy.
	"I will give you a small taste of what Miss Zuang can do," Farrah said before beginning a lengthy session of pussy worship.
	But a small taste was all it was.
	Soon, Alice's earbuds began registering a faint conversation between Jocelyn and Delfina. It faded in and out, and Alice could only make out certain sentences. And sometimes they were speaking audibly, but Alice's moans were too loud for the girl to hear anything else. Had she always been such a loud lover?
	"The Heaven's Gate was amazing," Delfina said, "she is in the top percentile of --"
	Farrah ran her tongue over Alice's clit, and the girl tried not to yelp.
	"But does she like it when--" Jocelyn began asking, and the audio cut out.
	"Absolutely. She has the soul of a submissive," Delfina said, as confidently as she were explaining why Paris is the greatest city in the world.
	Alice thought about this as much as she could, but to no meaningful conclusion.
	"Watch," Delfina said.
	As soon as Alice felt her orgasm building, she heard a melodious ringtone in her earbuds.
	"Alice, come to Jocelyn's room to see us immediately," Delfina ordered. Alice could hear Jocelyn laughing in the background.
	With a groan, Alice asked Farrah to stop. The olive-skinned girl seemed just as frustrated as Alice was when she learned that Alice had to leave. If she had continued for only a few more seconds, Alice would have certainly cum all over her soft, inviting face. As it was, the blonde girl made sure her seams were straight, unlocked the door and hurried up to Jocelyn's room. She could feel the air against her wet pussy, and her clit was more sensitive than she had ever felt before – every step was a tease.
	She entered Jocelyn's room, showing the proper deference to her and Miss Delfina, and awaited orders.
	The girls were dressed in gossamer negliges – white for Delfina and yellow for Jocelyn. They were nude beneath the little slips, which barely went past their waists anyway. They were reclined on some pillows in Jocelyn's massive bed, looking like a married couple. Delfina was smirking, as usual.
	"Alice, sometimes my feet get cold when I sleep and I hate wearing socks. Could you crawl down there and sleep at the foot of the bed to keep my feet warm?" Delfina asked, holding out a black silken blindfold with white trim.
	"Yes, Miss Delfina," was Alice's immediate response.
	"Wonderful, Alice. Just get down there and lie on your side, and make a little pillow for your head by putting your hands behind it. Don't move, either – I hate it when there's movement down there."
	Alice was still incredibly frustrated, but knew that disobedience would be met with a demerit or something worse. So she took the blindfold, kicked off her high heels, and crawled beneath the sheets of Jocelyn's massive bed, assuming the position she had been told to with Jocelyn and Delfina's feet practically resting against her body.
	The teasing began almost immediately after she put the blindfold on.
	Delfina sought out Alice's face with her feet, running her toes along Alice's lips, her cheeks, her nose. They smelled like pina colada creme, and were incredibly soft without the hint of a callus – Alice remembered filing her soles with an abrasive foot paddle in the salon. Then Jocelyn sought out Alice's pussy with her toes, running a big toe along her nether lips in a way that reminded her of being back in the bath. Alice gasped, and Delfina used this opportunity to put one of her toes into the girl's pouty mouth.
	"Oh, great! Could you suck on my toes a little Alice? It really helps me get to sleep," Delfina explained in a smug tone, holding back her laughter.
	Alice, beside herself with shame, began sucking on her rival's toes. Jocelyn proved to be merciless as well, bringing Alice towards an orgasm but then letting her drift away from it as she would wipe her toes on Alice's uniform. Alice lost track of time as the girls teased her entire body with their feet – she particularly mortified when Delfina grasped her sensitive nipples between her long toes.
	If she had to guess, this went on for about an hour until her mistresses started another game. Soon Delfina and Jocelyn were openly making love, ignoring Alice who was helpless but to listen to the sounds of rapture while experiencing none herself. The sheets seemed to wind around her, and the heat and humidity built quickly beneath Jocelyn's goose down comforter. The scent was all-encompassing and it seemed to cling to every part of her young body.
	When the girls had their fill of each other, Alice felt a rustling in the bed. Delfina prompted Alice to open her mouth, and then placed a familiar silken bundle inside of it – sour and bitter in taste. Alice didn't have to guess what it was. The girls dozed off to a blissful sleep. In their dreams they would still rub their soles up and down Alice's body, perhaps enjoying the feeling of her silk nylons or her soft skin or her blindfold against their bare feet.
	Alice didn't get much sleep that night.
	**
	The next morning, Alice awoke to some kind of alarm that was built into her earbuds. It was apparently inaudible to her mistresses, who were sleeping soundly above her. She crawled out of Jocelyn's bed and slipped on her high heels, eager to begin her day off with Farrah! Daintily, Alice spit out Delfina's worn panties, and placed them with utmost care above the rest of the wealthy girl's discarded clothes.
	Farrah was downstairs already, showered and ready to go. Alice apologized to be holding her up, but the girl was just happy to see her, and said she would begin on their breakfast.
	Even on their day off, they were not permitted to sit at the Zuang's dining table. So instead, they took the breakfast Farrah had prepared into their little room, conversing over their plans for the day. Farrah's breakfast consisted of cut fruit: strawberries, kiwis, and melons that the girls fed to each other as they talked. It soon became apparent that Farrah had planned the whole day out, and Alice was more than happy to go along with it.
	It took a lot of stress off of Alice to not worry about deciding what they would do. She found herself nodding excitedly as Farrah told her their plans for the day, sipping away at her protein drink after the fruit was done.
	There was an awkward moment, though, when Alice asked Farrah what she was going to wear.
	"Wear?" Farrah asked, "I am going to wear this! What else would I wear?"
	Alice worried that she had offended Farrah. She didn't really want to go dressed as a maid everywhere – she had intended to change into her clothes from before. But Farrah was resolute that Alice wear her uniform. Alice figured that it would make Farrah stand out if she were dressed as a maid while Alice were dressed normally. At least if they were both in uniform, they would share the odd glances people gave them. With a sigh, Alice agreed to wear her work uniform out, complete with high heels, and hailed a rideshare.
	Soon, it became apparent that Jeannay was going to give them a ride. Alice blanched when she read this alert, and Farrah asked what was wrong.
	Alice explained the events of the day before, and the Middle Eastern girl had a cold, stern look on her face all the while.
	"It will be fine, Alice," Farrah said confidently, "I will deal with this girl for you."
	Farrah took control as soon as they got to the car. Jeannay had thought Alice would be an easy mark again, but when she saw Farrah's menacing gait, she clearly had second thoughts.
	"This car reeks like marijuana!" Farrah said, as soon as she and Alice had sat in the back.
	Jeannay muttered some lame excuse blaming a previous customer, but no one was convinced. They rode over to the movie theater, and Farrah quickly began working on Jeannay.
	"My understanding is that Alice gave you too much money yesterday. How much of it do you have left?" Farrah said, her disdainful tone reminding Alice of Miss Paz's.
	"What? She gave me $100 because she was happy with the ride. I don't have any left," Jeannay answered.
	"She gave you the money because you and your friend hustled her," Farrah said plainly. "And I will take it back now – whatever is left of it at least."
	"You crazy," Jeannay said, dismissively – like she was trying to turn it into a joke.
	"No. I am mad," Farrah said gravely.
	"And unless you want me to contact the rideshare company and say you have been smoking marijuana in this car, you will return the money you took yesterday. Do you think you could pass a drug test? I know that their policy is to immediately test drivers who are suspected of using narcotics. I wonder if you would get charged with a DUI and reckless endangerment in addition to being fired?"
	Alice was awestruck at the way Farrah took control of the situation.
	Soon Jeannay was mumbling that she only had $47 left, which she took out and handed over to Farrah begrudgingly. This seemed to satisfy the girl, who turned her attention to Alice.
	"I will be holding onto this," Farrah said, referring to the cash. "Since apparently we cannot trust you with money."
	Alice winced. Although Farrah was joking it still hurt her feelings a little. She decided to be genial.
	"I guess it's good I have you then, huh?" Alice said.
	Farrah smiled, and pushed Alice over onto the pile of laundry in the backseat that Jeannay still hadn't moved. Soon they were making out, oblivious to the rest of the world.
	"Damn! You girls are --" Jeannay said loudly.
	"Stop. Talking." Farrah warned.
	Jeannay got the message, and kept her eyes on the road.
	Farrah had a habit of pressing Alice's  turned face into Jeannay's dirty laundry as she would kiss her neck – something that made the girl tremble. At one point as they kissed Farrah brought Alice's hands together. Soon, Alice felt the sensation of nylons encircling her wrists as she realized Farrah was tying her hands together! Alice loved it – something about tight nylon holding her body down really made her feel safe and happy. On closer inspection, the restraint was actually a black silk stocking! She wondered if it was hers, Farrah's, or maybe even Jeannay's.
	Now Alice was even more helpless, her hands bound in front of her as Farrah's were free to explore all of the girl's young body. She especially liked it when Farrah would run a thumb over the straps of her garter belt, or gently ease her legs apart.
	"We are at the theater, ladies," Jeannay announced politely.
	The girls left without even addressing their driver – Farrah opening the door for Alice whose hands were still tied together.
	"Um, Farrah, shouldn't you untie me now?" Alice asked, holding her wrists in front of her in an adorable, pleading way.
	"Nope!" Farrah replied, flashing a cute smile. "Now, I will walk behind you to make sure you take measured steps, for practice."
	Alice was aghast – it was one thing to do this in the privacy of the Zuang's household but this was out in public! More than that, this was the theater that was closest to Alice's high school. It was where she and her friends usually went to see movies! She could easily run into someone she knew here, and the thought made her dizzy. She felt Farrah jab her back with one finger, and began trying to take perfectly equidistant 16 inch steps on the long walkway to the will-call booth.
	Her outfit, the sound of her high heels, and her careful steps all made Alice quite the spectacle. Was this what Delfina intended when she said she would make Alice, "more mindful in her work?" Alice felt positively imprisoned in her restrictive maid's uniform, walking in a specific way designed to please her mistress. Even more than that, her mental anguish seemed to bind her to the present moment – she was fiercely aware of every glance, every laugh, every whispered comment as she moved.
	Daydreaming, deep contemplation, and future planning were all made impossible for Alice due to the constant distracting sensation of nylon and tight-fitting clothing. All her thoughts seemed to revolve around the fact that she was just a pleasing dish to the eyes of everyone whose path she crossed in her mincing little steps.
	Alice bushed furiously as a couple stared at her, watching her for quite some time as she walked past the preview posters. More humiliating than anything, though, was the effect this had on Alice's body: she was very turned on right now. It was mind boggling for the poor girl to get aroused from exhibiting herself but be profoundly ashamed of doing it all at the same time. She tried to lower her head, so people couldn't see her face so easily.
	But Farrah didn't even allow her to look at the ground! Each time she tried, Farrah would firmly tell her to raise her head, on the pretense that she wasn't allowed to look down at her steps. 	Thus Alice had no chance to hide her identity from everyone who saw. Her thighs rubbed together, nylon against nylon, as she approached the ticket kiosk. It felt delightful, and she even moved her wrists a little bit to get the same sensation against them. She thought she saw some students from her high school off in the distance, glancing her way laughing.
	Farrah spoke to the clerk on her behalf, getting them two tickets to a foreign drama. Alice would have preferred to see a lighthearted comedy, but found it easier to go along with Farrah's wishes – she had the money after all. She paid using the $47 she got from Jeannay, handing both tickets to the usher at the theater's entrance. Although everyone took note of the girls, nobody seemed to comment on it overtly. Alice could swear she saw a few people filming her, but in the theater Farrah mercifully allowed her to walk at a more brisk pace.
	With the remaining money, Farrah purchased a tub of popcorn and a single drink for them to share. She gave Alice the drink to carry, and the distressed teenager was relieved to finally have something that pulled focus from the fact that her hands were bound together. Alice normally didn't like soda, viewing it as empty calories, but for some reason her sweet tooth was especially strong today. She gulped down the cola rapturously until Farrah admonished her, sending her to refill it before they sat down in the theater.
	As she walked away from Farrah she felt a certain anxiety gnawing away at her, especially as the cool air of the building breezed against her denuded sex. As soon as she got to the fountain, though, she could at least distract herself with the task at hand. Soon she rejoined her friend and the two girls sat down in the practically deserted theater, watching the previews.
	Naturally, Farrah lifted the armrest between their two seats, and put one arm over Alice's shoulder in a way that was both comforting and possessive.
	"Do not touch the popcorn!" Farrah whispered when Alice tried to grab some.
	"Those stockings belong to Miss Zuang, you must not get butter on them. Here, I will feed you."
	Farrah picked up a single kernel of popcorn and put it in Alice's mouth, seemingly careful to make sure that her fingers touched the girl's pouty lips. She wondered: had she eaten anything in the past few days that wasn't a leftover, or put in her mouth by another girl?
	Alice accepted the food, wishing that Farrah would give her more than one piece at a time but enjoying the feel of Farrah's soft fingers against her lips so often. At least with Farrah it was more an act of love, compared to the act of dominance it was with Delfina. The girls settled into a rhythm, with Alice gladly eating from Farrah's hands, and helping herself to the soda. She realized that Farrah hadn't sipped from the soft drink even once.
	Soon the Middle Eastern girl put the popcorn aside and lifted both her legs, stretching them across Alice's lap with her knees bent a little. This pinned Alice's hands beneath the girl's silky thighs, which made Alice's pulse quicken. Farrah leaned her body very near to Alice's, and wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders. She kissed Alice once on the cheek, then rested her own face against Alice's shoulder so she could watch the movie too. With one hand, she played with Alice's hair in a way that made the girl shiver. Sometimes she would trace a deft fingertip along Alice's neck, or the outline of her lips.
	This was Alice's first movie date.
	After the movie, Farrah asked if Alice wanted to go to the mall. She nodded, and felt an odd sense of loss as Farrah untied her hands and tucked Miss Zuang's stockings away. The girls left the theater and caught a rideshare to the nearby mall. Jeannay wasn't their driver this time, which made Alice pout as she realized she and Farrah couldn't have their backseat fun. In fact, Alice felt a little hurt because it turned out the driver spoke Arabic.
	Farrah practically ignored Alice, so eager she was to converse in her native tongue with this random middle-aged woman. Alice couldn't even play with her phone, since Farrah was holding onto it, so she just sat there awkwardly as Farrah would say things that made the woman laugh out loud. By the time they arrived, Alice was downright annoyed: how could Farrah ignore her like this on their date? Was this even a 'date'? Even worse, she felt guilty for being jealous; shouldn't she be happy that Farrah got to talk to someone in the same language that her parents had used with her when she was a baby?
	"I am sorry I got caught up in there, Alice," Farrah said after the girls had left the car and were walking towards the mall.
	"I just never get to speak to people in Arabic for such a long time – I was beginning to think I can no longer carry a conversation!"
	Alice realized there was still so much she didn't know about her co-worker/friend/lover.
	"What about with your parents?" Alice asked. This caused Farrah to wince.
	"My parents passed away when I was young," Farrah said, her somber tone making Alice feel like she had cluelessly re-opened an old wound.
	"The Zuangs are the only family I have."
	"Oh my gosh," Alice rushed to say, "I'm sorry, I didn't--"
	She felt so stupid now. How dare she be jealous of an orphan? Why did she pick the stupidest time to have a tantrum? Then she felt Farrah's hand take her own, showing an impressive grip. Those butterflies in her tummy were back.
	"I am sure we can find something nicer to talk about, Alice. Maybe later we can discuss this, but today is our day off!"
	They went to the food court first, getting a cinnamon bun that they fed to each other. This was quickly becoming their customary way of eating. This was another thing Alice was happy to do in private, but made her feel very self-conscious in public. Alice tried to steer Farrah towards a corner booth, but apparently Farrah wanted to eat in the middle of the food court for everyone to see. The blonde girl was beginning to suspect that Farrah just enjoyed seeing her blush, which she was doing right now. She felt like a beacon, and she became even redder whenever Farrah would wipe her mouth with a napkin.
	The next stop was the tattoo and piercing parlor.
	As they walked over, Alice couldn't help but notice that Farrah had become more withdrawn. They were having a pleasant conversation at the food court, but now Farrah was uncharacteristically quiet.
	"I am going inside to get a piercing changed. You can wander around the mall, it will probably take half an hour for me to be done," Farrah told Alice, walking inside the tattoo parlor with conviction.
	Alice thought the girl looked like she was marching to the scaffold.
	As soon as her friend had gone, a weird thing happened. Alice looked around the mall and felt uncomfortable – the ceilings were too high and there were too many people. A mother and daughter walked by, and the daughter burst into laughter. Were people laughing at her the entire day and she was just now noticing it? An unfamiliar anxiety gripped her and she had no idea how to handle such strong emotions. A surge of adrenaline went through the young girl's body – she had to get out of here.
	Her earbuds seemed to pick up the worst snippets of conversation about her: "what is she wearing?" "is she serious?" and worst of all: "what a slut." It didn't occur to Alice that there weren't as many people nearby as voices she was hearing – the girl was in a panic that seemed to shut down higher thought.
	Alice scurried away from the tattoo parlor, keeping near to the wall and went into the first store she came across. She was in such a rush to get out of the public view that she forgot why she avoided that specific place. She cringed as soon as the store owner addressed her, cursing herself that she had been so careless.
	"Welcome to Energy Lotos!" a woman intoned in accented English. As she spoke, thick white vapor came from her mouth.
	Alice looked over to the voluptuous Latina woman practically sprawled over a wooden counter. She carried a thick metallic wand in her hand with a plastic cartridge attached to it that she had apparently just inhaled from. The woman had a dopey grin on her face and wore a simple green robe that was totally inappropriate for work, showing off much of her full thighs. She had obsidian hair and a tan complexion – her eyes looked as though she was drunk.
	"I'm sorry, I have to--" Alice started, making towards the door.
	"Nonsense! I can read your energy. You need a sanctuary right now. Sit," the woman ordered, pointing at some pillows on the ground.
	After some hesitation, and with extreme reservations, Alice obeyed the store owner. There were warring factions within the girl: part of her wanted to storm out of there and get away from this... den. But a stronger part of herself felt compelled to obey this direct order. And the thought of going out there into the threatening world was no small incentive for Alice to stay exactly here, where she knew what to expect.
	A wave of relief washed over her as she took a seat on the pillows – partially from being off her feet but mostly make someone in authority happy.
	The woman was languid in her movements. Her very way of walking made it seem like she was putting on a burlesque show, swinging her hips and broadcasting her primal sexual appeal. Alice nervously looked around the 'store'-- it was little more than carpeting, pillows, low-set tables and many childish toys. A couple was leaning against the wall nearby – a guy with his arm around his girlfriend. They were obviously high out of their minds, staring at a kid's cartoon that was playing against the wall.
	"We have a special today," the Latina woman announced, practically thrusting her metallic wand into Alice's hands.
	"It's vanilla flavored. Try it!"
	Alice set her jaw, determined to resist. But her efforts were in vain, and she found herself grasping the odious vaporizer. With revulsion, an urge to please, and with curiosity Alice brought the vape to her mouth to inhale some vaporized hasu.
	Energy Lotos was a testament to the mall's failing business. How desperate was the place for renters that they would accept a glorified opium den into their fold?
	Here they sold a newly-legalized drug called hasu that had a profoundly negative impact on people's memory and motivation. But users overlooked this in favor of its wondrous psychoactive effects: it made people like they were flying on a pink cloud, outside of time, well-pleasing and well-pleased. Unlike similar street drugs such as heroin, hasu had virtually no physical toll on the body. A person could smoke it all day and have no ill symptoms and countless unemployed people had resorted to doing just that. It wasn't even physically addictive. Extremely mentally addictive, sure, but not physically addictive.
	Alice had done a report on this in her civics class: high unemployment due to a mechanized workforce had lead to serious social problems until hasu was legalized as an experimental solution. Now a person could get hasu for free using state-sponsored insurance -- well at least in exchange for certain behavioral requirements. Generally, when someone accepted state-subsidized hasu it was because they had burned through all their money and were desperate to keep things going. Crime and social unrest had fallen dramatically, and even the fiercest critic of the stuff had to admit this was a positive development.
	Alice pressed a button on the wand and a sizzling sound came from within it. She breathed in the stinging vapor, which kicked in almost immediately. As she exhaled, she found herself paying special attention to the way the clouds billowed out – something she couldn't have been less interested before. She relaxed her newly tired body into the comfy pillows, and could not manage to keep her eyes entirely open.
	Although she was grinning, Alice knew she had to get out of here. She was scared that her nutritional shake would make her want to keep on smoking, repeating the motion over and over again until she was out of her mind.
	Nearby, a young woman was knelt in front of the couple, giving the guy's girlfriend a foot massage as she watched TV. Judging by the pleading look on her face, she was obviously hoping the couple would share some of their stuff with her. Maybe the girl had been caught shoplifting or something – criminals were not permitted to get hasu through insurance. Instead, they opted for a sort of 'work release' that would rein them in by exposing them to high doses of hasu over time. Few left the hasu houses after months of working there – what need did they have of stealing something that was freely shared?
	"I don't have any money," Alice slurred, attempting to pass the hasu vaporizer back to the languorous woman.
	Even in her drugged out haze, Alice noticed the little crack in the woman's smile, but she quickly recovered.
	"That's alright love," the Latina said, pressing the vaporizer more firmly into Alice's hands.
	"This first one is my treat! You can bring me lots of money next time."
	Alice's gambit had failed. She had a mental image of herself bringing all her money to this woman, and giving it to her for the pleasure of lying around her shop like some stoned courtesan. And what about when her money ran out? Would she put Alice to work in the shop, earning less than minimum wage and entertaining the dope heads who came by? She thought she saw a bulge in the guy's pants as his girlfriend slowly stroked his thigh – did hasu make people more sexual? Her suspicions were confirmed by a growing awareness of her own rampant desires. She was totally vulnerable here in this hasu house – she wasn't even wearing panties! If a guy had come up and asked her to go somewhere else, she had a hard time imagining herself saying 'no.' How was this stuff legal??
	As Alice followed this train of thought, she realized she was having a bad experience with hasu.
	It didn't stop her from taking another drag of the stuff. This one made her thoughts feel like they were mired in molasses, especially the negative ones. Would she be given the same outfit as the woman when she worked here, prancing around in bare feet and a short robe? It sure would be nice to take her high heels off...
	"Alice, what are you doing here? It has been nearly an hour! I was worried about you!"
	Farrah's voice jolted the blonde girl out of her daze. Through heavy eyelids, she looked up at Farrah. She was so beautiful, but she had an troubling expression on her face – some cross between concern and outrage. Her next question made Alice's heart drop.
	"Have you been smoking hasu??"
	"Just a lil'," Alice slurred, rubbing her eyes in an effort to get them to appear more alert. 	She dimly realized that there was barely any hasu remaining in the cartridge, but this concern was overshadowed by how wonderful it felt for Alice to touch herself. Maybe she and Farrah could --
	"Alice, please come with me."
	Farrah scowled at the Latina woman, who waved goodbye to the two girls amicably. She had a waifish mocha-skinned girl rubbing her shoulders, who was wearing a scant robe and staring at the hasu wand in her hand longingly.
	"I cannot believe you did this," Farrah scolded Alice.
	"The Zuangs have zero tolerance for illicit drug use," she added, "even for hasu, which is technically legal."
	The contempt in Farrah's voice made it clear her low opinion of the stuff, and apparently of anyone who used it.
	"I'm sorry," Alice said as they sat on a bench outside the mall. She was fighting back tears.
	"I had made plans for us to visit an art gallery together, but I do not want to go there if you are high," Farrah said.
	"I didn't even want to smoke!" Alice whined. "It's just that the store owner told me to, and I have such a hard time saying no."
	Farrah processed this information for a little while. Soon her frown softened, and she reached out for Alice's shoulder.
	"Would you tell me a little more about this?"
	Alice began talking and soon the words were spilling out: how she was so nervous when she was alone, and so afraid, and how she had this need to do what people said even if she knew it was bad for her. Farrah nodded occasionally, stroking Alice's back as the girl confessed her innermost fears.
	Absent from Alice's ramblings, though, was any attempt to pinpoint a cause for her new mental attitude. It seemed like the girl had always been this way, when just two weeks ago she was an entirely different person. Farrah had a pained expression on her face: probably because it was so difficult to see someone she cared about caught between clashing pressures. She let Alice go on until the girl ran out of steam, and embraced her lovingly.
	"It's okay, Alice," Farrah began.
	"I think I have a way of helping you."
	Alice looked up at her – her gorgeous green eyes conveying hope and trust even while they were red and swollen from crying.
	The girls went to a nearby park and laid on a cheap blanket they bought along the way. As Alice came down off the hasu, she and Farrah talked.
	For Alice, this was the deepest and most open conversation she had with Farrah so far. Rather than admonishing her and making her feel bad, Farrah just took Alice's head in her lap and played with her hair as Alice talked about her life. Farrah seemed especially interested in what high school was like, and what it was like to be an American teenager. She clearly admired Alice for being the class valedictorian. Soon Alice was sharing things from her youth: her favorite TV shows, what it was like on Christmas Eve, how she felt awkward and shy even as people viewed her as a beautiful, charming young girl.
	Then Farrah spoke of her youth and transported Alice away. In her mind she was watching a sunrise over the expansive desert, and drinking camel's milk at breakfast.  Farrah stood barefoot on a sand dune looking at the stars to chart her family's migration – Farrah knew many constellations in English and Arabic. The Middle Eastern beauty was a quick study by necessity – an error of half a degree in navigation could mean certain death in that unforgiving desert, and GPS tools did not function there. Farrah hadn't seen those stars in years; due to the city's notorious light pollution, she couldn't see any of them from the Zuang's Los Angeles home.
	Alice realized that Farrah didn't have anyone to share her story with: who would listen to a maid's opinion? Jocelyn could be sweet but she was totally self-absorbed, and her friends just viewed Farrah as an unpaid, exotic servant girl. Alice cringed a little as she remembered that she viewed Farrah the same way before she started working for the Zuangs. There was something profound about this development, and it resonated with Alice on a level she couldn't fully understand.
	But then it was necessary to talk about how Alice would handle her mistake and atone for her fall from grace. Farrah gravely explained Alice the steps she needed to take, and Alice listened intently. Farrah's expression was inscrutable, but her hands gripped Alice's firmly. This gave the girl much-needed comfort, and even strength.
	***
	Later that night, Alice and Farrah entered the Zuang household.
	Although they had rehearsed Alice's speech and talked it over much of the day, the girl was still dreading this moment. What would Miss Zuang think of her? What would be Jocelyn's, or worse, Delfina's reaction when they heard the news? She tried to push this thinking out of her mind, but the mental images persisted. Delfina, with her hands on  her hips, smiling wickedly as she saw the depths to which her former rival had fallen.
	"Mistress," Farrah began. Alice barely registered Farrah's new term for her employer – it was quite more suggestive than 'Miss Zuang.'
	The porcelain-complexioned woman was seated in a comfortable leather chair, resting her stockinged feet on a plush ottoman. She regarded her maids with a genuine smile.
	"Alice has something important to say. Please hear her out."
	Miss Zuang closed her laptop and regarded Alice calmly. She appeared every bit an empress who was indulging a subject's grovelling.
	"Miss Zuang," Alice began, straining to find the words.
	A nod from Farrah gave her the courage to speak.
	"Today, I smoked some hasu."
	Miss Zuang's eyes narrowed, and her countenance became much more cruel. Now she seemed more like an empress  who was handing down a death sentence to a known traitor.
	Death by a million cuts.
	"I am sorry," Alice went on, "Please don't send me away!"
	Alice was totally aware of how pathetic she sounded and looked. But there was comfort in this. Her entire plan hinged on Miss Zuang taking pity on her, after all.
	"It's just that: I am not sure if I can be left alone anymore. A woman told me to smoke hasu and I did it without thinking. I'm afraid that if you send me away, someone will take advantage of me and I'll end up dead or in jail or a brothel."
	Miss Zuang stopped scowling. Her expression softened into one of pity. Alice's heart was racing: her plan was working! But it was too early to celebrate now.
	"I know that by smoking hasu I have voided our employment contract," Alice continued, "and I am hoping that instead of firing me, your ladyship will grant me another contract."
	Miss Zuang arched an eyebrow.
	"Go on," Miss Zuang prompted.
	"Yes, mistress," Alice responded, curtseying immediately at the order.
	"I would like a compensation plan just like Farrah's. I would not dare to ask your ladyship for money. Instead, my payment would be the loving care you and your daughter will show me, and your strict hands ruling over my life. I will require a constant authority to keep me away from trouble, and I beg you to accept me as your charge."
	Alice walked over to Miss Zuang's chair and knelt before her, gripping one of the woman's stockinged feet in both her hands.
	"Please accept me," she whispered, head bowed, glancing up deferentially at this rich goddess.
	Miss Zuang smiled at the girl, and Alice couldn't help but smile in return.
	"You understand that Farrah serves our most intimate needs, and that we will require this same level of obedience from you. Correct?" Miss Zuang said.
	"Yes, mistress!" Alice hastened to agree, "It is my pleasure to serve your every need. I only ask that you keep me safe."
	"Of course, Alice!" Miss Zuang exclaimed. "We will keep you very safe, and very busy, and very... useful."
	Alice gasped at the thought.
	"To commemorate our new agreement, I would like for you to show me a sign of your commitment. Remove my stockings," Miss Zuang ordered.
	Alice lovingly removed the woman's black silk stockings, easing the high denier things down her legs as though they were priceless artifacts. Her hands trembled as they brushed across the point heels of the stockings, and soon Miss Zuang's bare feet were resting on the ottoman. Alice felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She could see the tiny criss-cross indentations of where the silk material pressed into the woman's shapely feet.
	"Now Alice, I want you to ask me the same thing one more time," Miss Zuang said. Alice was about to jump into her monologue again, but Miss Zuang held up one regal finger.
	"But this time, use only your lips and your tongue. And ask the question to my tired legs and my feet."
	It took all the restraint Alice had not to dive in and start kissing Miss Zuang's feet all over. Instead, she planted a firm kiss on the ball of the woman's foot, then traced little kisses down to her heel. Then she went up the heel of the woman's other foot to the ball of it. She rested one of her pale cheeks against miss Zuang's bare feet, nuzzling it as though she were a cat. The smell was blueberries, lilacs, leather, sweat, and a complete joy.
	Miss Zuang was smiling down at her, and it made Alice ecstatic.
	Soon her kisses became more passionate. She darted her pretty tongue out, savoring the salty and sweet flavor she gathered from between Miss Zuang's shapely toes. This was so much better than Delfina's stupid spray, although the thought of that made Alice's mouth water too. Miss Zuang's feet felt impossibly soft against her tongue – Alice tried to memorize every little indentation in the woman's soles. She licked up and down the length of her beautiful Chinese mistress's feet, happily swallowing the minuscule flecks of dust she found on them.
	Alice would have to mop better – on her hands and knees of course. She could spend all day doing it, making the Zuang household a temple that was worthy of their beauty and mercy and perfection.
	"Farrah, fetch my attorney. We will need to draw up a new contract for Alice. Does five years sound like a fair beginning?" Miss Zuang asked sweetly.
	Alice moaned, and could just barely suppress the urge to play with herself. No, the Zuangs needed to control that part of her life as well. She nodded emphatically in response to her employer's question, and Miss Zuang leaned back in her chair.
	After several blissful minutes, Miss Zuang withdrew her feet. Alice's knuckles were white as she resisted the compulsion to follow – would the women need to put a collar on her to stop her from worshiping their feet all the time?
	The aristocratic woman spread her knees slightly, revealing her red silk panties and the ample evidence of pubic hair beneath.
	"Alice," she whispered, "I think it is time to begin your more... advanced training."
	It boggled Alice's mind that Miss Zuang would permit her to do this for her. She kissed the gusset of the woman's panties – they were sodden -- then eased them down the mature beauty's legs. The heady floral smell made her think of lotus flowers plucked from the emperor's garden.
	Alice felt the tickle of pubic hair against her nose and cheeks as she sought out the woman's lips with her own. That first kiss was electric – it was everything Alice had ever wanted. Miss Zuang, like her daughter, grabbed Alice's hair with one hand, and settled in to become more comfortable as the blonde teenager began licking her royal pussy. Little Alice swallowed the black hairs that would fall off Miss Zuang's bush as though they were manna from heaven, and savored every touch of her tongue to the woman's wet sex.
	"Mmm," Miss Zuang moaned, closing her legs a little bit to pin Alice's head between them.
	"What a lovely maid!"
	The compliment made Alice blush. She sought out Miss Zuang's clit but was quickly admonished – apparently the woman liked her maids to take their time in this task.
	Alice was happy to oblige. In the background, Farrah returned the stockings that she had used to bind Alice's hands in the theater.
	"Wrap them around Alice's eyes," Miss Zuang commanded, looking down at the beautiful teenager who was now her hopelessly devoted pussy licker.
	"It helps the mind focus more on the act of giving."
	Alice saw Farrah's mischevious smile right before the girl wrapped Miss Zuang's worn stockings around her eyes. Then there was only the taste of her mistress, and the silky feel of her sacred orifice as Alice eagerly lapped at another woman's flower.