Feature Writer: Amanda /
Feature Title: Eyes of the Dow /
Story Codes: No sex /
Author’s Notes: This story contains sexual situations that should not be read by anyone who is either not old enough to do so or who would be offended if they did.
Copyright: This story is copyright Amanda 2005 © please do not reproduce this work without my prior approval as it is close to my heart.

 

Eyes of the Dow

Jenny had been trying to get this interview for weeks, phoning Raquel van de Mere’s PA daily. Each time being rebuffed, gently but firmly with something along the lines of, ‘Miss van de Mere is charmed by your interest but her schedule just can’t accommodate you at the moment.’

When Jenny got the bit between her teeth however she could be as stubborn as a mule and she would thank the assistant for her time, making sure the young woman knew she would be phoning the next day and the one after that, like telephone water torture.

Raquel van de Mere was something of an enigma, a successful author and artist, but almost hermit-like in her desire for privacy. The only stock photos available from any of the bureaux were grainy shots of the back of her pure white hair as she got into one of her limousines with its blacked out windows.

Her hair, as everyone knew, was not a sign of age, for what little records did exist proved she was only in her mid twenties. No her white hair was simply a manifestation of her genetic make up, for Raquel was an albino.

Jenny, as part of her research had talked to a few people who had actually met her, but most seemed either unwilling or somehow unable to recall what it was they had discussed with the ‘great lady’; preferring to wax lyrical about her milky white flesh and how compelling her pink eyes were. This, and the pressure she was under from her editor, only fueled Jenny’s determination to be the first to actually find out something substantial about this mystery woman.

After 3 months of badgering, Charlotte, for by now Jenny was on first name terms with Raquel’s gatekeeper, finally seemed to be weakening, maybe it was the card and chocolates Jenny sent her on her birthday, Jenny didn’t know, nor for that matter care, all that mattered was there was the slightest hint of the smallest hope of getting to see her quarry at last.

“I’ve told Miss van de Mere of your interest, Jenny.” Charlotte had said, and Jenny fully expected a ‘but’ to follow closely on the heels, but it didn’t. “And she has asked me to find out a little bit about you, to help her decide on your request for an interview.”

If anyone had seen her at that moment they would have thought Jenny was having a heart attack, the color drained from her face, but even then her skin was nowhere near as pale as her intended target. “What do you need?” Jenny finally managed to say, coaxing her voice in to a semblance of calm detachment even as she screamed inside.

“Can you send over your resume, and include a recent photo, Miss van de Mere says she can tell a lot about a person from their looks. Can you get something to me by the end of the week?”

‘End of the week, my ass!’ Jenny thought as she hit the print button and sent her resume to the printer, it hadn’t taken much finding as the vibes she had been getting from the boss lately at her lack of progress had hinted she might need it very soon.

“Yes, I’m sure I can manage that.” She said, with the phone pressed to her ear by her shoulder as her hands flipped through the company phone directory as she looked for the number of her photographer friend Pete.

Jenny could hear the smile in Charlotte’s voice as she said, “Somehow I thought you might say that. But don’t get your hopes up too much, Miss van de Mere still has to decide, and even then it could be weeks before she can fit you in.”

Jenny scribbled Pete’s number on her pad and took the phone back in her hand and said. “Thanks, Charlotte. I know I’ve been a pain, I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“Don’t worry, honey.” Charlotte said, the hint of familiarity making her voice sound softer than normal. “I’m sure I can think of someway you can repay me.”

As Charlotte phoned off Jenny phoned Pete. “Pete, sweetheart.” She said as he answered in his inimitable laid back style.

“You want something.” Pete said, but there was mirth in his voice all the same.

“How can you tell?” Jenny asked, it was a ritual greeting between the two, who had worked on several assignments together since Jenny had started at the magazine.

“Because you phoned me.” Pete said finalizing the intro and continued. “So what do you want, babe?”

Jenny hated being called babe and Pete knew it and Jenny knew that Pete knew it, for she had told him several times, but in spite, or maybe because of that, he persisted. This however Jenny decided, was not a time to worry about such a small thing and said simply. “I need a photo.”

“Well.” Pete said, cutting Jenny off in mid sentence, “It’s lucky you phoned me, I’m a photographer, you know. I have thousands of photos, or were you after something in particular?”

“Cut it out.” Jenny snapped. “I need a shot of me.”

“You want ice with that?” Pete quipped, apparently intending to wind Jenny’s spring as tight as it would go.

“Look I need a new photo for a potential interviewee, and I don’t want to send one of the stock column header shots, I need to come over, oh I don’t know, soft, caring, someone you can trust I suppose.” Jenny said, her exasperation showing through in her tone.

“Well I’ll see what I can do, but that much Vaseline on my lens might ruin it for good!”

“Look!” Jenny fumed. “I’ll be down there in half an hour as soon as I’ve seen the old man. Just do what you can, oh and I need it ready before the post goes.” With that Jenny hung up the phone and tried to calm herself before she took the good news, well the possibility of good news, to her editor.

As Jenny slipped her resume, with the recently dried photo clipped to the front into a manila envelope she had to admit that Pete was very good, her pale green eyes shone out from her face framed by her curly red hair and just shouted ‘trust me.’, she even had to grudgingly admit that the looking up into the camera angle that displayed her more than adequate cleavage was a triumph of the photographers art, and she even considered rewarding Pete in the way he had hinted at.

Even with her info sent, Jenny continued to phone Charlotte each day, ‘just to check’, although by now they spent most of the time just chatting and Jenny realized she was almost as much looking forward to meeting Charlotte as she was Raquel van de Mere.

Finally Charlotte actually phoned Jenny, “Miss van de Mere says she can see you tomorrow afternoon at two if that is convenient.”

For some reason Jenny had the almost irresistible urge to say, “No I’m sorry I’m busy tomorrow, could we make it some other time.” Fortunately she managed to quell the urge and said “Oh Charlotte you are a love! You will be there wont you?”

“Yes, honey.” Charlotte said. “I’ll be here, but I’m afraid Miss van de Mere has a few stipulations you must adhere to.”

‘Here we go!’ thought Jenny but she said. “Of course.”

“Well.” Charlotte started. “First the appointment is with you, no assistants and definitely no pictures and you can’t tape the interview or take notes, Miss van de Mere prefers it if the people she is talking to pay her their full attention.”

“Oh, okay.” Jenny said, cursing her lack of memory which she normally circumvented by taping a whole interview then transcribing it later. “I suppose I can manage that. Anything else?”

“Just one more thing.” Charlotte replied. “You are to wear a white dress and if you must wear makeup it should be pastel colors only although she would prefer you not to wear any, and certainly no perfume, Miss van de Mere is very sensitive.”

“That’s fine, Charlotte, honest.” Jenny said as she thought she’d dress as an elephant and do hand stands if it could get her this interview. “Till tomorrow then.”

“Yes.” Said Charlotte her voice sounding strangely seductive and soft. “Till tomorrow, honey.”

“And where, do you think you are going?” Her boss called as Jenny picked up her purse, retrieved her coat from the rack and headed for the door.

With a winsome smile and a blown kiss for punctuation she said. “Going to buy a new white dress for my interview with… Miss Raquel… Van de Mere.”

“Bloody hell!” exclaimed the aging journalist. “Hell put it on expenses!”

xxxxx

 

Jenny leaned out of the window of her car trying not to stain the sleeve of her dress as she pushed the intercom at the side of the two twelve foot high wrought iron gates. The box crackled and Jenny heard Charlotte’s voice say. “Van de Mere residence, can I help you.”

“Hi Charlotte it’s.” Jenny started to say but was cut off as the box buzzed and the gates swung silently inward.

“Drive up to the front of the house and I’ll meet you by the main doors.” Charlotte’s voice called after the seemingly obligatory crackle.

Jenny put the car in drive and waited just long enough that the gates didn’t snag her wing mirrors before she headed up the drive towards the house which was shrouded from the road and passing view by large trees. ‘Glad I filled her up Jenny thought as she drove up the gravel road through the trees for what seemed like a mile but was in fact about half that.

Once clear of the trees the house stood tall and proud in front of a gravel square on which, in addition to three limo’s there were at least ten other assorted cars. Jenny’s heart sank as she thought she wasn’t going to get the exclusive she had hoped for and so it was a dejected Jenny who checked her appearance in the window of the nearest car making sure the elasticated top of her dress showed just the right amount of cleavage before sitting a wide brimmed hat on her head.

With her red hair falling over her bare shoulders and the floor length full circle skirt Jenny thought all she needed was a parasol to audition for one of those English costume drama’s.

It wasn’t difficult to spot which were the ‘main’ doors, for at the top of a small flight of stone steps covered by a triangular portico supported by white marble iconic pillars were two huge black oak doors that looked like they would need a whole army to open, rather than the thin brunette with sparkling blue eyes who apparently had just done so.

The brunette held out her arms in invitation and all but gushed. “Jenny, it is so nice to meet you at last, in the flesh, so to speak.”

Unsure of the etiquette Jenny allowed Charlotte to take her hands and as she said something approaching me too she found herself being hugged and kissed on the cheek.

Charlotte released Jenny and stood back admiringly, “My, you look the part for the house I must say.”

Jenny gripped the material at her hip holding it out a little as she swiveled at her hips and said, just about managing to suppress a giggle. “Why thank you, ma’am.”

Charlotte placed a hand in the small of Jenny’s back and ushered her inside, the doors closing seemingly automatically behind them with a final loud thud that made Jenny jump.

Jenny looked around the entrance hall with its majestic sweeping staircase flowing down to the white marble floor and heard her heels click persuasively as Charlotte continued to guide her into what Jenny assumed was a drawing room.

The room was white, there was no other description that would fit, white walls, white net curtains, white floor and two white leather chairs either side of a white marble fire place whose mantle was higher than Jenny’s five foot two.

“I’m afraid Miss van de Mere is running a little late.” Charlotte said as she indicated that Jenny should sit in the chair with her back to the door and facing the floor to ceiling window.

“Are there other journalists here? Only there were so many cars outside, I thought.” Jenny asked as she sat.

Charlotte laughed, “No, you are the first and only journalist ever to set foot in this house. The cars belong to Miss van de Mere’s staff, mine’s the red Aston.” Charlotte said with some pride.

“Wow! Miss van de Mere obviously pays better than ‘Chatter Magazine’ does.” Jenny said, trying her best not to be too jealous.

“It’s very warm in here.” Charlotte commented. “Shall I open one of the windows and let a little air in, I always find.” Charlotte stifled a yawn before continuing, “that this room makes me sort of sleepy, don’t know why.”

Charlotte fought her way through the gossamer thin curtains and pushed the french windows open, the nets billowing around her as she did so and the room was flooded by the smell of gardenias. Charlotte took a deep breath through her nose and let it out with a deep sigh.

“Probably it’s the gardenias that make me sleepy. Anyway, honey I must leave you as I have some important things to sort out. I’m sure Miss van de Mere will not keep you lounging around here too long, and hopefully we can grab five minutes together before you leave. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t move from there, I wouldn’t want any of the staff thinking you were an interloper or something.”

Before Jenny had a chance to say anything in reply Charlotte had turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Jenny waited patiently though for how long she couldn’t say for she hadn’t worn a watch and there were no clocks in the room. ‘Those gardenias are sort of heady.’ Jenny thought to herself as she watched the nets in front of the window blow gently on the breeze that brought more of the sweet scent with each breath.

As the minutes stretched by Jenny found herself drifting in and out with the breeze and two, three maybe more times her head lolled forward, jolting her awake. She tried adjusting her position but the leather was so soft however she sat it felt just too comfortable.

Once more her chin fell to her chest and she tried to open her yes but they were so heavy and through her drowsy mind she heard a voice that sounded like liquid chocolate oozing over warm profiteroles.

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long, Jenny.”

The voice was accompanied by a body and Jenny tried very hard to focus on it, but it seemed to dissolve as the voice approached.

“I don’t mind if you feel relaxed in my house, Jenny. It shows you feel at home here.”

Again Jenny tried to concentrate on the voice and it appeared as if a rainbow had been captured and wrapped around the voice, The dress was simply divine in its elegance, high at the neck and the right sleeve full, the left bare, the cutaway exposing a definite décolletage. It was floor length and slit high on the right leg and had cutaways down the sleeve.

But it wasn’t the shape that fascinated Jenny’s tired eyes but the colors starting at red, almost black at the neck and changing through every color of the spectrum as it reached it’s violet hem. And as the voice moved the dress the colors changed, merged and shimmered like shot silk. and above it all floated the source of the voice, a pair of ruby red lips in a pale white face that seemed to blend with the background.

“I see you like my dress, Jenny. I’m so pleased it is my favorite dress in the whole world.”

The vision announced, the red lips forming the words were still but the rainbow beneath seemed to sway from side to side the colors bright and vivid in the total white surroundings.

“That’s right, Jenny. You have waited such a long time to meet me and here I am in this beautiful dress I wore especially for you. Does that make you happy, jenny? That I would wear my favorite rainbow for my very special new friend?”

Jenny tried to reply but the words wouldn’t seem to come, she looked at the red lips and hoped they would give her a clue as they approached, so very close now and the scent of gardenias was stronger and more soporific than before and the voice, that wonderful sweet voice was speaking again.

“Look into my eyes, Jenny, my soft pink eyes, such a restful color I always think, as do you.”

And Jenny did think the eyes above the cherry red lips were beautiful and relaxing just as the voice said they were and she knew she could believe anything those red lips said for they were the source of the voice that was enveloped by the rainbow that shimmered and changed before her tired, sleepy eyes that closed and remained so.

Jenny felt her shoulder being lightly shaken and opened her eyes to see Charlotte standing over her.

“Wake up, Jenny. I’m sorry Miss van de Mere couldn’t stay with you till I arrived. Will you be all right driving home.”

Jenny stretched and realized that her elasticated top had slipped lower revealing her nipples, but all she could do was sigh as Charlotte helped her to her feet, out of the house and in to her car.

“Miss van de Mere asked me to give you this, read it tomorrow after you see your boss.” Charlotte said handing Jenny a white envelope that smelt of gardenias.

xxxxx

 

As Jenny arrived at work the next day, her editor was already waiting for her, eager to hear whatever Jenny had gotten from the elusive artist.

“So what’s she like?” He blurted at the most serene looking Jenny he had ever seen.

Jenny’s eyes stared off in to the distance as she all but whispered, “She has the most beautiful almost blue white skin and her eyes, oh her eyes.”

“That’s all very well but what did you find out from her.” he prompted.

Jenny regarded her boss with a look an adult might use when answering a silly question from a dim but beloved child.

“Nothing, just that. That’s all there is, that and her red lips and the rainbow.”

“Pack your stuff now, you’re out of here.” he fumed.

Jenny just smiled and opened the letter and without even reading it, said, “that’s all right, Jack, I have somewhere else to go.”

THE END