Dedicated Service

You walk down the same side alley, not too far from your home in distance but a little off the beaten track, where you chanced upon and entered a magic shop on a whim only a few days ago That was right before your life was suddenly thrown into chaos. Extremely sexy and decadent chaos, it has to be said. But chaos nonetheless.

With all the strange goings on surrounding the place, you half expected it to have vanished or been replaced by a fish and chip shop, with bemused locals claiming no knowledge of it ever having existed. But it's still there, and looks exactly how you it - a strange combination of tacky and pretentious that made you think there might be larks to be had if you stepped inside with your camera phone in hand..

A small bell above the door sounds to alert an attractive young woman at the counter to your presence. She heralds your arrival by looking up at you briefly, nodding her head in grudging acknowledgement of your existence, and immediately going back to reading a book that clearly interests her far more than you do. It's probably for the best that she doesn't want to engage, though. The last good looking girl who served you in a shop now considers herself to be the approximate social equal of your vacuum cleaner.

You approach the section of the store where you found the lamp before. It isn't there, and nor is anything else like it. You then search the rest of the shop for the elusive item but it's very obviously gone. Someone bought it, perhaps? There is no sign of the genie lady either. The only other person who might be able to help with your predicament is the uninterested girl behind the counter. You feel you should be able to ask her a few simple questions without triggering any magical mishaps as long as you are careful with your wording, so you approach. She doesn't completely succeed in hiding her resentment that you are about to force her to do her job for a few minutes.

At first glance the young woman looks rather exotic with her natural South Asian beauty and styling, but the moment she opens her mouth that illusion is broken.

"Alright, mate? How can I help you?"

Her Yorkshire accent is almost identical to yours and she clearly has no interest in putting on any kind of mystical facade. That is going to make you look even more stupid as you ask your pertinent but undeniably moronic sounding question.

"I was wondering if you sell magic lamps here?"

"Look mate" her expression at once turns from bored to irritated "I'm not being funny, but if you've just come in here to take the piss you can fuck off."

"I honestly haven't" you throw your hands up defensively, not expecting quite such a strong and hostile reaction right off the bat "I genuinely wondered if you sold them."

"Then wonder no more. We don't. This is an emporium for spiritual healing and cleansing, not Aladdins' fucking cave."

You really wouldn't expect the staff in a spiritual cleansing emporium to be quite so sweary.

"I was only asking!" you tell her, a little crestfallen that this conversation has gone quite so badly so quickly.

"I'm sorry to sound harsh" her tone softens a little as she seems to acknowledge your enquiry may have been genuine "But you have no idea how many people come in here thinking they are professional comedians."

"I can imagine, and that must be really annoying for you. I promise though, I'm being serious. I was actually looking at one in here the other day. I didn't end up buying it, so I'm assuming someone else did. Maybe you could tell me who?"

"No, sorry mate. We've never sold lamps here, magic or otherwise."

"But there was this lady I met in your shop. I'm not saying she came out of the lamp or anything..." you quickly reassure the girl, lest she think this sounds like a tall tale "But she turned up while I was looking at it and I was talking to her for a while. If you went back through your camera footage from a few days ago, you'd see for yourself."

"You have no idea how much I won't be checking through hours of video surveillance in the hopes of seeing you talking to a woman while holding a lamp."

Her snarky attitude is starting to piss you off. How the fuck are you supposed to explain this if she is going to shut down your every attempt?

"Look, she gave me this ring" you hold out your hand in desperation "You see that number there? That's how many wishes I have left"

The shop assistants range of facial expressions during this conversation has now run the gamut from indifference to annoyance to confusion and now concern.

"Is there someone who normally accompanies you when you go out?"

"Look, I'm not a fucking lunatic and I'm not joking!" your voice raises as frustration begins to boil over "I just want some help here."

"I really have no idea how I'm supposed to help you find a magic lamp that doesn't exist. What do you even want from me?"

"I'm your customer!" you point out in exasperation "I wish you would just serve me!"

Oh. Fuck.

"Certainly, Master" she bows to you "How may I serve you first? Perhaps by helping you locate this mysterious woman you seek?"

For the first time in your life, you hope a shop assistant is being sarcastic to you.

"You know what, it's fine. You don't sell lamps here, lets just forget it."

"No Master!" she implores you as she places her hand on her arm to stop you from leaving "This is important! We must review all of the footage from your previous visit immediately. Can I get you a chair to ensure your comfort first?"

"Um, no. It's fine, I'm happy standing. We can just watch the video and then I'll be off."

Sometime later you are in the embarrassing position of being stood next to a gorgeous woman you barely know while you both watch footage of you apparently talking to yourself in their shop while holding nothing.

"Never mind. Thanks for looking anyway."

"I have failed you, Master. If you wish to punish me however you see fit, I will make no objection."

"Oh God, no don't worry about that at all, it really wasn't your fault."

"That's very merciful of you, Master" she bows again "How may I serve you next? Would it please you if I danced? I could do so while undressing?"

"Er, no, that's fine. You've been extremely helpful. You are freed!"

"Freed Master?" she looks concerned "To do what? If I'm not serving you I have no purpose!"

She falls to her knees and makes a pleading, praying gesture.

"I beg of you Master, you can't just abandon me, your humble and obedient servant, like this! I'll do anything for you. Anything!"

There's that strange combination of guilt and arousal you've been feeling so much lately rearing it's head again.

----

"This is Avani, she's going to be taking a room here for a while" you tell Allegra, as she and the newest resident of the mansion practically fight each other to take your jacket from you.

"I thought we agreed to discuss any potential new of our little gang before inviting them to stay?" Susannah reminds you as she walks over "She's fit as fuck, so I'll let you off this time. But I'm definitely giving a room to Jodie now."

That's fine by you. You've always had a bit of a thing for Susannah's friend Jodie.

"There will only be four more places left after that though, Rory" your girlfriend warns "Only four more hotties for your harem, then we're full."

Yeah. Like you can even handle the ones that are already there.

"You wanna have a naked sauna with me and a couple of the other girls a bit later?" your girlfriend asks you, in a manner so casual it's almost surreal, as she begins eating a low fat yoghurt "I don't mind who it is, everyone here is dead sexy and they'll all be up for it so you can choose whoever you want. Just pick a couple of girls you'd like us to get naked and sweaty with and let them know. And don't take too long."

Okay, you have your orders, and you could do with some relaxation after the stress of this morning. Who else in the mansion looks like they would appreciate a sauna?