Summer

A red Audi R8 growled to a stop at the curb. Ellie erupted from the passenger door. She wore two-inch red high heeled peep-toe pumps, and seemed to tower over the diminutive Chloe. She seemed to have been poured into a tiny red dress that matched her heels perfectly. Her face was beauty personified and expertly made up and her long auburn hair hung down in what used to be called a French Marcel, parted in the middle and flowing down to just past her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes were a vivid cornflower blue. Her lipstick matched her dress and heels. Ellie reminded Chloe of the 40’s actor Hedy Lamarr. Her features were fine and delicate and her long wavy hair framed her face perfectly.

“You made it, Chloe!” She exclaimed excitedly, “You’re actually here!”

Chloe had video conferenced with Ellie and her husband many times in the last few weeks but in person the accent was far more precise and pitch perfect, unrehearsed and naturally aristocratic.

Her partner slouched behind the wheel. His dark hair was casually flicked back and relatively short. In keeping with the Classic Movie Star theme, Jimmy’s features reminded Chloe of a young Ronald Reagan. Like the actor, he was also tall and wide shouldered, with an athlete’s build and ruggedly handsome.

While the car idled at the curb, Ellie enfolded Chloe in a bearlike hug, whispering into her ear, “I’m so happy you made it here love!” She gushed as she continued, “Jimmy bought it this morning, isn’t it simply marvellous?” She pointed excitedly around at the tiny red sports car. The car was sleek and low to the ground and only had two visible seats and a tiny space behind the driver’s and passenger seat that didn’t look big enough to seat a toddler.

Ellie slid into the black leather passenger seat, and patted her lap. “Throw your haversack into the back and sit on my lap, Chloe. I promise I won’t bite…..much.” She giggled.

Chloe managed to sling her backpack in the little space behind the front seats and sat down on Ellie’s lap. Ellie closed the door.

“Chloe, you’re as light as a feather, I’m sure,” Ellie’s husband Jimmy said as he revved the motor and the little red car rocketed into the traffic.

The car smelled brand new and was incredible. Jimmy drove like he was a trained racing driver. He expertly weaved through traffic, changed lanes and swung onto a side road which led to a set of aeroplane hangers a few miles from the main airport. They drove into a smallish hanger and parked alongside a sleek looking white two engine plane. “Our Fairchild Merlin,” Ellie explained, pointing at the plane. It looked like a small Concord but with propellers. She drew a breath, “We bought it from John Travolta and it can carry 6 passengers.” The propellers were black and yellow, almost waspish. They all levered themselves out of the car and Jimmy led Chloe and Ellie up the stairs, which he closed behind them.

Jimmy pointed at the twin row of empty seats. “Sit anywhere,” he suggested as he maneuvered his tall frame into the left seat of the cockpit. Ellie sat primly in the co-pilot seat and they both pulled on a pair of headphones and snapped buckles around themselves while telling Chloe to buckle a wide safety belt around her waist.

The plane gave a small lurch as it was towed from its hanger by what looked like an overgrown lawn tractor. Ellie was pulling the steering yoke back and forth and her feet danced over the foot pedals while Jimmy flicked various switched and pulled back on some levers.

The tractor disengaged and the plane vibrated as the propellers began rotating faster and faster, whining louder and louder until they became just a blur. Ellie spoke into her headset. As the plane moved forward under its own power, she steered it to a wide concrete runway. She waited, the plane straining at the brakes, its propellers clawing at the air. Ellie slipped off the brakes and the plane accelerated down the runway. Her hands and Jimmy’s pushed forward on a pair of what looked like stick shifts and the propellers sang faster and louder. They pulled back on the steering yokes, and the plane lifted into the air.

There was an audible ‘thunk’ throughout the plane as the wheels disappeared. The plane’s nose lifted and they climbed higher and higher. As soon as the plane leveled off, Ellie unbuckled her seatbelts and made her way over to Chloe.

“Jimmy doesn’t need me at the moment,” she yelled over the drone as she sat down on the seat across from Chloe. Pointing at the other four empty seats she continued, “We’ll fly at about 315 mph, for about two hours.” She continued, “Next time, when your more comfortable, we’ll induct you into the ‘mile-high club’!” She giggled over the sound of the planes engines.

Chloe looked out the window after Ellie returned to the cockpit. The sky was as blue as Ellie’s eyes and the clouds reminded her of the intro to ‘The Simpsons’.

Chloe hardly noticed as the plane’s aspect changed to a shallow downward glide as it began descending. The same audible ‘thunk’ pulled her from her reverie as the wheels reappeared from under the wings. Jimmy and Ellie were busy again pulling levers and flicking switches. Their deceleration was instant as the wheels touched earth. The engines drone became a howl as they slowed down, until the aircraft was trundling forward towards a hanger adjacent to the runway that had been graded and leveled out of the foliage.

Ellie and Jimmy waited until the propellers ground to a stop. They pulled off their headsets and unbuckled themselves.

“Ellie, you can take Chloe up to the house,” he suggested. “I’ll do the after flight checks and put this baby to bed,” he drawled, his English accent as well educated and aristocratic as Ellie’s.

On the walk to the house, Chloe looked nervous and tired. Her limp was a little exaggerated from her fatigue, and Ellie noticed this. “Why child, you look exhausted. Let’s let you take a warm bath, get some supper into you, and then show you your bed. We can talk over any last minute details and questions while we eat.”

Chloe was definitely nervous, overly tense, and a little fear of the unknown was giving her the beginnings of a headache. The bath helped, as did the food. Over the meal, Ellie reiterated that Chloe was to try dress and appear in her mid teens. Certainly her body fitted the role Ellie had chosen, with her hair in a pony tail or pig tails and subtle make up she knew she could achieve the look Ellie and Jimmy were asking for. Posing as their daughter home the summer. While playing this role, she’d be involved in having sex with guests and performing sex acts for their visual pleasure as well. Chloe nodded, hoping that she’d at least achieve a modicum of sexual gratification to keep her heightened needs somewhat satisfied. Before Chloe retired for the night, Ellie stated, “Depending on how late you sleep, Jimmy and I may be gone to fetch the arriving guests. If that’s the case, I’ll leave you the fixings for breakfast or brunch, and you just help yourself. This is now your home, so feel free to do what you want, dear.”

Chloe nodded her understanding, gave her a goodnight kiss, and managed to undress and crawl into bed. She was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

The next morning, Chloe stretched herself awake, pulled on only a T-shirt and a short skirt, and padded out to the kitchen. There she found a note from Ellie saying they were off fetching the new guests, as planned. Chloe had no trouble finding good things to eat and felt awake and refreshed after eating. Unfortunately, as time passed, she found herself nervously pacing around inside the house, waiting for Ellie to return. “I can’t stay inside for another minute or I’ll lose my courage, wondering how this is going to go. I need to get outside and get some fresh air and sunshine. Walking around outside has to be better than staring at these four walls, waiting,” she mumbled.

So saying, she headed outside, and immediately felt a little better. Exploring, she came upon a large enclosure. Most of it was in a deep shade, but out in the sunny section, she spied a lovely looking dog, who pricked up his ears, seeing her. Rusty was a tall husky. His name came from his coat. Unlike most huskies, his coat was a rusty brown with cream brows and muzzle that was indicative of his breed. Tall, with paws bigger and broader than an average dog’s, his tail displayed a creamy tip and his eyes were an intelligent chocolate brown.

“Oh, I recognize you from Ellie’s talking about you. You’re called Rusty, aren’t you, boy?” Rusty wagged his tail, hearing his name, so Chloe entered the enclosure, carefully securing the gate behind herself. In a friendly gesture, she knelt and offered her wrist, palm down, to invite him to sniff. Rusty came bounding up sniffed the offered wrist, tail wagging, and then nudged against her.

She gently pushed him away from her as he sidled up alongside her again. She knelt up straighter and looked into his intelligent brown eyes.