Swappers 2 Chapter Five (Patreon)

New Orleans was humid, hot, and caused her blouse to stick to every surface of her wrinkled skin. The Usher Hotel was stately and grand, exuding an elegance both intentional and virtual. Mindy knew it was all electro-facade, but some architect really knew their stuff, creating what appeared to be an immense hotel with white columns, windowed “negative space skylights” and other dimensional illusions that could never have existed in modern construction. She got to the hotel mid-afternoon, and was ushered to a lovely room on the fourth floor.

She hung up all her outerwear and placed her undergarments into the drawers. She had just sat down on the veranda and had lit a cigarette when her tablet chimed.

It again asked her for her B-ID, and M-ID and then a screen spawned.

YOU WILL BE PICKED UP A 9AM TOMORROW OUTSIDE THE LOBBY. DO NOT BE LATE, DO NOT CONTACT THE FACILITY OR ANY AUTHORITIES.

<end of message>

She exhaled. Well, that was that. Nothing to do but wait.

She smoked, and drank her tea. She’d been more of a coffee person as Mindy, but Janice apparently enjoyed tea, she found she was craving something as she arrived at the hotel and when she spotted the drink vendor, she’d ordered it without thinking, with lemon and sugar, and two teaspoons of cream.

It had been a long year being Mindy. The courts had held onto the estate of Leo Radikal for many months, and even with the relief of him expiring she still had quite a large payroll, staff, and business that needed to make money. They’d jumped into Erotique immediately, and Mindy had found herself enjoying the entire experience.

She’d been the star, of course, so the shooting happened around her. It was tough being a part of the action while also directing others in their places. She’d relied a lot on Jessica, as well as Jeff, the production manager. Somehow, they’d worked together to produce the video and had a LOT of marketing in pre-release: parties, events, online and offline. Mindy had given interviews, they’d sent out several teaser videos to all the porn houses, and by the time it launched, Erotique stood to make the most out of any erotic production in years.

The launch had helped solidify her finances, and solidified her persona as Mindy Montana as well. She’d hardly seen Michelle or Justin during the year and had actually been surprised Michelle had contacted her for the trip.

So strange to think just a little more than a year ago she had been Justin Klein, an electrician. She’d been married to Michelle had been planning a family, where she would have been a father…she shuddered.

All so strange and alien now. She remembered having a cock, remembered making love to people, how it felt, but it was distant, a memory. Now she wished for a cock to fill her, someone with strong muscles who would take her slowly, grinding…she felt her face flush. Janice wasn’t that old, maybe there was still some play in the old broad. After all, who knew what would happen tomorrow. This might be the last night she had to let off some steam and let her hair down…

The thought of her hair, had her sliding her fingers through the gray beehive. The gal at the salon had said there wasn’t much she could do with the resources she had to make a dramatic change. She wondered what kind of resources would be needed.

She went back into the apartment and to the full sized room tab. She triggered the mirror effect, and stared at her new body.

The heat really had not been kind. Her makeup had congealed a bit, and mascara streaked from the corners of her eyes. If anything the heat had caused her gray curls to grow even tighter, and sweat pooled in the armpits of her blouse.

There had been a pool downstairs, and she figured a nice dip might be just what the doctor ordered.

She ordered a suit from the in room vendor on the room tab, something classic but definitely not revealing. The door pinged and she retrieved the package from the slot a few minutes later.

Taking off her clothes, she stepped into the bathroom and thoroughly washed her face, then moisturized. She put on a touch of waterproof makeup, just to hide the wrinkles and outline her eyes, then colored her lips a bit with a light orange shade to hide the smokers pucker. She slipped on the suit, then stared at her body in the mirror.

It wasn’t the best site, but it wasn’t horrible, either. She lifted her arms and saw the bird wings underneath…she’d have to remember not to raise her arms.

She put on a light robe, then wrapped her head, hair and neck in a white scarf. She put back on the large black sunglasses, and made kissing motions to the mirror. She looked like an aging movie star, which she supposed, she was.

Slipping on a pair of mules, she picked up a bag with a towel, and left the apartment.

At the pool, she set up in a chair by the waters’ edge. Several children were laughing and splashing at the other end. She set down her things, took off the scarf and shawl, then climbed down the ladder into the water.

She let the cool water release the tension inside her, sighing. Jessica would be okay. She had to be. She’d been there the entire year, at her side, eager to help her adjust to being Mindy, or with the production, or with food. She’d made her laugh, lightened her load, held her when she cried, encouraged her when she fell. She’d be there for Jessica in return, she couldn’t let her down, not now, not when things were starting to go their way.

Tears bit her eyes. A pool boy came and took her order. Absently, she ordered a gin and tonic.

Sliding under the surface of the water, she let it close over her head, sound becoming garbled, letting the world above slide away, submerged above, her body below. She could hide here. In this pool, in this moment, crying for a love she didn’t know she even felt until it was missing. She hoped they weren’t hurting her, torturing her, doing other things, bad things, things that would make her cry. She closed her eyes tight, not wanting the image of Jessica hurting to cause panic inside her.

No. It would be okay. She just had to do as they asked. She’d done it so far, hadn’t she? Hadn’t raised an alarm, hadn’t asked for any help at all, hadn’t gone to the authorities. She was here, alone in this dreadful body, scared out of her mind, wanting Jessica back, now, right now, in her arms.

She stood up, water cascading over her face.

Someone handed her a towel. “Here, you need this more than me.”

An older gentleman stooped to hand her a towel. She smiled and wiped her face. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem. Looks like help has arrived.”

The pool boy set her gin and tonic by the side of the pool. She smiled at him. “Thank you, dear.”

“No problem Mrs. Halloway!” He smiled and walked away.

The gentleman chuckled as Mindy stepped out of the pool. He held out his hand to help her with the last few steps. She took it, shaking a little at the pain in her hip.

“Careful now,” he said, his voice deep. “You don’t want to break that hip again.”

She looked at him. “How did you know I’d broken my hip?”

He grinned. “Trick of the trade. I’m a surgeon.”

She smiled, wrapping herself in the towel and sitting down in the chair, panting a bit.

“I’m Dominic Steel.”

“Mi…I mean, Janice Halloway.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Janice.” He kissed her hand lightly

She rolled her eyes. “Flatterer.”

“Hey, I can’t help it. I’m attracted to people who eschew societies expectations of beauty.”

“Now you’re calling me ugly!”

He held out his hands. “No! I just am sick of pretentiousness. So many people trying to be young at a time where age should be revered, not surrendered.”

She rolled her eyes again, taking a sip of her drink. When had she ordered a gin and tonic? She always drank champagne.

The alcohol floated across her taste-buds, and she savored the coolness and the bite. Okay, she could get used to this.

“Staying long at the Usher?”

She shrugged. The reservation was for three nights, but she wondered if she’d need it. “Supposed to be three nights.”

“But may be longer?”

“Depends on what happens tomorrow, I suppose.”

The man slid beside her, sitting down on a chair beneath her umbrella.

They watched the swimmers. Kids smashed and ran and yelled, teens awkwardly interacted with each other, laughing nervously and flipping hair, Mothers and Fathers attempted to keep their kids under control but had alcohol in their hands, single swimmers dove and moved amongst all, quietly cooling off in the relaxing water.

“Were we ever that young?”

Mindy looked to see where he was indicating. His eyes were on a group of young people, laughing and talking loudly, tight and trim and beautiful.

“Yesterday,” Mindy said with a sigh.

Dominic chuckled. “So tell me about yourself, Janice.”

She sipped her drink, digging in her purse for a cigarette. “Not much to tell, really.”

Dominic leaned over and lit her cigarette in a smooth motion.

“I doubt that, very much.”

She chuckled, coughing slightly. “Yes, well, standard stuff…” she thought back to the information she’d been given at The Facility. “I’m 74, widowed, three grown kids, former real estate executive.”

As she said the words, pictures from Janice’s memories started filling into her mind. She saw her kids, she actually had grandkids, and an image of her dead husband along with other images. She put her hand to her head, closing her eyes as the rush of images created quite a bit of a headache.

“Are you alright, my dear?”

She nodded. “Think I’ve had a little too much sun.”

“Shall we go indoors, then?” Dominic smiled and held out a hand to her. 

She looked at his wrinkled hand. She could refuse, of course, just go back to her hotel room and watch vid streams until it was time to sleep, but she felt quite lost at the moment, rudderless. All her friends, taken, in a strange city, strange communications from a shadowy group. She didn’t like feeling so alone and someone was offering to help her up.

She placed her own liver-spotted hand in his and allowed herself to be helped to her feet.

“Yes.” She grabbed her cane. 

He lead her indoors, and held a chair out for her at a small table near the restaurant.

“Here’s milady, let me get you some water.”

Dominic hobbled away, and returned a few minutes later with a tall glass of water with a slice of cucumber.

“Thank you,” Mindy said, her voice shaky for some reason. “Not sure what came over me.”

“We have to be wary of the sun, my dear.” Dominic sat next to her, still holding her hand. “We aren’t who we used to be anymore.”

She took a long drink. “You can say that again.”

Dominic drank his water, and squeezed her fingers. “I hope you don’t mind…” he glanced at their hands.

“No,” Mindy said. “It is reassuring.” She smiled softly, squeezing his hand. It  was reassuring, he was solid, someone to lean on in this moment. It felt good, and right somehow, and she needed his presence for some reason, badly. She didn’t like feeling so alone, so it was helping calm her jittery nerves.

“So what brings you to New Orleans?”

Mindy shrugged. For a moment she thought about telling him everything. But whoever had taken Jessica and Michelle were probably watching her every move. She looked around at the people in the restaurant, wondering which one, or ones might be watching them even now.

“Oh, I’m visiting a relative,” Mindy said.

“Nothing serious, I hope?”

She shrugged. “We’ll see, I suppose. I go in tomorrow at 8 AM.”

“A hospital?”

Mindy gave a vague shrug. “Not really sure what type of facility it will be.”

“Would you do me the honor of driving you to the appointment? I promise to “get lost” after, but I would like to make sure you get there safe and sound.”

Mindy thought about that. It would be nice to have someone help her into and out of an e-car, it was getting more and more difficult to navigate these old bones. But the note had said she’d be picked up.

“The facility will be collecting me tomorrow for the visit. Thank you for the offer, Dominic.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “I am honored.”

She smiled, her heart skipping a few beats, then remembered Jessica, and quietly slipped her hand from his. 

“I think I shall go up to my room and order in. I’m feeling very tired.”

He sighed, and nodded. “I regret I will be unable to buy you dinner tonight, Janice. Will you allow me the honor tomorrow night, upon your return?”

She smiled. “I’m not at all certain I’ll be back tomorrow night. I suspect they’ll be wanting me to stay awhile, but if I am here, I would enjoy that very much, Dominic.”

He kissed her hand again. “Then until tomorrow, my fair Janice.”