Not Real. Not Imaginary.

PART ONE: NINA. [The meeting]

In that moment, the train stopped and I came back to the present.

I looked down at my phone, and noticed I had a couple unread messages. I suddenly wished Greer could text. Since Greer wasn’t real, he didn’t have a phone so whenever I was out of home, we were uncommunicated.

When I checked the messages, I was surprised to see one from Terry. I opened it in a panic, thinking maybe I was late already, maybe I had gotten the time wrong...every possible bad scenario passed through my mind in the split of a second…got my anxiety to thank for that!.

“I’m sorry kitten, I’ll be a couple minutes late, my reunion was delayed and it will take longer than expected.”

She was an important business woman, so it wasn’t strange that sometimes our meetings were cancelled, rescheduled, or delayed. And whatever had happened, she always paid me for my time even when we didn’t get to meet.

“It’s okay, I’ll wait in the Caffé in front of the Hotel” I was already there, and it would be a waste to just go back home after all it took to finally get up. My phone rang again:

“Excellent” was all she replied. But I knew from just that, she was eager to meet up.

After a short walk I got to the Caffé and took a seat in one of the cubicles. I always sat at the corner; it helped me get cozy and made me feel slightly safer when I was out and surrounded by people. I took out a book and started reading where I had left it last time I had to wait for the meeting.

I ordered some tea, and I was taking a sip (after sneakily taking a couple bites of the Pop Tarts I had brought with me), when I saw a familiar face walking towards me.

She sat in front of me and smiled sweetly, as she usually did.

“It’s been a while, kitten.” her cheerful tone revealed once more, just how eager she was.

“Terry, you look great.” I couldn’t stop myself from complimenting her. She really knew how to dress and there was an innate elegance to her being that could be intimidating at times.

The mild sun rays reflected on her coppery red hair, making it seem like liquid fire, flowing on cascades at the sides of her mildly tanned face. She was wearing a navy-blue dress that hugged her figure in a very generous way.

I can’t lie, sometimes felt jealous of her physique, but I surely wasn’t jealous of her work schedule.

“Should we get going? I’m afraid I won’t have as much time. My schedule is a chaos right now.”

With a chuckle, I nodded seeing her impatient expression. It seemed so childish and out of place in her.

I got up, putting the book back in my bag, and followed Terry.

When I walked to the register to pay, Terry pulled me towards her and handed her credit card like it was nothing. I rolled my eyes and gave her a scolding look, to which she answered with an eye roll.

We walked in the Hotel and she led the way to the restaurant. We were led to a very private table and she moved the chair for me to sit. I blushed as the waiter looked at us with a confused expression. He must’ve been new as the rest of the staff was used to seeing the way Terry treated me whenever we went there. I sat as she moved my chair closer.

“Thank you” My gratefulness was answered with a gallant smile.

“Anything for you kitten…” She answered seductively, and the waiter´s eyes widened. After a minute or so, he cleared his throat and handed us the menu. “We won’t need it. The chef knows what we’ll order already. Thank you” She gave the waiter a scolding look, as she had obviously noticed how he stared, and the waiter lowered his gaze and left as an embarrassment expression showed on his face.

We talked a little before the food arrived, mostly just catching up as to what we both did after the last time we met. The waiter came back and placed a Margherita pizza in front of me, and a plate of Bolognese spaghetti in front of Terry. We ate in silence. I was sure she hadn’t had time to eat that day and wanted to let her enjoy her food. As I assumed, she finished it quickly and washed it down with a glass of sparkling, orange infused water.

“Let’s go kitten.” She said, getting up after paying and signing the bill. I followed her lead and got up. She led me to the elevator and pressed the number of the last floor, where the best room of the Hotel was.

She always reserved the best room even if we weren’t really going to spend that much time there.

As soon as we walked in, she kicked her shoes away and threw herself on the bed, face first. I couldn’t quiet down a chuckle at the scene.

“Someone’s work is being a bit too draining, huh?”

She usually didn’t complain, so I started to do it for her. Her answer was a very long groan, which again, made me chuckle. The contrast between her intimidating business woman façade and her childish one, was very cute and slightly funny.

“Okay miss, dress off”

She stood up at the feet of the bed and took her dress off, tossing it aside. As it was to be expected, her underwear looked expensive, classy and sexy at the time. I sneakily admired her slim, well-worked body and started rolling my sleeves up and making sure the frills were tucked in so they wouldn’t get in the way.

She laid on her stomach and sighed heavily:

“I don’t know what I’d do without you kitten…”

I rolled my eyes at the dramatism of the phrase and took the oil bottles from my bag, showing them to her so she picked one. Her favorite was lavender, it helped her relax, and, there was something in her that made me think lavender really suited her. This time she picked roses, and I was kind of surprised, and hesitant; I felt odd since I didn’t think it would suit her, but she was the one that made the decisions and they usually were correct, so I just complied.

I climbed onto the bed and poured a small amount of the liquid in my hands, rubbing them together to warm it up a little and make sure I’d be able to spread it evenly. I kneeled at her side and then slid over her, straddling her thighs. As soon as my hands made contact with the smooth skin of her back, she sighed again, relaxing a bit more. I shyly unhooked her mauve colored, lace bra, and started rubbing all over her back, applying a bit more pressure on her shoulders and neck, and on her waist and lower back.

She fell asleep at some point during the session, and I knew I had to wake her up...but she just looked so peaceful….

I heard her phone vibrate in her purse and reached for it after whipping my hands. I had gained her trust so I knew she wouldn’t get upset if I checked for her, since she 'wasn't available' at the moment....

We met each other a while back, when I had just left my parents’ house and looked for refuge with a stranger that showed a bit of interest in me, so I thought I was safe, but it turned out, that it was one of the greatest mistakes of my life.

I met her in a 'dating app' and she offered to help me find a place where I could live, and to pay for the bills, at least while I was able to do it on my own. In exchange, she only wanted me to be available for her whenever she needed me to be. I thought she’d be after something…sexual…but it turned out she just wanted company and someone to relax with whenever she was free from work.

She had worked really hard to get where she was and, as a result, she didn’t have many people around her that could do what she was asking of me.

The vibration on her phone was a reminder of a reunion she had to attend in about 30 minutes. I sighed knowing it wouldn’t be the easiest task to wake her up, and almost wanting to ask her assistant to reschedule so Terry could sleep for a bit longer. But I also knew Terry enjoyed her job, no matter how demanding it was, so I applied the technique Greer had used earlier on me.

“Terry, wake up, you have a meeting...” I spoke softly so she would wake up as smoothly as possible...and meanwhile, I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her aggressively. She opened her eyes and looked at me. For a split second, I could swear I saw an unknown spark in her eyes, almost as if the grey ice had melted from them and left something warmer come forth.

She sat up on the bed and her bra slid down her arms. I gasped and covered my eyes after getting an accidental glimpse of her well-doted front. I grabbed the bra and held it up in front of her as I kept covering my eyes with the other hand. She lazily took it and put it on, then she yawned and got up stretching.

After sliding back into her dress and checking on her makeup and hair, she dedicated a satisfied smile in my direction.

“You really know how to get me to relax. Now I have to run again though…” She sighed with a disappointed look on her face, then she walked to the door and opened it for me, so I stepped outside.

I was eager to get home and spend the rest of the day with Greer. I really needed to see her, and I wanted to tell her all about what I had seen on my way to the encounter with Terry and back home.

I fell asleep as soon as the train started to move, and then, the few happy memories I had, invaded my dreams.