Mercedes Bends

"This whore is the only chance your daughter will have of ever seeing college because her lazy good for nothing father will never get a job. This whore just clothed your child while you thumped your bible and would have sent her to school in hand me downs, just like our parents did to us!"

"Oh, so you think you can buy the rights to my child, is that it? You think money means everything?"

"I think that if you were truly a man of God you would not deny your sister the right to talk to her beautiful niece."

"I will not allow my daughter to speak to the likes of you." He said quietly, "Just because you sell yourself doesn't mean others are for sale."

"I am no longer a..."

"Really?" he cut in. "You're not?"

"No, I..."

"Sell sex in a club in New York, a club that everyone but the police seem to know sells sex right there on the spot. So what are you now my sister? A pimp? You whore others instead of yourself?"

Mercedes was stunned. How the hell did he know about the Velvet Rope? Back when Roger and her were children they were close and like most twins there were times they seemed to be able to read each other's thoughts, and Roger's next words showed that might still be the case.

"How did I know, is that what you're thinking?" he laughed harshly. "Even us bumpkins have the internet Tonya, or..." he laughed again "Should I call you Mercedes? That's what you go by now isn't it?"

"Roger, what I do has..."

"You arrogant slut." He continued, "So much better than us that you taught yourself not to speak like us, so above us you even changed your name. So ashamed of what you are you straighten your hair so it looks like a white women's. What happened sis, someone tell you Tonya was too black of a name for the Johns?"

"Don't you dare speak to..."

"Don't you dare?" he laughed again, "Is that how you start your, what did that article call them, sessions? A friend went up to New York a few months ago sent me a link and low and behold what comes up, but a picture of my own sister! The Mistress Mercedes, owner of the Velvet Rope and the most expensive whore on the East Coast."

He was getting the better of her and knew it, hang up she told herself, but instead she listened as he continued.

"Fifteen hundred dollars for an hour session. That's what that article said," he whistled, "Damn sis you're pretty, but that's crazy and it said most of the time you don't even have sex with them!"

"I don't." she said, snapping herself out of her stupor and trying to defend herself. "Its just games, they..."

"Most of the time!" he interrupted her. "But sometimes I bet you do, maybe that costs even more! So what do you do Mercedes, make the rich white guys hand you a check to treat you like the poor black girl you really are? Do you use your accent for them, call them massa?"

"Fuck you Roger!" she shouted into the phone.

"Fuck me? Your own brother? I'm sure you would for the right price."

"You..."

"Never call here again Tonya, and don't send any more money. My daughter doesn't need gifts her aunt paid for with her ass."

The phone went dead in her hand and letting it fall to the table; Mercedes put her head in her hands and fought against the tears welling up in her eyes. She should have never called, should have just let it alone. Or at least not argued with Michelle first, Roger couldn't have been there the entire time.

Mercedes took long deep breaths, squeezing her eyes shut and struggling not to let the tears escape down her cheeks. This was nothing new, just the same old pain; she should be able to handle it by now.

"Everything okay?"

Mercedes nodded without looking up.

"Are you sure?"

She paused, using the heels of her hands to wipe at her eyes, and looking up, saw Jack standing in front of her.

"I'm positive." She said softly, not yet trusting her voice.

"Do you need anything?"

"Nothing you'd want to give me," she told him rolling her eyes, leave it to a man to get her back to being angry rather than upset.

"Look, I saw you were upset and came over to..."

"See if you could help?" she asked, "Is this the sensitive man routine?"

"No Miss smart ass, this is the bartender coming over because one of the patrons just shouted an f-bomb and now looks like she's crying. The other customers are looking and I need to make sure you're okay."

"You're the bartender?" she asked dubiously.

"Yeah, I work here." He nodded, and then gesturing to the chair across from her asked, "May I, just for a minute?"

As she nodded, she said, "But you bought me a drink."

"I was on my break and thought I'd spend a few minutes talking to an attractive woman."

"I see. Well..."

"Look, I know you probably thought I was one of those Wall Street assholes that come here all the time and figured I was on the make, but..."

"You weren't?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I...okay, kind of, but I'm not a rich married guy looking to score, I just..." he shrugged, "Think you're pretty damn beautiful and wanted to talk to you. But I guess I came across wrong and anyway now I'm working and you know how this place is, if you'd yelled again they be escorting you out."

"I appreciate your concern." Mercedes told him, "And I'm sorry I was a bitch before. I just..."

"Have some shit going on," he smiled, "I'm a bartender, "I hear it all day long. Sometimes I think I should be a shrink."

"Everything okay Jack?" Her waiter asked as he came over to the table.

"Yup," Jack said standing, "This young lady just received some bad news and got a little upset, everything's okay."

"You're sure ma'am?" he asked, looking from Jack to her.

"I'm just fine." She replied.

"Yeah you are," Jack replied with a wink.

It was an exaggerated one and he gave her a goofy smile to go along with it. Departing from her normally aloof persona, Mercedes smiled at him.

"Nice smile, lights up those eyes."

"Okay, let's not push it." She replied, but laughed.

"Speaking of fine," the waiter said reaching out and tapping Jack's arm. "Look at this."

Jack turned to look and said; "Goddamn!" he appeared to look closer and exclaimed, "Rich I swear that's..."

Mercedes rolled her eyes and sat back to watch the show. The High Lady of The Circle had arrived.

*****

Mercedes watched as, like the Red Sea before Moses, the crowd of well dressed patrons of the cafe parted before Victoria Redding. Admittedly more than a little vain, Mercedes knew there was an air of chaos that surrounded attractive women. However, that chaos was magnified tenfold, when the woman in question was not only attractive, but a well known super model.

As Victoria made her way towards her table, Mercedes rolled her eyes at the reaction around her. Eyes widened, jaws dropped, and men of all ages received dirty looks from their wives and girlfriends as they gawked like teenagers who'd never seen a woman before.

Then again, in their defense, Victoria was far from your typical woman. To say Victoria was gorgeous was like saying Hell was a little warm. Tall and slender, Victoria had legs that seemed to go forever. That look was heightened by a combination of the very short white skirt and matching heeled sandals she was wearing. The sandals had to add four inches to her and featured straps that wrapped her legs to tie just behind her knees. Victoria's top was a modest white blouse, but it was unbuttoned to reveal a red lace shirt beneath that left her flat tanned stomach bare.

There flash of light around her stomach as the sun caught the diamond pendent dangling from her naval. The shirt was tight and low cut, pushing Victoria's breasts up and exposing more than a little cleavage. Like the rest of her, Victoria's tits were perfect, not too large, but far from small. Victoria's perfection wasn't limited to her amazing body. Her long honey blonde hair was down despite the heat and even from several feet away; Mercedes could see her trademark, wide baby blue eyes, beaming as she watched everyone watch her.

She stopped two tables from Mercedes to speak to a woman and a young blonde girl. Victoria said something that was accompanied by a huge practiced smile and a head toss that made Mercedes roll her eyes. Victoria went down to one knee and putting her arm around the young girl flashed another flawless smile as the ecstatic mother snapped a picture of the two of them. She gave the little girl a playful kiss on the cheek and Mercedes was aware of a camera flash off to her left.

Turning, she noticed a man leaning against the edge of the doorway leading into the restaurant. He was dressed in plain jeans and a t-shirt and the camera in his hand was not that of an amateur. No doubt he was a paparazzi, but Mercedes had learned that unlike most celebrities, Victoria embraced them and always made sure to put on a show. Whether that was her marketing scheme or her inherent narcissism showing through or both, it didn't matter, because right now Victoria was in full swing.

After rising to her feet she turned to face two men who looked like kids in a candy store when she stepped between them and put her arms around their waist as a waiter snapped a picture.

"That's Victoria Redding!" Jack told the waiter who was standing next him gawking.

"I told you I was waiting for a stunning beauty." She couldn't help saying.

"You weren't kidding!" Jack whistled, "Wow, I..."

"I guess you couldn't have found me too interesting then." She smirked.

"No, it's not that, I..." Jack stammered.

He was cut off by someone bellowing his name and with a last glance at Victoria who was now posing with two teenage girls, Jack looked down at her. "I have to get back to work, um...maybe you can swing by before you leave and..."

"I'll get you an autograph, okay?" she told him, then made a run along gesture with her fingers.

He reluctantly walked towards the bar located against the wall of the restaurant and Mercedes turned back at the sound of laughter. Victoria was getting her picture taken with a couple of college age boys, but a third one, who with his large glasses looked like the typical geek, was stepping away, nervously. After the waiter snapped the photo, Victoria beckoned to the boy who caused another round of laughter as he shook his head.

The laughter turned to cheers when one of the kid's friends caught him by the arm and dragged him over to Victoria. She put her arm around his shoulders, then quickly turning to the side drew her long leg up draped it across him, as she did she faced the camera and leaned her face against his. In an instant her huge friendly smile turned into a look of pure desire that Mercedes knew so well from the meetings. Her big blue eyes narrowed, her full red lips parted and placing her hand with her long red fingernails on his chest, she stuck her tongue out next to his ear.

The sound of dozens of phones snapping pictures filled the plaza and Mercedes saw the camera go off to her left again. The boy was now blushing furiously and laughing; Victoria grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. She held the kiss long enough for people to snap away, then giving him hug, stepped away from him. Mercedes had to laugh at the ridiculous smile that had spread across the kids face and wondered how long it would be before pictures of her teasing the poor kid would show up on the net.

Mercedes was one of very few people who knew Victoria specialized in a far darker form of teasing and the Circle would see to it those pictures would never be seen by anyone but the group. Victoria made a show of giving a wave to several of the people watching and turning her back to the crowd finally made it over to the table where she leaned over and gave Mercedes an affectionate kiss on the cheek, before sitting down across from her.

"You know Victoria, sitting down with me in front of a camera may not be the best career move." She pointed out.

"Please dear," she waved her hand at her, "No offense, but you're not that famous. Only a certain crowd would recognize you. Besides," she shrugged, "The guy over there in the jeans is with me, he won't post anything I won't give a green light to. The rest are only going to show their friends the pictures on their phones."

"So he's a plant?" she raised her eyebrows, "You don't get enough exposure?"

"You can never have enough exposure," she laughed, "Or sometimes be exposed enough, no my lady?"

"The Lady Lexi would certainly agree to that." Mercedes nodded as she slid a menu over to Victoria.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I ate already, and I'm just going to have a drink. I should have told you so you wouldn't have waited."

"That's okay." Mercedes said, recalling her phone conversation, "I'm not hungry anyway."

"So...uh...what would you ladies like?" the waiter spoke up nervously.

"I'll have whatever she's been drinking." Victoria pointed at Mercedes empty glass "And she'll have another."

"Y...yes ma'am."

"And try not to drool in them okay?" Mercedes asked.

As he walked away Victoria meowed like a cat and slashed forward with her nails hooked into claws. "Bad day today, my lady?" she laughed.

"Men are idiots." She replied, then looking into Victoria's eyes asked, "So, tell me are you Victoria this afternoon, or shall I be addressing you by your title?"

"Well it has been awhile since we've had some time to speak," Victoria began, than hesitated.

"But..." Mercedes, said softly.

"But I do need to discuss a couple of business matters with you."

"And I will be more than happy to do so my high lady Felicia." Mercedes replied with a slight bow of her head.

"Tonya, we can still be off..."

"Mercedes."

"We don't have too..."

"It is Mercedes regardless of business or pleasure. Remember Felicia, unlike the rest of you I have the same persona in and out of the Circle."

"We've all called you Tonya in the past,"

"Tonya is not what I choose to be called at this time, is that so difficult to understand?"

"A little respect my lady." Victoria said softly, "If I am truly here as your high lady, then mind your tongue, this is not your club."

Mercedes stared hard into Victoria's eyes and saw that they were no longer wide and playful, but had grown as cold as her own gaze.

"My apologies Lady Felicia."

Victoria started to speak, but paused as the waiter placed their drinks in front of them. After almost spilling one because he was staring at her, he walked away and she continued, "That's okay, but you seem a little on edge today my sister, even for you. Is everything alright?"

"I..." she paused as she felt the urge to say something about what had just happened. Taking a deep breath she pushed that urge away, her past was her business and no one needed to know her baggage. "I just have a lot going on right now."

"I think there's more than that." Victoria told her, picking up her drink. "You can..."

"Besides," Mercedes interrupted her, "It's no secret why you're here, I take it Scarlett was not pleased with my performance."

Victoria took a long swallow of the martini and nodded.

"No, Mercedes she was not. But before we go into that, there is another matter I need to discuss."

"Which is?" Mercedes took a sip of her drink, and frowning, put it down, she was too upset to even drink right now.

"The Lady Lexi is in need of a favor from you."

"Then name it and if it's within my power, my sister will have what she needs."

"I believe it is within your power." Victoria nodded, "Is it true that Judge Wilson Bennett is one of your more, shall we say, secretive clients?"

"Apparently not that secretive." Mercedes shook her head and leveled her finger at Victoria, "I have said before that who is entertained at my club is none of even the Circle's business."

"Everything is our business." Victoria told her, "Loki follows who we tell him to. You have no worries Mercedes; we would never expose the Velvet Rope we just want to know who's" she shrugged "Susceptible to some coercion now and then."

"So go on." Mercedes muttered.

"Lexi is trying an important case before Judge Bennett next month. She has the evidence, but they have some people in their pocket and they are going to lean on Bennett. We need someone to lean on him the other way."

"I cannot threaten him, Felicia." Mercedes sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You may not need to, but if..."

"My relationship with Bennett works both ways. Yes he indulges and fairly often in the clubs, back rooms, but he is also a big reason why my club is never bothered or investigated for prostitution." She shrugged. "If I threaten to blow his cover, who is to say he does not blow mine?"

"Because where else would he go to indulge his little kinks?" Victoria smiled, "Whatever he's into, give him more."

"He get's whatever he wants as it is."

"If anything maybe you approaching him would be a show of trust."

"No, he will see it as attempted blackmail." Mercedes put her hands out, "I'm asking him to render a decision in a case for the benefit of a friend. His first thought will be if he refuses..." She trailed off. "I don't need him getting nervous."

"Mercedes, need I remind you, that when you were having difficulty getting around some loopholes when you took over the club, it was Lexi who took care of it for you."

"I am aware..."

"And part of how she took care of that was letting the husband of the city councilwoman who was standing in your way have pretty much anything he wanted from her?"

"Lexis' submissive, she loved every minute of it."

"It's the point Mercedes, Lexi gambled on that asshole not mentioning that your attorney loved it in the ass, and would blackmail his own wife into signing off on your permits"

"Lexi was in no danger of that. He was running for office the following year, it would have destroyed his career before it started. She knew that as well, so although her efforts were appreciated, let's not exaggerate her risk.

"The point is Lexi did what she needed to and even a slight risk is still a risk and now if need be there will be one on your part, but," she reached out and put her hand over Mercedes arm. "I have faith that the top Mistress on the east coast can find something to make this worth his while."

"Perhaps Lexi should offer him that," Mercedes grunted disgustedly.

"Perhaps her sister will do as she is asked." Victoria said, looking her in the eye. "Lexi helped you Mercedes, we all help each other, but nothing in the Circle is free, it is time for you to repay the favor."

"I will do what I need to." Mercedes bowed her head, "I'll find a way."

"I know you will, and Lexi will also then be the one in your debt and eventually you can call on her again."

"I thought we all could anyway."

"We can," Victoria laughed, "But the owing of favors allows for some interesting situations down the line."

"Games."

"Coming from someone who has made a living on those types of games, I would think you wouldn't mind."

"Sometimes, I weary of games." Mercedes told her.

"That has become painfully obvious in your videos the last couple of years my lady."

"Ah, now we get to the real reason for your visit."

"Mercedes you were told once by me and once by Scarlett herself that your videos are lacking the necessary..." She pursed her lips in thought, "Punch so to speak."

"You mean I don't let the dogs fuck me."

"Putting it crudely, yes." Victoria agreed. "The first part of your tapes, are always amazing! Mercedes, you control, tease and downright torment men like no other"

"But..." Mercedes, said with a disgusted wave of her hand.

"But, in the end the group is looking for sex as well, we want to see our sister enjoy and be enjoyed."

"Perhaps I see things differently."

"Obviously, but rules are rules my lady and no one is above them. You're due to entertain at the next meeting and Scarlett has sent me to tell you that your submission won't do. Now you still have over a week to..."