‘She knows it all,’ he said teasingly, briefly covering one of my breasts with a hand. ‘She knows you’re my creature and that you do my bidding.’ With his other hand he performed a swift upwards flick of my skirt hem, showing my knickers for a second or two just at the very moment the bell pinged to indicate that we had reached our floor.
‘Jasper!’
I think it had fallen back by the time the door opened, but I couldn’t be sure. At any rate, I avoided the eyes of the guests who stepped in after we stepped out and made it my business to get out of that vestibule in double-quick time.
We had only been in the room two minutes when there was a knock on the door and our outfits were delivered.
‘Is this actually a dress?’ I held up the strappy gold affair, frowning. In its scantiness, it reminded me of that rude lace bodystocking he’d made me wear for dinner at his place once.
‘Of course,’ he said, taking it from me. ‘Get naked and I’ll put it on you.’
‘That’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it?’ I said, with a quickening pulse. ‘Getting naked around you? Shouldn’t I keep my undies on?’
‘You don’t wear undies with this dress, my dear. But don’t fret. I brought some tit tape.’
‘Tit tape!’
‘Yes, don’t you know about it? All the red-carpet stalwarts swear by it.’
‘But I get to keep my knickers on?’
‘No.’
‘Jasper!’
‘There’s no functional reason for that. It’s just my preference.’
‘Pervert.’
‘Guilty. Come on, get those clothes off.’
I started to wriggle out of my day outfit of cord skirt and sweater, eyeing the dress with suspicion.
‘I don’t think I can go knickerless, Jasper. Not to a big event like this, with photographers and everything.’
He put the dress on the bed and held my arms by my sides, looking down at me with the twinkle doused from his eyes.
‘One, from this moment onwards, I am “Sir”, not “Jasper”. Two, from now on, you are doing as you are told. If you want to safeword, of course that’s an option.’
Of course it was. As was walking out and refusing to take part in this whole glittery charade. But Jasper’s tone had got me right in the pit of my stomach, and somewhere between my legs lights were flashing and bells were going ‘ding’.
I nodded.
He let go of my arms and made a gesture indicating that I should carry on with my undressing.
I pulled my sweater over my head, trying my best not to muss my perfect hairdo, then shimmied out of my skirt and thick tights. I always felt muddled and graceless when I took off my clothes in front of him and today was no different.
‘I’m going to teach you how to strip one day,’ he said. ‘I can do it. I’ll show you.’
‘Did you learn that at RADA?’ I asked cheekily, remembering at the last minute to add, ‘Sir’.
‘Never mind where I learned it. Well? You still seem to be wearing a bra.’
I reached behind and took an age to unclip it, trying not to give unattractive vent to my frustration. I didn’t want to get all cross and sweaty, but I just wasn’t made to be a serene swan.
Jasper frowned and pulled me towards him, fingering the marks where the elastic had dug in under my arms.
‘You need to get some better-fitting bras,’ he scolded. ‘Look at this red line. That’ll show up on the photographs. You’ll be in all the trash mags with a big circle over your armpit.’