ALICE Ch 73

Alice makes her thinking face. Thinking is easier behind the wheel because there’s no time to agonize. Now she agonizes.

Does Cosette want her to wear this robe and this perfume? Or does Cosette want her to only wear this robe and this perfume? See, the problem is that the horniness of Diorgasm and the vibes from Cosette are unmistakable. Alice knows that she isn’t wrong about that. The problem is that she’s not just Alice from Gurlberg anymore. She’s representing a Formula One team, and a misunderstanding that paints her as a sex pest is not to work for that.

She sighs. She’s going to have to fail Cosette’s test. On purpose.

She takes a deep breath and holds it. She has made up her mind. It hurts, but that thought makes her laugh. When she was sixteen, she wouldn’t have thought twice. Is this adulting?

She snorts and gets her phone out to text Glynda. Glynda replies with Cosette’s number without any question. That’s nice; there’s trust. And so Alice texts the question to Cosette, being completely blunt about it. Hopefully, this will come off as professional rather than merely un-fun.

The reply comes in English:

YOUR PREFERENCE

There. Alice smiles. It’s nice to be right. In fact, everything’s nice. She doesn’t even have to worry about Cosette wanting to be horny for the wrong reasons. Cosette wouldn’t be doing this if she didn’t find Alice attractive. She’s not the only up-and-coming racer. Cosette is obviously having fun. How does Alice get that job? Finding hot people and convincing them to do ads? No, wait. Alice already has the good job; hot people are coming to her. She checks the little mindfulness and gratitude app on her phone. It’s working great!

The time flies as she answers emails and texts from family and friends. She showers, takes the time to dry her hair sensibly for once, and pulls on the silky robe. It’s not translucent, miraculously. She can walk through the hotel without getting arrested. Still, it’s so light and insubstantial. It feels weird against her skin, and being naked under it is a whole new thing. It’s tingly and weird. She’s not popping a huge woody, but she feels like she’s on the edge of doing so every time she moves and the fabric caresses her skin. It’s weird. Not bad, just strange.

She pictures herself walking through the hotel with an erection just poking out in the open because the belt for this robe is hardly more than a string. It will be very important that she not do that. She’ll have to keep her cool. Maybe that’s a second test. She can pass that.

Alice applies the slightest touch of the perfume and checks her reflection. The robe doesn’t exactly flatter her, but it also doesn’t look bad. The pokey nipples… that’s something that she’ll just have to live with. The odds of making it from here to Cosette’s suite without being photographed are good, especially at this hour. It’ll be OK. Her hair looks unruly, but that’s what Cosette probably wants from her. If she’d wanted someone ladylike, she’d have gone to… like Val or someone like that. Maybe even Kirsi.

Alice heads out, walking quickly. Faye comes out of her room so suddenly that they nearly collide.

“Oh,” she says. “I was going to come see you.”