14 -TV SERIALS, SANDY THOMAS ADVERTISING "B"

I think you could fool anyone now, Cissie. You look and act pretty much like a girl, you know.'

I laughed nervously, strangely excited at the prospect of the little game we were talking about.

"It would be kind of fun to try, I guess. I just need to know whether she'd. . .like, get all upset about it if I didn't fool her. Is she. . .would she be O.K. with it?" I asked.

Miss Debbie said loudly, "Stephanie? She's wilder than either Cindy or me, Cissie. I think she'd see it as fun, but it would hardly upset her. If anything, she'll think it's tame." "O.K., I'll try then, Miss Debbie. If I don't have to talk much maybe she won't even guess.

Miss Debbie laughed and said, "I can't wait it'll be great. Anyway, Cissie, I saved some dishes for you to do I hope you don't mind," she said as she got up.

I grabbed a kitchen apron and followed her. Unfortunately, she'd been saving dishes for me for more than just a day. They were stacked all over the counter and filled the sink to overflowing.

I sighed and tied on my apron and pulled on my rubber gloves.

"You can use the dishwasher, Cissie, I don't care. And can I really just go watch TV or read while you clean up?” she asked, nervous in her first-time role as a spoiled rich girl.

I turned from filling the sink and said, "Yes, Miss Debbie, of course. You go relax and I'll let you know when I'm done. And if you want me to bring you a drink or anything, just call for me, O.K.?" Then I bobbed a little curtsy to her. She smiled as she saw I was serious.

"Well, this is going to be great!" she said as she breezed off to the living room.

I dove into the dishes quickly, and once I got the dishwasher running I finished the rest by hand. I was nearly finished when I heard Miss Debbie call for me. Pulling off my gloves, I went to see what she wanted.

"Yes, Miss Debbie?"

"Could you bring me a diet Coke, Cissie?" she asked, with the "please" unsaid in her eyes. She wasn't nearly as confident as Cindy, who had ordered me to get her things even before I was officially her servant.

"Of course, Miss Debbie," I said submissively. I hesitated, but decided to remind her that she should feel free to tell me to get things.

MAID IN FORM "B" -15

"I hope you don't mind, Miss Debbie, but I just want you to know that you don't have to ask me to do things for you. I'm used to being told what to do," I said, not sure what her reaction would be. "And I guess I like it more that way, Miss Debbie no decisions to make or something," I said nervously.

It was the first time I'd ever articulated these odd thoughts, but I did feel that way, at least with my mistress. Cindy told me what she wanted me to do, and I just did it. It was clear and simple never any silly arguments or disagreements. For all its other frustrations, the harmony in the one-sided relationship I had with Miss Cindy was kind of nice.

"Bring me a diet Coke, Cissie!" Debbie suddenly said with a haughtiness in her voice borrowed from Miss Cindy. "Yes, Miss," I said, smiling at how fast my "pupil" had learned.

I served her the Coke and reported back to her shortly thereafter to tell her I was finished with the dishes.

"Shall I go tend to some ironing, Miss. Or do you need anything rinsed out for tomorrow?" I asked, giving the inexperienced girl some suggestions on how I might be useful to her.

She laid back on the couch and told me there were several blouses that needed ironing, and some pants and a few skirts as well.

"I hate ironing, so they've been sitting in there for weeks, Cissie. When you're done with everything, hang it up in my closet, Okay?"

I set up the ironing board in my room and got to work. When I was finished, I served Miss Debbie another cold drink and she mentioned that maybe I should go straighten up her bedroom.

"I'm afraid it's a bit of a mess, Cissie," she said in warning.

And it certainly was a mess! It looked like a very bad day at Bergdorf Goodman skirts and shorts and bras and tops and panties and stockings were laying around everywhere. If anyone needed a maid, Miss Debbie certainly did! I sighed and laughed a little. Who knew girls could be such slobs. Most of the clothes just had to go in the wash anyway, so I sorted them out and threw them in a cotton pile, a dry-cleaning pile, a lingerie pile, and a "just needs ironing" pile.