'Why can't I pull my hands free?' Felicia's mind raced as she searched for a way out.
She looked left and right, but there was nothing in the room that could help her escape. That damn counter was keeping her from moving.
"Well, what do we have here?"
Felicia's hopes sank when she heard his voice.
He didn't seem the least bit concerned about finding someone inside his shop at nearly midnight. He looked as casual as if he'd spotted a mosquito buzzing around the room. His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"That's a pretty good trap you've got there. How about being a good boy and letting me go?" She kept the fear out of her voice.
She was alone and helpless in a room with a man. She'd been in a situation like this before. Back then, a boy she trusted had nearly assaulted her.
Sebastian didn't answer right away. He walked toward her, and Felicia watched his gaze settle on her ass. Bent over as she was, it was practically on display for him. The sight of him staring made her skin crawl.
Sebastian came closer and sat on the counter. He was wearing pajamas and no shoes. His bare feet were long.
"Here to buy something? That shitty dagger catch your eye, or were you looking for something else?" Sebastian asked in the tone of a salesman.
"How much would it cost to let me go?"
"Huh? Oh, right." Sebastian took her wrist and lifted it. Her hand came free as if by magic. He did the same with the other.
'Is he really that stupid?'
The first thing Felicia did once she was free was kick him. He deflected the blow, sending her leg into the glass counter instead. It shattered, and Felicia felt shards of glass slice into her skin.
She didn't let the pain stop her. She threw another strike, but he simply dodged and caught her in a hold. The man was no amateur. His movements were smooth and precise. Felicia slipped free and tried to rake her nails across his face.
He caught her by the throat before her nails could reach him. The chokehold stirred feelings in Felicia she'd never imagined experiencing in a situation this dangerous.
'Is he using some kind of aphrodisiac?'
He shoved her back against the counter. Felicia tried not to catch herself with her hands, but the alternative was smashing her face straight into it.
"Okay, that didn't go well." Felicia found herself bent over again, with Sebastian behind her. "Are you going to keep staring at my ass?"
"It's huge, and you're practically shoving it in my face," Sebastian defended himself before touching her leg. "The material's lousy."
"What?" Felicia wasn't even sure why that bothered her. "You just said it was huge."
"Oh, your ass? Yeah, it's pretty damn nice. The disappointing part is the suit covering it," Sebastian explained. "It tore."
Felicia looked back over her shoulder. He was studying the suit closely. He didn't seem to be pretending or trying to hide anything. He looked genuinely interested.
"Got anything better?"
Felicia's mouth fell open in offense.
"Could you let me go again? I promise I won't attack you this time," she asked.
She still wasn't convinced the man wasn't a complete pervert. Her body's reaction was proof he was using something dirty to make her feel this way. Who the hell got turned on by being grabbed by the throat?
"Sure."
'He really is an idiot,' Felicia thought again.
Before she could attack him a second time, Sebastian tossed a new suit at her face. Felicia caught it with practiced reflexes. She could barely feel its weight. To her surprise, he really did have a suit.
"This... it's white. That won't work," she complained. She'd stick out like a sore thumb at night.
"White's just the default color. It has different modes," Sebastian explained.
"Modes?" Felicia examined the fabric. It was pretty and light, sure, but she doubted it could be better than her usual suit. The material looked much thinner.
"This is the SHADOWCAT MK-I. It's made with advanced technology, specifically Forerunner Adaptive Hardlight Weave. It has all kinds of features. It's incredibly durable despite feeling like a second skin. It doesn't make a sound when you walk or run. It changes color however you want, and it can even bend light to make you almost invisible. And that's not all..."
Felicia let Sebastian keep talking. Each new thing he said sounded more ridiculous than the last.
'Is this some kind of fetish?' Felicia remembered seeing men online who liked putting women inside plastic bags and then sucking out the air until the plastic clung tightly to their bodies.
The suit sounded far too impressive for something that looked so flimsy.
"Do you have somewhere I can change?" she asked. She'd play along for a little while.
If this was just some fetish, she'd figure it out and use it to make him lower his guard. As for the suit actually doing what he claimed, she didn't consider that a possibility.
Life has a way of shutting you up faster than you expect.
She undressed in his bathroom, where he'd let her change, keeping only her domino mask on. If the guy had cameras in there, he'd be getting quite a view of her body.
'Wasn't my leg injured?'
She looked down but couldn't find an open wound anywhere. She glanced between her thighs and accidentally brushed a hand over her crotch. The pleasurable tingle made her linger longer than she meant to.
"Ah~" A fingertip brushed her clitoris, and she yanked her hand away. "Shit!" She had to remind herself she was practically being held captive, or she might have kept going. She was completely wet.
He'd definitely used some kind of aphrodisiac. He must have administered it through his hands. After all, it had started the moment he touched her neck. She set the thought aside for now, cleaned herself up, and slipped into the suit.
She could barely feel it. She had to look down to remind herself she wasn't naked. It fit perfectly, a pure, immaculate white without a visible seam. Her face was uncovered, so she'd have to keep the domino mask on. This story is hosted at novelping . com.
'Why did I even agree to try this thing?'
"Black would look better," she whispered.
The entire suit changed color, shifting from pristine white to deep black.
'Oh.'
One discovery followed another. Everything Sebastian had described was real. The color changing. The invisibility. The heating system. When she stamped her foot, she was stunned to hear nothing at all.
'Did that bastard drug me?' Felicia couldn't believe technology like this existed inside such a small shop. 'Now that he's given me this, escaping should be easy.'
With that thought, she left the bathroom. The suit could cover her face if she told it to. She moved soundlessly with its invisibility activated. Sebastian was still in the shop, looking at his phone.
'Reading manga? Seriously?'
Felicia walked right past him. All that remained was the front door.
'I'll yank it open and get the hell out. If I'm fast enough, he won't notice.'
"The price is fifty million dollars. If you don't have the cash right now, you can come back for it later. We even offer monthly installment plans," Sebastian said behind her.
Felicia hurried to push the door.
"The door opens inward, Miss Hardy."
"What the fuck did you just say?" Felicia spun around.
Sebastian's eyes were fixed on the exact spot where she stood, as though he could see her perfectly. Panic gripped her. She didn't wait for an answer before trying the door again.
But her body froze.
It was the same sensation she'd felt when she was trapped against the counter.
"You can't leave with the suit without paying. I'm a patient man, sure, but I'm also a businessman. I make sure my shop is well protected against thieves. That's why I left that dagger on display."
"You set me up."
"I was bored, and I wanted to sell that suit. Now, Miss Hardy... are you going to buy it, or should I call the police? Frankly, I hope you choose the first option. I'm sleepy," he said with a yawn.
'Is this guy... extorting me?' Felicia thought in disbelief.
"H-how does the installment plan work?" Felicia didn't have fifty million dollars. Even though her mother was a millionaire, she couldn't just ask her for that kind of money without an explanation.
And as for refusing to buy the suit... did she even have that option?
The look in Sebastian's eyes told her she didn't.