"That's the most annoying thing, isn't it?" chuckled Alexia as a ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. The audience was sitting in the palm of her hand, hanging on each and every one of her words. "I make a mistake, and I've got the pigs at my door, and I'm in court. A big corporation does something wrong. You know, tax fraud, burning down a couple of rainforests, poisoning the water supply. And what do they say?" Alexia grinned before she did a comically exaggerated shrug, "Well, what ya gonna do?" 

The crowd erupted into raucous laughter, their voices echoing around the room as Alexia smirked to herself. She knew this show was going well, and she also knew that nothing could go wrong. As Alexia continued her set, the laughter got louder and louder. All of Alexia's routines delighted and amused the audience. 

Alexia saw the stage manager motion for her to wrap it up, so she quickly moved into her act's wrap-up. She placed the mic back into the stands and chuckled. "So, there you go. I would say that you'll see me in an ad with the rest of my industry. But as you can guess, most companies don't want to hire me, because well," began Alexia, "What ya gonna do?!" she shouted as the crowd burst into laughter again. Alexia waved to the audience and made her way to the backstage area. 

"That was great!" exclaimed one of the stagehands. 

Alexia nodded to them. "Thanks!"

"I love how you handle politics. I've never seen someone put it quite like that!" continued the stagehand, obviously excited. 

"Got to speak truth to power. Comedy is a way to bring light to things, you know?" replied Alexia. However, before the stagehand could reply, Alexia slapped their shoulder and headed toward her dressing room. 

Once she got in, Alexia looked at herself in the mirror. "You did great out there," she smiled to herself. Her suit was pretty crumpled due to the venue's heat, but it worked. The creases made her look like a renegade. Alexia grabbed her phone from her bag and took a picture of herself, mostly so she could post it on social media the next day. And once that was done, she started to change and pack. 

However, just as Alexia pulled her slacks on, a knock at the door echoed around the room. Alexia took a deep breath and quickly buckled her belt, preparing to talk with the venue manager or another technician. "Come in, the door is unlocked," she called before quickly moving over to the mirror, hoping that she could talk and remove her makeup. 

As the door creaked open, a woman entered. Like Alexia, she was clad in a tight black business suit. But unlike short-haired Alexia, this woman had flowing blonde hair that pooled around her shoulders. Alexia didn't recognize this woman, and she looked far too together to be someone who worked at the venue. 

"Hey?" asked Alexia, "Sorry, I'm just getting changed." 

"Not a problem at all," smiled the woman as she used her heel to close the door. "You had an excellent set out there. Very funny, and I adore your delivery." 

"Thanks," replied Alexia, slightly uncomfortable about this situation. Was this woman just a random audience member who had somehow found a way backstage? 

"I was wondering about booking you for a small event," continued the woman as she smiled. 

"That will be something you need to contact my agent about," answered Alexia as she ran her hand through her hair before pulling away from the mirror. "I don't handle my own bookings, but I can give you their card."

"I prefer to work with people directly," asserted the blonde woman as she stepped forward. 

"Yeah, we all do," Alexia smiled as she let out a sigh in her head. "But, contracts and stuff." Uncomfortable, she tried to work out how to handle this situation. 

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself," said the woman as she took another step forward. She reached into her pocket, produced a business card, and held it out. "I'm Bethany Clara, CEO of Hammerhead Pharmaceuticals." 

Alexia looked between the woman and the card. Instantly her mood soured. A fan being weird, that she could accept. But there was no way in hell Alexia was trusting a pharmaceutical CEO, especially the owner of Hammerhead. Alexia wasn't a doctor, but she had seen plenty of stories about how unethical the company was. 

"I'm not interested," replied Alexia as she pushed the card away. "I don't do corporate gigs." 

"Really now?" chuckled Bethany as she put the card back into her pocket. "Are you sure of that?" 

"I'm not a stooge." huffed Alexia. 

"Oh, come on," Bethany protested, seemingly unphased by Alexia's response. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement. I think your act is fantastic." 

"Yeah, don't flatter me. Won't work," growled Alexia. Her annoyance was slowly turning into aggression. Something about how Bethany was acting put her on edge. 

"Your little rebel act is cute, I'll admit," Bethany laughed as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "But it is just a gimmick, and you know it. You're happy to play counterculture until the money hits your account. Don't you want to be rich?" 

"I don't want your blood money. Get out!" Alexia demanded as she pointed towards the door. 

"Oh, don't worry, I can make it very worth your while," Bethany offered as she reached into her pocket and produced some money. But before Bethany could get any other words out, Alexia shouted again. 

"I said, get out! Get out before I call security! You're lucky people haven't beaten your capitalist skull in!" Alexia screamed, quickly losing her cool. This whole situation was both infuriating and worrying. 

"Now come on, be a good girl," cooed Bethany as she continued to move forward. 

"Good girl? I'm not a kid that you can just boss around! Seriously, get out!" She insisted as she gestured towards the door, trying to work out what to do. Bethany was getting closer, and she wasn't listening or paying attention to threats. Alexia opened her mouth to speak, but Bethany used one hand to grab her cheeks. 

Alexia let out a muffled sound, her mouth forced open by Bethany's grip. Her heart pounded in her chest. Part of her wanted to kick at Bethany while the other part of her was paralyzed with confusion. Bethany used her free hand to ram a five-dollar bill into Alexia's mouth as Alexia gagged.

"Look, you can buy yourself some candy!" Bethany giggled patronizingly. "Now come with me, sweetie." 

"I won't," gurgled Alexia, the sour taste of the bill and its ink filling her mouth as the physical paper muffled her words. But before she could struggle or remove the note, Bethany produced a small bottle from her pocket. 

At first, Alexia presumed it was perfume or something. But as Bethany opened it and held it under Alexia's nose, she realized it was anything but. The contents of the bottle smelled terrible, sour, and acidic with a hint of iron or blood. However, as the smell filled Alexia's nostrils, she started to feel dizzy. It was like she was suddenly underwater, or like she was stuck in some thick liquid. Her limbs felt heavy and numb as the world started to spin. 

"What?" slurred Alexia, every letter feeling like it took hours to say. She could feel her knees starting to wobble as the heaviness spread through all of her muscles. Everything was becoming foggy and heavy, including Alexia's eyelids. She couldn't smell anything but the heavy funk of the chemical in the vial. 

Alexia could feel her mind closing off. She could see the darkness encroaching on her vision, forcing her to focus on Bethany. Alexia wanted to move, to jerk or thrash, but all she could do was stumble as her knees gave way. It felt like gravity had suddenly grown more intense as if heavy weights were dragging her down into a vat of pudding. But, it didn't matter. The world was fading away, and there was nothing Alexia could do to stop it. 

Over the next several hours, Alexia drifted in and out of consciousness. The world around her remained heavy and dark as she floated in a pool of fuzzy nothingness. 

Once the world started to return, Alexia realized she was sitting in a very plush office. Her head was pounding and her ears were ringing as she tried to rub her head. However, her arms wouldn't respond to her. She continued to attempt to move them for several minutes until she realized that she had been strapped into the chair with heavy leather straps. 

"God, where am I?" groaned Alexia as she slapped her lips. Her mouth was as dry as a desert and her brain was throbbing. She tried to piece her hazy memories together, hoping to make sense of her situation. Suddenly, memories of Bethany and her strange vial surged into her mind, causing fear and anxiety to wash over her body. "What the hell! Let me out!" screamed Alexia, her throat burning as she started to struggle. 

The sound of a door echoed around the room as Bethany's voice came from behind Alexia. "How cute," she said as she slowly walked past Alexia and sat at the desk in front of her. "You really do look quite cute sleeping. Like a baby, even." 

"Let me out! You crazy bitch!" shrieked Alexia, no longer caring about her throat or the pain radiating from her head. "You drugged me! What the hell is wrong with you!" 

"It was just a little sedative, don't be a baby," chuckled Bethany. "You just had a nice nap." 

"I did not! I'm in pain!" shouted Alexia as she continued to struggle. 

"Well, it will pass. Your blood pressure is just high. But now, let's talk about you doing a little bit of work for us." said Bethany gently as she left her chair and sat on the desk, her crossed legs positioned right at Alexia's eye level. 

"I don't do corporate gigs. No way. I'm not a puppet for capitalists. Especially ones like you!" argued Alexia as she attempted to spit at Bethany. However, her mouth was so dry she couldn't muster more than a noise. 

"Why not?" asked Bethany, still speaking firmly. 

"Because you make money off sadness and misery!" growled Alexia. "I speak truth to power, not parrot a company's talking points like a pull-string doll." 

Bethany giggled and shook her head. "You could just say you're poor. No need to become a poet." 

"It is morals!" insisted Alexia.

"No, it isn't," sighed Bethany as she crossed and then uncrossed her legs. "You think it is cool to be poor and bitter. People like it. But once you get some money, you'll understand what I'm talking about. You'll understand the finer things in life." 

"You are sick. Sick in your soul," growled Alexia as she stared daggers into Bethany's knees. 

"You're deluded. You got your morality from comic books," Bethany teased. "But all I want from you," she continued as she used a finger to lift Alexia's chin, "Is just one little show at our conference." 

"No. Never. Over my dead body," Alexia vehemently refused. "And when I get out of here, I'm taking you to court and I'm going to sue you into oblivion." 

"So you do want money," Bethany retorted. "I'm glad you agree." 

"I don't want money! I want justice!" screamed Alexia, growing frustrated with Bethany and her coy manner of speaking. 

"See? Your justice is money. You could have said that you would make sure I ended up in prison, but no. You went right for money because you want it."

"You're disconnected from reality," grumbled Alexia. 

"You're disconnected from yourself, cutie," Bethany smirked as she used one hand to rub Alexia's hair. "You want money. You want to be dirty, filthy rich. And until you are, you'll play the downtrodden worker's champion. But the second that changes, you'll be just like me." 

"I'll never be like you! You're utterly delusional," protested Alexia as she started to cough due to her sore throat. 

"Really now?" asked Bethany as she reached into her pocket and produced another five-dollar bill. She held it out in front of Alexia, letting it dangle gently. "You don't want it?" 

"I don't want your money," coughed Alexia. 

"But look at it. Imagine how nice it is. How good it feels. All the lovely things you can get with it. How good it would be to not have to worry. To just throw it at someone in a store and walk out with whatever you want." 

"I," mumbled Alexia as the image formed in her head. "I want my needs met. That isn't the gotcha you think it is," she grumbled under her breath. 

"But you want money," replied Bethany. However, before Alexia could respond, her chair let out a soft buzz as it started to vibrate, sending a tingle up her spine. 

"Huh?" gasped Alexia. Bethany giggled and revealed that she was holding a remote in her other hand. She pressed the button again, causing another vibration to tingle between Alexia's legs. Alexia groaned as she let out another soft cough.

"Money is good. It is pretty for a reason. It is beautiful. Money makes you feel good," said Bethany, her voice slowing down, making it sound like Bethany was explaining things to a child. 

"What the hell is this!' groaned Alexia as she tried to look past the bill to glare at Bethany. However, whenever she tried, Bethany swayed the bill to block her vision.  

"Money is great. Money is powerful," cooed Bethany as the chair vibrated again. "Money lets you command respect. Money makes people listen to you. You want to be listened to, don't  you?" 

"I am listened to," moaned Alexia as she tried to squirm her hips to avoid the vibrations. "I'm a comedian! People listen to me." 

"But do they?" asked Bethany smugly. "I bet promoters boss you around, telling you that if you bring up certain subjects, you won't get booked. Audio operators tell you how to speak. When to speak. And the police, taxmen, the government, they all boss you around." 

"But," started Alexia, only to get cut off. 

"I don't get that. I can do whatever I want. Why? Money!" she haughtily exclaimed as the chair vibrated again, causing Alexia to let out a little involuntary groan. "Beautiful, pretty money. Look at it," continued Bethany as she swayed the bill gently. 

Alexia's head was swimming. The vibrations kept breaking her train of thought, and her attempts at ignoring Bethany were not working. She wanted to get up and leave, but she was trapped and her brain was too scrambled to come up with a good way of shutting this whole thing down. 

"Money is power. Money is freedom. Money is the way to get whatever you want," explained Bethany as the seat vibrated in time with her words. Alexia started to pant as the vibrations hit all of her most sensitive spots. 

"No! I'm not like you," moaned Alexia as her eyes rolled up into her head. She could feel her head spinning as she weakly kicked her legs. "I'm not an asshole." 

"Money is just so wonderful. Look at the effort going into it. Look at the fine details," cooed Bethany as she continued to sway the note in front of Alexia. The various lights around the room meant that the bill's many watermarks appeared and disappeared as it moved back and forth. Alexia found her eyes following it as it swayed, her brain too confused to realize what was happening. 

"What," mumbled Alexia, only for Bethany to cut her off again. 

"And the best thing about money is that it feels so good," she continued to coo as she started to rub another bill against Alexia's face. "Feels so good on your face, like a warm blanket of love," whispered Bethany as the vibrations from the chair grew more and more intense. "Only money can feel this good. Money is pretty and makes you feel good," explained Bethany as she continued to rub the bill into Alexia's face while swaying the other. 

Alexia let out a gurgle as she squirmed. She wasn't sure if it was the vibrations or the bill, but her body felt so good. It was making her feel hot and dizzy, her body was tingling all over, and she could hardly think straight. 

"Money is good," purred Bethany as another vibration ran up Alexia's spine. "Money is so hot," added Bethany, her voice dropping into a low purr. "Money is power, money is sexy," she continued as Alexia's eyes followed the bill. She could hardly hear her own thoughts. 

Alexia could help herself. Her eyes were locked on the moving bill. The constant vibrations forced her to listen to Bethany, forced her to take in her words. She could feel something odd inside her. It was almost like her brain was shifting, like Bethany's words were becoming truer, her comments slowly being echoed by Alexia's inner voice to the point that Alexia wasn't sure where one finished and the other began. 

"Money makes you feel good. Having money makes you feel good," chirped Alexia as she slowly started to put bills into Alexia's pockets. Each time she slipped a bill into the girl's pocket, the vibrations started again, each time getting more powerful. 

"Money," moaned Alexia. "Makes me feel good."

"Money is power. Money is good. Money feels good. Money makes you feel good. Money makes you tingle and fuzz and just feel so good," cooed Bethany as she continued to slip the bills into Alexia's pockets. The pleasure grew more and more powerful. Alexia's whole body started to tremble and fuzz. She could feel herself getting more and more overwhelmed. 

As another bill slipped into her pocket, Alexia felt her body reach a peak before collapsing down into darkness. She couldn't fight it anymore. Her body exploded in warmth and static as her whole mind blacked out. The last thing Alexia felt before she totally lost consciousness was the money rubbing against her cheek. 

When Alexia eventually came to, she felt better. Her head wasn't sore and her throat wasn't a desert. She looked around and realized she was still in the office. However, she was no longer strapped down. Slowly, she got up from the chair and looked around again.

However, as she did, Bethany walked into the room. Alexia felt a faint feeling of anger bubbling inside her, but she also felt a strange sensation of love. Alexia had to admit, Bethany looked beautiful in her suit. She radiated power and authority. 

"You're awake!" cheered Bethany as she looked Alexia up and down. Alexia clenched her fists and took a few deep breaths, trying to stand her ground.

"I want to go home," demanded Alexia firmly as she continued to stare down Bethany, trying to ignore the burning heat that was radiating through her body. 

"No, we're going shopping. You look like shit," chuckled Bethany. 

"I don't want to go shopping with you! I think I look okay," mumbled Alexia, her confidence instantly shattering. Bethany took a few steps forward before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a wad of bills.

"Come on, we're going clothes shopping. I'm paying!" Bethany said as she smirked. Alexia's eyes locked onto the notes as heat washed over her body. This heat made her thoughts short-circuit. 

"Money makes me happy," Alexia mumbled. "Money is good," she added as she moved towards Bethany before nodding. "Okay, we're going shopping!" she said, the idea looping in her head until it sounded like her own thoughts.

Alexia followed Bethany out of the office and into an elevator. The whole time, Alexia kept sneaking glances at Bethany. The woman was so hot, so powerful, so in charge. It was intoxicating. Alexia had no idea how she hadn't noticed it before. Once they were in the parking garage, Alexia followed Bethany towards a fancy car. 

"Get in," ushered Bethany as she opened the door. 

"Okay!" Alexia agreed as she climbed in and buckled up. Alexia had never been in a car this fancy before. She hadn't owned a car for several years due to the costs involved. Alexia watched as Bethany buckled into the car, still amazed by how beautiful she was. 

Once the seatbelt clicked into place, Bethany turned to face Alexia. "Now, what do you say?" Alexia looked confused for a few moments before a phrase popped into her head and quickly escaped her mouth. 

"Thank you!" she answered, grining, before letting out a soft moan. 

"Thank you, what?" continued Bethany firmly as the rest of the phrase formed in Alexia's mind. Something about it felt wrong, like something she shouldn't say. But at the same time, it was the only phrase she could think of.

"I," she started, only to quickly stop herself. Bethany reached into her jacket and produced some money. She put the money into Alexia's pocket as another wave of warmth washed over her body. "Thank you for being my sugar mommy!" moaned Alexia as joy and bliss washed over her. 

"Good girl," smiled Bethany as Alexia let out a loud whimper as she started to squirm. Bethany started the car as Alexia squirmed and ran the words over and over in her mind. It felt so good to admit that Bethany was her sugar mommy, and having money was even better. The money radiated bliss throughout Alexia's body. 

Bethany drove into the city, seemingly unphased by Alexia's squirming. Eventually, she pulled up in front of a clothing store. Alexia had walked past this store a lot, usually on the way to the grocery store. She knew it was way out of her price range, and none of the clothes were really her style. 

"Get out," instructed Bethany as she left the car. Alexia nodded and followed her out. However, as she climbed out, she spotted a no-parking sign. Alexia looked at it. 

"Umm, we can't park here?" said Alexia, confused. 

"Yes, we can," chuckled Bethany. 

"But, the sign?" mumbled Alexia.

"Sweetie, we have money. We make the rules." Bethany replied as Alexia's heart throbbed. 

"We have money," Alexia mumbled as she felt the heat wash over her body, soothing and removing her doubts. Alexia followed Bethany into the store and quickly went into the store.

Inside the store, Alexia looked around, taken aback by both the outfits and the price tags. These outfits cost more than Alexia made in a single year. Alexia looked at a dark black pantsuit, only for Bethany to beckon her over. 

"See something you like?" asked Bethany as she looked at Alexia.

"I like that pantsuit," signalled Alexia, only for Bethany to shake her head and tut. 

"No, that is far too boyish for you," chuckled Bethany as she pointed to a bright pink dress that looked like it had been ripped from a 1950s pin-up shoot. "I think you need to be more feminine. It would suit you." 

"You think so?" mumbled Alexia as she rubbed the back of her hand. She felt strange. While the idea of wearing the pink dress was utterly humiliating, the idea of doing as Bethany said was utterly intoxicating. "I don't usually dress like that." 

"You dress like a peasant, I know." laughed Bethany as she pulled the pink dress off the hook. The word peasant cut Alexia like a knife. She felt so humiliated. It was like she was seeing herself for the first time. The suit made her look stupid as it made her look far too masculine and poor. Alexia didn't want to look poor. She wanted to look rich. Like Bethany. 

"I'm sorry," mumbled Alexia, her bottom lip starting to wobble. 

"Don't worry," comforted Bethany. "Sugar Mommy will fix it!" With a grin, she held the dress out. "Go try it on!" 

"Thank you, sugar mom!" cheered Alexia as thoughts of money destroyed her doubts in one wave of warmth that ran from her head to her toes. Alexia grabbed the dress and quickly made her way into the changing room. 

As she saw herself in the mirror, Alexia let out a loud sigh. "I look like a peasant," she muttered as she started to yank her old suit off. She dropped it to the floor with disdain, utterly disgusted by the idea that she used to think they looked good on her. As Alexia got dressed, Bethany reached into the changing room and slipped in more items. 

Alexia took each item and put it on, admiring each one as she did. There were tight white pantyhose, neon pink high-heels, and cute pink hair ties. The whole thing made the usually butch Alexia look like a stereotypical girl. 

Alexia took a step out of the changing room and twirled in front of Bethany. She wanted to please the other woman more than anything. It was the only thing that mattered to her. "What do you think?" 

"You look cute," Bethany praised her as she held out a pink purse. "Here, you'll need this for your money," she continued. The combination of Bethany's praise and the mention of money caused Alexia's knees to wobble as a wave of euphoria washed over her. She fell to the floor, moaning and squirming. 

Once the heat faded, Alexia panted for a few minutes. She pushed herself up off the floor only to see the cashier looking at her with confusion. "Madam, are you okay?" she asked. 

Bethany held out a closed hand and smirked at Alexia. "What do we say?" she asked as Alexia giggled. 

"We have money! We make the rules!" purred Alexia. She skipped forward and took some money from Bethany's hand and then threw it at the cashier. "I'm fine!" 

"And we want to take all of the stuff she has on. Also, dispose of her old rags for me," ordered Bethany as Alexia let out a little squeal, bouncing up and down on the spot as she did. Her whole body grew warm as she watched Bethany pass over a massive amount of money. Bethany was hot. She was also rich, and that only served to make her more attractive. 

Alexia adjusted her purse and skipped back over to Bethany. As her arm hooked her sugar mommy's arm, Alexia's heart started to flutter. "We've got more shopping to do, sweetie." giggled Bethany as Alexia nodded. 

The next few hours were a whirlwind of hair appointments, jewelry stores, and boutiques. Every time Alexia saw Bethany buy things, the heat in her body grew more and more overwhelming. Alexia hated to admit it, but she was head over heels in love with Bethany. She was pretty, powerful, and wealthy. Those were all the things that Alexia loved in a woman. 

When they arrived back at Bethany's office, Bethany looked Alexia up and down and grinned to herself. "So," she said with a wink, "About that little conference gig, would you do it for five dollars?"

"Yes!" squealed Alexia, not even waiting to hear more. Money was good, and she would do anything for it. Especially if it was Bethany's money. She just wanted money, as money made her feel hot and warm and giggly. Money made her love Bethany more, and that is all she wanted.

So, a few weeks later, she was stood on stage in her pink dress, soaking in the laughter of the crowd. "And, you know those poor people!" giggled Alexia, "Always so whiny! Like, if they worked as much as they whined, then they’d actually be better off! Am I right?! It is like my girlfriend, Ms. Clara, says! Being quiet is free!" she said as the room echoed with laughter. Alexia looked at Bethany and blew her a kiss, a warm shudder running down her spine as Bethany returned the kiss. She loved corporate gigs.