“Boop,” he said as he touched the mannequin's nose.

It stood there stiffly for a second before a rush of energy ran across and through it. She could move again. “It's true!” She gushed. “I was a mannequin?”

“You shaw were,” the man drawled. He turned his phone toward her. On the screen was an image of him doing devil horns with his hands while standing next to a mannequin that looked just like her, dressed in the clothes she was currently wearing.

“That's so cool,” she said. “Do it again.”

“Sorry, Darlin', the first one's free.”

“How much for a second hit?”

“Now, now, Darlin', don't make it soun' like I'm a dealer of illicit potions,” the man said. “I can cha'ge you coin but I prefer to deal in trade.”

“What kind of trade?”

“Be easier showin' then tellin'. My apartmen' is jest a few blocks from 'ere.”

The worry of accompanying an older man to his apartment so soon after meeting him crossed her mind for only a second. “You'll explain there?”

“You'll understan' the'e.”

Shortly, the man was fumbling with his keys, unlocking the door to his apartment. It was an impressive looking building on the outside and over twenty stories in the air. In the elevator he pressed the top floor button. She noticed there were only four other apartments on this floor with his.

The door opened into a short wide corridor. Along one wall were three mannequins, each dressed as if about to go on a date. The woman looked them over.

The first was dark skinned. It wore a flashy, figure-hugging, sleeveless, short-skirted gold lamé dress with a circular cutout on its left hip, ideal for clubbing. It had on dark nylons and thick, black chunky platform heels. Its hair was big and curly, auburn in color.

The next was dressed for an evening of fine dining and perhaps a play. A long, blue, long-sleeved evening gown was accompanied by a three-strand pearl choker. A similar bracelet was on its right wrist.  Its hair was a short blond bob with a slight undercut. Blue stiletto pumps matched the mannequin's small clutch purse in its right hand.

The third mannequin was dressed for a red carpet gala. A strapless mermaid dress of red sequins adorned it.

“These are real women?” The woman asked.

“Trish, Rebecca, and Anya. They like bein' dolled-up dolls longer term with the occasi'nal night out.” The man said, “'at remines me. Rebecca's due for a night out soon.” He gestured toward the living room sitting at the end of the hall.

The living room and kitchen were one large area. The living room was mostly normal looking: sofa, television, coffee table, end tables, stuffed chair, etc. Sitting on one end of the sofa was a mannequin dressed in long sleeve, plaid, flannel pajamas. It was looking directly at the television. Its right arm leaned against the arm of the sofa. Its left arm was hovering over its lap, palm up, holding the remote controls for the television. “That there is Beth. She likes that binge watchin'. Looks like her show ended.” He picked up the remote she was holding and pushed a few buttons. He pulled up the wish list and selected the next show. He started the show and put the remote back down on the mannequin's hand. “She paid me in trade for six months of uninterrupted binge watchin'.”

In a corner of the room were three unclothed mannequins stacked on one another. The top mannequin had its hands over its eyes and it was sitting on the shoulders of the middle, dark-skinned mannequin. That one had its hands over its ears and its legs straddled the bottom mannequin, which was kneeling beneath the other two and had its hands over its mouth. “In the corne' there is an art piece that is usually done with monkeys. I find this one more appealing.”

“What are their names?”

“Cindy is the blind one. LaPortia is the deaf one. And Siu Lu speaks no evil. They've been here several years now. They contracted to be my artwork for ten yea's. Well worth it, I think.”

“Ten years? They wanted to be mannequins for ten years?”

“They shaw did.” He could see she was considering such transformation. He let her think about it for a few moments before saying, “This way. There's more to see.”

He led her to a bedroom where a dozen mannequins stood, mostly unclothed, in poses that were normal for a mannequin. “This is the room I store my renters. Renting has been a bit slow this year. These are the girls I haven't found a store for. There's over two dozen of my mannequins in boutiques around the city.”

“Is this the trade you were talking about?”

“Partly, you'll see in the next room.”

He opened the door to the next room. It was obviously the master bedroom. Several mannequins lined the wall parallel to the hallway. She barely glanced at them as she saw the bed. On the bed were two dolls, not mannequins. They were very life like but they were obviously used erotically. “Meet Pamela and Brooke. They are my current bed toys. Time spent as a bed toy gives you credit toward being any of the other kinds of mannequins.”

“You want me to be your bed toy?”

“Only if you want it. There are benefits to being a bed toy.” He said. “Here, let me have Pamela explain it.” He picked up one of the dolls. It was not stiff like a mannequin. It had movable joints and its skin was not hard. He placed it on a human-scale doll stand next to the row of what the woman originally thought were mannequins. They were actually dolls like the doll he was dressing in panties and a bra, each held up by a human-scale doll stand.

When he finished dressing the doll he touched its nose. There was a flash of light. The doll turned into a living woman and stepped off the stand.

“This the new girl?” Pamela said. “You'll love it here. I'm sure you got questions.”

“I do. What's being a bed toy like?”

“Like nothing I can adequately describe. Like the mannequins, you are inanimate and can't move, but when you are touched, it feels amazing. And the orgasms...”

“Orgasms?”

“Oh yes, the bed toys are designed to increase both the human's enjoyment and the doll's.”

“And I enjoy them ev'ry night,” the man said. “Let me leave you two alone so you can't say I was coercin' Pamela unduly.” He left the room and closed the door behind him.

“Does he play with them as well?” The woman asked pointing to the dolls arrayed across the wall.

“Yes, I'm also usually on the wall. He seems to have a two doll limit in his bed. Only Brooke is there full time. The redhead, I don't know her name, I've never seen him take her to bed in the two years I've been here.”

“You've been a bed toy for two years?”

“I'm telling you the orgasms are worth it. My contract is up in December. I'm going to take some money I've accrued and visit family. Then I'll come back here for more bed time.”

“You say you're making money here?”

“He hasn't given you the full speech yet I guess?” She said. “When you move in here, you sell everything you own except for keepsakes that he'll put in a storage facility. Then he invests your net worth. He keeps a cut of it, which is how he can afford this penthouse apartment, and you get the interest back whenever you want to leave. So staying here years at a time can make you rich and keep you young. Mannequins and dolls don't age. Some of the mannequins make extra money being rented out but I find being a mannequin boring comparing to being fucked occasionally.”

She looked at the Brooke doll and thought the makeup it wore was a bit old fashioned. “Why is she always on the bed?”

“She was his first. She's been a doll for like thirty years I think. He turns her into a human on her birthday every year and every year she says 'I told you I don't want to be anything but your doll.' He takes her to dinner and before he goes to sleep, she's a doll again.”

“I didn't realize he was so old. What happens when he...?”

“We don't know. Maybe we all return to the living or maybe we end up stuck as inanimate objects forever. He could die in an accident any time. He could also just sell us to a store and we'd never be heard from again. Part of the chance we all take.”

There was a knock at the door and Pamela called out, “Come in.”

“Need any maw time?” he asked.

“No, I think I'm sold. But I'd like to try out the bed toy thing tonight before deciding whether I would do that long term,” the woman said.

“That's what they all say.” He casually touched Pamela on the nose and she collapsed against him. He hung her up on the available doll stand and removed her clothes, putting them in a hamper. As he did this, he said, “Did she tell you about the investment part of this operation?”

“A bit. I have several assets that I wouldn't mind seeing grow while I was spending no money on myself.”

“That's the spirit of it,” he said. “In the morning we'll meet with my accountant and fill out some paperwork for bringin' you on as a full time employee of my business. But for now, it is gettin' late. Ready to be my bed toy for the night?”

“Okay. Should I get undressed?”

“I'll take care of that, Darlin'. Oh, that reminds me. I never did ask what your name was.”

“Isabella F-...”

“No, no, just first names. Save the rest of your name for the paperwork. Welcome to my world, Isabella.” And he touched her nose.