It was barely after dawn when Seth began getting ready. He showered, shaved and splashed himself with cologne and aftershave. He put gel into the shock of hair down the middle of his head and dressed up in a collared shirt and a tie. He had a buyer coming in from out of state and he wanted to make an impression.<br/><br/>Next, was the task of breakfast which was always a chore. Seth loaded the rice cooker with brown rice and water and opened a gallon can of baked beans. As the rice cooked and the beans simmered, he set out four metal bowls numbered 2, 3, 4 and 7. At the moment he had four girls housed in the cages out back, and four empty cages as well. Each girl would need to be showered and groomed before the buyer arrived.<br/><br/>While the food finished cooking, Seth started his own breakfast of bacon, hash browns and scrambled eggs. He scooped three cups of rice and a cup of beans into each of the bowls before slipping one slice of bacon and some eggs into the bowl labeled 2. Each bowl got a slice of dry wheat toast to finish the meal.<br/><br/>Seth made his way out to the yard, carrying the odd numbered bowls out first.<br/><br/>"Good morning bitches. Time for breakfast." Seth smiled, looking at the four pairs of eyes on him. "It's a big day, everyone needs a shower. We've got a buyer coming in a few hours."<br/><br/>One by one, Seth opened the cages and cautiously slid the bowls in. He always had to be careful around the new arrivals, as they had a tendency to try and escape in the first few months. Despite the fact that all of the girls he had currently were sufficiently broken and trained, ritual was the cornerstone of his system.<br/><br/>Once all of the girls on both sides of the yard were fed, he began setting up the plastic tub that he used to bathe them. By the time he'd finished setting up, most of the girls were done eating except for 2 who was taking her time to savor the special treats her Master had provided.<br/><br/>The first to get her shower was 7, a Chinese national who had been trafficked through several countries before arriving with Seth. She was lithe, beautiful and obedient but spoke barely a word of English, she appealed to a very specific buyer. She allowed herself to be led by leash over to the tub where she was sprayed down with cold water from the hose. Using a large sponge and cheap, scented, liquid soap- Seth washed her thoroughly from head to toe, moving her limbs and turning her as he needed. With the buyer on the way, Seth used a small handful of generic shampoo to wash her hair. She was dried with a large, soft towel and her hair brushed dry. After parting it down the middle, he tied her long straight hair into perfectly symmetrical pigtails, tied up with brown ribbons to match her eyes.<br/><br/>Seth repeated this same process for 4, the blue eyed red-head whose cage neighbored 2's. Then again for 3, the green eyed brunette who still bore the marks from a recent punishment she'd suffered for talking back to Seth.<br/><br/>Lastly, Seth opened 2's cage, smiling as he clipped a leash to her collar that like the others bore a tag with her number embossed into the aluminum. He led her over to the tub and turned the hose back on. Though she was also washed by hose and sponge, 2 had her own special soap and shampoo, scented with more exotic and valuable scents than the generic supplies used on the others. He also took extra care in brushing her hair out, trying to avoid tugging too hard on her scalp unlike the others. Her long blonde hair was also brushed into tails and tied up with ribbons to match her eyes.<br/><br/>"Did you enjoy your breakfast, 2?" Seth asked softly as he brushed out her hair. "Don't worry too much about the man coming later. I'd never let anyone take you away. Never."