Authors: Samantha Leal
Jasmine heard her mother’s car long before she could see it drive through the wrought-iron, front gates.
“She’s here!” Jasmine turned away from the window to face Marvin who was sitting behind his desk, signing the papers that she had placed before him a few minutes ago. He grunted in response and then looked at her over the small rectangular glasses he sometimes remembered to wear. Jasmine had now bought three extra pairs which she placed around the house so that he always had a pair handy when he needed them.
“Best of luck,” he said and smiled. That smile never failed to reassure her.
“Darling!” Camilla threw her arms around Jasmine when she greeted her mother at the front door a few minutes later. “You look older.”
“It’s only been a year, Mom!” Jasmine shook her head, but she knew what her mother meant. She felt older herself, in a good and desirable way. She still hadn’t figured out what Marvin had seen in her a year ago, to give her the responsibility of starting a school from scratch.
“But look at you!” Her mother dramatically twirled her around and admired Jasmine’s knee length black skirt and the white blouse she had tucked into it.
“You look like a lady,” her mother said and walked over hurriedly to give Marvin a hug, who had only just emerged from his study.
“Percy will show you to your room, Mom,” Jasmine said as their newly appointed butler picked up the bags that Camilla had dropped to the floor, and she followed him. Marvin had insisted on hiring a butler and a cook after Jasmine moved in; she had no idea how he lived before that.
“The last thing I want is for my mother to think I’m well-dressed. I need to change my wardrobe entirely,” Jasmine whispered to Marvin as he joined her and placed a hand on the small of her back. He laughed at that.
“Don’t let her get to you my love,” he said and Jasmine couldn’t help but feel a shiver of delight run through her body. She was his
love
. She looked over at him admiringly, and he looked back with a smile.
Camilla’s voice from the upstairs guest room interrupted the moment they were having. “This is beautiful Marvin! What an absolutely gorgeous bedroom,” she said as she came down the stairs.
“It looked like a dump before Jasmine worked her magic on it,” Marvin said and kept his hand steady on Jasmine’s back. Camilla’s eyes flickered in disbelief.
“Who would have known,” she said and came to a halt before them. Jasmine tried her best to not roll her eyes.
“So when do I get a tour of this school I’ve been hearing so much about?” Camilla asked and turned her attention to admiring the layout of the vestibule.
“It’s still underway mom. At least six more months of construction, and then we’ll be good to go,” Jasmine said and exchanged happy looks with Marvin.
“Jasmine has been very helpful with marketing and getting the word out,” Marvin said just as Percy joined them to announce that he had served tea in the drawing room.
“I’m sure you didn’t need much marketing Marvin. Mornmouth House is enough marketing is it not?” Camilla said with a laugh and followed Percy. Jasmine could see her mother’s awe at the grandeur of the house. If she knew her mother at all, she was certain Camilla was wondering why Marvin’s mother would ever leave all of this and run away with a married man.
“It’s a very competitive world out there, Mrs. Kiberd. An old private school name isn’t good enough any longer. This one has to stand on its own merit,” Marvin said, a serious tone had entered his voice, and Jasmine immediately regretted inviting her mother. She didn’t want the next few days to be about Marvin defending Jasmine.
They drank their tea while making small talk. Marvin and Jasmine sat very close together, her bare legs grazing Marvin’s pants. She could see Camilla notice the times Marvin reached out to squeeze her hand.
“I’m happy to see you both so well settled,” Camilla said after Percy had cleared the teacups away. Jasmine felt relieved instantly. The fact that her mother was saying this was enough.
“We are, Mrs. Kiberd,” Marvin said and stood up from the sofa. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.” He bent down to kiss Jasmine on the top of her head and then walked out of the room, whistling a tune softly under his breath.
Camilla turned to look at her daughter. “How has all this happened? You’ve given me no explanation over the telephone, Jasmine. You seem practically married”.
Jasmine laughed and stood up herself, “Relax, Mom, just be happy for us, like you said you were. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted for me?” she started walking towards the door.
“You should unwind, Mom;, Percy will serve dinner in two hours, and we can talk more then.” Jasmine felt good telling her mother what to do for a change. The pieces seemed to all have fallen together.
***
She closed the door of his study softly behind her and found Marvin sitting on his shaggy, comfortable couch, sipping from a glass of whisky.
Jasmine giggled, “I’m glad you came up with the code, Marvin. You have business to attend to, seems natural enough,” she said and hopped on to his lap, straddling him. Marvin’s hands wound themselves around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. She could immediately feel his penis harden and begin to rise underneath her.
“Well, this is the business I have to attend to. So I wasn’t lying,” he said gruffly as she pulled his glasses off his face and placed them on the side table. She clutched his head between her hands and pressed it against her breasts. He started to nibble the fabric of her blouse and she bit down on her lip.
“Do you want to go outside, to that spot?” she asked him, and he stopped. He didn’t answer but when he picked her up and started walking towards the door, she knew they were going to scandalize her mother.
THE END
Samantha Leal
Copyright ©2015 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The restaurant was quiet for a Friday night and Chantel lazily loitered out the back of the fire escape, looking up at the stars. She had been waiting for almost half an hour, and even though it had been all over the news that there was supposed to be a meteor shower happening that evening, she hadn’t seen one shooting star as she watched the heavens.
“You still skiving?” Ben said as he came out of the back door of the kitchen and lit up a cigarette. He was pretty cute for a man who spent most of his day surrounded by raw meat and cooking grease, but as Chantel had gotten to know him over the months she had realized there was more to him than met the eye. Ben had a quiet, thoughtful side that allowed him to be ever so mysterious… and even though Chantel knew better than to get involved with someone from work, she quite liked to day dream that maybe one day her and Ben may have some kind of future away from the restaurant.
“I’d hardly call it skiving, have you seen it in there? It’s dead,” she laughed.
“Yeah I know,” Ben exhaled a plume of smoke up into the night. “Lucky us, at least we’re not being overworked as well as underpaid.”
He winked and Chantel gave him a coy smile.
She had been working at Carlo’s for around three months, ever since her parent’s had gotten a divorce and cut off her allowance. She was finally out on her own after years of privileged and uncomplicated living. She had worried at first about affording it all whilst still studying at college, but luckily her friend Sarah had managed to land her a waitressing job at one of the best known Italian’s in town, and even though the money was pretty terrible, she made sure that she always had a big smile on her face to ensure good tips.
“Yeah I’m glad it’s quiet,” she said. “I’m tired tonight.”
“What?” Ben laughed. “On a Friday? What kind of college girl are you? You should be leaving here in an hour, slapping on a high pair of heels and a tiny skirt and hitting the town!”
Chantel laughed and shook her head.
“If only my life was that exciting…” she trailed off and looked back up to the sky again to check if there was any meteor activity. A few stars twinkled brightly, but apart from that the whole black expanse above her was pretty clear.
She sighed and brushed a strand of hair back into her ponytail.
“Well,” she said as she slid down off the crates and smoothed down her skirt. “I better get back to it.”
She slapped Ben playfully on the shoulder and smiled at him as she walked by. She could sense his eyes on her until she got inside and she felt a rush of lust creep up inside of her. It was obvious that their crush was mutual, and it certainly made her nights at work all that little more exciting.
She made her way through the kitchen, past the rest of the chefs and out of the double doors into the restaurant. Carlo, the owner was sat up at the bar, drinking a bottle of beer and lamenting the poor turn out of customers.
“If we carry on like this, I honestly don’t know what we’ll do,” he said miserably.
“It’s nearing the end of the month,” Chantel said hopefully. “People are probably just waiting to get paid.” She didn’t even know if she believed herself, but she could only try and keep morale high.
“I hope you’re right,” Carlo said as he turned to look at her. She smiled sympathetically and made her way behind the bar where she started stacking glasses into the dishwasher before wiping down the countertops. She didn’t even know why she was trying to reassure Carlo. She knew fine well that should trade not pick up she would be the first one to go. Last one in… First one out. That was how it went, and to date she was still the newest member of the team.
“You hooking up with Sarah later?” Carlo asked from over the rim of his beer bottle.
Even though Carlo was married, he and Sarah had been involved at some point or another. Chantel had never got the full details of their affair but she knew it hadn’t exactly ended well. Carlo had wanted to keep her on the side, but Sarah had had enough.
“Umm…” Chantel stalled, unsure of what to tell him. “Probably when I get back to our dorm.”
“It’s Friday,” he snorted. “Surely you girls have something planned?”
Chantel shrugged and bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to drop Sarah in it in case they were still seeing each other and she was out on a date. Or worse, if Carlo had suddenly decided to become possessive and track her movements. The last thing Sarah would want is to lose her job at the restaurant.
“Well tell her I said hello anyway,” he yawned with disappointment. “You may as well get yourself home. No point in waiting around here in this ghost town.”
Chantel checked the clock on the wall. It was only nine-thirty.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yup,” Carlo took another swig of his beer. “See you tomorrow.”
He slid off his stool and made his way toward the kitchen door.
Chantel didn’t need to be told twice. Without wasting a moment she pulled off her apron, clocked out on her timesheet and grabbed her jacket and purse. As she ran through the kitchen she waved goodbye to Ben and he winked at her as she passed.
They were definitely going to end up together. Even though she knew it was risky with them being colleagues, she decided right then and there that she was going to make him hers.
“Ben the chef?” Sarah asked as she opened a bottle of wine and poured them both a glass. “Ew,” she said as she shuddered her shoulders.
“What do you mean ‘ew’?” Chantel laughed.
“I don’t know. He just doesn’t do it for me.” Sarah shrugged.
“Oh what and older, boring, balding Carlo does?” Chantel rolled her eyes.
“Shhh,” Sarah hushed. “We never mention him again.” she reached over and pulled a red lipstick out of her vanity case before she held it up to her lips.
“He was asking about you,” Chantel said quietly as she took a sip of her own wine. “Wanted to know if we were out anywhere tonight.”
“Oh I bet he did,” Sarah cringed. “He’s not exactly taking the hint.”
“Well I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Good,” Sarah smiled. “Especially seeing as we have a wild party to go to I suppose.”
“Yep,” Chantel unrolled her last curler and flicked her hair.
She hadn’t known about the party until she had left the restaurant and made her way back to the dorm. Sarah had been off work all week and had heard from one of the girls down the hall that there was a big house party off campus and that all of the girls in their year had been invited.
“So who’s party is it?” she asked Sarah as she picked up her curling tongues and added to the gentle bounce of her blonde hair.
“No idea,” she shrugged. “But I’ve heard that apparently whoever this guy is, he’s had them before and they’re pretty wild.”
“Oh great,” Chantel laughed.
Her life had been so quiet of late, she could do with some excitement.
“It’s just what we need,” Sarah said as if she had read Chantel’s mind. “You’ve been saying lately how boring things are around here. Maybe tonight something exciting will happen.”
Chantel smiled and wished with all of her might that Sarah was right. She had felt low of late and knew that letting her hair down and enjoying herself could lift her mood.
She looked in her closet and ran her hands along the selection of dresses she had in the left hand corner.
“Red or black?” she asked Sarah.
“Red,” Sarah grinned. “For sure. With those blonde curls and this red lipstick you’ll be like a 50’s starlet.”
Chantel nodded and took the lipstick from her roommate. If there was one thing she knew she could depend on Sarah for, it was a keen eye for what looked good and an honest opinion.
As she slipped into her tight, red dress and strapped on her heels she felt sexier than she had felt in a long time. She was ready to go out, meet new people and have some fun, and she was determined to make the most of it.
Life at college hadn’t been as exciting as she had hoped, but it was all about new experiences, so she was glad to be getting off campus and exploring a new part of town, with hopefully a new set of people.
“Okay,” Sarah said as she picked up her purse and downed the last of her wine. “Let’s go, don’t want to get there too late and find out all the hot guys are taken.”
Chantel laughed and followed her to the door. She pulled on her coat and then the two girls made their way out into the hall and down the stairs to the main door of their building. As they walked across the quad Chantel felt a buzz that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She was excited and felt it was the kind of night where anything was possible and anything could happen.
They hailed a cab, jumped inside and headed off campus and across town. When they pulled up at the house and paid the cab driver her anticipation was growing with each passing second and she couldn’t wait to get in there.
The sound of music thumped out from the house and along the ground, in ran under their feet and made their whole bodies vibrate. They could see from the outside that the house was jam packed with people, and for a townhouse it lit up the whole street with the amount of lights bouncing around in each of the windows and shining different shades of pinks and blues.
“God knows what’s going on it there,” Chantel laughed.
“Well we’re about to find out,” Sarah grinned.
She took hold of Chantel’s hand and led her across the street. As they began to climb the steps to the front door Chantel had an overwhelming feeling that they should turn and run for home. Even though she had wanted excitement, now that she had it right in front of her, she was nervous and didn’t know whether she had the confidence to walk into a house full of people she had never met.
Sarah rang the doorbell and within a few moments the door opened wide and a handsome man with a tanned, muscular torso and an open shirt stood there with a glinting smile on his face.
“Welcome girls,” he said smoothly. “Please, do come on in.”