Fallen Too Far (13 page)

He slid the pouch away from his cock. It had been become limp again.

“Get me a dessert and a glass of water.”

He slipped the thong back in place and hurried to the table. He returned with a pastry and ice water. In his haste, water spilled over the rim of the glass.

“Stop.” She ordered when she saw the spill. She approached him, holding the cane. “You stupid boy. Good lord, there’s so much work I’ll have to do with you. Look at the mess you have made, spilling water and crumbs all over the floor. Put that stuff back on the table and clean up this mess.”

He went back to the table and left the water and pastry. He returned with a napkin wiped up the water and threw it away.

“Lie on your face, on the floor.”

He laid face down, apprehensive, yet looking forward to what she would do next.

She stepped onto his back, steadying herself, holding the footboard bedpost. She walked across his back, over his buttocks and onto his thighs and stepped off. He lay panting and moaning.

“Get up. I need a massage. Do you think you can manage that?”

He nodded.

“Undress me.”

He undid the strap of her shoes and she stepped out of them. He hooked his fingers into the elastic tops of her stockings and slid them down her legs. He unzipped her dress and pulled it down reverently as he watched her body appear from the fabric. She stepped out of it and stood before him.

“My arms.” she directed.

He slid the vinyl gloves from her arms.

Naked, she strode to the bed and moved the toys to one side. She laid, face down.

“Rub my back.”

He stood next to her and began rubbing and kneading her back.

“Now my ass.”

He cupped her round cheeks and squeezed her repeatedly, rotating his hands over her flesh.

“Stop. Do my front now.” She rolled onto her side and then onto her back.

“Rub my shoulders and arms.”

He did as he was told. She looked him squarely in the eye, daring him to just try and check out her tits.

“Now my chest and stomach.” She directed, still holding her gaze.

Gerald's breathing had quickened and a gleam of sweat showed on his face. Hands shaking, with his fingertips, he massaged the muscles.

“Lower.”

He grasped the flesh of her breasts with both of his hands, kneading and rolling them.

“Lower.”

His hands massaged the taut muscles of her abdomen. His eyes moved to her breasts.

“Oh oh, no peeking. Look at your hands.” She admonished.

“Now, my thighs.” She said, catching his slightly disappointed look at being deprived of massaging her pussy.

He dug in with his fingers and massaged her muscles.

“Enough now. You may go Gerald.”

****

He looked into her eyes with respect and awe. He had been treated like the naughty schoolboy he fantasized being—punished and serving a strong, beautiful woman. The last part, making him massage her, touch her sexy body was pure genius. He was so horny his balls hurt.

“Go.” She commanded.

Gerald picked his clothing from the floor and dressed. He looked once more at Annik before he opened the door to leave. She lay naked in bed like a lazy big cat, one foot slowly flexing like a big kitty’s tail. Gerald left and wondered if he would make it back to his hotel before jerking off. Who was he kidding—he’d be whacking off in the back of the limo in just a few moments. It was a perfect scene.

He was going to buy Charlie a fucking cattle farm.

Chapter 10

The following week brought pressures, and changes that Annik did not anticipate at all.

It began on Monday evening. She had an assignation with Charles Bridges. As with his buddy Gerald Smithers, it had taken place at Pandora’s. At its conclusion, Charles was sent home while she collected herself. When she was leaving, The Major stopped her and asked her to have a drink with him. When the drinks were placed at the bar, he turned to her with an arched eyebrow.

“I’m going to come right to the point, Annik. It might be none of my business, but you and I have talked about your dream of owning Pandora’s.”

“Yes we have. What’s going on, Major?”

“It’s for sale. Now. And the owners want to sell as soon as possible.”

“What? Are you joking? Since when?” Oh my God! Could this be true? Sure the owners were getting on. There’d been buzz through the grapevine that they were thinking of selling the club… but that was going to be down the road.

“Since today. Or at least, that’s when I found out about it. The general manager, Mrs. Byrd, told me that the owners were coming by in the next day or so. They’ve rarely been here, you know. Anyway, they’re bringing a real estate broker with them so he can give them a ballpark on what the place is worth.”

“As a business?”

“No.” The Major’s face fell, “they’re considering closing Pandora’s and just selling off the building.”

“Oh no.” Close Pandora’s. She had planned to make an offer to buy it in a year or two. She didn’t have enough money saved yet. There were still some business courses to finish—so much still to learn. This was happening too fast. What would the price be? If single family homes were going for close to a million, what would they want for this place? Did she have enough money? If only Poppa was here. What would he do? What would he say? You have a money tree, Annik and that’s a start, child. Don’t think of what you can’t do—think of what you can do. That’s what he’d say.

Her jaw was set. Okay then. Let’s find out. “Major, how can I get hold of the owners? I don’t even know who they are.”

“Annik, what would you say to them? What would you offer them? This place must be worth millions woman—do you have that sort of money?”

“Not yet, Major. But I’d like to know what sort of money they’re looking for. I’ve been working hard for a few years and banking most of what I’ve earned. Maybe I can find investors, but I’m going to have to know what sort of money’s involved to buy this place before I do, don’t I?”

“Lassie, you need to talk to Mrs. Byrd. She’s a tough woman and she doesn’t like sex workers. At all.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She’s mentioned to me that she doesn’t care for women who sell themselves. As she put it, “free love should be free.” It took a lot of cajoling on my part to be able to have you here for your appointments.” He sighed. “I had to tell her that, here, at least both the client and the worker would be safe. I appealed to her better angels, maybe.”

“So?”

“So, when you meet with her, be all businesswoman.”

“Okay. I understand.”

As far as she knew, she was the only Escort who had a membership at Pandora’s. Yes, many of the male members brought Escorts with them for event nights. But she was the only worker who had assignations here. Perhaps because The Major respected her? She handled her clients, and more importantly herself, with a sense of decorum. Yes, she was different.

He told her the best time to call Mrs. Byrd and they parted company.

The following day, she set up an appointment with Mrs. Byrd. Thank goodness for flattery. Telling the manager that she had a proposal for Pandora’s that could very well secure its business far into the future, and needed Mrs. Byrd’s input, had worked.

From the moment she hung up from Mrs. Byrd, she was in a frenzy. Sure, she had drafted notes on renovation and marketing plans, even a tentative budget, but nothing like a formal business plan. What the hell was she doing?

Damn it! This shouldn’t have to be so hard. It just wasn’t fair. Her life had been all planned out. Going from grad student to hooker. Then call girl. Now Escort. Working like a dog to create and nurture a dream. And she wasn’t ready. Damn it. It just wasn’t fair.

Pandora’s was a good place but it could be better. The building was tired. Sure, there were clients. But if the building and the business were improved, maybe there’d be more. She was just the woman to make Pandora’s a better place.

What was the first step?

Oh, Annik, it’s the money tree, you know that. Yes, Poppa would say that. He started as a busboy at a hotel when he was young. Then rose to food and beverage manager. Drove a taxi at night until he had enough of a money tree to buy his first hotel. Hotel? It was actually a Motel. Tired and run down, but how else could a busboy get started? He fixed it up. Treated each guest well. Developed a reputation and took it to pretty much a full occupancy rate even in the off season.

Then he sold it at a profit in three years and bought another. His first real hotel. On the beach and he did the same process. On a much bigger scale. Repeated the process and became even more successful. Once he was established—and it was harder for a man of color, he met and married a tourist from Canada. Mamma didn’t see a man of color. She saw a handsome, successful, cultured man, and was swept off her feet. A mixed marriage. He worked hard and loved hard. Paid off the mortgage on the second hotel on the day Mamma announced her pregnancy. She was their angel. Her Poppa had taught her all he knew—well, all he thought she needed to know.

“You run your dream down, girl. You chase that dream and you run it down.” He’d said that more than once.

“But don’t forget to love,” Mamma had cautioned. She’d held Poppa’s hand that afternoon on the veranda of the hotel.

“Love will abide, Annik. It will come when you need it the most. Chase your dreams, and love will be there. As it was for us.” Mamma and Poppa had been so in love…

She sat at her desk lost in the memory. Since Mamma passed on, whenever she thought of where her life was heading, the memory of her parents gave her hope.

Mamma, Poppa, please be with me now. Okay, the Money Tree needed to grow. A lot.

Telephone calls needed to be made. First the bank, Toronto Trust, for an appointment with the commercial banking manager. Then Bevins and Chow, venture capitalists. Bernie was a client and one of the managers there—a decent sort of guy.

She made the appointments and the rest of the day and into the night was spent putting together the best business plan she was capable of. She didn’t intend to go over it with Mrs. Byrd, but she had better be ready for any eventuality. She had to cancel appointments with two clients of her own. The rest of the week was light, thank God.

When she finally went to bed, she knew she had done the best she could. The next two days she had meetings. Business meetings.

She was so excited.

She was so scared.

Chapter 11

Dressed in a dark blue blazer and skirt to her knees, sensible shoes and a white blouse, Annik arrived at Pandora’s right on time. Eddie pulled into the driveway and she scanned the building. It was her first daytime visit. There was so much work the building and grounds needed. It wasn’t just a coat of paint—there was some real construction that was going to have to be done. The entranceway alone needed new stonework. The steps going up needed to be replaced. Why hadn’t she noticed this before? Did the nighttime hide so much? What else would need repair? How much extra would that cost?

Shake it off girl. You need some information. Worry about that other stuff later. Tackle Mrs. Byrd. Got to get by her to meet with the owners. She headed directly upstairs.

She tapped on the door to Ida Byrd’s office. A moment later a muffled voice directed to enter. A stony faced woman with steel gray hair sat behind a large, wooden desk. Mrs. Byrd eyed her up and down with a look of disdain. Undaunted, Annik took a few steps forward and introduced herself. The older woman remained sitting, not even offering her a chair let alone a smile. That would probably crack the woman’s face anyway. Okay, so that was how it would be played. She took a seat directly across from her and got right to the point.

“Mrs. Byrd, I’m here as an agent of an investment group. We’re looking at the possibility of purchasing Pandora’s.” Okay, it wasn’t an investment group. But when the investors get on board, it would be, right?

“I see. Who else is involved in this group of yours, dear?” Ida asked sweetly. The kind of sweetly that’s anything but.