Tiers (8 page)

Jake Shore grins at me mischievously. ‘Maybe I am Kate, maybe I am.
’

I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a liar. I do it all the time, although no one is
none the wiser. Sometimes I have to catch myself to make sure I’m consistent with each little bit of deceit I’m weaving. Like tonight for instance. I’ve seduced Katherine into believing that she and I have a future. Collectively we’ve managed to collaborate and swindle my grandfather’s business out of millions of dollars. But this will not ensure our future together. Unfortunately I always go to the highest bidder.

I wasn’t always like this. I mean no one person is ever born a jackass – well at least not in my opinion anyway. The problem with being this goddamn good looking is that people think they can walk the fuck all over me. My looks really are the epitome of the good guy. I found this out the hard way in college. Not just one, but four girlfriends had told me they had cheated on me and were leaving me for the resident bad boy. He usually had tats, no money and a hair style to rival Justin Beiber. Personally I couldn’t see the attraction and I’ve never gone for that look. The whole experience was a huge wakeup call. I decided then and there that I would just take what I wanted and move on before I opened myself up to getting hurt again. Now my looks just offer people a false sense of security.

I know Katherine is a little uncomfortable with her share of the money being tied up in a Swiss bank account she can’t access, which means at the moment she’s my puppet. For her to access it though, she is going to have to take my name in marriage. This is just a stalling tactic so I have time to get out of the country in one piece. Besides, there’s no way Harold will grant her a quickie divorce. 

My cousin Felix had already shot his mouth off to me one evening over a game of black jack, and in his drunken stupor had mistakenly told me of his and Harold’s plans to relieve the business of some of its cash flow. Enter Katherine’s business proposition and we end up succeeding in getting Harold and Felix blamed for everything while also walking away with millions. I also get myself a little retribution aimed at Felix for fucking my wife.

The hot bit of ass on the side doesn’t hurt at all either. This is probably one of the reasons I will be sticking around longer than I have to. Katherine is one foxy lady. She is willing to fuck any way I like and her pouty red lips make me want to come in my pants every time I look at them. To be honest, I have no conscience. I don’t feel bad about anything I have done. I definitely don’t feel bad about screwing with another man’s woman either. The only reason I was pissed off about my own being fucked by someone else was because it was my own cousin doing the fucking. Otherwise Leila could have gone off with whoever she liked. I’d have moved on with someone else. I mean come on, it’s not like I’m unattractive. There wouldn’t be a girl in town who would have turned me down. It’s the dimples, I’m sure.

Katherine is in the bathroom, doing what ladies do before they are about to have sex. I’m feeling horny as all hell tonight so she’s in for a real treat. Tonight I think it’s time I introduce her to the anal beads I have tucked away in my bedside draw. They vibrate too, so I’m eager as all hell to look into her hazel eyes as she comes. She completely undoes me when she moans the way she does. I hear the toilet flush and the faucet run. She won’t be long now. I drain the rest of the brandy from my glass and watch the door in anticipation.

It opens and there she stands, looking completely like an angel in an all-white teddy. It’s see-through and I can see the lacy white thong she has on underneath. Her breasts swell up and over the material at the top – wavy masses of curls just reaching the material at the same point. She smiles demurely at me, her pouty red lips parting suggestively. I’m momentarily distracted by the vision of her, and wonder what it would be like to be with this woman for the rest of my life. Is it really possible to be with the one person forever? I don’t think so, but there’s a part of me that wishes it could be. As I get older I’m sure that the game will become tiresome.

‘Come to bed,’ I urge her as my dick starts to stand to attention through my boxers. She slowly pads across the carpeted flooring like a panther until she reaches the foot of the bed. Her long slender arms reach forth and she pulls her body gracefully onto the covers. My eyes watch every single movement with fascination. She’s wiley and captivating as she crawls on hands and knees up the bed towards me. Her hair tickles my legs as her fingers tug at the top of my boxer shorts to set me free. She only pulls them to my knees before she catches her foot on them to drag them the rest of the way down to my ankles. They stay there though, kind of acting like bondages for my legs. I like it very much.

Her eyes lock with mine and she offers a smile before completely taking my cock in her mouth. As much as I want to be voyeuristic, the sensation of her hot mouth around me makes me close my eyes and succumb to the sensation. Her tongue flicks rapidly over the eye of it as her hand cups under my balls, massaging the sensitive spot between my sac and my anus. It feels so damn good that I probably would have promised her the world right now. It occurs to me this is why I get myself into so many situations I sometimes would rather avoid. I have a weakness for sex, and in moments like these, it’s hard for me to refuse women’s demands.

Back and forth her red lips glide – up and down my shaft, lubricated with the spit from her mouth. I’m in heaven, but need to stop before I blow in her mouth. As exciting as that would be, I want more, and there is nothing better than coming inside of a pussy. I gently shove her off me and grab her hands to come and straddle me. She climbs all the way to my chin and stops, waiting for me to instigate a little pleasure for her own.

I reach between her legs and grab her ass checks with my hands, pulling her sex towards my mouth.

‘Pull your panties to the side for me baby,’ I say hoarsely. She obliges my command and her lips glisten from the moisture that is already coming from inside her. It makes me hungry with desire. My tongue darts forward to start lapping on her juices like a cat with a saucer of milk while her ragged moans urge me on. When she thrusts her pussy forward, eager to be licked some more, I reach for the anal beads I have lying on the bed next to me. She is startled from our love making when I stop licking her so enthusiastically. Her eyes widen, the glazed look lifting momentarily.

‘What are you up to?’ She breathes heavily, still hot and bothered from the tongue fucking I was giving her.

‘Keep still baby, I’m
gonna slip something in your ass,’ I say as I lick the strand of beads with my mouth. She grins wickedly. See? Compliant. Just the way I like ‘em.

‘Come kiss me,’ I urge, and she leans forward to find my mouth. As she stretches up my torso, I start to finger the beads into her ass. She moans in delight against my lips and lets out a little gasp as the final beads are pushed in. The cord dangles down her back side and I keep my hand firmly on the remote. I don’t want her coming too soon, so I’ll wait a minute while I slip inside of her.

As the tip of my cock finds her pussy I let out a low growl. She is so god damn wet that I slide in quickly – her tightness completely engulfing me. We start to rock together, finding a rhythm that brings us both closer to climax. I can feel the anal beads through the wall of her pussy and it excites me no end to know they are there. Her features start to contort, a sure sign she isn’t far off from having an orgasm. I press the button on the remote control and instantly feel the beads start to vibrate through her. Her mouth opens, but no sound comes out.

My balls tingle and I can feel myself building to explode deep within her. There is nothing on this earth that feels as good as this does right now. With a final shove of my cock, she shatters completely, letting go with a breathless wail as her muscles spasm all around me. I come too, and steady her hips with my hands as my semen spills inside of her.

We lay spent, chests heaving against each other. I gently tug the anal beads out of her ass, and she looks mildly embarrassed as I do so. Her blush is well hidden beneath her already flushed cheeks from our love making, but her vulnerability is not far from the surface. A sudden feeling of doubt creeps over me. This is not like me at all. While I stroke her back, I wonder what her reaction will be when I leave her high and dry. Will she cry? Will she be angry? Or will she just get downright nasty? I fervently hope that it will not be the crying. I cuss myself for letting my mind go to such places and reaffirm the fact that Katherine is just one woman in the line of many. A stern voice in my head tells me there’s nothing different or special about her, and if my plans are to fully come to fruition, then she can play no part in my future.

Today I have a big meeting at Went and Worth. Ever since I got Katherine’s husband, Harold, fired from his position and Felix from his, I’ve had my work load increase tenfold. I was supposed to be flying to Nigeria at the end of the month, but there is no chance that will happen and have already assigned a junior associate to take my place. My grandfather and uncle have come to the boardroom meeting to try to bring the company back from the near disaster our little withdrawal had on it. It’s amusing to me that I am the source of their concerns, but no one suspects me in the slightest.

The company’s accountant is drafted to put in overtime to try and recoup the funds that have gone amiss while the rest of us contain this incident from the media. Went and Worth take damage control very seriously as they know that a business is built on reputation.

I listen with only one ear to the conversation as my mind travels elsewhere. My plan is to be out of the country as soon as possible, but I will not leave until a business trip is approved as I don’t want any suspicion arising before I make it through those departure gates. Jimmy Went, Felix’s grandfather is sitting at the head of the boardroom table. He looks a little like Yoda, frail and his forehead full of wrinkles. His skin has that translucent pallor that makes him look like a relation of Casper. It wouldn’t at all surprise me if a bloody strong wind could blow him over. I hear him mention Harold and Felix and it snaps me out of my reverie.

‘We won’t press criminal charges just yet. If that bit of information goes public then all our clients will be pulling out of our financial ventures faster than Usain Bolt at a hundred meter race. We have to be smart about this. They are already suspended indefinitely without pay, so I suggest we provide legal documents giving Harold and Felix thirty days to recover the money they took or we will have no other option but to file charges.’

Most of the senior associates seem to be in agreement with Jimmy, so I motion to vote in their favor as my phone vibrates in my pocket. It’s Harold. His text message requests the pleasure of my company at an out of the way brasserie located just outside of London. With the meeting wrapping up, I text him back telling him I can meet him in about two hours.

****

Harold looks like shit. The dark circles under his bloodshot blue eyes clash with his impeccable suit; he’s not been sleeping. His light brown hair, normally kept long and slicked back in a side part, is disheveled and sticking up in wild strands. There’s a half-finished espresso in front of him. I join him at the table and motion for the waitress to come and serve me. I order a latte and wait until she’s gone before I speak.

‘Harold.’ He eyes me with contempt, but realizes that he is obviously here to gain something from me and shelves his look for the time being.

‘Jake.’ His acknowledgement is like a touch of frost – an errant snowflake that perhaps dropped down the back of your collar and suddenly makes you shiver all over.

‘What can I do for you Harold?’

‘Well, how about not fucking my wife.’ I smirk at him in response. What a laugh. Here he is telling me who I can and can’t sleep with and yet he’s screwed half of his colleague’s wives! Some nerve he has.

‘I’ll take that into consideration.
Anything else?’

‘Yes, as a matter of fact there is. Felix will be joining us in a minute and we have a proposition for you.’ I’m interested to say the least. I don’t see what they could possibly offer me, particularly when I am holding all the cards here. My mind starts racing through scenarios and comes to the only conclusion it can. They want some form of out for the little predicament they are in. I don’t know what they expect from me, especially since I am already flash for cash. But I suppose, if they had something mutually beneficial to put on the table, I might be willing to consider.

The waitress brings my coffee to the table and gazes adoringly at me. It never gets old. I know I have a very boyish face, even for someone in their late twenties. The dirty blonde hair and dimples make a cute package – I know this because my mother always told me so. I must admit I’m quite the opportunist and use my looks to my advantage any chance I get.

I give the girl a wink and slip her my card as she makes to leave our table. She’s cute in a very sorority kind of way. There are a few freckles that dance across the bridge of her nose and I can tell she would be quite shy in the bedroom. I like the thought of this. Frigid girls make me hot. Her lips part in surprise at me giving her my number. She smiles shyly and practically skips off to the barista station. I know she’s going to call me and I grin like a kid. The thought of her tight pussy lingers in my mind as I notice Felix crossing the street to come and join us.

I don’t know Felix very well. The fact that we grew up in different countries has a lot to do with it. My side of the family has lived in America for the last eighty-one years, while his parents and grandparents stayed in London. As small children we used to see each other on summer holidays and Christmas time, but as adults we only meet when the company has me working out of the London office. We generally get along fine, but as Felix makes it to the curb and locks eyes with me I note the snarl that forms on his lips. It must have something to do with his potential indictment for embezzlement.

Felix and I are not similar in any way. Despite the fact I use women for sex, ultimately I am a lover, not a hater. Felix on the other hand is brash, rude, manipulative, career driven and selfish to the point of having zero empathy for anyone other than himself. His shock of dark wavy hair makes him look like Satan’s spawn while I possess the colorings of an angel. I watch carefully for signs that he’s about to make a scene in public as he enters the brasserie and joins us at our table.

‘Felix, it’s good to see you as always.’ I try not to laugh at the clouds of thunder that roll across his black eyes.

‘Cut the crap, Jake. Just what the fuck did you think you were doing man? Was it the girl? Did she put you up to this? I can’t believe you sold out your own family!’ His voice is rising an octave with each word he shoots out of his mouth. I decide to tread carefully.

‘Let’s leave the girl out of the equation shall we. But what you’re saying is a little like the pot calling the kettle, isn’t it? I mean really, Felix. Weren’t you and Harold here about to relieve our family business of some of its funds as well?’ I sit back and watch their reactions. Harold glances nervously at Felix, but he remains impassive to my accusations.

‘
Touchè. That may be so, but I certainly wouldn’t have indicted anyone else in the process. What you are unaware of, Jake, is that the account you withdrew from has a very sophisticated electronic tracking system attached to it. Didn’t you think anyone from accounts would notice? I mean fuck man, you may as well have posted a sign to your ass saying it was you who took the money.’ I can feel Felix’s exasperation hit me from across the table. I’m sure the color has drained from my face and the cocky look along with it.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Harold stays silent, but a glint of happiness makes an appearance on his features.

‘All the transactions you made from the account you defrauded are going to be pretty darn visible to the guys in accounts within the next week. Sure, we’ll go down too because you were smart enough to have it grace our own personal accounts, but at the same time you just tied a noose around your neck. They’re going to know where all the transactions originated and whose company login code was used to access it. Right about now I’m guessing that yours is going to be top of that list.’

I feel my mouth go dry and wonder briefly if I have time to flee the country before anyone at Went and Worth has time to point the finger at me and throw me to the sharks just like Harold and Felix.

I snap myself out of my reverie and focus on Harold and Felix. The pair of them
look smug beyond belief and I wonder just what they’re up to.

‘Why the hell are you telling me this? I mean, it’s not like it’ll help you, you’re both going down no matter what, so why the heads up?’

‘Because, you self-important jackass, there may still be a way to get us all out of this mess you put us in!’ Harold’s little dig at me is not unwarranted. I see my only option now is to hear what they have to say.

‘Alright, I’m listening.’

‘We have a very limited time frame. The data code that tracks all the monies going in and out of that account should surface in under a week. Now, Harold and I were going to relieve the company of its funds – but not from that account. Grandpa Jimmy has an account that is located on the company server, but is not linked to any of the business accounts. He’s been slowly syphoning money out of the business into that account for the last seven years. I overheard him one night on the phone when he was staying at our house after I had just finished college. I’m guessing no one else knows about it. Anyway, I started searching for it, and lo and behold, I find it. This account has been bleeding the company out of one million dollars a month – just sitting there and earning interest. I double checked and triple checked – there is no notification software on this account. Not just anyone would see the account though. It’s password protected and not linked to any of the others.’

‘That means there would be in excess of eighty four million dollars!’ I’m doing the math in my head, trying to figure out what this all means.

‘Much more than that old boy.
Gramps is earning an impressive seven and a half percent on that money per annum. Go work that out,’ says Felix, clearly impressed with himself.

I’m still confused. All of this information is making my head swim and I’m still trying to process whether I should just run now. I sip my coffee, glad of the momentary distraction.

‘What do you want me to do?’ I’m apprehensive as to whether I should trust them at all.

‘Well despite the fact you now think you have a hefty bank balance, the minute they discover who implemented the removal of funds from their accounts, they’re going to come looking for you. So untraceable bank account or not, it won’t be much good to you from a jail cell.’ Felix lets this statement hang in the air. He is waiting for me to submit, and I do.

‘What do you want me to do?’ His face cracks into a broad grin and he claps his hands together in delight.

‘I thought you’d never ask! Well, you’re the only one of us who still has access to the company’s computer mainframe. You need to go to the server on the twenty-first floor and log in to the database. I have access codes here and strict instructions on what to do.’ He slides an envelope across the table toward me and I tuck it into my jacket for later.

‘You’re also going to have to book plane tickets for the three of us to get out of the country. Best if you organize flights to France first as I have a contact there who can forge some passports for us. He’ll need about two days. In the envelope are three names – these will be our aliases once we leave London. Organize flights to a country that is not part of our extradition laws as we don’t want this coming back to bite us in the ass either.’

‘So you mean to leave London for good?’ I’m a little incredulous that he can just pick up and leave when this has been his home all his life. I guess money will do that to people.

‘I’m not missing anything here, Jake. The old man’s a prick, ma’s been dead a long while, the wife’s a bitch and the weather is crap. Don’t worry about me; I think I’m headed to something much better.’ Felix smirks and I drain the last dregs of my coffee as he and Harold get up to leave. Felix is just about at the door when he turns around and comes back to the table.

‘Oh, and Jake?’

I raise my eyebrows in question.

‘Don’t even think about crossing me again. And one last thing – make sure our final destination is somewhere hot.’ His threat is clear as it hisses out of his mouth. I watch him leave for good this time and wonder where I’ll be in a week’s time.

As I stand to leave, the waitress I slipped my card to is coming towards me. She’s no longer in her work uniform and looks like she is eager to leave with me.

‘Do you want to come with me?’

‘Yes.’ She is a little breathless and excited. I nod, I like her answer.

‘What’s your name honey?’

‘It’s Beth.’

‘Well Beth, have you ever been to the Dorchester Hotel?’ She shakes her head no. ‘Well perhaps it’s time you did?’

‘I um … yeah, I really want to go with you,’ she says shyly. God, this girl is practically begging me for it. I take her by the hand and head off in the direction of my parked car. It’s time for a little fun.