by Holt, S. w.
“Oh, but they are having pizza! I do like my friends, but I want to listen to my music today.” He says nonchalantly while he heads toward his dresser where the iPod docking station he received last Christmas is proudly displayed.
“I don’t think it's a good idea but you can certainly take it with you to Grandma and Grandpa's tonight. But don’t forget you have to ask first and you may not use it when you are eating dinner or playing with Grandpa. He doesn't even like it when I text him.”
“Ok, I guess.” He starts to mope but then he perks up and asks again, “What's for breakfast?”
“If we hurry I can whip up your favorite maple French toast but you'll have to eat super quick, okay? Oh, and Daddy said he'll be down in time to see you off...don't forget to wish him happy birthday.”
“Okay!” He runs ahead of me and starts hauling down the stairs which terrifies me. I'm hypersensitive since he is a kid who tends to get hurt easily--and regularly.
“No running down the stairs!” I holler. “I'll be right down!”
Continuing past the stairs I head down the hall back to my bedroom, entering just in time to see my husband putting the finishing adjustment on his red tie.
“You are wearing my favorite tie you know,” I say in a teasing manner.
He turns away from the mirror presenting me with his patented naughty boy grin, the one that hooked me ten years ago. Of course, I was young and impressionable while he being six years older and smooth.
With a twinkle in his eye, “Yes, I know this is your favorite. Though it's not normally around my neck, I believe it's usually around your eyes while I'm pleasuring you.”
I blush at his inference. “Wow, I sure woke up the sexy beast in you this morning!”
He lets out a quick chuckle, “You have no idea! I'm going to have a hard time focusing today. You do realize that all I'm going to think about at work is what I want you to do to me and all the dastardly things I'm definitely going to do to you later!” He pauses in the double doorway on his way out of the room, “Oh and I suggest you wear that new red dress I bought you to dinner tonight. I want you to turn the head of every man in the restaurant.”
I give him a salute and in my best syrupy voice, “Yes sir, anything you say.”
“That's my girl!” He hollers as he heads down the hall.
Jumping in the shower I take a quick rinse just to refresh myself after the morning's activities. I throw on a black pair of cropped workout pants with a matching top and stop at the mirror noticing how happy I look today. I suppose if I started every morning with an orgasm I would always look like this. I brush my honey blonde hair that matches my sons. Tying it back in a hair tie, I hastily brush a little mascara on my lashes which always makes my pale gray eyes pop. I hear Charlie calling me so I abandon my post at the mirror and rush downstairs.
“Mommy! Don't I have to leave soon?” Charlie whines.
“Yes my love, but it won't take me just a minute to make your breakfast. Sit down and drink your juice.”
Looking around the kitchen I see the unmistakable signs that Marcus made himself a Keurig coffee and bounced.
I quickly make Charlie his breakfast which he hungrily devours all the while asking me random grosser than gross questions. I swear boys this age find body functions of a particular gassy nature hilarious. I find it inappropriate and completely discourage the conversation.
On the way to school, I notice my phone blowing up with one message after another message from Marcus. No doubt he enjoyed the card I left him on the seat in his BMW sedan. That, and I'm confident he is sexting me which is something I enjoy but not when my son is around to see the messages lighting up my screen.
“Mommy!” He squawks, “Your phone is flashing stuff.” He says from behind me pointing to my phone which is perched on the dash.
I grab the phone and toss it on the seat next to me. I'm such a bad mother I mentally tease myself. Hopefully, he wasn’t able to read what it said. Looking at him in the rear view mirror, I admire the cute little boy happily humming to himself as he watches the world go by through the tinted windows. Oh to be six and in awe of the world and all the mysteries it holds.
After dropping off the little man, I spend the next several hours running errands, working out and prepping for Marcus's birthday celebration. After his insistence that I wear the red dress, I decide that I ought to go shopping and buy a little something sexy to wear underneath as the rest of his birthday present.
Once I arrive back home, I'm relieved to see the cleaning people parked in the circular drive. I wasn’t altogether sure if they were going to squeeze me in today as Monday is my usual day, not Friday.
With everything under way, I feel like I may just pull this off. I'm nervous about tonight because I've never thrown this kind of an intimate party before. Marcus has always dropped hints, but I've never been receptive until now. I just wonder what kind of reaction I will receive later when it's time to pop the cork.
Chapter Two
With only a few minutes to spare, I put the finishing touches on my makeup and stand back looking at my reflection. Scrutinizing the incredible dress and how it hugs my ample curves. I am definitely not your stick skinny kind of girl. I have curves. With an ample cleavage, small waist and a child bearing hips, I've got the classic hourglass shape. I've had to work extra hard to get my body back after having Charlie. Given my past illness, the fact that I was able to conceive him was another miracle in my life. All of the drugs and treatments could have rendered me sterile but instead, I was blessed with my beautiful boy. So the slight stretch marks left behind from the pregnancy serve as a badge of honor. Besides, my husband says he hardly notices them. Otherwise, I love my body and all of the miraculous things apparently it's capable of doing. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t challenge myself on doing more core work and keeping myself in incredible cardio condition. Being married to a man who represents several big names in the entertainment industry is motivation enough when some of them are big-time starlets who make their living by being beautiful.
I slather on my favorite perfume Coco Mademoiselle then finishing my look with a red lip, I smile at my reflection already knowing what my husband's reaction will be. Glancing at the clock on the counter I quickly slip into my Jimmy Choo silver sling backs and look at my backside in the mirror. Satisfied with how the above knee length red silk halter dress looks on me, I head downstairs. Just as I reach the landing, I see the front door is open and my husband is standing in the doorway with the driver from the car service I hired for the evening.
Just as I reach Marcus, he turns around and I can tell from his eyes widening, he approves. He gives me an appreciative whistle, “I knew that dress would look incredible on you! Happy birthday to me!”
“I must admit, I love how it fits. You did a super job picking it out!”
“I most certainly did. We should get going if we are going to make our reservation. Traffic was a mess coming home.”
“Okay, I'm ready.” Just as we are about to step out the door, I turn back to see my husband looking me up and down. I giggle quietly to myself and happily step out into the chilly night air.
Living in Southern California does have its benefits. One can get away with a light shawl to take the chill away in mid-November. Glancing over at my husband who smells of being freshly showered, he looks devastatingly handsome tonight. Wearing a slate blue modern fit suit that conforms to his body like a glove with a white dress shirt and burgundy red tie.
“Where did this tie come from?” I question while touching it with my fingers.
“Oh, it's from Lidia. Isn’t it an excellent color of red?” He smirks.
“Why is your assistant buying you a tie?”
He looks at me sideways with his hooded eyes, “For my birthday, of course, what else?”
“I see. Do you buy her gifts when it's her birthday?”
He turns his head to look at me with his piercing blue eyes and I feel squirmy under his sala
cious gaze. He's literally undressing me with his eyes, purposely not answering my question. I feel my body warming, but a voice in my head wants me to push for a response.
“Listen, I love the tie but honestly isn’t it a bit forward for a woman to buy her boss a personal gift like that?” I chide.
He shakes his head, “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”
His hand is now sliding up my dress grazing his knuckle against my inner thigh.
My breath hitches a little at the back of my throat as I attempt a nonchalant soft laugh.
“Of course not. I'm just toying with you.”
Grabbing his tie, I pull him toward me and as I do so, his hand finds its way to the satin and lace thong panties I bought today.
“Ohh. What do we have here?” He whispers in my ear, “Are you wearing something naughty for me?”
I shrug, “I might be wearing a little something special tonight.”
Running his hot lips down my neck, my skin is searing from his wet tongue blazing a trail to my collar bone over to my shoulder. My body is responding as waves of desire course through my core while his fingers adeptly move my panties to the side, touching my sex, finessing a calculated response. I melt into him as I forget all about the driver on the other side of the glass. Thankful I splurged on a limousine for the evening, I give in to his coaxing and allow myself to enjoy the ride. It doesn’t take long for his lips to cover my lips with his tongue sensuously seeking mine. I'm so turned on that my climax comes quickly. I enjoy the waves of pleasure as Marcus continues to play with me. Abruptly, he pulls away and I see why. We've arrived at our destination.
Leaning into me he whispers in my ear, “That's only the appetizer, just wait for the main course later.”
He straightens his tie then pushes back the renegade strands of hair that have fallen across his forehead. With a smirk fixed on his face, he grabs my hand leading me out of the open car door.
Adjusting my dress and smoothing it down, I look up to see Marcus watching me. The smirk is gone and is replaced with something else, a tender smile in its place.
“You are quite possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever known.” Before I respond, he grabs my hand again, lacing his fingers through mine.
“Thank you.” He says to the driver, “Go ahead and take a break but please be back to get us in three hours.”
I interject, “No, actually Marcus, we will only be a couple hours, come back for us around nine.” I say smiling at the driver.
He looks back to the driver, “Okay, you heard the lady, nine it is.”
Once inside the restaurant we are seated right away at a table with a fabulous view of the ocean. It's our favorite place to go when we have a special occasion. Without missing a beat, the wine steward is already at our table corking the champagne I had pre-ordered when I made the reservation.
Marcus looks at me with that twinkle in his eye that I love.
“Nicely done Laney.” He says as he accepts a glass from the steward. He takes a quick swig then nods his approval.
With glasses filled, we begin to raise them for a toast when a voice from behind us interrupts, “Getting started without us?”
Marcus's face lights up as he looks beyond me.
“Hello birthday boy,” Amelia says while she leans in to give Marcus a hug as he stands to greet our friends.
After everyone has finished their greeting and is once again seated, we all raise our glasses in a toast.
“So, thirty-five is it?” Ryan asks in a chiding tone.
“Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, yours is coming soon so don't look so smug old man!” Marcus chides back.
“Ah yes, you do have a good memory especially for someone who is now middle age.” Ryan shoots back.
As they continue their bantering, Meli, who is sitting next to me leans into me. “So, does Marcus have any idea what you have planned later tonight?” She practically whispers.
“He has made it clear that he has plans for me later tonight so he hasn't a clue that I have something up my sleeve.”
She giggles then squeezes my arm. “This is a big step for you, do you have any reservations about going through with it?”
“Not yet. Besides, I have enough champagne at home to take the edge off should I start to lose my nerve!”
Both of us laughing, Marcus interrupts, “Look at you two over there with your heads huddled together, dare I ask what you are plotting?”
I give him my best innocent gaze, “Why ever would you think we were planning anything?”
“You don't normally have conversations with your friends whispering and giggling, that's why.” He smirks.
Obviously he knows that I'm up to something. Well of course he does, because he's correct, I don't generally behave like a teenager sharing secrets with my little friends.
“It's your birthday darling, maybe that's all you need to know.” Blowing him a kiss from across the table as I run my foot up and down his leg under the table earns me a raised eyebrow and one of his smoldering looks.
“Get a room you two!” Ryan teases.
“If there were one nearby, I just might. I love how my wife looks in red.”
Ryan looks at me with a tilt of his head and hunger in his eyes. I do believe he is assessing me, and the situation to which Marcus hasn't a clue. It makes me tingle knowing what he doesn't. It's scintillating having such a sexy secret.
The rest of dinner is full of laughter, tall tales, and delicious food. We all ordered the crab legs so though we're dressed to kill, we all put on our plastic bibs and dig into the delicacy. Forgetting about my diet, I dip away in the sinful melted butter. I figure I can always work it off later.
As the meal comes to a close, I look at the time on my phone and note that we are literally right on schedule. I pay our bill then as we head outside, I feel the nerves that I have been suppressing come on like a tornado ripping its way through my gut.
Amelia takes me by the elbow, pulling me away from the guys. “Are you ready?”
Taking a deep breath, I figure what the hell of course I am. My whole life has been about living for the moment and not worry about any potential consequences. Smiling I say, “Yes, I sure am. I think it might be a lot of fun. Don't you?”
“Well you know I am up for anything too so...”
Our hired car pulls in front; Marcus offers for them to ride with us, but Ryan assures us that he's perfectly fine to drive.
“That's hardly my point, we have this huge stretch limo and plenty of room for company.”
“And my point is that I don’t want to leave my Maserati parked in a public lot overnight. But thanks for the offer. We'll see you at your house.” He winks then the two of them head off down the street.
I watch as Amelia sashays like a runway model. She missed her calling, she could have been an incredible model, and she’s certainly built like one. Tall, thin and long flowing medium brown hair and dark brown doe-like eyes, she looks every bit the type who would grace the cover of Italian Vogue. Instead, she went to college and became a veterinarian of all things. She has her practice after taking over her father's when he retired a couple years back. Ryan has tried to get her to marry him, but she insists that she is happy with being domestic partners. So, being the determined man that he is, he gave her a ring regardless. Since she is not someone who would turn down a big juicy diamond, she didn’t say no, she told him that they would talk about later. And kept the ring. That was over a year ago.
Ryan, on the other hand, is classically handsome almost aristocratic looking with a slight English accent. Remnants from having grown up in England but moved here when he was a young teenager. His mother is a writer and was working on a sitcom back then. That's how he and Marcus met, they both went to a private high school where the majority of kids were from families whose parents were in the entertainment industry in one way or another.
It's no small wonder that Marcus ended up being an entertainment lawyer though, with his looks and
charisma, it's surprising he didn’t end up on the big screen. Both of Marcus's parents the famous Lancasters are still alive and live in Bel-Air, being Hollywood royalty, they are both retired but attend all the important galas and awards shows. Though they spend most of their time in their luxurious 'retirement' home in Cannes, France. We don’t see them much but when they come out to California it's always with a great deal of pomp and circumstance. With his mother getting her start as a casting director and his dad a producer, the two of them had successful careers that made them a ton of money but they never had time for Marcus. His older sister Jeanne, who is in a civil partnership with her lifelong partner Deirdre, practically raised him. Now they live in the bay area and keep to themselves. We rarely see them for holidays. If it weren’t for my family, we would be seemingly on an island, by ourselves.