Drop Dead Dirty

by West, Jade

  That’s when I opted to whisper my first real confession. My heart was thumping, skin alive with the rush of emotions I’d been burning with all week.

  “I’m nervous as all hell,” I told them. “Seriously so, so nervous. I mean you’ve seen his wife… ex wife… I’ve been careful with the camera angles and the lamplight, but how am I going to compare with that? I’m going to be absolutely crapping myself when he turns up in person. I mean I’ve been holding back… careful with what he sees…”

  Their smiles were so warm. So, so warm and genuine that I wished I’d have pulled them into my Oliver Kent effect nerves a whole load sooner.

  “You really don’t need to be nervous,” Amy said. “Honestly, Maisie, you’re stunning. A whole world of different stunning than the kind of stunning he’s had with her on his arm. You’re natural, and quirky, and gorgeous, and he was besotted with you when he was just a boy. He’s still besotted with you now, and that isn’t going to change because of a few more wobbles on the thighs. Anything but.”

  “I wish I shared your confidence,” I told her, but I was smiling. Really smiling.

  “Surely he makes you feel hot as hell on those chats?” Kate pushed. “I’m sure he’s driven wild from all those miles away.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, he makes me feel a million billion dollars on those chats late at night,” I said. “It’s not then that I ever really burn up with the nerves, not like I do in the daytime when it’s the general chat text messages pinging back and forth. I feel like average Maisie Moore for most of the rest of the time, and just hope that’s enough for the Oliver Kent who may still believe I’m a cute girl wanting to sail the skies.”

  “The average Maisie Moore will be more than enough for Oliver Kent,” Kate said and reached over to squeeze my hand on the table top. “And like I said, we’re really happy for you. I can’t wait to see this one bloom.”

  “I guess we’ll be visiting you down in the big city in the not all that distant future,” Amy said, and her eyes were alight. “Shopping on Oxford Street, grabbing lunch at The Ritz… I can’t wait for you to show us around when it’s your big new domain.”

  And there it was. A shiver. A different kind of nervousness I’d been feeling deep for days.

  Because how could I up and move to city life and take Freddie out of his world here? If it ever came to that, I mean. There was no guarantee it would do, of course, but you couldn’t deny the potential.

  I hadn’t even thought of moving anywhere since my school days.

  I could trace my family tree back to medieval times, the branches reaching back through the same local vicinity with a constant stamp of agricultural worker, Much Arlock running right through my genetics. And Robbie? How would he cope with us moving to city life? And how about me missing my family, my parents, the stream of cousins I smiled at through every single shift of work, knowing everyone in a twenty-mile radius?

  My life was here.

  Freddie’s life was here.

  “I can’t go to London,” I whispered to the girls. “I mean, I can’t, right? I can’t seriously move my life right the way over to his.”

  The way they raised their eyebrows spoke volumes.

  “But he’s a millionaire businessman with a crazy flash company,” Amy said, like it needed pointing out. “He’s not going to be relocating that, is he? He’s probably run ragged with all that business stuff. You’ll be on his arm, checkout days over, farewell.”

  Freddie burst through from the living room and the conversation halted.

  “See me dance?” he pushed, and both Amy and Kate nodded.

  “We were watching,” Kate said. “You rocked it like a true little rock star. You’re a better dancer than your dad is after a few beers, you can tell him I said so.”

  I smiled along with Freddie.

  “Dad can’t dance after beers,” he said. “I saw him at Granny’s birthday party. He was rubbish.”

  “Well, you definitely aren’t rubbish,” I said, and pulled him close enough to ruffle his hair. “You are a little superstar.” I checked the clock. “A little superstar who needs to get his sleep soon.”

  “One more cartoon, please!” he asked. “Just one more?”

  “Just one more,” I told him, and he bolted away with a yes and the kind of gusto that surprised me at how grown up he was getting so quickly.

  We waited for him to be well engaged and out of earshot before resuming our chat.

  “He could visit his dad at weekends,” Amy offered. “People work around this stuff all the time.”

  I nodded, just a little, swigging back my tea and wanting desperately to skirt around the big looming questions in my mind. If Ollie and I really were going to get anywhere after all this time, we’d have to make plans. Big plans.

  Big changes.

  But they weren’t for now.

  I steered conversation back to general Much Arlock gossip through the rest of Freddie’s final cartoon and laughed along with general chitchat. We finished up our tea and the girls checked their phones and decided it was their time to depart, and I waved them off from the doorstep and watched them arm in arm along the recreation ground path before closing up for the night.

  Freddie was still desperate for a bedtime story, despite his cartoon bonus. I left my phone downstairs as I tucked him in and read one of his favourites, loving his dinosaur roars along with mine as we made our way through the pages.

  I flicked off the light with a goodnight that reached barely awake ears and headed down slowly, my heart on fire with nerves and want and enough churning questions that my fingers were twitchy as they called up Ollie’s text messages.

  I’m nearly done here, the first one said. Four of five offices signed off on our system upgrade. I may make it down this weekend. Sooner than I was hoping.

  I waited until I was positive Freddie was out for the count before hitting that video call button and settling down on the sofa. My smile was a real beamer as he came into view, wrapped in nothing but a towel, his wet hair slick against his forehead as he beamed right back at me and gave me the onceover.

  “How are you fixed this weekend?” he asked. “Is it viable? I’m sure I could slap Ryan up for another sofa surf if I need to, or book into a hotel. Anything just to get a few hours with you, whatever works.”

  I was nodding right through his words, my brain already whizzing.

  “It’s Robbie’s weekend with his parents and Freddie,” I said. “They do one of these a month where they catch up and stay over at theirs.”

  “Quite perfect timing then, isn’t it?” Ollie asked, and there was that smirk. That perfect damn smirk. “I guess the fates are aligning the planets for us.”

  “I guess they could be,” I agreed. “He goes at lunchtime on Saturday. I can be around from the afternoon.”

  He looked away for a moment. I heard his fingers hitting his laptop keys.

  “Maybe… just maybe… I’ll be in Much Arlock awaiting your text,” he said, and my heart started pounding at the thought.

  The real thought that he would really be here, really in the flesh.

  The admission came easily. It flowed right out of me on shivery breath,

  “I’m so nervous…” I told him. “Honestly, I’m so nervous… I can’t wait to see you, I’m just so damn nervous…”

  His eyes were deep and dark as they feasted on mine. “You have nothing to be nervous of,” he said. “Believe me, I’ll be nervous enough myself. Nervous and hellishly excited.”

  My nod was instant. “Hell, yeah, and hellishly excited,” I told him, and my smile burned up fresh.

  “This is the start of a new era,” he whispered, and I wished so much that I could reach through the screen and brush the damp hair from his forehead.

  Soon.

  So damn soon.

  We settled down into the first part of our nightly chat, but so much was churning in my belly. So many butterflies wanting to flap their way out.

  I had so much
to say, so many questions burning deep.

  But they weren’t for yet.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said, and I couldn’t hold back a smirk of my own.

  “I’ve been thinking quite a lot,” I told him, and opened my dressing gown.

  The angle was everything as I tugged my nightdress down beneath my tits. I made sure my nipples were hard under the lamplight as Ollie took a breath and let out a grunt.

  “I can’t fucking wait to see you in the flesh,” he hissed. “Get up on your feet and spread those legs for me. No more hiding yourself. I want to see. I want to see everything.”

  I was scared. Scared and nervous.

  I cast a glance at the living room door, making sure it was closed tight before slipping the dressing gown from my shoulders and raising the nightdress up and over my head. I made sure my arms were pressed tight, squeezing my tits together as Ollie stared down on screen.

  I watched his arm jolting as he played with his cock, loving how hungry he seemed for my body. He really did seem hungry for me.

  Sure, I was scared and nervous, but I loved it. My heart was fluttering like crazy, and I loved it.

  “I can’t wait to see you,” I began, but he let out a shhh.

  “Show me that sweet little pussy,” he said, and I could barely look at him. “Show me,” he pushed. “Now, Maisie. Show me. Forget about hiding and just fucking show me.”

  Nerves.

  Fear.

  Flutters like crazy in my belly.

  Oh, hell. Can I? Can I really show him?

  “Okay,” I whispered, and slipped my fingers down the natural curve of my belly while my phone angle followed.

  Shit, how I had to do this. I spread my legs, standing tall, splaying the most intimate parts of me with trembling fingers and loving how the noise of his hungry groan sounded out from the handset.

  “Spread yourself open wide,” he told me. “Show me up close.”

  I tipped my head back as I splayed myself wider. My clit was throbbing and sparking as I brushed it with my thumb.

  Different.

  It was so damn different to what I’d ventured to onscreen previously. I mean, I’d played for him. I’d loved playing for him… but I’d been so careful… so careful what I’d showed him… always holding back…

  “I can’t wait to feel you inside me,” I whispered.

  “I can’t wait to drive you fucking wild,” he hissed. “I can’t wait to spread that sweet little cunt and drive you fucking insane.”

  But it was more than that and I knew it. So much more than that brewing.

  It was my ass getting stretched around his swollen cock and fingers to match. It was my throat getting strained around the length of him, gargling wet.

  It was us under the moonlight, the cold air on skin, whispering… whispering…

  It was everything.

  Absolutely damn everything. So many fantasies he’d promised. So many fantasies we’d both wanted to explore in the flesh.

  And so we would.

  Soon.

  “Come for me,” he rasped. “Play with that needy little clit and come for me.”

  And I did.

  Jeez, crap. Oh hell, how I came for him.

  I really did play with my needy little clit until I tensed up and exploded under my fingers, and he came for me right back.

  Both of us were breathing hard as I dropped back onto the sofa and slipped my dressing gown back on. He was smiling as he reached for some tissues from his bedside table and wiped up the cum from his taut stomach.

  “These calls really are driving me fucking wild,” he said, and his eyes were alive enough to make me giggle at the heat. “I’m counting down the days until I get my hands on you.”

  “I hope so,” I laughed. “I really hope so.”

  “Trust me,” he said, and I did. I did trust him. “I’ll be there before you know it. Believe me, it’ll be worth the wait.”

  I had no doubt whatsoever it would be.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Oliver

  How I coped with the rising tension across the ether that week I have no idea.

  Nightly video calls soon changed from being the icing on the cake of a busy day, to a whole fresh burst of delicious frustration. The way Maisie teased me with her sweet nervousness under lamplight was enough to have me charged to the hilt, permanently dripping with the need to get my hands on her.

  I was so eager to make it down to see my sweet little vixen in person that I was at Hadley’s offices ridiculously early on Friday morning, checking out their test system performance and pulling off the weekly reports before seven a.m.

  It seemed our system was doing well enough to risk bailing early.

  It was Devon Hadley, technical director and genuine business friend, that I brought into my plans to exit London and give up my attendance onsite for the weekend. Naomi kept way out of it, casting me nothing but a snipey side stare as I packed up my laptop and grabbed hold of my briefcase.

  I shook Devon’s hand before leaving, relieved as his smile met mine. “I’ll have my phone with me,” I told him, but he waved it aside.

  “The system’s more than settled. You’ve done wonders at easing the tension through the installation. Enjoy your break.”

  Oh, I would be enjoying it.

  The temptation to send Maisie a text letting her know I was on my way back across country was strong, but the promise of the beautiful surprise on her face was stronger. Significantly stronger.

  The sun was glowing bright as I headed out of the London congestion zone and put my foot down on the accelerator. My mood was glowing bright along with it as I turned the Friday tunes up high on the radio and my fingers tapped along to the beat against the steering wheel.

  I’d never have imagined being so excited by the prospect of returning to the sleepy little town I’d dashed away from as soon as I could. It wasn’t just the excitement of Maisie either, although admittedly she was by far the main attraction. It was more than that. It was the thought of the familiar little high street with its black and white buildings and market house on stilts. It was the tug of the glow from the local pub windows late at night as I wandered between venues and laughed along with Ryan after some beers.

  It was home.

  The word hit me hard as it first landed in my mind.

  Home.

  Much more home than London had ever turned out to be.

  When had I ever last called Much Arlock home? Back when Mum and Dad’s place on the Friar Park estate was still my childhood world? When the universe revolved around my school life and planning a new one with Maisie every evening?

  I really had no idea. No concrete one, anyway.

  I stopped off at Reading services to grab a coffee but that was my only hold up. I managed to hit the Much Arlock bypass as the majority of the populous were wrapping up their lunch hours, my gut twisting with the thrill as I opted to head straight through the high street and out by the supermarket. I couldn’t hold back the smirk as I pulled up in a space outside the store, checking the messiness of my hair wasn’t too out of control in the rearview before bailing from the car.

  Shit, I was on edge. Really fucking on edge. My heart was pounding as I stepped on through the supermarket entrance and cast my eyes along the row of checkouts.

  And there she was. The girl I’d been aching for right the way across the country.

  My magical little minx Maisie Moore was serving a guy in a florescent jacket, smiling up at him with perfect politeness. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, her eyes glowing bright and natural as she went about her work, completely oblivious to my approach as I grabbed a copy of Weekly Financial from the newspaper rack and made my way to the back of her queue.

  I recognised my old history high school teacher ahead of me, and my parents’ old neighbour, Bill, ahead of him, and it hit me all over again, just how tightly connected the Much Arlock universe really was. I’d have considered reaching out and striki
ng up conversation with both of them if my eyes weren’t fixed hungry on the girl sitting behind the checkout counter.

  She was handing Bill his shopping receipt and saying a polite goodbye when her gaze flicked along the line of customers and ended up landing on me.

  Oh, how the world fucking stilled.

  Both of us staring. Consumed. Lost to everything but each other as her eyebrows raised and her mouth dropped open.

  I’d have driven right the way across the country again ten times over just for that one single moment.

  Her hand was a beautiful dither, dropping a pack of sausages onto the scanner with a thump before she came to her senses and picked it up again. She said her hellos to Mr Spencer, but her eyes were back on mine in a beat, cheeks burning the most glorious pink as I stepped a little closer.

  The tension was incredible between us as she finished up his checking out and he presented his card for payment. I felt more alive than I’d felt in years as I closed the final bit of distance and passed her my newspaper.

  “I thought… oh my God, I thought tomorrow…” she whispered, and her eyes ploughed so hard into mine. “I really didn’t expect to see you… I’m dressed for work… nothing special…”

  But she was everything fucking special.

  I couldn’t help myself staring at her cute Maisie name badge, positioned so perfectly over the swell of her tits in her neat little navy blue blouse. I couldn’t stop myself staring at her cute little shaking fingers as she handed the newspaper back to me. I definitely couldn’t stop myself brushing those cute little fingers with mine as I took it.

  “You look seriously damn special to me right now,” I whispered across the counter. “What can I say? I just couldn’t stay away.”

  The sweetness of her smile was enough that I wanted to pull her from her seat and carry her right fucking out of there.

  “I guess that’s the Much Arlock effect,” she giggled.

  The shake of my head was paired with my smirk. “The Maisie Moore effect, more like it,” I said low, and something shifted in her, I saw it in her face.

  I pressed my card to the reader, wishing the queue behind me would disappear to nothing as she handed me my receipt.