“Are you kidding? My life rocks, Lo’ … thanks to you. Really, I’ve never been happier.”
Lorraine tried to smile but it wasn’t easy. She took the clean diaper from Jeremy and wrapped it around Kayla, taping it shut. “Jeremy, I’ve known you for about four years now. You were my first friend in New York and you’re still my best friend … except Griffin, obviously.”
“Obviously,” Jeremy said.
“So, I hope you won’t mind if I say … you don’t seem that happy to me, Jer. I know you're comfortable here and that this is a good situation for you, for us all. But that’s more like being contented, y’know? Before all this, before I met Griffin, you were the one encouraging me to get out more, to meet new people — ”
“And I was right.”
“And you still are, Jeremy. But now it’s time to take your own advice. Get out there a bit, go socialize, mingle. You used to go out every night, Jeremy.”
“I have responsibilities now, Lo’, the kids need me bright and early, I can’t be partying all night. That scene, the dance clubs and the drinks, you remember the trouble that got us into, the trouble it got you into.”
“I do, Jeremy, I do remember. And now I want you to remember; remember what a shut-in I became, I want you to remember the lonely life that was waiting for me if I hadn’t followed your advice, taken a chance, let go of the past.”
Jeremy smiled, eyes misty, hand gently stroking little Kayla’s face. “I do remember, and I love you for caring so much about me, Lo’. You’re really a good friend. But it’s not about that, I’m not afraid.”
“Even after what happened at the library, even after watching me get shot, almost killed?”
“No,” Jeremy said, too fast and too loud, then softening his tone to add, “it’s not that, it’s just … I feel like I’ve matured, that’s all. That whole scene, it’s just not for me, not anymore.”
Lorraine smiled softly, tapping Jeremy’s shoulder. “Okay, Jer, well, if you ever feel like getting out a bit, not to a dance club but, y’know, but maybe a museum or whatever, I think you should. You need or want any additional time off, it’s yours anytime.”
Jeremy leaned forward, his forehead gently bumping Lorraine’s, Kayla shrieking in toddler delight.
Lorraine’s parents were small on her laptop monitor, peering at her from the Skype window. Sally Devonshire sat with a martini glass in one hand, brows forever unimpressed. She’d been so proud to be a grandmother, but her joy had passed and her usual sense of disapproval had returned.
“Glad you guys enjoyed your trip,” Lorraine said. “Four months is a long time.”
“It was too generous, dear,” Sally said. “You need that money for your children.”
“How was Europe?”
“It was great, what a trip. I mean, vacation,” Larry said.
“It’s nice to have you back, Daddy,”
Sally glanced at Larry but Larry ignored her. “I’m a grandfather after all … I’ve got responsibles now.”
Lorraine repeated, “Responsibles?”
Sally rested her head in her hand. “He’s into some Canadian TV show now about this drunken idiot who mispronounces everything.”
“Your mother’s great, isn’t she? But you know what they say, ‘Beauty’s in the eye when you hold her.’”
Lorraine sat stunned at her computer, trying to conceal her astonishment. “Anyway, I think I’m going to be doing some work with Griffin coming up,” she said, “I’m very excited about it.”
Sally took a sip of her martini. “You really think that’s a good idea, dear? Remember the last time you worked together?”
“We had your granddaughter.”
“Before that, dear, the shooting? You almost died!”
Lorraine waved her off. “That was a one-time thing, stupid Donal and his obsession with me, his anger at Griffin. But, he’s behind bars, Mom, we won’t ever have to worry about him again.”
“What about that sex maniac?” Sally asked. “Lord knows where he is now.”
“It’s been over a year, Mom. Griffin’s right, he’s hiding away somewhere. A guy like that, who knows if he’s even still alive. Believe me, Mom, one thing I’ve learned is that you can’t live in fear, that’s no kind of life at all. You gotta get out there, take a shot. That’s the only way to get anything accomplished. And you can see for yourself what the rewards are.”
Her parents shared a glance, then looked back at their own computer monitor. “What about the kids, dear? Shouldn’t you really be taking care of Kayla?”
“Jeremy’s great with both kids, Mom. Ashe is almost thirteen, Kayla’s on her feet. It’s time to get out there, do something. You worked while I was young.”
“And maybe I shouldn’t have, dear. Maybe if I had, we’d be ... closer, happier?”
Being closer wouldn’t necessarily make me any happier, Lorraine wanted to say, but of course she didn’t.
Redirecting the subject, Lorraine said, “And it’s really a great idea, I’m telling you.”
“It’s not that free school thing, is it?”
“Learning centers, Mom, and yes, it is. What doesn’t sound good about that?”
“Why, nothing at all, dear.” Sally took another sip. “I’m just saying, and I know this from years of dealing with Section 8, HUD housing, some people don’t want to be helped. They don’t want a leg up. They want a free ride.”
“No, Mom, I’m not going to listen to another one of your rants — ”
“What, rants? And it’s not a race thing, dear, it’s not. It’s the lower classes of any race or color. You start off wanting to help them, then all they do is take, take, take. Eventually, they turn on you, Lorraine, you mark my words; they turn on you.”
Chapter 3
The next Monday morning, Lorraine found herself sitting next to Griffin, who sat at the head of a long, conference table in the Phoenix Enterprises’ offices. Lorraine sat at his right side, a power move on Griffin’s part that seemed lost on nobody in the room, not even her. He was making a statement about his commitment to her, about her place in that room, in his business, in his life.
And that place was not to be questioned. But, as Lorraine watched the various board members trade silent glances, she realized that it was merely not to be questioned openly. Behind closed doors, it would be another matter entirely.
Griffin got up and paced around the room, introducing the various board members and their functions, but to commit it all to memory was more than Lorraine could expect of herself. Some of them made stronger impressions than others.
“And this is Ki Fong,” Griffin said, arriving behind a stern-faced young Asian man, whom Lorraine took by his name to be Chinese. “Head of development, new projects.”
“Sounds like you’re the man I’ll be working with,” Lorraine said.
“Normally, yes,” Griffin said. “But in this case, I’m going to have you work directly with Ms. Gallagher. You’ve met Jeannie, of course.”
“Of course,” Lorraine said, “I wish you’d come to the parties more often. Though, I guess we’ve been having less of them since Kayla’s come around.”
Jeannie Gallagher smiled, a sculpted face beneath a rolling mane of chestnut hair, long and wavy and flowing over her shoulders. “How is your lovely little daughter,” she asked?
“She’s … amazing, thank you.”
Griffin smiled. “I’m sure you two will work well together. Jeannie, you’ll see that Lorraine gets everything she needs. First thing, what kind of property do we hold in the boroughs?”
Jeannie flinched just a bit, but didn’t lose her professional smile. “Off-hand, I’m not exactly sure. There should be some, but, I don’t know, we had a pretty big sell-off before the bubble burst.”
“But we did 1031s,” Griffin said, adding, “of course.”
“Oh, of course, of course,” Jeannie said. “I just have to go through the files, see what we’ve got.”
“Make it job one,”
Griffin said, checking his watch. “I’ve got an eleven o’clock with Douglass down in accounting. Okay,” he added with a knowing smile, “be careful out there.” He stepped toward the door, sharing a smile with Lorraine before she is turning back to discuss matters with Jeannie as Griffin slips out of the conference room and down the hall.
Lorraine went on chatting with Jeannie, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling that her new colleague, Ki Fong, was staring at her from behind, negative energy seething out of him before his own quick and quiet exit. Lorraine glanced to see him go, posture rigid, stride fast and certain. He was a man with somewhere to go and something to do. What that was, Lorraine wasn’t sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
“So,” Jeannie said, commanding Lorraine’s attention, “learning centers, eh? Let’s talk about it over lunch.”
Del Frisco’s Grille was just off Rockefeller Plaza, with a sweeping bar elegant fixtures. The kale and brussel sprout salad was cool and crisp, flavorful and peppery with just a splash of fresh lemon. It went perfectly with a cup of hot Earl Grey tea.
Jeannie leaned slightly forward over her own steakhouse salad, strips of red meat draped over a bed of lettuce and other fresh, colorful vegetables. “So, you’ve finally decided you've been cooped up too long?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way. We've managed to do some traveling, even with Kayla. Our manny is such a blessing. And I love spending time at home, raising the kids, watching Ashe come out of his shell.”
“I have to say, you have done wonders for that family. When I think about Ashe, three years ago he wouldn’t even talk. What happened, it was … I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, because I know you almost died and everything, but … it was kind of a miracle, don’t you think?”
“I suppose I do. You’re religious?”
“No, I didn’t mean miracle in a religious sense. I just meant, it was … it was just amazing, that’s what I meant. And it’s because of you, Lorraine, make no mistake. Only one person could have turned those two around, believe me.”
Lorraine paused, but didn’t wait long enough. “You mean, because you tried, too?”
After a stunned moment, Jeannie let out an exasperated chuckle. “No, Lorraine, no way, that’s not what I mean at all.” Lorraine just sat there, slowly chewing her salad and letting Jeannie go on. She knew she was the new kid on the company block, but she had to let them know she wouldn’t be intimidated or played for a fool, even if she was one. “I don’t drink from the company well, if you know what I mean. It never works out, and sometimes it can be absolutely disastrous.”
“You’ve done it before?”
“No, that’s … I mean, I’ve seen it happen, with colleagues and friends. But you, you’re above all that. You’re married to the CEO, owner and president. That’s his name on the door, and on you!”
Lorraine couldn’t deny that there was some truth in what Jeannie was saying, even if there was no truth in what she was insinuating. “I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Griffin,” Lorraine said, “that’s for sure. But I do plan to do some good, and this was my idea. So I hope nobody has the wrong impression of me being here just playing house.”
“No, Lorraine, of course not, nobody thinks that.”
Hhhhmmmm, Lorraine had to wonder, how many lies is that just this morning? Not the first, that’s for sure; definitely won’t be the last.
“Anyway, we’ll get you all set up. Griffin’s taking a meeting with Dennis Douglass, he’s the head of our accounting department. He’ll be able to tell us how much money we can get our hands on, how soon, and I’ll set up the accounts, take care of the paperwork.”
“Wow, that’s … that’s incredible, Jeannie, thank you.”
Jeannie waved her off. “No need to thank me, this is my job. I put projects together like this for Griffin all the time; shell corporations, shadow companies, buying and selling things, it’s all part of what I do.”
“Head of operations,” Lorraine said, “that’s a lot of territory. Are you sure your plate’s not too full as it is?”
Jeannie shrugged. “Griffin wants me to do it, I’ll do it. I don’t question him. Anyway, it’ll be fun, and I want to make sure it gets done right.”
Lorraine knew why Jeannie felt that way, she didn’t need to clarify. It wasn’t Jeannie’s commitment to the idea of the learning centers. Jeannie must have known that to serve Mrs. Phoenix successfully, would be to serve Mr. Phoenix successfully, and that was her true purpose. Lorraine would be a means to that end, but she didn’t mind. She’d be using the eager Jeannie Gallagher to the maximum of her professional abilities, that was what mattered. That’s what would get the job done.
But Jeannie was also right about something else; Lorraine was privy to Griffin’s ear the way Jeannie simply wasn’t, not to mention the rest of him.
Chapter 4
Griffin peeled off Lorraine’s dress and let it fall to the floor. She stood before him, goosebumps rising on her naked flesh. He was the only man who’d ever had her, and he would be the only man who ever would . He would have her wholly and completely and with a mastery he brought with every kiss, every faint caress.
And that was just the approach he used, his hands flat, fingers outlining the curves of her body. But his hands didn’t touch her, not even the slightest glance of skin against skin. Instead, Lorraine stood there imagining that sweet sensation, yearning for it, desperate for it.
But she still was not getting it.
“You’re glorious,” Griffin said, “you’re a work of art, a masterpiece. I don’t even dare to touch you.” He passed his hands teasingly over her breasts and they heaved with her gasp, but Griffin wouldn’t be fooled and his hands pulled back, just beyond the realm of touch.
Take me, Lorraine silently urged him, throw me onto that bed and fuck me like crazy! Grab my tits, flick my nipples the way I love. His breath collected around her breasts and firm, taught belly, but he still didn’t touch her, and Lorraine’s nerves were beginning to jangle just from being so close to that anticipated anarchy of their lusty collision.
She wanted to reach out and pull him close, smother his face in her breasts, squeeze him so tight she might envelop him altogether, wrapping around him, ingesting him.
God, Lorraine thought, I want him inside me so bad!
Griffin hovered in front of Lorraine, nearly trembling to think of the pleasures to come. His face hovered near her crotch, lips flinching and twitching in hope that he might give them a little kiss, his tongue probing and seducing her clit to come out and play. Lorraine could imagine the depth and curvature of that flexible little muscle, wet and wandering into her innermost crevices, in front and behind. Griffin was fearless, and he delighted in delivering sensations she never could have imagined, would never forget, and could no longer live without.
Once at Lorraine’s feet, he began kissing her, lips pulling gently at her skin, the tops of her feet and ankles, slender and small. Her legs trembled as his lips found the bottoms of her calves, head between her legs as he kissed the strong curves of her calf muscles, giving her a playful little bite as he approached her knees.
She spread her legs just a bit, her balance threatened to give way but didn’t, despite her passionate distraction. As he ascended, kissing the backs of her knees and thighs, the top of his head was glancing against her pussy, the slightest touch sending waves of sumptuous pleasure through her. Just thinking about his huge cock plunging into her was enough to make Lorraine want to cum, her juices, her salty tide rising within her.
His mouth found her inner thighs, nerves twitching under her smooth skin as he kissed higher … higher …
She spread her legs a bit further, body lowering toward him. Lorraine had to put her hands on Griffin’s shoulders for support. She relied on him for so much, she knew: his love, their family, their lifestyle; and at that moment, just to remain on her feet.
He kissed her pussy and Lorraine was ready to burst. Her fingers dug into Gri
ffin’s naked shoulders, muscles hard and unyielding beneath her clenched grasp. He gave each lip a kiss of its own, exquisitely gentle, the sensation registering straight up her body. She felt every little touch, his breath as he exhaled, breathing his energy into her. Lorraine’s fingers found his dusty blond hair, pulling at it, stalks rising up between her lusty fists. She wanted to push Griffin’s face into her crotch, push him in so far and so hard that his entire head would pierce her, that magnificent brain and gorgeous face, fucking her like some massive member all its own.
At least give me that tongue, Lorraine silently pleaded, stick it in there, waggle it around the way you do. Lick it up so long … lick it ’til it burns, you son of a bitch!
But he didn’t. Instead his kisses traced higher, her flat stomach pulsing in and out, Griffin’s patient tour of her naked body preceding around her lean waist and ribs like the waves under a heaving sea. Lorraine’s heart beat faster the closer his lips came to her breasts, finally kissing the dewy under curves, nipples rising hard, goosebumps rising around them. A little gasp rose up, squirming in her throat, wispy and delighted.
He took one nipple into his mouth, pulling at it just a bit, tongue circling around it and giving it a familiar little flick. Waves of teasing tension rising, her orgasm already fighting for release. But she held it down, knowing it would only be better, bigger, eventually a continuous roll of ecstasy passing again and again, bigger and bigger with every passing moment.
It shook her body, unwilling to be tormented any longer. But it had no choice, and Lorraine’s cum rebelled, her loins a battlefield, her pleasure the prize.
Fuck me, Griffin, fuck me now!
But he wouldn’t.
His kisses rose slowly above her breasts, her arms falling against the sides of his head. His breath was hot at the nape of her neck, her shoulders arching to meet his curious kisses, hard nipples lightly touching his muscular chest, his own nipples glancing off hers to explosive effect.
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