by Paul Preston
Chapter Four
Wednesday
Laura slept in late Wednesday morning, after the terrible dream of jumping off the cliff with Stephen. Images of the events of the night before kept playing through her mind. She pictured the beckoning bright light that drew her into the theater, the beautiful young woman in the lovely lingerie with the bound wrists, the brutish leather clad figure of the man, her pretty nude body, the knife, her submission into the stock and chains, his enormous shaved erection. Laura pictured how Belle took him into her mouth and how passionately she kissed and stroked him as he spanked her with the wooden paddle. She remembered her embarrassment as she ran out of the theater sobbing. How she shouted at Stephen in the parking lot and how he calmed her, despite the hurtful things she said to him.
Above all, Laura thought about how sexually aroused she was by the show, and how ashamed she was by her reaction. She could even smell how aroused she was and remembered the nice feeling of moisture between her thighs. Lying in bed, the lips of her sex curled open at the memory, Laura touched herself under the blankets, amazed at how wet she felt.
She tried to shake off the memories by undergoing the routines of her day. She showered, did her hair, put on her makeup, got dressed, made breakfast, but then decided she wasn’t hungry, put it away for later and just drank coffee. She read the newspaper. She went out and took a walk through the trees surrounding her cozy cottage in the woods. She ripped up pieces from a loaf of bread and fed it to the birds, who chirped merrily for her. She went home, turned on the TV for a few minutes, got bored and turned it off. She did a little housework, the laundry, the dishes, some vacuuming. She was still very restless so she took a jog through the neighborhood and kept running until she had worked up a good sweat. She was breathing so hard by the end of it that the thoughts of the previous night finally receded to the back of her mind. She showered, got dressed and took a drive to the mall. Something led her directly into a Veronica’s Secret store and she saw a red silk cocktail dress. She went back into the dressing room and tried it on but her bra showed through. She decided to try it on to see how it looked without a bra. Due to her jogging, she still had a very pretty figure and the dress looked very sexy on her. Impulsively, she bought it, picturing the spot in the back of her closet where she planned to hide it. She wasn’t very hungry so she had a frozen yogurt for lunch. She sat down in the mall and watched the shoppers pass by.
She thought about how rude she was to Stephen last night. It certainly wasn’t his fault that she had gone into the theater and seen the disturbing show. He in fact urged her several times to leave, but she ignored him. She saw herself becoming one of those Christians she’d vowed to never be, self-righteous and judgmental of others.
What right do I have to tell him whether he’s a Christian or not?
Suddenly she felt compelled to see him and personally apologize for her behavior. She drove home and retouched her makeup and hair, then decided to wear her new dress out to meet with Stephen. Out of habit she put on a bra but realized again that the straps showed through the thin silky material. The bust had a built in cup that lifted up and covered her breasts, so a bra wasn’t really necessary. She took off her bra and the dress fit much better without it. The design of the dress showed off her cleavage in a manner she had never seen.
I’m going out without a bra.
She looked at herself in the mirror and put on a slightly redder shade of lipstick and a darker eye shadow. She felt an excitement about going out for the first time in several years and a sense of freedom she had not experienced since the carefree days of her childhood. And she felt an apology was in order, it was the right thing to do. She looked forward to seeing Stephen again with great anticipation. She decided to go a little early to arrive before his 8 o’clock shift ended to catch him before he left.
Laura entered the front door of the A and E Club, tentatively walking into the lobby. She heard the murmur of voices coming from behind a red curtain. A well-dressed man who looked like the maître de of a restaurant stood at a podium in front of the curtain.
“May I help you, miss?” Firmin asked.
“Well…”
Laura looked at the curtain and licked her lips.
Go on in. There’s no harm to take a quick peek inside.
“Would you like a seat at a table? Our next show is scheduled to begin in a few minutes.”
“Actually, I’m not here to attend a show,” Laura said back, nervously.
“I see. May I ask what you’re doing here then? This is a private club.”
“Uhh, I was hoping I might bump into someone I know, that I think used to work here. But I don’t see him.”
“What’s his name?
“You know, I think he’s probably not here. I’ll just...”
“You are welcome to wait here in the lobby, if you wish, miss.”
“Thank you, perhaps I will, sir.”
Laura walked back over to the door, looking out the window, debating with herself if she should stay. Firmin returned to the hostess station and picked up the phone.
“There’s someone here in the lobby I think you should see, sir,” Firmin whispered into the phone.
Laura paced nervously through the lobby once more, stared out the window, then walked over to the lobby doors. Finally, she decided to sit on the couch and wait for a few minutes to see if Stephen might pass by.
Phillipe Williamson came through the curtain and caught Firmin’s eyes. Firmin nodded over at Laura, directing Williamson’s attention to her. When he initially saw her, his eyes grew wide and his heart started thumping strongly in his chest. Squinting across the lobby he saw a beautiful young woman in a pretty red dress seated on the couch. Williamson’s breath caught in his throat.
Could it be her? Did she lighten her hair? What was she doing here?
It had been almost three years since he’d been near her and he had another long year to wait before he had any chance of seeing her again. Williamson approached her.
“Ms. Mauricio?”
Laura looked up at the imposing frame of a large virile well-dressed man standing a few feet away from her. He wore a perfectly tailored light grey Armani suit with an open-collared pressed white shirt, no tie and attractive shiny black shoes. His muscular body and rugged face reminded her of the men pictured on the covers of the romance novels she often impulsively bought and secretly read while her husband was away on church business. He had a deep gravelly voice and an intense look in his eyes.
What a handsome man…
Laura wondered who this woman was the man had mistaken her for. She stood up, smoothing out the folds in her dress and pulling down her hem slightly, not used to having her upper thighs so exposed by the short dress. When she adjusted her hem, Laura realized it was happening again, this unbidden sexual response within her. There was warmth between her thighs and dampness there. In the presence of this attractive stranger, she could feel the lips of her sex opening out and touching the cotton of her panties. Laura hoped the wetness would not show through on the clingy material of her dress. She clenched her thighs together, feeling ashamed of herself for having this reaction to another man other than her husband. In fact, her husband never once made her feel so excited inside.
It was that show last night.
Seeing the performance last night had triggered some powerful force within her she had long kept repressed. It was as if her dormant sensuality had been pricked back to life and was now no longer under her power to control. Suddenly, Laura realized she had been staring up into the coal-black eyes of the gentleman for too long. Embarrassed, she took a shallow breath and cast her eyes discretely downward.
“Ms. Mauricio?” Williamson repeated.
Laura responded to the attractive gentleman with a breathy nervous voice.
“I’m afraid you have me mistaken for someone else, sir.”
“You look like someone I…”
Williamson stepped closer, transfixed by her beauty. Stephen looked at he
r in a similar way when they first met at church. She had to admit it was flattering to be stared at. He held out his hand to greet her and out of politeness she took the end of his long strong fingers. He pressed her hand firmly and Laura could feel his warm skin under the tips of her fingers. She looked down at his hand and noticed thick blue veins popping out from the skin of his wrists and running under his crisp starched sleeves like twisting serpents disappearing into their lair. Laura looked closer and imagined see could see the blood pulsate through him as he squeezed her fingers. In her close proximity, she couldn’t help but notice the masculine build of the man, the muscles of his arms and chest stretching out the material of his shirt. His fierce dark black eyes and handsome face made her feel weak in the legs. She regretted not eating anything more than the frozen yogurt all day. Still holding her hand, the man leaned in toward her and breathed in. Laura could smell his cologne. She thought she had smelled the scent before.
But where?
He smelled nice. If she knew him better she would ask what brand of cologne he wore, so she could buy a bottle for her husband. After he breathed in and exhaled, the sides of the man’s mouth suddenly curled up into a knowing smile. He looked down at the creamy white skin of her ample cleavage and finally let go of her hand.
“Forgive me for mistaking you for a dear friend of mine. Let me introduce myself. I’m Phillipe Williamson. And your name is…?”
“Aurora….”
“Aurora? What an unusual name.”
“Did I say Aurora? Oh gosh, I’m sorry. I meant Laura.”
“Ah yes. Laura. What a pretty name.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, Laura, I’m the owner of this club, as well as a few more reputable businesses. Here’s my card.”
Laura took the card and nervously read it out loud.
“Williamson Investments and Real Estate Services.”
“Yes. If you and your husband would like to create a fund of investments to live off of when you retire, or if you’re ever in the market to buy or sell upscale real estate, especially on the California coastline, please give me a call. I’m very good at what I do. I’m considered an expert in both fields and have a long list of ‘satisfied clientele’.”
He said “satisfied clientele” with a sly and sexy smile, as if the word had a double meaning for him. She wondered how he knew she was married.
It’s probably my ring, thank God for my ring.
Laura kept nervously touching it.
“I see. I’ll pass this on to my husband and ask him to give you a call.”
Laura put the card in her purse.
“Good. Now what is an extremely pretty woman like you doing all alone in my club?”
Laura felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
“Yes, I have a friend who works here, I think as a security officer, Stephen.”
“Ah yes. My employee files are in my office along with their various nightly schedules. At my three businesses, I have so many employees, I can’t keep track of them all; if you would please follow me, I will check to see if there is a Stephen on the shift tonight. If so, I will have him paged at once to come meet you in my private offices. Would you please follow me, Laura?”
Before Laura knew what was happening, Williamson was several paces ahead of her across the lobby. She followed along behind his brisk long-legged pace, clutching her handbag to her side and trying not to stumble over the high heels she never had a chance to wear until that night. Skipping along behind him, her heels clip-clapping on the ornate parquet flooring, she almost lost sight of him as he turned into a doorway. Laura followed him into a large room. An executive’s empty desk sat against the middle of the back wall surrounded by several chairs. There were two long couches against one side wall, similar to the black leather couches in the theater’s lobby. A full bar with several glasses hanging above it was against the other wall, lined with various bottles of liquor. There were several closed doors and closets around the room. The surrounding walls were black painted bricks, without any windows, lending an imposing austerity to the room.
“Please take a seat, Laura,” Williamson said.
Laura sat down on one of the leather sofas.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like a drink?”
Though she felt extremely thirsty, she politely declined.
“Oh come now, Laura. Let’s live it up a little. This is a night club, after all. You are the first person in my ten years of ownership who has refused a drink.”
“Oh well. OK. A glass of water would be nice.”
Williamson walked over to the bar.
“Pellegrino or Perrier?”
“Umm, either. You decide.”
“I like that. Owner’s choice. OK.”
Williamson poured their drinks in heavy crystal glassware and handed one to Laura by the stem. He sat down a few feet away from her on the couch.
“Cheers, Laura,” he said, taking a drink.
“Thank you, Mr. Williamson.”
She sipped her sparkling water.
“Call me Phillipe.”
“OK.”
“Do you like your drink, Laura?”
“Yes, thank you. It’s very refreshing, Phillipe.”
They both sipped their drinks for a moment.
“Uhh, you were going to…” Laura said to break the silence.
“Oh yes, I’d totally forgotten. What did you say my employee’s name was?”
“Stephen. I’m sorry; I forgot to ask for his last name.”
“That’s OK. I’m sure we can track him down.”
Laura watched Williamson walk over to his desk, put his glass down and open a few cabinet drawers, looking for something. He took one last swallow of his water, set the glass down on the bar and made a call on his cell phone.
“Firmin, yes. I can’t seem to find the employee paperwork. Did you move it? Listen, do you know if there is an employee named Stephen on the schedule tonight? He works security, right?” he asked Laura.
Laura nodded.
“Yes. Well, go on the main computer in our administrative offices and check to see who’s on the shift tonight and try to track him down. He has a visitor. If you find someone with the first name of Stephen, send him to my office. Thanks… There. Firmin will report back to me in a few minutes. If he’s on shift, your friend should be here momentarily.”
“I’m terribly sorry, Phillipe. I’m afraid I’ve caused a big inconvenience. Perhaps I should...”
“Don’t be silly, sit down, Laura, it’s no problem at all. He’s probably out on the perimeter of my property, doing a security check. The neighborhood here can be a little dangerous. I bought the property for a song, years ago. It used to be a slaughterhouse, I’m told. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll be here in a few minutes. If he’s here, we’ll find him. Sit back. Relax.”
“OK. I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all, really. It’s a pleasure, actually.”
Williamson walked over to the entrance and gently shut the door.
“Uhh, Phillipe?”
“Yes?”
“Would you mind reopening the door?”
“Sure.”
Williamson reopened the door.
“Am I making you uncomfortable, Laura?”
“No, no.”
“I certainly don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“You’re not, Phillipe. You’re a perfect gentleman…”
“Thank you, Laura… So in the few minutes we have, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself. I’m curious about you.”
Laura perked up and sat up on the edge of the couch, still clutching her glass by the stem. Williamson walked over to his desk and leaned back against it. He looked down at her as they talked, admiring her pretty face, her long blond hair, her lovely eyes, her full red lips, and how the curves of her body and outline of her breasts and nipples could clearly be seen under the clingy red silk fabric of her dr
ess. Williamson noticed how Laura kept pressing her thighs together as she spoke.
“Well, as you guessed, I’m married. Almost three years now. My husband, Roger, is a minister at Our Savior Presbyterian Church. Have you heard of the church?
“Why yes, as a matter of fact, I have. I drive by it almost every day on my way to work. I own a condo only a mile or two away. Nice location. So you’re a Christian, Laura?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Maybe you could clear something up for me, a question that has always confused and bothered me my whole life. Maybe you’re the perfect person to explain it to me.”
“I’ll try.”
“OK. At the beginning of the bible, God creates the Heavens and the Earth and the first two people, Adam and Eve. I’ve always liked the image of the first man and woman, nude and unashamed of their bodies, in love, surrounded by carnivorous animals that weren’t attacking them, the lion lays down with the lamb, etcetera, sexy place, right? It’s paradise. Now, I haven’t been to church since I was a kid when one of my foster parents, who was a Christian, would take me, so I might have the facts mixed up, but God came along and told Adam and Eve they could do anything they wanted but they could not eat this piece of fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which revealed the difference between Good and Evil. Eve, of course, it’s always the sexy naked woman’s fault, isn’t it? Eve was tempted by a snake and she took a bite, and because they ignored God’s seemingly, at least to me, irrational and arbitrary set of rules, they are both cast out of Paradise and, as a result, through eternity, men and women would be forever ashamed of their bodies and their sexuality. The whole thing is confusing to me. And it was really the snake’s fault anyway, it seems to me.”
Laura considered Williamson’s words carefully before she spoke.
“Don’t feel bad if the scripture from Genesis confuses you, Phillipe. It confuses me too actually and biblical scholars have been trying for centuries to decipher its meaning. I’m not an expert either and perhaps my husband would be better able to explain it, but I think it has something to do with a moral code that the Creator wished to impart on us, that we as Christians have a free will to choose which path to go down, be it the path of righteousness or the path of”-