Richer Ground

by M, Jessie

  “I'm sure you are.”

  “Oh, before I go, how's the party stuff coming along, and how did it go with Debs?”

  “The party's more or less organised. It took a few phone calls, that's all. Caterers booked, drink sorted, cake ordered, entertainment done, I still need some input on the music. I'm sending the invites out tomorrow. And Debra's doing okay. Starting to come out of her shell already. We got on like a house on fire... When I dropped her off I ended up staying for dinner. We ordered a Chinese in for the three of us.”

  “You really went to Mansion Creag Dhu and had a Chinese?” Ali repeated, her eyes wider than saucers. She somehow couldn't imagine it. She didn't know why exactly.

  “Yep... It was a lovely meal. We sat in the kitchen, at the breakfast bar, and watched Eastenders on TV... A proper TV dinner,” she chuckled to herself. “Jasper's very into his Chinese... Chow mein, hot and sour chicken, sticky ribs, and fried rice. By the bucketful apparently. There was enough to feed the entire village of Morden. After that Debra went to bed, and J and I had a few bottles of wine and watched a late movie together in the living room. 'An Officer and a Gentleman', you know how I am about Richard Gere. I don't know if it was J's cup of tea, but he let me choose on the pay per view.”

  “That sounds very cosy.”

  “And Ali, you may as well know... I stayed over...”

  “No... But you've only been on one date Mum!”

  “So?”

  “It's a bit soon for all that...” Alista could very well see the hypocrisy of her words. But even so... This was her mother.

  “Oh don't be stupid. When you're my age you take what you can get. Especially if it comes in a very nice Jasper package.”

  “Don't wanna know,” Ali said, holding her hand up and making her way upstairs.

  “You young things don't have the monopoly on sex you know,” her mum called after her with a girlish giggle. “And we oldies know a helluva lot more about it.”

  Ali doubted that was the case. Well, her's and Richer's case anyway.

  When she came down, the front door was open and Mum was outside, sitting chatting in the car with him. She got out and kissed Ali goodnight on the cheek.

  “I was just telling Rick to behave himself with you...” she grinned, and winked at her.

  “Yeah right...” Ali gave her a dirty look. She wasn't amused. She was a grown woman, nearer twenty three than twenty two. Her mum had given birth to Radleigh by her age. Besides, she didn't want Rick to behave himself for a second. She wanted him to use and abuse her, non stop.

  “Just a little joke, Ali... Anyway, you raced off all embarrassed before I could tell you. I'm going away with Jasper, Monday till Wednesday. We changed our minds about doing the races... and guess what? We're going to Paris instead! I thought I'd let Rick know, before he made plans with you. He's having Debs over his place.”

  Ali was having kittens about her mum and Jasper's full on relationship. It didn't seem right.

  “Mum, are you sure about this?”

  “Am I sure? After last night, I've never been surer. Have a nice time, love. See you.” Her mum turned and left her open-mouthed by the car door.

  “Are you getting in, or what?” Rick asked, his voice breaking through her mum shock.

  She hopped inside and they sped off down the road to his.

  “Well I don't know how I feel about this... the two of them... sleeping together...” she finally muttered as they sat at the lights.

  “Well I think it's great. Good for them. I hope they have as good a time as we did. Maybe even better and far naughtier...” he announced, shutting her up completely.

  No way... not my sweet mother... Oh dear God, no...

  She put their box of tricks under his bed and she lay back waiting for him to come upstairs. He appeared a few minutes later with two large glasses of wine.

  She took one and sipped.

  It was a beautiful flavour, a little on the sweet side, and just how she liked it.

  He climbed on the bed next to her and picked up her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skin.

  She decided to take it slow, casual... Milk his mind for some party information before she milked him somewhere else....

  “I'm taking you out for dinner on Saturday, my treat. I've managed to get the weekend off work.”

  “That's very sweet of you, but you don't have to. I know you've got your student loan to repay and all that.”

  “I want to Rick. It's your thirtieth birthday. Let me... Please?” Her voice rose in OTT desperate appeal.

  “Okay... If it means that much.” He agreed. She relaxed a little. “I'm happy to pay.”

  “NO...”

  “Okay, again...”

  “Ali... tell me something... It's bugging me. Why are you working in a bar when you have a first class honours degree in economics? It seems to be a bit of a waste.”

  “You're telling me. But I couldn't get anything else to be honest.”

  “My dad can find you something.”

  “No, Rick!” She turned towards him with a flash of annoyance.

  “Why not?”

  “Because....”

  “Because, what?” He frowned at her.

  “Because... I want to do it on my own. You may think that's bloody minded of me, and I'm shooting myself in the foot, but I worked really hard to get that degree. I'll get places eventually, but all on my own steam. Without daddy favours and unearned back doors.”

  His frown deepened. “I guess that tells me what you think of me, doesn't it?”

  “You come from a different world to me. Maybe that's par for the course with the upper classes.”

  “But it's just a start, a foot inside, that's all. Why not get some help with that? You still have to prove yourself when you get inside that door. It's not all been plain sailing for me, I can tell you.”

  “Really?”

  “No... I had a lot of hassle from the people I was working with. And rightly so, I suppose. But my intelligence and unbeatable skills won through in the end,” he joked, with a little grin.

  “You're kinda cute when you show off.”

  “Why thank you, sweetheart...” They sat sipping silently for a moment. “So, how about it... Shall I ask him to cast his net?... Dad has a lot of contacts.”

  “No,” she snapped. She found the whole thing a little embarrassing and humiliating.

  “Fine. Have it your way,” he huffed.

  “It's my life. I'll do what I like with it.”

  “I know that Ali. But think about it, that's all I ask.”

  “Okay, I'll think.”

  He put down his wine and lay down on his side, stroking her denim covered leg with his finger.

  His tone changed quickly.

  “I missed you today... It was dead boring hanging around here on my own. I was restless and kept pacing around, like a caged animal.”

  “You should have gone swimming or to the gym,” she suggested, “that would have got rid of some your pent up energy.”

  “I'm out of my stride with the fitness regime. I'm sure I'll get back into it, but right now I've got other things on my mind.”

  She put her wine down and turned on her side to face him, snuggling up close. Her heart was picking up a pace with excitement. She ran her hand through his carefully arranged silky hair, and then down around his stubble roughened face. Finally, she placed a finger on his warm lips.

  “Me too... I broke four glasses today, I was so distracted. But even worse... I called Mrs Simpson ‘Mandy’ instead of Wendy. She wasn't impressed.”

  He grinned and then licked her finger.

  “That was very naughty of you.”

  “Damn stupid, more like. Hopefully my new trainee management status isn't revoked as a result of it. Anyway, enough about that. Put some music on and ravish me to death.”

  “What would you like to listen to?”

  “What have you got?” she probed.

  “Everything... classic
al, chart, rap, pop, R&B, jazz, country.”

  “Put something typically 'you' on... Give me a Richer blast of sound. Make it a long blast, so you don't have to get up too soon.”

  “I'm on it.” He rose from the bed and plugged his phone in the speaker dock on the chest of drawers. He flicked around on the phone and turned up the volume to a perfect level.

  She sat quietly surprised at his choice.

  “I wouldn't have thought this was you at all.”

  “I tend to like female vocalists the best. Beautiful voices. Like Lana del Rey, Nora Jones, this is my favourite girl though, Corrine. Perfect little catch to her voice, it sends chills all over me. She's hot background.”

  “I don't think I know Corrine.”

  “Yes you do...” He got up and reset the track to another, turning towards her with a big smile.

  He lay down again and kissed her nose.

  “‘Put Your Records On' … Oh yes. I know this one.” She started to sing along to the chorus. It was too catchy not to.

  “You've got a pretty good voice yourself. Pretty all over,” he said, and stopped her mid flow with a long, long kiss. She groped him all over, her hands a wild teasing frenzy as his tongue assaulted hers.

  She came up for air.

  “Oh God Rick...! I love the way you kiss me. I can't stop thinking about it all day.”

  “Just my kissing?”

  “It's the innocent side of us. It's the only thing I can think about without having an accident..”

  “I like innocent at times, it's simple and sweet. Let's do that, shall we... Just us and plain old vanilla sex.”

  “Missionary position and eyes shut?” she joked.

  “Whatever floats your boat...”

  “You float my boat Mr hot stuff, do whatever you want. I trust you,” she giggled.

  He pulled her tightly against him and the heat took off between them like an erupting volcano.

  Her heart squeezed and butterflies flew around in her stomach. She almost wanted to cry with happiness when she was in his arms like this.

  The way she felt about him right now, she needed to keep to herself.

  He decided against vanilla sex and descended to lick her senseless instead.

  A long while later he'd just about succeeded. Her legs unwrapped themselves from around his head.

  “Oh no, not again... please... I can't take anymore... I'm all over-sensitised and sore...” she gasped, trying to squirm away from his stubbly chin.

  He climbed up her and lay at her side, stroking her face.

  “Can I ask you to do something for me?”

  “Ask away... “

  He stroked her pubic hair.

  “Get rid of this. I like it smooth.”

  Why wasn't she surprised at this little revelation?

  “I can't be bothered with the upkeep. Shaving's a pain and itchy in between.”

  “Tell me about it. But it’ll make things even better. And besides, hair sucks from my point of view. Literally.”

  “As I said... No way Jose.”

  “I'll do it as well.”

  “Oh ha ha... You'd really shave your stick?”

  “If you shave your pussy.”

  She looked at him for a moment, considering it. Then a grin broke out on her face, and a bigger one on his.

  “Right. I'll do you. And you can do me. Get in the bathroom lover-boy.”

  He turned from the sink and placed a long tube of Sally Hansen cream in her hand.

  “What's this?”

  “It's much nicer than razors... and it's odour free apparently. Slap it on me girl, nice and thick.”

  “Honestly Richer, you're a real bad boy. You actually planned this?”

  “Mmmm.”

  “I was going to give your ass a rest tonight, but now I might have to spank you again for being so damned naughty.”

  He sighed loudly, his whole chest heaving up and down as she displayed her new hair free smoothness.

  It had taken quite a while, a lot of waiting and standing in an awkward position, in hysterical laughter most of the time. But the rinsing each other off, with the shower head at close quarters, had been more than pleasant.

  “Pretty and smooth enough for you?” she asked sweetly, posing provocatively.

  “I'm speechless for once.” His eyes were glued.

  “Let's get our new looks re-acquainted, shall we...” She took his hand and led him back to the bed. “It'll have to be a quickie as it's half past three.”

  “Whatever you say, princess.”

  Her eyes dipped down to his rather gorgeous hair free parts with appreciation as he knelt on the bed at her side.

  “You look even bigger now, you know,” she said, grabbing him by the cock and pulling him down on top of her.

  “So, you like, do you?” His grin couldn't get any wider.

  “Mmmm, do I like!”

  The next four days passed in a blur of entertaining Debra, and the pair of them sneaking off for some plain vanilla, naughty, and extremely bad debauched sex. Whatever they could fit in, without being too obvious. Plus, of course, some annoying work squashed in between the mix.

  Debs was coming out of her shell all right. She was quite funny when the mood took her, and she and Alista had started to gel as friends.

  They sat giggling conspiratorially on Rick's sofa, late Wednesday morning, reading about the men in the Big Brother house. He was writing out his monthly report and sorting out his emails on his laptop. She was due in work at one.

  Alista raised her fingers and twiddled with her earrings. She went hot and cold with realisation. One was missing. She stood up in a panic, looking around where she was sitting with frantic eyes. Not seeing any sign of it, she flew upstairs to search her clothing, the bedroom, and bathroom.

  Nothing anywhere... Not under the bed, or in the bed, or in the shower...

  She shook out the towel, tipped out her bag... She was desperate...

  Oh no... And I didn't even insure them yet...Oh my God, oh fuck...

  Tears gathered in her eyes. Her tiny, valuable, platinum and diamond earring could have gone down the plughole, or dropped anywhere... In the garden, the pub, or any number of places over the last couple of days.

  She didn't know what to do. Her heart beat wildly. She turned as she heard his footsteps as he came upstairs and into the bedroom.

  “For fuck’s sake. What's up? Why did you run off suddenly and what on earth are you jumping around up here slamming all the wardrobe doors?”

  “No reason...” she snivelled loudly. She couldn't cover it up.

  “Tell me!” he demanded, looking at her panic stricken face.

  “No!” she said, running downstairs and out the front door, not sure what she was doing. She needed to get away and think.

  He caught her up half way down the drive.

  “Stop right there, missy.”

  “I've lost one of your earrings...” she blurted out with a sob.

  “That's okay.... it's insured, isn't it?” He hugged her to him.

  “No,” she sniffed, tears flooding everywhere.

  “What?”

  “You heard,” she choked.

  “I can't believe you didn't insure it!”

  “Why didn't you insure it for me?” she snivelled and sobbed.

  “Ali, they're your earrings for crying out loud... you stupid, useless little bitch...” He ground out angrily.

  “Don't say that. It's all your fault! You shouldn't have given them to me... The most I've ever paid for earrings is £9.99 in Claire's Accessories. I've never needed jewellery insurance in my life, and it slipped my mind” she spluttered, sniffing...

  “Slipped your mind? Oh shut up... You obviously have no clue how to look after valuable things, despite being an adult. And I quite agree, in hindsight... I shouldn't have given them to you. But don't you dare blame me for this, you're just so....so...”

  “So what...? Go on then... Fucking say it....” she taunte
d him with venom.

  “Stupid, useless... and so common.”

  “You fucking stuck up bastard. Go stick your diamonds up your ass...”

  She shrugged him off with a wild sob and ran away. Down the drive and all the way home. He didn't follow. She'd left her phone, her purse, her keys...

  After retrieving the spare key from the shed, she let herself in.

  She puffed out a heavy sigh of abject misery as she plonked herself down on the sofa mindlessly.

  She was hurt. That he'd taken on so and insulted her. But most of all angry with herself for being so careless and useless with the most beautiful, expensive present she'd ever been given. Despite being at work, he'd taken the time and thought to get the earrings cut and mounted with the best platinum and to give them to her in that sweet little gift wrapped box. And she couldn't get herself organised enough to remember to make one five minute phone call to an insurance company?

  She went to work in a distraught haze. Her chest and mind heaving. She couldn't raise a smile or a cheery word with anyone, all night. Eventually, a rather displeased Tim sent her home at seven. Her mood didn't look good behind the bar, he'd said. And it was quiet anyway.

  Her mum arrived home from Paris at eight that evening. Her ears barely took in a word she said.

  Eiffel Tower... blah, blah...something or other. The Seine and a boat... something even more exciting, apparently, based on the tone of her voice... and Jasper was all so lovey dovey... That seemed to be the theme running throughout.

  How lovely...

  And it was all so special.

  Super fucking duper.

  Earth shattering and life changing news, she was sure.

  Just great...

  “I'm so happy for you mum,” she announced in as cheerful a voice as she could summon up. “I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm not feeling at all well at the moment. Really dreadful headache.”

  She shot upstairs, past Radleigh, who was on his way down.

  “Looking forward to the big do are 'ya? It'll be fun. us hob-nobbing, like...”

  “A laugh a second, I'm sure.”

  “ What colour hair are you going for... orange, green, blue, like...”

  Radleigh was always poking fun at her hair colouring habit. Albeit light heartedly. It wasn't as if she changed it that dramatically though... It was always, brown... or some shade of brown. Hot brown, warm brown, dark brown. Brown and browner... and boring.