by Tia Siren
''Why not son? Of course, you can.''
Josh lit a cigarette and blew smoke rings towards the savage looking Staffordshire Bull Dog. The dog got up and relocated further away. ''I can't mum. I'm too rich now. There are a lot of bad people around. I could get kidnapped.''
''I suppose so. But you could come home, to me, secretly.''
''Yes I suppose. Oh fuck mum, that fat git Tubby is here. I'll have to go. Tell everyone I love 'em.'' Josh pushed the stop button on the phone consul and walked to the door.
Loren looked at the mansion and was quite surprised to see that Josh had taste as far as houses were concerned. She closed the door to the Jaguar Harry's chauffeur had driven them in and wondered if the gravel on Josh's driveway would scratch her patent shoes.
''Tubby you get fatter every time I set eyes on you. Been having another fattening lunch?'' Josh asked.
Harry ignored him. ''Josh this is Loren. As I told you, she's going to spend some time with you, try to iron a few things out with you.''
''Has she got a last name? I'm sure she isn't called Loren Loren.''
''Hurik,'' Loren said. ''My last name's Hurik.''
''Let me guess, you're a Wild Indian,'' Josh said.
''No. It's an Armenian name. Do you know where that is?'' Loren asked.
''Don't get smart with me Mrs. Of course, I know where it is. It's near Russia. That's the problem with you high powered bitches; you think people like us are dumb. If Tubby hadn't pleaded with me, you wouldn't even be here.''
It was then that Josh noticed Loren's incredibly smooth, shiny legs. They were also bronzed and just the shape Josh like. Long and slender.
''Can we come in?'' Harry asked. Josh stood aside and motioned for them to enter.
Loren liked the decor as well as the fabric of the house. Josh had obviously spent a lot of money with the best interior designers. ''Nice place,'' she said.
''Yer. Designed it myself. And furnished it.'' Loren raised an eyebrow. Not just a musical talent she thought. ''Listen, I don't mean to be rude Mrs, but Tubby here seems to have the idea I'm out of control. But that's bullshit. I've never felt better, so don't waste your time on me. I'm sure there are people who really need your services.'' They walked into the sitting room; the enormous flat screen was still full of dead warriors.
''Can I, at least, sit down?'' Loren said. She sat on the sofa and Josh got a brief glimpse up her skirt. He smiled. It was time for a wager, he thought. He'd have her in bed in no time, fuck her brains out and leave her gagging for more. Then he'd tell her to piss off back to New York.
''This is nice, isn't it,'' Josh said looking at Loren and Harry sitting next to each other on the sofa. He was still standing. ''Shall we have tea or something stronger?''
''Tea's fine,'' Loren said in a superior tone. ''Shall I help you make it?''
Josh shot her an aggressive glance. ''I'm from the North of England. We know how to make a fucking cup of tea far better than any Yank.''
Loren looked at Harry when Josh had left the room. ''You're right; he's a very interesting case.''
''Just watch out you don't end up in bed with him,'' Harry warned.
''You are kidding, right?''
Harry shook his head. ''No, he's very persuasive, and a lot of women older than you have told me they'd wouldn't mind going to bed with him.''
''I can't imagine what kind of women you know Harry. Rest assured I won't be crossing that line.''
Josh stood in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil. It was Mrs. Booths day off. Mrs. Booth was his London mum. His housekeeper, cook, cleaner and confidant. She didn't see his stardom. To her he was a young man with a huge sex drive and a great voice. Why everyone over thirty was worried about him causing World War Three, she had no idea.
His thoughts turned to Loren. If Harry really wanted him to, he could tolerate her. She was hot for her age, and he was sure she'd scream the house down when he fucked her. The whistling kettle stopped his train of thought somewhere around the moment he took her panties off and pushed her legs open.
''Here, a proper cup of tea,'' he said putting the tray down on the table next to the sofa. ''You pour Loren, you're a woman, it's your kind of work.''
''You're lonely aren't you Josh?'' she said.
''How the hell could I be lonely with all the pussy I'm getting?''
''But that's just sex. There's no depth to it. No companionship.''
''Harry, is she gonna be like this all the time, because if she is, she's really gonna do my head in?''
''That's the first time you've called me Harry in ages. Perhaps she's already having an influence.'' Harry grinned and slurped his tea before continuing. '' Perhaps you and Josh could arrange to meet in the next couple of days, Loren. You can go into all that then. This is just a getting to know your session.''
*****
''Hello Newcastle,'' Josh shouted. ''The fans went wild. Thousands packed into St James Park, the home of Newcastle United Football Club. The stadium had been transformed from its normal role as a bastion of male aggression into theater of pleasure for thousands of screaming girls.
''It great to see you all. Look at you Newcastle. The girls here are so fucking hot.'' More screams mixed with hysterical wailing. ''Northern girls, that what you need boys. They really keep your dick warm at night.''
Loren sighed. She was standing at the edge of the stage. She'd insisted on observing Josh in his natural environment. What she'd seen and heard thus far she hadn't liked. She jotted a few notes down and looked up as Josh began to sing. As the song unfolded, she noted the words love, respect and beautiful.
''Thank you very much,'' Josh said when the post song eruption died down. ''So who wants to come to my hotel room this evening?'' he asked. It was a reference to all the newspaper articles about what a bad boy he was for bedding, such young women. Thousand put their hands up. ''Sorry mate, don't do men,'' Josh said to a man at the front of the audience. Everyone laughed except the young man himself who had meant it. ''Seems I gotta a lot of choices tonight then. How many of you have no father?'' A few women put their hands up. ''I'm staying at the Holiday Inn, city center,'' he said. More screams.
At the interval, Loren came into Josh's changing room. ''Shall we talk about the first half?'' she asked.
''Why? It was fucking fantastic.''
''But the way you spoke to the women was inappropriate.''
''Fuck off. It was a joke. They understand that.''
''Not all of them.''
Josh picked up a can of coke and pulled the ring. ''The only woman in the whole fucking stadium that didn't realize it was a joke was you.''
''Well I don't agree....I''
Josh interrupted her. ''I don't give a shit what you think. Those people out there are my fans. I love them, and they love me. We joke with each other. We're all young. Not like you, past your fucking sell by date.''
His words hit Loren hard. She'd never been spoken to like that. People had always regarded her as a professional and respected her advice. Did he really think she was old? She still looked good. She looked past Josh into his dressing mirror. All of a sudden she saw wrinkles and a tired looking woman.
''Is that what you really think?'' she asked. Now it was personal. She needed to know.
''Do you really wanna know what I think about you?'' Josh turned around and looked her directly in the eyes. She turned her eyes away when she felt his gaze making her cheeks red. ''I see a dam good looking woman, a woman any man would give all he was worth to shag. But you're so uptight. What the hell happened to you in your life? You're a walking ball of inhibitions.''
''Well, we're not here to discuss me, are we? Harry asked me to help you.''
''It's you that needs the help. I'm perfectly fine. I'm not the one walking around with my head up my ass.''
Josh got up and went back to the stage leaving Loren in front of the mirror with her thoughts. She took out her notepad. She wrote Alpha Male, Sexist, Extreme Insecurity. Then she made a no
te to herself. Make an appointment with image stylist when back in New York.
''I just wanna ask you beautiful ladies something,'' Josh said after he'd finished the opening song of the second half. ''I've got this woman with me, some sort of shrink. She thinks I'm rude to women.'' A low groan engulfed the stadium. ''What do you think?'' He held his hand to his ear.
The whole audience shouted. ''Noooooooooo.''
Loren, by now back at the side of the stage, looked at her feet and shook her head. Maybe she should go back to New York and leave this British sexist pig to his fans.
At the after party there were a lot of young women. Josh and his band drank champagne as usual. Josh looked around for a girl that took his fancy, but his eye fell on Loren.
''Drink?'' he asked. ''It might lighten you up a bit.''
''Okay, just one.''
''Who says your getting more than one?'' he asked a grin on his face. ''I meant what I said in the dressing room. You are very beautiful.''
''You're my patient, as much as I like compliments, perhaps you could save your sexists rhetoric for the girls you so love here in the north.''
''Come on. Come and sit down with us. Lighten up.''
They walked across the room and sat down in the corner with the band. ''What did you think of the concert?'' Andy the guitarist asked.
''I loved the music, but the jokes were shit,'' she said looking at Josh. Josh looked at her legs again and wondered what she looked like naked.
''Tubby, where the hell have you been? Loren's been insulting me,'' Josh said putting his arm around Loren confidently.
''Josh, your mum's had a stroke. We need to get you across to Manchester straight away.''
''Shit. Is it really bad?''
''I'm afraid so. We need to hurry. There's a helicopter waiting.'' Harry leaned to Loren and whispered. ''Maybe you should come to. Your expertise may come in handy if the worst happens.''
******
'Mum, can you hear me?'' Josh asked. ''Why's her face lopsided like that?'' he asked the doctor.
''I'm afraid that side of her face is paralyzed.''
''What the fuck? Will she get better?''
The doctor took Josh to one side. ''Josh, your mother has had a massive stroke. It's a bleeding in the brain. We have looked at the scan, and I have to tell you, she won't recover consciousness.'' Josh's eyes began to fill up. ''We can make her comfortable. But at some stage, we'll have to make a decision.''
''What do you mean, decision?''
''I mean whether to let you mum live as she is now, or turn off the machine that is keeping her alive.''
Josh peered through the tears and shook his head in disbelief. The door opened, and Josh's sisters, and step brothers and sisters entered the room. Harry and Loren stood at the back out of the way.
''Right listen to me,'' Josh said. ''Mum's had what they call a stroke. She's been bleeding in her brain.'' The kids knew bleeding wasn't good. One of the girls burst into tears. ''This is what I've got to say about it. We all know how great mum is and how much we owe to her, and we don't want her to suffer any more than necessary do we?'' All the kids nodded. Josh was their senior by some years, and they respected him. ''It's time now, to say goodbye to her.'' Now everyone was shedding tears. ''We have to be brave for her. The doctor can help her, but we can. We can help her go to heaven.'' Loren left the room and stood in the corridor. ''Everyone take as long as you want with Mum. Tell her you love her, okay. Then we'll say goodbye to her together.''
When Harry left the room, her found Loren blowing her nose. ''Are you okay?'' he asked.
She leaned against the wall and ran her hands over her thighs straightening her skirt. ''I'm fine. You know, he's not like any other human I've met.''
''You're right about that,'' Harry quipped.
''No, I don't mean it in a glib way. Look at the strength of character he has and how those poor kids listened to everything he had to say. He's leading them just when they need leading most. It's quite breathtaking.'' Loren sniffed.
''You aren't getting emotionally attached to him are you?''
''No, I'm not. It's just a professional observation.''
Harry took out some coins and put them in the coffee machine they were standing next to. ''Okay so he's a leader. But what about his behavior? Have you got anywhere with him?''
''I've had two days with him so far. Give me a bit more time. But rest assured, Josh is quite some guy.''
''I knew it,'' Harry said.
''What?''
''You're falling for him. God help us. If you can't sort him out, nobody can.''
Loren looked at Harry and wondered if he and his wife still made love. ''I'm not falling for him, not at all, okay?'' Harry nodded.
Loren and Harry spent the rest of the evening sitting on a sofa in the corridor. Every now and then they heard Josh talking. After six hours and countless cups of coffee, Loren nudged Harry, who had fallen asleep. Josh was standing next to them with all his siblings. ''Tubby we're going to London. They're all coming with me. We've said goodbye, and now it's time to go. I'll look after them all. I'll hire some help. My house is big enough, and it'll be great to have them all with me.''
''You and Loren will have to take the train back to London, there isn't enough room in the chopper for all of us.''
Harry and Loren looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.
*****
''Loren, what a surprise,'' Josh said when he answered the door at his mansion the next day.
''Can I come in?'' she asked.
''Sure. But no stupid questions okay?'' Despite the loss of his mother, Josh was horny; he hadn't had sex for a few days, and Loren looked good enough to eat. She was wearing lip gloss. Lip gloss always turned him on, as did the black pantyhose she was wearing.
''Can we talk?'' Loren asked.
''Come on it's four o'clock, I'm gagging for a drink. There's a great little place just down the road.''
''What about the kids?''
''Mrs. Booths looking after them. They're all round the kitchen table eating her chocolate cake.''
Josh told his bodyguard to wait outside the George and Dragon. It was a real English pub, the sort Loren had read about but never visited.
''Tony, my boy, get us a bottle of bubbly and a couple of glasses. This is Loren; she's American, and she thinks I’m fucking mental.''
''You are, mate,'' the barman replied.
''Cheers. You're looking gorgeous today,'' Josh said to Loren.
''Josh, I want to be serious for a while.''
''Fuck me.'' Josh rolled his eyes. ''Don't you ever give up? I know you've changed your mind about me in the last few days. I can see it in your eyes.''
''Josh, I.....''
''And Loren do you know what's more?'' Loren shook her head. ''You want to screw me, and that's fine because I want to screw you as well because you're hot, and for my sins I've started to like you.''
''Josh, you really are the biggest asshole. No wonder they call you a prick in England.''
''I may be both, I may be neither, I don't give a dam. But I know when a woman wants me, and I'm looking at one right now.'' Loren put her hand to her neck and played with the pearls she was wearing. He leaned closer. ''You like me don't you? You don't want to like me, and you aren't sure why you like me, but you do, and you want me so badly, it's written all over your face.''
''Josh, what you did in Manchester with your siblings, it was....''
''Fucking shut up and kiss me,'' Josh pulled her to him. She tried to resist, but her body betrayed her. When his lips touched hers, she put her tongue in his mouth. He pulled away. ''See I told you, you were gagging for it.'' She pulled him back to her, and they kissed once more. ''Tony, we need a room,'' he shouted across the pub. Loren looked around, but they were the only ones there.
When they reached the door to room four, Josh unlocked the door and pulled Loren inside. He kissed her neck, and she moved her head to one side to give him better access. All
the time she was fighting with herself. What she was doing was unprofessional, but whatever she said to herself she came back to the same theme. He was gorgeous, talented, and possessed mental strength the like of which she'd never seen before.
''Come on pretty lady, stop thinking about how bad you are. Relax, I wanna fuck you so bad, '' Josh said as his hands began to unbutton her blouse.
''Oh God Josh, you're so irresistible. You just never give up do you?''
''Giving up is for wimps. I see what I want, and I get it. And I want you.''
Loren hadn't had sex for two years since she'd split with her TV presenter boyfriend. He'd betrayed her so badly she'd had trust issues with any man that came anywhere near her. She knew one day she would begin to trust again, but that it would happen with such a wacko as Josh she could never have imagined. How was she going to explain to Harry what had happened? She may even lose her reputation. But nothing seemed to matter now; Josh was going to screw her and boy was she ready.
Josh continued to nibble her neck and unbutton her blouse. When it fell open, he put his hand inside and felt her breasts through her bra. She tossed her head back and took out the clips that held her hair up. It fell down over her shoulders and back, and Josh gathered it in his hand and pulled her head back further. Loren groaned but was silenced by his tongue making small circles on of her many erogenous zones. He let her hair go and pushed her blouse from her. In a second her bra was lying on the floor next to it, and he was running his thumb over her nipples.
''You've got the most gorgeous tits I've ever seen.'' Her nipples were rock hard under his touch and so sensitive she felt a charge running down to her moist center.
''Take your clothes off, Josh. I want to see you naked too.''
Josh stood back and pulled his T-shirt over his head. She rubbed her hands over his torso feeling the tight muscles under his warm skin. ''I like the eagle,'' she said.
''You've never fucked anybody with tattoos before have you?'' he said. ''You've only ever been with posh boys.''
''Oh God, why do you make me feel so secure in your company?''