by Dark Angel
“Where were you, Penny?” she asks her daughter, stopping just a few feet away from me.
“Rhoda,” I greet her coldly. She doesn’t even respond or acknowledge me. Which is pretty fucking funny, me being the keynote speaker and main donor of this fucking event.
“We were just having a chat,” Penny chirps happily, and then goes on her tiptoes, leans in, and kisses her mother on the cheek, her breath a very probable blend of cock and fresh cum. Fucking hell.
“Just having a chat,” I repeat, my cock twitching inside my pants. Without waiting for her mother’s reply, Penny walks past her and continues on her way. I follow after her, my eyes taking in every delicious step she takes.
Fuck, now this is a wicked girl.
Penny
Two months.
That’s how long we’ve been together. It’s crazy, right? Just a few months ago I thought that my stepfather was the Devil himself, and now here I am, sleeping next to him more times than I sleep alone in my own bed.
It’s funny how these things work out, isn’t it? I’m not one to believe in destiny, fate, or all that hocus-pocus … but damn, it seems like both our paths were meant to cross.
Of course, all this cozying up to the ‘enemy’ (or so my mom would say) isn’t really doing me any favors. But what did I expect? It’s not like I can go against my boss (which is also my mom) and the mayor without being reprimanded along the way.
Twenty-seven.
That’s the amount of face-to-face meetings I’ve had with my mother and Laurel. And, let me tell you, these things are forsakenly exhausting. Just imagine spending two hours locked in a room with two women with tongues so sharp they could use them as knives, and they aren’t pleased with you. Yeah, doesn’t feel great, does it?
But that’s how it goes for me, at least twice a week. And, if they’re feeling generous, one more time over the weekend. ‘Have you found out anything yet, Penny?’ they always ask me, and my answer is always a timid ‘perhaps he isn’t the kind of man you think he is’. Yeah, I don’t need to tell you that this isn’t what they want to hear.
They want Magnus’ head on a platter, not to hear my pleas for fairness and ethical journalism. All that just falls on deaf ears.
Look, I get it; in a way, Magnus represents a lot of what’s wrong with America nowadays. He doesn’t seem to have a conscience, especially when it comes to his female counterparts, and he’s richer than God himself. America loves to hate on people like Magnus; but on the other hand, this reflects a rather nasty truth about ourselves: we love to hate the ones who can’t hate us back.
And so it is with Magnus. He’s an easy target for women like my mom and Laurel, working in the shadows. The way I see it, they aren’t even working against Magnus; they’re just trying to topple down an image of him that they've built inside their heads. Because, truth be told, the Magnus I met is quite different than the one I always believed him to be.
And I guess my fellow New Yorkers see it the same way.
Ninety-three.
That’s Magnus’ approval rating. That’s right, ninety-three percent of New Yorkers approve of the work my stepfather is doing, and they are fully supportive of the Equinox deal. I guess every city dweller wants to say they live in the city with the tallest building in the world, right? And Magnus is just the man to make that dream come true.
Besides, it seems that New Yorkers love his crazy antics. Sure, he might be a bit unruly and rough around the edges, but I think that it just adds to his natural charm. Besides, it seems he has even won over the political-correctness brigade after he toned down his bad boy image and started contributing to the city’s welfare with his hefty donations.
And I gotta say, more than just win over his fellow Americans, Magnus has won me over as well.
Two hundred.
Now, this is just an estimate, but that’s how many times Magnus and I have been together. And you know what I mean by together, don’t you? Okay, I’ll be crass: we've fucked two hundred times over these past two months.
If you’re making the calculations inside your head, let me help you with that: it means we’ve fucked more than three times every single day. Sounds a bit unbelievable, doesn’t it? Don’t worry; I’d be thinking the same if someone told me something like this. No, scratch that, I’d just call them a liar.
But it’s the truth; Magnus is an animal between the sheets (and out of them as well, being that we often get frisky without a bed in sight), and I have no choice but to try and keep up the pace. My body demands it, you know? I just can’t get enough of him and of his twelve-inch cock.
Of course, pleasure often has consequences, and it didn’t take long for them to manifest.
One.
One simple test, and I flunked it. Or, if you want to be optimistic about it, I passed with flying colors. It really depends on the perspective. If you’re wondering what the hell I’m talking about, let me blunt about it: I’m talking about a pregnancy test. And it came out as a positive.
Now, I haven’t told a soul about this, so I trust you to keep this between just the two of us. I know, I know… I should tell Magnus about it, and I swear I’ll do it soon. I just can’t bring myself to do it right now. I have no idea how he’s going to react and, besides, he’s already too busy with the Equinox deal as it is. He has a lot on his mind right now, and I don’t want to add more drama to the mix and distract him.
But, yeah, I get it. The road I’m walking on has a dead-end. Sooner or later, the world is going to find out about Magnus and I. There’s no other way around it, not with a child in my belly.
I wasn’t exactly expecting for this to happen, and it sure as hell didn’t happen at the best time. My mother and Laurel are sharpening their knives, trying to destroy Magnus’ company, and I’m stuck right in the middle of it. But I guess pregnancies don’t wait for the best or right times; they just happen when they have to happen.
And, between you and me, I gotta say… I had a smile on my lips the moment I held the test in my minds and it turned out positive.
Of course, I know that this changes things. And, sooner or later, the truth will have to come out.
I just hope it’s later rather than sooner.
Magnus
Lawyers, accountants, state legislators, hardened politicians - New York’s finest under one roof. And, of course, two heavyweight contenders sitting across one other, each with their personal armies ready with expensive pens and stacks of documents. I’m talking about yours truly and, of course, Laurel Trask.
This is our most important showdown in months, a meeting where the future of Equinox Tower is going to be decided. And it’s already over; truth be told, it was already over before it even started. I came into this affair prepared, and it showed. Laurel had her lawyers pull every trick in the fucking book to try and bury the deal, but she didn’t have a chance - Joyce’s leading my legal team, and there’s no beating Joyce.
Things got heated up for a moment as Laurel tried to goad me into arguing with her, but I managed to not fall into that trap. I deflected most of her questions easily, and made her look like an out-of-control psycho. She isn’t too happy about that, that much I can tell. But there’s nothing she can do right now - the committee has already took a break to deliberate, and now all we can do is wait for their response. Which I’m pretty fucking sure is going to be a favourable one.
“Mr. Davion,” the chairman of the Equinox Tower committee starts, clearing his throat and glancing across the room with a bored look on his face. I bet the poor bastard would rather be playing golf right now, instead of sitting here and being hammered from all sides. Not that I give a fuck - I know that it was Laurel who set him up to chair the committee, hoping to tilt the scales in her favor.No such luck. Joyce has been spearheading this effort, and she really brought the whole thing home, devising a bullet proof project that no sane mind would ever vote down. We backed the committee against the wall, and they can’t vote down our bid for the Equinox proje
ct without losing face.
“I think there isn’t much to be debated in here. It’s pretty clear to the committee that you’re putting some real effort into bringing the Equinox Tower project into fruition and, as such, it’s my duty to inform you that the New York City has, after carefully deliberating upon the subject, decided to give you the green light.” Then, after a moment’s pause, he pushes the final sentence out. “The contract is yours. Congratulations.”
I don’t mean to gloat, swear to God, but it’s stronger than me. I glance around the conference table and, meeting Laurel’s eyes, I open up into a grin and fucking wink at her. Her face grows red as she holds her breath, her shark eyes spelling out murder, and I wink once more for good measure. Hey, it’s not my fucking fault she’s a sore loser - besides, she was the one trying to cheat me out of this contract. Let her be angry if she wants. I don’t give a fuck.
Feeling pretty happy about the way things turned out, I get up from my seat nonchalantly and head out of the conference room, making my way out of the room. A few hundred reporters are lining the City Hall’s outer steps, and they all stand up to attention as they see me walking out of the door.
“Mr. Davion, Mr. Davion,” they call after me, shoving a few dozen mics in front of my face, “did you get the deal?”
“My friends, this is a good day for New York,” I smile at them and then, opening my hands wide, continue. “New York City is going to be the home for the tallest building in the world, Equinox Tower!”
I’m not even going to lie - it feels fucking glorious to be able to say it. Building the tallest tower in the world has been a dream of mine for God knows how fucking long, and now I’m really going to be able to do it. Soon enough, right between Central Park and Madison Avenue, Equinox Tower is going to reach into the skies.
Besides, this also translates as a few hundred millions in profit which, as you can guess, also feels fucking glorious.
I look around the crowd of reporters, looking for a special someone, and there she is, right in the middle of the fray. With a notepad in her hand, a pencil between her thumb and index finger, Penny’s scribbling away as I speak.
“How does it feel, Mr. Davion? It’s been an uphill struggle to get the city to award you this contract,” one of the journalists closest to me asks, and I turn my eyes toward him and grin.
“It feels amazing, Michael,” I reply, reading the badge hanging from his breast pocket. “This whole deal took tremendous effort to put together, and I owe it all to a special someone.” The journalists start buzzing their questions faster now, just like a swarm of angry bees, and I find myself trying to wave them down. Chill the fuck out everyone.
“Who?” I hear that question repeated ad nauseam, but I keep the answer to myself. I just push my way through the crowd of journalists and walk straight toward Penny. The journalists part before me as they see where I’m heading, and I feel like fucking Moses parting the Red Sea.
Penny’s eyes widen so much it almost seems like they’re going to pop out of their sockets, but I just smile at her and drape one arm over my shoulders.
“Penny Wright, my stepdaughter,” I proclaim, “has been instrumental in all this this. If it weren’t for her advice, I doubt we’d have such a happy conclusion.” She turns to me, slightly flushed, and then smiles. She opens her arms and hugs me tight, her perfume making me feel slightly lightheaded. Fuck, I can’t wait to get home and rip her dress off of her body. I want to fucking celebrate.
Maybe I shouldn’t be this vocal about Penny, allowing the world to shine a spotlight on her, but I just can’t fucking help myself right now. I really feel thankful for having her in my life and, besides, her advice really helped secure this deal. I thought long and hard about what she told me, how people wanted their vision of the world reflected back at them, and that went a long way when it came to my meetings with the board. She was right: once your mirror what’s in people’s hearts and minds, they can’t attack you… Or else they’d be attacking themselves. I know I really sound like a fucking Zen master right now, but I’m not trying to bullshit you.
Holding Penny close to me, her delicate body pressed against my own, I lean in and lay my lips on her cheek.
The journalists go wild, and everyone’s snapping pictures left and right. They start asking me so many fucking questions that I don’t even bother with responding to a single one.
Penny’s in my arms, the Equinox deal is moving forward - fuck, it feels good to be alive!
Penny
It’s already 9 pm, but my mother’s still in her office. I can see that the lights are still on, their orange glow showing under the door; I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to catch her in her office, but it turns out I was right about her whereabouts.
After Magnus’ impromptu conference on City Hall’s steps, we left in a hurry and rushed toward One57 in his limo. We made it out all the way, and it took only half a minute for him to rip my dress apart once we were inside his apartment. He was in a celebratory mood and, I’ll admit, so was I.
We fucked until our bodies were drenched in sweat, and then we fucked some more. We did it until our muscles grew cramped, and only then did we allow exhaustion to finally take over us both. Afterward, I lay naked in bed by Magnus’ side, fully knowing that, sooner or later, I’d have to face my mother.
My job was a simple one: to destroy Magnus Davion and make sure that the Equinox deal never came into fruition. I managed to do just the opposite. Despite not agreeing with my mother, there’s no other way to say it: she misplaced her trust in me and paid the price for it.
I got dressed and, despite Magnus’ insistence for me to spend the night, I got out of One57 and grabbed a taxi. I tried to call my mother several times, but she never picked up; as such, I decided to head for the Daily Journal’s office. After Laurel Trask lost her battle with Magnus, I figured my mother would be hiding in her office, fuming about everything that happened.
And that’s where I am now, slowly making my way across the long rows of empty desks. Most of the staff has already gone home by now, and only a few unlucky souls remain in their desks, hunched over their laptops. They barely notice me walking in, and I make my way toward the Editor in Chief office with a knot in my stomach. I knock once, and then twice, but no answer comes.
Not willing to give up this easily, I open the door and step inside. My mother’s sitting by her desk, reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, and she doesn’t even raise her eyes from the documents she’s reading as I enter her office.
“I’m busy. I don’t want to be disturbed right now, so --”
“Mom, it’s me,” I say, and she finally raises her eyes to look at me. With careful movements, she takes her reading glasses off her nose and places them on top of the folders she was reading.
“What are you doing here, Penny?” she says, almost too casually. Breathing hard, I close the door behind me, walk toward the desk, and sit across her.
“I came to… apologize,” I whisper softly, waiting to see a look of sadness and disappointment creep up on my mother’s face. That doesn’t happen, though. She just looks at me with a blank expression, waiting. “I know we don’t agree on a lot of things, but I know that you didn’t want it to end like this, with Magnus getting the Equinox contract. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she whispers back at me, and then a faint smile takes over her lips. “You’ve played your part, Penny. Maybe you couldn’t see the whole chessboard in front of you, but you did everything you were supposed to.”
“I… I don’t understand,” I start, and my mother’s smile widens even more.
“You don’t need to understand. Your job is almost done, Penny. There’s one last thing for you to do, and then this is all going to be over,” she continues, her voice strangely calm. This isn’t how I envisioned things would go. I expected a shouting match, a mother and daughter fight for the ages… and all I get is her quizzical smile and confusing words. What the hell’s going on?
>
“What…?” I ask her, and she picks up a sheet of paper from her stack of documents and slides it across the desk.
“This is a draft. It’s the only weapon left that we have against Magnus. I want you to write this column and own up to what’s in there. And then this whole thing will be over. I promise you. It might not be easy, but Laurel Trask is on our side… And she’ll look after you.”
Not understanding a word of what my mother’s saying, I grab the sheet of paper in front of me, and I feel my blood freezing in my veins as I start reading through the document. It’s a Gossip Central rough draft, and what’s in there is so vile I feel nauseous right now.
“What the hell is this?” I ask, anger turning my voice bold. “Are you insane?”
“I’m not insane,” she responds calmly, as if my answer wasn’t a rhetorical one. “Rewrite that draft in your own words, and publish it under your name. You always said you wanted to be a journalist, it’s time for you to become a real one.”
“Journalist?” I crumple the paper harshly, turning it into a rough white ball, and throwing it on top of the desk. “These are lies! You don’t care about the truth… You just care about… I don’t even know what you care about, mom! I don’t even know you anymore.” I stare her down for a few tense seconds, and then I give her my obvious reply to her request. “I’m not doing this.”
“You have to, Penny. Or else you might find yourself out of a job.” Her words feel like a precise jab to my stomach, but I recover from it in a heartbeat. A threat? I know exactly where she can shove these threats of hers.
Without a word, I get up from my seat and start making my way out of her office. I open the door and, just before leaving, look back at her from over my shoulder.
“Guess I’m out of a job then,” I say, and then slam the door behind me.
The New York Daily Journal
Papa Don’t Preach!