A Cold Moon

by Mike Price

  The maître d’ showed them to their table giving them each a menu, the wine list he gave to Martin.

  “Do you dine here often? They seem to know you.” Giles was obviously impressed.

  “I do come quite a lot. It always impresses the clients and a good meal often loosens them up.” He gave Giles a knowing wink.

  They ordered their meals and Martin asked the Sommelier to recommend the wines.

  “I always think that if you have an expert on hand, why not use him,” Martin said by way of explanation.

  They passed a few pleasantries, the usual small talk, whilst eating the starters.

  Martin was wondering how to broach the real reason for the meeting when Giles brought the conversation around to the present state of the economy.

  “You know, Martin, Brown has got to call an election by June 2010, and with the way things are, I can see him hanging on until the very last minute, that’s why we have started gearing up for the fight now. We’re riding high in the opinion polls, but a lot can happen in eighteen months. If the economy starts to pull out of this recession, and I think it will, then Brown is going to claim he has all the answers.”

  “But, surely, the electorate knows that he got us into this mess. He was the one who said ‘no more boom and bust’ and here we are, bust!”

  “Yes I know, and you know too, but he is putting all the blame on the global downturn and profligate bankers. Christ, you’re in the system, you should know better than anybody.”

  “Giles, I can’t deny we have all been on the gravy train and I have done very well, but I saw the way things were heading and moved out of properties months ago. If I could see the way the wind was blowing, surely, the treasury should have been aware.”

  “I think they were, but the politicians didn’t want bad news so ignored them. Anyway, here we are and it’s going to get worse before it gets better, you mark my words. Look, I’m sorry, been going off a bit, you wanted to talk to me?”

  “Yes, as I said I’ve been very lucky and made myself financially independent. I’m looking for other interests now; I’d like to put something back into the system.”

  “Well, Martin, I can tell you the party is always looking for donors, after all it’s our lifeblood. If you want to help swell the coffers, I’m sure we could get you a gong for your support, I’m afraid a ‘K’ will cost you big time.” He gave a chortle.

  “No, no I don’t want to donate, I want to be active… I want to become an MP.”

  Giles was taken aback, he had totally misread the situation, he had done some checking on Martin, and knew that he was seriously wealthy and had assumed he was looking to buy his way into the honours system. Not once had it crossed his mind that Martin wanted to become a candidate.

  “Sorry, old boy, got the wrong end of the stick. Well, if you’re serious, the first thing you need to do is join the party, then I can set up a few meetings with some influential people and if they like you, then we can try and fast track you to a suitable seat. I warn you though, it’s not easy and as a newcomer, you’ll be way down the list. The party is not in favour of parachuting Central Office’s chosen ‘Wonder Kids’ into the home counties. That’s frowned on these days. I can help by putting you in front of the right people though. By the way, you’re single, aren’t you? The old ladies in the Shires like their young men to be married with two point four kids. Have you got a girlfriend?”

  The questions were coming thick and fast and Martin was reeling from the onslaught.

  “I’m seeing someone and it’s pretty serious.” He was sure that finding a suitable escort would not be a problem, though in truth he had not bothered with girls since university, he had not had the time! He had been too busy making money.

  “Good. Then the first thing is for me to send some forms for you to fill in and get you on the ‘books’ so to speak. I’ll put them in the post tomorrow and if you can get them back to me, I’ll press the start button, but don’t expect things to happen straight away. This is the Conservative party remember, not the stock exchange.” He laughed. He laughed a lot at his own jokes.

  Martin steered the conversation away from politics back to money, which seemed to fascinate Giles. Martin had achieved what he wanted and the meeting had been a success even though the bill was a whopping four hundred pounds, but then you had to speculate to accumulate. That had been his watchword in life and it had always proved to be right.

  Chapter Eight

  Martin felt pleased with himself, the meeting with Giles had gone well and he had been as good as his word, the enrolment papers to join the party had arrived first class on Saturday. Hardly bothering to read the small print, he had filled in the forms and put them in the prepaid envelope. He included a cheque for a thousand pounds. His short time with Giles had taught him that, as far as party loyalty goes, it was always better if sweetened with a little financial sugar. He spent the rest of the weekend working on some papers. Saturdays and Sundays were much the same as any other day to him; the only difference being the computer was in the spare room and not the office.

  His secretary was surprised when on Tuesday he informed her that he would be leaving at five o’clock sharp so not to book any evening appointments or conference calls. She was not at all unhappy by the request as it meant, for once, she would get an early night. She was, however, a little taken aback by his next request. He passed a list of items that he wanted her to get for him from a delicatessen in Chinatown.

  “You should find everything on the list easy enough, most of the supermarkets stock the majority of ingredients, but they never seem to have authentic rice wine.” He saw her puzzled look and smiled. “I’m entertaining tonight and want to impress.”

  “Well, I hope she appreciates it.” She smiled back. It was the first time he had ever mentioned entertaining anybody; she had him down as a confirmed workaholic bachelor.

  “I’ll let you know how I get on,” he promised.

  At five o’clock sharp, he collected the dinner ingredients and made his way to the car park. His pride and joy was his Ferrari, bright red, it shone like a beacon amongst the plethora of standard silver BMW’s and Mercedes. Clicking the remote as he walked amongst the rows of cars, he could not help thinking that his car was probably worth two to three times as much as any of the others standing to attention in their military like rows. He even had a special place, which was originally a space for two cars, but he had rented the extra space by saying that he needed two cars at any one time, one being for clients. Somehow, his totally illogical explanation had been accepted and now he was the envy of all the other owners.

  The engine gave that throaty roar that sent a thrill down his spine no matter how many times he heard it, and the car moved smoothly away like a panther preparing to sprint after its prey. His apartment overlooked the Thames and in truth, he could have walked the short distance from the office, but even with the burden of the Congestion charge, the pleasure of nestling into the leather and feeling the raw power under his control was worth every penny.

  He glanced at his watch, five twenty, plenty of time to prepare the meal, and leave the chicken and beef to marinade whilst he showered and changed. The beauty of cooking Chinese food was that it could be prepared in advance and the actual stir-frying only took minutes.

  He went to the fridge and collected the chicken breasts, then slicing them into strips, placed them into a bowl of mixed egg white and corn flour, making sure they were completely coated, then returned the bowl to the fridge. Next up, he sliced the small fillet of beef into bite size pieces and added them to a bowl of corn flour, rice wine and soy sauce, which went into the fridge to marinate. There was nothing else to prepare, it was that easy.

  He left the kitchen and headed for the dining room. It only took minutes to lay the table putting chopsticks at the side of the chargers, and in Maddy’s place, adding a spoon and fork just in case she was not proficient in the art of oriental eating. He had bought six red roses which he placed
in a vase in the centre of the table. Standing back, he surveyed his handiwork, the lights reflecting around the room from the cut glass wine glasses. He gave a smile of self-satisfaction… yes, that looked just right, he thought. As he left the room, he turned the dimmer switch down low. There was just enough time for a shower and a change of clothing before she was due. A shiver of nervous tension ran through his body, he was not quite sure how the evening would evolve, but of one thing he was sure, it would be interesting.

  The intercom buzzer startled him. Although he had been expecting it, it still made him jump, he had not been this apprehensive since his first interview at Cambridge. He picked up the receiver.

  “Hello.”

  “Martin, it’s Maddy.”

  He pressed the release button. “Come on up.”

  He walked to the door and opened it ready for when she stepped out of the lift. Hearing the whoosh of the lift and the clunk as it stopped for the doors to open, he stepped forward so that she would see him as soon as she got out. She smiled as she saw him and walked the few paces to where he stood.

  “Hi, nice to see you again, I’ve been looking forward to this. I hope I won’t be disappointed.”

  Martin lent forward and kissed her lightly on each cheek.

  “I told you Chinese food is my specialty.”

  “I’m sure you have other hidden talents,” she smiled again as she said this.

  He had the distinct feeling that she was playing with him, teasing him and he had to admit he was quite enjoying it.

  “Drink? What would you like?”

  “You choose.”

  “Dom Perignon?”

  “Fantastic, it’s my favourite.”

  He took two champagne flutes from the cabinet and poured them each a glass. The bubbles exploded to the surface as they clinked the glasses together.

  “To the future,” she said.

  “To the future,” he returned the toast. “Right, I’m going to start cooking, so if you want to go into the living room, make yourself at home.”

  “I’d rather stay and watch the master at work, that is if you don’t mind being watched.”

  There was something in her voice as if there was another meaning to what she was saying, like a naughty schoolgirl who was hiding something from her teacher, yet, the innocent look on her face made him wonder if he was just imagining it.

  He had a large range style cooker and more than one wok. He quickly stir fried the chicken then set it to one side. He had a mixture of lemon juice, chili, garlic, soy sauce and chicken stock which he heated in the wok, then added the chicken pieces and a little corn flour to thicken. The whole process was completed in less than five minutes. He similarly cooked the beef, but this time, added stock and oyster sauce. Both dishes he poured out into the heated serving dishes. Finally, he took some boiled rice which he had made previously and stir-fried it, adding frozen peas and two beaten eggs. The fried rice turned a light golden colour as the eggs cooked in the mix. He tipped the mixture into a third serving dish. The meal was complete, total time, fourteen minutes.

  “You’re a genius, I’m impressed,” she said.

  They took the dishes and the heated plates into the dining room.

  “I’ve cheated slightly; I have to confess. I bought the prawn crackers from the deli.”

  She laughed. Not exactly what I would call cheating, she thought.

  “Chablis okay?” he asked.

  “Umm, lovely.”

  She helped herself to rice and chicken, saying she would try the beef in a minute. He was pleasantly surprised when she eschewed the fork and spoon, and expertly ate with her chopsticks.

  The room was quiet, save for the click of bamboo on china. They were both busily eating and conversation was taking a poor second place.

  “Where have you hung your new picture? I can’t see it,” she said, her eyes searching the room.

  “It’s in my bedroom facing the bed so that it’s the first thing I see in the mornings.”

  “I can’t wait to see it, especially from that angle.” She smiled as she spoke and licked her lips. He was not sure if it was in appreciation of the food or something else.

  “Plenty of time to show you the picture. You still have the beef in oyster sauce to try.”

  “Well, if it’s half as good as the chicken, then I know it will be sensational.”

  “I’ve got a bottle of Gevry Chamberten, which I think will go well with the beef, do you drink red?”

  “I drink anything, especially expensive wines and I can see you only have expensive wines, so please pour.” Again, she licked her lips and this time, he knew it was not the food she was thinking of!

  They finished their meal and she helped him clear away the dishes. Having switched the dishwasher on, he walked back into the lounge and poured two large brandies, not even bothering to ask if she wanted one or not.

  “Any particular music you fancy?” he asked.

  “No, you choose.”

  “Rhapsody in Blue then, it’s my favourite.”

  The wine of the clarinet could be heard above the piano as he sat on the settee next to her.

  “Excellent choice of music, and brandy,” she said as she moved closer to him.

  For a moment, there was an awkward silence whilst neither spoke then, together, they both started to say something.

  “Sorry, you go first,” he said.

  “No, no please what were you going to say?” She looked directly into his eyes as though she was reading his soul.

  “Well, I… er… thought you might like to hear about my future plans.”

  “I certainly would, especially if it means you will be seeing more of me.”

  “You may find it a bit dull,” his words seemed to catch as if he was finding it hard to breathe. “I am hoping to go into politics. In fact, I’ve already applied to join the Party and am looking for a prospective seat for the next election.”

  “I take it you mean the Conservative Party?”

  He laughed “Of course, who else?”

  “Well, you might have been a left wing trendy. What do they call them, champagne Socialists?”

  “Heavens, no!”

  “That’s alright then. You have my full permission.” She was giggling now, the effects of the wine and brandy showing in her cheeks, which had got redder as the evening wore on. “You know, you’re a very handsome man Martin. I think the electorate will fall for you big time.” She drew close to him and kissed him gently on the lips, not lingering but long enough to be meaningful.

  “And you, Maddy, are well-named because you are madly attractive.”

  “Who gave you permission to call me Maddy,” she teased. “I said you could call me Maddy if I saw your new picture hanging on the wall.”

  “In that case, you must see the picture, follow me.” He stood up, and rather unsteadily she got to her feet and followed him to the bedroom. The curtains were open, revealing a large panoramic view of the Thames, with the lights of the buildings reflecting on the water. The room was high up, so not overlooked from outside. The ceiling lights were turned low but the picture was illuminated by a single light above it. Maddy crossed the room and sat on the bed, with the pillows behind her, facing the picture. There was no doubt about it, the picture had a raw power that drew the viewer into it almost as if you were there at the kill.

  “Come and sit beside me, I won’t bite, you know,” she said.

  Martin sat on the bed next to her, kicking off his shoes so that he could stretch out on the cover.

  “You have certainly got taste in pictures. Do you have the same taste in women, I wonder?” she let the question hang in the air for a few seconds. “Would you like to taste one?” She turned to him and placing her hand at the back of his neck pulled him to her. This time, the kiss was not gentle and her tongue searched his mouth, darting backwards and forwards. He felt a warm pleasure. He was being taken on a ride into the unknown, and was happy to sit back and enjoy it.

/>   For a second, she pulled away from the embrace, but only long enough to breathlessly say, “Unzip me please.”

  He felt for the zip at the back of her neck and slid it downwards. As it fell from her shoulders, her tanned skin shone in the glow of the lights. She wore nothing underneath, no bra, no knickers just hold up stockings! He looked down and saw the bulge in his trousers, there was no turning back now… even if he wanted to.

  Chapter Nine

  Martin woke and looked at his watch, seven am, just like any normal day, but this was not any normal day. He turned to look at Maddy but the bed was empty.

  “Are you in the bathroom?” he shouted. There was no answer. He rose and padded across the room. On the table, he noticed a card and picked it up and read it.

  “Thank you for a wonderful evening… Had to dash to the Boutique… Will ring you later… Top marks for food, wine and sex!!! Love, Maddy.”

  He stood for a moment trying to take in the events of last evening. It had all happened so quickly and he realised now that he had not been in control of things. Maddy had made all the running and now in the cold light of day, he was not sure if he liked that or not. There was no doubt that she was beautiful and intelligent, though, in truth, they had not had chance for any meaningful conversation! She was definitely more experienced in the bedroom department than he was and had taken full control, bringing him to a peak twice, the second time orally, which he found the more enjoyable.

  He was intrigued by Maddy and wanted to see her again, only this time to find out a bit more about her, after all, he only knew her name!

  He arrived at his office promptly at eight am, his secretary already there. She smiled as he passed her.

  “How did the meal go?” she queried.

  “She was duly impressed,” was all he offered in return.

  His secretary knew better than to press the point, he would tell her more in his own good time.

  As the day went on, he found himself wondering if she would call him and by six that evening, he thought that maybe he had dreamt the previous evening. His mind was not really focused on work, so he decided to call it a day and go home. His secretary could not believe her luck, two early nights! She hoped he would see more of this woman if this was the effect she had on him.