Cuckold Summer, page 20
She thought she would photograph all the labels and have someone in the Colonel’s office enter them all in a spreadsheet, so that I could assess the collection.
“Does that sound sensible?” she asked, showing me the spreadsheet. “I thought if we just put the names of all the wine and the year, you could sort them into categories or whatever.”
“That would make it a lot easier,” I said.
She gave me a really nice smile, and I noticed her pale blue eyes, and had to keep myself from staring at her.
“Oh, that’s great,” she said. “I hoped you would think that would work. I’ve already got a few dozen bottles photographed. I’ll have the database to you tomorrow, I hope. Then you can get to work.”
“Wow,” I said. “That’s fast. I’m not usually so efficient.”
She laughed and we chatted a bit about the kind of information that should be entered into the database, and I mused a bit about what kinds of wine the cellar needed.
She asked me about some of the bottles, and I talked a bit about the Pinots that needed drinking in a hurry.
“Hmm,” she said. “I think we should try one of them. Do you think we should? I’m pretty sure we should. I know it’s early in the day, but it’s in the line of duty, don’t you think?”
She had a corkscrew and two glasses at hand. She was smiling beguilingly. I noticed the pink lipstick on her lips, and her white, straight teeth, the tiny smile lines at the corner of her mouth. I blushed and had to turn away.
I picked a 1998 Sonoma Valley Pinot and opened it. We tasted it. I was surprised at how well it had held up.
“These might be OK,” I said. “I like the way this has aged.”
I babbled on a bit about wine aging, and she asked questions, twirling the wine in her glass and taking little nips at it, seemingly fascinated.
“The Colonel would like to focus on local wines,” she said, “He figured that since you’re a California wine expert, you might be better able to get some special things for him from local vineyards. He wants a mix, some light whites and sparkling wines for parties, some reds that will age well, and others for casual dinners.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” I said.
“He was hoping you’d start buying some single bottles straight away, so he can start tasting them, see what he likes, before you buy cases.”
“That makes sense,” I said.
“He thinks that you and Anne should come over with some bottles, do a tasting or two,” she said.
“Sure,” I said. “Absolutely.”
“I’m hoping he’ll find my presence helpful for that,” she said, conspiratorially. “I’d really like to learn a bit more about wine.”
“I would think you could help me keep track of it all, get it entered in the database. The less of that kind of stuff I have to do the better. I’ll suggest it to him.”
“That would be great,” she said.
Then she turned away, and spoke without looking at me.
“I don’t normally have anything to do with the club,” she said. “Beyond scheduling time out for the Colonel, so I’m not sure if he’ll want me there or not.”
She turned back to see my reaction. I was flustered and said “um” a few times.
“I suppose it depends on whether it’s a club event or not,” she said.
“I guess that Colonel James will decide that,” I said.
“He likes deciding things,” she said.
“I suppose that’s why he’s president,” I said.
She laughed.
“Speaking of Colonel James,” she said, “he’s asked me to do up a contract for you.”
She dug it out of her briefcase and waited while I looked it over.
It promised to provide me with, as promised, a 10 per cent commission for the acquisition of 500 bottles of wine, for a total value of $25,000-$35,000, to be acquired within 10 days.
She stood next to me, her shoulder against mine, and we looked at it together. I could smell her light, citrusy perfume.
“This looks fine,” I said.
I turned to look at her. She had a small, warm smile on her face. I felt aroused by her proximity and flustered by the idea that she knew about the club. I wanted to know if she knew the details. I felt too shy to ask, then that seemed silly and I forced myself.
“So, you know about the club, do you?” I asked.
“A little bit,” she said. “Colonel James has never told me, but I had a chat with Mariko and Toshiro about it.”
“Until they told you about it, you had no idea?” I asked.
“Not really,” she said.
She glanced down at the ring on my hand holding the contract.
“I saw the rings, and noticed that Toshiro’s was different from Colonel James’, but I wasn’t sure what it meant until Mariko told me.”
“Mariko is talkative,” I said.
“I’m pretty sure she enjoyed telling me in front of Toshiro,” she said.
I felt myself blushing, growing aroused.
“That, um, sounds like her,” I said.
“Anyway,” she said. “It’s none of my business, but I just thought I might mention it, so that you don’t feel any anxiety about the situation. I know about the club but I’m not part of it.”
“Great,” I said. “Thanks.”
She smiled and I signed the contract and left.
Ronny emailed me the following day to tell me that Colonel James wanted Anne and I to join him to go to a reception his friend was having.
Anne and I were sitting on the couch, watching a movie and having a glass of wine. I read the email to her before responding.
“Hmm,” said Anne. “What time? Who’s holding it?”
I emailed Ronny those questions.
“I’ll pick you up at 6,” she replied. “The Colonel’s friend, Eric Martinez, is having a reception to open his new office.”
I read the reply to Anne.
“He’s a big shot,” said Anne. “A property developer. Tell her yes. We’d love to.”
We didn’t hear anything more from Ronny or Colonel James until the next evening, when we were waiting, somewhat nervously, out front, for Ronny to arrive.
At Anne’s suggestion, I had put on a suit. She was stunning in a black sheath dress. She looked gorgeous, with her long hair hanging on her bare shoulders.
Just a few minutes after 6, Ronny pulled up behind the wheel of a big grey Mercedes. Colonel James was in the back seat.
Ronny rolled down the passenger side window.
“Hi, sorry we’re late!” she said. “Simon, why don’t you sit in front with me?”
I opened the back door for Anne and then climbed in front.
Ronny was stunning, in a low-cut lime-green cocktail dress. Colonel James was wearing an expensive looking suit with his briefcase on his knee, reading a legal document.
He smiled up at us, and said hello.
“Lovely to see you both,” he said. “Sorry to be a bore, but I really need to read this while we drive.”
He waved the document.
“Ronny will see that we get there. Relax and enjoy the drive. Sweetheart, turn up the Mozart, will you?”
We drove in silence except for the piano music, for about 20 minutes. I looked out the window and occasionally glanced at Ronny and her cleavage. I looked into the backseat a few times, and saw that Colonel James had his hand resting absently on Anne’s knee. She smiled at me but didn’t speak. He didn’t look up.
I found the silence oppressive, an expression of Colonel James’ power, but I respected it, of course.
We drove to the Marina neighborhood, to a shopping street I didn’t know, where Ronny pulled into a parking lot next to a dress shop called La Marais.
Anne and Colonel James got out of the car. I followed them into the shop.
It was so tasteful that it didn’t seem like a store. It was like a museum for dresses.
A tall, elegantly dressed French woman of about 50 greeted us.
“How lovely of you to come,” she said, and kissed us all on our cheeks.
She introduced herself as Esme.
“You must be Simon,” she said, when she got to me. “And you are Anne. Well. Yes. You are just as lovely as Colonel James said! Come. I’ve got some dresses for you to try on.”
“Oh my,” said Anne. “I didn’t expect this.”
“A little treat,” said Colonel James.
Esme locked the front door behind us and led us to the back of the shop, through a curtain to a large changing area, with one of those three-way mirrors.
Three dresses were on hangers.
Anne turned to Colonel James, suddenly pouting coquettishly.
“You don’t like this one?” she said, curtseying adorably.
“Not particularly,” said Colonel James. “Off with it.”
Anne suddenly realized that she was expected to do this in view of us all. She bit her lip.
“Um, you want me to change here?” she asked.
“Please, darling,” said Esme. “It will be easier.”
She lifted the first dress from its hook on the wall.
Colonel James looked at his watch.
Anne steeled herself, then pulled the black dress off. She was braless, wearing just a thong. Esme, matter of fact, took the dress and folded it.
“Why don’t you give that to Simon?” said Colonel James, looking at her thong.
Anne blushed and looked like she wanted to argue the point, then bit her lip and removed the thong, so that she was standing naked in front of us. She was blushing and smiling, looking up at the ceiling. She passed the thong to me. I tucked it into my pocket.
There were three dresses. She tried them all on, one after another, responding to wordless commands from Esme and Colonel James.
She had been a model when I met her, so she could return to model blankness, doing what was asked, posing silently.
All three dresses were significantly more revealing than the black cocktail dress she’d been wearing.
The first was bright red, with a cutout to the waist between her breasts and a horizontal strap under her breasts to keep it from falling apart.
The second was black, but translucent, knee-length, more like old-fashioned lingerie than a dress.
The third was of light golden silk, short, with a plunging neckline.
She didn’t say anything, but I think she liked it best.
God, it was revealing. When she moved, it exposed her breasts. If she stood still, or moved slowly, the fabric covered her. It was really short. The fabric covered her ass. But if she were to bend over, she would give the world a show.
Esme and Colonel James exchanged looks, which was all it took.
“Lovely,” he said. “That’s the one.”
He lifted the bottom of the dress casually, looking at how little cover it gave Anne’s sex, then let it drop. He smiled.
“Thank you, darling,” he said, and leaned forward to take a kiss from Esme on his cheek.
“Thank you, Colonel,” she said.
She had folded Anne’s little black dress and put it in a bag. She gave me the bag to carry, and a kiss on the cheek. Colonel James put out his arm to Anne. She took it, and we left the store.
I followed them out, carrying the bag. I opened the back door of the waiting car for them, and enjoyed, perversely, watching Anne expose her sex as stretched into the car.
“That looks lovely,” said Ronny.
“It does, doesn’t it?” said Colonel James.
“Thank you,” said Anne, to Ronny.
She turned to Colonel James.
“And thank you for the dress.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, and kissed her.
He put his hand on her thigh and pulled her legs open. From the front seat I looked back. His hand dropped between her legs, and he toyed absently with her clitoris. She had her eyes closed. He looked up at me and I looked away. Ronny smiled at me. She was embarrassed for me.
14
The Tower
When we pulled up in front of a large office tower, I got out to open the door, without being asked, for Colonel James and Anne.
“I’ll see you up there shortly,” said Ronny, who then drove off to park.
“I hope you two will have fun,” said Colonel James as we walked in and he led us to the elevator.
“I’m sure we will,” said Anne, as the elevator closed. “We are going to a reception for Eric Martinez?”
“Yes,” said Colonel James. “He is opening a new office. I’ve arranged the security. He’s just having a few people by for a glass of wine, show it off. There won’t be any speeches.”
The elevator opened directly into the office suite, which was extraordinary. His offices took the whole floor, and the front half of it was open, with a bar and a big boardroom table in front of a wall of glass looking out over the bay. Anne actually gasped when the elevator opened, it was so impressive.
There were about 25 people there, men in suits and women in cocktail dresses. There was a jazz pianist playing a baby grand piano in a corner.
Martinez saw us arrive and strode over to greet us.
He was a big fellow about 50, in an expensive Armani suit, smiling, Spanish looking, with his hair slicked back.
“Hello!” he said. “There you are.”
“Sorry we’re a bit late,” said Colonel James. “I wanted to stop at Esme’s shop, get Anne a new dress.”
“Well, I can’t complain, then, can I?” he said. “Because she looks so lovely in it.”
He stepped forward, took her hand and then stepped in and kissed her on both cheeks. His left hand went to her waist. Then he twirled her, and the dress flared at the bottom, and for a second her ass was visible.
She yelped, then blushed when the twirl was finished, and smoothed the dress.
“It’s so lovely to finally meet you,” he said.
He turned to me.
“And you, as well, Simon,” he said. He shook my hand and smiled warmly. “It’s really nice to hear that you’ve joined our little club.”
I noticed then that he was wearing a ring like Colonel James.
“Thank you for inviting us, Mr. Martinez,” said Anne.
“Yes,” I said. “Thank you, Mr. Martinez.”
“I couldn’t be happier to have you here,” he said.
A striking Asian woman in a black cocktail dress approached with a tray of champagne flutes. As she served us, Ronny arrived, and Martinez greeted her with a kiss and complimented her on her dress.
“Come have a look,” he said. “The view is really special.”
He led us down a few steps and we all moved past the other guests, toward the corner, where the bar was set up, where there was a really beautiful panoramic view of the city. Colonel James walked in front, followed by Anne, then Veronica, then Martinez. The five of us stood there, with our backs to the rest of the party. You could see the lights on ships moving into the harbor, and the lights blinking on an off on the tops of nearby office towers. We just stood and looked at it for a moment.
I admired Anne, who was beautiful in her gorgeous, shimmering dress, poised, like a model, standing carefully, conscience of eyes on her. She turned, once, and gave me a smile, a little eye crinkle, then turned up to look at Martinez and Colonel James.
Then a middle-aged man came up and stood, waiting to be acknowledged.
Martinez turned and smiled.
“Oh hey,” he said. “Anne, I want you to meet somebody. This is Allan Cohen, he represents someone I think you know.”
Cohen was the commercial lawyer for the businessman who Anne did the public relations work for on the cocaine trial.
Anne turned and smiled and extended her hand.
“Oh, how nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Cohen grinned.
“I just wanted to say how impressed I was by your work on that case,” he said. “I think, just my opinion, that your work in the media made it a lot easier for the judge to make some of those rulings.”
Anne grinned and kind of curtseyed with pleasure, which made her dress fall open and I’m sure Cohen had a good look at her breast. They were both poised, though, and the moment passed.
“Well, thank you,” she said. “I really enjoyed the challenge.”
“I am pleased to meet you,” he said. “Are you open to taking other clients? I litigate, commercially, and I thought when I watched you handle the reporters, that in the right case I’d like to be able to offer your services to clients.”
“Oh absolutely,” she said. “I don’t have a card with me, but …”
“I’ll have Veronica email you both tomorrow,” said Colonel James. “Nice to see you, Allan.”
Cohen smiled and made his exit. I could tell Anne was excited. She turned and smiled at me.
Martinez led us farther into the corner, so that we were standing behind the bar, right next to the big window, giving us a bit of privacy.
“I really like Allan,” he said to Anne, leading her by the arm, steering her away from the rest of us. “He’s not bullshitting. You can expect some work.”
“That’s exciting,” she said.
Martinez turned to face me, steering Anne as he did, so that the two of them stood with their back to the window, facing Veronica, Colonel James and I.
“You are quite a lucky fellow, Simon,” he said.
Anne smiled at me.
Martinez gave me a funny look, a smile mixed with a challenging look. His hand dropped from her arm to her ass.
I gulped.
“I know that very well, Mr. Martinez,” I said. “But thank you for saying so.”
“So, Eric, Veronica’s been learning a little bit about the club,” said Colonel James.
He took her by her upper arm as he spoke.
“I think I told you that Simon is trying to finally get my cellar in shape, and we’re going to have a tasting. Veronica, of course, wants to organize it, and it really makes sense for her to come. So it’s been necessary to fill her in, a bit.”
“I hope you aren’t completely shocked,” said Martinez, smiling at her.
