Following the site meeting I found myself requiring a visit to the site bathroom. Upon returning to the meeting room, Peter, instead of having made ready to depart the site, as expected, was examining Marie’s thong. He had it laid flat on the table top and was running his middle finger over it.
“Having fun?” I asked him.
“This is a curious garment, young master,” he said.
“How so?”
“Well I’ve held it up to the light and weighed the material for age and use. I’ve reexamined the area of special instance and tested the elasticity of the waistband and gusset,” he said, lifting it to the light again.
“And what findings have you made?”
“I’m completely thrown, to be honest, a garment such as this should show a lot of wear and tear, tear being the operative word, Tony. This doesn’t have even a thread out of place.”
“Maybe last night was the first time she wore it,” I offered.
“Hmm. Possibly. But there’s a recently aired smell from the piece, especially the small triangle to the rear. That piece actually smells new. The new thong smell, if you will, is present in spades.”
“Is that a thing?” I asked, a grin trying to break through my inscrutable façade.
“Very much so. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is not the thong you removed from that woman’s arse last night, Tony.”
“Are you accusing someone of something, Peter?”
“Not at all, Tony, but I feel that further investigation is required. Maybe we should visit Marie’s restaurant and interview her in more depth, to see if her alibi is secure.”
“But we don’t have the time for that, Peter.”
“You may not have, but there’s a conundrum here and I don’t like conundrums, or should that be conundra? I think it’s more important that we investigate further and with some urgency.”
“Calling it a conundrum is a bit of a stretch, Peter.”
“Unlike the perfectly preserved elasticity of this garment. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it had never even been worn.”
“Ok. Sherlock, this is none of my doing,” I began.
Peter looked at me, an expectant smile on his face, “that, is not, actually, the one I, as you so crudely stated, took off Marie’s arse last night.”
“I’m not shocked. By any stretch, Tony,” he said.
“I let it slip about the bet and she wheedled the whole story out of me. She took particular aversion, umbrage even, to your insinuation that north side girls buy their lingerie in Dunnes or Penneys, so she handed me this outside the site on her way to work, as you witnessed.”
“I see. Well a couple of issues arise out of that statement. Firstly, what is sold in Dunnes and Penney’s is not lingerie, Tony. Secondly, what, in fact, was she wearing?”
“A pink satin G String.”
“I fucking knew it! I was actually doubting my abilities there for a moment. Let’s go,” he indicated the door.
He took two steps towards it, stopped and picked the black thong up off the table.
“Spoils of war,” he said with a grin.
We left the site in our separate vehicles. My plan was to travel out to the car hire office and collect the rental that had been arranged for me. I didn’t want that to be left until the last minute. I’d have to return the van to the office first so I followed Peter back to work. I recalled that I’d left my phone charging in the van while the meeting was taking place so I fished it out of the glove box and switched it on at the next red light. It almost blew up with texts immediately and it rang almost straight away. It was Cadden, I hit the button.
“Hi Mr. Cadden, how are you?”
“Oh, not too bad, I suppose, Tony.”
“What can I do for you?”
“You haven’t had your phone with you this morning?” he said, sounding a bit miffed.
“No, I didn’t take it into the meeting, it was a bit flat so I left it in the van to charge.”
“That’s grand, then. I was keen to speak with you before you got too far into your day.”
“What do you need, sir?” I asked him.
“I take it you haven’t read your emails yet?”
“No, I just switched the phone back on ,” I said.
“Ok, there’s one there from GMIT. They’ve hit a bit of a snafu with their preparations for reopening next week. The start date has been pushed back a week until Monday week.
They will, however require your attendance next Friday for orientation and course outline. You’ll meet your instructors and classmates there too. This week will be included in the course timetable so you’re under the gun from the word go,” he said, sounding irritated.
“Why?”
“I have no fucking idea, son. If we ran our business the way they seem to run their college, we’d be closed in a week.”
“Luckily I hadn’t collected the car yet, at least there’s that. Should I call Kenneth and advise him? He might need to make arrangements about the accommodation.”
“I’ve done that already, Tony, you might possibly hear from him in any case.”
“Ok, do I have any work to do for the week?”
“Yes, you can do us a big favour, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“If I can.”
“The EXCEL Show is on next week in London and I’ve no one to send, would you attend on our behalf? You’ll get CPD points credits and you’ll get us out of a binding commitment to attend.”
“Yes, I’ll do that. What’s the story with getting there?”
“I’ll organise flights for you today, the hotel has been booked a few weeks ago, we just needed a name and I didn’t want to assume anything.”
“Hotel? Can I not just do a same day over and back trip?”
“No, unfortunately we need you to record your presence at two lectures. One on Tuesday morning and one the next morning, it means that you’ll be on a plane on Monday morning and returning on Wednesday evening. I’ll email full details and itinerary later today.”
“Ok, thanks, Mr. Cadden. I’ll head into the office now and acquaint myself with everything.”
“Good man. Thank you Tony, I’ll see you in a bit.”
This certainly was coming out of left field but there was nothing I could do about it, he sounded more irritated about it than I did. I pointed the van into town and headed for work.
On Monday morning, I arrived at Dublin Airport, like a good little citizen, two hours before boarding. I had checked in online and the boarding pass was saved to my phone’s wallet. I was booked on an Aer Lingus flight into Heathrow Airport, on my way to attend the EMEX Nett Zero Exhibition at the Excel Centre in London Docklands. Although Cadden usually shops assiduously for the cheapest flights for staff, he had an image to uphold, so that ruled out flying with Ryanair. I also had a Duty Free shopping list to fill. Peter Smith needed 200 cigarettes and Raffles needed a bottle of Scotch for his wife, Peter considered this a fair swap.
I’d pick that up on the flight home, but, as I had some time in hand before boarding, I did some window shopping at the Loop in the airport. I don’t have a vested interest in the price of things, really, haggling is more a sport than a means to drive down a price so I was just killing time. I was stuck in the Premium Irish whiskey section and was quite shocked to see a bottle of Midleton Reserve priced at €7k. I remarked about this to a couple that were looking at the same bottle in the display case.
“I wonder if they have infra red beams and ultra sonic detection on that display,” I said to, who I thought was, the husband.
We laughed.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Imagine paying that for a bottle of whiskey?” he said.
The woman who was with him was still laughing and I caught her eye and said,
“What would you do if he came home with that? Would he be sleeping in the kennel?”
“Oh no, we’re not married, or together.”
“We’re heading to the Excel Centre in London. For the exhibition,” he felt the need to qualify, “it’s work.”
“Nice work if you can get it,” I said, “travelling with an absolute fox like, what’s your name?”
“Sandy,” she said, and held out her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Sandy,” I said, and shook her hand.
“It’s a pain, really. Fucks up the whole week,” she said.
“Are you staying over?”
“No,” she said, pointedly, “we’re on the last fucking flight home tonight.”
“A fucking flight? Sign me up,” I said to a peal of laughter, “I’m heading to the Excel too. What are you guys looking for over there?”
“I’ll be looking for a drink inside one hour,” Sandy said.
Her companion looked as if he’d like to tell her to shut up. She was decent looking, but she was becoming a bit of a pain. Nobody loved having to go to these things, but one makes the best of it and tries to find the positives.
“What’ll you be doing while she’s getting herself pissed?” I asked him.
“We’re looking at some renewables to see if there’s anything new and different. I’m Derek, by the way.”
“Tony Harris. Nice to meet you. I’m in an architectural design office, it’s my turn this year. I’m more fabric based. Kore are supposed to have some interesting displays this year, I’m actually looking forward to that. I’m curious about solar and wind storage too.”
“Last year they had a great lecture about how they store solar and wind generated power on the Isle of Eigg off the coast of Scotland. Fascinating. For one of us at least,” he said.
“Did you manage to poach any of their ideas?”
I thought it was a good one.
“Oh we don’t do that, Tony. It wouldn’t be proper.”
I left them to it and made my way to the departure lounge. I found a seat close to the gate and watched the people milling around. I could see through the window that the plane was in and being made ready for boarding. I turned my head back to watch what was happening when a hand touched my shoulder and asked if the seat next to me was taken.
“No, it’s yours if you want it.”
“Thank you,” she said, and arranged herself elegantly in the seat.
She had magnificent long legs, smooth and dark. She didn’t wear stockings, but left them natural as they stood proudly below a brown mini dress. I’d say it took a great logistical effort to arrange them into a come hither configuration whilst simultaneously preserving her modesty, but she managed it with ease.
“Nice day for flying,” I said to her.
“Yes, if you have to fly, today is as good a day as any, I suppose.”
“Are you flying for work or going home?”
“Yes, work.”
“What do you do?”
“You’re very nosey.”
“Ok, sorry. I was just trying to be polite.”
I sat back in my seat, defeated. I wanted her so badly. The only things I’d noticed about her was her skin tone, which was a kind of mocha in shade, big beautiful brown eyes and heavenly lips. She didn’t appear to use much makeup and her dark hair was tied in a tight bun at the back of her head.
“I apologise. I like flying, but I hate airports. People running about looking for things. It’s as if they feel a need to buy stuff everywhere they go,” she said.
“I think the greater percentage of travellers think that getting on a plane is like going on holiday. It generates a form of hysteria. There’s a woman over at the Ryanair counter who bought a load of tee shirts. It looked like she had forgotten to bring them in her bag, so she bought them here. They’d be a tenth of the price abroad.”
“And better quality, I’d say.”
“Possibly, luckily I just need enough stuff for a two night overnight trip. If I’ve forgotten something I can get it over there.”
“Are you going for work or pleasure?”
“Ostensibly, it’s work.”
“Ostensibly? That’s a big word for a booze up.”
“I’m on my own and I’m not very good company when I’m sober, let alone when I’m drunk.”
“What will you do to relax?”
“I’ll take it as it happens, I’m a great believer in fate. The worst it’ll be is a walk along the riverbank and an early night with the TV. What about you? I’m sorry, I’m Tony.”
“Penny, nice to meet you, Tony. I’m overnighting too and I wish I had your attitude to packing. I’m paranoid about it.”
“I’ll ask you the same thing about relaxing.”
“I’ll probably do something similar. I was thinking about booking a West End show but the taxi fare is about £40 each way, according to Google, at least.”
“Which show?”
“Priscilla.”
“Ah, yes. I haven’t seen it.”
“Me either. I’m culturally inept.”
“I’m not far off being a philistine myself, but I’m content in my ignorance.”
She laughed loudly and covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment.
“I love your laugh, Penny. It’s infectious.”
“It’s loud, or so I’m told.”
“I’ve heard louder. Don’t mind anyone who says different.”
She looked at me with interest. Then they called for boarding.
“Do you have an assigned seat or are you like me, grab the first one you can get?” I asked.
“Both. Would you like to sit together?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Ok, let the games begin.”
We grabbed the first pair of empty seats we saw. Penny took the window and I took the middle seat beside her. The plane was a little over half full when we took off.
“So you know a little about average volumes of women’s laughs, do you?”
“Yes. There was a study done by the Alfredo di Stefano Institute in Madrid. I attended the presentation. it was given by Alfredo himself.”
“I never heard of that, Tony,” she said.
“Well you are culturally inept, anyone can see that.”
She laughed again and covered her mouth again.
“Stop doing that,” I said.
“Laughing?”
“No, covering your mouth. We’ll get off this plane and may never clap eyes on each other again and my only memory will be you with your hand over your mouth, while it could be a memory of your fabulously beautiful smile.”
Her face softened and she smiled.
“I won’t do it again, I promise. Tell me more about Alfredo.”
“It’s a bit heavy on statistics, Penny, but what I found very interesting was that Afredo’s studies revealed that the volume of a woman’s laugh is in direct proportion to the volume of her cries during orgasm.”
“Is that so?” she said with a disbelieving smile.
“Yes, he said that the base gene of the laugh and all other sudden vocal expressiveness is located in the neothorax, just below the back of the skull and slightly above the spine. It’s the same gene that propagates arousal and the promotion of orgasmic reflex.”
“I still can’t tell if you’re winding me up or not,” she laughed, but quieter.
I pointed at her.
“See, that shows that he’s right. You lowered the volume of your laugh because of self-consciousness.”
“Why would I be self-conscious?”
“I have no idea, Penny, why would you?”
“I don’t think I am.”
“Unfortunately we’ll probably never be able to ascertain whether di Stefano is correct or not.”
“It’ll probably be published.”
“True, I expect it will be, but the actual experience of it, in person, is far better, in my view.”
“You’re a chancer, Tony.”
“Are you not curious, Penny?”
“Frankly, no, I’m not,” we both laughed quietly.
“So what are you going to the Big Smoke for?”
“I’m modeling.”
“Yes, that doesn’t surprise me, Penny. You are a very beautiful woman.”
“Thank you, Tony.”
“What are you modeling?”
“Gloves,” she laughed again, loudly this time and didn’t cover her mouth.
“Gloves? Are you serious?”
“Yes, it’s for product catalogues. I’m a pictorial model.”
“You could have dressed it up a bit, Penny. I mean gloves, for Gods sake!”
She laughed incredulously.
“In what way?”
“Well you could have said you were, say, a bikini or lingerie model, but you’re getting them out of a hole by doing gloves this time.”
“A little like Alfredo di Stefano?”
“I don’t get the analogy.”
“When Alfredo di Stefano retired from international football he played four games for a Sunday team in the south of Spain. He told nobody, so nobody ever knew about it.”
She caught me. I couldn’t help but laugh. I held out my hand and she shook it.
“Touché, Penny, well played. I hate you now.”
“No you don’t. You want me more now.”
“I’m not sure I do,” I said, sullenly.
She looked at me curiously.
“You fucker,” she said. and we laughed again.
“You got me again, I do want you more, but my dreams will sustain me if I can’t have you.”
“Jesus, do you never stop?”
“I can go all night, Penny.”
“I find that hard to believe. Every man says that.”
“I’m sure there’s a case to be made for that statement, Penny. I, however, can only speak for myself.”
“You can actually go all night?”
“Talking? Yes, It’s been said by many, but I don’t agree, obviously,” I said, “although, in other spheres, I tend to take a more sensual approach. A slower introduction, lingering over sensations and feelings. Eschewing the base sensations of lustful couplings in favour of a more romance-based experience.”
“That takes all night?”
“I find that orgasmic release, male and female, causes a need to rest and recuperate, Penny. The postcoital haze is not a fantasy, it’s a beautiful part of the act of lovemaking, facilitating an extended sensual and erotic experience.”
“You factor the time spent in a post-coital haze into your estimate?”
“Indubitably. It’s a major component of a night of lovemaking. As, if not more, important than the physical act itself.”
“I think most men strive to get it done and get out as quickly as possible, Tony.”
“You may have had that experience, Penny, and I sympathise. But every time couldn’t have been that way, surely.”
“You’d be surprised, Tony. I’ve grown quite cynical about the motivations of people, male and female, when it comes to the act of sex.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Penny.”
“Don’t be. In many respects, it can be a means to an end, if nothing else.”
“I accept that can be the case. It’s not something I’m interested in, to be honest.”
She looked straight at me.
“Are you telling me that, if I offered you a quick fuck in my hotel room tonight, you’d refuse it?”
“It’s not what I look for, Penny, so I probably would.”
She laughed. She looked at me again, trying to read my thoughts through my eyes.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I would, however, offer a different, alternative, approach for consideration.”
“Go on, I’m listening,” she said.
“I would only agree to it if there was a return evening in my hotel room. Then we’d both be happy, or not, as the case may be.”
She laughed again, this time less assuredly.
“Whose proposal would be implemented first? Yours or mine?” she asked, her throat catching slightly.
“That’s an interesting question, Penny. As we both know, and have experience of, the mechanics of a ‘quickie’, I think that should be the second time. I would hope that I could convince you that my way is superior on many levels.”
Her hand touched her ear and her smile dimmed slightly.
“And if, let’s suppose, you could persuade me that your way was superior, what would happen on the second night?”
“That would be your choice, Penny. I’m nothing if not an equal opportunities lover.”
She laughed loudly at that.
“I think you’d hold a sense of superiority over me if I requested a repeat experience. That wouldn’t be ideal, in that the experience would be diluted somewhat, leaving a bad taste in one’s mouth about the entire experiment.”
“Not necessarily, Penny. I think that it would be incumbent upon me, as the instigator of the experiment, to ensure that the second night should be as good as, if not better than, the first night. No doubt it will vary a little but not for the worse, I feel.”
“Why would it vary? Shouldn’t it be consistent, at least?”
“Think about it, Penny. Two people making love for the first time spend, possibly, fifty percent of the time finding out about each other’s desires and reactions. It’s a learning process for both of us. That time is distilled further into the second night.”
“I can’t argue with that. I suppose it makes sense.”
She went quiet and looked out the window as London swirled around beneath us. She opened her bag and fiddled around with the contents, closed it again and looked at me.
“Where are you staying, Tony?”
“I’m at the Crowne Plaza.”
“So am I.”
“That’s spooky, Penny. We could share a cab if you’re up for it?”
“That’d be great, thanks. I have a test for you, though. If you’re up for it.”
“A test? What kind of test?”
“It’s for the cab journey.”
“Ok, I’m enthused.”
“A kiss test.”
“What does that entail, exactly?”
“If you can kiss me properly, I’ll agree to your experiment. The kissing technique of most men leaves a lot to be desired.”
“That’s fair enough. An audition, if you will.”
“Yes, let’s call it a kissing audition. Far better than a kiss test.”
I smiled and fastened my seatbelt. I noticed that she didn’t fasten hers.
We landed and made our way out through the token immigration and customs area designated for travelers from the Republic of Ireland, through the Arrivals hall and out into the concourse. Penny was looking around for something, annoyance clouding her beautiful face. I hung back and watched as she finally found what she was looking for. She waved me over and I followed her as she touched an elderly man’s shoulder, where he stood just inside the Arrivals Hall doorway. He held a sign that read,
‘Ms. PENNY MILNE COURTESY TRANSPORT’. I smiled and looked down at my feet.
“Feeling better now, Tony?” she said, with a smirk.
“I’m seriously fucking impressed, Ms. Milne.”
“Let’s hope we both are, Tony.”
We followed Jason, the driver, to the limousine parking area and watched as he opened the back door for her. He remained in place as I bent my head into the car and he touched the brim of his chauffeur’s hat and winked at me as I passed him by. The rear of the car was separated from the driver’s cockpit by a tinted glass screen. it opened a fraction and Jason said,
“The Crowne Plaza, Docklands Excel, Ms. Milne?”
“Thank you, Jason, that’s great.”
“It’ll be a sixty-two-minute commute with the traffic this morning, Ms. Milne. There’s a small cooler in the space between your seats with drinks if you need them.”
“Thank you, Jason. That’s perfect,” she said, as the glass partition closed and the glass tinted over.
“We’re finally alone, Tony. I didn’t get your surname,” she said with a smile.
“Harris, Penny. I have to say, that was some performance, Ms. Milne. Straight out of James Bond.”
She pushed my hand in jest and laughed loudly. I checked to see if Jason had heard her but there was no indication that he did.
“Are you nervous, Tony?”
“Not particularly. Why would I be nervous?”
“Do you not think that an impending examination of one’s kissing ability would induce a state of nervousness or even performance anxiety, if you will, in someone’s brain?”
“Why would that happen? Surely the inverse would be the case. Even the worst barristers would never ask a question that they did not know the answer to. Whereas, you did that exact thing, thinking that it would intimidate me enough for me to refuse the challenge. In that case, I feel that the judge could become the judged,” I said, and she swallowed something.
I smiled.
“What are you smiling at? Care to include me in the joke?” she whispered.
“It’s not a joke, it’s an actual miracle that I find myself here beside you. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve won already.”
“How so?” she said, brightening up.
“I get to kiss you, Penny, I’m the winner, no matter how the test turns out.”
“Ah, but if it turns out that you pass the test, I think I might be the winner.”
“When I pass the test, Penny, we’ll both be winners. I can assure you of that.”
She leaned in suddenly and placed her lips to mine. I pulled away, a stunned look crossed her eyes.
“What?” she asked, confusion in her eyes.
“What are the rules? How does one comport oneself? What’s the judging criteria?”
“Comport oneself? What does that mean?”
“Well, comport means behave, I suppose. While oneself is a third-party reflexive pronoun.”
“Yes, I remember I used have one of those when I was a child, but the wheel fell off and my father couldn’t fix it,” she whispered, her lips less than an inch from mine.
“That must have been very disappointing for you, Penny,” I whispered back, moving my lips within touching distance of hers.
“I don’t think I ever got over it,” she continued.
I placed my hand on her cheek and gently massaged her beautiful soft mocha skin. Her eyes closed fractionally, an instinct more than a conscious movement. Her eyes searched mine for clues, beautiful big brown eyes that shone into the depths of my being. Unsure now, trying to be evasive and failing, but not looking for escape. Eventually relaxing and accepting, hopeful of finding something elusive and capturing it in her soul. My moment had come,
I touched my lips to hers, tenderly brushing them with mine, a whisper, a zephyr across her mouth. Her lips were caught between a smile and a smirk, desire and indifference. My hand moved to envelope her cheek and hold her face as my lips took hers and carried them in a slow orbit of movement, relaxing and energising as the momentum built. I felt her hand take my other hand in hers as she stroked the skin and held it tightly, small incremental pressure being placed on it as the kiss grew and strengthened.
Her breathing became stronger as I slipped my tongue inside her mouth, meeting hers in a soft introduction of taste and feel, i heard a sigh as she fought to stay with me on our journey and her hands held mine in a vice. The sounds emanating from inside her grew in volume, feminine, childlike sounds that told me where we had reached. She was close, I was just as close. I brought my fingers to the side of her throat and gently massaged it with my thumb, my tongue holding hers at bay until, finally, I heard a sigh, an outrush of breath and a groan as she separated from me and clung to me with her arms around my neck. It was a small orgasm but it was perfect.
I sat back slowly against the seat, taking her head with me and holding it as she returned to the car from her safe place. No words were spoken for a long time. I finally took her hand and whispered,
“Are you ok, Penny?”
“Yes, yes I’m more than ok, Tony.”
“Now comes the contentious part of the test, Penny.”
“Hmm. What’s that, Tony?”
“The contentious part of the test, the part where we might disagree on the outcome,” I whispered, our lips as close as before.
“How do we define that? I was going to go on my reaction and instinct,” she whispered.
“That’s too subjective, Penny, and would never hold up under appeal.”
She sniggered as I spoke.
“So how do we ensure that doesn’t happen?” she whispered, fully recovered now.
“I’m afraid there’s only one way, Penny, dear. The moisture test,” I whispered as my hand touched the inside of her thigh.
“Oh, yes I think that might work best, Tony,” she said, took my head in her hands and kissed me deeply as my hand slid slowly along her inner thigh and paused in anticipation of an invitation. It came quite quickly as she parted her legs slightly to allow access.
Her skin became damper as my hand rose higher, her breath became ragged as I reached close proximity to her vagina and paused to squeeze her soft thigh muscle briefly. Her legs opened wider and my hand finally reached the point where her underwear caressed her vulva and found it to be very heavily soaked. I slid a finger inside her underwear and over her vulva, stroking around the entrance to her vagina, moistening it and bathing in the luxurious sensuousness of her reaction. I then slowly removed it from her and lifted the wet finger to my lips, slipped it inside my mouth and sucked it dry. It tasted heavenly. She looked straight into my eyes and then closed hers, her head resting on my shoulder. It took ten minutes until she recovered but she bounced back quickly.
“Ok, Tony,” she said, taking my hand in hers, “I can’t argue with you after that kiss. You’ve more than made your point.”
I kissed her hand.
“You’re no slouch in the kissing department either, Penny.”
“In truth, Tony, I don’t recall much between the time your tongue entered my mouth and experienced what felt like an orgasm. From a kiss.”
“The next move is yours, Penny,” I handed her my card.
“What’s this?”
“My card, I’d never hold you to something that might make you uncomfortable.”
“A challenge is a challenge and you rose to it, Tony. I’ve to be in the city in an hour, If I text you my room number when I get back, will you join me there?”
“Yes but, is it your way or mine?”
“Yours, of course.”
“I’ll await your text with bated breath.”
When we reached the hotel, Jason opened my door and I got out. I turned to help Penny exit the car as Jason looked at me and smiled. She walked into the hotel and Jason leaned in and whispered, “Well played, sir.”
I took my bag, shook his hand, followed her in to the hotel and checked in.
At 1:15 I was settled in my room. I had enough clothing for the two nights but felt I was a little shy, given my impending date with Penny, in the shirt department. I left my room and wandered out to the smoking room at the main entrance to plan a course of action.
Using my phone, I searched for clothing and apparel stores nearby. There weren’t many but, being so close to the venue, I felt it would be better to use them rather than chance an unknown quantity like a taxi trip into the city centre. I extinguished my cigarette and made to leave the hotel and walk to the mall. It was a bit of a trek but I needed to stretch my legs and get out of my head for a bit.
As I passed by the front doors of the hotel I bumped into two guys who were rushing out, nearly knocking each other over in the process.
“What the fuck, man?” a voice with a broad Dublin accent said.
“Sorry, lads. It was a total accident,” I said.
“Ah, you’re one of us,” he said, holding out his hand, “Jimmy Evers, over for the exhibition.”
“Tony Harris, snap,” I said and shook his hand.
“This prick left his bag in the taxi,” he said, pointing at his colleague, “now we have to go shopping.”
I looked at the other guy and nodded at him in appraisal.
“John Osgood,” he said, and shook my hand.
“I need a couple of shirts, lads, and I’m heading over to the mall to see what’s there,” I said.
“Need some company, Tony? Otherwise, I’ll only be listening to this cunt moaning all the way there and back,” John said.
“Sure thing, John,” I said, and we set off for the walk.
As we walked, we chatted about everything and anything. Jimmy and John were over at the behest of the SEAI, the Sustainable Energy Authority in Ireland, they were external contractors who oversaw and monitored all of the educational and information exchange and distribution of information, education and training for the retrofit program that was still in its infancy. They were the guys who would be taking the names of attendees at the following couple of days lectures and demonstrations. They also had a tour of relevant sustainable materials that held a CPD award of 3 points.
“That’s, interesting, John, I’m booked on two of those lectures,” I said, picking up a pale blue shirt that I quite liked.
“Which ones, Tony?”
“Derivative U-Value calculations tomorrow, and Heat Pump Methodology and Practice on Wednesday.”
“You got the most boring ones.”
“I know. When is your tour?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, are you interested in going?”
“Yes, that’d by right up my alley.”
“If it was me, I’d give the other two a swerve and just take the tour. They are of little value to you in your field of expertise, or do you need the points?”
“How many points for the lectures?”
“One each.”
“Ok, I might just dodge those and take the tour, it’s much more beneficial and I’d have an extra point that way.”
“I’m sure we could get you all five, Tony, with a little sleight of hand,” he said with a wink.
“Where do I sign up for that, John?”
“I’ll bring it with me tomorrow.”
With Galway in mind, I picked up some light woollen tops that were on sale and deemed too good to leave behind, while the two lads went a bit mad buying stuff. We had a good laugh during the process and returned to the hotel for a pint over lunch.
I bade them farewell and went to my room for a lie down and to check my messages. They were mostly from people who wanted duty-free smokes or drink. The usual stuff. There were a couple from Sinéad, also looking for stuff and one from a number I didn’t recognise that simply said,
“Safe travels, Tony. I love you, with all my heart.”
It shook me. I immediately replied, asking who it was but there was no answer, just a yawning five-minute hole in my day as I waited for an answer.
I looked at the message again, stripping it apart, letter by letter, my stomach ached as I highlighted the number and my finger wavered above the call button before I eventually pressed it with my eyes closed and held it to my ear. I let it ring but there was no answer. I hung up, waited another fifteen minutes and tried again. This time it had been switched off.
I saved the number as ‘Mysterious Lover’ and put the phone on charge. At least it was someone who loved me and not someone wishing me harm, I hoped. I’d investigate it further when I got home. I napped on the bed for a couple of hours then jumped into the shower to wake up, I was about to head out for dinner at 7:20 when Penny texted me.
“Room 212 in one hour?”
“Hi, Penny. See you then.”
I went through my clothing options and decided on one of my new tops, a light khaki colour, with a black suit. It looked fine. I decided to shave and take another shower, just to fill in some time, before dressing and leaving my room ten minutes before the scheduled time. I knocked on her door at exactly 8:20, my stomach betraying my excitement.
Penny opened the door with a smile.
“Welcome , Tony, I wasn’t sure if you’d come,” she said quietly.
I ignored the obvious rejoinder and smiled in return,
“I would never refuse an invitation from such a foxy lady, Penny. How did your trip into the city go?”
“Actually, it went better than I’d hoped. The guys at the studio are really good. It’s a lot easier and better when people you work with know what they’re doing.”
“That’s quite true, but how fantastic does one have to be to take a picture of a hand?” I asked.
“It’s actually a picture of a glove, Tony, and they take at least a hundred of them to get the right one.”
“The right hand?”
“Eh yes?” she faltered, unsure of what I meant.
“What about the left hand? Does that not have equal rights?”
“How could a left hand have rights, Tony?”
“I’m confused, Penny, I need to sit down.”
She laughed and took my hand. She led me over to a linen-covered table that was filled with silver cloche-covered plates.
“I took the liberty of ordering dinner, have you eaten yet?”
“No, I haven’t, Penny. I had a tour of the local mall with a couple of guys from the SEAI. We just had a sandwich and a pint,” I explained.
“Where’s the mall?” she asked, “I need to get some stuff.”
“It’s about twenty minutes on foot, about five in a cab.”
I sat down beside the table as she fiddled around with napkins and cutlery. She was very beautiful. She wore a light oversized shirt that emphasised her figure while not being squeezed into it. It was a beautiful pale yellow and buttoned at the front giving off a sense of a butterfly as she moved her body. Her hair was held in a bun at the back of her head, held in place by a white clip, decorated by a slightly larger daisy, the yellow disk flower a perfect match with the yellow of her dress.
“You look beautifully summery tonight, Penny,” I said, “it’s interesting that you chose a daisy motif, it’s very striking.”
She looked at me with a curious expression.
“It wasn’t planned as a motif, Tony. I liked the dress and the clip was in my bag, it could just as easily have been a banana or a fern, or any of the other five hundred I have at home,” she said.
“Maybe you chose it instinctively, unaware of the actual fabrication of a motif at all?”
She smiled as she bit into a salad leaf, shaking her head as she swallowed it.
“Possibly, but I doubt it, Tony,” she said, “I don’t see any meaning to it. It’s just a daisy. A weed.”
“There have been many meanings assigned to the daisy over time, Penny. Innocence, happiness, good luck and new beginnings. In Victorian times, daisies stood for loyalty and trust. There is also a story in Roman mythology of a nymph named, Belides, who transformed herself into a daisy to escape from unwanted attention. This myth gave daisies the additional meanings of modesty and innocence,” I said, as I chewed on a piece of steak.
She looked at me with a grin on her face. I just continued eating.
“Where do you get this stuff from?” she said, laughing.
“Oh, where does one get anything from, really, Penny? This is really nice steak.”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, the choices were steak or this vegan burger,” she said, taking a bite out of it.
“Oh I’d have killed for a vegan burger, Penny,” I said, not looking at her.
“If you’re not careful, Mr. Harris, you will be killed with a vegan burger,” she said, laughing.
“Are you vegan, Penny?”
“No, this is nice, though,” she said.
“It’s nice being here with you,” I said, and touched her hand.
“Yes, I’m enjoying this too, Tony.”
She reached over and kissed me.
“I thought you’d never do that,” I said.
“I had to build up to it, it’s very nerve-wracking,” she said.
“What is?”
“This whole situation. The unspoken thoughts, the level of expectancy, the entire atmosphere and the reality of us here together, dining next to a huge bed. The flashing signals make it seem like some kind of TV show.”
“I get what you’re saying,” I said, placing my cutlery on the empty plate, taking her hand in mine, “the anticipation can be overpowering. I feel a certain level of apprehension mixed with excitement. It’s a powerful and emotional preamble to something that is mysterious, yet decidedly stimulating. What are you thinking right now, Penny?” I asked.
“I’m thinking that I should’ve just offered you a quick fuck and called your bluff.”
“I would have turned it down immediately, Penny, seriously.”
“I want to do this, Tony, but I’m shaking. I don’t know what to expect, I don’t know anything else,” she said, exposing her true self to me.
“There’s nothing to be scared of, Penny, it’s very sensual and gentle. I don’t regard the act of making love as a crude and rough or hurried experience, I’ll take care of you,” I said, taking her hand and guiding her to her feet, “what your feeling now is nervous energy generated by anticipation, I have it too. You’d have to be a machine not to feel it.”
“Ok, Tony. Let’s try it.”
I pulled her to me and kissed her softly. Her eyes closed as her lips joined mine. It was a sensual moment as we moved our lips against each other and her arms went around my neck, pulling me closer, sharing intimacy. Our kiss deepened as a satisfied sigh escaped her, a sign of her relaxing somewhat, relief at the peace building inside her.
I flicked my tongue between her lips, a quick, soft tongue that caused a momentary flurry from her lips, I then let my tongue slide between her lips and linger there, waiting for hers to join mine. I felt her jaw move as her tongue drifted towards mine and joined me, hesitantly at first, but then more hungrily.
I took a half step back, her arms still around me. I looked into her eyes, seeing her reticence.
“Still ok, Penny?” I whispered, to a nod and a blink from her big brown eyes.
I unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt and kissed just under her chin.
“Oh, that’s nice, Tony,” she breathed.
“Mmmm, you smell wonderful, Penny,” I whispered in her ear.
“It’s ..” she began to say.
“Let me try and identify it,”
“You might fail, but go ahead, Tony. I’m loving your nose against my ear.”
I spent some time tasting the aroma with my nose, alternating it with a soft tongue, trying to get a sense of the taste. It was an expensive one. Her hips swayed gently as she got into the mood of what we were doing, we were almost dancing together.
“Ok,” I whispered, “I’m getting osmanthus, magnolia and saffron, woody heart notes, tuberose and patchouli with base notes of vanilla, incense, myrrh and musk.”
“Ok,” she said nervously, “what does that all mean?”
I lifted my head and kissed her deeply, taking her into me, savouring fragrance and her femininity.
“I know of two fragrances that use these and, because of the patchouli, I’m going to say it’s Creed Queen of Silk,” I said, my fingers crossed behind her back.
“Fuck. How did you get that?”
“It was in your bag on the table when I came in, Penny,” I said with a laugh that nuzzled into her neck, hopefully taking her into my world.
“You little fucker, she laughed, “I should have known.”
“Well, I do know that it costs €300 for 75mls, Penny, so I’m not a total knob.”
I kissed down the side of her neck with little soft butterfly kisses while she was still processing that. She lifted her chin in invitation and I took her up on it, touching her skin with my tongue and lips as she mumbled some incoherent words or sounds. My tongue touched the hollow just above her larynx as my hand moved to open another button on her dress, allowing me to kiss down to her breasts whilst touching one of them over her shirt. I could feel the arousal of her nipple as it became ever more erect under my touch.
She wasn’t wearing a bra and her breasts were just a perfect size for me, elegant, proud and so very soft. Her breathing faltered a little as my lips found her nipple and a low moan escaped her as my tongue, followed by my teeth, slowly and effortlessly glided across the tip. I open the rest of the buttons on her shirt and slipped it off. It floated effortlessly to the floor and I encircled her with my arms, losing myself in the softness of her skin. I slipped my top off and lost my trousers and shoes quickly as her hands took my hair in check running her fingers through it as she became a little more comfortable and used to my touch.
I sat her on the bed and she lifted herself into a position where she was lying flat on the counterpane. She wore a beautiful pale yellow, lace thong that left nothing to the imagination. She was magnificent, toned, perfectly in proportion and her mocha skin drew me in. I slipped my boxers off and laid beside her, my arms taking her and holding her to me, our skin creating a haven of sensual gentleness and touch. I kissed her lips and she searched for my tongue, finding it and taking it between her lips, sucking it in. I moved my body to a kneeling position and kissed all the way to the valley of her breasts, taking each one in my mouth in turn, kissing them and suckling gently on each nipple as my hand stroked down over her stomach to the waistband of her thong and back again.
“That’s amazing, Tony,” she whispered, “it’s driving me wild.”
I took a few small kisses just below her breasts and noticed her hips raising each tome my hand travelled to the waistband of her thong. I slid down the bed and let my hand wander to her inner thigh, she raised her knee to allow me more access but, once again, I touched her everywhere except where she expected me to. I slid my hand under her thong just along her shaved Mons. This caused her to groan in arousal. I felt the dampness of the lace as it clung to her vulva.
“Can I take this away, Penny?” I whispered.
“Please.”
Kneeling on the bed, I eased her thong down over her hips, it had adhered to the dampness of her vulva and she made a delicious noise as it released from her. I settled between her legs and knelt on the floor, easing her vulva down towards my lips as I knelt before her, almost in worship.
I reached out with my tongue and touched her groin, just to the left of her vulva. I followed this with a soft kiss and she spread her legs further apart as she moaned in pleasure. My tongue travelled along that side and then repeated the action on the opposite side. My thumbs massaged the very tops of her inner thighs as I continued kissing and licking around her groin, teasing her to a point of intoxication.
Her vulva was a work of art, as I allowed my tongue softly touch the vestibule of her vagina her legs trembled slightly and her hips performed a little wriggle. She was totally engaged now, I slid my tongue a little way inside her and she lifted off the bed, pulling me into her. I withdrew it and slid it in a little further with a similar reaction.
My tongue then licked from the top inside edge of her vagina to her clitoris and back again, yielding a strong reaction from her, which repeated when it returned to her vagina. My thumbs massaged her groin to both sides of her vulva and I repeated the action of my tongue again, moving my thumbs to her Mons, just above her clitoral hood.
I detected the hardness of her clitoris through the protection of the hood and focused my attention there, stroking around her vagina with my thumbs. Her movements became more agitated and erratic, her legs squeezed my head between her thighs, almost cutting off my air supply. Her stomach muscles clenched and tensed as her first orgasm approached.
Her body was in constant motion as her throat emitted soft breathless cries, she was at the gate to heaven, needing to do through, I inserted my finger inside her vagina and gently stroked her soft inner membrane, slowly searching for her G-Spot, finding it and softly massaging it before taking her into orbit in a pulsating climax which triggered a stream of clear musky fluid as the volcano within her erupted.
She screamed as her senses became blurred, crying out for me, begging me to stop. I heard her and immediately moved to take her in my arms. Tears flowed from her eyes as she devoured my lips with hers, pulling me into her chest as she rode out the ebb and flow of the orgasmic waves undulating through her. I held her in my arms as she calmed and I wiped away her tears. Her breathing slowly returned to normal and she opened her eyes and smiled at me.
“I, Tony, I have no words,” she whispered in a croaked voice.
“Relax, Penny,” I said, “I’m here.”
She smiled and pulled me in for a kiss.
“The next one will be easier, now that you know what to expect,” I said.
“What next one?” she asked.
“Remember we said ‘all night long’?”
She smiled.
“Yes, I do,” she said, “but you’re next, Tony.”
“I want you so bad, Penny.”
“I want you more, Tony, I’ve wanted you from the moment we sat together on that plane.”
“You made me work for it though, didn’t you?”
“You loved it.”
“Yes, I really did.”
I slid my knee between hers and positioned myself at the entrance to her vagina, she took my penis in her hand and guided me inside her.
“Oh, Jesus, Penny, that is so good. You have such a fantastic vagina.”
“Take it slow, please, Tony. Make it last.”
“I think this one will be quick Penny, the next one will be better.”
“Oh fuck,” she said and laughed.
Her eyes were shining as we began moving together, slowly entering her and reaching for our limits. Her eyes closed and she purred within her throat.
“Don’t stop, Tony. I can feel this again,” she whispered in a voice that was rising in pitch as she spoke.
Her hips rotated against mine as we increased the tempo of our movements, I could feel the pulsation of her vaginal walls as they began to sense the onslaught of another large orgasm. I was suddenly gripped as she climaxed again with a scream of ecstasy.
She held onto me and I stayed with her until her vagina released me from its grip, allowing me to continue making love to her. Her breath was coming in gasps as she stayed with me, encouraging my orgasm with her body and her voice. Finally, I felt my release approaching,
“I’m gonna come, Penny,” I said, but she beat me to it as she hit her limit a couple of moments before me.
We slipped apart and she snuggled into me holding on tightly and easing herself back to Earth. I laid on my back and she rested her had on my chest.
“What’s the time, Tony?” she asked.
“11:52 according to your bedside clock, Penny,” I said, “are you up early in the morning?”
“No, thankfully I don’t need to leave here until noon,” she said, “I can sleep in. You?”
“I pulled a good stunt today with those two SEAI guys,” I said. “I’m joining their tour at 1:30, otherwise it would have been a 9:00 start.”
“It’s almost as though you planned it,” she said.
“I did, Penny,” I said, “how are you feeling?”
“I’m floating, Tony. I feel wonderful, is this the postcoital haze you mentioned?”
“Yes, I think so, I love this time, Penny. It’s where we belong for a few short minutes.”
“I love that we’re the only two in the world to inhabit this space at this time,” she whispered, as she kissed my chest.
I touched her hair and stroked it gently, it was so soft.
“I love how you touch me, it’s almost ethereal.”
“You’re so soft, Penny. Your skin is like velvet.”
“Thank you. Can you stay the night?”
“I wouldn’t want to welch on our challenge, Penny.”
“In what way. You said all night and it’s after midnight so you were as good as your word, Tony.”
“The operative word in that sentence was midnight, Penny. That’s not all night.”
She lifted herself up on her elbow and looked at me.
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. Are you backing down?”
“Eh, no, but we should put a clock on it, Tony.”
“I know. You pick a time, then.”
“3:00?”
“That sounds fair, will I order some food? I’m famished, Penny.”
“I think Room Service closes at midnight, we never even touched dessert, though. Would that hold you over?”
“Anything at all, love, as long as you get it.”
“Why me?”
“So I can see you walking around naked.”
“Hah! Come with me then, fair is fair.”
“I already did.”
“Yes, you did,” she leaned down and kissed me.
I followed her over to the table and watched as she bent to retrieve the desserts from a shelf at the bottom, underneath the tablecloth. Her bum was glorious and I felt the resurgence of a semi as I admired her. She brought out two dishes and placed them on the table.
“Ok, ordering blind, I got Pavlova and Profiteroles. What’s your poison?” she said.
“Profiteroles,” I said.
“I wanted them,” she said with a pout.
“We’ll share them, Penny.”
She brought them over to the bed and slid under the covers with a self-satisfied grin. She picked one of the small, round choux pastry balls that was filled with cream and covered in chocolate and took a bite of it.
“These are heaven, Tony,” she said, as she held the rest of it out for me.
I opened my mouth and she slid it between my lips. I took her hand and sucked the stray cream from her fingers. She smiled and a little shiver ran through her.
I picked one out and held it between my teeth, offering her a bite. She smiled again and leaned into me, wrapping her lips around the exposed confection and biting off a piece, which she swallowed deliciously. I swallowed the remainder and she put her finger to my lips, wiped off some stray chocolate and let me suck it from her fingers. She then licked the rest from my lips and I felt my erection return with full force as her tongue extended into my mouth and took mine prisoner.
She kissed me aggressively as I held her breast in my hand, she put her hand on mine, holding it to her breast, I moved it to my penis. She looked into my eyes with naked lust and bent her head to take me in her mouth. Her lips slowly enveloped the tip and then the head of my penis, slowly turning her mouth around to drive me crazy with desire.
She gripped the bottom of my shaft and took most of my length, holding it there for a time as she got used to her own taste. I slid down the bed and she came with me, leaving her vagina staring at me in the face, I eased her hips over a she straddled my face with her leg, thereby presenting her vulva to my lips. She lifted her mouth to the top of my penis and slid it back in again. I held her bum and brought her vagina to my lips. My tongue feasted on her wet vulva, lapping the entire length of her. On my second pass I felt the hard nub of her clitoris as my tongue flicked over it.
A sharp intake of breath prefaced a stream of fluid starting to flow from her vagina, her hips wriggled in pleasure as my tongue flicked her clitoris, exposed to my lips because of the position she took. I took it between my lips and held it still while my tongue stroked across and back along the very top of her clitoris.
A further expulsion of fluid covered my face and her hips lifted away from me as she groaned when her climax hit. She remained in that position as her body shook with small tremors. When she could move again she snuggled her back into my chest, seeking the safety of my body, I took her knee and lifted it slightly in the air, I held it up with my knee and slipped my penis inside her from behind.
She groaned again as I released her leg and began moving inside her, her sensitive vagina causing sparks to fly across the head of my penis. She rolled on her front and I moved with her, slowly kneeling up and lifting her hips with me, my penis inside her as much as the physics would allow. When she was fully on her knees I slid my penis deep inside her as far as she could accept it. She buried her face in the pillow as an unintelligible verbal stream escaped her lips.
I reached down and teased her clitoris is we moved against each other, our movements triggering every sensory receptor we possessed. As I toyed with her clitoris she reached back and cupped my testicles, that was the end of me.
“I’m gonna come, Penny. I’m gonna come,” I breathed.
“Come with me, Tony, I’m almost there again, Jesus, you’re amazing. Ooh! Shit.”
I felt her vaginal muscles pulsating again and it was the final push I needed to take me above my peak and I watched her delicious bum shaking as she came with me, our fluids mingling deep inside her beautiful vagina, a vagina I couldn’t get enough of. I rested doubled over on top of her, my arms tight around her stomach, my still hard penis buried deep inside her. It was a sensation I would never forget, this beautiful woman having her first orgasms with me. It was a privilege I didn’t deserve and I was so happy that I didn’t disappoint her.
We disconnected and lay down entwined in each other’s arms. She slowly drifted off to sleep and I followed her as our co-mingled fluids leaked on to the sheets, in testament to an evening of love. As I drifted off I noticed a little smile appearing on Penny’s face, the tip of her tongue licked her lips and she settled in for a well-earned restful sleep. I kissed her softly and closed my eyes.
TBC
