Belinda's Tale Ch. 01

***

Belinda woke in a panic; the bedside clock in the unfamiliar room telling her it was nearly eight o'clock. Disorientated, it took a moment for the memory of the previous night to flood back, but when it did she sank back down onto the pillows of Tony's bed. The door opened and he appeared, freshly showered and finishing off the knot in his tie.

'Why the hell didn't you wake me?' she snapped. Her head was pounding and her stomach threatened to empty itself, though what could possibly be in it was a mystery to her.

'Because you were sound asleep and needed the rest.' He held up a hand to cut off her protest, 'Just use the phone in an hour or so to ring and tell them you'll be in after lunch, that you're not feeling well.'

'Christ Tony, I can hardly have a sickie when I've only been here a month.'

'Don't worry, Derek will be glad to hear that everyone got to know you and that you have finally managed to unwind. He said to me before you arrived at PJ's that he was getting worried about you.' His smile reassured her somewhat, so she gratefully closed her eyes. Even if she wanted to get ready, she could hardly wear the same clothes to work that she had partied in last night, they reeked of smoke and alcohol.

She could sleep for another hour or two, go home, shower and change and go to the office and work through to eight or nine. She didn't hear the door close as Tony departed for the office.

When Belinda woke again it was after ten. Her head still throbbed but not as severely, and her stomach had settled somewhat. In fact she felt a little hungry. The only thing she could remember eating was a hot dog from a roadside vendor outside some nightclub in the city. It had been a great night that had concluded with some great sex. Tony knew what he was doing, even as drunk as she thought he had been. The memory of him between her thighs reawakened the tingle she had felt during the cab ride home, and she ran her hand down her body, touching herself gently at first until she could no longer restrain herself and enjoyed a quick but satisfying climax.

As the feeling of euphoria subsided the throbbing in her head renewed its assault and it was with reluctance that she dragged herself out of bed and into the clothes she had worn the previous day. The memory of shedding their clothes in rooms other than this one returned and she smiled at the thoughtfulness Tony had displayed to fold them beside the bed. After making herself a cup of coffee and wolfing down three pieces of toast, her sense of duty and guilt took hold so she quickly called Pam.

'Hi Belinda,' the bright voice almost sparkled through the telephone line, 'I've rescheduled all your meetings for tomorrow. The first thing you need to do is to finalize the annexes in the Tiller contract and I've had a copy sent by courier to your place for you to review this afternoon. There's no need for you to come in today.' Pam paused before adding, 'and congratulations.' Belinda's head spun as for a moment she thought Pam was making a sly reference to Tony, before realizing that she hadn't spoken to Pam since they knew of winning the Tiller deal.

'Thank you Pam, and what's more congratulations to you too. Without you organizing and backing me up we wouldn't have won this one.' She made a mental note to find out about getting Pam a bonus or a raise; Robson Multimedia owed it to her.

'Just doing my job Belinda, I'll see you tomorrow.'

'Okay Pam, thanks for sending the papers to me.' Belinda went to hang up the telephone before changing her mind and dialling for a cab. The operator had answered before she realised that she didn't know Tony's address. Mumbling with embarrassment she dropped the receiver onto the cradle again before walking outside, being careful to lock the door behind her. She desperately wanted a shower and clean clothes.

***

The next two weeks were completely occupied with finalizing the details of the Tiller deal. The Vice President of their global marketing group was going to sign the contact and already there had been some media exposure to the emergence of this new entrant to the Australian pay TV scene. Derek Robson had indicated that he would sign the contract personally but wanted Belinda to be present and to initial as a witness. As a result she had little time to ponder the fling with Tony and hardly saw him around the office. She was glad that he respected their separate office lives, as far as she could tell there was no office gossip going on and she felt that she could have faith in Pam to inform her if such talk was happening. The only thing apart from the Tiller contract that Belinda had been able to find time to attend to was a bonus for Pam. Her own bonus had been nearly five thousand dollars and she passed fifteen hundred on to her assistant. Pam had tried to refuse it, the company had no policy for remunerating clerical staff and Belinda's successor had never seen fit to take it on his shoulders, but Belinda made it clear that there was no refusing. The first time she had the opportunity to talk privately with Tony was on the day of the contract signing, a brief meeting in the corridor where he was waiting for the elevator. She smiled at him as their eyes met.

'Will you be at the signing?' He nodded and returned the smile. 'Sorry I haven't called I've been working back to nearly ten every night.'

'I know, Pam told Stella who told me.' There was no sign that Tony was hurt or upset and she concluded that he had probably had his own fair share of such work practices during his career. The elevator door began to open so she turned and continued to her office.

Gordon Tiller Junior was tall, athletic and handsome and possessed the charisma to make all those around him relax. He was surrounded by a coterie of almost a dozen men and women from the corporation's legal, accounting and marketing divisions. They bustled around him and mingled with their counterparts from Robson Multimedia who numbered a mere five, including Belinda. The signing ceremony was to take place in the Penthouse Suite of the Hyatt with views across Melbourne and would be attended by almost two dozen representatives of television and print media. It was a great start to the marketing of Tiller and Belinda's ongoing strategy was ready to be launched the following week. Derek had approved of it with only minor adjustments and had given her a clear indication that he was very pleased with her work.

Gordon Tiller Junior's signature was recorded to the accompaniment of a multitude of bright flashes and under the glare of bright television lights, which also captured the bemused expression of Derek seated by his side. Gordon was obviously used to the spotlight whereas Derek had nearly always conducted his business in the privacy of his offices. The press happily stayed for the free food and drinks provided by both companies once the formalities were concluded. Belinda was more restrained than the night of her previous success, but enjoyed a few drinks. By mid afternoon, when Derek excused himself, the crowd was down to three female journalists, herself, Julia and Tony. Belinda noted wryly that the female reporters were listening attentively to Gordon's smooth accent as he discussed Tiller Corporation's vision of a global pay TV world. They had managed to keep their hair and clothes neat and touched up their makeup since the lunch had ended.

'Enjoying yourself?' Julia asked.

'Makes me wonder why I didn't choose journalism, free lunches, good excuse to try and weasel your way into the rooms of rock stars and multi-millionaires,' Belinda observed dryly.

'Indeed,' Julia laughed. 'Are you planning to head back to the office?'

'Yes, I've still got some points to include in the campaign that Derek suggested. If I have them finished today I can have the finalized proposal sent around tomorrow.'

'What about you Tony?'

'Actually ladies, I need to excuse myself right now.' He stood and nodded to both of them.

'Well hang on for a moment,' Belinda rose, 'I'll come with you.'

'No, please!' Julia said.

'You come too,' Belinda added.

'I can't, Derek specifically asked me to stay until Tiller wanted to get rid of the reporters.'

'I can't stay, really,' Tony said.

'Belle, please. Don't leave me with those,' she tossed her head towards the reporters. As if on cue the three girls surrounding Tiller laughed with excessive volume. The champagne and the competition for Tiller's attention were making them go to great lengths to outdo one another.

'Alright,' Belinda shook her head. 'See you later Tony.' She watched as Tony escaped. 'Should we join them?'

'God no, let's go and look at the view from the balcony. It's amazing.'

They walked together, stepped through the open French windows and walked onto the wide balcony that ran around both sides of the penthouse.

'Will we ever earn enough to buy this view?' Julia asked with a smile.

'If I can keep pulling in contracts like Tiller, who knows,' Belinda replied with a laugh.

'If you keep doing that, start your own company and invite me along as a partner!'

'Deal,' Belinda said, raising her glass.

They stood side by side watching the city's workers scurrying along the network of streets far below.

'We're just ants aren't we?' Julia murmured, deep in thought.

'So who's our Queen?' Belinda asked.

'People like Tiller and Derek,' she replied. Belinda had to brush her hair from her face as she looked at her co-worker and was surprised to see genuine sadness in Julia's eyes.

'And we're their drones...?'

'Sure,' Julia replied. 'Its just that we can sort of pick which Queen, or King, we serve, hell look at those reporters in there,' she indicated the suite behind them with a jerk of her head, 'they work for their media Queens but recognise that Tiller could be a better prize. Not one of them will write anything derogatory about him, there'll be no mention of the IRS investigations in the States, all of them hoping that they might get an offer to join the Tiller empire and desperately wishing to end up nabbing the bigger prize of becoming Mrs Tiller.'

For some reason, Julia's mention of Tiller's run-ins with the IRS in America annoyed her, somehow tarnishing Belinda's victory.

'I think you're over-reacting...'

'Yeah probably,' Julia sighed and lifted her face towards the lowering sun. The breeze that was coming from the Bay was stiffening and carried a hint of chill. It was refreshing on the skin and Belinda turned to savour it as well.

'Speaking of Mr Tiller, should we go check to see if he's ready to call it a day?'

'Yeah,' Julia replied, but they remained unmoving for a few minutes more.

Finally Belinda pushed off the rail and turned towards the suite. Julia followed in silence. Belinda was about to slide open the glass doors when she looked inside the suite and stopped with a gasp.

'Hey,' Julia protested, almost crashing into her; then she too fell silent. Inside the earlier scene of three female reporters trying to ingratiate themselves with Gordon Tiller had transformed into one of unbridled lust. Tiller was spreadeagled on the long sofa with one reporter kneeling beside him, their mouths locked together. Belinda had recognised her earlier as one of the commercial television networks' newsreaders, a compact, attractive short haired blonde. Her jacket and blouse was gone and her bra-strap was sliding from her shoulder. Belinda could see that Tiller was massaging one of her breasts.

Between his legs was a long haired brunette. Although the angle from the window meant that Belinda couldn't see the act, the motion of her head and the sight of Tiller's bare legs left no doubt that she was fellating him. There was no sign of the third reporter who had been present when they had come out onto the balcony.

'Oh my God.' Julia's voice broke the spell and they slid back out of sight. Belinda looked at her friend and they both had to press their hands against their mouths to stifle their laughter.

'Is that...'

'Uh-huh,' Belinda nodded.

'Wow,' Julia breathed. In unspoken agreement they peered around the edge of the window. Tiller's shirt was now gone and Belinda had to admit that he was in terrific shape. The blonde was also topless and Belinda was impressed with the firm roundness of her breasts given that she had to be in her mid-thirties. Tiller was running his tongue around her nipples as he struggled to release the zipper on her short, tight skirt. As it surrendered to his fingers the brunette sat back and Belinda heard her own sharp intake of breath echoed by Julia. Tiller was a big boy, easily two-handfuls. The brunette shrugged off her blouse and reached back to unclip her bra, which landed on top of the blonde's discarded skirt.

She then stood to remove her slacks, and as she did so the two voyeurs watched as the blonde bent down to take over the task of the brunette. Belinda was fascinated as her pert mouth opened and slid gracefully down Tiller's smooth shaft. Her hair swung forward as she moved but was too short to hide her ministrations from their view. Tiller reached up and caressed her buttocks, then his fingers slipped under her panties. The blonde paused for a moment then returned to her task.

The brunette was now completely naked and Tiller indicated that she should sit on the sofa opposite the blonde. She complied and they began to kiss with urgency, Tiller exploring the body of his new playmate with his free hand. Her breasts were not as firm and rounded as the blonde's, but her longer legs made her look more statuesque.

'What are we going to do?' Julia asked.

'What?' Belinda replied. For a moment she thought her friend was implying that they should enter the suite.

'Well, we can't go in, but we have to leave eventually. This could go on for hours.'

'Oh shit,' Belinda replied.

'And what are we going to tell work?'

'Nothing,' Belinda snapped. Scandal was the last thing they wanted with a new account. She let her attention return to the room. Tiller now had the two reporters kneeling on opposite sides of him and was watching as they kissed slowly and languidly in front of his face. Belinda had never seen women kissing other than in a few movies. These weren't acting and were using a great deal of tongue, their hands wandering freely over each other's bodies. Despite the delicacy of her situation, Belinda was feeling a little turned on by the sight in the suite.

Tiller slid from under his women and moved behind the blonde. His erection bobbed in front of him and he steadied it with one hand before entering the blonde in one action.

'Fuck he's big,' Julia whispered.

'Hmmm,' Belinda responded. Tiller was thrusting in a steady rhythm, his hands cupping the blonde's breasts. Belinda was now fairly certain that they weren't real; they dimpled under his caresses differently to how soft flesh should. 'Still, they look good.' The brunette had moved closer and was flicking her tongue across the blonde's neck and breasts. Just then Tiller stopped thrusting, leaned over the sofa arm without leaving the blonde, and snatched up his mobile phone.

'Tiller,' he snapped, his voice barely audible through the window. He began to thrust again as he spoke.

'When?' The blonde had leaned back, her hand snaking around his neck and giving the brunette better access to her breasts. Belinda could see that the brunette had her hand between the blonde's legs and from her movement it was clear she was stimulating her partner's clit. Belinda briefly wondered what it felt like to be touched by another woman.

'How long have I got to get to the airport?' Tiller's expression was businesslike, but throughout the short conversation he didn't stop moving.

'Two hours, good.' He dropped the phone onto the sofa and gripped the blonde's waist and began to pound her. Belinda imagined that she could hear the slapping of flesh on flesh but knew that it was in her imagination.

The blonde came in a series of short jerking motions. At once Tiller slipped from her and indicated that the brunette should kneel in front of him. She complied and took him into her mouth as he pushed the blonde down to join her. With little warning he came, a stream of come striking the brunette across the chin. Tiller directed his second at the blonde, splashing across her nose and mouth.

He had barely finished when Belinda heard him thank the two women and asked them to leave as he had to fly home to the States. Belinda and Julia slipped away and around the corner again.

'Wow,' Belinda said. 'Have you ever seen anything like that?'

'Only in an ant colony,' Julia replied and they had to stifle their giggles.

'Wow,' Belinda repeated. 'Did you...are you...I mean did you like what you saw?'

'Kind of,' Julia said, and then turned away as if to cut off the conversation. After ten minutes they risked another peek inside. The room was empty, so with a deep breath Belinda slid open the French window and they stepped brazenly inside, ready to deny seeing anything. The reporters and their clothes were gone, but from their left they could hear the sounds of a running shower. Thanking their lucky stars they scampered from the suite and returned to the office, agreeing not to mention what they had seen to anyone.

***

'Well its nearly been a month so this Saturday will be time for a repeat performance I suppose?'

'Sorry?' Belinda shook her head in confusion.

'Don't tell me you've forgotten, because I know that Pam would have told you.' Julia wore a mock frown. 'I have a party on Saturday, or are you planning to snub me?'

Belinda had forgotten, the past fortnight had been so hectic that everything had been placed in the pending tray. 'Shit, sorry Jules, yes of course Pam told me.'

'Well good, I know you'll be there because you don't have your own life outside of Robson.' The barb was delivered in good humour but was closer to the truth than Belinda liked to admit. 'Maybe I'll get you set up with one of my toy boys.' Julia toasted her and was gone, moving across the room towards her Tiller counterpart. Belinda had vaguely entertained the idea of trying to see Tony this weekend, but presumed he would be at the party as well. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was mid afternoon, and after excusing herself to Derek and Gordon's marketing VP she slipped from the function room and walked briskly back to work.

It was almost eight thirty when she was able to switch of her computer with a sigh of satisfaction. Derek's changes had been minimal but wide ranging and had required a bit longer than she had anticipated. She had sent Pam home at seven, and found that without the distraction of the telephone and people from her division sticking their head in to ask questions, her work rate had increased substantially.

She turned her chair around and looked at the night lights through the window, stretching her back with her arms above her head.

'Now if you were naked that would be such a teasing view from here.' She froze at the sound of Tony's voice, her heart skipping a beat and she was a little shocked at herself to feel her body tingle.

'If you had waited just a few more minutes I was about to get undressed. Its that time of the evening when my scheduler tells me to work naked.' She remained facing the window, her hands holding the high back of her chair.

She heard him walk across her office and was suddenly aware of how silent the building was. She felt a small electric shock as his hands touched hers, savouring his scent as he leaned over the back of the chair, his hands running brazenly down her arms and cupped her breasts. Their mouths met upside down and she flicked her tongue into his mouth to ensure that he knew what she wanted. She felt one breast released from his grasp then gasped as he ran his hand up under her skirt, his fingertips brushing between her legs through the sheer material of her panties. He slowly turned the chair until they were face to face, and still she kept her grip on the back of the chair, her only concession to him was a slight parting of her legs. Belinda could feel the past fortnight's tensions draining from her body as her lust slowly built, and she enjoyed his struggle to undo the buttons of her blouse. Then his hand was against the skin of her chest, and this time he had no problem in releasing the clasp of her bra. He pushed the bra upwards, freeing her breasts and bent his head to suck on one nipple. His other hand had pulled her panties aside and as his tongue flicked across her hardened point, he thrust a finger inside her. Belinda moaned and flinched, then grabbed the back of his head, pulling him against her while her hips pushed towards the edge of the chair and firmly onto his finger.