Against the Odds Ch. 02

Each theory Troy tried he came back to the one conclusion that seemed to be the best way: Detain Ellis and try to terrorize her without physically harming her and once she'd sign over the assets he wanted he'd then threaten to put a bullet through her head if she complained to the authorities – and she could still expect a bullet through the head if he were investigated and it was found she'd signed over the assets voluntarily. Philip would have to ensure for that to succeed that it was his word against hers and he'd have to ensure Ellis could produce no evidence supporting her claims against him. Philip would require the signings to be witnessed, if not by County officials then a lawyer would have credibility but under these circumstances with Ellis being held under duress, it would have to be a crooked lawyer.

Back at the office he poked his head around Ellis's office door. "Just been talking to a friendly cop over lunch with his senior. They confirm the police are virtually powerless until an offence had been committed or is in the process of being committed."

"I knew that and so did you but thanks for checking," Ellis said taking off her reading glasses. "Thanks for last night; you were very sweet."

"That was fine. By the way, who is Philip Jefferson's lawyer?"

"Richard B. Wells as he styles himself. May I ask why this interest?"

"Just one more person to have in mind. What's his reputation?"

"Depends what side of the law you're on – he specializes in criminal cases, for the defense. He and Philip went through school together and go away together each year salmon fishing. Great buddies, both slippery as many people would confirm."

When Troy entered his office he found Kelly with a foot on her desk adjusting her stocking. He smiled thinking she must have recognized his footsteps because one wouldn't be expected to do that adjustment with her open crotch facing the door even when wearing panties as was Kelly.

"Hi, I'm ready to go with you inspecting the first of the properties. I've booked four appointments for this afternoon at any time because I was unaware of your schedule."

"Oh yes, some private checking for Ellis – sorry, I should have phoned. I must keep closer contact with you."

That comment went down very well – he could tell by the way her lips opened and the way she patted her calf before dropping that leg to the floor. It was time to say something soft and intelligent.

"Hey, look at all this stuff on the walls – you've been busy."

"Stuff as you call it are details of all of our buildings and are placed in color-coded categories so you can walk to them when called on the phone and get an instant appraisal of the building the caller is taking about. When we go upstairs I'll have every building exterior photographed with just their computer number – so you'll just punch in the code and the building will come on screen with photos of key personnel of the tenancy, latest report on the building, current negotiations under way, date for rent review, etcetera."

"Kelly, this is magnificent and will assist us no end. It's really splendid. Thank you, thank you. Let's go – may we use your car? My company SUV arrives tomorrow."

They cancelled the last visit because Kelly said she felt tired. She asked Troy to stop her car and ducked into a store, returning with two bottles of pre-mixed bourbons in a paper bag. "Let's go down to the river to drink these," she said. "Let's park away from the maddening crowd," a comment that made Troy realize she was horny, not tired.

There is nothing better, thought Troy, than looking across a car at a babe with one leg pulled up and leaning back drinking a slug of booze while staring at you, and when she's captured your gaze pushing her hips forwards – hips that silently scream, "I want it; I want it."

By now Troy was eager for it as well. So he tested her. "Well, I guess we best return to the office," he said as he pretended to reach for the key and watched her face crumble. "No wait please Troy, I have a present to give you."

Pleased, Troy sat back in his seat, closing his eyes, rubbing them and faking a yawn.

"This!"

Her voice was husky and urgent – well, who wouldn't be when she needed to be to her mother's shortly for coffee when collecting the two kids. With kids involved he really shouldn't be doing this, should he?

"Over here," she whispered.

Troy turned, opened one eye and yelled, "Oh boy."

Kelly had pulled her panties to one side and was frigging herself with two fingers; the lube was already beginning to drip.

"What do I do with that?" he leered.

She pulled her fingers out and licked them. "Take over from me I suppose,"

As it was her car her thought he should oblige, and did a pretty good job of it judging by the way she writhed, yelled and kept slapping at his back. It was the usual car fuck – somewhat restricted, uncomfortable but so what? He's unzipped and pushed straight in; she wouldn't allow him to kiss her until the finish and stopped him from fooling around with her boobs. This time all she was interested was a straight ram and had gotten what she wanted. She'd pushed down hard, using the back of the seat as leverage which was is one advantage about cars and so sent them off into orbit. He'd like that because he'd missed out the previous evening with Ellis and, having anticipated the possibility, had the boiler fired and smoking but it was no required so this was welcome relief.

"Are you any closer to finding a lady friend?" she asked on the way back to the office.

"Perhaps a little, why?"

"I don't want you becoming too used to me – I have a husband you know."

Troy smiled and flicked her under her chin. "Although I'm a flawed man I won't lure your from your husband and children."

"Thank you," she grinned but then turned serious. "It's me, not you that I'm worried about. I was almost jumping out of my panties waiting for you to arrive today. If you know anything about that you'll know it's real stress."

"Do you want me to arrange a transfer for you?"

"Hell no, I'm going to love working with you; just quit seducing me. I'll probably turn grumpy but it won't last."

"So that's what you want?"

"No," she bleated.

"But that's what you think we should do?"

"Yes," she whispered, "but perhaps leave the door open for special occasions like Christmas."

Walking from the car lot Troy asked Kelly could he tell her something. She said yes, of course, and when he said she mightn't like it she stuck her chin forward and told him to proceed.

"I'm not acting like a sore loser here – right?"

"Right."

"You are a gorgeous fuck, make no mistake about that. But my advice to you is never fuck anyone in your office and least of all the boss if you wish to win promotions. It doesn't color my attitude but on the other hand there are some awfully conservative people in high places who deal with promotions."

Scowling, Kelly said, "I should have expected you to say something like that; next you will be telling me not to fuck the clients."

"Oh sorry, my oversight; of course I should have said that. But Kelly, you are on the way to being someone in business; I can see it already. You have style, look great, great, have high energy, have ideas, are creative and work well and find work when not under supervision. If they're not the basics for executive staff appointments I don't know what is."

"You're serious about what you're saying, aren't you?"

"Absolutely and I'm aware what I'm giving away but Kelly, if we are to have loyalty in what we do at this office I must have your trust and loyalty and reciprocate and display leadership. You are more than a great fuck to me Kelly; I value your friendship as well as what's in your head."

Kelly appeared to want to know more. "My marriage is in a bit of a rut which is why I have strayed; any advice on that?"

"Not really except I understand boredom plays a large part in marital dissatisfaction. You work and then go home collect and your children and then I guess you begin preparing the dinner and fit in housework and then your husband comes home late from work, tired you both move about attempting not to make the other person bitchy. If that's the situation it can point to overload and monotony. When did you both walk the kids before they are put to bed?"

"Oh yeah, that's right on the button; it's rising into becoming two months rather than two weeks. You've told me something here; anything else?"

"I heard my own mother give a younger friend this advice when I was young: "Employ a day nanny if you can afford it and use your mother in emergencies and to have the kids some nights when you go out, even if only to a bar for a couple of hours, and to allow you to take a longer weekend away from say mid-afternoon Fridays."

"Well, I guess we can afford it; I've received a salary hike in coming across to you but weekends away – it's months since we've done that."

Troy groaned and said, "Oh how boring."

Kelly stopped and looked at him, enlightenment shining on to her face. "I'll sit and talk to him tonight as soon as he opens a beer."

When Ellis was free Troy went through to see her. "Let's test – turn off you miniature transmitter." She did and the alarm went on his receiver inside his jacket pocket.

"Have dinner with me again tonight, I need to talk."

He grinned. "Okay, providing you don't demand sex."

"I'll call for you where you are staying just before 8:00 – I'll toot," Ellis said after a brief pause and not changing expression. "I confirm your SUV will be here tomorrow – I've asked Molly to upgrade it to top of the line as one of those is being delivered to the dealer today as well; she's livid and asked were I sleeping with you."

It took immense concentration but Troy said without changing expression, "She really doesn't seem to like me, does she." He turned and went through the door still giving nothing away. That bitch Molly – two can play at this game, he thought grinning inwardly.

"Hello Troy."

"Oh hi Molly. Um, fancy a drink after work tonight?"

"What with you?"

"Molly I may appear to be a heap of bull's dung to you but I do know how to be civil."

"I'm sorry Troy. I can be such a bitch at times. Should we say 5:10 over at Mrs Wellington's but I must leave by 5:45."

"The times are okay but I'd prefer to walk out of these premises with you; if other staff see us together that's a sign of two execs being friendly, nothing more."

"Okay, my office at 5:05 then; I have a rule never to leave my post earlier."

* * *

Molly walked out of the office just after 5:00; Troy had embarrassed her by offering her his arm and she took it to avoid embarrassing herself. She noticed some of the office women looking at her as they invariably did but on this occasion she was damn sure the gazes were on her longer and she knew why – Mr Unconventional made her look good.

She was impressed. Larry her husband walked her like this but he would jerk her arm or walk out of step, order her to move over or walk faster than at her pace. With this guy it was as if she were playing him with invisible thread; he gave real meaning to the word 'promenading'.

In the bar had asked what she wanted. She said Martini and he asked gin or vodka and said vodka before she answered. She said not hiding her surprise, "Vodka – have you been reading my file" and he laughed, turning to the bar. Molly was agog; she'd made a joke or at least he seemed to think so. She knew she lacked appeal to men and it wasn't only because of her being over-weight. Ah well.

"What is you purpose for inviting me here?" she asked, taking her drink from him.

"Wow, that's upfront. Do you have to wait until arriving home before you can relax?"

Huh, what was this? Oh skeet, it was a nice way of saying she was confrontational.

"I lack social graces and that's the truth."

"Huh?" Now it was his turn to be wrong-footed.

"You probably lack opportunities for social grooming at the age when such block-building is important."

Molly realized this guy was good. She didn't feel offended and he'd turned her confession around and was giving her a way out. Okay, she'd make it easy for him to bounce her.

"It comes naturally to me to say the wrong thing or use the wrong emphasis when chatting. When it's a work-related matter within my expertise I see what I need to say clearly."

"Don't we all? The trick is to do that as well when we chat. If we load up with negative thoughts we tend to chat negatively and of course..."

It was like a fill in the answers quiz; he'd stopped and was waiting for her to provide the answer. She sighed, "And the reverse applies."

"Exactly. For example, I wouldn't say to a pretty woman I like your juggs; I'd say I like that dress, knowing she knows someone likes her dress even though she knows, as I know she does, that if I've looked at her dress I've looked at her bust-line. She's happy and she has a string of options to engage in social discourse if she chooses."

Molly looked bewildered: "A string of options?"

"Yes, a slap on the face for being impertinent which could have been your reaction, or just a smile and something like 'you've made my day' which is what she might say if she were very much older than me; if she were French she perhaps might say, 'Can you imagine me without this dress?' and if Italian she'd definitely say that and if she were closer to my age and not one of my mother's friends she might have a wee flirt and say, 'did you happen to notice my breasts."

"You're incorrigible," Molly said. "I'd never say such a thing to a man and before you ask why it's because I'd not wish to send him running from me in disgust."

"Have you any idea how large breasts appeal to some women, right down to short thin and shy guys?"

"You've gotta be kidding."

"It's true Molly but that's beside the point. If you paused slightly socially before answering anyone, giving time for a thought with a positive bias to drop on to your tongue you might not necessarily impress the questioner but you'd feel better by having enhanced the tone of the conversation. If you don't mind me saying so you don't dress particularly well for a fat person – notice I said fat and not big. Why evade what you are?"

"I heard it." Molly gritted, emptying her glass and holding her hand out for his wine glass.

"Make sure you return Molly because I might be able to deliver a few tips you don't bother about."

"Yes Mr Body Beautiful and Handsome who moves with grace."

"I was just one of the few lucky ones, Molly. But listen here – my elder sister is tall like you and fat like you, and proud of it. She is what she is and knows she can't really change much without going through hell. So you'll almost always see Amy dressed in black when she's about from home because, as she says, 'If gives the impression I occupy less space than I actually do.' She always has her hair long and when away from her home wears long ear-rings and quite often something around her neck like a red scarf – in fact she wears black with red trim quite a lot but never all the time. Amy has a job quite similar to yours – office manager for a large firm of accountants. Her husband never regards her as anything but Amy, not fat Amy, and because her two daughters are young they only see her as mom, not our fat mom. As soon as we brush our hair or wipe our sunglasses we engage in personal management: I'm aware that successful fat people like Amy work harder on their personal management so that we scarcely notice they are fat. By the way Amy does call herself fat and because of that she tries to make an impact to match her size. Everyone loves Amy and she often has competing firms head-hunt her; see just reports the approach to her CEO and if he considers it a threat he raises her salary."

"You are just regurgitating so much crap, Troy; I've heard it all before but you know what? I think you are getting through to me. You have a silver tongue and you sound logical. Please allow me to go home how; I'll thing about what you said while my husband Herman eyes me, leaving me to wonder that he is thinking, for example: 'Why did I marry a woman of such large body mass.' On the other hand, if I do change, perhaps I'll be looking at a bright new world and feel I fit into it."

She left and Troy was left wondering what that was all about. He'd tried, but for what? He went home and saved and bathed for a night out, knowing it was the masterly thing to do was not to over-expect."

"Sure buddy," he told himself aloud. "I'm so likely to under-expect that I won't even manage to raise a boner."

Dinner turned out to be a strategy meeting. Ellis's confidence was ebbing, so he rebuilt her up urging, "The mission, the mission." She finally expounded with the simplest answer of all: "If I fail, I've failed the mission."

Troy eyed the silky legs, the flash or red something under her black skirt as he sat her down, the beautifully sculptured rise of her breast. This was an evening for Ellis to use as a watershed for her misgivings, not for him to shaft her.

He went off home alone in a cab, noting her less than concealed relief painted on a painted face. He thought women could be so cruel.

At dinner, Ellis had attempted to blow away their whole strategy: What if Mitch was not to be trusted and instead led her into captivity; what if Philip and his crooked lawyer argued successfully in court they'd be framed in a action of vengeance masterminded by Ellis and supported by a guy dressed in black who'd been hired to force a showdown?"

The best Troy had been able to do was to say, "Come on Ellis, you have to have faith in yourself and be prepared to trust one or two crucial people if you are to succeed with the mission."

"The mission," she'd said, slumping into her chair.

"Yes the mission," Troy had responded, pressing her right boob attempting to pump some sense into her and make her feel aroused.

"Please remove your hand from my person; I have already paid for this meal and shall go. Stay if you wish but any extras will be at your personal expense. Please do not bill them to the company."

Troy yawned, attempting to keep his mind in neutral gear; Ellis was under tension and not acting herself; she must be excused.

He was bored. He wished he could call Kelly and she'd invite him around, saying everyone else was in bed asleep.

Ellis went home almost in tears and showing the strain. That left him stranded so called a cab and went over to The Grill on Oak Avenue for a coffee. Daisy/Megan wasn't there not unexpectedly were the cops Paul and Duane as the night shift was on. He sat at the counter and a fake redhead laid her juggs on the counter and said, "What can I do for you handsome?"

Troy ordered coffee and wondered what she could do for him.

She came back with his coffee, chewing gum and said that he was a great-looking dude. He slipped her a 'five' that would be low enough to make her go-away. Glumly Ellis thought it was possible Ellis would forgive him for banging Kelly as she'd know he'd been under extreme provocation. But if he were to shaft Daisy or any of her similarly flossed up dollies she'd toss up her head and walk off her upper-class pussy and boobs from his reach, forever.

He brought the hot coffee to his lips and the alarm sounded,

The world as Troy knew it crashed around him; Ellis had been taken. Had he been a gentleman she may have taken him home to bed tonight and he would have been in the position to thwart the attack. On the other hand, maybe it was just as well he wasn't there – someone may have been maimed or killed, perhaps him.

He called Molly; if he failed with her the mission was doomed.

"Hi," he said to her presumably Herman, "Get Molly to the phone urgently. This is Troy Gardiner speaking."