Bloodshed - A Dark Star Tale Pt. 02

Chapter Five - Stimulates

Emily Winters took a well-earned breather as she stood behind the well-stocked glass counter of the Mockingbird Coffee. She took a long swig from a cool plastic bottle of water kept out of sight behind the counter. Her colleague Helen looked up from wiping down tables on the far side of the coffee shop with a faux puff of her cheeks, to silently convey how busy they'd been.

For the last half, an hour there'd been an unexplained rush of customers with numerous demands from the plethora of different styles of coffee that were available at Mockingbird.

Emily had worked in bars nearly all her career, having achieved bar manager status at a number of institutions across the City, she'd thought working life in the Coffee Shop set up and owned by her friend Jamie would be the proverbial piece of cake by comparison. Two weeks into her change of career and she still couldn't work out if dealing with a succession of drunkards on a Friday or Saturday night was anywhere near as daunting or demanding as dealing with the early morning pre working day caffeine fix for the dwellers of the commercial properties and offices that surround the plaza in which they were located. And that was without considering the lunch time rush that loomed large in the next hour. How busy they were was testimony to how successful the new coffee shop was proving to be.

Taking a cleaning cloth Emily wiped down the surfaces of the convoluted, bright red coloured, coffee machine she was still getting to grips with using. She felt there'd be less dials and buttons to familiarise herself with had she taken a job working for NASA.

To secure her services Jamie has offered her a significantly pay rise on her former wage, she'd been asked to keep confidential the amount on the weekly pay slip, especially from the two other girls that worked split shifts with Emily during busier times. Knowing Jamie of old there seemed to be no gamble in taking her up on her offer, she'd grow accustomed to the change of working lifestyle she was sure. The extra in her bank at the end of each week would come in handy given that she'd finally decided to move on from living at home with her parents, approaching 25 it was probably for the best and her sanity. She loved her Mum and Dad and had been grateful, not so much for them taking her in, but for the care and support they'd shown her as she'd rebuilt her life.

Not dwelling on the past Emily busied herself next off by restocking and replenishing the baskets of snack bars and packets of overpriced biscuits on top of the main counter. At the inflated price charged it was a miracle that they sold any quantity but the amount of such items that they did sell daily astounded her. Setting a handful of chocolate covered wafers into a metal baskets Emily was conscious of someone approach the counter.

Looking up into dark eyes set in a handsome face Emily smiled sincerely. She felt her cheeks flush a little and she coyly pushed her naturally curly dark brown hair back off her face as he returned her smile. She found herself taking a deep breath to compose herself. "What can I do to you?"

"Do to me?" He immediately answered with a smirk creeping across his face "Well I can think of plenty of things but I'm not sure how appropriate many of them would be ...in what appears to be a very public place."

Emily felt her face flush about the same shade of red as the coffee machine sat gently hissing and spitting away behind her.

"I am ...I am so sorry," she stated her hand across her chest she had never been so embarrassed. "I meant what can I do for you ...and as in what would you like to drink?"

His smile spoke volumes, he was flattered and equally amused from what she could tell.

"Well asking for an Americano and a Soya Latte is going to be a little bit of an anti-climax now ... a little tame by comparison," he smirked at her not helping quell her raging sense of embarrassment.

Emily decided to roll with it, she could hardly back away and ignore him. He was smartly dressed in a charcoal grey well-tailored suit over an open neck white fitted shirt, she narrowed her eyes a little.

"I can add an extra shot if you want ...if you need."

It was a terrible attempt at flirting within him she realised immediately.

"Extra shot ... you're not suggesting I need the stamina, are you?"

"I don't know..." Emily smirked "...depends what you're planning on getting up to."

"Sadly, just a mundane meeting with my accountant ...but now ...now my minds on other things" he stated flashing her another little grin.

"What's your name?" Emily asked as Helen stepped behind her to the coffee machine.

"Will," he answered swiftly.

"Americano and a Soya Latte for Will please,"

Emily said over her shoulder to her colleague.

Behind Will a middle-aged well-dressed lady stepped up to the counter. Emily let her gaze slowly pass from him with a brief smile "Thank you Emily," he offered, she was a little surprised he knew her name before she remembered the name badge, she wore on her dark green apron.

"What can I get you?" She offered to the lady stood there weighed down with an assortment of shopping bags. Her attention not fully on the customer as she took the slice of carrot cake she ordered and set about making a Flat White. She watched Will leave the counter and carry the two mugs of coffee to a window seat, her heart sank a little as he sat down opposite of an attractive looking red-haired girl.

While they sat talking, she casually observed the pair of them as and when opportunity permitted. She was busy serving two young girls when Will and his companion got up from their seats to leave. She watched as he followed the red head to the main door. Reaching past her, he held the door open for her, a true gentleman. Pausing briefly, he looked back, Emily smiled as he did. As he looked back, he too smiled and gave her a little nod.

Emily flushed just a little once again, wondering if she'd see him again, silently hoping she would.

**********

"In short Will I don't fully understand how you've managed to it ...but the financial stability in such a short turn around is incredible" Harry Jacobs said as he drew their meeting to a conclusion.

Will glanced quickly to Flick who still diligently scribbled shorthand notes into her colourful little jitter pad.

"Like I said ...it's the mainly hard work of my Sales Team that have helped us turn a corner" Will's lie covered for the fact that on a number of occasions in the last few weeks he had deliberately amended and subsequently falsified the company accounts that were submitted to him ever Friday by Dave Hardacre from the accounting team. Existing contracts seemingly spending extra revenues across a five-week period that had significantly improved the balance sheet of Marchants Meats. The truth of the payments from Marco Mancini's Impero Ltd were more than visible on the company bank accounts but Will hadn't needed to bother with showing these to Harry, he'd just included month end summaries that supported the near two hundred thousand uplift in their balance sheet since the last review, the review that had rung alarm bells of concern with Harry. He and Will both know the declining sales trend that had set in over months for the best part of the last year near enough, this positive blip might be just that, but it was what was needed in the short term. At least to carry the business until the end of the financial year.

"Old fashioned business Harry, manipulate the price up a little, offer a discount that's genuinely hard to achieve to stimulate increased sales and go sparingly with the profits," Will smiled, "The Costmark deal that we've secured means our forecasts for next year are even healthier."

"Its good news Will," Harry offered.

"And saves selling out asses at Networking Meetings."

Harry stood and stepped around his desk hobbling just a little in the thick protective plastic boot over his left ankle, the main reason that this month they'd met in his plush city centre offices. Harry was of the old school he liked to get out and visit his clients wherever he could. He'd been a regular visitor at Marchants for over thirty years as a result.

"Your Father would be proud," He stated as Will rose to shake his outstretched hand.

"The burden of responsibility," Will chuckled a little but meant what he said, whilst not being able to directly agree with Harry's sentiment. There was no way his Father would approve of method of the financial rescue he'd actually instigated, no way at all. To all intents and purpose everything seemed to be going well with the deal though, in honesty Will had kept his nose out of Marco Mancini's operation and they'd not intruded too much on his day to day beyond laying operational groundwork to integrate their percentage of the consignments leaving on the back of Marchants trucks daily. It wasn't that Will turned a blind eye as so much as he had no need to keep an eye on matters.

"How's the ankle anyway Harry?" Will stepped the conversation away from business, and with a genuine concern.

"Oh, it's getting there ...get this god forsaken thing will be off next week" he spoke to Will but turned physically to Flick who now stood having captured whatever notes she had needed to and slipped her notebook away in her handbag "Golf is supposed to be a passive sport..." he chuckled "...Only an old fool like me could break an ankle falling on a Golf course."

"I heard it was falling out of the club house after one too many Single Malts," Will joked.

"Chance would be a fine thing Will," Harry countered taking Flick's hand and shaking it gently. "Good to meet you again Felicity ...hope we didn't bore you too much."

"Oh no," Flick shook her head. "Oh no it's all very interesting ...very interesting,"

Harry accompanied Will and Flick back through to the main reception, despite their assurances they could manage on their own. He wasn't to be told though. Will had invited Flick along in line with his resolution to increase her wider knowledge and understanding of the business, something that was to the mirth and confusion in equal measures of some of their colleagues. Colleagues who couldn't see the diligence and hard work that Flick put in, there was no promotion as such for her, but she'd welcomed the opportunity and had positively gushed when he pulled her to one side in his office two weeks ago to let her know of his thoughts. So far, she seemed to be taking a plethora of notes on even the most mundane of subject matter. Apparently, that was how she best learned, Will wasn't going to knock such diligence.

As they stepped into the lift Will turned to her, she looked so different in the contact lenses she wore. The whole shape of her face seemed to change when removed of the dark rimmed glasses. With her hair tied back, she wore a rather stylish navy pin stripe pair of flared trousers and a pale short sleeve sky blue blouse.

"Harry was right ... Hope we didn't bore you too much Flick."

"Oh gosh no," she replied. "No, it's just useful to see ...like how everything contributed."

Will wasn't sure if she fully understood but then felt guilty for belittling her intelligence, like so many others did, Flick was a smart little cookie when she wanted to be, no doubt about it.

"There's one thing I didn't get though," she offered turning to look up at him.

"What was that?"

"Why didn't you tell him about the new business associates?"

Her question was blunt and short and took Will back a little, it was proof if needed of how astute and tuned in she actually was to the business and the wider context.

"Let's just say Flick that myself and Mr. Mancini haven't exactly followed the rules to facilitate our business relationship," Will thought quickly on his response. "Their product in our supply chain ...if you'll excuse the butcher's terminology ...well it isn't exactly kosher."

"None of our products are Kosher though," Flick had taken him literally and demonstrated her ditziness barely seconds behind her astuteness.

"We should have licences to sell meats that are imported," Will offered formulating a believable story in his mind. "I've sent off all the paperwork. We'll be set up in weeks ...I just had to get ahead of the competition as Mr Mancini's offering was far too good to be true."

"So is Mr. Mancini Jewish?" Flick offered, having nodded her head in understanding it was bizarre this was the one thing she centred on. Will smirked.

"I don't know, bottom line is that in the short-term Harry didn't need to know that we'd been a little immoral with our business ethics ...it doesn't pay to be honest all the time."

"So much for honesty being the best policy," Flick added, almost for the sake of something to say.

As they stepped out the offices into the mid-afternoon sunshine Will immediately looked over to the Coffee Shop in the centre of the plaza between the high-rise office blocks. Flick seemed to have bought his explanation which was a relief as it could have proved a headache trying to explain it in full and he wasn't sure he wouldn't trip himself up.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day Flick?" Will asked as they stood at the top of a short flight of concrete steps that led into the Plaza.

"Aren't we going back?" Flick stated.

Will looked to his watch, it was a little after 3pm. "You can if you want ... I'm not ...don't tell anyone but treat yourself to the rest of the afternoon off ...my treat."

"Really?" she stated a little giddy with childlike excitement.

"Boss says so," Will smirked.

"Thank you," Flick beamed, and Will was surprised as she learnt forward and kissed him on the cheek. His surprise must've shown as her cheeks flushed bright pink. Quite the day for blushing girls, Will considered although he didn't hold Flick in the same regard as the brunette from earlier. He doubted that he could ever think of Flick that way.

"I'm sorry ...I'm sorry," she immediately offered.

"Don't be," Will laughed, "I'm just glad I didn't give you the rest the week off otherwise ...well who knows what you'd have done."

He teased more to test her uncomfortable reaction than anything else.

"Mr. Marchant," Flick blushed further at his insinuation.

"Go on ...go home ...go shopping ...do what you want for a couple of hours," Will leant forward and gently kissed her cheek with no other intention than to return her earlier gesture. "See you in the morning Flick."

"See you in the morning Will," she offered as he headed down the steps. He left Flick behind him, but he sensed he was the concentration of her gaze as he walked straight through the Plaza towards Mockingbird Coffee. He didn't look back,

**********

Gripping the bed sheets beneath her Emily gasped for breath.

She stretched out a hand to the wooden headboard built into the wall of the pokey budget hotel room. Bracing her extended arm, she pushed back feeling him fill her deeper as he took her from behind.

"Oh Will ... Oh Will ...Oh sweet fucking ..."

Her words lost on the orgasm that gripped her body, she ground her hips against him as he knelt behind her. His strong hands digging into her hips a little, she didn't care.

She gasped and panted, shuddering at the way he'd made her feel. She rocked back and forth feeling him deep inside of her, aligning with his dominant thrusts.

Sweat coated her body as she rolled and rocked her body clinging to the sensations that ripped through her breathless body, determined to gain his climax, to reward him for how he'd made her feel.

She felt him press deep into her, his hands grip her shoulders bearing her back onto him as he forces his hips deeper, his dick penetrating her deep as she felt him cum hard in her, protected from him by the condom she'd barely managed to apply such had been their intensity.

This wasn't her; she never did anything like this. She'd assured him of such a little less than an hour beforehand when he'd checked them in at the reception. The promiscuity she'd felt at their inspired, illicit little rendezvous had fuelled her. She'd known what she was getting herself into, having spotted the wedding ring on his left hand the first time she'd seen him.

Emily didn't even care if she was little more than another notch on his bedpost she had lived for the moment. For the first time in a long time under such circumstances.

It felt good.

It didn't matter to her how this transpired, somehow, she didn't care. She hadn't cared as they'd crashed through the doorway of hotel room barely able to keep their hands off one another.

She smirked at the memory of how she'd felt as he'd headed back into the Coffee Shop barely twenty minutes before she'd finished for the day. Jesus she was hardly dressed for seduction or being seduced. Her comfortable little black pumps lay strewn somewhere on the floor of the hotel room floor, alongside of her little black blouse, her skirt, and her black tights. As did his suit and shirt.

She felt him pull out of her, she shuddered feeling the slightest pang of remorse, not at what she'd done but that she might not feel like this again. Their tantric sex had started with her giving him oral before he'd let her straddle him on the bed. Their naked body's entwining as he then vigorously took her in the missionary style before finally taking her from behind. He'd been passionate he'd been insatiable. Emily glowed literally and metaphorically from their physical exertion.

Will crashed down onto the bed next to her propped up on her arms, still lay on her belly she looked over at him and that wide grin etched across his face.

"So, um... what was your name again?" She cheekily enquires.

"Will," he smirked. "You were just repeatedly calling it out."

**********

Marco Mancini sipped from the espresso he'd just lifted from the saucer, it tasted like shit, the worst coffee he tasted in some time.

In Marco's opinion it wasn't difficult to get an espresso wrong. A simple shot of strong flavoursome coffee. That's all that was needed, this place Mockingbird Coffee he wondered how they could get something so wrong.

"How's your Coffee?"

"Bit weak" Ari answered sat opposite of him her hair platinum blonde held back off her face by sunglasses propped up on top of her head. The warm orange glow of the early evening sun highlighting her perfect pale skin as she sat there in skin-tight black jeans, and a white vest that showed the straps of her dark red bra.

"Mine tastes like shit."

Marco's blunt assessment as he unbuttoned his shirt one further button in order to soak up as much of the days UV rays as he could. If nothing else the coffee shop was situated in a nice spot, early evening commuters now thinning in numbers as they headed home for the day.

"You're very difficult to please," Ari offered.

"You manage."

"I know how to push your buttons ...that's the difference," she teased him with a mischievous smile.

Over her shoulder emerging from a hotel reception Marco was somewhat surprised to spot Will Marchant, he didn't react but watched as the tall dark-haired man left the building his suit jacket slung over his shoulder.

"I'm going to go back and get those boots,"

He heard Ari say. "Shall I meet you back at the Club?"

Marco barely reacted watching as Will made conversation with a dark-haired girl dressed all in black. They walked apart but the way she'd followed him from the hotel suggested enough.

"Marco are you listening to me?" Ari near scorned him but didn't bother to follow his line of sight.

"Yeah yeah," he offers. "The Boots... so, I'll meet you at the Club ...there's one or two things in need to sort myself anyway."

Ari knew better than to question his ambiguity as she sat finishing her own coffee. Marco knocked back his espresso watching intently as Will Marchant headed in once direction and the brunette headed in the opposite direction.