Brittany's Travels Ch. 07

"She was asleep then, and I am sure they have changed her hair." Then she laughed. "And her hair down below as well."

"Oh, yes, you got a look at that in Luxembourg, didn't you?" asked the younger woman.

"Far closer than I really wanted to," said her older comrade. "But in that swimsuit, she must have had a waxing."

"I know her well enough to know she wouldn't do that by choice."

"You also know that means nothing. Did you do all you were told when you worked for Angie and Joseph?"

"I wouldn't be here if I had." The younger woman stood up and stretched. "I do wonder what they told Erika about me."

"I wonder is she silly enough to believe whatever they did tell her? She was rather...new to the job when I met her."

"Was," said the younger woman. "She's nobody's fool now. But I think we've got a plausible tale, don't you?"

"You had better hope so, Marcia."

"God, don't call me that when I'm off duty!"

"You know the rules, Marcia. That is who you are for the moment."

Marcia -- she'd never liked that name, but she supposed that did make it the perfect pseudonym -- shook her head and gave up. "Whatever. I guess I'd better get to the condo. Want to split a taxi?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on where she's going when she is done at the beach, Marcia."

"Right, of course."

Marcia turned and saw her way out without a proper goodbye. She didn't like her mentor one bit, though her experience and connections couldn't be dismissed.

For now, of course, she had to play nice. And stay out of sight until they had Erika drawn in.

It was Prema's turn to be Colin's arm candy, and Colin escorted her into the restaurant at the Tanglin Club a few hours later. Brittany was just tucking in to her pre-dinner salad and didn't look up to see her two visitors as they approached her table.

"May we join you, Erika?" Colin asked.

Brittany looked up to see her stalker accompanied by a dazzling Indian woman in a flashy yellow dress that did not blend in to the conservative surroundings at all. "Colin." She smiled cordially and stood up. "Yes, of course."

"Erika, meet Prema," Colin said.

"I've heard so much about you," Prema said with a smile as the two women shook hands.

"All about our five minutes together on the beach, huh?" Brittany couldn't resist.

"He did say you were funny." Prema sat down, and Colin and Brittany followed suit. "Please, though, do not let us interrupt your dinner."

"Won't you join me for something?" Brittany flagged down the waiter. Prema let herself be talked into a salad like Brittany's, and Colin ordered an appetizer. "So I understand you're also into rare books?" she asked as soon as they were alone again.

"The very finest in them," Prema said. "Our collection is at a condominium in Woodlands. I cannot tell you how thrilled we are to meet an American dealer. We've been rather short of those lately."

"Yes, well, most of us are broke these days," Brittany said. "All the better for me to be buying rather than selling right now."

"Just so that's all you're selling," Colin quipped.

Brittany laughed. "He's never going to let me live that down," she said to Prema. "Some local with a sense of humor suggested I visit Orchard Towers last night."

"He told me," Prema said. "Of course, I don't suppose he told you what he was doing there!"

"Indeed, Colin," Brittany said. "I hadn't even thought of that."

"I'll be happy to show you both after dinner," Colin said.

Brittany laughed and looked at Prema. "He's not the least bit serious, is he?"

"Well, he does have his own way of sealing deals with new partners," Prema said. "But he's quite good at it. So am I, if your tastes run that way." And Brittany's heart leapt as she felt Prema's hand rubbing her leg under the table. "No hard feelings if not, of course, dear," she added.

Reminding herself that it was all part of the job -- and Prema was undeniably exotic and pleasant to look at -- she raised her glass and smiled. "I guess we'd better get some more wine to put us in the mood, shall we?"

She was more than a bit worried that it had all been too easy so far, and on the walk back to her room she mapped out ways to keep her phone at the ready. After her computer had been hacked in Switzerland, Joseph had commissioned a panic button to be installed on the phone. Only now did it occur to Brittany what a terrible location that was for a panic button. She reminded herself that she had been through worse, and grinned through her fear as she tapped open the lock and ushered them into her room.

"Don't these rooms look oddly plain for such an exclusive club?" Colin asked as Brittany turned the air conditioner on.

"I've certainly stayed in worse places." Dropping hints of her time in prison was a favorite trick of Brittany's for smoking out people who knew who she really was.

Colin and Prema evidently weren't among them, for neither showed any sign of understanding her comment. "I'm surprised to hear that," Prema said. "Aren't American hotels always super opulent?"

"The expensive ones are," Brittany said. "I told you business has been slow, though."

"Ladies!" Colin took his blazer off and draped it over the desk chair. "Are we here to talk about hotels, or to make good use of one?"

"Colin, I like the way you think." Brittany set her purse precariously on the edge of the bedside table and was glad when it "accidentally" slipped down the crack between the table and the bed. Colin at least took no notice of that, as Brittany made a show of kicking her hi-heels off. "Oh, it feels good to get out of those," she said.

"Can I help you off with more?" Colin asked, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt.

Brittany looked at Prema, who was looking bemused. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

Prema nodded. "Let's get him."

They promptly tackled Colin on the bed, and he howled in feigned outrage as they relieved him of his shirt, shoes, pants and boxers. "Don't forget my socks!" he giggled as Brittany helped herself to a stroke of his hard cock.

"I think you look adorable wearing only those," she cooed. The words were just out of her mouth when she felt his hand up her skirt, and she let out an anticipatory laugh before he'd even found his way between her legs.

"Clean kitty, huh?" he said as he caressed her as-yet unseen vulva.

"But you knew that!" she gasped as she enjoyed his touch. "You saw me on the beach, didn't you?"

"I hoped it anyway!" Colin said, as Brittany's gentle stroking and Prema's harder rubbing on his chest had him wriggling about on the bed.

"Hey, now!" Prema smacked his chest, playfully but hard enough to have Brittany thinking it probably stung.

"I didn't say I didn't like them like you too!" Colin protested. "Just, you know, variety?"

"I like variety too," said Prema, who Brittany had already guessed probably had a bush to rival her own. She stood up and walked around the bed to Brittany's side. "Let's have a look at this bare pussy of yours."

Brittany stood up and let Prema pull her dress up and off. In keeping with her new character, she was wearing micro-panties that would have looked ridiculous before and still felt ridiculous to her now. But Prema liked what she saw. "My God, what these would look like on me!" she said as Brittany welcomed the sensation of her pulling them down.

"You'd swallow 'em up, Prema!" Colin laughed.

"Speaking of swallowing up..." Prema said. She gently slipped one finger inside Brittany and found her delightfully wet. "Go eat him alive with this, Erika!"

Brittany waited a split second for Prema to remove her bra, but Prema set about undoing her own dress. Brittany decided to leave it up to Colin to remove it if he wanted, and dutifully she straddled him and guided him inside her while he groaned in joy. He seemed happy to leave her bra right where it was, too.

"You sure know how to welcome a new customer, Colin," she teased as she began rocking energetically.

"My pleasure!" he squealed like a schoolboy. "Can trust her, right, Prema?" He could barely get the words out as Brittany flailed away at him, having nearly forgotten Prema for the moment herself.

Nearly, but at the mention of her name Brittany turned to see Prema had disrobed and was climbing onto the bed. Just as Brittany had guessed, her new friend was just as bushy as she used to be. "Ooh! Beautiful!" Brittany wasn't feeling any more articulate than that at the moment.

"Thank you, dear," Prema said, sitting back against the headboard and running her fingers through her big bush. "Looking forward to my turn with you, you know."

That wouldn't take long, as Brittany felt Colin's body stiffen as he yelped. Then he grabbed at her hips to hold her still as he came. "Lovely, Erika," he said. "Did you come?"

"Of course she didn't, you fool!" Prema said, and privately Brittany had to agree. "You'd have heard her loud and clear if she had. Come over here and let's make you really scream, Erika."

"If I don't make you shake the walls first!" Brittany said.

She did slide off Colin as directed, but before Prema could direct otherwise she dove between her thighs and placed a long, hard kiss on her clit. As promised, Prema let out a roar that was music to Brittany's ears and, she was sure, to Colin's as well. But she wouldn't see Colin's reaction to the whole thing with her face buried in Prema's bush. She let her hands find their way up Prema's sides, and Prema helped herself to placing them on her breasts. Brittany -- who was still stuck in her bra -- had noticed Prema's nipples were smaller than hers. They also got stiffer, as she could feel them in her palms as she rubbed about as best she could while keeping busy with her tongue.

"That's it! Ooh, magic tongue! Yes!" Brittany couldn't see, but Prema exchanged looks with Colin, who was busy playing with himself as he enjoyed the show. There was nothing to be seen in the look except pleasure, in any event. Prema's joyful moaning grew rapidly to a crescendo as Brittany flicked her tongue about as hard and fast as she could. Brittany wished she could see the look on her face as she came, but the screeches of ecstacy were a fine consolation prize.

"You have got to tell me," Prema said breathlessly as Brittany finally sat up and wiped her mouth off, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Brittany was actually more worried that her new friends would believe she'd been in prison, but she was under strict orders to keep that to herself. And as always, she longed to forget it anyway.

"Looks like we've got a mystery to solve, huh?" Prema said to Colin.

"That's not all we've got to do," Colin said. "You haven't had your turn yet." He spread his legs and patted the space between them. "Come here."

"Gladly." Brittany settled herself between his legs and welcomed the feel of his fingers on her bra clasp. "Thank you," she added. "That's starting to feel awfully confining."

"Beauty ought to be free," Colin said, pulling the garment away. As Brittany's breasts fell free, he cupped them in his hands and she had to admit to herself that he had a tender touch.

"And I only just got to say hello down here!" Prema spread Brittany's legs and parted her vulva gently.

"Oooh, that tickles!" Brittany giggled at Prema's expert intimate touch. "But don't stop!"

"That's a promise!" Prema gazed into Brittany's eyes, which reflected a wonderful vulnerability, and stroked up a storm with her well-practiced fingers. "I'll just have to get you to tell me where you learned to please a woman," she cooed. "It's someplace I've just got to visit myself."

Brittany laughed, and let Prema believe it was part of her response to her magical touches. Prema most definitely did not want to go where Brittany had learned all she knew about eating pussy. In any event, she was already wonderfully adept with her fingers, and the reminder of prison had Brittany overjoyed that she didn't have to suppress her moans as Colin above and Prema below rubbed her into the most intense orgasm she'd had in quite some time.

A fond embrace in the afterglow ("Oooh, an Erika sandwich!" she quipped) and the enjoyable show as both of her guests got their clothes back on failed to elicit any further secrets. The air conditioning had Brittany wanting to cover up as well, but she enjoyed both of their fond looks at her body too much to do that.

"I will send a limousine for you at ten AM tomorrow," Colin declared. "We'll have the very best of our collection for you."

"Can't wait!" Brittany said. Brazenly she got up and saw them to the door, still naked. Neither of them seemed surprised. In any event, the hallway was empty when she opened the door and kissed them each good night in turn.

"Woodlands, did you say?" Joseph said an hour later on their videoconference, after Brittany had showered and straightened up the bed. "That's where all the American oil company bigwigs live. Probably because there's a Woodlands in Houston, too. No surprise they'd have their finger in Mansfield."

"Colin didn't say anything about oil," Brittany said.

"He wouldn't, not until he trusts you," Angie said.

"Speaking of which, do I even want to know how you got his trust?" Joseph added.

"How do I even know I have got it, if he hasn't told me as much as you have?" Brittany couldn't help smirking a bit.

"You're improving all the time when it comes to sliding around my questions, dear," Joseph said. "Well done."

"But please be careful, and remember you're only there on a fact-finding mission this time," Angie added. "We don't know anything about this Colin fellow and we have no idea who else might be there."

"That's right," Joseph added. "So only bring your burner phone, not your regular one. If you do recognize anyone, remember the panic button. We can have you whisked off to the American embassy in a few minutes."

"That could be a long few minutes, Joseph," Brittany said.

"Do not try to be a hero, Erika," Joseph said. "That's not the mission and you're certainly not equipped for it on your own."

"I know, I know," Brittany said. "It's just...if I am spotted, I don't see how I can get out discreetly, you know?"

"Just try to keep the international incidents to a minimum, that's all we ask!" Joseph smiled. "Your service has been exemplary, but that hasn't been your strong point, you know."

"Tell me about it," Brittany agreed. "But yes, I'll keep that in mind."

"Good night, Erika. Get names and that's it, remember!"

"Of course."

As Joseph clicked the hang-up icon and Brittany's image fizzled away, Angie said, "How badly do you think she'll break the rules this time?"

"Worse than ever, I hope," Joseph grinned. "That girl's got nine lives."

"I just wonder how many of them she's already used," Angie sighed.

Brittany was wondering the same as she stepped outside in a conservative blue dress the next morning and found the limousine waiting. Reminding herself that she had survived far worse, she smiled through her fear and thanked the chauffeur as she ducked inside the car.

Woodlands was well out in the northern reaches of the island, and it wasn't long before the heavy city traffic had died away and Brittany was free to watch the tropical countryside whisk by. She knew they were back in civilization when the drab public housing buildings -- HDB's, she recalled from her briefing -- began popping up in every direction again. They would have made a great cover for an operation like Mansfield Consulting, Brittany mused, but she had little doubt Colin wouldn't settle for drab surroundings.

So she wasn't surprised at all when the limo pulled to a stop outside an opulent apartment building, where Colin stood looking fresh as a daisy in a taupe suit just inside the bay to the parking area. "Good morning, Erika!" he said. "Welcome."

"Thanks," Brittany said, looking up at the tall building. "Nice place for book trading."

Colin laughed. "You can drop the cover now, Erika."

"Can I, though?" Brittany wondered if he really believed her name was Erika.

A few minutes later when he ushered her into the bright, sparsely but tastefully decorated condo, she had little doubt he knew it wasn't. "Erika, meet Marcia," he said. "An American like you."

Brittany was glad he was keeping up the charade, for she was caught off guard when she came face to face with "Marcia," a wiry tall redhead with a bright smile...whom she knew as Annie. She also knew the surprise wasn't mutual, as Annie had proven herself back in Denver to be such a lousy actress. No, her former colleague had been expecting her.

"Well, hello, Marcia." Brittany forced a smile. "In Singapore on your honeymoon, are you?"

Annie let an annoyed look slip before regaining her composure, and Brittany knew she'd hit the bullseye. She wasn't so sure about Colin, who burst out laughing. "What makes you think that?" he asked. "Marcia isn't married!"

"She's probably just trying to flatter me," Annie told him. "A beautiful girl like me must have trapped a heck of a man for herself, right, Erika? That's kind of you, but I'm here on business just like you."

"Ah, okay," said Colin. "I shouldn't try to decipher the way women talk to one another, should I? How about some sparkling water?" He headed for the refrigerator.

"None for me, thanks," Brittany said.

"Oh, but in this heat, you must want something!" Annie protested. "I'm always feeling like I'm melting out there."

"I guess I'm used to it." No question they'd intended to slip something into her drink, Brittany concluded, and the air conditioning was turned up so high she was a bit chilly. "So, your books?"

"I suppose we shouldn't bring any drinks into the room with them anyway," Annie said. "Go ahead and pour yourself one if you want, Colin, but don't bring it in the other room."

"I'll leave you ladies to your business." Colin did help himself to a tall glass of sparkling water, and sat down at the kitchen table. "I'll be here if you need me."

"We won't." Annie flashed him a grin with her head tilted flirtatiously -- an ever-so-sweet fuck-you, Brittany recognized. Maybe she could act after all. As they set off down the hallway, she wondered for the first time, was her failure back in Denver intentional?

Presently she was glad she'd had that thought, for she was in for a bigger surprise when "Marcia" opened the door to a dimly lit bedroom and ushered her inside. "Nice to see you, Brittany," came another woman's voice from behind a modesty screen, where Brittany could only assume she hadn't actually seen her. She had just enough time to look back at Annie and assess the situation -- and to see Annie standing just inside the door, blocking any hope for escape -- before the other woman emerged from behind the screen. She was older, dressed and coiffed regally like Angie, and vaguely familiar to Brittany.

The recognition didn't remain vague for long. One did not easily forget a woman who had once tied her up and undressed her in public, after all. "Sarine," Brittany said in a hushed tone that she only hoped could hide her fear. "How's business in Luxembourg these days?"

"Sarine?" asked Annie. "Doesn't anyone use their real name in this business? Come to think of it, Brittany, is Brittany your real name?"

"Annie!" the older woman snapped. "Thank you so much for letting another cat out of the bag!"

"Another one?" Brittany looked back and forth between her nemeses, too curious to be frightened for the moment.

"Well, you knew all about the first one," Annie said. "The wedding." She drew a pistol out of the folds of her dress and pointed it at Brittany. "Have a seat on the couch there, take a load off. It'll take a while to explain just what you're going to do for us if you want to live."