Business & Pleasure Pt. 03

Author's note: This is a slight revision of Business and Pleasure: Part II, posted on February 13, 2004. I have decided to return to it, fix up the place a little – cleaning up any grammar and inconsistency mistakes it may have had – and hopefully finishing it. Or at least adding to it. So enjoy, if you haven't already, and write me, even if you have already. It's your feedback that helped me return, and it's your feedback that will help me continue.

Part III: The Midsummer Night Party

Kevin & Karen attend party at the Guiliani's.

Chapter 1

Several weeks went by without incident. Kevin was beginning to balance his affair and his wife when his world was tossed a bomb. A gilt edged envelope arrived in the mail, bearing the Giuliani's return address. Kevin felt his stomach plummet, his secret was found out. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Karen had already opened it.

His heart in his throat, Kevin asked shakily, "What's this envelope for honey?"

"Oh that? It's nothing. An invitation to their Midsummer Night Party? Are we going to go?"

Kevin felt his vision clear and his heart settle back in its original vicinity. He thought a moment. "Sure, sounds good. We haven't had a real formal night out in a while. Why don't you go shopping and buy something new, a real knockout number?"

"Seriously?" Karen yelled, walking from the kitchen. She hugged her husband closely and said, "Sounds like fun. And just to warn you, a 'real knockout number' will cost you."

Kevin shrugged, still too preoccupied with what Adrianna Giuliani's intentions were with this party. "Anything for my wife."

"Okay then, I'm going to spend two thousand dollars on the dress alone."

"Mm hm, sounds great..."

She smacked him playfully on the chest. "You're not even listening to what I'm saying. Anyway, I think I'll head over to a few boutiques that I know about now. Just to browse, okay? I'll be back in a few hours."

"Have fun, honey," Kevin said as Karen placed an absentminded kiss near his mouth. When she was gone, Kevin wearily lowered himself into his favorite easy chair, elated yet more depressed than he had been since this whole mess started.

***

Kevin and Karen Carter found the Giuliani's house by following the hushed murmuring of conversation. The expensive row house was nestled in a quiet neighborhood just north of Dupont Circle in the city. They had to park several blocks away, but that was okay. The night was warm and peaceful and they got to critique the houses as they walked by. Most were old but very well kept up: professional looking landscaping, freshly painted eaves and shutters. Nothing was run down. Everything radiated the aura of wealth.

"Honey, are you sure I'm dressed appropriately?" Karen asked for the tenth time that evening, self-consciously pulling her short dress further down her legs.

"Positive, honey. You look stunning." The silver rayon dress clung to the gentle curves of her body in a very sexy, yet elegant way.

"You sure it's not too slutty?"

"Honey, that dress cost $200! Your silver necklace cost even more than that. How could you be wearing so much money and be slutty? You look wonderful. I think you look very sophisticated. A woman of class who is confident enough to show off her body."

She gave me a look, a smile forming on her lips. "You're so silly," she said, taking his arm and nuzzling into him as they walked. "Well, I feel so exposed. This material is pretty airy, and I'm not really wearing a whole lot underneath."

That much was true. Due to the nature of the clingy, knit rayon, the lingerie she could wear had to be particularly negligible. Kevin's blood boiled as he recalled the miniscule silver g-string and the matching, equally small, silver bra.

He looked down at his wife, encircling his arm around her. She really was beautiful. She'd applied more make up than she normally wore tonight with a skill that he hadn't seen her use in all their years of marriage. Recently, she'd been wearing more make up. And wearing more perfume, as well. Tonight, she smelled wonderful, the smell of lavender mixing in with the fresh scent of her wavy red hair, which had been done up in a chic twist. Two curls of soft auburn framed her lightly freckled face.

"What?" she asked, smiling.

"You're so beautiful, Karen."

She blushed. "Please..." But she knew it, too, the warmth of the compliment spreading through her body as she clicked along the sidewalk in her tall, silver shoes – prom night shoes, she thought.

The party was in full swing by the time the Carters arrived. They had gotten lost, driving in circles through the unfamiliar streets of DC, and having left late in the first place, the party was already past its first hour and a half.

A few people were seated outside on the brick patio, smoking cigarettes, talking politics, and sipping martinis. Kevin nodded at the strangers, then approached the door and rang the doorbell.

Kevin didn't know the young lady who answered the door, but she smiled and said, "Welcome to the Giuliani's Midsummer Night Party!" She swept her hand grandly as she opened the door all the way.

The house looked newly renovated, from the freshly plastered walls to the shiny hardwood floors. The murmur grew louder. Clinking glass, female laughter. All the sounds of a cocktail party.

Adrianna Giuliani spotted Kevin and his wife through the crowd, excusing herself from the man she was small talking with and gliding across the room. The young Italian executive had met her before, and once again she was startled by Karen's beauty. She stood close to her husband, her large green eyes remaining mostly on him amidst all the strangers.

"I'm so glad you could make it," Kevin heard the familiar Italian lilt greet. He looked up and there she was. His boss. His lover. "Nice to meet you again, Karen." Kevin barely heard her, watching dumbly as the women greeted one another. It had been a full month since their "business meeting" with the Hammonds, yet still his mistress had this affect on him.

Elegantly dressed as always, Adrianna wore a long, strapless evening gown made of a thin, white material. Slits just a little too daring to be called modest crept up the sides of the rich skirt, giving any observer glimpses of her voluptuous, olive legs. The dress hugged her hips and narrow waist before flaring out to hug her full breasts. The hem at the top of the dress was wide, the nearly gossamer quality of the material doubling over here creating a band of rich white that contrasted stunningly with her rich olive skin.

"You have a lovely home," Karen said, and Kevin returned to reality.

"Very nice," he added.

"Thank you," Adrianna said with a smile. "We just had it remodeled." She leaned close to Karen and said in a loud whisper, "Cost a fortune, but seeing all these happy people, I think that it was well worth it."

"Is my wife boasting about our pricy renovation?" came a man's voice, his Italian accent thicker than Adrianna's, his voice deep and sure of itself.

Adrianna rolled her eyes and said, "My husband, Roberto."

For some reason, whenever Kevin pictured Mr. Giuliani, an elderly Italian man with gray wings at his temples came to mind. Handsome, yet aged. Roberto was certainly handsome, but not aged. No older than 40, the young man was a perfect compliment to Adrianna's Mediterranean beauty. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, he shared his wife's Old World mystique, his confidence coming naturally. He was dressed in white khakis and a black linen shirt: a combination that would look terrible on Kevin but looked very flattering on the Italian man.

Roberto made no effort to hide his appreciative looks towards Karen, giving her a long up and down that brought a blush to the redhead's cheeks. Introductions were made and he took her hand in his, kissing her soft backside in a way that never failed to impress women.

"Karen. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." His hand for Kevin was firm, his greeting a simple, "Kevin," and a head nod.

"Drinks are in the kitchen," he explained. "We have wine, red and white, and I think that one of our friends has been mixing martinis.Hors devours in the living room. Please, help yourself to anything you would like." As he spoke, his dark eyes stayed focused primarily on Karen, a predatory sizing up his prey.

The couple mingled through the party for the next hour, drinking wine and eating slices of cheese on crackers or sliced baguettes. At some point, they got separated. At first, Kevin got worried and went to look for her, but when he saw her talking to Roberto and an elderly couple across the room, he realized how silly he was being. She was a grown woman, capable of social interactions without him.

Still, having no one to talk to, he almost joined her once again when he bumped into Leah. "Hello, Kevin," she said, her voice soft and almost shy.

"Leah, it's nice to see you here!" Kevin said, relieved to find someone he knew at the party. "You look great," he said, his eyes flickering quickly over the short woman's navy blue dress. She really did look great.

The blonde's face, already flushed from the wine, darkened a deeper shade of red at his compliment, and she daintily tucked her shoulder length blonde hair back behind her ears. "Thanks," she said, adding, "I've been waiting for you." If possible, her face grew even redder as she realized she had spoken aloud. "I mean... I didn't mean..."

But Kevin was smiling broadly, ready to laugh. "Hey, I'm glad to find you here, too. I hardly know any of these people!"

Leah nodded her head solemnly, bringing her wine glass to her lips and realizing too late that it was empty. "Refill?" he asked, taking the glass from him.

"No, I shouldn't..." she said, but her resolve died on her lips. "Sure, why not. Only live once and all that." She giggled nervously.

On the way to the kitchen, Leah clung to his arm for support and Kevin began to get the impression that Leah had already had quite a bit to drink. "Have you seen their backyard?" she asked when they had full glasses of Merlot. "This whole house is amazing, but the backyard is..." She just trailed off, shaking her head.

She was right. Like the front yard, the backyard was a landscaping masterpiece. Shrubbery, a brick path, black iron benches somehow made the small space of the backyard seem spacious. A miniature park.

The crowd was smaller back here, the murmur of the party more hushed. They took a seat in one of the benches, sipping quietly and listening to the sounds of the night. "You shouldn't let her take such advantage of you," Leah blurted out, unable to help herself in her drunken haze. "You're too good for her." There was no doubt who the "her" was.

Now it was time for Kevin to blush, sipping his wine to clear his thoughts. "You know..." It was more of a statement than a question, but Leah nodded anyway.

"I've... I've listened in on the two of you." Immediately, she covered her mouth, her eyes flying wide open. "Oh my God, I didn't mean to say that out loud!"

Kevin's heart fluttered. "You have?" He forced himself to take a deep breath, his warm eyes never leaving Leah's.

She broke his gaze, staring into her wine glass. "Only a few times. I... I can't help it. You know? I try not to, but..."But it gets me so fucking horny! she thought, able to keep that comment to herself.

"Then maybe you understand whyI can't stop," Kevin said quietly.

Leah pursed her lips, regarding Kevin with frustration. "Kevin, you're better than her," she repeated, placing a hand on his knee for emphasis. Her touch was warm and soft. Kevin felt his cock twitch.

Their eyes locked once again, her eyes not clouded and drunk, but clear and pleading. Her brows were furrowed. Leah had so much passion behind what she said, and Kevin admired her for that. But he felt as though she just didn't understand. She couldn't understand.

"Kevin, I love you," she blurted at last. Her cheeks colored, but her eyes never wavered. Kevin froze. He didn't know how to react. His buzzing brain was working too slowly. "I'm not telling you this to seduce you, or make you feel pity for me. I'm telling you because I want you to understand how serious I am. I don't want you to throw your life and your marriage away. Not for me, and certainly not for Mrs. Giuliani."

She brought her head closer to his, kissing him softly on the lips before drawing away. "I'm going to leave now, before I embarrass myself anymore – if that were possible."

The short blonde stood, her legs wobbling only a bit, and walked away. Kevin stood and began to follow her, but he was stopped just inside the backdoor of the house by Adrianna.

"Kevin, you've met Eugene, right?"

Kevin stopped, a little disoriented. His head was still spinning from his conversation with Leah. He looked at the man who Adrianna indicated, recognizing him at once. Eugene Claymont was the current President of DWW. An older, distinguished man, Mr. Claymont was rumored to be as kind as he was business savvy. They'd met only a couple times, but Kevin had always found him to be a friendly guy.

"Kevin and I have met before. Last year at the Christmas party, I believe." Kevin nodded, smiling with delight at the older man's memory. "Is Karen here?" he asked.

"Um... yes, she's here, somewhere..." Kevin stumbled, once again impressed.

"I think that Roberto took a bunch of guests on a tour of the house," Adrianna added. Turning to Mr. Claymont, she said, "I'm so glad that you could make it. Tell your nieces that it was nice meeting them. I'm sorry to leave my own party, but I'm having an emergency telephone meeting with some clients from Hawaii." She looked at Kevin. "I'd like you to sit in on the meeting, Kevin. Please come up to the study in 15 minutes."

And with that, she walked away. Kevin couldn't help watching her swaying ass as she left. The white dress was opaque enough that he was able to see her white thong as it slid between the fullness of her buttocks.

"Remarkable woman," Mr. Claymont said, shaking his head as she walked away. "She's working on a Friday night. And at her own party! A true asset to our company." Kevin sighed. If only he knew the truth.

The two men began talking, mostly about the new Hammond account that was the future of DWW, when two beautiful young women walked over. Taking quick stock of their long, wavy chestnut brown hair, their catlike brown eyes, and their deep tans, Kevin realized that they were twins.

"Kevin, I'd like you to meet my nieces, Taylor and Nicole. They're here visiting me for the week. Summer break," he explained.

Kevin noticed that neither girl had a glass of wine but what looked like cokes, and he wondered just how old they were. "Where do you go to school?"

"Princeton," one answered. She had blonde highlights framing her tan face, and her feline eyes regarded Kevin like a peer, not an adult. "We just finished up our sophomore year."

"You're Taylor, right?" Kevin asked, trying to keep them straight.

She nodded slowly, blinking her long lashes at him as she did. "Very good, you remembered," she said sarcastically. "Uncle, this one's a keeper."

They all laughed, Kevin a little bit uncomfortably. "Have you done a lot of sightseeing?" he asked.

Taylor shook her head. "We've been asking Uncle to take us around, but he's been so busy. We've done a few things, but..." she shrugged. "Would you like to be our tour guide?"

"Hey, that's a great idea," Mr. Claymont said, clapping Kevin on the back. "You're young, you know what these girls like to see!" The twins gave each other quick looks, smiling devilishly.

"Sir, I can't really afford to take a vacation day and..."

"Nonsense. It's not a vacation day, son. I'll count it as work. You'll see once you spend some time with these two troublemakers." Again, the look. "Monday then," he said before Kevin could agree to it. And who was Kevin to disagree, anyway? This man, though nice, was still the highest ranked member of his company.

"Monday at 9. Could you two meet at DWW? We can go from there."

They nodded enthusiastically, and Nicole said quietly, "Can't wait." It was the first time she'd spoken, and her voice was soft and genuine.

"Now, I've got a meeting to go to. I'll see you Monday. Nice talking to you, sir." He was out of there quickly, much rather to deal with Adrianna than that group any longer.

***

"And this is the master bedroom," Roberto finished his tour with a flourish.

"Your house is beautiful," Karen said, sipping her wine and looking around. "Very modern."

"Adrianna likes to call it 'urban chic.'" Karen loved the way he rolled the "dr" of his wife's name. "I just think it is pretty cool." The redhead laughed, despite herself.

"Would you like another drink? I see that you are almost done with that one and I keep some of my best red up here."

"Now, Roberto, are you trying to get me drunk?" Karen joked, handing her glass to him.

As he reached for it, he let his fingers linger on her own. Looking into her eyes, he said, "Certainly not. I want you to be sober for what I intend to do to you." Karen's breath caught and a flush crept along her neck. Then, Roberto's face split in a wide smile and he laughed it off. Karen laughed, too, but their mirth did not dispel the sexual tension that suddenly filled the room.

He filled her glass quietly, handing it back to her and holding his own glass up. "To you and me," he toasted, clinking their glasses together. Again, Karen's breath caught as she nervously brought the glass to her red lips.

Roberto began to pace about the room, circling her as a predator does his prey. She watched him nervously from the center of the room, clutching her wine in both hands. He watched her chest rise and fall with her deep breathing, and the way her nipples pushed through the thin rayon of her silver dress.

"I love parties like this," he said. "Do you know what I love about them, Karen? I love people watching. I love studying my guests. I watch their mannerisms, their interactions with those around them. The way they touch their neck, where their eyes linger. And I make up stories about them based on what I see." He took a sip of his wine and looked at the redhead, paralyzed. "Tonight, I have been watching you, Karen. Would you like to know what story I have made up for you?"

"Ye—yes..." Karen said, her voice cracking. She sipped again at her wine.

He gave her a charming smile, stopping at the door of the bedroom to close it, locking it with a click. "You are a married woman, unsatisfied with the man you married many years ago when you both were young and impetuous. You know that you're still beautiful, still very capable of turning the heads of other men. In fact, doing so gives you a heady sense of power."

He paced around her, the redhead's green eyes following him. "Before you were married, you were with one or two other gentlemen, but those experiences were nothing more than fumbling compared to the pleasures your husband showed you. But now, you're beginning to get curious. You look at men differently. Your eyes linger. They fantasize."

He was behind her now, out of her vision. She closed her eyes, listening to his deep, accented voice rise and fall. "You're not looking for a relationship with someone else. You're not looking for love. But the more you think about it, the more you realize that you cannot escape your sexual curiosity. Your lust is slowly consuming you. You lie awake at night, imagining what it would be like to feel another man penetrate that which has not been penetrated by any other man than your husband for seven long years."

He was right behind her now, his voice growing quieter as he approached her. Karen shuddered as she felt his lips kiss her neck.