Fashion is Our Name Pt. 13

"Yes. But I'll need to check. Here at home we are on a short leash. Just as well if it is friendlies we are dealing with."

"All right, we will be up for breakfast shortly."

Inside, the expanse of toned, pink female flesh was mezmerizing. I took off the sweaty shorts and asked Helen if I should rinse them out. "No, give them to me. I will treasure them always."

The laughs deflated my ego and my erection. I brought my fists up and danced about. Suddenly, I was surrounded by fists connected to naked bodies. Bodies daring me to make a false move. They closed for kisses, and yanks on my equipment.

Behind me as I entered the shower, I heard, "When is the next Girl Guide night out scheduled?"

A buffet breakfast was in progress on the patio when we arrived. I leaned over Jeremy and he said, simply, "Yes."

I asked, "Is a short walk with the twins ok? They treasure their time with me."

He looked up, "Adrian, my wife and I don't have any children yet, but I do admire your work to be a father of sorts in their life."

Anne was handing across a plate, listening to our conversation.

"Jeremy, I am hooked on those boys. There is something magical about their trust in me. When I think about it, I can't imagine how anyone could mistreat a young child."

Anne broke in, "Jeremy, the three of them are bonded. When Adrian shows up, suddenly they have a daddy and it changes their lives."

Two bodies were attacking from my rear and standing on the bench by my side. William said to Jeremy, "Yes, he is our Daddy. The very best Daddy. Mommy says you have time for a short walk. Is that right?"

I stuffed toast in my mouth and hugged them to my sides, nodding.

Helen was across the table. She and Anne were rolling their eyes at the three males hanging together.

We ambled down the lane, with the twins in charge of the tour, pointing out the important attractions, including cows at the far side of pastures.

"Boys, some of the ladies and I slept in the new bedroom last night. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes, yes. Please."

The outdoor stairs were a great adventure. They went up like a shot and found the door open.

By the time I got to the doorway, they were shouting, "Look Adrian, a whole room of mattresses. Can we play?" They bounced and rolled and laughed.

"Adrian, why did you sleep on the floor? Did the ladies sleep on the floor?"

"Well, the beds aren't here yet. The ladies said it was like a campout and they had fun."

"Can we sleep on the floor with you and Mommy and Nanny when we get home?"

"You mean like our own campout?"

"Yes, yes. Our own campout."

Going down the stairs, I said, "Well, I think a campout at home would be fun, but you have to get permission from Mommy and Helen."

Energy poured out of them and they raced back to the Inn ahead of me. By the time I arrived, they were in Anne's and Helen's arms, describing how the ladies slept on the floor and could they do that at home. I smiled through the accusing looks.

Chapter 33 - Mystery Surveillance

The two lorries headed out an hour later. Sing was with Jeremy, and Sharon was with me. The women had the short range radios in their hands and were exercising them with gossip about designer clothes and fashions. Ben and I looked at each other and laughed.

It was a late summer day, with sun breaking through gathering clouds that promised rain later. We worked southwest, heading toward the M40. At a viewpoint, Al and Jeremy pulled off and parked. Ben pulled in behind. I tucked my driver cap low and got out. He had a map and the two of us huddled over it.

"Have you seen any sign of a tail?"

"No. Have we been checked for a hidden beacon?"

"Yes. Perhaps they have assumed we will simply motor back to the building?"

"Hard to say. There weren't any strangers last night, and one would have been recognized instantly in such a minor village. This is a bit mysterious, but they may have that in mind. Make us nervous before we even begin."

"I fancy a snack and a bit of relaxation. Let's everyone have a seat over there on that sunny bench."

Sharon sat next to me in her black field outfit. "How did you guess about my father? Did I give it away?"

I suspected we were both feeling an attraction. Here in the sun with a pretty girl and a fine view of open country. I teased, "I could throw you down."

"Answer my question and don't make things worse than they are. I should have attacked in the dark of night when I had a chance."

"Anne says I must have a vow of abstinence on the trip."

"I would be in so much trouble if it got back to the Service that we were canoodling while on duty. Please answer my question." She turned to me with those dark penetrating eyes.

"It's the self-confidence. You are in your early Twenties, hardly out of university, a beautiful bird who should be preening and choosing among suitors. Instead, you are PA to one of London's most visible solicitors. Your every sentence conveys the authority that goes with knowledge and an exceptionally sharp mind. You were raised in that atmosphere, my dear Sharon."

"Damn." I smiled as she used her favorite word, and drew her hand to my lips for a kiss.

Jeremy was watching with his own smile. She leaned into me and blushed.

Sing was in our face, standing close. "Be careful. You can't be thinking of each other when bullets are flying. Besides, I don't like that proprietary look, Miss PA."

Jeremy was laughing out loud and standing. The break was over, along with the flirting.

Sing's voice came over the phone when we were a few blocks from 50 Broad Street. "We had a call from the Order Department. They have discovered who the mystery buyer is that wants a large number of dresses."

Sharon responded, "Good to know. We will have to ramp up production another notch."

Ben nodded that he understood the message. Thinking ahead, I said, "Tell them we will have a late lunch at the building and to pull in back." We needed time to compare notes.

Jeremy and I watched the drivers carefully maneuver the lorries into a parking space not meant for two vehicles. It was going to work, barely. Jeremy's phone chimed.

"Yes, Sir. I agree. Here would be best, I think. There is a large space that can be easily scanned."

After several more yes sirs, he rang off. "That was Singleton. He is the Deputy Chief of Staff and is coming personally to brief. Would like the Duchess here, if possible."

When Anne answered her phone, I asked if she was home yet. "Just a moment ago. Is there trouble?"

"I don't think so, but Singleton, the Deputy Chief of Staff, is coming to the building personally for a briefing and would like you to be here."

"Helen will look after the boys. Nicole and I will be right there."

"Take a cab, the parking is filled with the lorries."

I needn't have bothered about the cab, for within minutes, two Met Police cars were setting out special parking cones and momentarily two men in business suits with satchels were making their way up the stairs to the second floor.

They were impressed. "I say, this is a wonderful space. Going to be doing a bit of sewing?"

"Yes, it is brand new. Will make high fashion dresses."

One of them, who said his name was Paul, inquired about quitting time for the workers.

"They will be leaving in a few minutes. Probably better to wait, so they do not notice anything very unusual. The police out front are strange enough."

"Right you are. We will just get our gear set up for a quick check and wait until they are gone to sweep the premises."

I found Jeremy and inquired, "Should we be providing some refreshments?"

"Sing and Sharon are already working on it. Have a seat. Archie will be here shortly."

I asked, "Does the Deputy really go by Archie?"

"No. Afraid not. But he is well thought of and knows we call him that with affection."

Within ten minutes, Anne and Nicole were rushing up the stairs. Paying no attention to Jeremy, Anne threw herself into my arms. "Adrian! I was so scared when you called." The kiss was wet and hot. Another was demanded by a worried looking Nicole.

Jeremy pleaded, "Please cool it a bit. The Deputy will frown on the FION version of affection."

Anne huffed and marched straight to him for a replica of the kiss I got.

He sagged to a chair, sighing. "I withdraw that last comment..."

By the time Singleton arrived, we had arranged a circle of chairs, with refreshments nearby on one of the new tables. Sing and Sharon held Anne's hands, explaining quietly about the discovery of surveillance yesterday. Nicole sat nervously next to me.

With one aide in front, and another in back, the Deputy entered the new sewing room and looked around. "You have done a remarkable job here." One of the men with sweep gear came up and said the building appeared to be clean.

"All right then, let's begin. Sorry for the haste, but a number of things are breaking at once. I am very pleased that you moved up the trip to Kingham to collect the clothes. With luck, that frees an extra day or two for the trip?"

He glanced at Anne, who answered slowly. "We will do our best. If my twins can be transferred to their cousins in the country tomorrow, then Thursday is a good bet."

Chapter 34 - A Foreign Office PA is missing.

"Fine. Now about the surveillance. All I can tell you at the moment is that the PA of a high ranking Foreign Office official has gone missing. She apparently has family ties to Croatia that were not noticed when her background was checked two years ago. She had access to the ministerial brief for your project."

"As you might imagine, an intense effort is underway to discover the connections, both here and in Croatia. At this morning's staff meeting with the Director, there was discussion of calling off the retrieval effort. We are mindful of our pledge not to hazard the lives of any FION people. However, the sense of the discussion is that we should not dispose of a well vetted effort just yet. As a matter of fact, there was agreement that the sooner you and the lorries are on the road, the better."

I suggested, "It might be wise to increase your backup effort while more information is gathered."

"Thank you, Adrian, that is exactly what is in progress. From here to Prague, there will be two backup vehicles in your vicinity rather than one."

He added, "Of course, the GPS electronics in the vehicles will allow the Command Center here to be aware of your location at all times."

He looked at Anne. "As we discussed at the earlier meeting, details of your onward itinerary from Prague, and of your assignment in Zagreb, will be forthcoming from Amelia when you meet her in Prague. It is in your best interest for us to proceed in that manner."

She responded with a smile, "Archie, you are a total fraud, as usual, but a very talented Deputy. My colleagues and I are willingly putting ourselves into your good hands."

He rose and kissed her lips briefly. "You are your father's daughter, Anne, cheeky as ever. Good luck and Godspeed." He and his aides and the sweep specialists were down the stairs and gone in moments. Al and Ben made a quick exit as well, saying they would be back in the morning to tend to more details with the lorries.

I poured and passed much needed glasses of wine. I asked Anne, "What of Adele and Sally?"

I noticed four agitated bodies were sipping wine and circling me. Anne stepped forward to bury a hand in my lengthening locks.

"Adele is so engaged that she took Sally with her to the train, saying her friend Arnold, the well known fashion photographer, had agreed to come by the shop and provide some helpful hints to our aspiring artist! Poor Sally almost fainted again."

I put my glass down and gave each of them a tight hug and warm kiss. "I think everyone needs a chance to catch their breath and talk a bit. Should we do that here, with takeaway food? We can't discuss the trip anywhere in public. Poor Helen must be feeling very left out."

I had hardly finished saying this when Anne was telling Helen. "I am very sorry to leave you with the twins. Have you called Sophie yet? Good. Excellent. If you don't mind, order up lots of that Indian takeaway, and bring it and your gorgeous self around as soon as possible."

"Yes, I know it is a terrible imposition for the CFO to do menial chores. There will be rewards as soon as you arrive."

She rang off and looked around the room. "Jeremy, should your wife join us? She is certainly welcome."

He looked disappointed. "Her name is Sylvia and, unfortunately, we are both committed to an important charity event sponsored by her work. I need to duck out, and will see you first thing in the morning."

I was pleased that Anne had assumed leadership so seamlessly. Her upbringing was showing. Sharon was nearby and I whispered in her ear, "You intelligence brats are all the same!"

In a moment, she had propelled me to the nearest mat. "It's throwdown time, devil!"

We still had our travel clothes on, but the struggle was fierce. Close to what might happen on the trip. My attention wandered for a second, and she had me pinned. I was trying to fight back when she relaxed, full out on top, and began kissing and giggling.

Sing stood over us. "Look at this! What good are they going to be in a fight?"

I went for an ankle and she dropped on us, spreading kisses instead of blows.

Anne had summoned Adele and Sally, who arrived with Helen and the food. They surveyed the bodies on the mat with wonder. "What in heaven's name is going on?"

I lay back with arms around my tough female agents and asked, "Helen, would you bring us three Kingfishers please? We are worn down from hand to hand combat practice."

Shortly, there was a wondrous pile of women in their underwear, sipping beer contentedly as I served them plates of Indian food.

"Sally," I said, "rumor has it you have been receiving instruction?"

She sighed. "Oh Adrian, it was incredible. I feel like I was in sixth form the other night, and am now in a graduate seminar. Adele's friend Brian was so nice. Front lighting and back lighting. That funny word bokeh about focus. Shadow and highlighting. My head is just spinning."

The group ate silently, waiting for someone to speak. I grinned at Anne and nodded. She frowned, but began, "A simple trip to the Continent to show our new line has gotten very complicated. We have agreed to help the Intelligence Service with a project, and just finished a briefing with one of their officials. They wish us to leave as soon as possible, so I am taking the twins to my relatives tomorrow while Helen stays and helps with chores. Everyone is to sleep here tomorrow night, packed and ready to leave early Thursday."

She paused and looked at me. "Our Chief Executive will be a second driver on the road, and a rising young designer during our visits. There is to be no repeat of his attacks that we just witnessed. This is a serious and possibly hazardous endeavor."

I was pushed to the mat while dinner was cleared and coffee served. Eyes fastened on me, waiting for a false move. Helen spoke up, "He can't be trusted." Others took up the refrain, "He can't be trusted."

I reached for hands to kiss and said, "Actually, we have learned to trust each other in a remarkably short time, and are already a team, even if not yet tested in the field. I don't quite understand it, but you are much more to me than bed partners, and always have been. I want you to keep it tightly held within the group, but FION has its own capacities for dealing with whatever we find out there on the road. Anne is the FION leader and will guide us."

Faces were looking very serious as I grabbed for the feet of Sing and Sharon, "These two, who are trained fighters, are to be obeyed instantly if they give us orders."

There was a tense silence as everyone realized we were going into trip mode and needed to be prepared and alert for unexpected events.

Anne pulled me off the mat and said she needed to talk before returning to the twins. We walked to the far corner of the sewing room.

Leaning me against the wall, she said, "One time I said I would follow you anywhere. Just now, I realized it wasn't a joke. I may have more experience with intelligence work, but your words bind us together like no one else can. I should be crying, but I won't. Promise me you have my back, Adrian."

Locked together in the deep twilight of the big room, I did my best to reassure her. "Tight and strong, Anne, tight and strong."

Walking back, we were met by fierce looks as bodies headed for the stairs, promising to return on the morrow. I crooked my finger and gave each a kiss. Sing and Sharon responded with jabs at my shoulder. "Instant obedience!" they chorused with a laugh.

Bringing up the rear, Nicole told Anne, "I'm staying with him. He needs protection. Would you have Helen bring my overnight bag tomorrow?"

The Duchess wasn't letting me go, she was hanging tight and burying her head on my chest. Nicole squeezed her between us and whispered, "It's ok, he loves us."

Beginning to walk away, still holding my hand, she said, "My dad would call me a sentimental twit, but what does he know?"

An hour later, after a much needed shower, Nicole and I were having pillow talk when my mobile chimed. It was Sally.

"Adrian, I am so wound up I can't stand it. Would you mind terribly if I grabbed my bags and came over tonight?"

Nicole took the phone from me and replied in an edgy voice, "You terrible hussy, you are just trying to get into his bed for last minute loving before the trip!"

"Oh no! I am so sorry. Forget I even called."

I responded, "You are urgently needed here in this bed. Nicole is teasing. Please come as soon as you can."

"I can't believe this. I will be right there."

My first lover rubbed herself on me and asked, "Do you suppose she really needs you?"

Centering her sex on top of my cock, I mashed it back and forth. "I have never wanted for loving from any of you. It would be good discipline to deprive me of your bodies this evening, but perhaps we should see how needy the newest girl friend is?"

The petite Countess from the Loire stretched fully out and mumbled "Oui," pulling the sheet over her head. I kneaded her tough rear under there and heard giggles.

A few minutes later she had fallen asleep and I carefully eased the body to one side as I rose and went to turn on lights and greet Sally at the dark curb.

As the cabbie drew away, she ignored the bags and climbed into my arms. "You are my knight in armor, carrying me away with your band into the forest!"

Going up the stairs, I whispered that she was to express outrage at finding another woman in my bed, and fall in with her.

Standing in the doorway behind Sally, I heard, "Adrian! Who is this in my place in your bed?!"

They thrashed around, kissing and hugging, as I brought glasses and soda from the kitchen.

I had no sooner sat down than the mobile rang again. It was Helen.

Cautioning my bedmates with a finger for silence, I answered, "Is this an official call?"

"Yes. It very much is. There is a large discrepancy in the books, and I must see you immediately."

"You are in your attic bed, missing me?"

"Yes. Terribly. Anne said she was too nervous for a bedmate this evening. May I come over, even at this late hour?"

"Yes. Hurry. I miss you too."

I rang off to face an attack from Sally and Nicole. They lay on me with kisses. "You are taking another woman into this bed tonight?"

"Yes. I must. It seems to be a refuge for certain women needing comfort."

In thirty minutes, she was standing in the doorway, examining two lumps buried under the duvet. Saying nothing, she slowly disrobed, exposing glorious young womanhood. Holding her finger to her lips, she dropped to her knees and crawled to the far side of the bed, where she hesitated a moment, smiling at me, and plunged under the sheet and cover with a howling scream.