Lucille Nailed It Ch. 04

The 'retreat' for Digger, Lucille and Angie, the day after Lucille had personally completed interviewing all personnel, was nominated by Digger. He'd suggested his hotel room which he'd upgraded to a two-bedroom suite to accommodate intensive meeting requirements.

Since Digger was managing partner Lucille had little option but to accept his direction, her main concern was to work in retreat, free from outside interruption. They commenced at 7:00 with a light breakfast.

Lucille impressed them from the outset, removing any doubt about her lack of knowledge of magazine content, design, over-all layout and sectional themes.

"We'll skip with what's right with Fashion Up, concentrating on its weaknesses," she said, and ruthlessly ripped it apart verbally.

Angie bristling at criticism of pages she'd designed angrily challenged the contentions but was hushed by her brother.

"Angie let this session be constructive," Digger urged. "As the criticism widens and deepens we'll benefit from seeing it as a whole, giving us better perspective before we become defensive or counter argue."

"Angie?" Lucille responded.

"I suppose he's right Lucille. Don't let me stop the flow."

The heaviest criticism referred to the design and layout being more catalogue-like in style rather than a sophisticated high-end market informer that allowed the reader to look and reflect without being distracted by a crush of other featured material.

"There's too much display competition, too little white space, too much gimmicky design resulting in failure to allow the featured product tells its story visually."

She asked Digger to associate one word with the word fashion.

"Style."

"No although fashion clothing is displayed or worn with style although one could say a photograph of a beautifully designed and crafted diamond necklace reeks of style, but I'm wanting to hear the word that goes hand in hand with high-end fashion."

"Angie?"

"Elegance?"

"Exactly."

Lucille tossed them a copy each of the current issue of Fashion Upwhich over recent nights she'd examined minutely.

"Just hold it like this and allow the pages to flick by like so, and thinking 'elegance' tell me your principal impression."

"Jesus," Digger said, dropping his magazine on to the table and cupping his chin, shaking his head. "How could we be so blind?"

"What?" Angie asked, looking at him and dropping her magazine. "The ads?"

"Yes," he said. "Most of the ads reflect product elegance and have been composed as an advertisement with great elegance. Beside them, except overseas features which have come to us already laid-up, many of our pages look mundane and too busy."

Lucille said, "Exactly."

She then showed them pages from top international fashion magazines.

"You're designers, with an eye for style and elegance. Watch these pages I've scanned but without comment until I've finished. I'll show ten pages and then begin another run of ten pages and finish with ten more. You'll see each page for five seconds and please noted this is not a test to find the hidden thimble. It's to arrive at a general observation with one significant finding."

After the viewing, Angie was asked for her comment.

"Thirty great pages, all editorial, from some of the great magazines and I recognize several as I make it my business to study the competition. My principle conclusion is all pages are at least as good as our very best. Most of them very much better but then they have huge numbers of expert staff whereas we do it on a shoe-string."

"An excellent answer, Angie, but you missed it. Digger?"

He was on to it, saying the first ten and the last ten pages were all from twenty different magazines; the middle ten were from the same magazine although extracted from different sections. He said those pages had an integrated look about them reflecting the chosen style that the producers of the magazine wished to project.

Digger was praised for his answer.

During the lunch break Lucille talked about her new apartment, saying she would take time off over the weekend to buy furniture, furnishings and bedding.

Digger came up with a proposal.

"You're under pressure with this work project. I suggest we finish today at 3:00 and then rush out to Furniture City to help you choose items, requesting delivery to your apartment on Saturday morning. On Saturday evening you can invite us to your house warming, with your other friends of course. This way you get everything done in a rush, leaving your mind clear to proceed with your tough project."

Lucille agreed it was an enterprising solution.

Then Digger made another suggestion.

"Why don't you two stay here tonight? There are twin beds in the second bedroom. After returning shopping we can dine here at the hotel and come back and crash, ready for a quick start in the morning. I get housekeeping to do the suite at midday when we will have finished here because Lucille you have to be at the lawyer's office for the signing."

"That all sounds great, doesn't it Lucille?"

"I...well yes it does Angie; another excellent idea."

During the shopping spree Lucille choose everything from two mega-stores including crockery, towels, wall paintings and ornaments.

Over dinner Lucille related her life story.

Digger and Angie listened particularly attentively when she recalled her time with Winslet Graham.

"So it's true - you've never worked on a fashion magazine," Angie said in awe, when Lucille ended her story.

"It's true but perhaps your brother and sister would prefer you kept that little secret to yourself."

"I've really come to like you Lucille, so please don't think this question is meant to be rude: Do you really think you can do something that we professionals have failed to do which is to turn Fashion Upinto a profit center?"

"Yes I see clearly what needs to be done to achieve that, every step of the way."

"Using what that Mrs Graham said about your gift of conceptualization?"

"Yes Angie and using my extensive knowledge base.

"I've studied fashion magazines critically for years, I've worked in cutting rooms, selected garments, shipped garments, been responsible for design successes and failures, worked as a model in fashion stores in New York, Milano and Paris, being interviewed countless times by newspaper, radio, TV and magazine reporters but, as you say, never worked on a fashion magazine. But don't worry if you don't have faith in me I have faith in myself, and that's what really counts."

After they returned to the suite Angie kissed them both goodnight and grabbing her handbag said, "I'll see you two love birds at seven sharp."

"Angie!" Lucille cried. "You can't do this to us!"

"Oh yes I can," she grinned and blowing them kisses closed the door behind her.

"I don't wish to embarrass you Digger, but I think I should also leave."

"You'll embarrass me more if you leave, giving me the impression that you don't think I'm good enough for you."

Lucille looked horrified. "Oh Digger, I don't think that way at all. Quite the contrary, I..."

She tailed off and flushed.

Digger smiled.

"I see we have secret desires do we?"

Lucille shrugged helplessly.

* * * *

Digby Ivan Morrissey was much clever than his initial schoolboy nickname suggested. Later during his time at high school when he became known for his tenacity his nickname of 'Dim' was playfully upgraded by an influential schoolmate to Digger and the new nickname spread and stuck.

The origins of that name 'Digger' had agricultural and cemetery connections but in Australia it was particularly associated with early gold-diggers. During World War I the name was adopted to affectionately describe the Australian infantrymen portrayed in photographs digging trenches with enthusiasm.

The challenge had arrived for Digger to dig deep, to show his class and ability to influence because Lucille looked ready to depart.

Rather than locking the door and crying, 'Got you!' he intelligently slumped on to the sofa and said, "Make us coffee if you wish - or go."

He made a great show of rubbing weariness from his eyes and face, not looking back towards the door.

Lucille locked the door and asked softly, "White or black coffee?"

"Black with just a dab of milk," he said, brushing back his hair, still not looking at her and keeping his voice very neutral. At the same time his stomach flipped.

"Do you want me to stay the night here unchaperoned and risk upsetting your moves to secure a divorce?" Lucille asked, putting their mugs down on the coffee table.

"No worries because Meg has been served notice of my intent and already she's returned to live with her parents; we have an agreement on the split of our shared assets in place."

"The only requirement left now is to stay separated for the required period before our application is considered by the Court. She shows no remorse for her actions, no regret about being involved in a divorce and as calmly as you like told me, using her words, to fuck off.

"So she's lost her heart?"

"I'm afraid so and the realization about this has helped me come through this in one piece. It's all happened so quickly and for the better."

Lucille looked at him, the thrust of her chin and asked, "What now?"

"That depends on you. I suggest we toss the cards and see how they fall."

"Pardon me?"

"Just allow it to take its course."

The square jaw look was back again.

"If sex with me is on your mind, I'm not sleeping in bed with you until your divorce comes through."

"Your three months restriction in working for us under your terms of entry into Australia will expire well before then."

"I'm aware of that. If something develops between us we'll have to attend to that problem, won't we?"

The handsome face wore a slight scowl.

"That sounds like an ultimatum."

"Take it how you wish; it's just my business practicality showing its class."

Digger ran a fingernail between his two front teeth thoughtfully and pulling his sucking thumb away and spoke profoundly.

"You actually haven't said we can't have sex before my divorce is absolute; you've indicated you won't be sleeping in my bed until it does - right?"

"Actually any bed for that matter; it's just a stupid sense of proprietary my mind seems to demand of me."

Digger's face broke into a huge smile.

"Have I interpreted you correctly - no bed, but we can do it on the street, on hay, at the beach, in a car, on a riverbank or attempt it on the flying trapeze?"

"Stop, you're mentally exhausting me," she laughed. "You're looking just like a pleased little boy."

The small boy look turned into a wolfish grin. "When can we do it?"

"Whenever the mood takes us, but before anything starts you must promise me you won't attempt to lure me on to a bed to do it."

"I promise," Digger said recklessly and then looked horrified. "Does that include a sofa that also is a fold-out bed?"

"No providing it's in sofa mode. Your questions are beginning to make my condition sound ridiculous."

Digger said he was sorry that he'd think of something better to do. He moved across and kissed her; her lips were warm and willing.

"That was lovely."

She looked into his eyes deeply.

"You seemed determined to achieve that result."

"Yeah and actually it was a walk in the park; dead easy. But now I'm uneasy because what if this progresses and I mess up your clothes?"

She laughed and put a finger against his lips.

"Relax, I have a full change of clothes in my carry-bag as I'd thought the sensible thing would be for you to ask Angie and me to stay the night; I had confidence that you'd have the business practicality and nous to do that."

"So it wasn't in anticipation of sex?"

"No."

"Why not, don't you see me as being sexy and interested in you?"

"Show any man a bit of boob and he's immediately interested in you. But the answer's no - I was with Mo the other evening when we saw you in the pits of despair, remember? You appeared to be a broken man but next morning when you came in to the boardroom to thank Mo and me your bounce-back was already obvious. Even so, I have no wish to detonate your sexual renaissance."

"My what?" Digger looked flabbergasted.

"It's possible you've been several weeks, perhaps longer, without proper sexual release - the true passionate kind. It should be you who decides when the moment has arrived to unleash your passion again; certainly not me."

"You are a remarkable thinker Lucille," he said, stroking her hair and then bending over her, as she was now tucked into his chest. She saw him advancing and opened her lips slightly but instead of kissing he ran his tongue ever so gently across her top lip and they both felt the charge that momentarily ripped through her body.

When her breathing dropped back closer to normal Lucille told him something she'd never told anyone.

"Because of having few personal relationships in my life I've had a great deal of time to think and mope and serious thoughts often consumed me. One was to vow that once away from the facility for parentless children I would endeavor to seek and build relationships with people and be totally transparent so they would trust me and learn to know who I really am. I hope you can understand that."

Digger said he could and he'd never seen Mo attach herself so quickly to another person as she'd had to Lucille.

"Debs told Mo and me yesterday that you are one of the most remarkable women of her age group she's ever met. The words she used were, 'She's free spirited and almost translucence in her relationships'."

"I thought she was a little over the top until I read her face."

Lucille stroked his face. "Don't worry your pretty head over that; it's women's talk as they emote differently. I can reach you another way."

"Ah, sex," he said, pushing his face into her covered chest.

"No."

He jerked up to look at her, puzzled. "Cooking?"

"No by singing to you."

"Can you sing?"

"Yes give my one of your favorite popular songs."

"I can't think of any... ah yes. I had a transistor radio taped to the handle-bars of my bike before I bought my first car. My favorite hit at that time was 'Baby Blue'. It's almost a lament."

"I'd call it that. Let me sit up to allow my diaphragm freedom."

She sung the first verse softly and clearly, not looking at Digger and he squirmed in delight when she hit the part that had long instilled itself in him,

'Baby Blue, Baby Blue - Do you know that I'm still in love with you.'

"It's a lovely song," she replied, after finishing and he praised her for singing it so beautifully.

"Singing is how I found a life in the facility," she said simply. "We all taught ourselves to sing because there wasn't much else to go outside of schoolwork, cooking, cleaning and gardening."

His face softened: "You must have hated it?"

"Oh no because I always knew real life would come looking for me."

They kissed and gradually removed each other's clothes and began fondling until they were both riding on a high.

"Take me," she sighed.

"Where," grunted Digger, picking her up.

"You fool put me back on the sofa," she giggled but Digger half-staggered with her across the floor to a leather chair with a sloping back.

Lucille knew what was expected of her. Laying back she lifted her legs and spread them wide, supporting them behind the knees. She appeared to do this without embarrassment, despite it being the first time they'd been together like that. With the beginning of her butt now lifted off the edge of the chair she was fully exposed to Digger.

Holding his erection he stopped to marvel.

"That's possibly the prettiest pussy I've ever seen."

"You are welcome to use it," she purred, and sighed as he began filling it.

They both watched the length of his cock entering until it was fully home.

"Good fit," he gasped.

She nodded and said softly, "For me perhaps the best ever."

Holding Lucille's ankles Digger began a slow pull and push motion, she not moving.

Their eyes locked, until her eyes began widening, her breasts turned pink, her mouth opened and her tongue rolled out to the side and her breathing rate accelerated.

This all happened so quickly.

Then her eyes seemed to lose focus, he felt her cunt muscles apply pressure on him and she began to counter-rock against his action.

Now they were really into a momentous fuck - their first.

They picked up tempo, banging lower bodies together, the sweat running and the squelching sounds firing into the part of their brains that deals with lascivious stimulation.

"I'm not going to last," she groaned. "It's been so long."

"Same here. Are you on contraception?"

"Yes, fill me."

She became overwhelmed and came first, gasping and heaving.

Then Digger's nuts tightened, signaling release was on the way and he groaned, pumped and groaned some more. The intensity of Digger's series of ejaculations sent Lucille off into another crescendo.

Digger licked sweat between her breasts and tweaked a nipple between his teeth. \

Lucille pulled up his head and leaning forward thrust her tongue fully into his mouth and slammed her hands hard on to his sweaty back.

"You're mine," she shouted and fell back, appearing only half conscious.

Digger staggered off to the shower and then carried her to her bed, jamming a towel between her legs, thinking she'd revive soon and clean herself properly.

She wasn't completely asleep and moaned 'Digger, Digger' in a sing-song voice.

* * *

The bedroom lights coming on woke Digger. He raised his head, blinking and saw Lucille, propped against the door jam, dressed only in panties and smiling at him.

"Good morning I've worked on our mess out here. The carpet and chair look restored. Tea or coffee?"

"Actually tea, I rarely drink it but it seems right for me this morning."

"Stay there," she cooed. "You look exhausted; I wonder why?"

Actually he felt good, ready to dip into another one if that's what she wanted.

She seemed to be taking her time. Eventually she arrived with his tea, and an orange she'd peeled and broken into segments.

"My patron Winslet Graham used to drink tea with me and feed me and orange while singing a number popularized by Joan Baez."

"And she taught the song to you?"

Feeding him an orange segment Lucille said yes, she usually only had to hear a song two or three times to remember the words.

"Lucille sing to me."

He didn't recall the song till she reached the bit And she feeds you tea and oranges, that come all the way from China...

He grinned and could tell by the change to her eyes that she knew they were now on the same wave length.

They bathed together, making quite a mess because the bath was almost filled to overflowing and although at opposite ends they were playing with each other with their feet.

Like lovers, he thought.

Before long he said softly, "Lucille, sing to me."

This time she sang softer songs currently popular on the radio.

Angie bounced into the room at 7:00 when Digger opened the door and asked excitedly, "Did you two do it?"

Digger opened his mouth to chastise her but Lucille swept in from her bedroom, looking at her watch.

"Of course, what else was there to do? TV is lousy, the in-house movies are mostly dead brainers and we didn't go out."

They were both gaping at her.

"What?"

"We are used to denials to such questions," Angie explained.

"People are likely to be confused if you lie about the truth."

"Oh Lucille I like you. I've inviting you to my 24th birthday party this Sunday and please come. Mo and Harry and Digger and I fly out to Bluewater Downs at 11:00 to arrive in time for lunch down at the lake. Harry who's our pilot says we can take two more but I just want you."