Power Play

Desperate to escape the blows, even though they didn't actually hurt, Piers retreated back and fell from the bed with a thump. Angie fell forward on top of him and continued to lash out at him as her tears flowed. With his legs trapped inside his twisted duvet, all Piers could do was wrap his arms around her and hold on as she hit him. It seemed like a century, but was probably only five minutes as the slaps slowed and died down. Angie had exhausted herself and could only bury her face into his chest and sob.

Piers' eyes were stinging with tears of his own. Shame, guilt and self loathing washed through him and all he could say was a thickly whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," over and over again.

Angie's sobs eventually died and she thrust herself off him to stand up. She treated Piers to a cold, hard stare before storming from the bedroom and downstairs.

He quickly freed himself from the duvet and followed her. Piers found her in the kitchen, where she sat at the breakfast bar with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a glass.

He said, "I'm so sorry Angie."

She remained silent and unmoving.

"Angie please... I can explain."

She took a swig of her drink and answered, "Oh. You can, can you?"

Angie swivelled round to face him, "Well! Lets hear it then. Let's hear your explanation. Come on, let's hear why you were screwing around. But I warn you, it wants to be a fucking awesome explanation!"

Piers wrung his hands, his eyes were still moist and he was a picture of misery.

"I didn't... I didn't screw her."

Angie's eyes remained cold, "That's supposed to make me feel better is it, Piers? The clock's ticking Mister, it better get better than this!"

"Look, I..." he crumpled to the floor and sat with his head in his hands, "I'm in trouble."

"Damn right!"

He looked up and almost shouted, "No! You don't understand..." he took a deep breath, "I'm being blackmailed."

Angie's face filled with shock and then scornful laughter, "Oh come on! Is that the best you can come up with?"

She looked at Piers where he sat in his misery and the laughter died on her lips. Her look of scorn was slowly replaced by uncertainty. He wasn't lying.

"I think you had better tell me."

So, with eyes still downcast, he did. In dull monotonous tones, Piers told her everything. As the story unfolded, Angie's eyes became wider and wider. He told her of his mistake, Gloria's increasing demands, of what happened in Gloria's flat. He told her of his shame, his guilt and the contempt in which he held himself right now. In tears, he finished, "-And then you hit me and here we are."

Angie was angry again, she spat, "That bitch!"

That woman had done this to her man. Had reduced him to this. She squatted on the floor beside Piers and gathered him in her arm, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you trust me? I could have helped."

"I don't know. I was scared. I mean, Gloria's right, she has me right where she wants me. And she made some threats and I don't think she'll hesitate carry any of them out."

He raised his head to look at Angie for the first time, "I was just so scared that something would happen to you. I didn't know what else to do. I'm so sorry, I never meant for any of this. Please don't hate me."

Angie pulled his head to her breast and stroked his hair, "It's okay. I don't hate you. I'm not very happy with you right now, but I don't hate you... I love you," she ruffled his hair, "You hear that Mr Toffeenose-Smythe, I love you."

Abruptly, she stood up and held out her hand, "Come on. Let's go to bed. We'll think about what to do in the morning."

Back in bed, the couple held each other tight. As he listened to Piers breathing become slower and deeper, Angie lay with her head on his chest and stared into space. She thought long and hard and decided that in the morning, she would pay a visit to Miss Gloria Bitch Face Swandale.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Piers eyes opened slowly and as he came to full consciousness he could feel a wet warmth on his hard prick. He looked down to see Angie naked and busily working her mouth up and down his prick. As he felt him move, she turned her head slightly and let his stiff cock out of her mouth. She continued to gently stroke him as she whispered, "Good morning."

He said, "This is... A surprise. After last night I didn't think-"

She grinned at him, "You haven't been thinking for some time now Toffee, at least not with your brain. But I have. And I also thought you needed a timely reminder of just what you have at home."

Piers smiled back sadly, "I know what I have. And I know what I almost lost."

Angela smouldered, "Don't you forget it. Everything you need is right here, Buster!"

Her tongue flicked out and struck him gently at the sensitive head of his penis where the foreskin attached to the rod, "I've been thinking quite a lot. I've already phoned you in sick today and I have some things I need to do... Later. Right now, this is more important."

She resumed working her lips up and down his hard cock, letting her tongue slide all over the tip its tip inside her mouth. Angie started to hum softly as she worked sending vibrations through her teeth and directly onto his sensitive flesh. He moaned as the feelings built and luxuriated in the tender loving Angie was providing. His balls twitched and he felt the familiar sweet tension that signalled imminent release, but Angie felt it too and took her mouth away. She pressed her fingers firmly into the base of his rock hard prick and murmured, "Oh no. Not yet, I want to do this first."

She sat up and threw her leg across him and placed the tip of his erection at her moist entrance. Agonisingly slowly, she lowered herself down until he was fully embedded inside her. Their pubic hairs were beginning to dampen with the sweet juices that were already seeping from her hot, tight hole. And then just as slowly, she raised herself back up.

Angie groaned as her clitoris dragged along the length of his jutting member and gritted her teeth as she started her next downward stroke. Piers reached up and began to caress Angie's small, firm tits as she rode him. He rubbed her taut flesh and gently pinched her steely hard nipples.

"Oh God yes," she moaned, "Oh god... This feels so good... Oh yeah!" Her pace began to pick up as the loving warmth started building its fire in her belly, "Oh God... I love this... I love feeling you inside me... Oh God!"

Piers marvelled at the vision of womanhood bouncing on his increasing hard cock. The sensuous joy of her tight honeyed walls wrapped around his prick and the view as this woman he loved found equal pleasure from him filled him with such heat that his skin felt like it would burst into flames.

Faster and faster, Angie bounced up and down, he watched his hard prick disappear and reappear from her warm cunt again and again. Her juices were flowing now, almost as though she were ejaculating over him. The feel of her lubrication as it pooled in his groin and then cool as it slid down the crack of his arse was so sensuous, so exciting that he could feel himself falling over the edge.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around Angie's waist. Then still connected he flipped her over so that she lay beneath him and started slamming his hard meat into her soaking, receptive pussy.

Angie pulled her thighs as far apart as she could and took a firm grasp of his arse cheeks, trying to force him into her channel even harder. "Oh yeah! That's it! Fuck me... Fuck me... Fuck me!"

Her cries changed from words to incoherent squeaks as Piers forced his stiff cock in and out, In and out. Their pubic mounds slapped together, faster and faster until Piers slammed into her and held his prick deep in her pussy as blast after blast of his pearly come jetted into her womb.

It was just the sensation Angie needed to send her over the edge into a boiling orgasm that almost made her faint as it rampaged through her system, setting fire to every nerve ending it met. She screamed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Angie had showered and dressed, she met Piers in the kitchen where he was putting on a pot of coffee.

"Not for me," she said, "I need to go out."

"Where to?"

Angie gave him a mysterious smile, "Never you mind. You just relax until I get back. And I mean relax, you'll need your strength."

He smiled in return, "Okay."

Piers gathered Angie in his arms and kissed her on the nose, "I love you so much it seems unreal."

She grinned and replied, "Hold that thought."

Then she disentangled herself and went on her errand. She made one quick stop at the bank, then she dropped in at Central Park and had a quiet conversation with a scruffy black man who was sitting doing not much at all.

Two more errands and then she found herself outside the offices of Bader, Bader, Van Buren and Jones, Attorneys at Law.

A brief conversation later and she was being ushered into Gloria Swandale's office. She noted that the other woman was somewhat surprised to see her.

"Erm... Angela. What can I do for you?"

"Stay the fuck away from my husband, bitch! That's what you can do." Angie's direct approach threw Gloria for a second before she came back with, "Now, now Angie. There's no need for that."

"There's every need. I have nothing else I want to say to you. You just keep your claws out of my husband."

"What did he tell you?"

"Everything."

Gloria's trademark cold smile came back into play, "Then you know I've got him."

Angie's smile was equally cold, "No, you haven't. I've got him. And I won't let you take him away."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that then? Hmm?"

"I know enough about the law to know how to deal with you."

"Really? I don't know how much you know about the law Angela, I know you worked at the Old Bailey in London. But that doesn't mean much round here. If you know half as much as you think you do, then you'll know Toffee doesn't have a leg to stand on if I decide to blow the whistle... And where will you be then? Hmm? On the streets, no beautiful West Side house. You won't even be able to stay in this country. Back to jolly old Limey-land. And just what would you do there? Hmm? I know that he burnt his bridges when he came here. Going home with his tail between his legs, what British firm would employ him? That is, if he doesn't go to jail."

Angela remained silent and Gloria sensing an easy victory moved in for the kill, "I have evidence that your husband is incompetent and an adulterer. Enough to get him ruined at this firm."

She buffed her nails on her lapel in her usual smug manner and continued, "Actually. I think the game just got better. I was going to leave you out of this. But I can't do that now. Now you know what's going on I think you should be put to work as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Well now, that's the rub isn't it? I mean you have just as much to lose as Toffee. So perhaps you should share the responsibility of keeping it, wouldn't you agree?"

"What sad little game are you planning now?"

Gloria's predatory smile grew wider as she answered, "I think that perhaps you are a touch large for your footwear and it's time you realised your place. Piers is coming to see me tonight. He doesn't know it yet, but he is... And I think that you should come with him."

Angela's mouth dropped open, "Just what are you suggesting?"

"I'm not suggesting anything... I am telling. Tonight. Eight thirty. Make sure you're on time."

Angela was fuming, "I won't let you get away with this!"

"You can't stop me. Now go away please, I'm very busy," she started to look through a file on her desk for a moment, before she glanced back up at where Angela still stood, "Are you still here? I said I'm very busy. Just make sure you aren't late tonight."

It was an effort of will for Angela to refrain from throwing herself at Gloria and scratching her pretty eyes out. She fought down her murderous fury and stiffly left the building to sit at the wheel of her car. She hammered her tiny fists on the steering wheel and screamed, "WHAT A FUCKING BITCH!"

Once she had calmed down enough, she drove off on one final errand, made a phone call and then returned home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gloria was examining her reflection in the mirror when she heard the doorbell. She looked at the clock that said it was twenty minutes past seven. She frowned, it wouldn't be them. Not this early. She opened the door to be met by two uniformed police officers.

"Yes?"

"Miss Swandale. Miss Gloria Swandale?"

"Yes, that's me. What the problem officer?"

One of the young policemen produced a small piece of paper, "We have a warrant to search this address."

Shocked and a little angry, she snatched the warrant and studied it. It was in order.

"What is this? What's this about?"

The policeman gently but firmly eased her back inside and answered, "We have reason to believe that there may be illicit substances in this apartment Ma'am."

Annoyed, Gloria spluttered, "That's ridiculous! I'm a lawyer with a respected firm. Why would I have anything like that?"

"That's not for me to say. Look I have a job to do, so lets get this over with."

The two men made a rapid and thorough search of the apartment, but found nothing. Then one of them noticed her portrait, it was not hanging quite straight. He pushed it with one finger and it hinged away from the wall to reveal the safe.

"Could you open the safe please, Ma'am?"

"There's nothing in there except some legal documents."

"Please Lady! Just open the damned safe, then we can get out of here."

Coldly furious now, Gloria hissed, "Okay! Then when you see that I don't have any contraband, you'll find out just what a mistake you made here. I'll have you're badge for this."

As she started to work the dial, Gloria knew. She just knew that Angela was behind this. She didn't know what that stupid English woman thought she could achieve, but she knew that Angela was going to pay. The little steel door swung open and Gloria turned to the policeman and said, "There! See? Nothing except some private papers!"

She watched as he stared into the safe. His expression never changed as he said, "Yes Ma'am. I see exactly."

She turned to look herself and saw no documents and no videotape. Instead, alongside the video player, which had the image feed ripped from it were twenty small plastic bags that were filled with fine, white powder... and nothing else. She looked up into the corner of the room. The camera's lens was broken. Her gaze fell back to the bags of powder.

She stuttered, "But... this is impossible. I've never seen this before in my life."

She barely felt the handcuffs snap on to her wrists as the policeman said, "Tell it to the Judge, Lady. Joe, read her Miranda rights."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Piers sat down across from the old man. He said, "Actually I'm quite embarrassed. I didn't realise that there was such a thing. But as you can see, we were within deadline and the motion was set."

Van Buren nodded thoughtfully, "I see. It could have been quite embarrassing, not to mention expensive."

"I know. And I'm sorry about that. I thought it best to come and let you know what happened."

The old lawyer waved a deprecating hand, "No, don't worry about it Toffee. Even us 'Damned Yankees' slip up on interstate differences. I admit, you cut it close and you satisfied the letter if not the spirit of the law, but what's done is done. And we are covered. That's the main thing. Actually, I'm gratified that you came to me about this. There are two things I insist upon from my junior partners and they are honesty and professional integrity. I'm pleased you saw fit to let me know."

He looked down at a piece of paper in his hand.

"I received this letter this morning."

"Yes sir?"

"Perhaps you should read it."

The old man passed the letter to piers and waited as he skimmed through it. It was addressed to the senior partners and was from Gloria Swandale. She was trying to blacken his name as much as her own. She detailed his incompetence and his adultery. Character assassination of the highest order.

Piers finished reading, placed the letter back on the desk and said, "I see. She seems... to be getting desperate. I wish I knew why she dislikes me so much."

This was the nub. He started sweating a little and wondered what was on the other man's mind. Piers looked up and watched Van Buren's face. It was unreadable. They held each other's gaze for a long moment then the old man leaned back and blew out heavily, "How could we have been so wrong about her? I worked with her father you know. Brilliant man. I'm just glad he never lived to see this." He glanced up at Piers who remained silent, so he continued, "Well, we don't have to worry about her any more. The only thing is..."

"What Sir?"

"Well. Dealing drug. I wouldn't have thought she would, I mean it's not like we didn't pay her well."

"The way I see it Sir, for some people enough is never enough. And who knows, if she was willing to deal in illegal substances, what else would she be willing to deal in?"

"A good point. Moot now I suppose, but a shame nonetheless."

Van Buren stood up and looked out of his window with his hands clasped behind his back. He stared out for a moment, sighed and then said, "Listen Toffee, we're having a little dinner party this Friday, perhaps you and Angela would like to come."

"Lovely. Thank you."

"Eight o'clock okay?"

Inwardly, Piers heaved a sigh of relief.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gloria had just started her sentence at the State Women's Hall of Correction when she was informed that she had a visitor. Sullenly she sat down at the glass partition and looked at the grinning Angela Toffington-Smythe.

"Come to gloat?"

"Yes."

"Don't bother. You won. Now fuck off and leave me alone."

"No. Not yet. I want to enjoy this... Eighteen months for possession with intent to supply. Long time."

"I don't know how you did it, but I'll pay you back for this."

"You'll pay me back? You blackmailed my husband. You played your disgusting games with our marriage and then you tried to get me as well. And you say you'll pay me back! Well think on this Young Lady, if I ever see you again, what happened to you this time will be nothing. This was just a warning, I can get a lot more serious than this, believe me."

Gloria remained sullenly quiet so Angela continued, "As to how I did it. That's easy. I bought some coke, broke into your apartment, cracked your safe, made an anonymous phone call to the police and... well, here you are."

Gloria's mouth fell open, "You broke... cracked... How the Hell...?"

A triumphant smile spread across Angela's face as she answered, "You don't know as much as you think. You know Piers and me met at the Old Bailey. Well, I wasn't working there you know. He was defending me. And a very good job he made of it I can tell you. Got me off Scott free."

Angela stretched expansively, "Yes, I used to be one of the best burglars in London, until Piers reformed me. Caught once, never convicted. As for the Charlie, I've been around, and it's easy to find anything you want, if you know where to look. The cesspits of New York are not so different from the cesspits of London."

"You won't get away with this. You've just confessed to three felonies and I'll see you swing. I'll tell everybody."

Angela laughed loud and long, "And just who do you think people will believe? The wife of a respected lawyer or the unsupported word of a convicted drug dealer. No, I think you should keep your pretty gob shut, serve your time and then crawl under whatever stone you can find."

Gloria's eyes welled with tears. Angela was entirely correct, she was beaten.