The Novelist Pt. 09

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Nicequip
Nicequip
2,627 Followers

Gabby walked back around the counter to continue cooking. "Didn't Sir tell you how things work?" She asked curiously.

"Uh, not really. He hasn't told me a lot apparently."

"Oh!" She said with a grin. "You mean you didn't expect to find us nude?" She laughed lightly. "Well this must look scandalous." She paused. "I'd love to talk to you later after I'm finished with all this." She said noting the mess in front of her. "I'd love to hear some stories about Sir."

Erik chuckled. "Oh, I've got stories."

Alexis took his hand. "Would you like to rest, Erik? We can set you up outside by the pool. Or in the living room with the TV. Did you want to shower or nap? You just let me know."

He paused for a moment. "Maybe a vodka tonic with lime." He said. "And I guess I wouldn't mind sitting outside for a bit."

"Marie, would you get Erik his drink."

Alexis took his bag and set it aside. Then she led him through the French doors out onto the patio. He looked amazed at the sheer size of the yard and the well-manicured beauty of it. She was talking excitedly about the house and the women. Erik knew Tom well enough. Sure he was surprised, but he smiled knowing that his friend always had grand plans for his life.

Erik sat at the table off to the side of the pool near the back gate. He kicked his feet up on the table before deciding to take his shirt off. He grabbed the neck of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. Erik's tall body was muscled and strong. He worked alongside his crew back home, and the heavy construction equipment kept him in good shape.

He thought he was alone when he noticed a figure emerge from the pool. Her body lifted from the water as she walked up the submerged steps to the flagstone patio. Erik was not particularly good at talking to women. He admired her body. Her tear drop breasts weren't large nor were they small. They looked appropriately sized. Her brunette hair was wet. He hadn't adjusted to the strangeness of so many naked women, and this girl made him feel nervous.

She spotted him sitting at the table.

"Oh, hi. I didn't think anyone was out here." She said without moving to cover herself.

Erik stood up mostly because he thought it was the gentlemanly thing to do. "I'm sorry." He said a little awkwardly. "I... I'm Erik. Tom's friend."

"I'm Angie." The young woman replied taking a seat at the table.

"So..." He said unsure about starting a conversation as he retook his seat. "... you don't have a collar?"

"Me? Oh, no." She said a bit amused. "I don't even live in California. I'm just visiting. Well, sort of."

"Me too." Erik said. "I just assumed..." He waved his hand noting her nakedness. "... you know, that you were a part of... this?"

It sounded profoundly uncomfortable as he struggled to mention nudity and submission in front of someone.

"No. It's a long story. I sort of ended up here by accident. Well not by accident... but I'm not sure you'd understand." She babbled. "Anyway, I ended up here, and I guess I haven't wanted to leave yet. It's hard to explain, but there's something about this place."

"Where are you from?" Erik asked.

"Saratoga Springs in upstate New York." She replied.

"No way!" Erik blurted for the second time today. "The masseuse?"

"Wait..." She said confused. "How did you know that?"

"I'm from Saratoga Springs too. I called you to book him an appointment."

It didn't take long for the two of them to fall into a deep conversation. They shared their feelings about home and about Tom's life. It was comfortable having someone else there that wasn't a part of the lifestyle. It allowed each of them to laugh about the awkward nature of being thrown into the middle of it. She recounted the story of her trip as he listened intently hearing the details. Erik just couldn't believe how much he enjoyed talking to her; nor could he believe the events that took place. He knew John, Marie and Jane very well.

******

Kimmie was beyond frustrated by the time they reached the restaurant. Despite her best efforts Tom never gave in to her teasing. It was worse than that. He had taken it upon himself to make her suffer more because of it. His fingers had pawed at her pussy endlessly throughout the drive. He even let them slip inside of her. She was in quite a state.

They dropped the car off with the valet in front of The Ivy on Robertson Drive. The restaurant was one of those industry hotspots that were popular among movie producers, studio executives, agents, and actors. It wasn't a particularly fancy establishment. It was actually fairly unassuming from the outside, but the people that frequented it, and those that ran it, gave it an air of importance.

Tom stepped through the front doors and immediately saw Jim, Frank and Maryanne sitting at a table in the back. As he got closer he noticed another person sitting with them. It was Peter Sperling, Maryanne's boss and owner of Sperling Publishing. He usually only joined for important business. It made him wonder why he was here.

"Peter, what a surprise!" Tom said cordially extending his hand.

"I told Maryanne that I wanted to be here. I'm elated over the new book. There are big things in store for you, and I wanted you to hear it from me."

"Well I certainly feel lucky to be worth your time. I appreciate it." Tom said and then he leaned over giving Maryanne a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, Maryanne. It's good to see you. Thanks for all your help this week."

"Of course, Tom. I love working on your books."

Tom truly enjoyed working with her as well. Maryanne was a short, slightly chubby woman. He often thought her face looked cherubic. It was round and youthful with cute button features. She kept her brown hair up, wrapped in a loose bun, and her reading glasses sat securely on her nose. Maryanne had pleaded with Peter to publish Tom's first book. She had been his champion from the very beginning, and it paid off in spades for her career.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Tom said looking to his side. "Peter, Maryanne, Jim... I'd like you all to meet Kimmie. I've hired her on as my assistant."

Kimmie politely greeted each person at the table. Mind your words, she thought. Don't say anything stupid. She was very concerned about her performance today. In their view, she looked like a lovely and professional young lady.

"You see that, Tom!" Peter noted with a smile. "You reached the point where you need an assistant."

Tom smiled his wry smile. "I think you mean that I've reached the point where you need to pay for me to have an assistant."

Maryanne tensed as the words came out, and Tom noted the scowl on Peter's face.

"By the way, I told her you're offering three grand a month plus benefits. Frank and Jim can work out the details later."

Kimmie realized immediately that it was a thousand dollars more than he promised her. She was giddy at the sound of it. Peter did his best to brush over the comment. He hadn't said no, but he disliked being ambushed. They settled themselves at the table and ordered a round of drinks.

"So, Tom, why don't we start this on a good note?" Maryanne suggested. She reached into her bag and removed a small envelope. "Your delivery payment. That's one million even."

Tom happily accepted it and passed it on to Jim.

"You can handle this, Jim. Settle out with Frank and then have the rest deposited into my account."

"Sure thing." He said tucking it in his inside jacket pocket.

"So where are the proposals?" Maryanne queried.

"I didn't bring them." Tom replied confused. "Frank, you said I didn't need them."

"I... shit. I must've misunderstood." He replied. It was his intention to create a reason to head back for the party.

"Well we need them as part of the completion for the new contracts. We can't process your commencement checks until we receive an official delivery of your book proposals." She noted.

Tom scrunched his face displeased by this oversight. "Can't I e-mail them?"

Frank chimed in. "Why don't we just stop by your place after this and grab them?"

"Is that necessary?" He asked.

"I'd prefer a hard copy." Maryanne said. "Same as always. I don't mind following you over there. I'd like to have this finalized tonight."

"Fine." Tom said.

He wondered why Frank would suggest it. His lawyer knew that the situation at his home was complicated. It's fine, Tom thought to himself. Even if Alexis was there, maybe it was time to let Maryanne get a tiny glimpse. She deserved that much. He always noted how she tried to pry into the details of his research. She was searching for something, even if she didn't know what exactly.

******

Erik had moved back inside to the living room with Angie. The sight before him was becoming more unreal.

"Wait. So... you're saying he sleeps with each of you? He's had sex with every person in this room? Recently?"

"Yes." Abby replied.

"Si." Ybeth answered.

"Yeah." Karine said.

"Yes, Erik." Marie stated.

Alexis laughed at the look on his face. "Is that so hard to believe?" She asked.

"Yes!" He said exasperated. "Yes, it's hard for me to believe that he's sleeping with all of you. I always thought my hero was Gandhi or Bruce Willis or some other cool dude. Not my best friend! God, I've haven't even been laid in over a month."

"Pobrecito!" Gabriella's voice could be heard from the kitchen. It caused all the girls to laugh.

Karine rifled through the box on the coffee table handing out lingerie to each of the girls. Abby took the garter belt and slipped it on. The lace design was stunning on the black garment. She slid on one stocking and secured the hooks on the top to the straps on her garter. The stockings had a black line that ran down the back of the leg. It was very sexy. Then she slipped her foot into a stunning strappy stiletto. She repeated the action on her other leg.

"How do I look?" She asked.

Karine bent down and shifted the garter slightly making sure it fit just so.

"Perfect." She said.

"Erik?" Abby asked. "A guy's opinion please?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked. "You're so hot. You're all so hot. Nobody has ever dressed like this for me!"

"Oh, he likes it alright." Karine said nodding toward his crotch. "I think that's just the reaction we were hoping for."

Angie looked down seeing the tented fabric of his pants. It gave her a rush of adrenaline wondering how big it might be. She couldn't tell exactly. His shirt was still off and she studied his pectoral muscles and biceps. It didn't make sense to her that he couldn't get a girl. But then she thought about the conversation they had outside. He seemed incredibly sweet. It was almost as if his personality didn't match his build.

Erik shifted in his seat trying to hide the obvious strain of his erection. "This is cruel. Yes, I'm hard. Okay?! What man wouldn't be?!"

"Aw." Alexis said. "It can't be that cruel."

Erik didn't think he could be more envious of another man. He considered jerking off in the bathroom just to get it out of his system. And then this unbelievable situation got just a little more unbelievable.

"Hello?" A voice carried in from the kitchen. "Alexis?"

"In here." She called back.

A trail of women walked into the room. "Jen!" Alexis said kissing her cheeks. "What did you do with the kids?"

"They're at my mother's house. I've got the whole evening and I really need it. They're little twin terrors."

Marie looked up at this woman. She recounted the whole scene from exactly a week ago. This was the squirter she had barged in on. This was the woman that marked the beginning of her submission. Jen looked at Marie and winked. God, it shot fire through her pussy.

"Fran." Alexis greeted her. Then she continued. "Karen! You naughty slut. I have someone upstairs in your old room that wants to meet you." She paused and moved. "Joya! I missed you. Welcome." Then she moved to the next woman. "Nicole." More kisses. "And Elizabeth."

Erik watched as each woman began removing their clothes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. They secured their collars, and turned to Alexis for introductions.

"This is so exciting. Everyone who hasn't met her, this is Karine. She's going to give you lingerie and shoes." She explained. "Oh first, I want you all to meet a very special guest. This is Erik. He's Sir's oldest and best friend. He flew all the way out here from New York for the party."

Erik tentatively stood up as all the women turned their attention toward him. Each one stepped forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek and introduced themselves. He was beet red with embarrassment not knowing exactly how to act.

Stephen walked into the room in the midst of everything. "Peaches!" He said with a wide grin.

They all turned to see him. "Stephen!" It almost came out in unison.

"Alright, girls." Alexis said in a sing song voice. "We have work to do and then we can relax and meet everyone."

******

Tom glanced at his watch to keep track of the time. He saw Alexis' disappointment this morning when he left. He didn't want to spend too much time on business. She had said that they should do whatever he wanted for his birthday. What Tom really wanted was to spend time with her. This was already lasting longer than he planned.

"I know you don't want to have this conversation, but I'm begging you to do a book tour." Peter was saying. "It could significantly increase your exposure and your sales."

Tom sighed. He'd had this conversation more than a few times with both Maryanne and Peter.

"What's the point of a penname if I'm going to do any press?" He asked. "I told you when you published my first book that I'm not interested in exposure. My books have done well without it. I want to remain anonymous."

"We gave you a very good deal on these contracts." Peter said seriously patting the signed stack of papers in front of him. "Wouldn't you consider doing at least an interview or a morning show? Give us a chance to drum up interest since we cut you in on our gross sales."

"No." Tom said definitively. "And I'm not going to have this discussion anymore. You know how I feel."

"Well what's the time frame on the new books?" Maryanne asked trying to shift the conversation. "We were thinking of doing an initial run of two hundred thousand copies of your new book and moving toward a quick release."

"I think that sounds fine." Tom said. "The two new books are already started."

"You started writing already?" Maryanne asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "What I really want to discuss is a new idea I have in mind already. It's been stuck in my head and I want to write it."

"What's the premise?" Peter asked intrigued.

"It's something a bit more risqué." Tom paused for a moment. "It involves incest."

"Absolutely not!" Peter shot back instantly. "Our company does not need that kind of criticism. We don't deal with incest. Besides, it won't sell. Nobody wants to read that crap except for maybe a small segment of the population. It's not enough to make a profit."

All eyes were on Tom as he stared down at the drink in front of him. He slowly looked up glancing at each face around the table. With the exception of Kimmie, he was the youngest person here. It still surprised him that he commanded any respect, but he did, and he used it as best he could.

"You never wanted to publish my first book." Tom finally said. "It paid off well for you considering you had a similar reaction to the subject matter."

"Yeah, but..." Peter began.

"I'll write it for free." Tom said bluntly.

"Not going to happen." Jim quickly interjected himself into the conversation. "Your quote is five million plus gross."

Frank nodded emphatically agreeing with Jim. "We can discuss this another time, Tom. You don't work for free."

Peter just stared at him trying to size up the young man.

Tom gave a stern, dismissive glance to both Frank and Jim. "I'll write it for free." He said again more forcefully. "And, I'll give you the chance to read it and make your decision on whether you want to publish it. If not, let me go shop it to other publishers with your blessing. If you do want to publish it, I want fifty percent gross sales. No advance. No money at all for my services. Just an even split."

Jim's mind reeled as he tried to figure out what that would mean. He was trying to run numbers in his head. If it were a New York Times bestseller, the money would be astronomical.

"I've never made a deal like that in my entire career." Peter said in a stern yet contemplative voice. "I've worked with plenty of writers for over thirty years, and I don't think any of them would even consider trying to make that offer."

"I'm writing it regardless, Peter. You can have first rights of refusal... But it'll cost you fifty percent gross."

"And that's to be your new quote if we want to work with you in the future?"

"No. It's a one-time deal. Just for this one book."

"And you'll complete these two first?" Peter asked lifting the new contracts and studying his face.

There was a long pause. Maryanne, Frank and Jim didn't utter a word. Kimmie just wished she didn't have to pee so badly.

"Those two..." Tom said nodding at the contracts. "... those are already completed. Written. Polished. Proofed."

Tom initially planned on keeping that information to himself. He thought it would give him time to concentrate on other things in his life. At the moment, he enjoyed watching the befuddled and slack jawed expressions in front of him.

"That's not possible." Maryanne whispered. "You'd have to have been writing nonstop."

"I work, Maryanne. I enjoy what I do. I assure you they're complete. I wanted to do some traveling. I figured I'd just submit one every six months and have a year to myself. But this new book is consuming my thoughts. I want to write it now."

Peter looked at Tom the same way that Frank often did. He wasn't sure what to make of him. The kid had balls.

"When can we have them?" Peter asked.

"Now that you know they're finished, I don't see why you can't have them right away."

Peter processed it, and began to get excited at the prospect. "We can roll these out over the course of the year. Every three or four months. The next release will drive the sales of the first, and publicize the release of the next." He was really just thinking out loud instead of strategizing.

"And the new book?" Tom asked. "I'm asking you to do this for me, Peter. You and Maryanne have been extremely good to me. We've had a lot of success together, and I don't want to work with another publishing house. I like where I am. But this one means a lot to me. I promise it will be lucrative for both of us. Then I'll get back to pumping out the stuff you love so much."

Frank didn't think he could have done a better job negotiating. Tom played hard, but then he turned around and complimented the man he was trying to extort. The deal itself, Frank thought, could be a total bust. If the sales tanked then he'd get next to nothing for his efforts.

Peter stood up with a blank expression on his face and walked around the table. Tom sensed the answer. He stood up as well. Then Peter extended his hand and they sealed the verbal agreement.

"It's a deal, Mr. Bolden." Peter said. "You're going to make this a banner year for us with this trilogy. I look forward to reading the next two. Good luck with your taboo project. I have a feeling you might surprise me."

"Thank you." Tom replied.

His heart was racing as he thought about the expectations he set out for himself.

"I've got to get going for another appointment." Peter said as he turned toward Maryanne. "Please get me those new manuscripts asap."

"Yes, Sir." She replied. "I'll handle it tonight."

Peter turned and departed. Tom kept standing as he watched him go. Then he turned back to the table.

Nicequip
Nicequip
2,627 Followers