* * * *
Andrew parked in the lot of the four-story building near the freeway. He’d been to the Rowe and Thompson offices a couple times, since Mercy and Ian merged their advertising firms. Andrew was Mercy’s oldest client, but the visits were as much social as business. And they gave him a chance to visit his sister and nephew, while he was in the state.
Despite his past with Mercy, he was surprised she had room in her schedule for him, what with her getting married next weekend and all. When he asked her about the timing, she said she wasn’t going to stop working because one of the biggest days of her life was coming up—besides, this was a nice distraction from the insanity, and she had new campaign metrics and concepts to go over with him.
He couldn’t say no to that. Her work helped make him what he was, and she never disappointed. They had a friend, Justin, who had turned a Silicon Valley startup, based on a rewards program, into something bigger. More artificial-intelligence-like. R&T had invited some of their clients to beta-test demographic information, and Smut Central was first on the list.
Andrew strolled into the office and pasted on his biggest smile for the girl at Reception. “Hey, Candy Cane. Miss Mercy is expecting me.”
The woman’s name was Mindy, but she had a preference for painting her nails red with white tips. She returned his grin, pressed a few buttons on her phone, and seconds later said, “Mr. Newton is here.” She looked back at Andrew. “She says ten minutes.”
Of course she did. Mercy was a lot of things he adored, including just let me finish this up, and I’ll be right with you.
He walked the short lobby while he waited. Normally he’d make small talk with Mindy, but he’d been on edge since Saturday night. A thought nagged him, and he couldn’t place it. Music drifted toward him. Rock, but played by a string quartet. Apocolyptica. It came from the in-house photography studio. He wandered toward the sound, and cracked the door open, to peek in.
The screens and lights sat in the corners of the room, as they usually did when no filming was being done, leaving a wide expanse of concrete. That wasn’t what stalled his thoughts. Susan was in the middle of the open space, dancing. It was a stunning combination of ballet and more modern moves, and she flowed with every note and beat. Watching her chased away his tension about work and the strange funk that taunted him. It didn’t hurt that her bodysuit and tights clung to every inch of her body, but it was her grace that held him captive.
When the music stopped, she dropped to one knee, shoulders heaving, chin on her chest.
He clapped.
She shot to her feet and whirled, eyes wide. “No one’s supposed to come in here when there’s music playing.” Pink flushed her cheeks.
“I’m not anyone. And you’re fucking talented.”
Her blush grew. “You don’t have to say that, to be nice.”
“You’re right; I don’t. I mean it. You’ve been doing this all your life?”
She bit her bottom lip. “It feels like it, sometimes.”
Mercy interrupted. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Don’t say it unless you mean it.” Andrew kept the teasing in his voice but didn’t face her. It was harder than he expected, to pull his gaze from the elegant form in the center of the room.
Mercy sighed, but a hint of amusement ran through the sound. “She’s not on the menu.”
When he thought Susan couldn’t turn any redder, she proved him wrong.
He finally turned away. “You know me. Hold the cherries on the dessert,” Andrew said. Taking someone’s virginity was as lucrative a fetish as anything in his business, but it wasn’t one of his fantasies. He lived that dream when he was younger.
Mercy rolled her eyes and nodded toward the offices. “Come on. I think you’re going to like what we came up with.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “See you around Suzie-Q.”
“I hope so.” Her smile was the most genuine thing he’d seen all day. His imagination did him the favor of showing him what she’d look like on her knees, mouth wrapped around his cock. Moans vibrating against the head. Susan sliding her fingers between her legs to press through spandex and make herself come.
That was distracting. He shook the thought away and followed Mercy.
Her office was as big as her entire rented space had been before the merger. She never seemed to mind the upgrade from faded carpet and metal cabinets to the leather and wood of this place.
“I know I don’t have to ask this, but humor me, because I’m going to anyway.” She settled into her chair, and he took the seat across from her.
“Anything for you.”
“Stay away from Susan?”
He hadn’t expected that. His shock slipped out before he could stop it. “She’s an adult. Isn’t that her call to make? She is an adult, isn’t she?”