"Are you sure this is the location?"
Marke asked into the phone, looking at the arched gateway leading into a familiar villa on King's Tail Street in confusion. The familiar gates and the cobblestone-laden path leading into the villa—this was Ms. Terri's residence.
"This is just your residence," he said.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious. Why don't you come inside?"
"You could've just told me," he said, stepping on the gas, "to come here." He stopped before the gate. The directions she had sent over caused him to drive around for half an hour more than was necessary. "To be honest, I thought you would call me to an underground bunker someplace where they keep billionaires."
"Rats live in bunkers," the woman proclaimed. "I am a lion. Tippy-top of the jungle."
"Whatever you say. I'll meet you inside." He hung up.
This time, the guard was a woman, a brunette with blue eyes in a suit with no makeup on. She looked like a surfboard under the uniform a size too big for her.
She jogged towards him, and he rolled down his windows.
"Uh..." She looked at him, seemingly considering what to say next. "Your name?"
From the glove compartment, he handed her his license.
She stared at the license and then looked up at him with a lost expression.
A downgrade in terms of quality. An upgrade in beauty. Marke thought. "Are you new here?" He stated more than he was asking.
"Yeah," she replied, biting her lower lip. "Ms. Terri mentioned experience as security wouldn't be needed. Clearly, she lied." She smiled sheepishly. "I thought being good at shooting would be enough."
"If the woman says so, it is." He raised a brow. "You're a good shot?"
"Ari Penn. Instructor at the King's Tai's shooting academy in Cranes." She reached out a hand just outside the window. "Or, used to be anyway."
Not a downgrade in quality at all. With his lips pursed, he nodded, impressed.
"Mark Ean." He introduced himself, shaking her hand. "Aren't you too—"
"Oh! You're the guy Ms. Terri told me to let in." She interjected. "No, no, please continue what you were saying."
Marke smiled, nodding. "Don't be too nervous," he suggested. "Nobody in this city will try to rob that woman. Just take your time. Take a deep breath. Everything's fine."
Taking a breath, she smiled back. "Thank you."
"No problem. You know what happened to the last guy?"
"I heard he got fired for asking 'too many questions,'" she air quoted. "Good for me. I get the job and know what not to do to keep it—" she paused, looking startled.
"Nothing wrong with that," Marke reassured. "We learn from those that came before." He looked at his phone. "Can you open the door for me, Ari?" He motioned to the door with his chin.
The woman had a guilty look on her face as she reached for her pocket. Marke understood. When speaking, sometimes words one felt escaped lips without much thought. People weren't fond of raw honesty with no filters. Marke rather admired the quality.
The door swung open automatically. He stopped the car beside the woman, stepping out and towering over her. "Hey," he called out. "If you are that honest with me every time I come here, which arguably might not be a lot, I'll make sure to put a good word in for you with the boss."
"And earlier I was going to ask, 'Aren't you a little too pretty to be working security?' That was all." He shrugged. "Nothing sexist. Just...appreciation."
The woman looked bewildered. She had probably expected a scolding or worse. Marke really didn't mind; it wasn't an attempt to woo her. "Okay," she nodded. "Thank you."
"The key's in the car," he told her and made his way into the premises, waltzing in.
Intriguing woman. He thought.
4th floor. Was the text that came up on his phone. The NDA's on the second floor where we had our session. Sign it before coming up.
He made his way up, glancing at the couch on the second floor, and pausing—sheets of paper on a clipboard with a pen on the armrest. The woman didn't even want to be seen before he signed it? Now, he knew what Ms. Terri felt when he acted overtly suspicious of her over the phone.
It wasn't a good feeling.
Crouching, he perused the documents. He took his sweet time, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, and signed it. Say nothing under any circumstances about how I called you to sleep with me but don't want anyone else knowing about it, was the summary.
Was Ms. Terri with Mrs. Tero above? He wondered, anticipation bubbling up within him.
He headed upstairs.
"Finally here, honey?" Ms. Terri's voice echoed loudly in the room; looking back from the deck chair she was on, an indoor swimming pool, bubbling and clear, was blockading his path forward. "Come on over."
The occupant of the deck chair next to her, Mrs. Tero, turned back to observe him, raven hair combed back and tied to a bun over an oval face with brown eyes, a button nose, and glistening lips.
He looked around. There was no path forward.
"He's a little dense, Mia," Ms. Terri sighed, addressing the woman beside her. "Why don't you drag him over?"
Nodding, Mia Tero flashed him a wide smile, eyeing him up and down. "Sure."
She got up from the deck chair in all her glory.
A silver one-piece bikini adorned her figure, a slice of her cheeks visible from under her thighs as she walked a step, staring solely at him; he caught a glimpse of her cheeks through the thigh gap. The woman dove in, dropping into the pool like a needle despite the weight she carried on her curves. He saw two indents, dimples, just over her buttocks as the water submerged her fully.
With several pushes underwater, her head popped out of the water, staring up at him.
"I hear you have a specialty," she smiled.
"I am a masseur first. The specialty comes later," he said. He was in need of professional points.
He glanced briefly at Ms. Terri, who was giving him a thumbs up.
"Professional." Mia nodded, her breasts, E-cups, jutting out in the swimsuit. "Eyes up here, big boy," she said. Her voice was sweet. "Terri told me a lot about you. It's a wonder you managed to shut up the chatty wench she is." She turned to look at Ms. Terri, making the subject of her playful scorn clear.
"I agree." Marke shook his head eagerly, already liking the woman.
"Why don't you jump in? I'll guide you to the other side." The woman suggested.
He took off his clothes at ease, not rushing, even though his erection pointing forward told everyone what he felt.
"Ohhh..." Mia swooned. "You definitely need to get in here, big boy."
He dipped his feet into the pool, the water warm and cozy.
Today's your lucky day, little bro. He referred to his shaft as Ms. Tero took a step forward while biting her lips, the scent of wine wafting from her mouth. You just have to wait a little longer.