Dream World (13 page)

He grinned.

‘Actually, talking of work,' she said. ‘I better go and get ready or else I'm going to be late.'

‘Knock the day off,' he suggested.

‘I can't do that! I haven't thrown a sickie in three years.'

‘All the more reason to take one now.'

He kissed her and ran his fingers down her back. She tried to pull away from him, but it was no use.

‘OK,' she said, ‘I give in. I'll make the call.'

Not wishing him to listen, she popped downstairs in order to do the dirty deed. After ringing in, Kate made a pot of fresh coffee before returning to the bedroom. Upon doing so she asked Dexter if he had any plans, given that his latest one had been scuppered. He hesitated to respond.

‘C'mon, tell me,' she insisted. ‘What's the matter, don't you trust me?'

‘It's not that,' he said. ‘It's just...'

‘What?'

‘The only alternative I can think of is a high risk gambit, which, if it came off, would mean I'd get everything back.'

‘But if it didn't?'

‘Richard would win.'

The pair lapsed into silence as they considered this horrible eventuality. Trying to stay positive Kate said, ‘You've fought too long and too hard to let that happen.'

‘I know, but there's an element of chance in my idea of challenging him to a game that's impossible to control.'

‘Game? Hang on, let me get this right. You'd risk everything on some silly game?'

‘It's the only way I can see of getting at him,' he explained. ‘Richard's a games nut, thinks he's the best in the world at them and has never been able to resist taking up the gauntlet if anyone challenges him. The only thing is, I reckon he'd stipulate which game we played and, knowing him, he'd pick
Temptation
.'

‘Temptation?' Kate frowned. ‘I'm not sure I know that.'

‘It's simple enough. We both enter a dream scenario and have to face a tempting situation. Whichever of us manages to resist and not give in is the winner.'

‘Surely that's easy enough,' she said.

‘You don't know Richard. You ought to see some of the situations he conjures up.'

‘I'm not sure I want to.'

‘Precisely.'

‘So, how can I help in all of this?'

‘Well, if I turn up at Dream World unannounced, chances are he'll just set his security goons on me. So...' here Dexter hesitated again.

She finished the sentence for him. ‘So you want me to act as go between and put the proposal to him?'

‘Would you mind? I know it's asking a lot.'

‘Of course I don't mind,' she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did so. ‘On one condition.'

‘What's that?'

‘A kiss,' she said.

‘Just the one?'

‘I was hoping for a few more than that,' she admitted.

As they sank back down on the bed, Dexter was happy to agree to all of her demands.

Temptation

‘Let me get this straight,' Richard said. ‘Dexter is challenging me to a game of temptation?'

‘Yes,' Kate replied.

‘And he sent you around to make this challenge?'

‘No, I've just popped in to pass the time of day.'

‘Sarcasm doesn't become you,' he said.

‘Funny, because being a bastard suits you down to the ground,' she retorted.

Richard drummed his fingers on the surface of his desk. As she waited for his reply Kate glanced around his lavish office. Clearly no expense had been spared. The décor looked as if it had come straight out of the megalomaniac's anonymous catalogue.

‘And he's prepared to give up all his claims to Dream World, spurious though they are, if I agree to take up the challenge and defeat him?' Richard eventually asked.

‘Yes.'

‘I'd want the terms drawn up by my legal team. He'd have to be prepared to sign the documentation.'

‘As long as you will too,' she said.

He toyed with a paper clip as he tried to spot a catch in the proposal.

Sensing that he might not agree, Kate decided it was time to provoke him. ‘What's the matter, scared?'

He scowled and threw the paper clip into the waste paper bin. ‘Don't be ridiculous.'

‘I had you down as many things, Richard Hampton, but I never thought you were a coward.'

His right fist clenched involuntarily. ‘Very well, I accept.'

Kate smiled. ‘Excellent. Drop me a text or give me a call as soon as your legal gang have drawn up the papers.'

‘Hang on a minute,' he said. ‘I haven't finished yet.'

‘What more is there to say?'

‘I have one condition.'

‘Which is?' she asked.

He paused, momentarily. ‘You take the challenge on Dexter's behalf.'

‘What!' she exclaimed, unprepared for this turn of events.

‘That way,' he continued. ‘Dexter has something to lose as well.'

‘And if I'm not prepared to agree?'

Richard shrugged. ‘Then no deal.'

‘Give me twenty four hours to think about it.'

He shook his head.

‘Alright,' she bargained, ‘Half an hour.'

‘No. I want your answer right now.'

‘That's not fair.'

‘Tough.'

‘Five minutes,' she said.

He grinned, nastily. ‘Who's chicken now?'

‘Alright, you're on.'

‘Excellent, you'll be hearing from me shortly.'

‘I'll look forward to it.'

‘No you won't,' he said. ‘I promise you that.'

Before leaving the office Kate lay down one final stipulation. ‘Just you and me. I don't want to have to battle any of your nasty little internal programmes like Comrade Nadia.'

‘Very well, just you and me.' He crossed over to a drinks cabinet, poured two glasses of finest malt and offered one to her.

‘No thanks,' she said. ‘Knowing you, it's probably poisoned.'

Sipping his drink, he mused, ‘I must confess, I can't wait to see what temptation you think up for me.'

‘Likewise,' she countered, before leaving his office.

‘I doubt that,' Richard said to himself between sips of scotch. ‘I doubt that very much.'

‘No way,' Dexter said.

‘But it's the only way he'd agree,' Kate explained.

‘It's far too risky.'

‘What's the matter, don't you trust me?'

‘Don't be silly, it's not that at all, it's just...'

‘Just what?' she snapped.

‘I don't think you realise what a devious, skunk Richard Hampton is,' he said.

‘Don't worry, I'd figured that out a long time ago.'

‘Besides,' he said. ‘I'd worry about you.'

Her mood softened and she stretched out her hand across the table in the beer garden where they were sitting discussing the proposal. He took it and gave it a kiss.

‘After all,' she said. ‘I'll only be dreaming, you're the one who's really running the risk.

‘I suppose so, only...'

‘Only what?'

‘I haven't had access to all of the most recent stuff that Richard has developed. What if he's concocted some nasty new virus that can effect the way you behave inside your dreams?'

‘He's not that good, is he?'

‘Probably not. I don't know. Look, none of this matters, you're not doing it and that's final,' he said, putting his foot down.

‘Don't I get a say in this?' she responded.

‘No.'

‘How come?'

‘Because I care too much for you,' he said.

She didn't answer immediately. After stirring the ice cubes in her drink she said, ‘If you care for me, then you must trust me.'

‘Of course I do.'

‘Well then, if you trust me, you should trust my judgement too.'

He sighed in a resigned fashion. ‘Are you always this stubborn?'

‘It's one of my best qualities,' she quipped.

‘Now that, I definitely disagree with,' he said.

‘So what would you say my best qualities are?'

He leant across the table and whispered in her ear. She giggled delightedly, then ended up spilling some of her drink as she leant across the table in order to smack him playfully. He dodged the blow by ducking, then took her by surprise by wriggling under the table and popping up at her side, which drew one or two disapproving looks from others in the beer garden. Neither of them cared. Kate and Dexter kissed. As they parted, she could tell that he still wasn't happy about matters.

‘C'mon,' she said. ‘Positive thinking and all that.'

He tried his best to put a brave face on it. ‘I just hope that we're still laughing when all this is over.'

‘We will be.'

‘Promise?'

‘Promise,' she said and kissed him again.

They didn't hear from Richard for three days. When they finally did so they wished they hadn't. An enormous fifty page legal document landed on Kate's doorstep the following Wednesday morning, which took Dexter all day to trawl through.

When Kate returned home from work he ran her through the pertinent points of the contract. She highlighted them with a yellow marker pen and re-read them over and over until she could take no more. As she went to sleep that night, legal clauses and phrases haunted her dreams. Dexter did his best to take her mind off things with a sensual massage which, though it helped to a degree, didn't work entirely as she continued to try and second guess what temptation Richard was cooking up for her.

Back in Richard's office, Alan reclined in a luxurious leather chair and allowed his host to refill his glass. He could quite easily get used to this, he thought.

Richard sat down at his desk, opened the box of cigars and offered Alan one. ‘Monte Christo?'

‘Don't mind if I do,' Alan replied. Popping the cigar into his mouth, he patted his pockets in search of a light.

Richard obligingly provided one with a crested gold lighter. Sensing Alan's eyes linger on the object, Richard presented it to him. ‘Think of it as a gift, for the information that you're about to provide.'

‘Thank you,' Alan said. As he exhaled smoke he asked, ‘Where would you like me start?'

Richard leant forwards on his desk, cupped his hands, rested his chin on them and stared hard at his guest. ‘I want to know everything.'

Alan grinned, malevolently. ‘My pleasure.'

‘No,' Richard contradicted him. ‘I think the pleasure will be mine.'

The pair toasted one another, then Alan began to divulge every last little secret he knew about his ex-girlfriend.

Venice

That Thursday evening, Kate and Dexter went over the contract yet again. Dexter knew that there would be some kind of devious clause or caveat in there yet, in spite of poring over the legal jargon for hours, he was unable to find it. Kate did her best to put his mind at rest, then they spent the remainder of the evening trying to create a scenario that would tempt Richard.

After a restless night's sleep they rose early, showered, then set off for Dream World. Although Kate pleaded with Dexter not to come with her, he insisted. No matter what she said she was unable to dissuade him.

As they drove to the centre Dexter asked her, ‘How honest were you on the form you filled in when you first visited Dream World?'

‘The questionnaire that asked me about my likes, dislikes, fantasies and desires?'

‘Yes.'

‘Very.'

‘Damn.'

‘Why?'

‘Because that hands Richard the advantage. He'll use that information against you.'

‘Don't worry,' she told him, ‘I can control my desires.'

‘That's not what you said the other night,' he observed.

His comment brought a smile to her lips. ‘Ah, but then that's because I was with you.'

As she pulled up at a set of traffic lights he kissed her. ‘You, Miss Phillips, say the loveliest things.'

‘And you, Mr Norris, are too irresistible by half. C'mere.'

Unfortunately, the driver behind them sounded his horn, impatient to be off now that the lights had changed. Kate waved an apology, stepped on the accelerator then asked, ‘Have you got any ideas what he might try to tempt me with?'

‘I'm not sure, but I guarantee it'll be something you won't be expecting.'

‘Such as?'

‘Have you any hidden secrets or desires that you've long harboured, but hardly dare admit to yourself?'

‘I'm not telling you!' she exclaimed.

‘You don't have,' he said. ‘Just be prepared to face them, that's all.'

Pulling into Dream World's main car park, neither of them could understand why it was empty. To put a dampener on their mood, they found Richard waiting for them at the main entrance, eager to explain. ‘I've had the centre closed for the weekend, just to cater for you. We don't want Joe Public cluttering up the place.'

‘How thoughtful,' Kate replied, ironically.

‘What's he doing here?' Richard asked, pointing at Dexter.

‘I've come to ensure fair play.'

‘What's the matter,' Richard said. ‘Don't you trust me?'

‘No,' Dexter stated, bluntly.

Richard shrugged. ‘Shall we?' he said, inviting them inside. ‘The sooner we get this started, the sooner I win.'

‘I wouldn't be too confident if I was you,' Kate said.

‘Really? Why's that?'

‘Because...' she began.

‘No,' he said. ‘Don't tell me. I wouldn't want you claiming an unfair advantage.'

Shepherding them into his office, the three of them sat down with Richard's legal team for an hour as they went over the papers one final time, then each of the respective parties signed a copy. Richard deposited his in his office safe, whereas Dexter held onto the copies that he and Kate had signed.

‘Come on then,' Kate said, ‘Let's get this over with.'

‘Now, now. No need to be like that. We can at least try and be civil about this,' Richard said.

‘What, like the way you civilly stole my idea?' Dexter retorted, disdainfully.

‘For legal reasons, I'm not going to grace that remark with a reply,' Richard said as they entered one of the dream chambers.

Kate lay down on the bed nearest to her. Richard went to prepare the drip. ‘No, no drips,' she insisted. ‘I don't trust that thing after what happened last time. I'll stick to the tablets thank you very much.'

‘Have it your own way,' Richard replied. Though unhappy about this turn of events, he tried his best not to show his displeasure as he went to help her with the pads.

‘Never mind me,' she said, shrugging him away. ‘How about preparing yourself for your dream.'

‘And why would I want to do that?' Richard said.

‘This is a two way game, remember?' Dexter interjected.

‘Ah, but if you read section forty two, paragraph fifteen carefully, you'll have noted that Kate goes first, I don't have to join in until later.'

‘You really are low, aren't you?'

Refusing to answer Dexter, Richard set a digital clock running.

‘What's that for?' Kate asked.

‘I thought it might make it more interesting if it was a kind of time trial,' he explained. ‘So, you've got one hour to resist everything I can throw at you.'

‘Hey, there was nothing about that in the contract,' Dexter protested.

‘You're right, there wasn't.'

‘Ha. Got you.'

‘So, let me get this straight, you want to stop this, re-word everything and start again?' Richard said.

When he put it like that, there didn't seem to be much point, so Kate snatched one of the little blue tablets out of his hand, swallowed it and said, ‘Do your worst.'

‘Sweet dreams,' Richard muttered, sarcastically, as she fell asleep.

When Kate awoke, in the dream, she did so with a start. Something definitely felt different compared to her previous visits to the centre, but what, exactly, she couldn't be sure. She found herself in a hotel room that had a familiar look to it, yet she couldn't quite place the memory. Glancing down at her watch she noted the time and started to count down the hour. Well, fifty nine minutes to be precise. Having checked the time she then tried to conjure up a blue door. This worked fine, as one popped into existence the instant she envisaged it, but when she tried to summon a green door, she was out of luck. She assumed that this reflected how little control she had over the situation and that if she left via the blue door this would, in essence, forfeit the game and hand victory to Richard. Determined to succeed, no matter who or what she faced, she banished the blue door with a click of her fingers.

Assuming that it wasn't against the rules to explore her environment, Kate crossed over to the window and peered outside. She found herself looking out over the Piazza San Marco. That was when it struck her where she was. Venice. The City where she and Alan had spent their first ever...

‘...romantic weekend together.' Alan finished the thought for her.

She didn't bother to turn around. She knew he was standing behind her.

‘That was the first time I told you that I...'

‘Don't say it,' she snapped.

‘Why not,' he said. ‘It's true. And if I recall correctly, you told me that you loved me too.'

As she found herself re-living the memory he stole up behind her and kissed the back of her neck.

‘Remember?' he said, softly.

She nodded her head, faintly.

‘So,' he continued, ‘you'll definitely remember this room then, and what we got up to in it.'

She sighed. ‘I've got a feeling you're going to remind me.'

“ ‘One of the best weekends of your life,' that was how you used to talk about Venice. Full of firsts, wasn't it? First time you'd ever tried espresso, first time we properly planned our future together, first time we ever...”

As he trailed off, Kate blushed.

‘So you do remember,' he said. ‘Funny, when I walked into the room and saw you standing by the window, I'm pretty sure that was exactly where you stood that night. And the dress you're wearing, it's the same one isn't it?'

Kate looked down. Sure enough, her clothing had changed to the light flower patterned dress she had been wearing the night Alan was talking about all those years ago.

‘Upon arriving, although we were anxious to explore the city that first night, we were late leaving the hotel because we'd spent all afternoon in this room, making love.'

Reluctant to reply, Kate simply nodded.

‘You wanted to break out the guide books, but I persuaded you that it would be more fun if we just wandered around the city, which we did until it fell dark. Eventually, we settled upon a little restaurant near the Doge's Palace.'

‘No,' Kate interrupted. She couldn't help herself. ‘That isn't right. That was where we ate the second night. The first night we went to a little Trattoria not far from the Bridge of Sighs.'

‘Ah, yes, you're right. You had lasagne, whilst I had...'

‘The arrabiata.'

‘Did I? You know, I'd forgotten that.' He hadn't at all, he was just trying to draw her into the web of memories that he was spinning. ‘Then, afterwards, didn't we decide to walk back the long way around?'

‘No,' she contradicted him. ‘I wanted to take a barge, but you said you were sure that you had worked out a short cut through the canal network. Some short cut. We were lost within five minutes.'

He laughed. ‘You're right again. But then if we hadn't got lost, we'd never have come across those two young lovers, remember?'

‘How could I forget,' she murmured, indistinctly.

‘We'd just turned a corner when we saw them standing on that small bridge in the moonlight. Thinking they were alone, they'd obviously decided to take advantage of the moment. I thought they were simply admiring the view, but you spotted what they were up to straight away and pulled me back into the shadows, where we stood and watched.'

The memory came flooding back to Kate with a vengeance. After pausing for a moment, Alan continued. ‘They were both so beautiful, with their classic Italian looks. The woman was standing with her hands resting on the parapet, much as yours are resting on the windowsill now. She was leaning forwards slightly. How you managed to see that her jeans were unbuckled and that she had lowered them slightly, I don't know. I had to look twice before I could tell. You were right though, unbuckled they were. Do you recall why?'

Kate declined to answer.

‘Come, now, I'm sure you do. Her lover, standing behind her, unzipped his flies, took out his already stiff cock and peeled a condom onto it. You could see it glistening in the moonlight. Then he withdrew something from his pocket, a little cream or lubricant of some sort, and smeared it around the crack of his lover's bottom. He glanced around, to ensure that they weren't being watched - he didn't spy us, we were well hidden in the shadows - then he grasped his lover's hips and probed the crack of her arse with the tip of his cock. Gradually, inch by inch, he inserted it. She caught her breath as she felt hers boyfriend's prick nestle inside her. As they started to make love she slipped her right hand into her pants and began to masturbate. Can you imagine how good that must have felt, to have a nice hard cock gliding in and out of your bottom whilst playing with yourself? Is that why you suggested that we follow suit?'

‘Yes. No. Maybe.' Kate was confused. ‘I don't know. I suppose.' Alan was right though, it was her suggestion to go back to the hotel and experiment with anal sex for the first time.

‘I couldn't believe how aroused you became, watching them make love. It inspired you to unzip me, reach inside my trousers and play with me, remember?'

Kate nodded. It was no use denying it, she had felt incredibly turned on by the site of the two young lovers. She shut her eyes in an attempt to blank the image out but, all too clearly, she could recall the memory.

‘The more excited they became, the more aroused you grew. I could tell because, by now, I was feeling turned on as well. I was desperate to take you there and then, only you wouldn't let me. You seemed content to play with me, to wank me off as we watched them grow closer to climax. Even if we had walked out on them at that stage, I don't think they would have stopped, do you? They were too far gone in the moment, weren't they?'

‘I'd say so,' she whispered.

‘I couldn't believe how loudly the young woman moaned when she came. Half of Venice must have heard her. By that stage her partner must have been desperate to experience his own climax. It really took me by surprise when the young woman sank too her knees, took her partner's cock in hers mouth and began to suck him off. Do you think it was accidental or deliberate the way she held that bulging cock in front of her mouth and allowed it to spray her chin and lips? It was almost as if she knew we were watching.' Alan caught his breath. ‘Do you think she did? Do you think that maybe we were the ones being duped, that they knew we were there all along and that they'd decided to put on a show for our benefit?'

‘No,' Kate shook her head.

‘No matter. Whichever way, you can't deny the effect it had upon you. I'd never seen you so out of control. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn't have it. You'd never wanked me off like that. You were desperate to see me come. The look on your face when I finally did. It was as if you'd never seen a cock spurting spunk before. You tugged my foreskin back as I sprayed the cobbled street, then,' Alan grinned, ‘some must have splashed onto your fingers, because you lifted your hand up to your mouth and licked it off.'

‘No I didn't,' she denied.

‘Yes, you did. And after I'd cleaned myself up, you said...'

‘Please don't repeat it.'

‘Why not?'

‘Because it's embarrassing; because I don't feel that way about you now.'

‘Ah, but you did back then. ‘I want you to take me from behind,' that was what you said.'

Kate was feeling hot and flushed. Her mind was in turmoil as she recalled the steamy night in Venice all those years ago. She glanced at her watch. Time was ticking away, but she was unsure she would be able to stand up to the onslaught of memories for much longer. To her shame, she had started to feel aroused all over again as Alan had described the scene on the bridge. The night hadn't ended there though, as he was about to remind her.