The Finest Line (24 page)

“My congratulations to you both
Sir,” James smiled and his eyes met hers. “Miss Kavanagh.”

She tried to read his face but
the more she looked at him, the greater her pain was growing. She
turned to Mark. “We should get going. I’m tired.”

“Of course baby,” Mark put his
arm around her and kissed her hair. “It’s been quite an exhausting
day hasn’t it?”

James reached into his jacket
pocket and held her phone out to her. “You left your phone in the
car Miss Kavanagh. I’ve charged it for you and your charger is in
your suitcase.”

“Thank you,” Mairead whispered
as she took it from him, hoping her words conveyed more than just
gratitude for her phone.

His face showed no sign of
emotion which was more unbearable than if he had just gone berserk.
She went to move towards the door but Mark held on to her and
brought his face close to hers, “You’re forgetting your manners
Mairead.”

She looked at him and then at
Kylie who still was strangely subdued. “Thank you for everything
Kylie. Sorry for the trouble I put you through.”

Kylie smiled weakly and
nodded.

Mark prompted her again, “And...
the party Mairead, you would like to invite your friends to our
engagement party on Sunday night at the Grand Vista.”

It was the last thing that
Mairead wanted to do. Wanting the party had been just another
irresponsible compulsion and while she still desired very much to
have one final goodbye with her friends, James was the last person
she wanted to attend.

Yet she knew that once again she
had backed herself into a corner. “I would like very much if you
both could come.”

“Be there with bells on
Girlfriend,” Kylie replied with a little forced enthusiasm.

Mairead glanced at James who
smiled stiffly. “I will do my best to be there Miss Kavanagh.”

“Can we go now?”

“Yes we can, baby,” Mark smiled
widely. “James, would you help me with Mairead’s luggage
please.”

“Of course Sir,” James gathered
her things.

Mairead held herself together
until she was back in the car and watching James shake hands with
Mark and then walk away. She angrily brushed away tears as Mark got
in.

“Interesting friends Mairead,”
he commented dryly.

Mairead glanced at him. “Kylie
is my best friend.”

The look he gave her was pure
disdain. “Don’t be expecting it to be one of your bridesmaids. I’ll
provide them for you.”

The hatred she felt for him at
that moment was only surpassed by her discomfit with his next
comment.

“And James, the chauffeur,
interesting fellow, why do I get that strangest feeling that...” He
looked at Mairead. “That he owes me five thousand dollars.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was well after midnight as
Mairead sat on the bed while Mark continued to berate her. She
watched as he paced the room until he came snarling back at her. “I
know you fucked him. Just admit it.”

She yawned and shook her head,
“And for the fucking thousandth time I tell you I didn’t.”

“You’re a fucking lying slut,”
Mark was looming over her and it was only becoming a matter of time
before he lashed out.

Mairead had no idea how long she
could keep her denial going. It was hard to gauge whether telling
him the truth would provide any relief or earn her a hiding but she
had no desire to find out.

All she wanted to do was sleep.
Her body had never known such exhaustion.

Mark yelled at her again. “I’m
going to fucking hurt you badly if you don’t tell me the truth. I’m
sick of your fucking lies.”

Glaring at Mark, she rose from
the bed and padded across to the built in wardrobe. Sliding the
door open she looked at the contents, rifled through and discovered
the cane. Taking it out, she returned and threw it upon the bed
before removing her clothes.

Mark watched incredulously as
she took off her bra and lowered her briefs to the base of her
buttocks. Bending over the bed, she rested her head into her arms
and cried quietly, “Do whatever you have to do.”

He picked up the cane and ran it
through his fingers as he stared down at her prostrate form and the
welts of his last attack. Shaking his head, he grinned and his
anger subdued, “I still don’t believe you.”

“Well that’s too bad,” Mairead
yawned again. “Just hurry up and do it so I can get some fucking
sleep.”

He ran the cane gently over her
body and smiled when he saw her brace. “I thought we had made a
deal.”

Mairead sighed, “I’m tired Mark
and I ate too much and I feel like shit. Right now I wouldn’t care
if you beat me to death.”

He tossed the cane and reached
down and put her briefs back in place. “You’re a remarkable woman
Mairead.” He lay down next to her and rolled her onto her side, his
eyes wandering over her breasts and face. He grinned as he wiped
some of her tears away, “You’re a liar, but still remarkable.”

Mairead looked at him and yawned
again. “Can I sleep now?”

He nodded and helped her get
into bed.

James was not mentioned again
throughout the next morning, much to her relief and her joy was
complete when Mark announced that he would be out for at least half
the day.

“I’ll be back after lunch,” He
told her. “And then I shall take you shopping for a dress for the
party. Would you like that?”

Mairead smiled. “I’d like that
very much.”

When he was gone, Mairead
whirled around the lounge room, wallowing in her solitude. Whatever
cream he had used had helped her wounds considerably. The lines had
mostly faded and there was some bruising but the pain had become
tolerable.

After making coffee, she walked
about the penthouse appreciating the art on the walls and the views
from the balcony. In the lounge she discovered the digital audio
system and Mark’s play list of classical music and opera.

“Wow, really boring Mark,” But
she pushed the play button anyway and turned the volume up. Music
was music. She continued her exploration while she half listened to
an orchestra play the introduction to Offenbach’s
Barcarolle
. The piece was nearly complete when she turned
and looked toward the speaker.

“Did I just like that?” Mairead
wandered over to the system and was about to hit the repeat button
when she had another idea. Hurrying to the bedroom she discarded
her robe and found her aerobics bra and shorts in her suitcase
neatly folded by Kylie.

In the lounge she stretched for
a few minutes before returning to the music system and pushing
‘repeat.’ She closed her eyes as the orchestra began to play and
let the sound encompass her.

From there her body moved to the
music and she embraced her need to imitate the beauty. Her toes
pointed so much further and her muscles worked so much harder to
personify the grace. She was aware of every part of her body and
its movement.

It was as if she was competing
with the powerful magnificence of the soprano’s voice only to feel
that she had failed miserably as the song concluded.

Sitting on the floor, she
frowned at the audio system. “I move like a fucking elephant.”
Annoyed she got up and began the music again and worked the
routine. Several repeats later she lay on the floor exhausted.

Mairead grinned as she wondered
what the soprano was singing about and decided that it was an ode
from the singer telling her that she would never be half as good at
dancing as she was at singing.

“Yeah we’ll see bitch,” Mairead
told her as she jumped up and headed for the bathroom and a much
needed shower.

Back in the bedroom she threw
open her luggage. It was wonderful to have her things back and go
through some of her outfits. She smiled sadly as she held up her
favourite sexy dress and remembered the look on James’ face when he
had first seen her in it. It all seemed so long ago.

She considered putting it on and
decided that it would sicken her if Mark looked at her in the same
way. Clean jeans and shirt it would be. As she rummaged through for
socks she found Joshua’s android still sitting at the bottom of her
case.

She stared at it for a long time
before picking it up in her trembling hand. Her thumb pushed the
power button and there was no response. A further search unearthed
the charger for her phone.

Scanning the room she saw a
power socket in the wall. Still in just her underwear she padded
across and knelt on the floor next to it. A flick of a switch and a
connection completed, Mairead watched the digital circles of the
charging indicator.

The phone lit up as soon as she
turned it on and her own face and that of Josh’s laughed back at
her. His display picture was a moment they had shared with their
faces cheek to cheek and their mouths wide with happiness.

Josh was really good looking.
She had told him that sometime but when? Probably only minutes
before he died, Mairead thought as she breathed out slowly, tears
running unchecked.

Why couldn’t she remember more?
She found his files and was startled by the number of pictures of
her. Some she remembered him taking but so many more she didn’t. He
had captured her in full party mode, laughing and wild but he had
also stolen some moments that surprised her.

One particular picture was of
her sitting at the pool’s edge, that ever reminded moment when she
had thrown her phone away. The close up portrait was of her head in
her arms, rested on bended knees and looking out at nothing,
sadness filling her face.

There were video files and
Mairead looked at the last one created. Her finger poised ready to
tap the file into action but she withdrew it quickly as she
remembered his words, “It was an honour Mairead. You’re beautiful,
funny ...and a little bit wild.”

The tears were flowing faster
when she tapped the file. She gasped as she looked upon her sickly
ashen face, glistening with tears and snot. Her eyes were swollen
and red and her hair was a tangled mess. Josh was right next to her
and his eyes were also red but his grin was beaming.

He spoke, “Right, say that
again. I’m getting that on video.”

The video shuddered and Mairead
remembered that she had taken his device from him to say, “Joshua
Mason. Would you do the honour of being my boyfriend?” Her half
smile in the video was exchanged for an expression of sickliness,
emphasised by her saying “I feel sick” as the camera dropped away.
Josh’s body blackened the view for a second and he was saying,
“I’ll get you some water.”

Seagulls could be heard but the
only footage being shot was of the sky and the long flat silver
rail of the top of the balcony wall. The rail she had apparently
walked along and encouraged Josh to do the same. Its width was
narrow and Mairead couldn’t believe she had survived it herself,
given her condition.

Her thoughts darkened. If she
had only fallen first, Josh may still have lived. He had so much
more right to life than she did. Her sobbing became audible as she
watched the video. The scene remained unchanged for the next couple
of minutes and then stopped as the video ended.

Her grief found its full
potential and she cried long and hard. When she finally had nothing
left, she remained on the floor leaning against the wall and
staring at nothing until her focus went to the wardrobe.

Slowly she got up and approached
it, sliding the door open slowly. The cane was lying on the base
but her attention was diverted to several belts hanging on one
side.

She ran her fingers along each
of them and selected a wide black leather one, taking it from its
hook. Walking to the dresser mirror, she looked at herself grimly,
and removed her bra.

Taking the belt, she doubled it
and with full force she swung it around her body until the belt
struck her back. The impact made her gasp and stumble and it took a
moment for her to gain composure before she did it again.

Five times she flogged herself
until she was trembling uncontrollably and had to lean on the
dresser. Slowly she turned and looked with disgusted satisfaction
upon the red lines before tossing the belt aside. She waited to see
if the pain in her heart was overcome but the slightest thought of
Josh assaulted every emotion. Her mind tortured her.

Mark returned mid afternoon and
found Mairead in t-shirt and undies, listening to his music. He
smiled but remained quiet as he sat down next to her but startled
when she moved closer to him.

His face was confounded as she
straddled his legs to face him, and his mouth tentatively welcomed
her kiss. As her tongue began to push between his lips he opened
and accepted her passion, drawing his arms around her and holding
her closely.

He watched as she removed her
t-shirt and leaned back to allow a full view of her breasts. His
hand moved over them, his fingers pulling on her hardening nipples
before bringing them to his hungry mouth.

As he sucked and licked one, the
other received the attention of his fingers as he listened to the
escalation of her breathing. Mairead slipped the jacket from his
shoulders as he tended her and her fingers found and loosened his
tie.

Mark sat up to allow her to undo
his shirt and helped her to remove it. A guttural moan escaped him
when his own nipples received the attention of her mouth. Mairead
moved her legs between his so that her body could slide downwards,
bringing her tongue down across his stomach.

Still licking she took hold of
the waistbands of his trousers and boxers as he undid his fly.
Sliding them down to mid calf, her mouth sought out his hardened
penis and she licked the length of the shaft.

The glans bulged from his
foreskin and she used only her lips to massage it until her tongue
pushed into the opening. Her mouth encompassed the head and slowly
moved down until it was deep in her throat.