The Finest Line (7 page)

Each time he did this, the staff
called to him desperately. Joining their pleas was an old woman in
tailored pant suit, pearls and designer shoes. She cried bitterly
each time the dog returned to sit on the plank. Mairead figured
that this was Mrs. Chapman.

The housemaid had finally caught
up to them and upon seeing the situation, burst into a fresh round
of tears. The manager turned and glared at her. “Shut up Anna.”

“Don’t talk to her like that,”
Mairead was furious. “This is not her fault.”

“Miss Kavanagh...” the manager
began.

“There are some obvious safety
procedures and building codes that have been breached here,”
Mairead continued. “And you’re lucky that’s not a child out there.”
Years of listening to her father’s conversations of the building
industry had obviously sunk in.

Mairead walked past the manager
to Mrs. Chapman. “Do you want your fucking dog?”

Mrs. Chapman stared at her in
horror. “Of course I do, you rude girl.” She turned to the manager.
“Who is this person?”

“Miss Kavanagh is a guest at the
hotel,” The manager was clutching his bald head in frustration.
“Miss Kavanagh, please...”

Mairead stared straight into
Mrs. Chapman’s face. “I’m the person who is going to get your
dog... but only on one condition.”

Mrs. Chapman stared at her
incredulously but eventually spoke. “What condition?”

“You tell our bald friend here
that he is not to dismiss Anna.” Mairead turned to the manager. “In
fact, there is to be no retribution whatsoever and I’m sure Anna
must be due for a pay rise.”

“How are
you
going to get
Timmy?” Mrs. Chapman turned to the manager. “Why isn’t the fire
department here?”

“I’m right on it.” The manager
glared at the valet who quickly punched numbers into his cell
phone.

Mairead took hold of Mrs.
Chapman’s arm. “Listen to me. By the time the fire department gets
here Timmy will be a bloody pancake on the pavement below. I’m the
best chance you have.”

Her words were fortified when
Timmy suddenly made a run to the end of the board, skidding to a
halt before the end but not before one of his back legs slid over
the side.

One of the staff screamed and
others gasped in horror when for the next few seconds Timmy’s death
seemed imminent. Mairead held her breath as they all watched his
desperate clamber until he was once again safely on the plank.

Mrs. Chapman bawled and looked
at Mairead frantically. “Just do it. I want my Timmy. I want my
baby.”

Mairead had every intention of
doing it but she steeled herself and turned Mrs. Chapman to the
manager. “Tell him.”

“You heard her. Everything she’s
asked for or my lawyers will tear this place apart.”

The manager threw his arms up.
“Mrs. Chapman, I am not about to allow a guest to go out on that
scaffolding.”

Mairead screwed her face up. “I
don’t need your permission. “ She turned to a group of staff
members assembled at one window. “Get out the way.”

Some moved but a few stayed put.
Anna came up and clasped her hand. “Miss Kavanagh. You must not do
this. It is ten storeys high.”

Mairead smiled at her. “Good
thing I’m not scared of heights.” Turning back to the staff she
summoned her loudest voice. “Get out the fucking way.” This time
she got a hundred percent response.

Running, she leapt up and landed
on the window sill and gripped the top frame. Her vantage point
gave her a full view of what was before her. She could see the
route that Timmy must have taken, along a thin steel flat beam
which led to another perpendicular to the first. They were part of
the main structure which supported the network of pipes and planks.
There were only a few thick pipes connecting downwards from the
beams and nothing for her to hold. Good balance would be her only
aid.

Way down below she could see
parked cars on a thin quiet street which ran down the side of the
hotel. Mairead grinned to herself as she thought that at least she
wouldn’t land on anyone. Across from her she could see people
gathered at windows watching Timmy. Mairead’s appearance quickly
increased the number. She smiled and waved at them.

“Miss Kavanagh,” The manager
demonstrated his own booming voice. “Get down this instance. You
lot, drag her in.”

It was time to move. Mairead
grabbed the side window frame and swung herself round to the brick
sill outside the window. It was wide enough for her to turn back to
everyone inside and poke her tongue out at the manager, and then
she stepped out onto the beam.

The gentle breeze caressed her
and Mairead breathed in deeply, savouring the freedom. Here she was
appropriately attired, her feet planted upon a beam and an audience
watching. It was as natural to her as walking in the park.

In her joy she stretched up to
the sky, lifted one leg and held it straight out, before doing a
slow cartwheel along the beam, landing perfectly with one foot in
front of the other. The shouts and pleas of the staff fell silent
behind her, leaving only the weeping of some of the women.

Timmy watched her curiously, his
head angled to the side. Mairead grinned at him briefly before
returning her attention to the beam. Three casual steps and she had
reached the next beam.

Planting a foot on each beam,
she took a moment to look at the pavement, one hundred feet below,
trying to imagine the fear so many had of heights. It was something
she just didn’t have a problem with. Fully aware of certain death
waiting below, if she fell, Mairead resolved that she just had no
intention of falling.

A chill crept into her bones as
she looked down at the pavement. Had Josh done something similar,
maybe to impress her and fallen? He had seemed so coherent. When he
had gone to get her water had something happened that she couldn’t
remember?

“Miss Kavanagh,” Mairead was
aware of a soft voice and looked back at the terrified face of the
porter leaning out of the window. “Are you alright?”

Mairead grinned. “I’m
marvellous. How are you?”

The porter smiled weakly. “I’m
really afraid.”

Mairead sighed dramatically.
“Alright I’ll stop showing off and get the bloody dog.”

She walked the second beam in
eight quick strides and stepped upon the plank. Timmy stood up and
wagged his tail furiously.

Bending down, she took hold of
the plank, doing a slow controlled handstand and opening her legs
to a wide v, before bringing them down to straddle the plank.

Timmy came to her immediately
and she took him into a tight embrace. His tail was out of control
and his little tongue licked her face.

Mairead giggled. “You little
troublemaker, I think we must be kindred spirits.”

She held him with one arm whilst
she pulled her stretchy bra top away from her body and tucked Timmy
down between her breasts. “How’s that Timmy? You get to go where no
male has been before.”

Timmy seemed to enjoy his haven
and snuggled in with his head resting against her. Mairead
grimaced. “Just watch those claws Timmy. Good thing you’re not a
Rottweiler.”

Sirens became audible below and
Mairead quickly pulled the hair band from her head. She threaded it
through both straps of her top and tied it securely so there was no
escape for Timmy.

With both hands free, Mairead
leaned forward and grasped the plank with stiff outstretched arms.
She brought her legs to rest along the plank, before hopping them
into a crouching position. From there she stood up and gracefully
turned the other way. She was immediately aware of Timmy’s weight
and decided to walk up and down the plank until she was
adjusted.

She knew her audience would be
bewildered by this, but safety was really a high priority to her.
Once she was confident, Mairead walked both steel beams quickly and
without incident into the waiting arms of the staff who helped her
through the window.

Inside, Mairead was swamped with
people hugging her, cheering, applauding and crying. Timmy saw Mrs.
Chapman and began to kick and scratch her breasts. She quickly
untied her top and put him firmly in Mrs. Chapman’s arms.

Mairead felt a little humbled as
she watched the old woman hug and kiss her baby desperately, and
through a flood of tears try and mouth her thanks.

Mairead smiled warmly and
shrugged. “No biggie.”

Suddenly she was tackled by Anna
who held on to her for a long time her body trembling with her
crying. Eventually she looked up at Mairead and her tear stained
face grew angry. Mairead startled as she felt two stinging slaps to
her backside.

“You naughty girl,” Anna
scolded. “You never do that again. I rather never work again than
watch you do that.” To reiterate her words, she gave Mairead
another couple of swats.

“Ouch!” Mairead pouted,
especially when the porter called out, “Give her one from me too
Anna.”

The manager approached with an
ashen face. “I’m tempted to get her to give you a few from me.” He
smiled at Anna. “But please Anna, we aren’t allowed to smack the
guests. Miss Kavanagh... I just don’t know what to say. I’ve never
seen anything like it. ”

Mairead grinned. “You know what
I want.”

The manager nodded. “Anna keeps
her job and gets a pay rise.”

Somebody called out that the
fire brigade were on their way up. It was definitely her cue to get
out of there.

Mairead looked at the manager
desperately. “Please... if my face ends up in the papers again, my
life is over. Let me go and don’t tell anyone who rescued that dog.
Just tell them it was a complete stranger. Please do this for
me.”

“I honestly don’t know how that
will go. So many people saw you.” The manager shrugged. “I’ll do
the best I can.”

“That’s all I ask,” Mairead
kissed him on his bald head and turned to everyone. “Until my next
amazing act... “

With that she ran off, listening
to the cheers behind her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mairead sat in the recliner in
her silky nightie and matching robe. After her busy afternoon she
had indulged in a bath and dressed for bed. She felt wonderfully
tired and relaxed and her apparel was cool and erotic against her
skin.

She had chosen a g-string to
allow the material to brush against her buttocks when she moved.
Somehow her hundred feet high walk had aroused her. Each time she
thought of her stunt, her stomach would tighten and the desire to
reach between her legs grew stronger.

The scenario of her adventure
had altered in her mind. As she walked the last beam everyone had
gone except James whose anger was evident in his frowning eyes. As
he took hold of her she could feel his strength and power over her.
Yet his touch was gentle as he took the little dog from her and set
him down.

A chair had somehow appeared in
the empty room, its presence ominous and exciting. Mairead could
not take her eyes from it as she was firmly led towards it. As
quickly as he sat down, she was taken across his lap.

Her hand had wandered down to
her inner thighs when the star of her fantasy returned. Sitting up,
Mairead blushed as she settled her breathing.

“Hi James,” Mairead stared at
him, trying to gauge his face for any hint that he had discovered
her antics. Apart from a slightly disapproving frown when he saw
what she wearing, he showed no other emotion.

James sat down on the couch
adjacent to her recliner. He glanced at her before picking up a
magazine from the coffee table “An early bedtime?”

“Of course not James, this is
our last night together.”

The frown returned. “Which
means...?”

“Which means that we can have a
nice dinner together in our room, and watch a good movie before we
go to bed... our own beds of course,” Mairead felt playful, aware
that he was not unaffected by what she was wearing.

James sighed and reached across
to take a hotel menu from the coffee table. He tossed it at
Mairead. “Make your choice and I’ll ring it through.”

Half an hour later their food
was wheeled into the room by the porter who was beaming ear to ear.
James went to tip him but received an enthusiastic refusal.

“No thank you sir and dinner is
on the hotel tonight.” The porter looked at Mairead, blushing
noticeably. “And might I say Miss Kavanagh, you are most
incredible, most amazing person... everyone is talking about
you.”

Mairead jumped up and hurried to
intervene. “That’s terribly sweet. Thank you but we have an early
start tomorrow and ...”

“I just hoped I might get an
autograph,” He held out a small book and pen in a trembling
hand.

Mairead glanced at James who was
watching the proceedings with great interest. She quickly took the
book and signed it.

“Thank you so much, Miss
Kavanagh.” He pocketed his treasure and took his leave. Mairead
shut the door after him.

When she turned back James was
frowning and giving her that intent stare which ignited that
terrible tingle in her backside.

“Do you want to tell me what
that was all about?” James spoke quietly as he began to inspect the
trolley full of food and champagne in an ice bucket.

Mairead shrugged. “He’s a fan
obviously. Gosh James, not everyone hates me.”

James held up the bottle of 1997
Bollinger. “The price tag of this champagne would suggest that the
hotel management are running your fan club.”

“I bring publicity to them. They
are obviously grateful.”

James picked up a gold rimmed
card and read it. “Miss Kavanagh, I’m forever in your debt, Mrs.
Chapman.” He looked at Mairead. “Who is Mrs. Chapman?”

She shrugged, “Another fan
maybe?”

He was not amused, “Mairead is
there something you would like to tell me?”

“There sure is James,” she
smiled sweetly as him. “I’m bloody hungry. Let’s eat.”