King of New York (24 page)

****

Nervously, Sierra makes her way
to her new office. The building is huge as she stands in the middle of Wall
Street admiring her new workplace. She knows she only got the job due to her
connection with Uncle Danny. Though she’d wanted to achieve things without a
man’s help, she looks at the building once and feels grateful that a man had
helped her to get a post in the financial district of the world.

A handsome but
somewhat old man with silverish black hair opens the door for her. He is well
dressed with beautiful green eyes and a scar on his handsome face. He smiles at
her as he disappears inside a highly armoured vehicle. He intrigues her, and
she thinks she remembers him from somewhere, but she is unable to dwell on him
any further as she takes in the magnificent building she’s now in. The
reception area is massive, and wealthy-looking clients sit and wait for
appointments. The lift is pristine as it takes her to her floor. Everyone in
the building is well-dressed and in a hurry to work and make money. She takes a
final breath as the lift opens and she is welcomed by one of the partners of
the firm.

She is escorted
to her office. It’s spacious with a commanding view of the city; it’s painted
in mocha brown and it calms her nerves. She takes a seat on her leather chair
as she gets ready to begin her first day as an investment banker in one of the
biggest firms in the country. She knows that her job is esoteric but she is
ready for the challenges.

Excitement eats
away at her as she thinks about Chad, imagining what it will feel like if he
were to ever make love to her in her office. She cannot wait for him to come
back from London.

Realising she is
at work, she snaps out of her daydream and starts looking at the papers before
her. To say she is quite confused at first is an understatement, but being the
fast learner that she is, she picks up the daily duties quickly and gets with
the flow of things.

CHAPTER 16

It’s Friday afternoon; the ending
to her first week at her new job. Sierra is sat in her office bored out of her
mind when someone knocks at her door.

It’s her best
friend, Alison, from London.

Sierra screams
with excitement as Alison opens the door. They both rush into one another’s
arms and join in a warm embrace.

“Oh my God,
Sierra, you look so American,” screams Alison, jokingly.

“You look
amazing, darling,” replies Sierra. They hug some more before Alison takes a
seat.

“Wow, Si, you
have done so well for yourself. This is amazing and I’m so proud of you. The
people downstairs kept on calling you the ‘young British gem’, and to think
you’ve only been working here for a week is fantastic.”

Sierra remains
humble and nods her head in acknowledgement of her friend’s words.

“When I came to
this country I never imagined I would get a position like this in such a short
time. It’s mainly due to the help of my father’s friend, Uncle Danny, who
introduced me to the elites of New York. I’ll always be thankful to him for the
help he gave me.”

Sierra senses
that Alison is amazed at her rise to success. “Wow, babe, that is so amazing.”

Sierra calls her
assistant and tells her to hold all calls. “Let’s go get some drinks and good
food, babe.” The two ladies walk side by side out the building. They get into
Sierra’s Aston Martin, which Chad Perry surprised her with while in London, and
drive to downtown Manhattan. The sun shines steadily.

The two ladies
exit the car and enter a small picturesque steakhouse. The ambience is calm,
with the sounds of guitar and piano entwined in a sweet melody. The waiter
directs the ladies to their seats before bringing them two glasses of red wine.
Sierra and Alison are still giddy with excitement at the sight of one another.
They chit-chat about all things British: from the authentic cuisine of fish and
chips, to the London Stock Exchange. Alison tells Sierra that the FTSE 100 had
changed drastically since Sierra left. “But oil and gas still remain kings at
the top of the FTSE,” says Alison to Sierra.

Their food
arrives – two medium-rare sirloin steaks, with vegetables and fries in a
separate plate at the ladies’ request. They eat in silence and enjoy the
splendid melodies of the music flowing inside the room. Alison stops midway through
her meal. There is a questioning look in her eyes.

“Is everything
alright, babe?” asks Sierra.

“Yes, everything’s
well. Actually that’s a lie. The reason why I came to New York, apart from the
fact that you’d invited me, was to get away from Henry. He is becoming so
boring and self-consumed in his fucking job. I mean the bastard doesn’t even
touch me in bed anymore. He is so cold and distant from me. I think he’s
cheating on me, Si.”

Sierra is
shocked at her friend’s revelation. Henry was a mutual friend of theirs who’d
had a massive crush on Sierra at Cambridge, but since she’d liked Tom Winters,
he’d decided to go with Alison instead. Eventually they got married at an
extravagant ceremony. But it seems that there is now trouble in paradise.

“No way, Al.
Henry is the most timid and shy guy ever, no way will he cheat on a stunner
like you. With all his intelligence I believe he has enough common sense to
know that he needs you. Right?”

Alison appears
dumbfounded at Sierra’s question.

“I don’t know,
Si. What other explanation is there when the man that made a vow before God and
man no longer seems interested in you. I know Henry, and I know he never
behaved in such a manner before until this new secretary started working for
him. That tramp is bent on ruining my marriage, but not before I ruin the world
she thinks she knows.” Alison digs her fork violently into the steak.

“Whoa, Al, calm
down, babe. It’s ok, please don’t cry.”

Sierra, feeling
her friend’s pain, gets teary-eyed too and softly wipes the tears off her
friend’s face.

“It’ll be
alright, Al. I’ll help you take this bitch down if that’s what you truly want.
But you have to be sure that she really is sleeping with your man. Don’t rush
to hasty conclusions. For now put some make-up on that beautiful face of yours
and let’s enjoy our meal.”

Alison manages a
half-hearted smile as she shows her gratitude for having a friend like Sierra. She
pats her face with some powder and adds a fresh coat of luxurious red lipstick
to her lips.

Alison is two
years older than Sierra and had taken a two year gap from education after sixth
form while Sierra continued straight to university and completed the four years
it took for an undergraduate and a Master’s degree in England. However, sat in
the restaurant one would not know that she is older than Sierra as her naivety
shows.

The two ladies
clink glasses and toast Alison’s stay in New York.

“So are you
seeing anyone, Si? I heard the men over here are sexier than the Brits, but a
bit intellectually challenging.”

They both laugh
at Alison’s joke.

“I’m just
kidding. But have you found yourself an American that can rock your world.”

Sierra laughs
before gaining her composure.

“Maybe I have,
Al. What do you think? Ok I have, I have. Stop looking at me like that.”

“Tell me about
him. And don’t leave the good bits out.”

Sierra is a
little reluctant at first to divulge her intimacy with Chad. But acknowledging
that Alison is her best friend, she begins to speak.

“Well, first of
all, I … I love him. He is perfect in my eyes. He has a hold over my body that
I didn’t even ask for. I give in to him submissively without even wanting to be
submissive. I see the love in him whenever he stares at me with his scorching
blue eyes. He is beautiful. He makes me feel loved, wanted and needed all at
the same time. His hands transform my body into a vessel of pleasure and the
way I react almost makes me feel like I love him enough to take him into
eternity with me. I am lost in his touch.”

Alison looks fascinated
and intrigued by Sierra’s words about her lover. Sierra’s eyes smoulder as she
speaks passionately about Chad.

“Please
continue. I can listen to this all day. You’re so lucky, Si. What a man he must
be to be able to take your body to the brink of ecstasy. I want someone like
him.”

They both laugh.

“The way he
holds and touches my body is almost unexplainable. He has the power to make me
do the most shameful things, but all I feel is the pleasure that he brings. He
teaches me to put my shame aside and take in the pleasure of him watching me as
I try to hide the fact that I am just as sordid as he is. Do you know what I
mean?” Sierra asks her friend. Alison appears lost for words at her friend’s revelation.

“Erm, no, no, I don’t
know what you mean. Please, elaborate, Sierra.”

Sierra gets
flustered with thoughts of Chad touching her in all the wrong but right places.

“He turns my
body into a raging inferno when he lays his sensuous hands on me. I become
subservient to the sweet pleasure he imposes on my feminine parts. I love the
deceit of his hands when it feels like silk but immediately turns into this hot
and fiery persona that takes my body to extremes I never knew I could reach.

“His pain hits
me deep inside my womanhood and then transforms into pleasure. My body is torn
between pleasure and pain, and it feels like both have to go together because
without one the other cannot survive, and I always need to feel all he has to
offer to my femininity even in its most extreme form.

“The truth is
that I love the person he transforms me into when I’m in his forbidden room. I
feel like a different woman, one that I never knew I was.”

Sierra stops to
look at the expression on Alison’s face. It is a look of desire for a lover
like Chad. Alison seems awestruck by Sierra’s tales of Chad’s sexual prowess.
Her mouth is half-open as she continues to listen carefully to Sierra.

“‘You want me to
punish you, do you not, baby, you want me to make it hurt while you feel
pleasure right?’ he would ask.

“His cock when
it’s inside me causes the most sublime pain I have ever felt. He whispers
filthy words in my ear, so I forget the pain and just imagine him doing all the
dirty things he says in my ear. He stops and I beg him to take me.

“‘Be quiet baby.
I want you to be able to take my pain and turn it into pleasure.’

“He stabs
himself inside me and I yell with pain but it’s wonderful too.

“He knows how to
drive me crazy; I crave each and every inch of him within me. I scream his name
till the whole of the city hears what this man does to me.

“‘Fuck baby, why
do you do this to me? Why are you my pain and my pleasure?’ he would ask.

“The sexual pain
in his voice is music to my ears. I can feel how much he loves and needs me as
I lay, tied-up on the bed, while he fucks me like a deranged man.”

Sierra finally
stops, looks at her friend and sees the desire in her eyes for a lover like
Chad.

“Now do you know
what I mean, Alison?”

Alison regains
her composure.

“Yes I do, I do.
I wish my Henry was like that. What’s his name?”

Sierra looks at
Alison and whispers: “His name is Chad Perry. The King of New York, as he likes
to be called.”

Alison is in awe
of Chad.

“When can I meet
his highness? I must make my presence known to him,” Alison says, with hope in
her eyes.

“Chad is a very
busy man. As a matter of fact he’s in England as we speak. He’ll most certainly
have plenty work to attend to, so I doubt you’ll be able to see him during your
week’s stay.” Alison is clearly disappointed, but deep down Sierra is happy as
she doesn’t want another woman to lay eyes on her lover.

Although Alison
is her best friend, Sierra senses the jealously and lust in her stare and it
suddenly makes her feel uneasy. She remembers the stare, as it was the same one
Alison had given her the time they’d met Sebastian at Harrods back in London.
Sierra doesn’t want to believe it, but there is a nagging feeling deep in her
mind that says Alison could be jealous of the fact that she always gets the
good-looking guys.

She stares at Alison
once more with a questioning look in her eyes. Could it be that Alison wants
Chad?

****

Chad Perry is back. The king is
back in New York!

His trip to
London was fruitful and he made great connections with top investors in
England. He also engaged in numerous charity events and donated over five
million dollars to various causes. Being brought up in poverty taught him to
always give back; even as he landed in New York, he quickly attended a charity
event before heading to his Upper West Side penthouse.

Draped in a long
black silk robe, he stands majestically in the highest floor of the building,
looking out from the glass wall of his apartment. This is the first time he has
been here by himself since he met Sierra. His place of retreat that he’d
purchased specifically for himself suddenly feels lonely and empty. Everything
that he requires materially is present yet the place feels empty. He pours
himself a glass of cognac and goes to his gallery, the only room that Sierra
has not been in.