Taming Graeme (Taming the Billionaire) (16 page)

 
“I suspect she’s not as good as you, though, pet.”

 
Olivia beamed at the compliment. “Thank you, Sir.”

 
“Now, my meeting is at ten, and I expect it will run though lunch. Do you want to come into town, and have James drive you around and give you a tour?”

 
“That would be lovely, thank you. Then, this afternoon, I’m going to study.”

 
“Ah, yes, your trading course. I admire your dedication, pet. Taylor has plans for you, you know…when you’ve done the course.”

 
“Really?” Olivia’s eyes were shining.

 
“Yes, he’s going to make you a junior trader, covering the desk when the traders want a break, or lunch, and you’ll fill in full time during holidays.”

 
“Oh, how amazing! Thank you so much for putting me into that department, Graeme.”

 
He smiled at her. “If you weren’t capable, you wouldn’t be making such a good impression, would you? Now, let’s be on our way…” When they got to the Bank, her turned to James.

“Take her to the best dress shop in Belfas
t
, James. Here’s a credit card, kitten. The P.I.N. is 6699. Your little dress is sweet, but not nearly elegant enough for dinner tonight. I want you to knock the socks off these Irish Bankers. These two old men are still quite lecherous even though I’m sure they’re past it. So, something elegant, that accentuates your tits and lets me look at your legs, pet. Then James, take her to have her hair done. Mrs. Green will know where she should go. Call her.”

 
James called his wife. She told him which shop, and made an appointment at the Salon.

 
Olivia had never walked into such an understated, elegant shop in her life. The sales clerk turned her nose up, eyeballing the cheap clothing Olivia was wearing.

 
“Can I help you?” Her voice dripped ice.

 
Olivia took at deep breath and channelled Graeme at his most imperious.

 
“Please. We’ve just come over for a few days relaxation, to see the horses, and now we have to go to dinner this evening with my...husband’s business associates. I have a hair appointment in an hour, at Uber Hair and my chauffeur is double parked outside, so if you could suggest something elegant and sophisticated, quickly.”

 
The sales clerk obviously didn’t believe her. She glanced out the window of the shop and saw the long Rolls Royce double parked, the liveried chauffeur leaning against it, waiting. Her attitude abruptly changed.
This client must have dressed down, to avoid recognition. She was so beautiful, maybe she was even a film star…

 
“Oh, of course, madam. I have a wonderful creation here, a Versace Atelier Creation that is just made for you. It’s a wonderful blue, almost the color of your eyes. Very elegant, just made for your perfect figure.”

  “Is is short? Graeme likes to look at my legs. And, eh, he likes to look at my breasts as well.”

  “This dress will please your husband very much. It has an enticing neckline that will accentuate your cleavage while still being extremely tasteful. It will be mid-knee length on you, and I have sheer dark stay ups, and these wonderful dark blue patent platforms. If you came over for a casual visit, perhaps you will also need the appropriate lingerie? I have this incredible lace bra and thong set and of course, the garter belt to go with it...you’d be a 34C, I would estimate.”

 
“You have a good eye,” murmured Olivia coolly. Inwardly she gulped at the money she was spending, but it was for the benefit of the Bank, so she tried it all on, and the sales clerk was correct. Everything looked wonderful.

 
“Fine, I’ll take it.”

 
“How would madam like to pay, cheque or credit card?”

 
“Credit card.” Olivia casually tossed the black American Express Card on the counter.

 
If possible, the clerk became even more deferential. Olivia glanced at what she’d just spent. Ohmygod...three or four months’ earnings even with her two raises. She punched in the P.I.N. and held her breath. “
Approved, Please Remove Card”
appeared on the screen.

  She settled into the back seat of the Rolls.

  “Are you all right, Miss Stone?” asked James.

 
“Oh, James, I just spent a lot of Mr. Browning’s money.”

 
“That’s what he expected you to do, Miss Stone. He would have been angry if you hadn’t.”

 
  They had time before her hair appointment, and so James drove her around and she had a brief look at Belfast. “I’ll give you a proper tour of the area tomorrow, Miss Stone, while Mr. Browning is conducting his business...

 
The stylist at the Belfast salon was as accomplished as Raoul in New Bond Street.

   Olivia was ready to go out when James brought Graeme hom
e
. He looked her up and down. “Kitten, you are so beautiful. You look like the wife of the Vice-Chairman of The Browning Group. Wonderful taste...You never let me down, Olivia. And I will be introducing you as my wife, pet. These two old Catholic geysers have let it be known to me that they’d never consider selling the Bank to a bachelor living in sin. Naturally, I told them of my beautiful, clever wife.”

 
“I spent a lot of money, more than I imagined.” She handed him his card and the receipts timidly.

 
“Not as much as I’d thought, by the look of you. You look deliciously expensive...oh, here, the last piece of window dressing...”

 
Graeme reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. He slipped a large solitaire onto her finger. “They wouldn’t believe we’re married if you weren’t wearing a ring,” he told her.

 
They had dinner with the owners of the Merchants Bank of Northern Ireland in a Michelin star restaurant. It was the first time Olivia had been to such a formal restaurant, and she was quiet, taking her lead from Graeme, but after a couple of glasses of wine, she relaxed, and began to enjoy herself.

 
The elderly owners of the Merchants Bank were enchanted with her, kept trying to surreptitiously look down her dress, and kept telling Graeme what a gem he had married.

 
Graeme mentioned in passing, casually, that the founders of both banks were cousins, and it was smooth sailing from there on. By the end of the evening, with at least half a bottle of Irish whiskey under his belt, Brendan from the Merchants Bank was calling Graeme from Browning’s Mercantile Bank, “cousin” and inviting Graeme and Olivia, especially Olivia, to tour the stables the next afternoon. Rafe, his brother, was offering to give Olivia riding lessons the next time she came over. Personal riding lessons he stressed.

 
On the way home, Olivia had taken the solitaire off and handed it back to Graeme. He given her a quizzical look, and stuck it into his pocket. Surely he hadn’t meant her to keep it?

 
Graeme had smiled to himself. How different this pet was to his last one. Panther would have assumed the diamond was a gift and kept it, but kitten just handed it back. Panther would probably have tried to make it into a significant gift as a matter of fact...when it had been window dressing. Kitten had interpreted the ring in the correct manner, and he should let her keep it, it wasn’t an expensive trinket, only a couple of carats...but he’d stuck it back into his pocket...he didn’t want kitten to expect expensive gifts, or even relatively inexpensive ones the way panther had.

 
They went to the old men’s stable the next afternoon and watched
the nag
run an exercise race against three other horses. Graeme’s eyes narrowed. The odds at the bookies were now 40 to 1 against
the nag
. Surely that was a least partially because of the name?
The
nag
, what a thing to call a race horse! Had anyone even bothered to watch this horse race? These two old buggers had kept her out of races. This would be her debut. If she could do the same in a race as she did in practice, wow! Maybe they
should
be building a racing stable instead of badly running a bank!

 
When he got back to his house he did two things. He called his bookie and placed a substantial bet and then he found James, who enjoyed a punt, and advised him to do the same.

By Friday, Graeme had purchased the Bank. Saturday, they went to the races and
the
nag
they’d gone to cheer on won against heavy odds, by then 55 to 1. Directly after the cup was presented to the former owners of the Bank, James took them to the airport and they flew back to London.

 
Olivia was surprised. She hadn’t known their cases had been packed and placed in the boot. She was sure Graeme said they’d stay until Sunday, and she’d been looking forward to another day with him.

ELEVEN

 
She was sad, she’d hoped that he’d keep her until Sunday evening, but she had a feeling he wanted to see Francine, his Geneva pet. He’d been quiet, withdrawn all the way back to London, had hardly spoken to her in the plane or the car. She racked her brains for what she’d done to upset him, and came up blank.

 
This was the second time he’d be so remote from her, and both times had been after a trip. Olivia shook her head.

 
It didn’t make sense to her. He never seemed to want her around more than two or three days. Her dreams of being his pet all the time, every day, were fading fast.

 
She was becoming sure he would go back to Francine. He’d go back to Francine and he certainly wouldn’t want to see Olivia every day at the Bank. She’d better hurry up and finish sorting out all the forms so John Taylor would give her a good reference, and finish the course, so she could get another job in a currency trading department at another bank...

 
She spent the next three hours on her trading course, finished the lesson she was on. That was enough for tonight...

 
Olivia flicked through the television channels and saw nothing that interested her. She went to her computer, (an old one the Bank had been throwing out and so offered to their employees for ten pounds) and looked up some facts about Newcastle upon Tyne, so it would sound as if she’d actually been there.

 
Too bad she didn’t have some pictures to show around the office on Monday. Could she pass off some of the shots she’d taken with her phone while James drove her round as being near Newcastle upon Tyne?

 
Not a brilliant idea. Rose came from the area just north of Newcastle upon Tyne and had worked in the town before coming to London.

 
Hmmm. Was there an overnight train or bus she could catch? There was a bus, and if she hurried to the Station, she could be in Newcastle upon Tyne early in the morning, spend a couple of hours wandering, taking pictures and then catch the bus back. She would take them on her phone, since she didn’t have a camera and then show the girls at tea Monday morning. She could take the next lesson with her, and study all the way home.

 
At least she’d be
doing
something, not wondering if Graeme was enjoying the company of the beautiful, sophisticated Francine.

He’d probably come back to attend that wedding Linda had mentioned, or at least the reception. He would see Francine there. Olivia was sure he’d take his
other
pet, his Geneva pet, the pet who knew him so well and how to please him expertly, to his home, and spend the rest of the weekend enjoying
her
charms.

 
The thought of him taking Francine’s ass disturbed her greatly. It was such an intimate domination....

 
Olivia slept fitfully most of the way to Newcastle upon Tyn
e
, got in at six in the morning, found an open café and had a good breakfast, and planned to skip lunch.  She found a cheap tour she could catch at ten that would get her back to the bus station for half past one, in plenty of time to catch the two thirty five bus back to London.

 
The tour guide led them around the centre of the city by foot, and then they got on a mini-bus and saw the surrounding sights for another hour. The bus stopped at a rural pub where they had a ploughman’s lunch, food included in the price of the tour, drinks extra. Olivia had lemonade. She’d taken tons of photos by the time she caught the bus back to London. It was after ten before she was back in her bed sitter, and Graeme had not called her at all, or even texted. She had texted him a pretty thank you for Belfast before she’d gone up North to gather proof she was where she’d claimed. He’d not even bothered to reply.

 
Graeme had dropped Olivia of
f
and on impulse had change into a suit and dropped in to the wedding reception. He’d given the bride a kiss and the groom a cheque, his present to them.