The Education And Corruption Of Joseph Potter Chapter Eight: The Weekend Pt 3

Sunday morning My dad always called my mother a witch. You see, she has this sixth sense, ‘a feeling,’ she calls it. She instinctively knows when something, normally bad, is going to happen, and that is what I was experiencing at that moment. It was a knot in the pit of my stomach that sent uneasy signals to my brain. I haven’t a clue what made me feel that way or why this feeling had arrived, but it had. And I didn’t like it.My right eye eased open, scanning the room as my brain slowly woke and wearily processed the information before me. Warm, bright sunshine filtered through the closed slats of the white window shutters.Outside, two people were having a heated discussion. I couldn’t understand a word that was being said, but I was getting the impression from the muffled tone that if they were not in their present surroundings it would have become a full-on, door-slamming, plate-breaking argument, but as they were in company, they were trying to keep it down, their voices a barely audible hoarse whisper.Working on autopilot, the natural start to my day, found me blindly reaching my hand out to search for my phone. First, the bedside table, then across the highly varnished wooden floor in a hunt that I soon discovered was to prove fruitless. I lay back on the bed and began to piece together the previous hours, like shards of a broken mirror.I felt down under the sheets between my legs. I was hard, which wasn’t unusual, but it felt different, strained. As did my head. I was naked and confused, with absolutely no idea what time it was, or for that matter how I got back here. Slowly, the shattered fragments began to link themselves together, giving me a vague idea of the evening’s events.The memory of leaving the house for the ride on the boat was quite clear. I remembered the hood being placed over my head, and then the room, a large open space filled with grotesque, masked figures.The image of a naked woman on a bed, her legs stretched wide was vivid. I stared at the plain white walls of the bedroom, using its surface to project my memories. That was when an uneasy feeling washed over me, a queasy sensation that something bad or uncomfortable had or was going to happen. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was there, gnawing away. Then slowly the fog began to clear. ****** Apart from Eve, Nick, Alice and me, the large stable room was now empty. I had watched this peculiar band of masked people filter out in an orderly fashion as if they were living the theatre. Eve was naked and self-consciously collecting her clothes from the floor, with Nick standing silently to one side, seething.Alice asked us to follow her and we all shuffled out of the room, and along the short, brightly lit corridor and into a wood-panelled spa room. A mixture of pine, cedarwood and that suffocating sulphur smell from hot coals pervaded the room, where there were an unoccupied sauna and a jacuzzi.“There is a shower in there,” Alice said, pointing to a frosted glass door, “all of your belongings have been collected and left inside. After you have refreshed yourself,” she said to Eve, “you and Nicholas are free to do as you please. The rest of the evening is your own. Joseph, a driver will take you back to your accommodation.”With that, she turned and left the room. Eve immediately hurried towards the shower room door, her right arm amusingly held across her breasts in a vain attempt to halt their natural sway as she moved, leaving just me and Nick alone. I was about to say to him that none of this was of my design and that I was sorry if it had gone too far, but he cut me off.“Don’t say a word. Not one fucking word,” his voice bristled with barely restrained emotion, as he jabbed a finger in my direction. “If I find out that there has been any communication between the two of you, or if you breathe even a single word to anyone: a phone call, text, fucking Twitter or Facebook, anything, I’ll put your balls in a vise and squeeze so hard your eyes will explode.”I wasn’t going to argue; how could I? The guy had just watched me fuck his wife in front of a room full of people and had to endure the humiliation of listening as she came on my cock and begged me for more. I can’t imagine that I would be overjoyed either. I could hear the sound of the shower slowing to a drip and then to a halt and a stifled a laugh. His neck turned a strange sort of mottled garnet red, his eyes bulged and bloodshot.“Are we clear?” That was it; if he had just stood there and not uttered another word then things would have been fine, but he couldn’t resist, and neither could I. Eve exited the shower room, fully dressed, with her hair hanging in damp curls leaving dark wet patches on the shoulders of her peach-coloured dress. She observed us with a curious eye as if she had just missed out on something. Nick’s face was a picture of frustrated indignation compared to my wide, Cheshire Cat smile.“I think you’ll find that you have your wife’s knickers in your pocket,” I said, a smile plastered across my face. I was hugely conscious of just how galling this must be for him as he grabbed her by the arm and made towards the exit. There is a small test that I’ve used to confirm someone’s interest. I didn’t invent it, it was gifted to me, but it appears to work. kaçak iddaa I watched them leave, walking to the door, and there it was, only a brief glance over her shoulder, but it was enough.It’s the little things sometimes, the unexpected. After I had showered and changed, I stood in the courtyard, looking up at the rear facade of this huge mansion, waiting for the driver to collect me. I reached into the pockets of my shorts and unexpectedly pulled out a yellow post-it note. Written on it was a mobile phone number with a short note inserted inside a heart, Call me. Eve, it read, making me smile as I remembered Nick’s threat. If only he knew.I’m blessed; I know I am. Most men would die to be in my position, but I’m an outsider. I don’t belong with these people, that has been made clear. For all intents and purposes, I was the hired help, and my job was done.Putting the note back in my pocket, I knew right then that I would call her; I wouldn’t be able to resist the challenge, regardless of the consequences. I waited for a few more minutes in the courtyard, breathing in the warm night air and the sweet scent from the buddleia shrubs, before walking towards an open set of French doors that led from the courtyard into a large dining room.Bottles of wine were laid out on a big country-style table in the middle of the room, at one end of which was a large glass bowl that contained small sachets of white powder. A few people were gathered together, some I noticed were taking the powder and rubbing on the inside of their mouths, others were cutting into lines and snorting it through short straws, their masks remained, protecting their identity.I may only be seventeen, but I immediately knew what those sachets contained.Katarina was sitting, nursing a glass of white wine by a huge unlit fireplace. Being the only person in the room that I recognised, I walked towards her and was rewarded by a surprisingly welcome smile.“Hi,” I ventured.“Hi.”“You okay?” I asked, sitting beside her. As she turned her head to face me, I could see that there was a barely hidden sadness behind her eyes. She shrugged an answer to my question, her shoulders slumped.“It is what it is,” she said.“What?”“Oh, it’s way too complicated.”“Try me,” I pushed, more than a little intrigued to find out how the confident tease that I saw earlier around the pool, was now a despondent shadow of her former self.“Nice show earlier,” she answered, changing the subject. I decided to go with it.“You liked?”“What do you want me to say?”“I don’t know. I mean, what can you say, this is all so bizarre, the masks and everything?”“They are bizarre people, but dangerous.”“I get that, but I don’t quite know where we fit in.”“Well, you are here because you can supply a service. I am here because they helped me, and now I have to honour our agreement.” I watched her stare down at the hard, York stone floor, picking out her words carefully.“I’m in this movie. It’s a big hit,” she laughed.“Have I heard of it?”“24 Hours?” she replied, with a look in her eyes that said, ‘you must have heard of it.’ And I had, but I didn’t recognise her from the trailer.“You’re in that?”“Yes. I play Sasha.” My face must have been blank, making her laugh at my reaction.“The spy?” Still nothing.“Black hair and tight shorts.” As soon as she said that, I knew. But she looked unrecognisable with different coloured hair.“The arse?”“You got it,” she said, mocking me with fake applause, “the arse. Anyway, Sam’s production company wanted me, but I had a contract with this guy back home in Slovakia. He was kind of my manager and we had made a few films together; nothing big, but I was getting noticed and he didn’t want me to leave. He wouldn’t let me go to America so Sam approached these people for assistance, and to cut a long story short, they have made it all happen.”“How?”“I don’t ask questions; I’ve learnt that it’s better not to.”“But you’re a star now, you don’t have to do this, you can walk away.”“If there is one thing that I’ve learnt, it’s that nothing is ever given to you. Everything comes at a price. You know the first break I got was modelling swimsuits. It worked and it got my face out there, but the downside was that I had to suck the photographer off. That was the deal.”“But …”“There aren’t any buts, Joey, it’s just the way it is, the way it’s always been, I guess. I want something, and they can make it happen. As I said, that’s the deal, the payoff. They got me the role, and …” She shrugged her shoulders in resignation and didn’t say any more; she didn’t need to. If Kingsley’s comments around the pool and my part in Henson’s initiation are anything to go by, then what was expected of her was clear.“You wanna see something spectacular, kid?” On the other side of the fireplace sat a man in a wheelchair. He spoke with a slow southern American drawl, crackling with barely contained excitement. “Sprinkle some of that stuff on the end of your Johnson, and watch the girls go crazy.”I looked back at Katarina and we both started to laugh; I mean real hysterical laughter that hurts. People began to look over at us as if we were mad, but we couldn’t stop. It was a release from this madness. This whole scene was crazy, these people are crazy, but in that tiny moment, it felt as if only Kat kaçak bahis and I could see it.Unfortunately, our brief interlude of merriment was interrupted by the arrival of Sam Goldstein. His mere presence cast an immediate chill over proceedings, as Kat stood to join him. I watched her as she crossed the room, the figure-hugging white jumpsuit clinging to her body, showing me a glimpse of her wonderful, scene-stealing bottom, aware of what awaited her.It appeared that she had got her wish, but at what cost, and was it worth it? It summed up most of the people in this building, including myself if I’m honest. Human beings, willing to prostitute themselves for either monetary or career gains.I grabbed a glass of cold champagne and decided to explore the house. The old man was watching me with a curious smile on his face. He wore a crumpled, cream coloured linen suit, his Panama hat alternating between his head and his hands. It was currently in his hands.“You really have no idea, do you?” he chuckled.“What?”“Seems that youth is wasted on the young,” he began. “Son, are you aware that most of the women in this place would willingly drop their panties for you?”As he spoke, I noticed a pretty blonde waitress standing at the table filling glasses on a tray. Her complexion wore a permanent, embarrassed pink blush as she poured the red, white and sparkling wine.I assumed that waiting on guests while wearing nothing but her underwear, wasn’t her usual way to spend a Saturday night, and it didn’t sit comfortably with her. Although her main focus was her work, she was obviously eavesdropping in on the conversation and this was confirmed as her eyes softly shifted from the tray towards me.“You have a gift, son, one that is craved, don’t waste it,” he continued, placing a thick unlit cigar in his mouth, wetting the dry leaves between his lips. “What do you say, young lady?” The girl visibly flinched as she was unexpectedly brought into the conversation. I observed the old man’s wicked grin as he winked at me, then continued to sketch the woman’s character.“I am willing to wager that there is a husband waiting back at home, totally unaware of what is happening here in this house of sin, am I right? And I am also prepared to take odds on the reason you are here is monetary. Tell me if I am wrong.”I looked at her sullen expression, her eyes focused unwaveringly on the tray of glasses in front of her. He appeared to have painted a picture of her life so perfectly that she was speechless as if he had captured her soul.“I am, of course, more than happy to contribute to the pot. Let’s say fifteen hundred of your English pounds if you kneel before this young man and suck his cock. Five thousand if you bend over the table and let him fuck you.”The girl closed her eyes and shook her head in mortified indignation but didn’t move from the table. You could almost hear the cogs working in her head at having this proposition dropped into her lap. Two women stood by the French doors that led to the courtyard, listening intently to the conversation, curious to discover how it was going to pan out.“Did you see this young man perform for us earlier?” he asked, building on her indecision, “and what did you think?”The girl shrugged her reply. “How does he compare to your husband? My guess is your man pales in comparison. Am I right? And you, my dear, are now in a quandary. You are currently weighing up your options, working out all the connotations. Wondering if you can get away with it, without him knowing, while all the while you are inquisitive as to how it would feel. Am I right?”Again, the woman said nothing, keeping her eyes cast down on the tray of glasses before her. “Do you have any experience of a cock of his size? Would any of your previous partners come close? Is that the real issue, you’re scared that you might just enjoy it like that woman tonight. Did you see her? Did you see how she yielded to him, even amongst a room full of people?”I could see her shifting nervously as she absentmindedly played with her hair. ‘My god, she’s going to do it. She’s going to say yes,’ I thought. At that moment, a stern-looking woman appeared in the doorway, enquiring as to why it was taking her so long to collect the wine. The look on the old man’s face said it all, we were so close.“It’s all my fault,” he said, raising his arms in fake surrender, “I’ve been detaining her unnecessarily, and I apologise.” The girl turned to leave, but not before the old man left her with something to consider.“I’m happy to let you think it over, miss. Maybe run it by some of your colleagues. I’m easy to find, I don’t move far or fast these days,” he said to her back, as she paused before leaving. As she disappeared, I raised my glass in the old man’s direction with a smile.“Congratulations.”“Why?”“Well, from her reaction, you seemed to have mapped that girl’s life out pretty accurately. How did you figure all that out?” I marvelled.“Experience,” he chuckled, “why else would an attractive girl like her subject herself to all this, except for money? ‘The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil,’ after all; the bible got that one right. Also, the indent in her third finger, left hand. She recently took off her wedding ring. Why would she have done that? illegal bahis I am prepared to state that I have just given her the opportunity that she was hoping for, but she’s having misgivings.”“Misgivings?”“Yeah. In her head, I think she has already made her decision; I could see that in her eyes. The money is way too much to pass up … but her heart? Well, that’s a different matter altogether. She loves her husband and doesn’t want to betray him.”“So, what’s your prediction?”“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, pondering the question, “the moment may have passed. If that woman hadn’t arrived when she did, I think we would be in a different place from where we are now. My guess is she would currently be bent over that table, with her cute little tush in the air and her panties hanging around one of her ankles. She would also be five thousand pounds richer. I have no idea now, son, evens at best.” I shook my head in amusement, took a sip of champagne, and started to leave.“Young man,” he called after me, “before you go, will you do me the courtesy of listening to a little advice from a wise old owl. We all have a gift and while some of us are lucky enough to realise it, others spend their whole lives searching. The trick is to use it to your advantage. I am going to guess that you are in your late teens.”“Seventeen.”“There you go. So, you have ten, maybe fifteen years to utilise your talent to its maximum potential. In other words, bank as much money as you can before your appeal fades. There are a lot of rich people out there, men and women alike, who will pay handsomely for your services. You will be leaving tonight a lot richer than when you arrived; Yes?” I nodded my head in response and watched him reach inside his jacket and hand me a business card.“I have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, son. I have a keen eye and I back my instincts. It’s a strange world, with a lot of strange people in it. I’ve seen things that you wouldn’t believe, and others I wish I hadn’t. Call me.”I took the card and added it to the small collection inside the right-hand pocket of my shorts. I don’t know why, but I trusted him. Maybe he was right, and if he were, then perhaps paydays like this could become a regular event.“You ever tried this stuff?” he said, wheeling himself over towards the table.“No,” I answered, watching him empty a sachet of the powder onto a glass board, then begin to chop it with a gold credit card. He then licked his little finger and dabbed it into the power and brought it to his mouth.“Top quality stuff too. Come over here, son, and try some.” ****** “Bonjour la tête endormie.” Sally stood in the doorway with a huge grin. Her hair was wet and was combed back off her face; the white cotton robe that she wore was open at the front, showing the black bikini underneath. “I thought I’d better come and see if you were still alive.”“What time is it?” I asked, my voice a strained croak as I stared bleary-eyed towards her.“Two in the afternoon,” she answered, placing a cup of coffee, two paracetamol and my phone on the bedside cabinet. The coffee’s strong aroma wafted towards me, filling the room. “I think you might need these.”“Who was outside?” I mumbled, picking up my phone and turning it on, “I heard them arguing.”“Oh, that was Nick and Eve; they’ve just gone. I think it’s safe to say you left an impression.”“He didn’t sound happy.”“Well, that’s an understatement,” she giggled, opening the white, slatted blinds, letting in both the afternoon sunshine and heat of the day. “You were certainly the star of the show last night; don’t be surprised to receive a few offers.”“Not getting jealous, are you?” I teased as she moved towards me, sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand resting on my leg.“Well, I did wait up for you last night, lying on this bed like a jilted teenager.”“Waiting for what?” I asked, feeling her hand inch up my leg and rub my erect cock through the sheet.“Guess.”“Did teacher need my cock?”“Yes,” she replied, her heavy eyelids looking me in the face as her hand crept under the sheet and wrapping around my aching cock, “I needed you to give me exactly what you gave Eve.”“And how is our boy this afternoon?” The voice of David Hamilton broke the moment. He stood shirtless in the doorway, wearing a tight pair of orange swimming shorts.“A little delicate, I think,” Sally answered, quickly removing her hand from under the covers.“Yeah, well, the combination of cocaine and champagne will do that,” David interrupted, with a half-laugh. He remained in the doorway as if waiting for an invitation to enter. “I’d be surprised if he can remember anything, and perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”Both of them followed my gaze as my attention was unexpectedly diverted by the image of a strikingly pretty Latino woman in the hallway. A short, white towel struggled heroically to restrain her impressively voluptuous frame. Our eyes met fleetingly as she glanced in my direction.“That’s Rocío,” Sally said, gauging my reaction, “I’m not sure you’ve met her.” The way she said it felt strange to me at the time, but I had seen her before. Seeing her again unlocked more thoughts from last night.As David and Sally looked at each other, there was a connection, an acknowledgement, a distinct understanding. The kind of look that said, ‘It’s okay, the kid can’t remember a thing,’ but I could, as tiny pieces of this puzzle were slowly beginning to fit together. Not everything, but maybe just enough to begin making sense.