The Blackmailer (Part 1)

Charles Anthony Myers gazed morosely into his beer. It was his fifth pint but the alcohol was signally failing to relax him. On the face of it Charles’s life was perfect. At only 35 he was the CEO of a major clothing manufacturer, he drove a Rols and lived in a beautiful Edwardian mantion with 200 acres of grounds. Many people would, he knew give their eye teeth to swap places with him. Yet Charles was deeply unhappy. His career might be a glittering success but his marriage was well and truly holed below the water line. When was the last time that he and Katie had been intimate? He couldn’t remember, maybe six months ago, perhaps longer. They still slept together in that huge double bed which had, at the beginning of their marriage shaken to the rhythm of the couple’s nightly bouts of passion. No longer, now Katie always had an excuse.

“Sorry Darling, not tonight I have a headache” or

“Not now I’m tired”.

Charles was sick of the feel of Katie’s back pressed against him. He longed to hold her tenderly as they had held one another at the beginning of their marriage, to feel Katie’s firm young breasts pressed against his chest and her soft yieldingmouth upon his.

It wasn’t just the sex. They no longer communicated save for “good morning” and other pleasantries which one would exchange with strangers. Yes the spark had well and truly gone out of their marriage Charles thought as he drained his pint.

“Hi can I sit here?”

Charles glanced up to see a petite blonde with green eyes smiling at him.

“By all means. Actually I was just on the point of leaving so the table is all yours”.

“Shame as I’m here all by myself. I was supposed to be meeting my boyfriend here but the bastards stood me up again. Just as I walked through the door I got a text saying that he can’t make it because he needs to work late. Work late, bollocks he has another girl, I know he has. Well he can go and screw himself”.

Charles winced at the girl’s expletive ridden tirade. He was on the point of excusing himself but the possibility of spending time with this gorgeous young woman caused him to hesitate. God she really was something. Try as he might Charles could not pull his eyes away from the girl’s slim bare legs and her  high heels. He loved stilettos and the girl’s black shoes sent a tingle of excitement up his spine. She leaned forward her pert breasts pressing against the fabric of her short summer dress

“Please stay” she said.

The scent of jasmin mixed with the girl’s own unique girly odour made Charles feel weak with longing. His stomach was full of butterflies.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.

“I’ll have a gin and tonic”

Again Charles winced at the lack of manners. Still he wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship with the girl, just a night of uncomplicated no strings fun.

“Back in a moment”.

Charles walked to the bar and purchased a pint of bitter for himself and the girls’s gin and tonic.  Walking back across the room he placed the drinks on the table and sat down.

I’m Charles”

“Mandy”

“Nice to meet you Mandy. What do you do?”

“I’m at uni”

“Really what are you studying?” Charles doubted that the girl had ever so much as set foot on a university campus but, no matter she was gorgeous and he would do or say anything to get her into bed.

“I’m doing journalism. What do you do? Is that a real Rolex?” she asked her eyes fixed on the expensive time piece.

“I’m a CEO and yes, that is a Rolex”.

“What’s a CEO?”

God what are they teaching kids these days Charles thought.

“I’m the boss of a company”.

Mandy looked suitably impressed.

“Wow you must be rolling in it!”

“I live comfortably” Charles replied smiling thinly.

“Are you married?”

“No” Charles lied. He felt a twinge of guilt as he spoke but the alcohol coupled with his need for sexual release overrode his moral scruples.

Mandy leaned in close to Charles and lowering her voice said

“Look mate I wouldn’t usually ask but the fact is I’m strapped for cash. If I let you screw me how much will you pay?”

Charles’s mouth fell open. He should have known. Young girls don’t usually chat up men in their mid thirties. It was obvious looking back that the girl had an ulterior motive right from the start. Charles’s gut instinct was to get up and leave without saying another word. However he was lonely. The months of stilted conversation and lack of physical intimacy made him cry out for companionship and the touch of a woman. The girl was a prostitute but to Charles at that moment in time this fact was of little significance, he craved to be intimate with a woman, any woman.

“£300 for the night”.

“You’re a rich bloke, £800”

Charles shrugged

“OK, but I’ll need to withdraw it. I don’t carry that kind of money on me”

“No probs”

“I’ll book us into a hotel”

“No need. My parents are abroad so we can go to mine. We’ll be comfortable there”

“OK” he said finishing his pint.

 

—

 

The room was dominated by a large mirror affixed to the wall directly above the cheap double bed.

Mandy sat on the bed her legs placed provocatively apart. Charles reached forward to take her in his arms

“Cash first”

Charles handed it over. Although he felt a sense of shame at handing over money for sex his overwhelming desire for Mandy predominated. He wanted to release the pent up sexual tension which had been building inside him over the preceeding loveless months with Katie. Mandy stowed the money in her handbag and having done so stepped out of her clothes.

“Come here babe” she said lying on the bed her legs open wide.