"Tell me what you would do to me if you caught me lurking in your garden stealing flowers, and you were on your own, and randy." Angelica asked suddenly, one afternoon.
"I would make you stand in the corner of the study with your back to me, and I would tell you how angry I was at you. I would tell you to turn around, and look towards the floor, and ask you what you were going to give me in return for my flowers."
***
Graeme did not remember that conversation until one evening a week later, when he did catch Angelica in his back garden picking flowers. She was dressed in a loose-fitting, baby-doll dress that only hinted at her curvy body. Graeme's mouth watered as he went downstairs to confront the young woman.
Angelica said nothing, but just sulked, prettily, at being caught. She was trying to gauge her chance of running passed Graeme and escaping with them.
"So answer my question!"
Angelica's head was still bowed so that she could hide her smirk. Obviously, the thought of being caught as a thief was just as amusing to her as was the thought of him playing along with her! He knew that he was too malleable where this young woman was concerned!
"You have been extremely naughty, and need to give me something in return. What do you have that you could give me? Or should I call the police?" he asked.
Angelica offered to return the flowers! She tried to laugh it off! These are just a few flowers! No one was hurt!
"I just thought that they were pretty!" she exclaimed. "Please! You don't have to do this, Mr. Housen! Let's just forget about it! I don't have any money. Please give me a chance! It won't happen again! Please!"
Her head remained bowed and she was trembling beautifully! She refused to look him in the eye but he could see that she was trying not to cry. Then, to Graeme's astonishment, she really did begin to cry! Silent tears flowed down her cheeks. Graeme realised, not for the first time, what an astoundingly good actress she was. That she was able to simulate the emotions of the shame that other people would feel at being caught stealing, for such a trivial thing as role playing the theft of some flowers, was amazing! She looked completely defeated.
Graeme made her stand in front of him. She seemed genuinely afraid of him now.
"Please," she whispered, shyly.
Graeme sat down and command her to come towards him, and she shuffled forward hesitantly, tears dropping from her cheeks.
"There is no need for tears, my little flower," he said gently, despite himself. "All we need to do is settle this minor issue between us."
The girl's face lightened, and a smile almost appeared. Her ears perked up at his kind tone.
"I really am sorry, Mr. Housen," she said. "This will NEVER happen again."
She was now inches away from him as he moved his hand up to her cheek, and gently wiped away the tears. He wasn't sure where her game was going, and so he dawdled over stroking her cheek, waiting for a cue from her.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He talked to her gently, his fingers brushing against her lips and tracing along the front of them. They quivered under his touch, but she did not speak.
"What is your name child?" Graeme asked not sure what to say next.
"Pamela," she said stifling a smirk.
"Angelica, you are not being honest with me, are you?"
"M-my friends call me Pamela! How do you know my real name??!!!" She began to stammer badly! Good grief, the girl could act! Engineering be damned! She would make it in film for sure! She threw down the flowers and tried to run passed him to escape into the yard and through the back gate! He ignored her question and stopped her by grabbing hold of her wrist firmly.
"Angelica, you have taken something treasured of mine, and it is only right that I have something personal of yours in return."
"What do you want? I've already told you that I do not have any money!"
Graeme ignored the young woman's protestations. He was beginning to warm to their game.
"Is that not a fair way to resolve this issue, because I am sure you don't want the police to be involved do you? So what do you think you could give me then?"
"No, don't call the police! You don't have to be so mean! I don't know! I don't have anything! I don't work and so I don't have any money! Please, Mr. Housen, just let me go! I'll never come into your garden again! I promise! Please! Please! They were just flowers..." her voice was very small at this point. She seemed almost completely defeated.
"Don't worry about it, I know that you don't have any money, and I would not take it anyway my dear, what you took from me was a thing of beauty, and all I ask is for the same from you."
As he talked he undid the top button of her dress. They both froze at his audacity. She looked straight into his eye and smiled.
"Now that looks so beautiful and it was so easy wasn't it? You are so beautiful you know, and all I want is to see a little more of that beauty, the same way that you wanted to see the beauty of my flowers.
The girl looked at him, and then impishly, she tried to escape again. He stopped her by grabbing and holding her wrist roughly. She struggled against his restraint and it caused the top of her dress to slide off exposing her round shoulder.
"Angelica, you are such a sweet thing, and I don't want you to get into trouble with the police, but if that is what you want, we had better go and call them now."
"Please, Mr. Housen, please! I'll do anything! Just don't call the police! My uncle is a policeman and he would be very angry with me! He would tell my parents!"
She was breathing hard and her bosom is heaving delightfully. She had a wild look in her eye. Desperation! Graeme could only admire her acting skills. He would have to keep a close eye on her in the future; she could be very dangerous if she wanted to be.
"Settle down, Angelica," Graeme said, pulling her down onto a chair opposite him. "Let's just talk this through."
He put his hand onto her knee and found himself licking his lips as she landed on the wicker chair and her dress rode up slightly. Her legs were spread slightly. She started to close them but he ordered her to keep them apart. She complied, and as she did, he stroked the inside of her knee and watched her squirm as he sent what he hoped were thrilling feelings cascading through her body. Her legs fell open even further! She gasped! Her head was still down, and as Graeme put his hand up to touch her cheek he casually touched her breast and it sent another shiver through her body. He grinned to see her nipples harden under the thin material of her dress.