The Layered World - Part 5 - Creating Subtle Attractions
He buzzed to release the door to Natalie's loft and the girls came leaping up the stairs into his arms. "Jay! This is absolutely wonderful!" They pushed into the middle of the room and knocked him to the sofa, smothering with kisses and giggles.
Natalie stood at the kitchen counter, laughing at the energy engulfing her boss and lover. "Hey, wonder girls, go change and shower and come down for a drink. You should find everything you need in the upstairs bath."
Jay went back to work, fiddling with the finicky pasta machine, and finally producing long strips of fettuccini. Natalie elbowed him, "I don't think you are employable as pasta chef."
"Good thing too. Pour me a glass of wine, will you?"
Jennifer and Scarafina came tumbling down the stairs, laughing and panting as they embraced their hosts. "You are so kind to do this for us! A Manhattan loft! We have only seen these in the fashion magazines!"
Jay pointed to the kitchen stools, "Down doggies. Momma will give you a glass of wine." He stood between them, applying kisses.
"Did your disguise as B-school students work?"
"OMG, you wouldn't believe the job offers we got! We used our accents and they were swooning in the aisle! Fina said something serious about the market and shook her tits at the same time and they positively fainted."
The dinner was fabulous and the evening was gay, especially after Natalie announced there would be no work talk.
Sipping cognac on the sofa afterwards, Jay and Natalie kept their hands busy on the two hard bodies, which wiggled and twisted like cats.
"What corner do we get to sleep in?"
"Daddy and I think you have earned a place in the big bed. Can you handle that?"
Purring and smiles. "May we go there now? Jet lag has got us."
Natalie wrapped herself and a blanket tightly around Jay. "This has been an incredible day."
"Yes, but I am afraid tomorrow morning is going to be a big shower of cold water."
"Wait and see. They are very tough inside. And they will be up early, still on London time."
He rose and settled her on her feet. "Yes. Set the alarm for three and send a quick note to Sybil and Sam about a breakfast call on the secure line."
"Yes, sir. I can see the honeymoon is over."
In the early morning blackness, he was awake before the alarm, and realized others were as well. His hand intercepted long fingers with nails and brought them to his mouth.
"Oooh." The soft moan was cut off abruptly with a slap. "Bad kitty. He hasn't got time for that this morning." The bedside lamp flicked on, revealing three naked female bodies in the bed with him. Their eyes blinked in the light and voices complained, "The alarm hasn't gone off yet, we deserve a little playtime."
Mommy was firmly in command, dragging two resisting bodies to the shower, which she turned full on cold. Piteous screams filled the room. "No, no, no. This is too cruel!"
Pulling on shorts, he stepped down to the kitchen to make coffee and warm the oven for croissants, thinking about how to start the day's planning session, and what ground to cover with London, assuming that the secure video would be decrypted within hours.
They were contrite and dressed in yoga pants and tee shirts. "We're sorry. We are ready to work. We do get to shop sometime, don't we?"
As Natalie opened up the television and made the connection, he sipped his coffee and gazed on the scrubbed faces of his brainy helpers, which would waylay any man, even without makeup.
Sybil was with Sam in the guest apartment of the Investment Management building near Paddington.
"Jay, you are putting them to work awfully early."
"We run a taut ship here in New York, even if you do have Nelson on his column there in London."
Jennifer tried to sound serious, "Sis, it is work, work, work over here. What news do you have for us?"
"Lawyers are beginning to sort out claims connected with the crash. So far, it looks as though our reserve is sufficient. Hugh says that the lab work on blast residue is not complete, but the security agencies are treating it as a jihadist attack and analyzing motives. None of the usual suspects has claimed responsibility."
Jay nodded at Natalie, who jumped in with their prearranged script. "Jay and the girls may be here a week or more. There is a list of important clients who need to be seen. There is also homework from before the crash on asset holdings and positioning. Scarafina is going to go over the security arrangements here so she can discuss them with Hugh when she goes back."
Sam asked, "Was he nice to you in California? After that long flight?"
Jay was sure that even in London on a screen, their deep blushes showed. "Oh Sam, Kelly's Mom has this wonderful place with a vineyard and a pool. We were very naughty, and Jay had to paddle us to pay attention."
He tried for a totally blank expression as his London PA's reacted to that with wide smiles.
Natalie punched his arm and asked, "Is there anything more? We have work to do here, if you hadn't noticed."
After the connection was closed, Jay wrapped Jennifer in a headlock and said, "That was inspired. What is the analyst who decrypts that going to tell his boss about Jay Manco paddling his female employees?"
Chapter 19 - Private Consultations with Important Clients
The next several days were filled with outings to the theatre, museums, and other sights, along with careful skull sessions fleshing out the scheme for erroneous wire transfers.
Natalie and Jay were reassured by the reports from the surveillance people they had hired. Apparently, two pretty young Brit women could play tourist in New York without trouble. Jennifer did poke Jay the second evening, saying, "We picked up a tail this afternoon. It was one of your people, wasn't it?"
Jay poked her back, "I refuse to answer..." and Natalie found a tender place to bite.
Fina asked, "They do know we are able to defend ourselves? A mugger, or worse, is going to have a knife in him."