CHAPTER FOUR – OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Celebration
"This is incredible!" Madison exclaimed as the smartly attired maître d' led the two young women across the polished oak floor of the rooftop restaurant.
The view of Newtown, with its mish-mash of high buildings, television masts and industrial estates wasn't anything to write home about. But the restaurant had all tables cleverly angled towards the view of the large scenic park surrounded by the flowing river. From their vantage point, it was breathtaking.
"I never thought I'd ever eat here," Peaches giggled, flashing a smile at one of the cute waiters.
"Me neither. Jay-Jay says Toppers is a favourite of his."
"And he's paying for the meal?"
"Yeah!" Madison emphasised. "And we have champagne." She nodded at the bottle in the cooler beside their table. "He says it will help us loosen up for the afternoon."
"I'm loosened already," Peaches laughed, sitting back as the waiter opened the bubbly and filled their glasses. "Salute," she said, raising hers in a toast.
"Yeah," Madison grinned. "Whatever that means..."
"It means your life has changed for the better," the blonde told her, running a hand through her short blonde hair. "So..."
"So...?" the brunette replied, sneezing as the bubbly hit her nose.
"Tell me again. How much did he say you could earn?"
Madison felt a shiver run up her spine. "Half a million in one year," she breathlessly said.
"I still don't get it."
"Me neither," Madison said happily. "But as long as he delivers, who cares? My hero!"
"Your hero?" Peaches laughed, gulping at her drink. "I should think so. Have you fucked him yet?"
Madison's eyes widened as she glanced around at the nearby tables. "Ssssh," she whispered, rolling her eyes and putting a finger to her lips. She leant forward. "Of course I haven't... not yet, anyway."
The girls dissolved into giggles.
"Well hurry up," Peaches told her. "Or I might get in first. But honestly, Maddy, how on earth can you make that sort of money? It's not possible."
"That's what I said..." the brunette began, pausing as the waiter approached. They picked up the menus and ordered as simply as they could—some pasta for Madison and poached salmon for Peaches. Once he'd departed, they huddled across the table again.
"Go on," Peaches encouraged.
"He said I'd get half of that by selling my story to the highest bidder," she explained. "It'll be an exclusive. That's why I'm doing the photo session this afternoon..."
Peaches' eyes widened. "I can't believe you're photo is going to be in the paper. And those magazines..."
Madison felt her blush rise, this time accompanied by goose bumps. She didn't know exactly what was entailed, but had a good idea. When she'd told Jay-Jay she had limits, he'd just laughed and asked if she wanted to be rich. Then he'd told her she would have the final say in what would be published. She only hoped she had the nerve to go through with it.
"Neither can I," she said a little uneasily. "Do you think I really should go topless—"
"For the money they're offering, I think you should do whatever they ask," Peaches cut in. "How much did you say?"
"The lad's mags will pay up to thirty thousand for each publication," Madison breathlessly answered. Her brown eyes were wide in astonishment. For photographs of her!
"I'd show my tits for much less than that," Peaches said, giving another hearty laugh. She wiggled her eyebrows. "Though they don't compare to yours. Think he could get you a Playboy deal?"
The girls giggled again. When the wine waiter refilled their glasses, Peaches sent a knowing look across the table. "Think I should ask his opinion," she wickedly murmured as he walked away. "Maybe we should get them out and let him compare?"
"I wouldn't put it past you," Madison smiled. "Anyway, you'll be giving them an airing this afternoon..."
"Sure will," the blonde laughed. "Your Mr. Kazan sure has some great ideas."
"You're okay with it?"
Peaches nodded emphatically. She picked up her champagne, swirling the bubbly in its glass and giggling like a schoolgirl. Was she okay with it? She was brimming with adrenalin at the thought. "Are you kidding? After what those two boys have done? Selling their stories... and bringing me into it! This is revenge, baby!"
Madison nodded thoughtfully. Nate and Ethan had sold her and Peaches out. They had what was coming. She wasn't normally vindictive—that wasn't her style. It surprised her how hardened she'd become since her meeting with her father. Besides, Jay-Jay had insisted it was primarily a commercial decision. If their ex-boyfriend's weren't discredited, their stories would be published and that would reduce his earnings potential, as he'd put it.
The quality of the meal was the best she'd ever had. She wasn't sure that the second bottle of champagne was wise, but what the hell. Jay-Jay had told them to enjoy themselves. And they had a lot to celebrate. Just when her life had reached her lowest ebb, her knight in shining armour had rescued her. She had such a lot to thank Jay-Jay Kazan for.
"I think I'm half drunk," she whispered to Peaches, holding onto her friend's arm as they eventually made their unsteady way from their table. Her head was happily buzzing with the effect of the champagne. It was just as well they both had taxis ordered. "C'mon, I want to thank you for being my best friend."
"Thank me...?"
Madison had her pinned against the wall before the door closed behind them. Their mouths crushed together and within seconds they were making out.
"I owe you this," Madison grunted, sliding her hand under Peaches' dress. "Want it?"
"Oh, yes," the blonde gasped, her hands gripping around her friend's neck as if she were holding on for dear life. Her legs widened to accommodate the probing fingers. Madison had been like a bitch on heat since Kazan had laid his plans out. And she'd been the beneficiary. They couldn't get enough of one another. How times had changed! She didn't know or care where her shy friend had gone—she much preferred the new, liberated version.
When she felt the hand slide down inside her thong and cup her baby smooth mound, her senses went into overload. "Uh... Goddd, Maddy ..."
"Cum for me," the brunette grunted, licking from the base to the top of Peaches' neck over and over again.
Peaches whimpered like a lost puppy as Madison stiffened two fingers and worked them into her pussy. Her body bent backwards against the wall and she began to shudder. This was all so unexpected, so quick... and so fucking hot. When the fingers curled and found her g-spot, she shrieked loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear...
***
"You drive a hard bargain," Jay-Jay Kazan told Sammy Ferris and his editor. He poured them both another drink from the decanter in his office and sat on the edge of his desk. Whisky was the staple diet for newspaper men.
They glanced at one another as they accepted the drink. "Does that mean we have a deal?" Buster Martin asked.
"I was hoping for more," Jay-Jay lied, holding his arms out wide. The offer was already more than he'd expected. "You couldn't push it up a little higher?"
"You're pinning us to the floor as it is," Ferris complained, nudging his editor's knee with his own.
The movement was almost imperceptible but Kazan's keen eyes missed nothing. That meant he could get another ten. "Sammy did a fantastic job of ferreting out the story, I have to give you that," he smiled, swilling back a mouthful. A bit of verbal stroking never did any harm. "But I'm offering you the exclusive."
"Maybe," Buster Martin said, ignoring Ferris's preening. There was time enough for that sort of thing after the negotiations. He wanted a deal, but at the cheapest price possible. "But we already have the boyfriend's stories lined up. That reduces the girl's value, we both know that. We can stretch out what they've told us for a few weeks yet."
"That would be true," Kazan acknowledged, "were it not for one thing."
The two newspaper men exchanged a quick glance again. "Which is?"
"One—Madison and her best friend hardly know them. Two—most of their story is made up. Three—did you know they were gay? Four..." He picked up a piece of paper from his desk and held it out between two fingers. "Four—get a photographer to this address at the time I have written on it and you'll have proof..."
"They're gay?" Both men sat up. The boyfriend's hadn't mentioned that fact.
"They didn't tell you? Sounds like they're two young men looking to milk you for all they can," Kazan said, with a sympathetic shrug. "You don't need them. I guarantee that Madison will give you the inside story on those relationships..."
"This is kosher?" Martin snapped.
Kazan nodded and twirled the piece of paper between thumb and forefinger. "Don't just take my word for it, fellas. I'm giving you the evidence on a plate."
Buster Martin ran a hand across his chin. This presented things in a different light. He held his hand out for the piece of paper. "If we get the photos," he said, "I'll go up to three hundred. That's my top offer."
Jay-Jay Kazan threw his arms wide again. "Now who's pinning who to the floor? You drive a hard bargain, Buster," he conceded, with a forlorn look. Inside, he was grinning. It didn't take long to calculate twenty five percent of three hundred grand. "But you've got yourself a deal."
