The first time that Dean Stone saw her – saw either of them – was in the breakfast room overlooking the river. "Dine in style", the brochure said. "Gaze out over the beautiful valley and the undulating hills behind. But Dean wasn't interested in beautiful valleys or hills; undulating or otherwise. Dean was interested in Mrs. Claire St. John.
When Dean had arrived for work at the Cross Keys Hotel early that morning, his friend and co-waiter, Marc James, had been the first to speak to him. Both were still at university but Marc was having a few problems finding enough money to pay his tuition and consequently had worked the hotel reception overnight.
"They arrived last night," Marc said as they both hurried into their black and white uniforms. "You'll like her; blonde, a bit tarty and a few years older – just the way you prefer!"
"Did you say they?"
"Yeah," Marc continued, "she had her old man in tow. But since when has that bothered you?"
Dean smiled. This was a game that the two friends played on a regular basis and, so far at least, had got away with. Mr. Carmichael, the hotel manager, highly disapproved of any fraternisation between staff and guests and Dean guessed he would go into meltdown if he knew that the two friends spent their entire days dreaming up ways to get into the female guests' panties – often with great success! Although Dean was more successful in his endeavours than Marc, this was mainly due to the type of women that the two young men preferred: While Marc enjoyed the intimate company of girls of a similar age to his twenty-one years – and therefore in fairly short supply at such an expensive establishment as The Cross Keys - Dean preferred the more mature woman and was therefore in a much better position to pick and choose.
"Table seventeen!" Marc hissed to his friend as Dean walked out into the opulent restaurant with a pot of coffee in his hand.
Ignoring a few attention-seeking glances from other diners, Dean made straight for table seventeen that was tucked away in the far corner of the room. As he approached the table he got his first glimpse of Mrs. Claire St. John. Her husband was hidden behind a large broadsheet newspaper but Dean couldn't have cared less; he was only interested in the blonde woman nibbling at a small piece of toast. Marc had been entirely correct in his assumption of Dean's interest. The woman's long blonde hair tumbled over her shoulders and draped either side of a large, firm chest. Her face, while not beautiful, was at least a little attractive and was adorned by more make-up than was necessary giving it, in Marc's words, a slightly tarty look. Just what Dean liked.
"Er, coffee, madam?" Dean announced as he cleared his throat and tried his best not to stare too avidly at Mrs. St. John's ample chest.
The woman smiled up at him and nodded – their first eye contact – and Dean felt a shiver run up his spine. He smiled back as he poured the steaming beverage. He had made contact and there was most definitely a connection there, he thought.
"And for you, sir?"
A noncommittal grunt came from behind the newspaper. Dean knew better than to push the question and, smiling again at the current object of his lust, wandered back to the waiters' station. If St. John wanted more coffee he could ask for it!
By 10.30 breakfast had finished and Marc and Dean were clearing the breakfast room. As Dean moved to table seventeen, he saw the newspaper that had hidden Mrs. St. John's husband folded on the table. It wasn't the sort of thing that he would usually bother with but the paper gave him an idea.
"What's going through that warped brain of yours now?" Marc asked as he passed by the table with a tray of dirty dishes.
"Just thought I'd take his paper back to him." Dean answered with a sly grin. "he seems to have forgotten it."
"What? Don't be crazy, man! If the lazy jerk has forgotten his paper that's his prob.. Ah, I get it. Trying to get yourself noticed, huh? Go for it, my friend, I'll finish up here!"
As Dean walked across the foyer towards the stairs (staff were strictly forbidden to use the guest elevator), He saw the hotel manager, Mr. Carmichael, out of the corner of his eye. Dean moved quickly but it was too late – he'd been spotted by his ever vigilant boss.
"Stone, come here."
Dean walked over and stood subserviently in front of Carmichael.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be helping to clear breakfast?"
"Nearly finished in there, Mr. Carmichael." Dean replied. "A guest left his newspaper. I was just returning it."
Depending on Carmichael's mood, Dean knew that this could now go either way and he was relieved when he saw a wide beaming smile break over the old man's face.
"Good." Carmichael breathed, adjusting Dean's tie so that it was exactly centred beneath his chin. "Very good, Stone. We must look after our guests, mustn't we. Off you go then!"
Taking his opportunity, Dean trotted off towards the stairs and began the long trudge up to the fourth floor. He didn't know how long the St. Johns' were going to be staying at the hotel but he didn't want to waste any time in getting himself noticed.
"Yes?"
Claire St. John had answered the door to Dean's knock. Clearly she had been in the middle of dressing for a morning walk in the warm sunshine and wore only a pair of cut-off shorts and a black, sleeveless top. In an instant, Dean's eyes flicked up and down her lean frame quickly taking in her long tapered legs, dainty bare feet and exposed midriff. His eyes finally flitted over the swell of her firm breasts; under the thin top he was certain that she was not wearing a bra.
"Sorry, Mrs. St. John." He said quickly. "But your husband left his newspaper downstairs."
"Well, what a diligent young man you are." Claire St. John smiled. She moved slightly to the side and turned back into the room. Dean followed her, the paper still in hand.
"Just put it on the table, will you?"
Mrs. St. John had her back to Dean as he followed instructions and placed the folded paper on the table. She was clearly fishing around in her purse for a gratuity and Dean waited respectfully. As a folded banknote changed hands so both Mrs. St. John and Dean's eyes locked. For a moment there was silence until Claire St. John finally spoke.
"Surely you didn't come all the way up here just to give my husband back his paper?"
Her voice was almost a whisper and the question seemed to hang in the air between the couple. Dean wanted to answer but the words stuck in his throat. He hadn't expected to make this sort of contact so soon; usually he would have to work on a woman for a few days at least before she succumbed to his charms.
"I saw you looking at me at breakfast," Claire continued in the same whispered tone, "You were looking at my breasts, weren't you? - just like you are right now!"
Suddenly Dean realised that he had indeed been staring straight at the older woman's chest. He knew for a fact now that she wasn't wearing anything underneath the black top; he could clearly make out the shape of her nipples as they projected through the material.
"Oh, er...sorry Mrs....er...I didn't mean to...."
"That's quite alright....Dean," Claire St. John lifted the name tag from Dean's lapel and read his name, "Most women are really quite flattered when a younger man notices them! So, do you like my tits?"
The way that she rolled the word around on her tongue gave Dean an instant erection and all he could do was manage a weak nod.
"Would you like to touch them?"
It seemed to Dean that the woman's voice was now coming from far, far away; his attention was all consumed as he continued to stare blatantly at the firm breasts in front of his eyes. He nodded silently again but did nothing. But when he felt Claire St. John's hands close around his own and guide them to the front of her shirt, Dean suddenly seemed to wake up. His head snapped up and he glanced around the room.
"What about...er...well, what about your husband?"
"Do you see him here?" Claire countered quickly; her hands pressed Dean's fingers firmly to her breasts and encouraged him to squeeze the nipples through the fabric.
"Er...well, no. I guess..."
"Well don't worry about him, then! Just feel me up!"