Watchers - an erotic novella

WATCHERS

An erotic novella
Jodie Johnson-Smith

Published by Xcite Books Ltd – 2013

ISBN 9781909624481

Copyright © Jodie Johnson-Smith 2013

The right of Jodie Johnson-Smith to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Xcite Books, Suite 11769, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John Street, London EC1V 4PY

Chapter One

What do you wear to watch a stripper?

The question had haunted Maria since yesterday morning when she’d decided to check out Ken’s tart.

Maybe she shouldn’t have answered her husband’s mobile when it had rung so early in the day. That way she’d have been none the wiser. But it had woken her up, and Ken was nowhere to be found.

‘Ken’s phone, how may I help you?’ she’d asked, stifling a yawn and hoping she didn’t sound weary. As a successful property developer with her own small company called Elevate, Maria knew it was important to sound professional at all times.

‘I’d like to book Ken’s waitress for tomorrow evening if she’s available. Well, I say waitress.’ The unknown man had laughed. ‘I’m not sure if that’s the right word.’

Brain still half-fuddled from sleep, Maria frowned. What the hell was he on about? Then she remembered Ken muttering something about a girl he’d met in the village, a girl with a shady past who needed work.

She hadn’t been listening to him. She rarely did. Her husband was a lovely man but he didn’t have a solid business idea in his head, whereas Maria was obsessed with money-making plans 24/7. And it was just as well because Ken didn’t earn a bean.

‘Ah yes, if you let me have the details, I’ll pass them on to Ken.’ Maria reached for the notepad and pen she always kept on the bedside table and scribbled down the man’s info.

‘I’d like the Special Service,’ he added. ‘At least, I think that’s what it’s called.’

Special Service – what the hell was that? Knowing Ken, it was something to do with cars. Perhaps he’d started up a valeting firm. Cars were his passion. He was always online, eyeing up the latest models. But then what had that got to do with waitressing?

‘What do you want exactly?’ Maria asked.

There was a pause. Then the man cleared his throat. It was almost as if he was embarrassed to be talking to her.

‘Well, the girl, Suzy, she stripped herself naked and masturbated to a climax last night at the Smith-Harrisons’ party. I want a repeat performance …’

After the man rang off, Maria lay in bed wondering if she’d heard right. Ken, her workshy husband, hiring out a stripper sounded about as likely as Haystocks Village FC winning the FA Cup.

But although Ken’s alleged actions were baffling, Maria was curious about the girl the man had called Suzy. Who was she? Where had she come from? Was she having an affair with Ken? And had she really gone that far at the party or had it just been a clever act?

Maria sighed as she headed for the shower. She should have been at the Smith-Harrisons’ party herself. But an important meeting concerning planning permission for Mannings Hotel, a property she desperately wanted to knock down and redevelop, had arisen, so Ken had gone alone. If only I’d been with him, Maria thought as hot water from the power-shower needled her skin, then perhaps I’d know what all this was about.

As she’d shuffled into a navy-blue, knee-length skirt, Ken’s phone had rung again – another booking. And then she’d taken two more. Suzy’s act had obviously been quite something.

Maria wanted to quiz Ken, find out if she was missing out on a business opportunity, but he still wasn’t back from wherever it was he’d gone. He was a genius when it came to vanishing into thin air. He was probably at the garage, washing his beloved vehicle. He’d been obsessed with the bloody thing ever since she’d bought him it. He lived the life of Riley, what with not working and Maria funding him. When it came to relationships, she was an idiot. But then, she knew, a lot of men would be turned off by her obsession with profits, not to mention her choice of clothes.

Rattled by the unanswered questions, she pulled on a jacket that matched the skirt and arrived at the office late, only to find that thinking straight was impossible. Visions of a naked girl performing the lewdest of acts on the Smith-Harrisons’ expensive carpet filled Maria’s head, overpowering every other thought.

She considered ringing Sue S-H for the lowdown, but it was so completely out of character that the woman might think she’d gone mad. Mentally, she ran through a list of who else might have attended their do …

‘What planet are you on today?’ Jon, one of her young employees, interrupted her thoughts.

‘Not this one, that’s for sure,’ Guy, his colleague, said. He rifled through the papers on her desk. ‘I printed out an important email about Mannings Hotel and you haven’t even looked at it …’

But, try as she might, Maria couldn’t stop thinking about the unknown Suzy.

In the end, she decided to go along to her next gig, see the girl, and get to the bottom of Ken’s game.

She didn’t have to wait long. Suzy’s next appearance was scheduled for the following evening. Maria knew because she’d taken the booking. The girl was set to perform at the rundown community hall, another building that was on Maria’s books for demolition.

Maria had emailed details of all the bookings she’d taken to Ken and asked him to contact her but he hadn’t replied. She’d rung his mobile but it was switched off. He was probably showing off his new car to all and sundry. Kids and new toys sprang to mind.

‘What do I wear?’ Maria muttered for the umpteenth time as she trawled a rack of business suits. Smart two-pieces in every shade of black, grey, and navy winked back. One or two were racy enough to sport a subtle pin-stripe. But, somehow, they didn’t seem appropriate for the event in question.

‘The blokes will probably all still be in their office gear, though,’ she continued. ‘Christ, what if I’m the only woman in the audience?’ Was that likely? Maria had no idea. She’d never been to a strip show before.

Abandoning the everyday suits hanging on the rack, Maria ransacked her wardrobe. At the back, she found a short-sleeved cropped blazer and skirt in a daring shade of purple. She’d never worn the outfit, as the skirt was so much shorter than usual.

She threw it on and studied her reflection in the mirror.

She hardly recognised the woman staring back. She looked tired, much older than 32, and washed out. The years spent burning the midnight oil over business deals and mergers were beginning to take their toll.

Maria pulled her dark, wavy hair out of its severe bun and let it cascade down over her shoulders. She swapped her flat pumps for a pair of crippling stilettos.

‘That’ll do,’ she muttered. ‘It’s not as if anyone is going to notice me …’

*               *               *

Maria opened the door to the community hall and stepped inside. She planned to stand at the back, watch the show, and then make a quick getaway.

‘Fifteen quid, love,’ the bouncer said. ‘On your own?’ he asked as she fumbled in her purse for some notes.

‘Yes, I …’

‘Come on then … there’s an empty seat.’

The man took her arm and propelled her forwards. The place was packed with randy, cheering blokes, although she glimpsed a couple of women too. The bouncer indicated a seat in the front row, dead centre of the stage.

‘Come on, love, get ’em off,’ the crowd were yelling as Maria slid into her seat. Conscious of the rampant manhood all around her, Maria studied the girl on stage.

She was stunning. Tall and slim, with long, light brown hair and a beautiful heart-shaped face, it was no wonder Ken had fallen for her charms. Suzy grinned as she turned her back on the audience and pulled at the ties on the ridiculous frilly pinny she was wearing.

As the strings came undone, she peeped coyly back over her shoulder, twirling the apron over her head before discarding it. Still facing away from the audience, she slid her fingers into the hook and eye fastening on the bra, raunchy rock music complementing her actions. Suggestively, she danced across the stage, prolonging the moment the audience had been waiting for.

Maria watched the girl as she gyrated in a turquoise satin quarter-cup bra and thong. How long would she drag it out before baring her breasts to the onlookers in the hall? she wondered. She was shocked to find herself excited by the thought of seeing Suzy’s assets, even though she’d considered such behaviour demeaning to the entire female population.

Suddenly, Suzy spotted Maria sitting at the front of the stage. To the delight of the crowd, she sashayed down the steps and stopped in front of the businesswoman. Turning her back, Suzy indicated the hook on the bra. Shouting with delight, the crowd urged Maria to get a move on. The atmosphere was electric, awash with the mingled scents of umpteen different aftershaves, alcohol, and stale tobacco. Maria felt absurdly proud to be a part of it.

With trembling fingers, she released the fastening on the bra, brushing Suzy’s skin as she did so.

Clutching the garment to her, Suzy returned to the stage. Holding the bra across her breasts with her left hand, she eased her right arm through its loose strap until it was free. The men whistled and stamped.

Then she crossed her right arm over the breasts and repeated the action. The bra now served as nothing more than a makeshift covering for her nipples. The men yelled to see more, but Suzy was determined to prolong the drama.

Massaging her hardened peaks with the silky fabric, she gradually offered her admirers tantalizing glimpses of what they’d come to see. Finally, and to great whoops of delight, she dropped the bra to fully expose her beautiful, peachy breasts. Suzy knew she looked gorgeous and took great delight in flicking her nipples and running her hands down the sides of her body, driving the audience wild.

Maria couldn’t believe the power Suzy exuded over the men. The girl might not be a hotshot businesswoman, but Maria acknowledged that she’d never carried this kind of clout, never had a following like this. Suzy held the men in the palm of her hand, all of them enslaved by lust and anticipation.

Maria tried to imagine what it would feel like to be on display in such a manner and concluded she would never be able to do it. She’d be far too self-conscious, too embarrassed.

Not so the girl on the stage, though. Breasts bouncing freely, Suzy descended the steps once again and headed for Maria.

Facing the back of the stage and pulling the sides of the thong away from her body, she indicated what she required.

Maria was only too happy to oblige. Touching the hot, silky flesh, she began sliding the thong down Suzy’s toned thighs. Carefully, she eased the wisp of fabric under the matching turquoise stilettos, marvelling at the girl’s naked form as she did so. She handed the thong to Suzy, the crowd whooping with delight.

Suzy climbed the steps leading up to the stage, giving her fans the chance to admire her pert backside. Back in the spotlight and watching the crowd, she teased the thong through her pubic hair and fondled her breasts repeatedly. Open-mouthed, Maria admired the girl’s bravery.

The music had stopped, but Suzy hadn’t noticed. She just carried on rubbing her clit with the scrap of silk until her climax approached. Being so close, Maria could hear Suzy’s cries of arousal as she finally abandoned the thong and fingered her cunt. Maria could see this wasn’t a charade, could see the girl wasn’t playing games. She was performing for real. And any second now, she was going to share her most intimate act with a bunch on random spectators …

She came with shouts and screams of triumph, leaving Maria with stiff nipples and high on testosterone. Several men pressed against her as they leant forwards for a better view of the panting girl. Maria could feel the erection of the man in the seat behind through the wooden slats in the chair. She wondered whether he had his cock out, whether he wanking. Would she care if he was? They guy next to her looked fit to bust out of his jeans. Was it fair to leave him like that? Her fingers twitched as she recalled the thrill of helping Suzy out of her clothes.

With everybody in the hall experiencing lust overdrive and wanting to fuck Suzy, Ken appeared from somewhere backstage and threw a white satin robe over the stripper’s spent figure. Catching Maria’s eye, he looked furious.

As she left the hall, Maria couldn’t have cared less about Ken. She just wanted to watch Suzy again.