Blossom MacKenzie did not have any idea that her life was about to be turned upside down. Flights of fancy, spontaneity and creative madness happened to other people. Her thought patterns were organised, orderly and logical for the most part. There was a simple reason for this: Blossom MacKenzie was a Certified Public Accountant. Oh, the poor thing aspired from time to time to do something unheard of for a Certified Public Accountant but rarely had the opportunity. That is, until one fateful evening, unbeknown to her, a tall man passionately stared at her as she read a magazine in the late night drug store.

The radio alarm erupted with a twenty-four hour information station at the set time of six-fifteen a.m. As usual, Blossom groggily climbed into the shower that fateful day and let the warm water invigorate her body with its pelting spray. Before beginning her morning routine of an all-over body scrub, she inhaled the scent of the peppermint and tea tree body shampoo that always had a reviving effect on her. While drinking a cup of coffee out of the same old mug her mother had bought for her in Edinburgh, Blossom noticed the same old chip along its bottom. Out of the house by seven-thirty, Blossom drove to work in her functional Ford Fiesta.

“Good morning, Blossom,” chirped her boss, Bill Greenfield, as she opened the door to the wood-panelled offices of Infernal Revenue Services in Venice, California, “You want the good news or the bad news?”

“I think I’ll have the good news first,” she said walking towards him, attentively listening.

“I’ve made a list of local businesses and individuals who have already submitted their tax returns on floppy disks. I’ve put them all on your desk so you can start right away.”

“Okay,” interjected Blossom as she made her second coffee of the day, “how many have managed that so far?”

“Twenty,” her boss succinctly replied.

“Right,” Blossom’s consistent mind whirred into action, “and so, what’s the bad news?”

“Tom Noble, you know him?” asked Bill as he scalded his fingers on the hot drink he had just made in a plastic cup. He quickly put it down, uttered an expletive and blew on his fingertips.

“Oh yes, he owns the Nirvana Health Food Store across the street,” replied Blossom after Bill finished with his mini-drama. “What about him?”

“He is going to be investigated by the IRS for evasion.”

“Oh!” Blossom stopped stirring her coffee in surprise; her blue eyes wide in wonder.

“Yeah, he has been filling out his own tax returns for the past four years. He phoned me last week pleading for help.” Bill munched on a Danish bear claw he had bought that morning from the local Jewish delicatessen. It looked appetizing but he chewed on it as if it was made out of a noxious substance. “I’m expecting him around noon to discuss the investigation. I gave him the MYOB software to install so hopefully he’ll be bringing his tax return with him. That will give you twenty-one to get through today,” he continued, his face frowning with worry.

Blossom was about to get going when Bill added, “Oh, and another thing, Veronica phoned in sick this morning.”

Her face fell at the announcement. “Great,” Blossom flatly said, “will Vincent be back tomorrow?”

“He damn well better be!” Bill answered and roughly shut the door to his office.

Blossom inwardly sighed. Without their stalwart receptionist it meant she would be expected to do both her workload and Veronica’s. When Bill shut himself away in a temper, it was always a sure sign of him feeling stressed-out. It was a testament to the carpenter who made the door that it withstood Bill’s habitual treatment. Vincent Hope, Bill’s business partner, had an annoying habit of his yearly vacations coinciding with the end of the financial year. Still, Blossom was dependable in a crisis. Cup of coffee in hand, she sat herself down, switched on the computer and got to work.

At quarter to five, a man with crusty brown dreadlocks walked in.

“You just made it, Tom, we were about to pack up and go home,” Bill barked at the health food shop owner.

“Oh man, I’m sorry,” he shuffled over to Bill and plopped his floppy disk on Veronica’s vacated desk. A fine layer of flour covered his fingers and he wiped them on his equally flour dusted ‘Save Our Planet’ t-shirt. “I’ve been really busy at the shop today. Everybody wants to buy that new herbal bowel cleanser that was featured on the Regis and Kelly Show.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bill picked up the disk and briskly handed it to Blossom to deal with, “listen, Tom, you really have to get your head around this visit from the tax man.”

“I know, man, I know. It’s the price I have to pay for running a health food shop in a capitalist society,” Tom announced as he attempted to brush his fingers through the dreadlocks. He only managed to pat a small patch on the top of his head.

Trying to keep to the point Bill Greenfield continued, “Well, Tom, you are going to pay me good money to help keep your business running. The least you can do is turn up tomorrow to discuss what’s going to happen.”

“You’re right, man. I promise I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow morning. I wont fuck you around. Thanks, Comrades,” he nearly saluted and he left the premises.

Bill and Blossom gave each other that knowing look. “What a Commie-loving idiot. I thought they disappeared with the Berlin Wall,” he exclaimed as he fumbled in his trouser pockets for the office keys. Blossom went back to contemplating a column on her computer.

“Hey, don’t you want to go home tonight?” Bill said as he realised she was still engrossed in her work.

Blossom felt like commenting that having to do the jobs of two people made her get very behind with the work that she was really supposed to be doing but she held back. “Well, I…” she waved a hand over the papers splayed across her workstation.

“Oh, just tidy that up for now. Veronica and Vinny should be back tomorrow. I know you work very diligently, Blossom.”

Unable to say thank you, Bill, for finally realising that she opted for, “Well, it’s the time of year, isn’t it?”

“Don’t I know it!” Bill rolled his eyes and gave her a hand sorting files into a semblance of a neat pile, “Gayle told me to hurry home as it’s Baby Night tonight.”

“Ahh, okay,” Blossom blushed. She knew Bill and his wife were trying to make a baby but did not want the exact details. She finished clearing her desk while Bill pushed the necessary buttons on the alarm system.

A beeping noise accompanied by flashing red and green lights emanating from the device informed them the system was activated and they could leave. Shutting the door to the offices at five-fifteen p.m., Bill waved good-bye and sped off in his red Ferrari.

As Blossom turned right on Main Street and Pico Boulevard, she remembered the April edition of Accounting Monthly would be on the newsstands now. Conveniently, the late night drug store on Pico and Thirty-Second Street near her home always had it. She could just see the roof of her house in the fading light as she found a space in the drug store’s parking lot.

Sure enough, Accounting Monthly was there. After paying for her copy, she went back to have a look at the wide selection of magazines nearest the window of the drug store. Absorbed in an article about Hong Kong in Orient Express, she never noticed the tall broad-shouldered man in a long black coat walk into the store. Looking her up and down with serious intent he made his way to the condom counter. On his way out the door, he turned around and stared at her almost demanding that she look up to acknowledge his presence.

The smog hung like poisonous gauze over the City of the Angels. Bruno was back to complement the city’s toxic image. He still had contempt for money and had continued his money-laundering racket while in South America. With no wife, girlfriend or boyfriend in tow, he came back to the States with only one suitcase, a fake passport and a WAP mobile phone. His new chauffeur greeted him off the terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

He came back on a whim, why not? His business flourished, it always did. But Bruno Buckingham was not entirely certain about coming back to the States after three years in hiding. Deftly avoiding the cops the last time, there was always that risk but, what the fuck, it was a chance he was willing to take. One thing, however, certainly pleased him and that was his chauffeur, Frank Taylor. This blond haired Adonis with his quiet English accent was legitimate. Not like that fucking Tony bastard who turned out to be an undercover cop. Before Bruno had even left Rio, he had Frank’s credentials thoroughly checked to Kingdom Come. It turned out he had an excellent track record: discrete, clean license on both sides of the Atlantic, eight years experience and a glowing list of references.

“Your hotel room awaits you, Mr Buckingham,”

“Bruno, call me, Bruno…please,” he said staring at the monotonous city scenery.

“Yes, Bruno.”

Frank spoke with a calming, serene and sensuous voice. Something stirred in Bruno’s hormones. Like most men on this planet, Bruno’s penis acted involuntarily of his brain. Before he realised it, he was sporting an erection.

“Am I booked into the Roosevelt Hotel?” Bruno asked as he sat up and spoke directly into Frank’s ear.

“Yes, as per your requirements, Bruno.”

“As per my requirements. Yes… I like that.” Bruno let the words play on his tongue as he sat back in his seat.

“In the same room as Marilyn Monroe once slept in, no less.”

Bruno chuckled. “I like it…I like it.”

Gray clouds loomed over Hollywood threatening end of March showers. The Roosevelt Hotel stood as proudly as it could amidst the seediness of a notorious city. All hoards came to Hollywood. Tour buses operated treasure hunt rides in search of the famous as a form of booty. Tourists flocked the streets looking for something to take back with them of their favourite idol. The Church of Scientology touted its wares. Female prostitutes touted their wares in windows beckoning the sexually repressed, suppressed and obsessed. Young male prostitutes waited at street corners for their older male clients. Yes, just another typical day.

Frank Taylor carried his employer’s only piece of luggage up to the room. “I hope it meets with your approval,” Frank said as he opened the door.

Taking the lead into the room, Bruno took a sniff of the air. “LA smells different than Rio,” he quickly concluded as he peered at the picture of Marilyn Monroe above his bed. She was bent forward with that silly grin on her face wearing a very cleavage-revealing white dress.

“You mean it smells cleaner?” Frank inquired noticing a speck of dust on the wooden shelves nearest the entrance.

“No, both places stink…just differently.”

Frank quietly laughed. Bruno glanced at him and noticed the sincere smile and concern in his eyes. “Oh boy, there’s that hard-on again,” thought Bruno and sheepishly looked away.

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, Bruno, and I’ll get you a drink.”

“Good idea. Fix it for me while…I have a shower.”

“What would you like? Something alcoholic?”

“No, too early in the day for that. Get me… an orange juice.”

“Coming right up!” Frank went over to the mini-fridge and procured a bottle of freshly squeezed juice.

“Coming right up, he takes the words right out of my mouth,” thought Bruno. He splashed in the shower, stimulated the follicles of his black hair by giving his scalp a gentle tug and let his big thing hang loose.

Wrapped in a towel to cover his massive manhood, Bruno walked into the front room and found Frank waiting with a glass of chilled juice in his hand.

“Do you require anything to eat?” he asked as Bruno swallowed in one long gulp.

“I don’t…want…food,” he proclaimed after he finished.

“That’s fine. Is there anything else you desire before I go back to the car to wait for you?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged letting the towel fall, “you can deal with this. It’s clean…I just washed it.”

Frank removed his hat, took off his light grey jacket and placed it neatly over the dressing table chair. He unbuttoned his cuffs and a few buttons on his shirt. A small tuft of crinkly blond chest hair sprang out in freedom.

“Is this in case I spill over you?” inquired Bruno.

Frank laughed. “No, it’s for my comfort. I like to take my time when I please a man.”

“Look…I’m not gay,” Bruno began.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Frank interrupted him by putting up his hand. “Please sit down and let me ease that hard thing for you.”

For once in his life, Bruno did as he was told. Sitting on the edge of the bed with Marilyn Monroe watching over the proceedings, Frank kneeled at Bruno’s feet and gazed expectantly at his burgeoning cock.

Frank licked his lips. One hand gently stroked Bruno’s long shaft while the other caressed his hairy balls. Bruno spread his legs wider and moaned.

“I didn’t let those…crazy bitches… in Brazil… get at my dick,” Bruno hissed as Frank tenderly sucked, hollowing his cheekbones to create a vacuum on the knob.

“Ahh, it’s been a long time,” Bruno said as his legs started to shake. It felt exquisite like darts of pleasure shooting out from his groin. Very soon, Bruno’s whole body felt alive and tingly. His pulse quickened. Frank’s touch was gentle and warm as if he cared for the mind, body and spirit of his new boss. Maybe he really did. He certainly knew which spots to touch. Frank felt Bruno’s dick twitch and let go.

“It’s too soon,” muttered Frank as he nuzzled his head in Bruno’s crotch and kissed his firm thighs.

Bruno ran his fingers through Frank’s immaculate hair and down the sides of his neck. He felt his chauffeur’s slight but muscular frame and wanted more. Grabbing Frank’s head he growled, “Give me more blow job…I need to cum… down your throat.”

“Whatever you desire,” Frank huskily replied.

Keeping firm hold of Frank’s head, Bruno thrust his hips to make his huge stiff thing go in and out of Frank’s mouth. He started slowly at first enjoying the sight of it inside someone’s mouth. Frank began teasing the area between Bruno’s balls and asshole. “Oh…FUCK!” Bruno shouted. Speeding up and maintaining his grip on Frank, Bruno spread his legs as wide as possible while Frank played with the tight ass entrance. “Oh God…catch it…catch it!” Bruno panted and let go of his helpful chauffeur.

Frank took control by grabbing Bruno’s dick. His tongue slid and slurped over the engorged knob end. Grunting and convulsing, Bruno let out a strangled cry as he filled Frank’s mouth. Bruno collapsed on the bed, sweating from the exertion and the hazy heat of the day.

Frank sat on the bed while he stroked and patted the length of Bruno’s torso. “There, feel better now?”

Bruno was unable to speak at first and only nodded. “That was…fucking…amazing,” he eventually uttered.

“Good. I’ll be waiting for you in the limo. I take it you’ll be needing me later… to drive, that is?”

Both men laughed. Bruno got off the bed, opened his suitcase and found a fluorescent Hawaiian shirt to wear. He finished getting dressed in the bathroom. While he combed his long lanky locks he shouted, “Yeah…I’ll ring room service for something to eat. You…give me a couple of hours. I do want a drive…see the shitty old place.”

“I’ll be waiting in the parking lot,” Frank answered and quietly closed the door behind him.

Later in the afternoon, Frank treated Bruno to a refresher tour of Los Angeles County. They drove downtown towards the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, past Olviera Street and Chinatown. Heading towards the coast on Santa Monica Boulevard, Bruno saw Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood Village once again. Frank took a turn somewhere and ended up in a place called Brentwood. Eventually they ended up along the coast in Santa Monica watching the sun go down into the Pacific Ocean.

On the way back to the hotel, something stirred in Bruno’s loins as he remembered his session with Frank. He liked that a lot. Frank was good, a first class cocksucker but Bruno did not want a gay relationship, especially with his chauffeur. “Frank, know any first-class hookers? I’m a bit out of touch…been away too long”

“I think I can fix you up with something, Bruno. Is this for tonight?”

“Yeah. Hey, look, you were great today. Don’t think I’m…ungrateful,” Bruno squirmed in his seat, “I told you already…I’m not gay.”

“Think nothing of it, Bruno, my partner and I are quite happy.” Frank widely smiled, “I am allowed to stray occasionally so long as at the end of the day I come back to him. I was merely relieving your erection and I was very happy to oblige.”

“Hmmm,” Bruno nodded with approval. He had just thought about getting a pack of Trojans for tonight’s sleazy sex session when he noticed a store still open on Pico Boulevard and Thirty-Second Street. “Hey…Frank!” he shouted, “you just passed a drug store. Turn around. I want to buy something.”

Frank swerved and stopped across the street. Bruno galloped with the swiftness of a gazelle towards the store ignoring the traffic lights. As soon as he entered, he saw a woman totally absorbed in reading a magazine. There was something about her that made him stop in his tracks. Her sunny brown hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves. She wore a long flowing red patterned Indian dress that hinted of the curvy body underneath it. She had a look of sophistication with her gold wire-rimmed spectacles and slightly pointed chin and nose. Something about her fitted in with her surroundings and yet she looked out of place, too. She could have blithely walked barefoot at a Woodstock Concert or given a lecture in Theoretical Physics.

As Bruno bought a packet of three extra-large ribbed Trojans, he wondered what she was called, where she lived and, above all, was she unattached. Just as he went out the door, he turned and stood at the doorway hovering to get her attention. Something inside of him ached to get to know her but still she read that fucking magazine.

Bruno ran back to the limousine. In a split second he made his decision. “Frank,” he bellowed, “there’s a girl in there…wait for her…then follow her. I want to know where she lives.”

“Yes, Bruno.”

The pavement already gleamed a sparkling gray when Blossom arrived at work the following morning. It was going to be a scorching day. Thank Heaven Venice received a cooling sea breeze. Just a few miles inland and the heat would have been unbearable for her. Blossom felt a pleasant blast of cool air upon entering the office. Even more pleasing was the sight of Veronica Masuda animatedly chatting by the coffee-making machine with Bill Greenfield.

“Oh, hi Blossom, sorry about yesterday,” Veronica cheerily exclaimed, “doctor say I have bad hay fever.”

“That’s alright,” Blossom answered as she joined them for their daily ritual, “you are here now. That’s the main thing.”

“So, did the doctor prescribe anything for you?” Bill inquired as he plopped a sweetener in his cup.

Veronica rolled her yes. “Oh yeah, I am like a…what you call it…walking medicine cabinet. Something for nose, something for eye and a little tablet to take each day. I feel much better now.” Her Japanese accent gave her voice a gentle singsong quality.

“Uhhh, I saw these lying on the ground outside. I think they’re meant for one of you.”

All three turned around to find Tom Noble awkwardly standing at the entrance. He looked only slightly less disheveled than the day before. He still had on the same clothes, the same ‘Save our Planet’ T-shirt but at least he was not coated in flour. He walked in carrying a large bouquet of gerbera daisies, snapdragons and roses in varying shades of pink, red and purple.

“Oh, how pretty!” Veronica exclaimed as she took them, “for me?”

“I don’t know. There were just lying there, man,” he said pointing to a spot outside not visible from the front window.

“Well, Tom, now you are here, let’s get started. I thought my partner Vinny Hope would have turned-up by now,” said Bill craning his neck to look out the window. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” Turning to Blossom, he added, “You know you’ve got all those tax returns to do today. You should get them done now that Veronica is back.”

“Thanks, Bill.” Blossom could always count on him to state the obvious. “No doubt more tax returns will be turning up as the day progresses.”

“I leave it all," Bill replied with a forced smile, “in your capable hands then,” and guided Tom into his office.

“Oh Blossom,” Veronica admiringly gabbled, “Aren’t they lovely? Who could have sent them?” She held the bouquet as if it was a newborn baby.

“I don’t know. There’s a card there.” Blossom pointed to a small white envelope taped to the orange plastic wrapping.

Veronica gently placed the flowers on her desk and daintily removed the envelope. She stared at it for a few seconds. “It’s for you.” A hint of disappointment tinted her voice.

“What?” Blossom incredulously looked at her colleague.

“It say ‘For Blossom MacKenzie’. Open it then!”

Blossom puzzled over the black lettering. First thing she noticed was the correct spelling of her last name. Many people annoyingly spelled it ‘McKenzie’. The writing was bold with an artistic flair, slanted to the right and, above all, unfamiliar.

“Open it! Open it!” Veronica repeated like a child at Christmas.

Quickly tearing into the envelope, Blossom found the little pastel purple card inside simply read ‘From an Admirer. xxx;’

“Let me read it, then!” exclaimed Veronica. Blossom dismissively handed it to her. “Oh, Blossom you have an admirer! I wonder who it is?”

“I don’t know and frankly I have too much work to get on with to care,” retorted Blossom as she walked to her desk.

“Oh, you spoil sport,” Veronica replied wrinkling her nose.

“No, honestly, I have a lot to catch-up on because you weren’t here yesterday!”

Her receptionist’s cheery face fell.

“Oh damn, I really did not mean it that way,” Blossom apologized.

“No, no, you are right, I should have come to work yesterday. I am sorry,” replied Veronica looking penitent.

Blossom sighed. “No, I’m the one who is sorry. I did not mean to be harsh. It’s just an embarrassing situation to be in. Well, for me, at any rate. Look,” she suggested thinking of a way to make amends, “why don’t you find a vase for the flowers? You are very good at flower arranging. But you’ll have to excuse me; I must really make a start.”

“That’s okay,” Veronica replied as her face brightened up again. “You know, I think Vincent sent you these.”

“What?” Just about to grab a few floppies, Blossom stopped in her tracks. This was beginning to get ridiculous.

“Yeah, Blossom, I know he like you. I see in his eye!”

“Vincent and I have a purely business relationship,” Blossom explained, agitation raising her voice, “Now, really, can you just forget about it?” Thankfully, at that moment, the phone rang and got Blossom off the hook for a while, at least.

Vincent Hope graced the office with his presence around lunchtime. His flight from Reno had been delayed, however, he looked very refreshed after his vacation: not a hair was out of place and he was exquisitely dressed in a double-breasted tailor suit. He smiled and briefly chatted to Veronica and Blossom. Bill shouted from his office for him to get his butt in there right away. Vincent did not jump to attention. Instead he casually made himself a cup of tea and strolled towards his partner’s lair. Veronica way-laid him on the way and directed his attention to Blossom’s bouquet. His eyes lit up when he saw the red roses and counted them, a dozen in all, and winked at Blossom. She simply looked away and continued slogging through her backlog. Later in the afternoon, Veronica quizzed, or rather, interrogated Vincent about the flowers. He denied any suggestion that he was The Secret Admirer but his sly grin did not quell her suspicions.

Blossom took the flowers home because they had caused enough of a stir for one day. Blossom reasoned, rightly or wrongly, if they were out of Veronica’s sight then she would eventually forget about them. It occurred to her to simply trash the bouquet and the mysterious card but Blossom eventually dug out a crystal vase from the back of the kitchen cupboard. They were very beautiful, after all. She arranged the flowers as neatly as possible and put them on the front window ledge.

That evening, as she finished her tuna salad, Blossom heard a brief tap-tap-tap on the screen door. Busily wiping her mouth, she made her way to the door and crumpled the napkin in her hand. Blinking twice to ensure she was not imagining things, Blossom saw a man in a crisp gray uniform looking back at her. He took off his hat as a sign of respect. His hair shone by the light of the street lamp. “Yes?” she inquired, amazed by having such a well-mannered and good-looking stranger at the door.

“You are Ms Blossom MacKenzie, are you not?”

“Yes,” she hesitantly answered.

“My employer wishes to speak with you.”

“I’m sorry, he will have to phone me at the office tomorrow morning.”

“No, no,” the man smiled, “I don’t think you understand. May he come in?”

For a split second, a warning beacon shot off inside her head. “Ah no, that is not possible, “Blossom declared checking to see that the screen door was firmly locked.

“Would it be possible for you to speak to him outside? I can assure you of your safety in this matter.”

Blossom cocked her head to one side and pursed her lips. “Right, what the hell is this all about?” she contemplated. “Okay,” she said aloud nervously unlocking the screen door.

The man smiled and directed her to the limousine parked right in front of her house. Feeling slightly out of her depth, Blossom had the urge to run back and bolt all the doors when the back passenger window rolled down.

A man’s face appeared, pale and intense. His shocking black middle-length hair enhanced the luminosity of his skin. He stared at her in the same way he had the night before. Now Blossom returned his gaze like a frightened doe unable to avoid a head-on collision.

“I’m sorry, “she managed to blurt out, “do I know you?”

He slowly shook his head no and watched her every movement. He said something incoherent under his breath.

“Excuse me? I did not hear what you just said.”

He shrugged and then smiled, quite a toothy one at that.

“Are you one of my clients?” Blossom asked grasping at ideas.

“No…guess again,” suggested the stranger.

“Okay”, thought Blossom, who on earth is this man? He stared at her as if to bore a hole in her mind. Then something clicked. She saw the stranger briefly glance at the bouquet in the front window.

“Are you my Admirer?”

“You have brains…as well… as beauty,” he said with a slight growl, “I like that.”

Rather taken aback, she was not used to this kind of attention. “Well, I’m glad you approve of my brains,” she dryly answered.

The man chuckled. “You’re fresh…very fresh.”

“Look, who are you?” Blossom demanded, “and what do you want?”

“My name is…Bruno Buckingham and…I want you.”

The information came a bit too fast. Blossom could feel the blood rush to her head and felt slightly faint. She wished the man would just go away; his interest in her was unwanted. Blossom felt like a deer about to get its guts splattered on the road; she wanted to make a run for it but would most likely end up being smashed anyway.

“You like to work fast, don’t you, Mr. Buckingham?” she retorted crossing her arms.

Yeah…I’m a spontaneous kinda guy. I’ll pick you up…Friday night…at seven.” He donned on a pair of sunglasses and rolled up the window before she could object. The car started and sped off into the night.

Blossom had visions of him being an ax murderer or the leader of some goofy religious cult. As she tread back into the house, her legs felt weak and she bit her nails. “Fat lot of good my brain did me tonight,” she thought and could have kicked herself for being so dull-witted. Still, Blossom had to accept the fact that this Mr. Bruno Buckingham had a certain flair and panache. She looked forward to their impending date with dread and fascination.

“You like Chinese food?” Bruno inquired as his chauffeur guided Blossom into the limousine.

“Yes, I do, very much,” she replied smoothing out her skirt once she settled in.

“Good,” Bruno’s heart skipped a beat. He had not seen such a beautiful woman in a very long time; the kind that just fucks up a man’s head with the slightest glance. And here she was sitting next to him.

Her glance this evening still had a touch of the potential road kill. “Hey…Blossom, what’s with you? You think I’m a killer or something?”

“I don’t know, are you?” she sheepishly replied looking down at the floor.

“I wouldn’t harm a hair on your gorgeous head,” he chuckled.

A plume of red spread across her cheeks. “Look, can I just ask what this is all about?”

“You can ask…but I might not tell you.” Her perfume wafted over the back seat. Bruno could not quite place it: patchouli perhaps, sandalwood or a mixture of both. But whatever the scent, it made him want to take her in his arms then and there. “You look stunning tonight,” he purred.

“Oh, this old thing, “ she said surveying her long maroon batik-print skirt and embroidered top, “ I haven’t worn this in ages. I…I don’t really go out much I’m afraid.”

Bruno smiled. His slightly crooked front teeth gave him a boyish quality. She could have been wearing a trashcan liner and still looked dazzling. “I don’t care…it looks good on you,” he softly reiterated.

Blossom shyly tilted her head to look at him. It had been a long time since a man had paid any compliments on her looks. She broke-up with her last boyfriend during her final year at university nearly four years ago. Contrary to what Veronica Masuda thought, there was nothing going on between her and Vincent. And now here she was being smooth-talked by this stranger. “Are you going to tell me then?” she inquired again.

After a long pause, Bruno said, “I saw you…that night …at the drug store.”

“You saw me?” Blossom exclaimed in amazement.

“I saw you…but you didn’t see me.”

Blossom’s forehead furrowed in puzzlement. “Do you mean earlier on this week?”

Bruno nodded.

“Well, I remember reading the magazines...” she trailed off in thought.

“Yeah, you sure were.” He puckered his lips in remembrance.

While Blossom looked out of the window feeling more stunned by this man than the sparkling night-lights of Los Angeles, Bruno eyed her bountiful breasts. Frank was still driving on the Santa Monica Freeway. It would be about another half an hour before they arrived in Old Chinatown.

“Had any comments about the flowers I sent you?” Bruno asked to break the lull in their conversation.

“Plenty. But they were mostly from our receptionist, Veronica.” A twinge of annoyance spiked Blossom’s reply.

“Yeah?” Bruno sat back; satisfied he had caused a fuss.

“She kept on asking if I found out who they were from. So I finally told her today Mr. Feinstein gave them to me and that shut her up.”

“Why’s that?”

“Mr. Feinstein is one of our clients. He’s short, fat, old and runs a bakery. Every time he comes in her leers at me; he practically drools.”

Bruno shrugged. He understood what Mr. Feinstein was going through.

“And, worst of all, he just reeks of garlic.”

“Oh…right,” Bruno could not help feeling a pang of jealousy towards the odorous old baker, the lucky sonofabitch.

“Veronica was totally disgusted when I told her. I could finally get on with my work in peace,” Blossom slightly laughed.

Bruno saw her smile for the first time: a shining star in a wacky world; a lucky nugget of gold found along the slipshod stream of life. He would have really been quite happy to dispense with the meal and just fuck the life out of her. The look of her smooth cream complexion and full red lips made things very difficult for him but he was in the middle of using his softly, softly approach. Mercifully, his loose-fitting purple trousers covered a multitude of sins. This was a woman to savor not treat like a hooker, first class or otherwise.

“So, uh, how was work today?” he asked trying to keep this thoughts pure if only for a few hours more.

“Much the same as always.”

Bruno detected a slight annoyance in her voice. “Yeah…it can’t be very…exciting…being…a CPA.”

“Sometimes it is,” Blossom perked up as she explained, “it depends upon what you’re doing.”

“You been at Infernal Revenue Services long?” “Jesus! Who dreamt that name up?” thought Bruno.

“I’ve been there for just over two years now. I was employed,” Blossom explained while she put strands of that brown honey hair behind her ear, “to do the more menial accounting tasks while Bill and Vincent get all the more interesting jobs.”

“I see…it’s like that, is it?” Bruno’s interest piqued.

Blossom sighed, “And I received a bit of a bombshell today.”

“Oh?” Bruno cocked his head in curiosity.

“Vincent is off on a course for two weeks. Something to do with legal requirements. His timing is perfect,” Blossom added sarcastically,” right in the middle of our busiest time of the year.”

“Asshole,” Bruno noted.

“That’s an interesting assessment of him,” Blossom laughed again, “and Bill, my other boss, will not be taking on any temporary staff.”

“So…it’s a case of overworked and underpaid?”

“Yes, I suppose you could look at it that way, I don’t know,” she replied staring into the night.

There was another hush in the conversation.

“”Do you enjoy your job?” Bruno seriously asked.

“Hmm,” Blossom considered, “most of the time, yes. But I have to admit I’m looking forward to my holiday, I mean my vacation, at the end of April.”

“Going anywhere special?” Bruno inquired.

“No way! I’m staying at home and tending to my garden. My neighbor, Mr. Alvarez, is a gardener and he has promised to help me sort out my flower beds.”

Bruno made a slight grunt. Just the vision of being in bed with her made him twitch so bad he had to adjust his sitting posture.

Blossom continued, “ His daughter, Maria, and I are going to choose the flowers. She is a really lovely person. Have you ever read any Voltaire, Mr. Buckingham?”

“What?” he said, shook out of his horny reverie, “please…it’s Bruno. No, what does Voltaire have to do with gardening… and…flower beds?”

"Candide."

"Candide?"

“Yes, have you heard of it before, Bruno?”

“Isn’t that an opera…by Bernstein?” recalled Bruno looking totally puzzled.

“That was based on the story by Voltaire, yes. After all the trials and tribulations Candide faced he realized that in the end he needed to tend to his own garden.”

“Sure,” Bruno pondered this as the lantern lights of Old Chinatown appeared on his left. “Frank, try to park as near to the restaurant as possible. It’s not…safe… here after dark.”

“I see a convenient place coming up here on the right,” Frank said, as he was about to maneuver into a space.

“You’re quite a…wealth…of information…aren’t yah?” Bruno told Blossom as they got out of the car.

“Well, I just don’t deal in numbers you know, “Blossom pointed out. “Oh, is this it?”

“Yes,” Bruno took her by the arm, “Foo Chow Restaurant. Like it?”

“It certainly has a charm all its own,” she answered soaking up the atmosphere of the surrounding area with its jolly red lanterns and Mandarin architecture, “I’ve never been here before.”

“Well…you’re in for…a treat,” Bruno assured her as they entered the restaurant.

“Table for two…the name’s Buckingham,” Bruno announced to the waiter.

As they were shown to their seats away from the hustle, bustle and general shouting going on in the kitchen, Blossom noticed a stairway with a beautifully painted dragon going up the side.

Before the waiter handed them their menus, Bruno simply stated, “Give us the works…your specialties of the house. Blossom, you like beer?”

Without Blossom managing to get a word in edgeways he impetuously said, “Waiter…bring us two…Tsing Tao beers…please!”

“Yes, sir,” replied the waiter and bowed deeply.

“I hope you like Szechwan, it’s kinda spicy.”

“I enjoy Mexican food, I think I can take the heat.”

“Let’s see if you can,” he thought. “You know, my ex-wife is Chinese,” he started off the conversation with a naughty glint in his eyes.

“Really? Oh, well, that’s interesting,” Blossom looked slightly embarrassed and tried to hide it by looking at the other patrons enjoying their meals.

“She said,” Bruno went on, “Szechwan cooking has an…earthy…sensuous appeal.”

The color rose in Blossom’s cheeks, “I see.”

Bruno smiled to notice he had made her blush. “You’re not from around here…are you?” he asked.

“No, I’m not but surely you know that already,” she replied looking directly into his face.

Bruno’s heart danced a happy tango to detect a hint of annoyance. “What?” Bruno said faking innocence.

Blossom held her stare. “How did you find out where I live, where I work?”

“Ah!” Bruno wagged a finger, smiled and growled, “clever girl. Frank, my chauffeur, and I…we followed you home. As for where you work…that’s my secret. Besides,” Bruno paused as another waiter brought them their beers, “I don’t know…everything…about you.”

“And I know hardly anything about you,” Blossom countered, looking puzzled. “I can’t believe my copy of Accounting Monthly was so riveting that I failed to see a limousine drive past me.”

Bruno let out a loud chortle. He loved her way with words already. “Well,” Bruno supped his beer and savored the gentle fizz going all the way down, “here’s the deal…you tell me about yourself and… I’ll do my best… with my story.”

“Okay, agreed,” Blossom complied taking a hesitant sip. “Not bad,” she said nodding affirmatively at her glass.

“You like…huh?” Bruno asked.

“Pretty good. It’s strong like the stuff my Mum used to let me taste when Dad wasn’t looking.”

“Ohh…now…that’s telling me something,” Bruno remarked enjoying seeing her loosen up.

Two steaming bowls of soup were brought to the table. The waiter announced they had Hot and Sour Soup, bowed again and left. Unusually thick for a Chinese soup, there were bits of tofu bobbing around and some kind of white bits floating on the top.

“Mmmm, good,” Bruno approved, “those things are lily buds. You can eat them.”

“It is very different, but palatable,” Blossom said between sips.

“Right, you gonna tell me…anything more?”

“Yes, let’s see. I was born on the twelfth of January nineteen seventy-two. I’ll do the counting for you, I’m twenty-six years old.”

Bruno laughed into his soup.

“Oh, wait, I have a sneaking suspicion you know that already,” surmised Blossom.

“Then tell me something…I don’t know,” he murmured into his bowl.

“Hmmm, my father was American and both my mother and I were born in Edinburgh. That’s in Scotland,” she added with a smirk.

Bruno gave her a sidelong glance, “I do know that.”

Two waiters arrived this time carrying various plates and bowls. Each delicacy was announced one by one in stilted English: Baked Egg Custard with Crab Meat, Fried Fish in Hot Five Willow Sauce and Quick-Fried Shredded Squid with Bamboo Shoot. Two big covered bowls of rice complemented the course.

“My gosh! What a feast!” Blossom enthused filling her eating bowl with rice. Picking up her chopsticks to partake of each dish, she tried the squid dish first. “Oh, chewy, hot and crunchy all at the same time,” she remarked.

“It is,” Bruno agreed, “so, what about your family then?”

“My father was a CPA and worked for a firm called Deloitte, Haskins & Sells at their London office.”

“I’ve heard of them,” Bruno interrupted, “and your mother?”

“She was a portrait painter but she sold clothes in Carnaby Street during the height of Hippie Dom to earn money.” Blossom took some time out to have another bite, “This fried fish tastes really sweet, Bruno. It balances nicely with the sauce.”

“It’s delicious,” he said wiping his mouth, “You know, I spent some time in Carnaby Street…back in the sixties. It was a wild time…I saw Jimi Hendrix in concert.”

“Oh yes,” my mother really liked him. Anyway,” Blossom continued after taking a taste of the melt-in-the- mouth crab meat and egg custard, “my parents met when Dad went into Mum’s shop looking for gifts to take back to the States. It was a case of opposites attract, I think. That was in 1970. They married the following year. In fact, they had two marriages: one was a Registrar’s wedding and the other was a spiritual one, King of the Hippies, or something. My father never really went into much detail.”

Another waiter arrived with a Spicy Vegetable Stir-Fry and Lotus-leaf Wrapped Long-Steamed Beef in Aromatic Ground Rice.

“They are on the ball tonight,” Bruno remarked, taking a piece of the gourmet dish.

Blossom helped herself to the stir-fry.

“Go on,” Bruno insisted.

“Well, my father was transferred to his company’s office in Edinburgh not long after they were married. That pleased my mother but,” Blossom hesitated, “she died when I was twelve years old.”

“Oh, I’m…sorry…about that,” Bruno looked up from his bowl and stopped eating, “don’t talk about it…if you don’t want to.”

Blossom chewed on the crunchy vegetables and yet another spicy explosion filled her mouth. Taking a gulp of beer, it did not help ease the burn. “Thank you,” she said, “I’d rather not.”

“Here,” Bruno offered her some of the fancy beef dish wrapped in lotus leaf, “let’s not spoil the moment.” Blossom bit through the slightly squishy leaf to find the firm piquant meat inside. They ate in silence for a few minutes listening to some jaunty pop music sung in a Chinese dialect. Occasionally somebody sung in English “Far, Far Away”.

The banquet continued. The waiters brought small bowls of hoi sin sauce, plum sauce, sweet soya paste, cucumber shreds and scallions. White pancakes still steaming were brought to the table along with Szechwan Double-Cooked Roasted Duck.

“I hope you like duck?” inquired Bruno.

“I love it!” Blossom enthused.

It was nice to see her smile again. “Waiter, could we have a bottle of Gewürztraminer, please?”

“Yes, certainly, sir,” the waiter scurried off.

“Your father…he influenced you…in your decision to become a CPA?” inquired Bruno tentatively starting off the conversation again.

“Hardly, I was coerced,” Blossom replied matter-of-factly.

“Really?” he said offering her the plate with the slices of duck.

“Yes, after Mum died, my father brought me here to California where he was born and raised. I had visions of being an artist like my mother but Dad thought I would be some penniless beatnik living in a cardboard box.”

Bruno laughed and poured her some of the chilled white wine. “Your Dad…he sounds like a tight-assed shit.”

“In a way he was, I guess. I was good at playing with numbers as well as art so he strongly urged me, shall we say, to follow in his footsteps.” she paused to take a bite, “my God, this duck is wonderful. Spicy and tender.”

“Delicious,” Bruno said. “Just like you,” he thought. “So, where is your Dad now?”

“He died last year of a heart attack,” she replied taking a good swig of the wine.

“Oh shit”, thought Bruno, “I’m really putting my foot in it tonight.” Undeterred he asked, “So, don’t you have any other family, brothers or sisters?”

“No, just relatives back in Edinburgh. I’m a sad case, aren’t I?” Blossom said half-jokingly.

“Absolutely not” he mused softly, “Why do you stay here…in California?”

“It’s been my home for so long now, I suppose. I bought my house with the inheritance about six months ago. So,” she continued as she spread plum sauce on a pancake, “what’s your story, Mr. Buckingham? I’ve told you mine.”

Bruno shrugged, keeping his cool, “I’ve been away for three years. I just got back…the day I found you.”

Blossom stopped in mid munch, “You’re not kidding, are you?”

Bruno shook his head and finished his glass of wine, “I’m serious,” he purred, re-filling it.

“Where were you?”

“Brazil, on an extended holiday. Had friends to visit…business to see to,” he explained partly telling the truth.

“I see. You’re not from California either, are you?” Blossom asked wiping her fingers on one of the hot towels the waiter had just provided.

“New York City but I’ve been around…traveled a lot. I’ve made money…investing…stock market…you know how it goes,” he answered also cleaning his hands.

“I can’t say I’ve ever dabbled. And you’re not married?”

“Divorced…long time ago. I have…one daughter.”

“Oh, where is she?”?

“With her mother,” Bruno hoped so anyway. He had not heard from Jade since the fiasco with that punk of an undercover cop.

“That’s nice. I bet she’s pretty.” Blossom smiled looking into his eyes.

Bruno could tell the alcohol was working. “Yes…I haven’t…seen her for awhile.”

“Oh, this living can be a nasty business. I’m sorry to hear about that.”

“Don’t mention it. Here, have some more wine,” Bruno said filling her glass nonchalantly, hiding his ulterior motive.

“Ok, just one more and that’s it.”

The waiters came and cleared the plates away and then presented them with a large platter of fresh fruit beautifully prepared and elegantly displayed.

“The meal was wonderful but I’m really full, Bruno. I don’t think I could have another bite.”

“Oh, go on, take something!”

Choosing a piece of watermelon without too many seeds, she bit into the flesh. The sweetness was like a welcome blast after all the spicy food she had eaten. Juice dribbled down from her chin. Blossom went to wipe it away.

“Here, let me,” Bruno pulled out a blue silk handkerchief from his trouser pocket. Leaning over, he gently dabbed away the juice.

Their eyes met. She did not look away in embarrassment. Bruno daringly reached for her hand and lightly kissed it. Blossom did not pull away: so far so good. Taking a piece of mango, he offered it to her. She opened her mouth to accept the sliver of yellow fruit. Taking it all in, she chewed slowly enjoying the tangy sweetness.

Blossom took a lychee and held it up to Bruno. He slowly licked the circular white fruit, took the whole thing in his mouth and then chewed it deliberately. She withdrew her hand but he grabbed it again. He kissed her small graceful fingers and softly said, “I’m crazy about you, Blossom. I want you…I need you.” He knew he must look and sound pathetic but he was not getting any younger. Sure, he still had the balls to be out there where every man wants to be but it was not much fun without someone alongside him.

“Shall we go?” he asked, offering his hand.

Blossom swallowed, “I…it’s been…so long since…”she trailed off.

“And for me, too. We…need each other. We are two lonely people,” he tenderly urged.

Blossom rose and wavered slightly. He grabbed her by the arm. Waving a wad of ten-dollar bills at one of the waiters he told him to keep the change. The waiter smiled, bowed again and chattered lively to the other waiters in the restaurant.

“Did you both enjoy your meal?” Frank asked as they walked out.

“Yes, it was very extravagant,” Blossom glibly answered needing help to get back in the car.

“I’ll be staying the night with her. You can get home to David after you’ve dropped us off,” Bruno quietly mentioned out of Blossom’s earshot.

“Very well, Bruno.”

The evening air made Blossom shiver. Bruno got in beside her and took off his coat. Draping it over her shoulders he then put his arm around her. Tentatively bending down to kiss Blossom, he hoped the wine would help her to reciprocate. She seemed to enjoy his tender kisses. “You like that?” he inquired.

“Yes,” she said reaching for his neck drawing him down again.

“That’s good,” he fervently replied. Bruno felt like the luckiest man alive smelling her scent, touching her soft skin and staring deeply into her eyes. He could have danced for joy on top of the Empire State Building with or without King Kong raging in the background. Instead, he planted her an open-mouth kiss and inserted his tongue. Blossom gave a start but did not draw away. He kept his tongue relaxed as he started to get to know her a bit more intimately. Soon their mouths and tongues mingled together. Her hands began to explore his broad back and she quietly moaned.

“Shhhhhh!” he whispered in her ear, “not yet, the night is still young.” They quietly resumed their French kissing, arms entwined, until Frank announced they were at their intended destination.

Leading Bruno by the hand to the door, he abruptly stopped behind Blossom and made her turn around. “You sure you…want…to do this?” he gruffly asked.

The streetlamp cast a shadow on his face: one half in darkness, the other in light. Blossom caught a glimpse of the enigma that was Bruno: full of bravado and machismo but with a seething mass of emotion brewing underneath. Anything goes with Bruno and it went off quite often.

“Hmmm, I hope I won’t live to regret this,” she said as she unlocked the door and let him go in first.

The limousine could be heard speeding off into the distance.

As she closed the front door, Bruno grabbed her close, took her in his strong arms and simply held her. “I can’t believe…I’m here with…you,” there was a quiver in his voice.

He planted kisses all around her face. Gentle raindrop kisses; barely touching, just enough to entice her nerve endings. Going lower to her neck, he felt Blossom take an intake of breath. “I want to make you feel so good…you scream,” he hoarsely whispered gently grabbing and kneading her neck, “have you ever…cried out…really cried…in passion?”

Bruno let go, took off his coat still covering Blossom’s shoulders and flung it over a chair. Blossom went to turn on the light but he put his hand over the switch and shook his head no. “Answer my question,” he insisted.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

Bruno turned on the light switch for her. “This is not about pain…it’s about pleasure,” he explained pacing the floor between her coffee table and sofa, “pleasure so good you beg…BEG…for it never…to stop!” He stopped suddenly and looked her right in the eye. “You’ve never…experienced it, have you?”

Blossom’s heart pounded. This man with the tall and imposing presence disturbed her with his words, fucking her mind before his cock had even entered her body.

“I, no, I’ve never…”

“Then, take me…to your bedroom. I’ll SHOW you what it’s like,” he implored strutting around like a mad peacock.

Blossom began to shake. She did not know if it was due to fear, expectation or both. She simply pointed to a door on the right. Bruno hooked her arm and led her through. Dimming the bedroom light, he took one final look at her as she was now and nodded. Blossom tightly shut her eyes.

“Open your eyes…you will see this with your eyes wide open!” He proceeded to undress her slowly, hands trembling as he undid the buttons on her blouse. Like a pirate finding a long lost hidden cache, he revealed two firm ample breasts nicely nestled in a cream-color bra. He cupped each one approvingly with his large hands. Blossom took a gasp of air. “They are so beautiful…so inviting…please…let me suck them.”

Before she had the chance to consent, he turned her around, gently pushed her long hair aside and confidently undid the hooks to her bra. Taking her gently by the shoulders, he slowly spun her around. “Oh God…Heaven,” he purred starring at two pert pendulous globes.

Bending down to take a cherry red aureole in his mouth, he gently sucked until the nipple came up in a creased nub. He flicked and sucked on it sending sparks of electricity throughout Blossom’s body. She grabbed hold of his head as he went to do the same to the other nipple. She curved her back inviting him to do it some more. Her hands moved to his wide shoulders to support herself upright.

“Mmmmm, no one has ever done that to you before, have they?” Bruno asked as he stood up again smiling down on her.

“No,” she timidly answered.

Feeling for the zipper in her long skirt, he felt her curvy hourglass figure and patted her well-defined ass. His hard on prodded into her stomach but she did not seem to realize. He rocked his hips against her belly. “Feel that? That’s what you…do...to me,” he rumbled, “feel it? What is that?”

“It’s your penis,” Blossom blurted.

“My penis,” he snuffled, “yeah, and it’s hard…hard for you. It’s wants to go home…inside you. Are you ready?”

“I think I am,” she replied self-consciously.

Finding the zipper, he helped remove her skirt. She wore cream color panties that clung her hips.

“Lie on the bed,” he ordered. She kicked off her sandals as she obeyed his instructions.

Bruno slid off his shoes and undid the buttons on his shirt. “You’re still afraid of me…aren’t you?” he asked noticing her wide-eyed expression.

“Umm, yes, or maybe I just don’t know what I should be feeling right now.”

“Could be both.” Bruno loved having a woman that he could train to his liking. He had done that before with his ex-wife when they first met. How wonderful it was at this late stage in the game to find someone like that again: wholesome, sweet, almost virginal.

He lay next to Blossom resuming his fluttery kisses but now he moved south enjoying her taste and scent. As he approached her panties, he could smell cunt - pure, simple healthy cunt. Despite her coyness, he knew her body gave off different signals and his dick was receiving them loud and clear. It twitched in response. He took both sides of her panties, pulled them off in one quick swoop and tossed them on the floor. Oh God, what an exquisite snatch. The brown pubic hair shaped into a perfect upside down triangle. It looked delicate and welcoming. It had been so long since he had been with a woman like this. He gently kissed her pubic bone and breathed in her fragrance down there. Then he gently brushed along the outline of her mound with the side of his hand.

Bruno looked up at Blossom, lust and wanting in his eyes, “You know you want me to,” he uttered. He motioned for her to spread her legs as he edged her butt towards the end of the bed.

Getting off the bed, he kneeled before her pubic shrine, admiring the lips that he longed to savor. Bending down to lick and suck, he wanted to get to know her vulva intimately. He wanted that vulva. It was his! His tongue explored every valley, every peak of her folds. Blossom began to silently squirm as he gently stroked the head of her clitoris with the flat of his tongue. He heard her breath go ragged.

“You like that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly.

“Cry out…I want to hear your cries.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Why…what is it?” He looked up at her. “You afraid of me or are you afraid…to just...let go?”

“I suppose so.”

“Submit to me,” he huskily whispered as he resumed sucking on her crotch.

He heard her attempted whimpers but they were not what he wanted. Bruno wanted screams, passion, obeisance. Hell, he wanted it all, right now, and he was going to have it.

In one feline movement, he pushed her body towards the head of the bed and lay on top of her. He knew her body wanted it even if her mind was not getting the hint. “I want to be inside you now,” he gasped. “Tell me, TELL ME, you want me!” He looked at her ferociously.

“Stop it!” she cried.

He felt inside his trouser pocket and pulled out the same silk handkerchief he had used only a couple of hours ago. Grabbing her hands, he tied them together with it and bound her hands to one of the bedposts. She let out one almighty scream.

“Ah! That’s more like it,” Bruno exclaimed as he got off the bed and fumbled again in his trouser pocket. Finding what he wanted he threw off his shirt and took off his trousers.

Blossom kicked and wriggled when she saw his cock. It was huge, throbbing, red and angry. “No! Oh my God, no!” she shrieked.

“You like it…huh?”

“No, no!”

“Oh yes, you do!” Tearing a corner of the Trojan packet with his teeth, he unwrapped the condom snugly over his massive knob and thick shaft.

Getting on top of her again, he untied her hands while Blossom let out a sob. “Now,” he said quietly, “I think this is what you want.” Her entrance was soaked. She screamed again and clung on to his shoulders as he thrust it in.

“Oh yes, that’s a good girl,” he said encouragingly, “you see? Ah, that’s right, good and tight.”

“Oh, Bruno!” she wailed.

“It feels good, huh? Tell me, you can tell me now, can’t you?”

“YES! Oh God, help, help me!” she loudly cried.

“Submit to me,” he whispered in her ear, “and I will.”

His thrusts were hard and firm. Blossom was losing control over her body. Bruno knew he could do or say anything he wanted now. She was his to control. He stopped.

“No! Please, don’t stop!” Blossom begged, “It does, it does feel so good!”

“Tell me how good it feels,” he ordered.

Breathing heavily, explaining in between gasps, she cried, “It’s so big, it fills me up.”

“Yeah…what else?”

“Please, oh God, it feels so good, no, I want it to last!”

“I can make it last for you,” he growled.

“Oh, yes…no…oh,” her face was a picture of contorted pleasure.

After her sweet admission, all he wanted to do was empty inside her. But not quite yet. Nearly there, he whispered again, “you…will… submit!”

“Yes, yes!” she panted, “I submit!”

“You are mine! Obey me, I will love you!” Bruno bellowed with a tinge of madness.

Blossom could not stand it any longer and began to thrust her hips. He bore down on her and made her stop. “ANSWER ME!” he roared.

“I am yours, Bruno, please, I will do anything you say,” she groaned in ecstasy.

He was content. “Close your legs,” he ordered. He clamped his firm thighs around her legs and felt the squeeze of her vagina even more enveloping his dick. As he thrust again, the ribbed condom rasped on Blossom’s clitoris. She looked up at him, arms clinging on to his strong back, feeling all the barriers melt away. If this is what touching enlightenment was like then she had reached it. Her body shook and shuddered. Blossom screamed with wild abandon. Bruno was only seconds behind her. “Oh baby, you pump me dry!” he screeched staring at her fiercely and spilled his seed.

They collapsed in a heap unable to do or say anything for a few minutes.

“I need to pull out,” Bruno grunted and carefully shifted his weight. He went to the bathroom to get rid of the used Trojan and relieved his bladder.

When he came back to bed, Blossom sleepily purred, “Did I submit enough for you?”

“Mmmm,” he said snuggling next to her, “all the way.” He brushed away sweaty strands of Blossom’s hair gathered on her forehead and gently kissed her. “Sleep now,” Bruno said, gathering her in his arms. When he could hear her soft even breathing he whispered in her ear, “This is only just the beginning.”

Bruno paced the floor waiting for Blossom to return home from work. He could never understand women and their particular brand of logic. A woman would usually misconstrue things he considered par for the course. And Blossom was no exception. His way of looking at things made perfect sense to him, however, the message was not getting through to her. Okay, he had only been staying with her for three nights but so what? After tonight, she would have no doubt - no doubt at all - as to the way things were going to be from now on.

He heard her little car crawl into the driveway. He could not understand why she insisted using it when there was a chauffeur driven limousine at her disposal. Flopping onto the sofa with his red dressing gown following him in billowing folds, Bruno tried to sit as cool and laid-back as possible. But as soon as she walked in, he jumped to attention like a frisky pup. “Women,” Bruno thought, “with them, without them, who could live?” “So,” he said walking up to greet her, “how was work?”

Blossom walked to the kitchen and helped herself to a glass of cold drinking water from a bottle in the fridge. She looked frazzled: her normally prettily-pointed facial features were squeezed into a tight scowl. “It was crap,” she finally answered after taking a long sip.

“What happened?” Bruno inquired as he followed her into the living room.

“Well,” she started as she sat on the sofa, “I told Bill today just what I thought of the new arrangements. You know, without Vincent and any temporary help. You remember?”

“I remember,” he nodded, sitting down next to her. “What’s wrong with telling him how you feel?”

She exasperatedly looked at him, “I just don’t do that! It’s not my way. I get on with things and make the best of them”

“Look,” Bruno said with a slight edge to his voice, “how would you like it if you never had to work at that shitty place again?”

“It is not a shitty place and let’s not start discussing that all over again, Blossom’s voice rose higher, “I’ve had an exhausting day!” She placed her drinking glass on the coffee table with a resounding clatter

. “We’ve …only…touched…the surface,” Bruno rose from the sofa and towered over her, “You just don’t get it…do you? You stick with me and you’d never…I repeat…NEVER…have to work for some ASSHOLE again!”

Blossom went quiet for a moment. “And work for you instead?”

“Yeah…exactly…got it in one,” Bruno shrugged to ease the tension from his shoulders. He looked down at her approvingly. “You’ll get nice jobs…the money is easy…plentiful,” he explained starting to pace the floor again, “you do…what I…tell you, you’ll go far,” his voice went deep and husky.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, really. In fact,” Bruno stopped pacing the floor and looked her straight in the eye, “I’ve got a job for you already, you like…Hong Kong?”

“Why, yes, yes, I do,” she remarked, her curiosity piqued, “what would I have to do?”

Bruno hesitated. ”Hey…you must be hungry. I’ll phone Frank.”

Blossom rolled her eyes.” No, no, that’s okay. I’ve got food in,” she stood up and made her way to the kitchen.

But Bruno was not listening to her. “Frank,” he said speaking into his mobile phone, “go to that Mexican place down the road from here…yeah…that one that makes those shit-hot burritos.”

Shouting at Blossom, he asked, “You want a burrito?”

She walked back into the living room and begrudgingly nodded.

. “Yeah, one of them,” he continued, “make that two…and don’t forget the jalapenos, tortilla chips…the works.”

Once he hung-up, Blossom complained, “Honestly, Bruno, I can cook. I’ve got food that needs to be used.”

“Okay,” he said, taking her by the hand, “you can use it another night. I’m crazy about ya, sit down, we’ve got business to discuss.”

He made her sit on the sofa. Huddling close beside Blossom, he wrapped a long arm around her. “I’ve got a…business associate a…colleague. We owe each other a favor.”

“Oh yes,” she innocently answered, “and what has that got to do with me?”

“You my…little plum…are very important,” he elaborated, “I want you to fly to Hong Kong…pick up a piece of jewelry waiting for me…a bracelet…and bring it back. Beats doing tax returns.”

“That’s it? Where’s the catch?” Blossom suspiciously asked.

Bruno shrugged his shoulders, “On the bracelet.”

There was a suspended silence and then Blossom let out a snigger, smiling for the first time tonight.

Bruno gave her a big squeeze as soon as he saw her sunshine grin. He bestowed kisses on her face.

“What’s that for?” she gasped for breath.

“You know me, I’m an impulsive guy. I kiss… pretty girls who laugh at my …shit jokes.”

She reciprocated his kisses now enjoying the idea of using tongue. Bruno was truly enjoying himself. “Business and sex”, he thought, “what a perfect combination.”

“I’ll get the ball rolling,” his voice rumbled in urgency.

“Hmm?” Blossom dreamily asked.

“I’ll get in touch with Kang…tell him we can…finish the deal…right away.”

“Right away?” she said with a start.

“Yeah, what’s the big deal?”

“I can’t just pack-up and leave my job, that’s crazy!” Blossom shrilled, “just who the hell do you think you are?” She disentangled herself from his grasp and sat up.

Bruno probed for something in his pocket: a large cigar, rolled by hand in Havana, and proceeded to light it, puffing profusely. “Who am I you ask?” Sitting back comfortably into the sofa, he looked at her while he blew a big smoke ring. “Good question! Listen, Blossom, you don’t owe Infernal Revenue Services anything.”

Blossom shook her head. “But Bill and Vincent have been good to me. I don’t know, Bruno, I’m really not sure. Besides, Vincent will be back in a couple of weeks. Things will get back to normal after that. Your idea is tempting but…”

Bruno sprightly lifted himself off the sofa and pointed a finger at her. “How many times do I have to tell you? You work for me now.” He put his cigar in a saucer masquerading as an ashtray.

Blossom stood up and rose to her full height, which made her come up to his chest, looked him sternly in the eye and said, “But I don’t work for you!”

“You do! And you are mine!” he bellowed.

“What are you talking about?”

“C’mon Blossom…I didn’t take you for a fickle type. You tell me…every time we have sex.”

Blossom went quiet for a second getting her head around all this. “But that’s only said in the throes of passion!”

Bruno grabbed her shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned…that…makes it even more…binding,” he purred and bent down to savagely kiss her.

She desisted. “No, go away! Get the hell out of my house! I don’t mean it!” screamed Blossom.

Bruno merely chuckled. “You don’t mean that,” he took her roughly in his arms and growled. “You mean what you say when you are screaming…pleading for release. I’m the first man to open you up…show you your own feelings. I play the tune around here. Admit it…you like it that way.”

Blossom opened her mouth to protest but said nothing. Bruno could tell he was finally getting through to her.

“Hey Blossom, it’s not…so bad,” he said. “Come here, sit down,” he held out a hand beckoning her to sit on his lap.

This was Bruno’s finest moment: the conquest of a new protégé. Once he had Blossom there, he held her protectively, fatherly. It made his cock go hard. “Admit it.”

“Admit what?” she quietly asked.

“You like me…in control. Taking you…to extremes…to pleasures…you never knew existed,” he whispered in her ear.

“Yes.”

“And I can show you the ways of the world. Instead of handling other people’s money you can…handle yours…lots of it,” Bruno growled into her ear. Blossom shrugged. “I guess so.”

He grabbed her chin. “You guess so?”

“Yes,” she swallowed.

“Good,” he was satisfied. Looking into her eyes, he saw that she understood who was boss now.

Bruno gently began to knead her breasts. Just as he was about to lift up her top, there was a brief knock on the screen door. Letting Blossom go to answer it he stood up. “Ah, dinner!” he exclaimed adjusting his clothes. Finding his cigar smoldering away, he carefully stabbed it out.

Blossom’s cheeks were pink but Frank appeared not to notice as she let him in. He carried bags full of wonderful aromas and the smell of freshly prepared hot food filled the room.

“The works, as requested,” Frank proclaimed walking towards the kitchen. “Shall I plate up for you both?” he inquired.

“Yeah, okay, good idea,” Bruno said.

Switching on the TV, Blossom found a banal music channel and turned down the sound. Bruno sat close to her gently massaging and stroking her hand. He could see it sent shivers down her spine. “You see, I know what you like,” he purred.

“Dinner is served, please come to the table,” Frank requested. “Avocado, cheese and lettuce burritos, refried beans, rice, salad, tortilla chips, jalapeno salsa and,” he rushed back to the kitchen, “freshly chilled low-fat milk.”

Blossom laughed. “It’s the best way to deal with a burning mouth.”

Bruno sat down and popped a pickled green chili in his. “Mmmmm,” he said, not needing any milk.

“I like spicy food but I could never do that!" Blossom exclaimed in surprise.

“Well…I’m hot stuff. Sit down!” he ordered.

Frank guffawed. “Anything else you require this evening, Bruno?”

“No, you can go home. I’ll call you around seven tomorrow morning.” Blossom would be taken to work by Frank from now on whether she liked it or not.

“Good night, then.” He made a slight gesture of a bow and left.

“Good night, Frank,” Blossom answered, “I’ll see you to the door.”

“Oh, there is no need for that, Madam,” he quickly replied, closing the door behind him.

“He’s good…real smooth,” Bruno commented.

“He’s English, isn’t he?” Blossom inquired as she made her way back to sit beside him.

Bruno nodded, stuffing rice in his mouth. “London, I think…or is it Liverpool?”

“Uh, no Bruno, he doesn’t talk like John Lennon.”

“Yeah, whatever. Eat!” he implored, “or else it will get cold.”

Blossom sliced off a piece of burrito and dipped it into the jalapeno sauce. Taking a bite, the savory flavors of the guacamole, chili and cheese danced on her taste buds. “It’s an odd combination to put in a burrito but it works.”

“Mexican food is very…addictive stuff.”

“Oh yes, definitely. Bruno,” she hesitated, “about what we were, uh, discussing earlier on.”

“What about it?” he asked as if it happened a long time ago.

“I…I am interested in your business, ah, proposition, really, I am but could we at least compromise on one thing?”

“What’s that?” Bruno crunched on a tortilla chip.

Blossom swirled her fork in the refried beans. “My two-week vacation isn’t that far away.”

“Yeah…I know.”

“Well, why don’t I hand in my notice just before it starts?”

Bruno scooped jalapenos out of the polystyrene cup with the tortillas.

“Will it matter so much if your Mr. Kang has to wait a couple of more weeks?”

He had a suspicion this was coming. “The hardest part is over now,” thought Bruno. “She has come round to my way of thinking. The rest of it will be a breeze.”

“Sure…okay,” he concurred, “but it’s not Mr. Kang, it’s Mr. Wu. His proper Chinese name is Wu Kang Hao. You know…the Chinese put their last name first.”

“Oh yes, that’s right. Oh, and thank you Bruno.”

“Sure, no problem,” He glanced at her fiddling with her food. “Are you gonna eat…those…refried beans?”

“No, I better not. Refried beans make me fart,” she explained starting to take another slice of burrito.

Bruno made a grunting noise. “Okay, I’ll skip them, too,” he agreed, looking forward to more of the sex thing later on.

“Oh, I’m glad I’ve caught you both,” Blossom peeped in Bill’s office and walked in. They would be closing in an hour. Bill sat in his executive black leather chair while Vincent sat on the side of the desk looking at the computer screen.

She nervously placed a sealed envelope on Bill’s desk. “This is for both of you,” she said.

“What is it?” asked Bill running his fingers through his short thick hair.

Blossom sighed. “It’s my letter of resignation.”

“What?” both men exclaimed.

“This is rather sudden,” remarked Bill, “what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry but I feel it is time to move on,” Blossom told the truth but unsure of where it would lead.

“Would it help if we offered you a promotion?” inquired Vincent with concern.

“No,” Blossom adamantly responded.

Bill shook his head. “I don’t want to let you go Blossom, you are one of the best junior staff we have ever had. “How ‘bout,” he said swiveling the computer screen towards her, showing a table of facts and figures,” becoming manager of this office? We have plans to open another office in Ventura.”

“That’s very kind of you but I’ve already been offered another business proposal.”

“Oh? Who by?” asked Bill sitting back in his chair fiddling with his moustache. Blossom saw large patches of perspiration seeping through his shirt under his arms.

“My friend,” she answered not wishing to divulge anymore than that. “There’s the prospect of traveling around the world and the pay is good.”

“Sounds great,” said Bill, “I can’t argue with that.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?” asked Vincent; correctly deducing the friend was male.

“Look, I have tried to stick to my contract by giving you two week’s notice. I was going on vacation so I would not have been here anyway,” retorted Blossom, annoyed with the questioning.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to explain.” Bill sighed, “I’m sorry to see you go, Blossom. I know we had a rough patch recently.”

“That’s not why I’m leaving. Honestly, you know me: I get stuck in without complaining, well, most of the time.” She knew her outburst had been out of character but at least it helped to get Bill’s head out of his ass.

“Yes, we know and we admire you for that,” Vincent assured her. “ And does this have anything to do with you being driven to and from work by limousine every day?” Vincent quizzed again.

“It might do.” My God! I’m getting bold thought Blossom. She did not offer anymore of an explanation.

Bill looked at his co-partner as if to tell him to be quiet and then opened a small drawer on the side of his desk. “I was going to give this to you as we were closing but I might as well give it to you now.” He handed her a small brown envelope. “Here, have it,” he urged.

Vincent curiously looked on.

Blossom carefully tore along the top of the envelope to find it contained two one hundred dollar bills. “What’s this for?” she asked in amazement.

“It’s a little something for that garden patch you used to go on about. Maybe you can buy some flowers as a way to remember us,” Bill explained.

Her garden! She had been so absorbed with Bruno for the past few weeks that she had totally forgotten all about her plans. “Thank you,” she awkwardly replied, “I will do. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to say good-bye to Veronica,” Her face felt hot.

“Alright, Blossom,” said Vincent as she quickly left the room.

Glad to get that over with, Blossom walked up to Veronica.

“Hi, you okay?” Veronica stopped typing a letter. She noticed Blossom’s flushed cheeks and worried expression.

“Oh, yes,” she distractedly answered, putting on a smile.

“This your last day, huh, not long now?”

“That’s right. Actually,” Blossom took a deep breath, “it is my last day here. I’m leaving for good.”

“No!” Veronica squealed, “You kidding me? You can’t leave!” She appeared genuinely upset. “Where you going?”

“Yes, it’s true. I’m…going away.”

“Where?” Veronica insisted.

“To Hong Kong.”

Veronica gasped. “I thought you look after garden with Voltaire!”

Blossom affectionately laughed. She had explained to Veronica many times that Voltaire was an Eighteenth Century philosopher during the Age of Reason but Veronica always spoke about him in the present tense.

“I will tend to my garden but later. I’m only going away for a short while.”

“Oh, so why this your last day?”

“I’ve met someone,” Blossom gently said.

“Oh, you have a boyfriend!” Veronica squealed again. A look of horror immediately descended upon her face. “Wait a minute, it not old Mr. Feinstein, is it?”

“Oh, no way!” Blossom reassured her.

Veronica eyed her suspiciously. “Mr. Feinstein, he never sent you flowers, did he?”

Blossom looked down guiltily. Veronica prodded her arm. “You silly girl, you do that to shut me up, ha ha ha!”

“Yes, that was very naughty of me.”

“So, why quit because of boyfriend?”

Blossom shrugged. “He’s got money.”

“Ah, that is a very good reason!” Veronica smiled and nodded. “He the one with big car, huh?”

“Could be,” Blossom evasively answered.

Vincent came out of his office and caught their attention. “Veronica, can you get me Tom Noble’s file, please? I think we are on the brink of saving the man’s butt, I mean, business. It’s getting late but I’ll ring him with the good news.”

“Yes, coming right up!” Veronica jumped into action and rushed to the filing cabinet.

Blossom felt wistful. It was nice to see the Noble case possibly ending on an optimistic note just as she was leaving. She hoped this was a good omen. Walking slowly to her desk, Blossom put her mind to the task of clearing out her things.

At closing time, Vincent, Bill and Veronica each gave her a hug and wished her well. Blossom could not help noticing the looks of puzzlement and curiosity on their faces. Frank attentively waited by the limo to take her home and opened the car door for her. She began to cry as she was driven away. The following day, a brilliantly sunny Saturday morning, Blossom went outside to spend some time in the garden - her sadly neglected garden. Actually, she had two. The front was a little patch of lawn adjoining her neighbor’s boundary fence. Mr. Alvarez had ideas to plant roses, a few evergreen bushes and perhaps some marigolds for a dazzling cover of orange and yellow. She envisioned this in her mind looking forward to making it a reality once she got back from Hong Kong.

Walking around the side of the house, she made her way to have a look at the back. Covered mainly in grass and weeds, this expansive area was destined for many things. She had discussed plans to make part of it into an organic vegetable garden. The area nearest the rear of the house would be paved into a patio and any bits left over, Blossom was happy to leave semi-wild for the birds and insects. Well, maybe a few pretty flowers here and there for color and contrast and a space set aside for a washing line.

“How about a cherry tree?” said a voice as if reading her thoughts.

Blossom turned around and saw a beautiful Hispanic girl on the other side of the wooden fencing.

“Oh, hello Maria, I didn’t see you there.”

“You look miles away,” Maria curiously said.

“Oh yes”, Blossom thought, “I will be in a few days.”

“My father,” Maria continued, “wants to know when you wan’ him to start.”

Blossom walked right up to the fence and peered over. Mr. Alvarez had a garden that provided all kinds of vegetables to feed him, his wife and daughter. But the area nearest the fence was a series of little ponds with pretty bubbling water features and filled with koi carp. Blossom thought it was enchanting, almost magical.

“He think a cherry tree over there will look good,” Maria pointed to a sunny south-facing spot in Blossom’s garden.

“Oh Maria, I’m sure it will look great but we are going to have to postpone our plans temporarily.”

“Why?”

“I’m going away,” she uneasily answered.

“With your hombre?” Maria raised an eyebrow. “Where’re you going?”

“I’m only going to be away for about four days by myself in Hong Kong. Can you let your father know, please?”

“Si, okay.” Her big brown eyes looked right into Blossom’s, “that’s not so bad, then.” “What d’you mean?”

“I quit work yesterday,” Blossom explained trying to sound enthusiastic.

“Oh,” Maria uttered only mildly surprised.

“Yes, so I will have more time to spend helping you and your father with my garden,”

“Is this to do with your hombre, too?”

“Yes,” Blossom haltingly answered.

Maria slyly smiled. “He has mucho dinero, huh?”

“It’s rather obvious, isn’t it?” Blossom said, almost feeling ashamed.

“Si. He’s coming now. I see you later. Bye, bye!” Maria scampered off as Blossom heard the back door slide open.

Bruno looked splendid this morning in his red dressing gown and puffing on a cigar. He noticed the girl, only three or four years younger than Blossom, run off. “She always does that when she sees me,” he said, walking up to Blossom.

“Does she really?” Blossom giggled. “I guess you have that effect on women.”

Bruno ignored her statement. Instead he surveyed her backyard. “Nice place,” he shrugged. “But I’m not into gardening.”

“Perhaps you should be. It would keep your mind on other types of greenery.” Blossom had a naughty twinkle in her eye.

“Ah, funny,” he shook his finger at her. “You okay…after yesterday?” he asked.

Blossom heaved her chest slightly. “Yes. I’m sorry I cried so much. I…I guess I’m still adjusting to all these changes.”

“They are changes…for the better…trust me,” Bruno retorted, stubbing his cigar in the weeds.

Blossom reprovingly shook her head at him. She bent down to pick up what was left of the offending piece of Cuban leaf and disposed of it properly in the garbage can. “He can teach me about money and I’ll teach him to respect the environment a bit more,” Blossom thought.

“Listen, Blossom, I’ve got something for yah…might cheer yah up. Come inside,” summoned Bruno.

Blossom followed him through the sliding door. The back of the house was a later extension by a previous owner. Blossom turned it into a den with large cushions on the floor and a dilapidated antique chaise longue in one corner. She always wanted to get the chaise longue re-upholstered but never got round to it yet. In the meantime, it added to the laid-back ambience of the room.

Bruno gracefully sat on a large purple cushion and propped his back against the wall. He wore a black pair of high waistband trousers. Blossom could not help gawping at his long legs, bent at the knee, spread wide open.

“You ready for Monday?” he inquired.

“Yes, I think so, we’ve gone over all the details enough times.”

“Good girl,” Bruno admiringly purred. He reached over behind a potted yucca plant and pulled out a box, exquisitely wrapped. “Here…this is for you…you can open it now.”

Blossom thought it was too pretty to unwrap. The blue paper had Chinese characters all over it and felt silky to touch. Once opened, the box revealed a red silk short-sleeved top with frog buttons, gold trim and Mandarin collar. “Oh Bruno! It’s beautiful,” she cried.

“You need something nice to wear…while…you’re there. Hong Kong will be getting hot right now. You need to pack a few light things.”

“I will certainly take this with me. Oh, thank you!” she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

“Try it on,” Bruno suggested.

Bruno sat there watching her take off her plain cotton top. “Not wearing a bra today?” he noted, obviously enjoying the spectacle.

“I didn’t feel like wearing one.”

Bruno made noises of approval. “The top suits yah…goes with your hair.”

“Like it?” she asked, giving a twirl.

“Love it…come here.”

She nestled up to Bruno and stroked his thigh. “Can’t you come with me? I’m feeling nervous about doing this on my own.”

“Aww, sorry, Blossom, I’ve got calls to make…people to see. Don’t worry, you’ll do great,” he reassuringly said, clasping an arm around her. “You take that mobile phone I bought you, you can get in touch with me anytime you want.”

“Okay,” she sighed with resignation.

“We’ve got one last important bit to discuss.”

“What’s that?” Blossom anxiously looked up at him.

“Nothing too serious. Just…make a point of wearing the bracelet once you are at Kai Tak Airport, before you go through customs.”

“Why?” Puzzlement lined her forehead.

Bruno bent down to kiss out the creases and smiled. “They’ll see you wearing it. Don’t declare it. If anyone asks,” his voice went low, “tell them the bracelet’s an engagement gift.

Blossom dubiously looked up at Bruno. “Is it?”

“No,” he succinctly answered, “well...you know…just tell them that. Keep them from asking…too many questions.” Bruno shuffled to readjust his position on the pillow.

“Alright, if you say so.”

“Anything else you want to go over?”

“No…no not right now,” replied Blossom looking overwhelmed.

“Everything will be fine,” said Bruno placing his hand reassuringly on her neck, “you’re a smart girl, you can…communicate and that’s important. You’ll do great.”

Blossom smiled. “I was reading about Hong Kong that night you saw me in the drug store.”

“Yeah, really?” Bruno said, stroking her wavy hair “must be fate, then.”

“Did you know that last year on the first of July, Great Britain handed Hong Kong back to China?”

“There you go with that…wealth of information again,” he smiled, “Come here…business is finished for today.”

Blossom shifted her position and sat up on her knees. Putting her arms around his neck they began to kiss deeply, tongues interweaving. She felt safe and secure in his arms. All the worry about dates and times and expensive jewelry and meeting people just drifted away to nothing. She could forget about it all if only for a short while.

“You like being my little protégé?” Bruno whispered hoarsely in her ear.

“Mmmmm,” Blossom responded. He could do anything he wanted to her now: mould her, shape her, slap her, fuck her. She was content to stay on her knees in idolatrous worship of him. He was her world now. His touch - firm or tender, harsh or sweet – is what she craved. His broad hands worked magic on her skin. When he looked at her in a protective, caring way her face lit up, her heart burned and her cunt watered. If he looked at her with scorn she would do anything to please him again. Blossom looked into his eyes now and saw a joy and happiness she had not seen before.

“Feel down there,” he croaked, guiding her hand towards his groin.

Blossom felt his staff rapidly growing rigid as her fingers glided along its length.

He ordered in a hushed whisper, “Put your hands inside and pull it out.”

Reaching within, she felt a sweaty hard cock. Helping him ease down his trousers, Blossom saw an engorged red end come out of its foreskin like a shedding snake. “You don’t mind if I’m not cut?” he asked as she examined it with awe.

“It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” It smelled clean, freshly washed with Blossom’s favourite tea tree and peppermint body shampoo.

“Can I put it in my mouth?” she sweetly asked.

“Sure,” he said, his voice wavering slightly.

“I’m…I’m not sure what to do.”

“Just put it in your mouth and …no teeth…whatever you do,” Bruno enlightened her.

Blossom bent down and could just about manage to get his entire knob in her mouth. It seemed to swell even more as soon as it entered her moist orifice.

“Ohhhh, God,” Bruno groaned running his fingers through her hair, “lick it, lick it!” he insisted.

Blossom licked and sucked on his long shaft taking a long time to pleasure him. She sat up to catch her breath. “I like doing that,” Blossom said, placing her hands over her mound and squeezed.

Bruno pushed her down onto the pillows and climbed on top of her. She licked him - his tongue, his face - in adoration. She needed to, she had to. She was born to lick and suck this man. Twisting underneath him with desire, she craved his cock. “Oh please,” she cried, “I want it in my mouth again!”

Bruno looked up at the chaise longue in the corner. “Get up and sit on that,” he commanded.

She dutifully responded. Bruno stood before her, dropped his pants and undid his dressing gown. His erection prodded her in the face. “Now you can give it a real good suck.” Blossom had to open her mouth very wide to accommodate it.

“Ohhh Christ, I love the way you look with my cock in your mouth,” Bruno exclaimed in ecstasy, “touch my balls!”

Both of her hands felt the hairy gonads move in their little jelly sacks. They shrivelled at her touch. Bruno hissed with delight.

“Now,” he instructed, “just move your tongue all around the end there.” “Ahh!” he shouted as she did so.

“Feel those little bumps around the ridge?” he murmured.

Blossom uttered a muffled mm-hmm.

“Ohhhh yeah…that’s a very…sensitive spot. And lick underneath.”

Blossom felt his cock give a small jolt. She let go of his balls and started to massage her vulva. Luscious sensations shot out of her clitoris. She began to add her moans of pleasure alongside his.

Blossom’s drool dripped on the floor. His knob seemed to expand every time he breathed in. She could hardly keep it in.

“You’re a good girl…ahhhhh…so good!” he huskily cried. He then saw her frantically fingering herself. “You stop doing that,” he sternly ordered.

His cock flung out of her mouth as she wailed, “I can’t help it, I need to cum!”

“Am I going to have to…tie…your hands…behind your back?”

“No, no!” she pleaded, “Please don’t!”

“Okay then, you are not…to touch…yourself. Now,” he said shoving his dick in her face again, “start sucking.”

Blossom greedily sucked, worshipping his manhood with her hands, lips and tongue; treating it with the respect and reverence it so truly deserved.

“Make lots of slurping noises,” he demanded.

Blossom gladly complied with his request, adding her groans of devotion. Her fingers brushed along his long lightly hairy thighs and tugged softly on his balls. She innocently went up further beyond them to the sensitive area around his ass.

“Aww, SHIT, CHRIST!” Bruno cried and bucked his hips, “that’s it…don’t stop!”

Blossom’s tongue wriggled all over his knob in a wild frenzy while her fingers gently stroked that special area. She felt his cock give one almighty twitch and Bruno let out a stifled gasp. His hot salty liquid shot inside her mouth. Surprised at first, she simply swallowed it finding his taste quite pleasant after the initial briny blast of sperm. She kept his cock in her mouth until he finished spurting and stopped shaking.

“Are you sure you never…sucked on dick...before?” he asked still breathing hard.

“No, never,” Blossom would not lie to her worldly deity.

He smiled approvingly and then saw the state she was in. Her hand resumed its position on her crotch, her legs wide open, and her lips full and pouting.

“I think it’s your turn,” he observed. “Get your hand away from there!” he barked, “and stay like that.”

Bending down to pull out the blue silk handkerchief from his trouser pocket, Blossom screamed. He had not used it since that first night. She remembered it with a mixture of fear and rapture, disdain and arousal. He grabbed her arms and put them above her head. She squirmed as he tied them together and left them there. “Now, lie down!”

He lifted her long flowing skirt and opened her legs. He found a large wet spot on her panties and her cunt aroma filled his nostrils with its earthy fishy sweet scent. Sliding her panties off her plump behind, he held them up to his nose. “Ah, better than any garden you could plant,” he remarked with a teasing gleam in his eye, “you want it bad, don’t you?”

“Yes!”

“How bad?”

“Please, I adore you. I worship you. Oh God, I need to cum so bad!” she panted.

He undid the frog buttons of her new blouse. Blossom made a noise of contentment as he began to suck on a large pink nipple.

Blossom writhed but her hands were tightly bound. How she wanted to run her fingers through his hair, feel the hard contours of his shoulders, be able to reach out to him as her time neared. All of that was denied her but she found it heightened the pleasure sparking inside her swollen cunt. Her legs opened and closed in sexual ecstasy.

As he went to suck on the other nipple, he put a large hand over her hot mound. It felt like it was always meant to be there. It fit perfectly. He stuck his middle finger up her hole.

Her hips bounced recklessly. “Rub it! Rub my clit!” she howled.

He looked up at her “No, I think you need to wait a bit longer.”

“Oh, please!” she shrieked, “I beg you! I need to cum!”

“Mmmm, you are…desperate. Is that what…sucking cock does to you?” His voice went low and husky again, making her quiver.

“Yes!” she cried.

Keeping his finger inside her, he was able to satisfy her pleadings with the palm of his hand. Resuming his nipple licking with a reptilian-like flicker, Blossom shuddered and arched her back. “Aaaargh!” she screamed.

Blossom could feel the oncoming explosion building up. Bruno increased his rubbing speed and her cunt twitched even more. It was like going down a hillside of water fast and slippery, powerful and sublime. She saw Bruno look up at her as she was about to come. He looked defiant, all-powerful, and god-like. It brought her over the edge. The pure pleasure came like the force of a tidal wave. Losing all control of her body, she jerked and juddered and screeched, “I LOVE YOU!” Orgasm after orgasm rocked her body and twisted her face.

She lay like a crumpled bundle on the chaise longue with her skirt wrapped around her middle and her new top flagrantly exposing her breasts. Bruno silently undid her bound hands and she immediately put her arms around him as she recovered. He kissed her gently on the cheek, the forehead and eyebrow, letting her come back to him quietly and in her own time.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and remembered what she had said. According to Bruno, anything uttered in the heat of the moment was binding. He had been testing her, breaking her down and building her up as she gradually submitted to him totally and inexorably over the past few weeks. Bruno had made the final crack into her reticent character. To admit to actually loving him, well, Blossom felt emotionally exposed.

He looked down at her as she finally came to. He had an intriguingly strange look on his face. Blossom did not expect him to say anything in response to her outburst. Why should he? He got her admission, what more did he want? There was a gap of over twenty years between them. He had lived: been to places she had never seen and experienced things she was only just learning about. She knew he had a past but did not ever ask for explicit details. It was odd to think but she was content with the way things were between them. Why upset the balance now?

Bruno helped her sit up and sat down next to her. He pulled on his trousers and found her underwear carelessly thrown in a corner. "Thanks,” she said, putting them on still feeling the effects of the afterglow.

He stood up and gestured with his hands for her to come to him. Gently taking her head in his hands, he bent her neck to look up at him. “I’m an old fool…I know that. Just one thing…I want you to know before you fly… to Hong Kong.

“What’s that?”

He paused. Blossom could see something was going on inside his head but with Bruno she was never quite sure what he would come out with next. He bent down quickly to kiss her tenderly and stared at her. “You remember what I once told you?”

“You’ve told me many things, Bruno.”

He softly chuckled, “You obey me and I’ll love you. Remember now?”

“Yes, that first night.”

Bruno nodded. “Don’t ever forget that.”

A voice could be heard coming from the direction of the front room. “Ah, that’s Frank with the garlic and onions.” He let go of her face. “I’m making dinner tonight…for a change.”

Blossom was too stunned by his bewildering confession of love to be surprised that the man could cook.

“I’m quite a good cook,” he explained seeing the perplexed look on her face.

“Oh, yes, that would be lovely,” Blossom enthused. “What are you making?”

“Something you’ll like,” he said confidently.

“Oh, right, okay. I’ll make a start on my packing then.”

“Good idea. Oh and,” he said, taking her by the waist, “you’ll have to…iron your new blouse. It’s a bit wrinkled after its…first wearing.” He winked and made his way to the kitchen.

The Boeing 747 jumbo jet landed successfully on the single runway of Kai Tak Airport. It had been a long uneventful but gritty flight. Finished checking through customs, Blossom wiped the sweat off the back of her neck and pushed her glasses onto the ridge of her nose. She glanced up at the airport terminal clock – four in the afternoon. Her internal clock registered one in the morning. The view outside failed to impress her. Right in the middle of the industrial section of Kowloon, the scene was not particularly inspiring or romantic. But then all what Blossom wanted to do was have a shower and grab a bit of sleep before meeting Mr. Wu.

Clutching her suitcase and small travelling bag, Blossom followed the signs to the foyer. Reading the placards people held up along the way, she hoped none of the signs with Chinese characters on them were meant for her. She felt a twang of panic as the line of waiting people diminished. Then she saw a slender Caucasian woman holding up a board with Blossom MacKenzie on it.

“You must be waiting for me,” she awkwardly said timidly walking up to the woman. The suitcase dragged along with its noisy wheels. Blossom felt like an idiot. She should have listened to Bruno and bought new luggage before she left.

The woman stared for a few seconds and looked baffled. “So you are,” she eventually replied, “Oh sorry, welcome to Hong Kong.” She energetically shook Blossom’s hand. “Here, let me take that.” Without waiting for Blossom to reply, she grabbed the squeaky suitcase and escorted her to a silver Mitsubishi people carrier. The woman opened the passenger door and Blossom wearily climbed in.

“My name is Alex,” the young woman announced as she fiddled with her seatbelt, “Alex Lee.”

“Nice to meet you, Alex.” Silence. She resumed gawping at Blossom.

“Right…well, I’m looking forward to getting to the hotel,” Blossom piped up politely trying to give Alex the hint.

“Yes, of course,” she started the ignition, “Sorry, I don’t know where my mind is at nowadays,” she smiled.

Blossom thought Alex’s flighty disposition suited her pixie-like face and Peter Pan shaped blond hair. She was intriguing in a strange sort of way. At least Alex stopped staring while she drove into the busy traffic of Kowloon.

You been to Hong Kong before?” Alex asked as she drove to the Starwood Sheraton Hotel.

“Never. I’ve read about it enough lately.”

“There was quite a lot going on last year with the changeover and they’re getting a new airport anytime now.”

“Yes, Chek Lap Kok should be up and running by July so I’ve heard,” Blossom mentioned making polite conversation. “This looks more like the pictures I’ve seen of Hong Kong, “ she said noticing the busy streets lined with open-air markets and people busily going about their business.

“It’s an amazing place.”

“Have you been here long?” inquired Blossom.

“That noticeable, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I hardly look Chinese, do I?” she tittered at her own joke. “I’ve been here,” she considered her words carefully, “for awhile. There’s the hotel now,” pointing at a tall building coming up on the right.

Blossom looked at the magnificent structure with a mixture of relief and fatigue. “It’s very nice.”

“Mr. Wu uses it a lot for business,” Alex said as she carried Blossom’s baggage into the lobby.

The staff, pleasant and attentive, assured Blossom of a lovely view of Victoria Harbor from her room. A bellboy immediately took up the two pieces of luggage. Alex waited by the impressive Hollywood musical style flight of stairs near the lobby as Blossom signed in. “I’ll let you get on with things,” she said once Blossom had finished, “Mr. Wu will be meeting you at nine o’clock tonight.”

“Yes, thank you. That was the plan.” Blossom knew she must sound like an abrupt bitch but was too tired to care.

“See you later, then,” Alex smiled, seemingly oblivious to her brusqueness. She gave a small gesture of a wave as she left.

Despite the long journey, Blossom would not use the elevator. She walked up two flights of stairs to Room 205. What a relief! A blast of fresh cool air greeted her from an open window. The room was bright, clean and modern in white. Going to the window, she peered at the landscape. The boats in the harbor bobbed up and down like ancient Chinese sages. The mountains in the distance stood like sentries guarding Kowloon Bay. For just a few seconds, she allowed herself to enjoy the adventure and take great delight in being so far away from home.

Slumping on the double bed, she fished around in her travel bag for the mobile phone. Switching it on, to her dismay, Blossom found the battery was flat. Then to her horror, she discovered she had left behind the battery re-charger. Shit! Damn! Fuck! Christ Almighty, she could not believe the amount of swearing she had done since knowing Bruno. Her brain sluggishly remembered the nine-hour time difference. Blossom decided to use the hotel phone later. Only wanting to rest her eyes for a moment, she lie on the bed and promptly fell asleep.

Waking with a start in the dark, she looked at the bedside clock. “Oh my God, it’s seven-thirty!” she cried. Switching on the lamp, she flung open her suitcase, grabbed her favorite body shampoo, threw off her clothes and jumped into the shower. Hearing her stomach growl after freshening up, she phoned room service. To her surprise, fish and chips featured on the menu. How she loved that as a child in Edinburgh. Even though Hong Kong now belonged to China, it still had not totally shaken off its British ways. The porter brought up the biggest piece of cod deep-fried in the lightest batter Blossom had ever seen with chunky potato wedges and peas. Real comfort food. She needed that right now. Missing Bruno terribly, she suddenly remembered about phoning him. Looking at the clock, however, it was quarter to nine. No time! Leaving her dinner half-eaten, she put on a wrap-around skirt and the Mandarin blouse and slipped into her sandals.

As she hurried down the great flight of stairs she felt like Fred Astaire’s dancing partner. Then she saw Alex accompanied by a slightly chubby middle-aged Chinese man. As they neared, she saw he was totally bald and smiled liked Buddha’s cousin. “Ms MacKenzie?” he inquired.

“Yes, yes, that’s me,” she puffed.

“Ah hello, lovely to meet you. I am Wu Kang Hao.”

“Nice to meet you,” she beamed and shook his hand, “is the conference room ready?”

“Well, there has been a change of plan.”

“Oh?” queried Blossom trying to keep her composure.

“Nothing serious, I just thought you might like to see some of Hong Kong before we finish the …transaction.”

Blossom really wanted to say what the fuck is going on but decided a more tactful approach would be appropriate. “I was assured it would take place in one of the conference rooms here at the hotel.”

“Yes, terribly remiss of me,” he spoke in a nearly perfect English accent, “I realise you are on your own. I would not want to cause offense to you or upset Mr. Buckingham.”

“Then I prefer to stay here,” she insisted.

“I’m sorry,” Alex joined in, “it was my idea, Blossom. Mr. Wu is a good boy, aren’t you Kang?” she nodded at him.

“Yes, I have no other intentions than to pass on the bracelet…”

“We just thought you might like to see some Hong Kong night life,” she added interrupting him. Alex gingerly touched Blossom’s arm. “We’d love it if you could be our honored guest this evening.” There was no hint of malice or insanity in her smile.

Blossom relaxed slightly, “Okay, where do you have in mind?” she asked wishing Bruno were here with her.

“A little place on Hong Kong Island, right in the middle, called Club 64,” answered Alex.

“Oh, I’m not really into night clubs and discos,” Blossom quickly replied somewhat horrified they wanted to go to someplace like that.

“Don’t worry, neither am I, “ Mr. Wu joined in. “I’m more of an opera man myself. You’ll likeClub 64, I promise.”

Blossom had to admit Hong Kong was a beautiful place at night. As Alex drove them to their destination, the bright lights reminded Blossom of Old Chinatown but on a grander scale. She saw groups of people, together in generations, walking down the street: mother, father, aunt, uncle, a couple of grandparents and children in tow. Hong Kong vibrated on a different frequency than Los Angeles; it was like another world.

Before Blossom knew it, Alex stopped the car. Devoid of glitz and glamour like its name suggested, the club looked more like a British pub. “Is that it?” Blossom asked.

“Yes,” Alex and Mr. Wu replied.

“Why is it called Club 64?”

“It only closes one day a year, June fourth,” Mr. Wu explained, “the day of the Tiananmen Square massacre.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Blossom felt like jumping down any convenient hole and staying there.

“Don’t be,” he smiled.

As they walked in, Blossom admired the pictures hanging along the walls. A notice by the door read that local artists had done many of the paintings. Cliques of people sat around the bar talking animatedly in English and some form of Chinese.

“Is there a place we can conduct business?” Mr. Wu turned to Alex.

“Sure, there are tables in the next room. I’ve reserved one,” she said shepherding Blossom and Mr. Wu.

With the night still young, there were not many people in the second room. At one end, two Chinese women sat around a circular table. Alex walked up to them, sat down next to a very pretty woman in her middle to late thirties and kissed her affectionately on the lips. Blossom thought the other one could have been in her late teens or even in her early twenties. She looked less Oriental somehow.

Mr. Wu smiled and acknowledged both women with a nod. “Ms MacKenzie,” he began, “I’d like you to meet Virginia Chow and her daughter, Jade.”

“Oh, hello,” Blossom replied, very befuddled now with the change in plans. Glancing at Mr. Wu she asked, “Is this your wife and daughter?”

Jade laughed and Virginia sweetly smiled. “No,” Virginia explained, “but Kang and I, we are good friends. We go back a long way. Please, Blossom, sit down. Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

“I could really do with a cold drink.”

“What would you like?” Mr. Wu graciously asked.

“A diet 7-Up would be nice with plenty of ice, “ she requested, “and a slice of lemon, if that’s possible, please.”

“It would be my pleasure,” he said and went to the bar.

“So, how do you like Hong Kong, Blossom?” Jade asked as she swirled her cocktail with a paper umbrella.

Something kept puzzling Blossom about this young woman. Attractive with her black hair long and loose, she towered over her mother. And her eyes, with just a hint of an almond-shape, made Blossom feel uneasy as the girl watched her closely. “Most of what I’ve seen is very enchanting,” Blossom replied.

Alex and Virginia looked at each other and smiled as if communicating in a silent language.

“Here is your drink, Ms MacKenzie,” Mr. Wu said and sat next to her.

A group of Chinese men walked in the room. Some came in arm in arm. They all sat at a table on the opposite side. Blossom could not understand a word but one man looked about ready to cry. He glanced up at the painting above him and made a comment. Their laughter discharged like a round of firecrackers.

Mr. Wu caught her bewildered look. “Don’t worry, that man is okay,” he reassured her, “he’s upset because he just split up with his, ahh, with his boyfriend.”

“Right, what kind of place is this?” thought Blossom. She looked at the group of men and then at Alex and Virginia holding hands looking very cozy together. Certainly not homophobic, Blossom simply felt befuddled.

“And,” Mr. Wu continued, “his boyfriend painted the picture he’s sitting under.”

“Oh, the poor guy,” empathized Blossom, “Why are they laughing then?”

“Well, because something in the picture reminds him of his boyfriend’s,” Mr. Wu was at a loss for words, “his boyfriend’s penis.”

Virginia, Alex and Jade sniggered quietly and watched Blossom’s face for her reaction.

“Oh gosh!” Blossom peered more closely at the paining. It was merely a series of monochrome dots. “It must be a very small one then.” She joined in with the laughter.

“So, how is Bruno doing these days?” inquired Mr. Wu.

Blossom sipped her drink. “He is doing well,” she started to blush at the mention of his name, “and glad to be back in California.”

“Yes, he had quite…an extended visit to Brazil, didn’t he?”

“I guess so.” Her cheeks were definitely red now but in this lighting no one could really tell.

“Well, I have that little something for you,” Mr. Wu’s eyes twinkled as he reached into his jacket pocket, produced a rectangular black satin case and quickly opened it.

“My Gosh!” Blossom exclaimed. Even in the dim light, the bracelet sparkled like one of the Crown Jewels.

Mr. Wu spoke softly, “It’s twenty-four carat gold, diamond encrusted. Nice, isn’t it?” And closed the lid with a re-assuring snap.

“It’s not what I expected!”

“So, what did you expect?” asked Alex with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Mr. Wu handed Blossom the bracelet in its case. Remembering the drill, Blossom felt under her top for a zippered pouch strapped around her middle. Opening the zipper, she squirreled it away, out of sight, and not necessarily out of mind.

“I did not know what to expect, Alex.” Blossom finally answered flattening down her top. “Bruno told me to collect a bracelet and once I received it I was to hide it like this. There are so many criminals about, you know.”

“Ugh, Bruno,” Alex quietly cursed shaking her head.

“Excuse me?” Blossom said, somewhat taken aback, “Do you know him?”

“Sort of. He’s disgusting.” Alex anxiously looked at Virginia and Jade.

“Well, I beg to differ with you,” Blossom began, getting another one of those bold moments, “I can find many ways to describe Bruno but disgusting is not one of them.”

Alex was about to say something when Mr. Wu interrupted, “Ladies, ladies, please, let’s keep this a friendly meeting. I have just one more piece of business. Ms MacKenzie,” he began, pulling out a sheet of paper folded in quarters from another secret pocket, “I need you to sign this.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” Blossom shrunk back to her normally meek manner, “Yes, as proof that I received it.”

“That’s right. Here,” Mr. Wu insisted, “use my pen.”

Blossom silently finished her drink wondering what the hell Alex had to do with Bruno. She decided to just keep quiet. Alex seemed a volatile sort.

Virginia broke the ice again, “”Will you be in Hong Kong for long?”

“I’ll do a little sight-seeing tomorrow and then I leave the next day around noon,” answered Blossom beginning to feel her eyelids go heavy. “If our business is finished, Mr. Wu, would you mind if I go back to my hotel now?”

“Yes, I’m very happy with everything. This place is certainly getting busy.”

“I’m afraid the jet lag has caught up with me,” she yawned, noticing a lot more couples in various pairings entering the room.

Mr. Wu gallantly escorted Blossom to the car and helped her inside. The rest of the party boarded the people carrier with Alex in the driving seat. Jade sat next to Blossom and continued to quizzically stare at her. The crushing weariness prevented Blossom from commenting. “Jade can ogle until the cows come home” she contemplated. Thankfully, the conversation became more pleasant and generalized again. Exchanging good-byes and refusing any offers of help to her room, Blossom trudged up the stairs completely relieved to get all that over with.

It was nearly midnight when she peeled off her clothes and flopped on the bed. The telephone gave a shrill ring. Swearing again, she rose to answer the damn thing.

“Hello?” she muttered.

“Blossom! I’ve been worried sick about yah! You got there okay? How’s Kang? Have you got the bracelet?”

“Sorry, Bruno, I’m absolutely exhausted. I’ve had very little sleep since I left LA.”

“Jesus, you okay? You left your battery re-charger here.”

“That’s why I didn’t call you, my phone’s battery is dead.”

“That’s a pain. Anyway, how’d it go?”

“I have the bracelet all safely tucked away until I wear it coming back.”

“That’s my girl. How was Kang?”

“Polite and to the point.”

“Yeah, that sounds like good old Kang.”

“I miss you Bruno. I wish you were beside me now.”

“Don’t start playing with yourself. I’ve got more sex games planned for you.”

“As if I would,” Blossom rolled her eyes, “I’m so tired.”

“You make sure to buy yourself something nice tomorrow with that spending money I gave you, okay?”

“I will, Bruno. Good night, I love you so much.”

“Good morning, behave yourself,” he playfully growled and hung up.

Tiredness can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. Blossom did not avoid mentioning tonight’s diversion on purpose. Fatigue can fuck up the neural pathways. Well, that was her reasoning. Bruno would find out soon enough. For now, the crisp clean fresh-smelling sheets beckoned to her. She slept the sleep of the jet lagged. Blossom woke the next morning to the sound of people shouting in a foreign language. Looking in wonder around the room, she eventually realized where she was. Despite waking very late in the morning, at least Blossom felt more refreshed now. She looked forward to seeing the city in daylight and doing some shopping. The sun shone brightly and the heat was on the verge of stifling. After a light breakfast, she did not have far to go to discover all manner of things to buy.

Overjoyed at finding her type of clothing stall, Blossom bought an orange sarong with swirl patterns on it and a beige silk short-sleeved top. It would not look out of place if she wore it in California. She had seen worse things being displayed on Santa Monica Pier. Not far away she noticed an antique shop. Feeling a touch of wickedness, she went inside thinking there might be something there for Bruno. She espied an Edwardian silver cigar case and haggled with the venerable old man behind the counter. They shook on a deal for fifty Hong Kong dollars. Out in the sun again Blossom wanted to be in the shade. The prospect of a long cool shower tempted her to return to the hotel and, besides, she wanted to try on her new clothes.

On the way back, she thought about Bruno. She missed his company, despite his dominating and more often than not unpredictable nature. He made up for his misgivings by bestowing her with everything she could possibly want and devising imaginative sex games. The thought crossed her mind to go back to her hotel and masturbate but decided against it in case Bruno interrogated her when she got back. She was crap at lying. Feeling hot and sweaty in her hotel room, she decided to have a shower and then phone him. Phone sex was one of the things they had not yet tried.

Coming out of the shower wrapped in towels, Blossom heard a knock on the door. “Who is it?” she cried.

“Hello Blossom. It’s Virginia. You met me last night,” came the muffled reply.

Tentatively opening the door, Blossom was greeted by Virginia’s friendly and welcoming smile. “Oh, I’m sorry, have I come at a bad moment?”

“No no, I’ve just been shopping and needed to shower. Please,” Blossom said, opening the door a little bit wider, “come in.”

“Thank you,” Virginia smoothly replied as she walked over the threshold, “Yes, it’s getting quite hot now in China.”

After a clumsy silence Blossom asked, “Is there something I can do for you?”

Virginia nodded no with a slightly mischievous look in her eye and said, “But I might be able to do something for you.”

“You don’t mind if I get dressed, do you?” asked Blossom feeling very self-conscious, “Please, help yourself to a drink.”

“No, I’m fine but don’t let me stop you.”

Blossom rushed back to the bathroom and quickly put on her new clothes. Running a brush through the ringlets in her hair, she found the hair dryer unnecessary in this heat.

“You look very pretty,” Virginia said sweetly as Blossom entered the room, “Bruno always had good taste.”

The memory of last night came back in fractured snippets. “Do you know him? You’ll have to forgive me, I was very tired last night but I got the feeling you were all acquainted with him somehow.”

“Oh yes, Bruno and I were married,” Virginia bluntly answered.

Blossom felt as if a hammer had struck her. It all made sense now. Jade - that girl, his own flesh and blood - Bruno once mentioned her. “She must hate me, that’s why she was looking at me like that all evening. Oh my God! And Virginia should be at my throat by now, too,” thought Blossom. She pensively sat on the bed.

“Oh, Blossom, don’t look like that, “ Virginia took a seat opposite her, “It was a long time ago.”

“I…I had no idea.”

“Of course you didn’t. I was like you once.”

Blossom did not know how to take that.

Virginia sat back in her chair, “Has Bruno never mentioned me or the fact that he has a daughter?”

“No, I mean yes, he told me once. I did not want specific details,” she answered still puzzled by Virginia’s last comment, “So, what am I like?”

Virginia leaned forward, “Naïve, innocent, Bruno loves that.”

Blossom gazed at the floor. “Look, what is this all about?”

Virginia rose to stand by the window. She spoke with her back to Blossom. “I come as a friend and to ask you today if you really know what you are getting yourself into. Do you really know what Bruno does?”

“Why yes, of course I do. He deals with stocks, shares and investments.”

Shaking her head, Virginia turned around. “No, Blossom, he’s a money launderer.”

“What?” Blossom stood up to face her.

“He takes other people’s money, luxury items, anything, except drugs and…”

“Yes, yes, I know what money laundering is. The dirty money is put somewhere it can’t be found and made to look clean.”

“That’s basically what it is,” Virginia’s face turned serious.

“And you are telling me that’s what Bruno does all day at my house?”

“Your house?”

“Yes, it seems like I’ve been taken for a ride,” she walked towards Virginia, “He practically whisked me off my feet on our first date and has never left!”

“Wow,” Virginia gave a cheeky smile, “you got it bad, didn’t you?”

Pacing the floor Blossom said, “I’m very confused right now. I’m thousands of miles away from home. I don’t have any family to speak of…”

Virginia stopped Blossom in her tracks. “Hey, I’m on your side,” she exclaimed taking Blossom’s hands in hers, “Do you believe me?”

Blossom walked to the wardrobe to find her suitcase. “I don’t know what to believe.” She pulled out the bracelet still in its case. “What do you know about this?” she cried shaking it in front of Virginia’s face.

Virginia hesitated. “It’s stolen property.”

“What! You mean Mr. Wu is a criminal?”

“I guess you could call him that.”

“But he was so erudite and intelligent!”

“Well, it helps to be that way in this game.” Virginia sat down in the chair and softly exhaled. “Bruno has found a buyer for the bracelet in California. The money Kang makes from the deal will be used to buy computers. The profits made from reselling the computers will be put into a bank account in Mexico. Bruno,” she concluded, “will rake off his thirteen percent in due course. He is simply the middleman.”

“Oh God, simply the middleman. What have I got myself caught up in?” she inwardly cried. She looked at the pilfered item in her hand as if it contained the Black Plague.

“You feel trapped, don’t you?”

Blossom incredulously shook her head, “You know, Bruno made me give up a perfectly good job as a Certified Public Accountant.”

“No! Really, I am sorry.”

“He told me,” Blossom continued putting the bracelet back in the hidden compartment of her suitcase, “I’d never have to work for another asshole again. Ironic, isn’t it?”

“What is?” asked Virginia sympathetically.

“I’ve gone from working for a couple of assholes to one great big giant one.”

Virginia giggled, “He’s never been described like that before. He’s a rumor, Blossom.” Sighing again she said. “I think it only fair I should warn you he’s wanted by the FBI, the IRS and Interpol.”

“Oh shit!” Blossom needed to sit down. “How do I get out of this before I make a complete fool out of myself?”

“That is why I am here today. I can offer you a solution.” Virginia eagerly smiled.

“You can?” Varying degrees of desperation and hope swept across Blossom’s face.

“I think I’ll have that drink now,” Virginia went to the fridge and chose a bottle of still water. Sitting next to Blossom on the bed she told about her life with Bruno, the twisted tale of how she met and fell in love with Alex and their escape to China.

A new series of questions entered Blossom’s head. The only one that made it to her mouth was, “So how did you get involved with Mr. Wu and this bracelet?”

“Well, it’s true, Kang and I are old friends. Bruno and I know him from way back. Bruno got in touch with Kang again very soon after he met you.” Virginia sipped her water. “And Kang got in touch with me.” Virginia’s face lightened up. “He told Kang some wonderful things about you.”

Blossom blushed.

“Bruno really loves you, you know. Alex and I had to see for ourselves just what sort of person could soften his heart.” Virginia smiled sweetly for one moment and returned to her serious gaze. “And now that I have seen for myself I have to say you are too innocent to be playing this game. You must get out for your own sake. You are too lovely a person to be involved in all this.” She put her arm around Blossom. “Bruno, he’ll just ruin things for you. Get him out of your life while you still can.”

“How can I?” Blossom wailed, “When he lives in my own house? He’s settled there.”

“Don’t go back. Stay with Alex and me.” Virginia moved closer and gently kissed Blossom’s cheek. “You are very beautiful,” she said softly.

Blossom immediately stood up. “I thank you for informing me about Bruno, “ she formally said, “but I think it is time for you to leave now.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Virginia cooed, patting the bed. “Please, sit down, we can talk this over like adults.”

Blossom remained standing. “I love Bruno, warts and all,” she defiantly announced, “I’m not the sort of person who just gives up. Even Bruno would agree with me on that.”

“You don’t know who you are dealing with. He may love you but Bruno uses sex as a way to manipulate others. He’s over-powered you already, hasn’t he?

“Maybe,” Blossom defensively crossed her arms.

“Please, Blossom, consider what I’ve said.”

“Okay, then,” Blossom started not sure where she would finish, “Say I go with you. What about Alex? She did not seem particularly enamored with me last night.”

“Quite the opposite,” Virginia smiled, “Alex likes you, too. She could not keep her eyes off you when she first met you.”

“Well then why isn’t she here with you right now?”

“Business, dear, business. Please,” Virginia patted the bed again, “sit down beside me.”

Dazedly, Blossom did as requested. “And what about your daughter? She was really making eyes at me, too.”

“Oh don’t worry about her, she has a boyfriend.”

“Yes, right,” Blossom put her head in her hands for a few seconds to collect her thoughts. “I really didn’t mean that.”

Virginia touched Blossom’s arm. “What did you mean?”

“What was her problem with me last night?”

“Her father.”

“What?”

“She looks at you and wonders what on earth you see in him.”

But…but doesn’t she love him?” asked Blossom, confusion misting her brain.

“Definitely not! He ignored her once he put her into a private school. I was the one who sent for her as soon as we settled in Shanghai, “ Virginia uttered in her defense.

Blossom’s head jangled with the recent revelations. Virginia held Blossom’s hand. “What do you want from me?” inquired Blossom after an extended silence.

“Nothing. Only what I can give you.”

“It’s just as well. I can’t give you much in return. My heart is still with Bruno,” she shrugged looking down at the floor.

“Even though he has kept you in the dark? Forced you into a life that you know nothing about?”

Blossom immediately looked up in wonder, “Is that what he did to you?”

“In the beginning, yes. Now I am a well-trained con bitch,” Virginia let out a little cackle.

Blossom joined her in uneasy laughter.

“And I loved him once, too,” Virginia added, “But I saw him for the money whore that he is.”

“What do you mean?” Blossom asked trying to hold back the confusion.

“He hates money but knows how to make it,” Virginia said, gently stroking Blossom’s cheek. “You are so lovely, so innocent. Come with us. You will learn to love Alex and me, I know it,” Virginia urged softly like dew on a rose bud. Virginia lightly brushed her lips against Blossom’s and tenderly kissed her. The only other woman who had done that before to Blossom was her mother. In her logical mind, she should have been repulsed but found she enjoyed the gentle touch. Not backing away, Virginia took the opportunity to do it again but longer and more insistent.

“I’ve never done this with a woman before. I don’t know…”

“Shhh!” Virginia put a finger over Blossom’s lips, “let me love you now.” She put her hand behind Blossom’s head and drew her close. “I saw you last night, so lovely, so refined and bright. I knew I wanted you then,” she whispered as she lowered Blossom to lie on the bed.

Blossom hesitantly touched Virginia’s face in wonder like a small child. She really had no idea of how to respond or reciprocate. There was something equally child-like about Virginia: she warmly smiled and seemed eager to give pleasure. Virginia took one of Blossom’s hands and sucked on the fingers one by one, slowly, lustfully looking at her. Something stirred in Blossom. She could feel her cunt responding and wondered if it was right to feel this way.

Carefully undoing the tiny shell buttons on Blossom’s top, Virginia revealed two luscious breasts unbound by the constrictions of a bra. “Oh, so round, so gorgeous. I love big tits,” Virginia’s voice wavered. She spent a very long time tending to them stopping every so often simply to gaze at their voluptuousness.

It was a very different experience to have a woman touch her. Blossom responded quietly. When her breath started to become more pronounced Virginia would slow down only to build her back up again. There was no rush, no one demanding that she scream and cry. Simply relax and enjoy. Blossom softly moaned when Virginia’s tongue rolled round and round in circles around the nipple.

“Touch yourself down there,” Virginia finally said in a hushed tone.

As Blossom opened her sarong to put her finger down her panties, Virginia’s hand followed. Blossom opened her legs a bit more to accommodate both hands. She found her favorite spot and began fingering herself. Her breathing became faster.

“Here, let me finish you off, please,” Virginia lovingly said taking over and gave Blossom a long French kiss.

Blossom had heard that lesbians know how to touch each other and here she was reaping some of the benefit. She sighed with pleasure as Virginia applied the right amount of pleasure in the correct spot. “Oh God, it feels so good,” Blossom quietly exclaimed, spreading her legs wide open.

Virginia watched her face and smiled. “You are so wet, my love. Just let it happen, yes, that’s it,” she said soothingly.

Blossom let out little high-pitched cries.

“Oh okay, it’s okay. There now,” Virginia gently encouraged her.

Blossom’s face contorted and her vaginal muscles went into spasm. “Yes, yes, that’s it,” Virginia urged, “You look so beautiful when you cum.” Blossom’s legs stiffened and her back arched. She shuddered and held her breath. Blossom lay there panting for some minutes as Virginia covered her face with affectionate kisses.

Virginia licked her fingers that had just been fondling Blossom’s pussy. “You taste good,” she purred, “why don’t you do the same for me?”

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you.” Virginia sat up and undid her pink silk blouse. Offering her breasts to Blossom, she remarked, “Mine are not as big as yours.”

Blossom began to stroke them. It felt strange at first to be touching another woman’s intimate parts. Virginia’s tits were warm and silky, soft and yielding. “I think they are nice,” she remarked. She had to admit, the female breast was a pleasurable thing to look at.

“Oh, really? Would you like to suck them?” she suggested.

“I’d like to have a try.”

Virginia lay on the bed and turned on her side to face Blossom. When Blossom’s lips touched her tits, Virginia gasped. “Oh baby, take your time, there’s no rush.”

Blossom did her best to imitate what Virginia had done earlier: bringing her up to the edge and then back down again. This was quite a nice thing to be doing to another woman.

“Mmm, you make me feel so good. I need you to play with it,” said Virginia as she gently rocked her hips. Hoisting up her skirt, she wore a skimpy pair of panties that barely covered her mound. Blossom thought it would look disgusting but actually the neat and tidy pubic hairs were quite pleasing. Virginia lifted her leg and directed Blossom to that special point. Her vulva was soft and moist and mushy. Blossom used the flat of her hand to rub Virginia’s clit.

“Kiss me,” panted Virginia, tonguing deeply. She ran her fingers through Blossom’s hair. “Say you’ll stay,” she begged, “Alex and I, we’ll make you feel so good. We’ll treat you right, care for you the way a woman should be. Oh! Faster, faster!” she cried.

Blossom increased her rubbing speed and nuzzled Virginia’s pert little boobs, occasionally licking and tonguing the nipple. “Ah!” Virginia shouted, squirming vigorously, “say you will.” Blossom could not, would not answer. She had enough to concentrate on bringing Virginia to orgasm. The woman gasped and held on to Blossom’s shoulders. “Oh Blossom!” she yelled. Virginia’s face looked as if she had been transported to another world where there was always pleasure and love; where for just a short while all the cares and worries of this one could disappear. She lay there with her heart pounding still clutching Blossom tightly.

I’m…I’m really not sure,” Blossom groggily answered. Her eyes felt like dead weights. Within minutes, she fell asleep with Virginia stroking and patting her hair.

At some hour during the darkness, Blossom woke up in a panic and sat up in bed. Her heart beat wildly and she was covered in sweat. Someone was in bed with her. Bruno? She turned on the bedside light and saw it was Virginia. They were both naked and under the covers. Wasn’t she dressed before she dozed off?

“What is it?” Virginia asked caressing Blossom’s back.

She could not speak for many minutes paralyzed with fear.

“It was only a dream, my love. Tell me, please.”

“My mother. I had a dream about her.”

“It should be a nice one, then.” Virginia hugged her and kissed her shoulder.

Blossom shook her head. “No. Bad dream, bad, bad, dream.”

“What is it? Please, I want to help you.”

“No, you can’t. What’s done is done.”

“What do you mean?”

Blossom began to cry. “My mother was killed in a crash when I was twelve. My parents had been fighting. They did a lot of that in the final days. My mother drove the car while she was still shouting and screaming. I saw her drive away, I saw her, I saw it all happen. I ran out to call her back but she drove into an oncoming car.”

“Oh, okay, honey, okay,” Virginia rocked her and kissed her head. “Shh! It’s all over now; your mother is at peace. All is well.”

Blossom sobbed for many minutes. It had been years since she had that recurring dream. So why have it now? A warning, a message from somewhere? Her mother? That’s crazy. “I’m very thirsty,” Blossom said as she got out of bed to get a drink. “What time is it?” she asked after she took a long swig of cold and refreshing pineapple juice. “I can’t see the clock over there without my glasses.”

“It’s three in the morning.”

“I guess I’m not used to the time change yet.”

“No, probably not. Come and lie down again and get some more rest.”

Blossom curled in beside Virginia but her mind was wide-awake and she felt uneasy. She had to admit she enjoyed having sex with Virginia; she loved the tender ministrations and sweet words of affection but she did not love this woman. She could not reciprocate the feelings Virginia felt for her. She thought of Bruno and the tears began to fall again.

“Blossom, what is it?” Virginia’s turned her head and gently lay a hand on Blossom’s breast.

“You asked me earlier if I would stay,” she said in between sobs.

“Yes,” replied Virginia in anticipation.

“I’m sorry but the answer is no.”

“But…”

“I am grateful for all that you have done for me tonight,” she interrupted Virginia, “and I am also grateful for all you have told me about Bruno but this is one hole I must dig myself out of and to do that I must go back.” Gaining her resolve, the need to cry faded.

After many minutes Virginia began with great reservation, “I thought this might happen.” She hugged Blossom, “Please believe me when I say if things ever get really bad there is always a place for you here.”

Blossom kissed Virginia’s forehead, “Thank you...for everything.”

“I have just one question,” drowsily asked Virginia.

“Yes?”

“It’s a rather strange question.”

“Go on, I should be used to anything by now.”

“Does Bruno still dye his hair black?”

“Well, now that you mention it, his hair is quite an outrageous black. I think it’s one of his charms but then what do I know?”

“Hm, he used to dye it that color because of me.”

Blossom considered this for a moment, “He probably does it now to cover up the gray.”

Both women laughed. Snuggling up in a spoon position, Virginia held Blossom close. They both drifted back to sleep again.

When Blossom woke up in the daylight, Virginia was gone. She left her name and telephone number on a sheet of hotel stationery. Blossom felt a bit sad, quite dazed and very concerned if Bruno ever found out. As she packed her bags, Blossom tucked the piece of paper safely away in her traveling bag. Realizing she had hardly eaten yesterday, the porter delivered a full English breakfast - fried egg, bacon, sausage, fried bread, beans, tomatoes and tea - and she ravenously tucked into every bite and drained the teapot dry.

Blossom rang for a taxi to take her back to Kai Tak Airport. On the way there, she discretely took the bracelet out of her zippered pouch. Wrapping the bracelet around her wrist, she hoped its luminescent sparkle would illuminate her confused mind. All she managed to do was feel slightly amused as she secured the catch, remembering the conversation she had with Bruno a few weeks ago. At least she could still smile despite the seriousness of what the asshole got up to as a profession.

Now that she knew the significance of the bracelet, it was difficult to act nonchalant as she walked through the metal detector. She took off the piece of jewelry and gave it to the airport official. His eyes lit up as he felt its weight. She could feel beads of sweat forming on her upper lip and her face go red. “Oh God, is he going to ask me to go into a little room?” she fretted to herself. “Could I have it back please? This bracelet means so much to me,” she said as innocently and melodiously as she could in the circumstances. The man smiled and handed it back to her. “Oh thank you, my fiancé gave it to me,” she gushed. “Jesus Christ, so this is how the lies and deceptions start?” she thought as she put it back on her wrist in as calm and collected manner as she could. She boarded the flight back to Los Angeles, flopped into her seat by the window and closed her eyes. Intelligence is an asset in this way of life, she remembered Virginia telling her last night. Did she really want to use her brains this way? For most of the flight back home, she wrestled with her mind over her feelings for Bruno.

Yeah, okay, he had been a bad boy a few times. He had messed with Mr. Fink’s cat and it needed extensive surgery on its tail. Let’s see, oh yes, the usherette caught him beating his meat when he went to see On the Waterfront. Marlon Brando captivated him in more ways than one. And, more recently, he had shot an undercover cop but not out of cold blood. Bruno felt justified to save a protégé’s honor. Then he lost touch with his daughter. That kinda pissed him off. But, hell, nobody is perfect.

“All right, maybe I have been a bit of a jerk, I’ll admit it,” thought Bruno as he shaved. Fame had turned itself inside out: “I’m infamous more than anything else but I could have done worse, much worse for myself.” Pulling the plug out of the sink and patting his face dry, he looked in the mirror. He noticed a few lines here and perhaps starting to sag a bit there. He checked his roots, oh yeah; definitely time to go back to the hairdresser. A bit wizened, a bit long in the tooth he once barked at that mother fucking undercover cop…”but I am a force of nature: a mad whirlwind on a crest of a wave; a fast and furious fireball hurtling through space towards Planet Earth. I have lived and loved and still, even now, yes especially now, I refuse to relinquish. Life is good, real good,” Bruno grandly proclaimed to himself as he finished preening.

Blossom, his sweet little plum bud, was due home anytime now. How long had she been away? It seemed like weeks. They had hardly been in contact over the past few days. Bruno glanced at the battery re-charger on the bedroom dressing table lying there where Blossom had left it. After performing his customary hair follicle head grip he sighed making his way to the kitchen.

Coffee, I need fucking coffee he thought. Sipping his caffeine-laden brew out of a mug that had “I Love Edinburgh” all over it, he noticed a chip on the bottom. Aw nuts, I give Blossom all the money she will ever need and she can’t even buy a decent mug! Tossing the liquid into the sink, he threw the thing in the trash and proceeded to make another drink.

Bruno never heard the limousine drive up. He paid enough for it to have a smooth and silent engine. The first thing he knew of Blossom’s arrival was the creak of the screen door and the shuffle of feet laden with luggage. The light of his life walked in the door after Frank. Looking tired and disheveled, she could have been covered in pig shit and still looked beautiful. “Plum cheeks, you’re back!” he cried as he bent down to give her a welcome home kiss. “Is that all you can manage after… what has seemed a lifetime away from each other? C’mon, give me a real one!” he snarled, tightly wrapping his arms around her.

Blossom winced, pulling away. “Ouch! You are making it dig into my stomach” Fiddling with the zippered pouch, she pulled out the rectangular case and nearly flung it at him. She went to wilt on the sofa.

“Frank, take a look at this beauty!” Bruno called as he viewed the bracelet.

Taking off his sunglasses, Frank peered at the gleaming object. He uttered the appropriate noises of delight. “It’s lovely, Bruno. What time do you wish to meet Mr. Jimenez?”

“I’ve said we would meet him at… three-thirty. Be back…about…an hour before then.”

“Very well, Bruno. Glad to have you back, Blossom,” said Frank before he left, donning his sunglasses to shield his eyes from the hazy California sun.

“Sure, it’s great to be back,”

Bruno eyed Blossom sitting with her head in her hands. “Yeah, see ya later, Frank,” he called out. “What is it Blossom?” he said with a concerned look on his face.

“Jet lag,” she answered, taking a big breath sitting up straight, “Do you know, I feel like I’m living in a dream right now?”

“I hope it’s a good one, “ Bruno said, slightly pulling up his trousers to sit next to her.

“I left Hong Kong yesterday at noon and I get back into LA at eleven the next morning. Ugh, it’s a bit too bizarre for my body clock.”

“Yeah, traveling can be like that sometimes. Look,” he put an arm around her, “do you want to stay behind while… I finish things?” Bruno gazed at her worn-out but beautiful countenance as he held up the black satin box.

“No…no, I’ll be okay. I just need a shower.”

“How ‘bout that kiss…before you do that?” He bent down as he lifted her chin. Giving her a deep lingering kiss, she responded well enough but something did not seem right. When he looked at her again, tears welled from her eyes. “What gives, Blossom?” he tenderly asked.

“Nothing, I’m just tired that’s all.”

“Should I accept this bullshit or what? Maybe she’s having her period or something,” Bruno thought. “You don’t…have to… come with me you know,” he said as she quietly sniveled.

“I’ll be much better after I’ve had a shower,” she assured him.

Minutes later, Bruno could hear the water running. Walking into the bedroom, he noticed Blossom had already unpacked and put away her suitcase but the small bag lay on the bed zipped open. He sat down beside it tentatively peering inside like a naughty schoolboy. Standing up, he tiptoed to look around the bathroom door to see Blossom still occupied. Sneaking back to the bed, he rummaged through her bag and saw various innocuous things. Then he opened a small-concealed compartment and found a piece of paper. Slowly unfolding it, he saw his ex-wife’s name and a phone number written in neat lettering. He stared in disbelief. Hearing the water being turned off, he hastily folded the paper, put it in his pocket and left the room.

Something happened, something pretty fucking serious happened. Bruno could turn heavy on Blossom but decided to bide his time. His mobile rang and distracted him from his dark thoughts. Blossom came out dressed in her new sarong and silk blouse. She held something in her hand. “Yeah, okay,” Bruno spoke into his phone, “Gotta go, phone me later with those figures.” Hanging up, he looked Blossom over. “Is that what you bought in Kowloon?”

“Yes, do you like it?”

“Good for easy access. Come here.”

She walked over to him avoiding his open arms. “Don’t start groping me yet. Here, I’ve got a present for you.”

“Well…what is it?” Bruno asked curiously turning it over in his hand.

“It’s an Edwardian cigar case. Turn of the century. Like it?” she beamed.

“Very fancy. But… I’ve run out of cigars. I’ll get some more today,” he replied putting it in the same pocket containing Virginia’s phone number.

“Oh, right,” remarked Blossom with a tinge of disappointment.

Bruno wanted to take her in his arms and thank her properly but the knowledge of the piece of paper held him back. “So, did you have…a nice time?”

“It was an experience. A very tiring one.”

“You could have phoned me…you know… reversed the charges?”

“I know,” she haltingly answered, “I just got carried away with shopping and the heat was a bit too much for me.”

Bruno knew she was lying. “Yeah, yeah, sure. You still want to come to Olviera Street?”

“Why there?”

“That’s where the guy is who wants to buy the bracelet.”

“Oh yes, I might as well. I need to try and stay up and get used to being back in California.”

Bruno felt torn. Part of him wanted to bury his face in those boobs filling up her new top. The other wanted to interrogate her on the spot. No, no, he would wait, for now.

Olviera Street bustled with tourists. Bruno knew them by the stupid sombreros they wore. There were also quite a few people sitting at tables outside under giant umbrellas in the sultry late afternoon sun. They enjoyed cold drinks or munched on tortillas and what appeared to be a mild salsa. No jalapenos in sight. Yes, Olviera Street was definitely a place for the gringos.

“You haven’t eaten since…you got back. Sit down here. Grab a bite to eat. I’ll catch you later, “ suggested Bruno as they stopped outside a cantina. He pulled out his wallet and handed her two twenty-dollar bills. Blossom still looked in a jet lag daze. He had never seen her so exhausted before. She nodded and went to find an empty table. As a waitress came to hand Blossom a menu, Bruno went in search of Mr. Jimenez.

In a stall situated in the middle of the street, Bruno peered over an array of Mexican sweets to find an old man sitting quietly looking up at him. “I’m looking for Carlos Jimenez.”

“He no here. Go to the piñata shop down there,” he pointed.

“Gracias, senor.”

“Nada,” the old man said with the wave of a brown wrinkled hand.

Going in the right direction, Bruno went to three gift shops selling piñatas without any success of finding his buyer. At the end of the street was one more shop. A very fat man with a black moustache and an even greasier crop of black hair gave him a knowing nod as he entered. He walked up to Bruno and said quietly, “Come in the back room.” Making their way through a crowd of shoppers, Mr. Jimenez pulled out a set of keys and opened the door to a small office.

Sitting on a chair amidst wooden boxes and sombreros, Bruno smiled. “Been a long time, Carlos. You’re fat.”

"Si, three years, maybe longer.”

“I had to go…away.”

I know. My brother, he’s a cop,” Carlos stated.

“Yeah?”

Carlos ironically laughed. “He don’t know nothing about what I do. Fuck him, he think he rules the world.”

“Cops are like that. What you been doing with yourself?” Bruno asked wanting to steer the conversation onto a different subject.

“Got married, have two kids. Got a girlfriend on the side,” he leered, “and she’s pregnant, too.”

“Hm, life’s good for you,” Bruno nodded and smiled. “You self-indulgent pig,” he thought.

“And you?” Carlos inquired.

“Yeah, came back from Brazil. Met the girl of my dreams.”

“Got her doing your dirty work?”

“No, I’m…training her.”

Carlos gave a sleazy laugh. “Si, I heard that before. You got it then?”

Pulling out the bracelet from his coat pocket, Bruno placed it on one of the boxes. “That’s it. Where’s the money?”

Carlos Jimenez had a long inspection of the jewelry. He nodded with approval. Taking his keys, he shifted his weight towards a metal box on the opposite side of the room and opened it. Pulling out a sleek brown leather suitcase he placed it in front of Bruno. “Aqui, here, it’s all there if you wanna count it.”

“Three and a half million?”

“Si, that’s what you wanted for it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Bruno answered casually counting the five hundred dollar bills wrapped in neat little bundles. “That’s what Kang and I figured.” Happy with the amount, Bruno stopped and then gave Carlos a puzzled look. “Have you got something else I can put all this in? There are too many tourists here. I’d look…out of place with that suitcase.”

Carlos scratched his oily head. “I think I got a couple of piñatas hanging around,” he replied as he momentarily left the office. He came back with two: one shaped like a donkey, the other like an elephant.

“What were those meant for? A Presidential Election?” Bruno asked eyeing them with distaste. They needed a good shake to remove the dust.

“No. They are faulty. There’s enough room to stuff the money in but you’ll still have to beat the shit out of them.”

Once the money was all safely tucked away in either an elephant or a donkey, Bruno got up to leave. “Say, Bruno,” Carlos called.

“Yeah? Make it snappy. My girl is going to wonder…where…I am.”

“My brother, the cop.”

“What about him?”

“He told me something a few years ago you might find interesting.”

Bruno stopped in his tracks and waited.

“Tony Garcia, that undercover cop who almost caught you, he’s not dead. Better make sure you watch your ass.”

“Thanks, Carlos, I always watch my ass. Do business with you again sometime, adios amigo.”

“Adios.” Carlos waved and gave him a very seedy smile.

When Bruno caught up with Blossom, he had been away for over an hour. She looked very relieved to see him. Two people sat with her holding hands and laughing. He quickly shoved the piñatas next to Blossom’s feet.

“Oh Bruno, I’d like you to meet Vincent Hope and Veronica Masuda. Vincent was one of my bosses at Infernal Revenue Services and Veronica was our receptionist.”

Bruno acknowledged them with a faint smile.

“So, we finally get to meet the man who stole Blossom away from us,” Vincent said broadly smiling.

“It is very nice to meet you, Mr. Buckingham,” Veronica joined in.

“It’s Bruno, please.”

“Veronica and Vincent are a couple now. I think that’s really lovely.” Blossom smiled at them.

“Yes, I use to think Vincent was after you, Blossom.” Veronica chuckled.

“What?” Bruno distractedly spoke up.

“It’s alright, Bruno, it was the other way around. It wasn’t me Vincent was after but Veronica. Funny, isn’t it?”

“Farcical, just farcical,” Bruno said muttering under his breath.

“Blossom told us she’s just back from her brief tour of Hong Kong,” Vincent said after an awkward silence.

“You need to go home and get some rest,” observed Veronica, “you look so tired.”

“Oh, I’m okay, really. Here,” she handed Bruno a basket half-full of tortilla chips and a small jar of salsa, “it’s not as hot as you like it but there’s a lot of cilantro. It’s really very tasty.”

“No…thanks. It’s time we got going.”

“Oh, leaving so soon?” Vincent sounded surprised, “we thought you would have something to eat with us. Blossom has already finished.”

“I’ll eat…back…at the house. I’ve got food in.” Bruno caught Blossom giving him a sidelong smirk.

He grabbed the piñatas and stood up to leave. “Nice to meet you both,” he said and started walking away.

“It was lovely to see you,” Veronica said, as Blossom was about to catch up with Bruno, “Maybe we see each other again soon?”

“Yes!” she hurriedly replied. “Oh and good luck, Veronica, with your accountant’s exam. I’m very happy for you. Must go now! Give my love to Bill.”

“I will!” shouted Veronica as Blossom ran off.

Frank rushed out of the car upon seeing Bruno and Blossom briskly walking down the street. As he opened the door for them, Bruno ordered, “Frank! Put your jacket on!”

“Yes, Bruno!”

“Have some pity! It’s very hot today,” Blossom spoke-up on Frank’s behalf.

He said nothing and grimaced looking out the window, putting on his sunglasses.

“What is it?” Blossom said, gently grabbing hold of his arm.

“Nothing. I just don’t want you telling strangers about our business.” “Damn,” Bruno thought, “how many bullets does it take to kill an undercover cop? Too many.”

“I’m sorry, Bruno. But they were my friends, you know?”

“They aren’t anymore. You are with me now! A new life. A new…everything! Got that?” She looked at the floor of the car. Her eyes were like dark jewels as she half-closed them. Her mouth pursed in an obstinate scowl. She had no intention of answering him. Bruno grabbed her face. “Answer me!”

“Yes…yes, Bruno!” Good, she looked frightened.

They sat in uneasy silence until Blossom could not keep her eyes open any longer and fell asleep as the car drove in near perfect silence on the freeway. Bruno put his arm around her and wished the day could have started differently.

Blossom vaguely remembered being stripped and put to bed by Bruno when they arrived back home from Olviera Street. Something woke her up. The clock now read ten-fifteen. By the light in the room, she knew it was the following morning. Bang! A noise came from the den. Bang! There it was again. The noise continued intermittently as she hurriedly dressed.

Approaching the back room, she heard Bruno giving instructions. “Okay, looks like the head is coming off. One more and that’s it.”

“What the fuck is going on in there?” she thought. She heard another mighty loud bang followed by a slithery slipping noise.

Opening the door, she saw Bruno and Frank each holding a baseball bat. Above them was a very beaten-up elephant piñata. Below them, the pillows had been thrown into various corners. Frank’s coat lay neatly over the arm of the chaise longue next to a large black briefcase. A legless donkey piñata lay in one corner and bundles of money were scattered all over the floor.

“Good morning, Blossom. You finally woke up,” Bruno said as he helped Frank pick up the money and place it all into the briefcase.

“What the hell is going on?” she barked.

“What’s it look like? Go and get some breakfast,” Bruno snapped back.

“I’ll eat when I’m damned good and ready!”

“Good! I’ll see you later,” he shouted.

She stomped off to the bathroom. Oh shit, Blossom had made the courageous decision on the airplane back home to tell Bruno to get out of her life; leave her house; she did not want to see him anymore. But as soon as she walked in the door yesterday and saw him again she felt confused and afraid and hated herself for backing out. Virginia was right; Bruno had over-powered her.

Blossom heard a knock at the front door just as she was about to go for a shower. “You are back!” Maria exclaimed with a pleasant smile on her face when she saw Blossom answer.

“Hi Maria. Yes, I am. You know, I just woke up,” said Blossom trying to act as if she had not seen a few million dollars on the floor of her den, “Can you give me a few more days? I need to settle in again.”

Maria frowned and kicked at the cracks in the path leading to Blossom’s door.

“I’m really sorry,” sincerely apologized Blossom.

“That’s okay,” Maria tried again, perking up, “my father can make a start without you.”

“No!” Blossom nearly shouted and then retained her self-control. “No, I still want to sit down with him and discuss our plans.”

“When?”

“I’m not sure yet. Soon, very soon.”

Maria turned and dejectedly walked back to her house.

Blossom closed the door feeling terribly ashamed about breaking her promise to Maria and her father. When she turned around, Bruno stood like an imposing tower a few feet behind her. “How long have you been there?” she asked.

“Long enough. She still after you making that garden?”

“Yes. I suppose you’ll be happy to know I’ve had to put back my plans.”

“I’m ecstatic.” Bruno’s hands rose in the air as if they had a will of their own.

“Fine!” Blossom brushed past him and slammed the bathroom door.

Blossom began to feel envious of her body. It still managed to feel alive and refreshed after a wash but her mind felt like a bag of cotton wool. Now her stomach complained for food.

In the kitchen, she found Bruno quietly talking to Frank. “What are you two lovers discussing?” she sarcastically asked as she switched on the kettle. She saw Frank make a look of surprise while Bruno acted as if he had not heard her comment.

“Well, I’m off now Bruno,” Frank exclaimed as he brushed his hands through his flawless blond hair and put on his sunglasses. After he grabbed the black leather briefcase, he turned to Blossom and gave her an inscrutable smile.

“Pick me up some more Trojans while you’re at it. You know the ones I like, Frank.”

“With pleasure,” he replied, “David and I like them, too.”

Bruno and Blossom uneasily stared at each other as Frank went out the door. The kettle switched itself off and Blossom went to find her favorite mug. “Where is it?” she asked.

“What?” Bruno quizzically looked at her bending over looking in cupboards and searching through shelves.

“My Edinburgh mug.”

“Oh that. It had…a nasty chip on it. I threw it away yesterday. What’s the problem? I can buy…all the mugs you want,” he stated casually standing by the oven.

“YOU WHAT?” she shrieked scrambling to take everything out of the garbage.

“It isn’t there. The garbage men…they came today while you slept.”

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

“What’s with you? You off your head?”

“Yes, I am. My mother bought that for me just a few days before she was killed. It meant a lot to me,” she hysterically sobbed.

“Oh…I’m sorry.” Bruno tried to comfort her but she pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me!” she hollered standing defiantly in the middle of the kitchen. “I’m sick of being fucked around! I had a perfectly good life before I met you! Then you came along and started telling me what to do! And look at me. LOOK AT ME. I’m stuck with you! You’re a…a…criminal!”

“Oh yeah…and how do you know that?” he coolly asked.

“Oops,” thought Blossom, “I’m in trouble now.”

“How do you know that?” he repeated taking the piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it and shoved it in her face.

“Where did you get that? Have you been going through my things?”

Bruno shrugged. “More to the point…what did she tell you?”

“Nothing.”

Bruno folded up the paper and put it in his wallet for safekeeping. He lunged at Blossom viciously grabbing her arm. Hovering menacingly above her he shouted, “Tell me! Tell me…or I’ll break your neck!”

Blossom could not speak. She began to shake uncontrollably. Not loosening his grip, Bruno took her through to the living room and pushed her onto the sofa. “I knew…something…was wrong the minute you…walked…in the house yesterday. Look Blossom,” he said pacing the floor, his long hair flopping in his face, “whatever she said she’s just…manipulating you to cause me trouble.”

Blossom tried to keep hold of her thoughts and words. Bruno was livid and she imagined what harm he could do to her. “Does Virginia have cause to make trouble?” “Oh hell, that was not the right thing to say,” Blossom considered internally as Bruno walked over to the sofa to loom over her.

“Don’t get smart with me! What did she tell you?” I want to know…everything!”

“You lied to me!”

“I never lied to you, Blossom, you gotta believe me!”

“You are a money launderer!” blurted Blossom expecting the worst.

“Oh sure…and that makes me a criminal?” he shouted in Blossom’s face. Grabbing her shoulders, he said, “I never lied to you. I just didn’t tell you. I was going to tell you, believe me, just not…right away.” Sitting down beside her, he frightened Blossom even more with his sudden calmness. “What else did Virginia say?” he quietly asked.

Blossom looked down at the floor trying to control her voice from shaking. “She told me a lot about…the bracelet, herself and, well, and you.” She broke down and cried, “You don’t know how frightening it was for me to wear that bracelet going through customs once I knew it was stolen!”

“Aw shit, Blossom,” he stood up like a demented whirling dervish, “I…I kept you in the dark…for a reason…so you wouldn’t fuck up.”

Blossom stood up with a fire in her eyes. What a time to get an attack of boldness. “Well, I did know and I handled it very well, perhaps too well. Shows how little you know about me!”

Bruno raised his hand and slapped her hard on the face. She fell to the floor like a rag doll. “Don’t tell me what I should…and should not know!” he hissed. Helping her up he told her to sit back down again on the sofa.

She was too stunned to cry. Rubbing her cheek, she sat down. Sitting beside her, Blossom could almost see remorse in Bruno’s eyes but he just sat there staring at her. She felt faint and her mouth was parched. “Bruno, I need something to drink, please…” she started. He simply shooed her away.

Going to the kitchen, she felt the only thing she could manage right now was water. Finding a clean glass, she filled it with cold, clear drinkable water from the fridge and took a sip. The blast of coolness seemed to fill empty corners going down. She felt a bit better and swallowed the rest in one gulp. Tentatively touching her cheek, she felt for any swellings or broken teeth. Everything seemed in order, thankfully. But was this going to be par for the course now? She did not remember Virginia mentioning Bruno being a wife beater. Oh well, maybe she was going to help him start a new trend. Standing by the sink, Blossom remembered what started off this madness: finding out her old mug had been thrown away and was probably on its way by now to a filthy tip somewhere. She sobbed heavily heaving desperately wanting to be with her family right now. Blossom cried for her mother. She also cried for herself.

Bruno heard her sobs and came into the kitchen. “It looks like Virginia has won,” he gently said.

“What?” she uttered in between snuffles.

“I should have done something…to find her…and Johanna. This is her way…their way…to get back at me,” he explained with resignation.

“Johanna?” inquired Blossom, making herself some toast.

“Yeah, you know, Virginia’s…friend.”

“Umm, her name is Alex Lee.”

“The fucking bitch,” Bruno snarled under his breath.

“And…Alex thought you were disgusting.”

“Really?” Bruno glared at her. “Good for her.” He paced the floor and then banged his hand against the wall.

The toast popped up. Blossom was relieved he took his aggression out on an inanimate object and buttered her hot bread. Blossom considered telling him the fact that she had defended his good name but decided he did not deserve to know.

“Just wait…till I have words with Kang,” Bruno growled grabbing one of her pieces of toast.

“Kang? Why?” Blossom gave him a dirty look for snatching without asking.

“He never told me Virginia went back to China.” He tore a piece of the toast and furiously munched. Placing the remains on the counter, he took Blossom tenderly in his arms. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to hit you,” he pathetically apologized.

Blossom looked up at him in silent rage. Still very pissed off, she walked back to the living room, switched on the TV and watched nothing in particular.

Bruno stood in front of the television set blocking her view. “Why did she give you her telephone number?” he blandly asked.

She chewed on her toast and considered that question feeling totally out of her depth. “If I tell you, you promise not to hit me again?”

Bruno quickly crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “Go on…tell me.”

“She asked me to stay with her.” “Oh God, here we go again,” Blossom thought.

Bruno walked away maniacally laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You think I’m a criminal? She’s just as bad! Yeah, I get it, I get it now!” Bruno stomped around the floor hands flailing everywhere; his black hair covering his face in wisps. “Oh yes, she’s good. Really good!”

“What do you mean?” Blossom asked finishing off her last bit of toast.

“Victory!” he shouted. “Victory for Virginia and whatever her name is!” Grabbing Blossom, he twirled her around in a frenzied dance. He stopped suddenly. “Don’t you see, my little innocent?” He grabbed her hands, “Either way…she gets what she wants. If you stayed with her…she wins. If you come back to me…she wins by stirring up…a hornet’s nest…in our loving home.” He let go of her and walked to the window. Looking outside at the sunny smoggy day he uttered, “The slut…and the same goes…for the other one.”

“Alex.”

“Yeah…whatever.”

“But Virginia was very kind and sincere. She said she was only looking after my best interests.”

“You think?” Bruno energetically shook his head. “She’s pulled the wool…over your eyes.”

Blossom stood by the television dumbfounded and not knowing what to believe.

Bruno strode over to her. “You think I’m the worst thing that has ever entered your life? Well, it would have been even worse with her. She’s a manipulating…lesbian!”

“That’s a wicked things to say!”

“Why? Why are you defending her? She likes to control others and…she’s a lesbian, so what?” Bruno looked as if he was building up to another frenzy. “She take you to bed or something?”

Blossom did not need to say anything. The look on her face was enough. This was it, the moment she dreaded. He was going to kill her. She knew it.

Instead he just glowered at her standing to his full height. “I see you didn’t just discuss… the merits of Szechwan cooking.” He sat down on the sofa like a spoiled brat not getting his own way and gnawed on one of his nails.

She slowly went to sit on the sofa at the opposite end. A documentary was on about a child who had been recently kidnapped from his parents while on a vacation in Greece. The parents maintained the boy was alive and spent a lot of time and money to find him. They were still searching and hoping. Blossom looked up to find Bruno totally engrossed.

“You know,” she quietly began, “I met Jade, too.”

He turned his head quickly like a bird of prey and looked like he was trying to find the right words to say. “She’s there…with those two?”

“Yes. They live in Shanghai.” What’s the point now of keeping that quiet, Blossom reflected, it’s all pretty well out in the open now?

“What’s she like?”

“Very pretty, tall. Definitely taller than Virginia. And she has your eyes.”

Bruno laughed. “How can she have my eyes?”

“She looks at me with the same eagle-eye stare that you do.”

“Oh, Jesus,” he whispered under his breath and continued watching the documentary.

“Virginia said…” she stopped abruptly realizing she was treading on another dangerous patch.

“Virginia said…WHAT?”

“That you abandoned Jade,” Blossom swallowed, her mouth felt dry again. Perhaps toast was not the best thing to have in the circumstances.

Bruno plunked his feet on the coffee table. “Yeah, after I…moved to Brazil…we lost touch. But…I always thought of her.”

“Oh,” Blossom’s forehead creased with concern.

“That’s not a very convincing noise. What does ‘Oh’ mean?”

“Virginia told me you abandoned Jade when she was a little girl.”

“What the hell?” he turned to Blossom with his chest heaving, eyes ablaze.

“You…you put her in a boarding school and left her there.”

“I…WE!” he shouted, sitting up, “put her in a boarding school. It was…a joint decision. She ALWAYS spent the summer with us. Yeah,” he nodded as if something finally clicked, “that’s why my letters went unanswered while I was in Brazil.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Bruno.” She moved over to sit closer to him. Blossom felt guilty. So Virginia had lied straight-faced to her after all. And finished off seducing her into the bargain.

"I bet Virginia got a real kick out of doing all that to me," Blossom explained. “Okay, she told me about you, Bruno, and I guess I needed to know...," he was about to interrupt her but she felt one of those bold moments again and continued undeterred, "Surely there are others ways I could have found out? But maybe no way would have been ideal,” she sadly considered while Bruno stared unblinkingly at the television screen.

“And...and... Virginia said Jade hates you. Of course now that could have been a pack of lies, too," Blossom quickly added. "I wonder now if Jade was trying to reach out and tell me something that night? If only I had not been jet-lagged then things might have been different.”

Not content to quietly sit next to Blossom's angst anymore, Bruno sprung up. “And now…that woman has tainted you. My sweet lovely naïve Blossom.” He motioned for her to stand. “I must,” he began putting his hands around her neck, “make you whole…make you mine again…make you…obey me.”

“No!” Blossom shrieked as he made her walk backwards towards the bedroom, “I can never love you like that again!”

His grasp on her was too strong. Jostling her into the bedroom, he slammed the bedroom door behind them and shouted, “Or do you prefer women now over men?” and threw her on the bed.

“And what about you, Bruno?” she fired back at him. She sat up straight in rebelliousness; she could not give a shit anymore.

“What about me?” he shouted.

“What was all that talk about Trojans with Frank?” Blossom asked eyeing him suspiciously.

“Look” he said pulling out his pockets, “I’ve run out!”

Blossom crossed her arms; two can play at this game. “You had plenty before I left.” He stood still. Blossom could tell his mind whirred away with tepid explanations. “So, Frank is your ass buddy now?”

“Okay, okay,” he cried in a pitiable voice, prancing about like a boxer warming up, “since I’ve never lied to you, and I haven’t,” he stopped two inches from her face, “and you know that, I will be honest with you. Yes,” he started pacing the floor,” he’s dealt with my needs a few times. But it’s over. There was never anything between us. It’s over, you gotta believe me!” he pleaded hands open in a gesture of defeat looking repentant.

Dumbstruck by his outburst she managed to say, “A few times?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, how many is a few?”

“Once before I met you, he sucked me off.”

“Oh God,” Blossom blasphemed under her breath not bearing to look at him.

Bruno paced like a prowling cat. “And when you were away…and hadn’t phoned…we had sex.”

“You mean…up the ass?”

“A little bit of this...a little bit of that. Look Blossom, don’t get so… high and mighty on me now.”

He was right. She had no excuse to point the finger. “So, is that why you didn’t blow up at me when you found out Virginia and I had sex?”

“Sounds about right,” he shrugged, “Virginia is a sexual predator.”

“Oh! Look who’s talking!”

“Hey! You wanna live with Virginia, that lying vindictive bitch? Or with me? Make up you mind!”

Blossom knew she was well and truly trapped now. There was no way she would be phoning Virginia to get out of this mess. Bruno could keep that fucking piece of paper in his wallet as far as she was concerned. Blossom sat and pondered. Bruno walked about the room trying to find a cigar to puff on and then remembered he had forgotten to buy any. “This is such a crazy situation to be in,” she thought. “I don’t like breaking the law. I just don’t want to do it. How the hell do I get myself out of this mess?” In the end she unhappily decided Bruno was the lesser of two evils. “I guess I’ll live with you.”

“Good. Take your clothes off then,” he ordered, content with her admission.

Blossom slowly took off her top. She was about as enthusiastic as a mouse at a cat show.

“Blossom…less of the long look,” commanded Bruno.

Standing there totally naked he told her to kneel facing the bed and stay there. She could hear him taking off his clothes slinging them everywhere. Then she felt the heat of his body as he knelt down behind her. For a man who had been banging, shouting, stamping, pacing and thumping all day, he was surprisingly gentle as his hands touched her back in a soothing circular motion. His tongue licked her whole back, even going down so far as the crack in her butt cheeks. She responded to this with a giggle as it tickled and felt good at the same time. If she were not careful, all the old feelings she had for Bruno would return again.

“Nice? Good?” he asked in between licks.

“Mm-hm,” she replied.

“All I want to do is make you feel good, you know that, don’t you?” he whispered in her ear.

“I do now,” she sighed.

“Oh, look at that big ass of yours,” he said fondling each cheek in the palm of his hands. “It’s the most… beautiful big ass…I have ever seen.” His voice then took on an authoritative tone, “Lean over on the bed.”

Blossom had visions of Bruno and Frank performing sodomy on each other. “Please don’t stick it up my ass!” she cried.

“Shut-up and do as I say!”

Her body tensed up waiting for the inevitable but Bruno seemed more interested in her cunt. Tending to its moistness, Blossom heard him stick his fingers in his mouth, a curiously slippery sound, and used them to wet her cunt lips gently caressing them every so often. Then he carefully inserted a finger in her hole. He chuckled to himself and muttered, “You’ve got a nice wet pussy now.” Grabbing Blossom by the waist, he lifted her slightly to line up his cock at her entrance. From this angle and position, the penetration was intense. She could feel every inch of him enter her. The initial pain caused her to cry out, “No, stop!” She wriggled in agony.

“This has to be done…slowly…carefully…but it’s worth it,” he assured her, nibbling at her neck. At some point there was no more resistance and he easily shoved it further inside her. She let out a big shriek. “Sorry, sorry,” he hissed an apology.

“No,” she panted, it feels…incredible.”

“You’re no lesbian just as much as I’m not gay. Admit it, you love cock,” he hoarsely said.

“God!” Blossom panted, grasping at the bed covers, “it’s huge!”

“That’s right, I’m Mr. Huge.” Bruno started to make little thrusts. His hands grasped the sides of her waist for leverage. “Like that?” he asked.

“Ahhh!” she cried, “so big!”

“You like my dick without a Trojan on it?”

That put her off. “I hope you covered it up when you went up Frank’s butt” she said matter-of-factly.

“Of course, that’s something I would…definitely not…lie about.” He stopped thrusting.

“You must tell lies sometimes,” Blossom said staring at the patterns on the quilt.

“Sure,” he replied bending down to give Blossom’s head little kisses, “but I haven’t…with you. I’ve kept the truth hidden to…help you…keep you from…getting hurt,” he whispered in her ear.

“No more keeping the truth from me anymore, do you understand? You have hurt me!” Blossom wished she could be talking to him face-to-face but this would have to do.

“Yeah, baby, yeah. If that’s what you want.”

“And no more fucking Frank, is that clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am! Ohhh, getting dominant now, aren’t you? That’s nice,” he purred. His dick swelled up in response. “Let’s get back …to the matter in hand. Or shall I say…up your snatch.”

Blossom’s cunt was very slimy now with her juices. He resumed his gentle thrusts. “Tell me how good it feels to have a hard dick inside you.”

Finding it difficult to speak, Blossom wondered which Kama Sutra position this would be. She felt every ridge and every bump of his cock. And there seemed to be a special place inside her passage receiving a lot of pleasure as he slowly entered her. “Bruno, it’s good,” she managed to say. He put his large warm hands on the small of her back causing her to gasp. Massaging and kneading the area gently she let out loud moans.

“Who do you obey?” he loudly whispered. Blossom’s breathing quickened and he stopped the little thrusts. His hands lay motionless on her back. “Answer me,” he urged.

“You, I obey you.” Blossom willingly submitted to him again. This is what she wanted: for everything between them to be as they were before she left. Of course, that couldn’t be possible. But hopefully things would be better: Blossom was more informed and perhaps a lot more streetwise. She then remembered her life before Bruno. The work was tedious and unadventurous. She never envisaged getting involved with anybody like Bruno but now she had perhaps she could get a taste for the kind of life he led. Mind you, Bruno had a lot of quirks about him she would have to work at but maybe, just maybe, this unlikely pairing could be exciting, exhilarating and even fun at times.

“That’s a good girl. For that, you can have some more thrusts. I better not look down there. I’ll shoot too quick if I see my cock going… in and out,” he softly grunted.

“I bet it’s the most beautiful sight in the world,” she cried. Her cunt was making squelchy noises every time Bruno thrust out. “It makes a lovely sound,” Blossom panted.

“Yes…it’s the music…of love,” Bruno agreed, having to stop again. He put a hand down to Blossom’s fuzzy mound and touched her gently. Blossom responded by clutching on to the bed and her groans became louder. “That feel good?” he whispered.

“Oh, I’m going to cum soon. Oh, please, not yet!”

Bruno stopped fondling her vulva letting his erection twitch inside of her. Both of them were panting now. Blossom’s face felt hot and the blood pounded in her head. “My cunt is going to explode!” she shrieked.

“No, it isn’t.” he quietly insisted. Keeping his dick still he began massaging her back again.

“It feels too good!” It was her turn to grunt now.

“Nothing can feel too good.”

“Oh God, no, please make it last!” she pleaded.

“You want me to pull out?” he huffed.

“No, oh please, Bruno don’t, I beg of you!”

“Since you’ve been such a good girl you can play with your cunt lips while I…really…start thrusting. What do you say to that?”

“Oh thank you, thank you Bruno!” she exclaimed as her fingers traveled down there to ease the cunt swelling.

“That’s right,” he said as his hips began to steadily and deliberately buck, “we are going to cum together.”

“Hold me! Hold me tight!” she screamed, “Shit! Fuck! Help me! Oh noooo!” she wailed as her vaginal muscles went into wild contractions around his massive prick.

“Oh Christ, I’m there with you,” he cried in strangulated gasps, “filling you right up” Bruno made sure she got every drop of his cum deep inside her.

Both of them panted for many minutes afterwards. Blossom could feel Bruno brushing away the sweat off her back. She felt moistness around her legs and realized Bruno’s sweat was dripping on to her. “Oh man,” he said as he pulled his thing out, “I haven’t done it like that for ages.” Bruno tenderly helped her up. Blossom’s legs felt stiff after being in that position for a long time. “Lie down and stretch your legs,” Bruno said as he pulled back the covers and helped her. He got in beside her and they mutually whisked away hair from each other’s faces.

“So…you still love me?”

She gave him a look that indicated she was too tired to answer deep philosophical questions like that.

“Tell me,” he said using the palm of his hand to make her look at him.

She ran her fingers through his hair and noticed the gray. “I know,” Bruno frowned, “my roots need to be redone….but I won’t get them done…if you don’t want me to.”

Blossom smiled as she remembered that part of the conversation she had with Virginia. “Oh, I don’t know, I’m quite used to your brilliant black hair.” He looked at her expectantly waiting for an answer to his more pressing question. “Yes, I suppose I still love you, you silly old fart. What about me then? You still love me?”

“Keep obeying…you’ll find out,” he smiled and winked.

They kissed for a long while until Blossom let out a long yawn. “I’m sorry, Bruno, I’m just going to go for a little sleep.” She turned over and curled up into a ball.

“You do that. And I’ll have…a big dinner ready for you…when you wake up,” He cradled her for some moments and then added, “Everything will be alright between us now…you’ll see.” He kissed her cheek and left her to rest.

The sound of a rumpus around the trashcans woke Bruno out of a deep sleep. The metal clanging and banging merely made Blossom murmur and roll over. Bruno placed a hand on her back. He lay there waiting in the darkness alert and at the ready. All was quiet. Just in case, he stealthily moved to the dresser and opened a bottom drawer. With the .357 Magnum reassuringly nestled in his hands, he checked to see if Blossom still slept.

Blossom did not like guns, pure and simple. She disliked the idea of the right to bear arms because that part of the American Constitution had been badly abused lately. Every time she went into a McDonald’s she wondered if some maniacal jerk was going to leap out and shoot everybody down. What kind of a sick society allowed that to continue? The Constitution was written during a time in the young nation’s history. Things are different now. True, Bruno agreed, but the world is still a dangerous place. That is why he owned a gun, especially at times like these. He quickly loaded his weapon.

A half-moon peeked through the bedroom window. He watched the covers gently rise and fall as Blossom slept. He loved her so much. Why had it taken so long to find someone like this? Not always able to express his affection as much as he would have liked, Bruno looked down on her now and smiled. Most of his days he was so wrapped up in his work and clientele that his feelings for anybody or anything took a back seat. But now he silently stood by the bed to gaze and appreciate. He loved everything about her even when she pissed him off with her infuriating eye for detail and logic. Talk about role reversal! Bruno always thought it was the man who was supposed to be the logical one. “Maybe I’ve been at this game for so long I do it instinctively,” he mumbled to himself.

Now moving carefully in the dark, deftly avoiding chairs and the hard wooden corners of furniture, he made his way to the dining room for his coat. He remembered putting it there last night after coming home from his favorite Greek restaurant for a takeaway. Listening for any sign, any movement outside, he thought he could hear something. Hushed whispers. Adrenaline kicked in, coursing through his blood like a torrent. His long black coat haphazardly hung over a chair. He hurriedly put it on: the only thing covering him from the rest of the world.

Bruno decided to go out the back. The garbage cans were nearest the den. Slowly, ever so slowly, he slid open the door. The streetlamps created their own earth-bound constellations. The sky overhead was a complete black against the white glare. The warm mild June night was lost on Bruno. His senses were on tenterhooks listening, watching even smelling for any signs of intruders. Gun in hand; clutched to his chest, he slithered along the back wall. Peering cautiously around the corner, he saw no one there. A trash can lid was up-ended on the ground lying next to Blossom’s disused Ford Fiesta. “What the fuck?” he muttered.

“What happened?” said a voice coming from the back of the house. It reverberated in the silence.

“Blossom! You scared the living shit daylights out of me!” he said quickly hiding the gun in his coat pocket.

“I’m sorry,” she exclaimed walking up to him, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just needed a pee and saw you were gone.”

Bruno held her in his arms. She wore her dressing gown: something she rarely put on in his presence if he could help it. “Hey…you came out here in your bare feet!” he reprimanded her, “there could be…all sorts of shit on the ground around here.”

“You should talk, you’re in your bare feet!” Blossom put her ear to his chest, “And your heart is beating fast, too.”

“I heard some noises so I went to investigate,” he nodded at the metal lid.

“Oh right, it was probably Maria’s cat,” she explained as she bent down. She pushed the lid to back on top of the trashcan with a definite crash.

“Yeah, that thing looks at me …inscrutably…a lot like the old people next door.” Bruno always tried to give the big fat fluffy Tabby-looking feline a pet but it invariably ran off.

“I didn’t know Maria’s parents always looked at you like that,” Blossom peered up at him in surprise.

“Sure…when I’m on my own they do. C’mon, “he put a protective arm around her, “let’s get back inside.” He gave the scene one last suspicious glance. He decided to keep quiet about the voices for now.

“What’s wrong, Bruno?” Blossom said as they snuggled back into bed, “you seem tense.”

“Nothing, babe, nothing. Shhhh!” he put his lips to her ear, “Go back to sleep.” Blossom turned over. Bruno’s limp dick lay in the crack of her ample bottom. It would not stay soft for long. He put an arm around her and held her close. She made noises of contentment. “Blossom,” he whispered in a throaty voice but there was no answer.

Bruno would have preferred a round of late night lazy sex to get back to sleep again. Instead, his head buzzed. Ever since that day on Olviera Street with Carlos Jimenez, Bruno had felt on edge. He was not afraid of Tony Garcia. Bruno just did not like knowing the guy was still on this side of eternity. The schmuck might start wreaking revenge or some stupid ass thing like that. Who needs it? Live and let live. “Bruno, you’re turning into an Alter Cocker,” he said to himself brushing aside Blossom’s hair from his mouth. “You aren’t up to the fight anymore,” he thought. “Where’s your spunk? Your joie de vivre?”

Oh, but it was there all right. And to prove it he got out of bed again to fish out the gun from his coat. Keeping it loaded and ready for use, he placed it on the bedside table. “No one is going to harm you my sweet plum blossom,” he uttered under his breath. Getting back into bed in that pleasant spoon position, he kissed Blossom’s shoulder. His dick got hard, however, fatigue got the better of him and he fell asleep.

The bright morning sun came streaming into the bedroom window in whitewashed streaks. Bruno had been awake for some time when he felt Blossom stretch.

“’Morning,” she said as she clambered over him making her way to the bathroom.

Bruno had a huge hard on. When he heard the tinkling noise of her pee, he reached over and opened the bedside table’s small drawer to grab a Trojan. He needed a really good fuck. He felt an urgent need to stick it inside her. He put it down to all the pent-up stress he had been feeling lately. Well, that was his excuse - for the moment. “Jesus, shouldn’t I be past my peak by now?” he quizzed himself. He figured he had lost sight of his dick in Brazil but once he came back to California he made up for lost time.

Blossom came back. In an instant, her face changed from the sleepy satisfaction of relieving her bladder to one of horror. “What the hell is that doing there?” she pointed in disgust at the primed gun.

“Blossom…stop worrying about that. Consider it a…tool of my trade…like the computer was yours when you were a CPA,” he said with a smirk on his face.

“Oh, no way,” she held up her hand.

“And speaking of tools,” he quickly interrupted her, his voice deepening, “take a look at mine.” Bruno pulled back the blankets to show his early erection. He could tell he had broken her defenses at the sight of his pulsing meat. She eyed it with wide-open interest.

“Okay but put that gun away, please.”

“Sure, honey, sure,” he quickly shoved it into the Trojan drawer, “c’mon, Mr. Cock wants you.”

Blossom gave Bruno a pleasant surprise by lying on top of him. The weight of her soft warm body was stimulating – as if he needed anymore of that. “Ohh, you are turning into a little dominatrix, aren’t you?” He purred, “I could get… used to this.”

“Give me more time and I will be,” she said giving him a lingering wet kiss. “I want some, now, too.”

Bruno laughed.

“What? What did I say?” she looked up at him in all innocence.

“You’ve…changed your tune. You used to be my… prim and proper prude,” laughter lines prominently displayed around the sides of his eyes.

“I was not! You…you just overwhelmed me, that’s all,” Blossom explained about to climb off of him.

“No, don’t do that!” he playfully grabbed her. “I luv ya. You make me laugh. Here”, he said, handing her the Trojan packet, “put it on my dick.”

Straddled on top of him, she found the little indentation on the packet and tore it open. Grabbing hold of his monster, Blossom initially had difficulty getting the condom over his knob. Bruno had to lend a hand. She gave him quite a peep show displaying her crotch while she checked for moistness. His cock danced in anticipation and delight. Shamelessly holding his dick up straight, she sat on top making it disappear inside herself. She smiled like a magician performing a clever magic trick. “This is the probably one of the nicest things…a man can see first thing in the morning:” Bruno growled, “to witness his cock… slide up…the vagina of the one he loves.”

Blossom gasped and rocked back and forth as her moistness lubricated the path of his dick. She had a concerned expression on her face as if the thing was going to come out of her mouth. “You’re big this morning, Bruno, what have you been thinking about?”

“You. Lie on top of me again,” he breathlessly urged. Bruno got a boob-full in his face. Blossom kept herself steady by propping her hands either side of his head. He tenderly held each bosom in his hand and sucked. “Cock up inside and tit in the mouth. What bliss,” Bruno thought.

Her nipples responded quickly and she moaned, “Lick the other one.”

Bruno started to lightly buck his hips enjoying not having to do much effort to receive so much pleasure. “Bruno, old sport,” he momentarily contemplated, “you are getting lazy.”

“Stop, stop, “ Blossom begged, “I need to play with myself.”

He let go and she sat up as straight as she could manage. Pulling her cunt lips apart with one hand, she used the other to finger her vulva.

“You are such a slut, Blossom. I love it,” he voice descended to a lusty gnarled whisper.

“Yes I am. I’m your slut. Your cock makes my cunt so hot,” her pupils dilated and her breath quickened. She bent slightly backwards and spread her lips wide apart for him to see. “Does it look nice down there?”

He gazed at the view. Only an inch or so of the shaft was visible. The rest snuggly fit inside her neat curly snatch. The sight made him pant. “Ahh, nice,” is all he could manage to say starting to rock his hips again.

“No, you stay still, “ she ordered, “I need this!”

“Mmm, yes, whatever you say.” Oh God, he loved it when she was in charge.

“Reach up here and play with my nipples,” she commanded.

Licking his shaking fingers, he teased and twirled them and they immediately transformed into hard stumps. They looked magnificent: two cherry-tipped orbs.

“Okay, okay,” she urged, “let’s have a wee rest.” Blossom settled down again on top of him – their bodies glued together with sweat.

They kissed for a long time savoring every drop of their mixed saliva. Bruno lightly rocked his hips to keep his dick happy. Blossom looked down at him every once in awhile as if surveying every bump, every line and contour of his face.

“What are you thinking?” he finally asked.

“Oh, nothing in particular. I just love looking at the sexiest man in the world.”

He smiled and tittered quietly pulling back her hair so he could see her heavenly face.

“No, really, I do. And I have the sexiest man in the world’s huge penis inside of me. I love how it fills me up. I want it to last…always.”

He made an insistent grunt and tried to pull her down again but she resisted. “I need to play with myself. I’m going to make lots of noise, too.”

“Oh yeah, you do that.”

Once again, she sat astride him. The need to cum made her face flushed. “I’m spreading my lips for you Bruno, can you see that?” she wantonly asked.

“Yes,” he had to start rocking his hips again; her filthy talk excited him.

“My cunt is dripping wet,” she said rubbing it. “Here, taste it,” she held her fingers up to his mouth and he greedily sucked the juice. “Taste good?”

“Like nectar,” he gasped.

Distributing her own lubrication all around her engorged labia lips, she uttered groans of intense pleasure. She madly fingered herself. “Your cock, I worship it,” she grunted, “My idol has entered me and filled me up to make me cum. Ah fuck!” she screeched, “Give me cock! Lots of it!”

Rocking and bouncing on his revered phallus, Bruno thought it was going to snap off. Then he felt her pelvic muscles try to push him out. Her face was red and puffy. “All right, baby, you okay?” he asked steadying her with his strong hands.

“Yes, yes, “ she panted, “Oh God, I really needed that.”

“Lie down on me again,” he ordered, “it’s my turn.” Blossom’s heart was still pounding. It vibrated through to his chest. He would not be long - not after that performance.

She licked and nibbled on his bony broad shoulders. She uttered terms of endearment to help him on his way, “I love you, Bruno, that’s right, please cum now, I love it when you shoot inside of me.”

His hips vigorously bucked and he kept tight hold of her. Yes, there it was. The explosion started in his balls and blasted out of his cock in one split second. He shoved it in as far as he could and hollered while the spasms continued.

Blossom carefully removed his fleshy snake from her orifice and lay in a heap beside him.

“Jesus, I’m sweating,” he remarked as he recovered, taking off the condom that was stretched out of all proportion. The morning sunshine filled the room with its dazzling presence. “It’s going to be a hot day.”

Bruno watched Blossom as she rolled down the window. The gust of wind turned her hair into tickling tentacles as they flailed against his skin. Feeling the fresh breeze fill the back of the limo, she resumed her position next to him. “What’s wrong with the air conditioning?” he inquired.

“I need the wind in my face. I’m feeling car sick,” she tersely explained. When she looked like she had slightly recovered she added, “I think I need to get my hair cut short. I can’t stand Californian summers.”

“No…don’t do that. Don’t ever do that. I love your golden brown hair,” he softly uttered remembering how beautiful it looked this morning draped down over her as she towered over him for a change. He also loved her tresses fanned out on the pillow, strands covering her face and the pleasure he received wiping them away. Just thinking about it aroused him.

“Where did you say we were going today?” she asked reaching out for his hand.

“A warehouse…in Van Nuys. I’ve got…some money to pick up for Kang,” he replied gladly accepting her sweet little hand in his.

“Bruno, did you ever get in touch with Mr. Wu about your ex-wife?” she hesitantly asked. The escapade to Hong Kong had happened just over a month ago.

“Yeah, we had…words.” She did not need to know anymore than that. They rarely mentioned the incident now. It was past them: one of those things sent to try a couple early on in their relationship or so Bruno surmised. Virginia had certainly caused a stir but it was short-lived. Blossom was made of stronger stuff and Bruno knew it. He was happy to let it go; deriving more contentment from being her teacher in both sexual and money laundering matters.

“How are the computer sales going?” she inquired with her head nearly out the window.

“Better than expected. All that Pentium processor technology: the people love it. Kang’s set out to make a profit…and so am I.”

“Oh yes, your thirteen percent,” she noted sitting back in her seat again.

“Uh-huh, and you’ll be getting your share,” he smiled.

“I think I deserve a substantial amount for having to endure the hazards of the job.”

“And what does that mean, my little kumquat?” he quizzically looked at her.

“You know,” she explained, “for me getting involved with shady low-life like Virginia and Alex.

Bruno let out a guttural snigger. “Don’t worry…you will be well paid.”

“Have you tried to contact Jade?” Blossom asked, closing her eyes.

“You’re asking a lot of questions lately,” he retorted. To be honest, he had not come up with a way to get in touch with Jade without stepping over into Motherland. He had plenty other things to get on with anyway and he knew he could successfully achieve those. “Let’s face it, Bruno,” he thought, “you are a big failure as a Dad.”

Blossom did not respond to his comment. She looked like she was trying hard not to puke. With her eyes tightly closed and her mouth slightly drooping, she seemed out of sorts today.

“Why don’t you let Frank take you to do some shopping?” Bruno suggested.

She looked up at him momentarily. “Didn’t a new shopping center open in Van Nuys the other day?”

Bruno shrugged. “That’s not my…field of expertise.”

“She’s quite correct,” Frank interrupted, “I saw it on the late night cable channel. It’s about a mile away from the warehouse.”

“Nice one, Frank,” Bruno commented. “There you go, what about it, Blossom? Here,” he said taking out three fifty dollar bills, “have some money. Buy yourself some clothes.”

“Well, I need a new bra,” Blossom pondered out loud.

“Mmmm, I look forward to it,” Bruno winked.

Frank departed from the freeway and in ten minutes they were at the Shin Kam Yuk Packaging and Processing Warehouse. After planting an affectionate peck on Blossom’s cheek, Bruno told Frank to be back in an hour. Getting out of the air-conditioned car, it felt like it must have been nearly one hundred degrees today. As Frank sped off, Bruno stepped into the shade of the building.

With the large doors locked, the only entrance seemed to be a corrugated door on one side of the warehouse. It opened with a loud rusty creak. A gut feeling made Bruno feel for the gun in his breast pocket. It was refreshingly cool inside. Boxes and boxes of computers were lined up on pallets against three walls. A yellow forklift truck was parked in the center like a stationery ringmaster. To his left, Bruno saw a small office in the far corner. He expected to see Wang, the store man, by now. He glanced at his wristwatch: two o’clock give or take a few minutes. That was the time he specified. The office appeared empty. Sauntering towards it to sit and wait, he heard the shuffle of feet coming out from behind a column of boxes. He stopped, placed his fingers around the trigger and abruptly turned around.

“Kang! What the fuck are you doing here?”

Wu Kang Hao stood with two henchmen on either side. He pleasantly smiled and slickly answered, “I’m merely checking my assets.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d be here?” Bruno answered keeping his distance waiting for the next move. All his senses switched into action: he heard Mr. Tall henchman tossing something in his pocket; Mr. Fat henchman watched his every move like a bear about to pounce. “Who are your pals, Kang? They here for a party?”

“My colleagues came along for the ride and to learn about the cultural activities of California,” a twinge of sarcasm pricked his words. After saying something in Chinese, they moved towards Bruno at lightning speed. It all happened so fast: as he was about to pull out his gun, Mr. Fat grabbed his wrist while Mr. Tall took the gun and handed it to Wu.

Mr. Fat kept hold of Bruno’s wrist and the pain made him collapse onto his knees. “Hey,” he managed to blurt, “Why are you…doing this…to an old friend?”

“You upset me, Bruno. I don’t like being upset. There was no need for your threats and insults.” Wu answered tenderly clasping the gun to his chest.

“Okay, okay, what do you want me to say? I’m sorry! Please, make your big friend stop.”

Wu said something and Mr. Fat let go. Mr. Tall punched Bruno in the stomach with a knuckle-duster and he fell to the floor in a fetal position.

“That punch, Bruno, was brought to you by Virginia,” Wu announced with a satisfied grin on his face.

As Bruno managed to get his wind back, the three men circled him. Mr. Fat stood behind Bruno and kicked him in the balls. Screeching in pain, he drew his long legs as close as he could to the affected area.

“That one was from Alex,” Wu explained with a glint in his eye. “Oh, wait a minute, you know her as Johanna.”

It took awhile before Bruno could speak again. “I know the whore’s real name,” he spat in disgust.

“It’s a pity that your girlfriend isn’t here to witness the spectacle. We were expecting her, too. You see, the piece de resistance is coming up shortly.”

“Why? Why are you doing this to me? I don’t deserve it!”

Wu stood by Bruno’s head and spoke slowly. “No one threatens me with blackmail Bruno, not even an old friend.”

“I didn’t…I didn’t mean it,” Bruno tried to sit up but the pain kept him down, “Why didn’t you tell me Virginia was back in China?”

Wu smiled and chuckled. “Why should I? If you really wanted to find her you had the means to do so. Besides, I was helping out an old friend. We’ve known each other since we were little; before she was put into a convent,” he explained bending down to relate his tale with a wicked leer.

“What do you mean you helped her out?” Bruno managed to sit up while his stomach ached and a searing pain shot up his groin.

“Virginia always wanted you to come and find her…but you didn’t. You can understand how Virginia must have felt, can’t you?” Wu spoke like he was talking to an errant schoolboy.

Bruno did not bother answering. In a sick sort of way he had expected something like this would happen.

“When I told them you had been in touch with me again, Alex used a word to describe what she wanted to happen to you. What was it?” Wu was almost speaking to himself pacing the floor. “Oh yes,” he stood still holding up a finger, “she wanted to find a way to smoke you.” Smiling like a Chinese mask, he said something to his henchmen. They grabbed Bruno by the arms and brought him to his feet. Escorting him to the office, Bruno saw the hapless Wang shoved in the corner with a knife in his back. Mr. Tall pushed Bruno into the dusty well-worn office chair.

“Sorry Kang, Alex and Virginia hardly smoked me,” he said as Wu’s men crossed their arms and stared at him.

“Oh, I know that, Bruno.” Kang walked around him in clockwise circles.

Bruno kept looking straight ahead and could not help feeling like a pig going to the slaughter.

“I did suggest, “ Wu continued, “when your very beautiful Blossom arrived in Hong Kong we have her butchered and a bit of her anatomy sent to you but, actually, neither of the girls wanted this done.” Wu started ambling in a counter-clockwise direction. “Instead, Virginia employed tactics of coercion on Blossom and she did extremely well, don’t you think?”

Bruno did not offer any comment. He was going to try and hold on for the hour until Frank got back.

Wu stopped and scowled. He looked like he was waiting for a smart-ass comment from Bruno. Mr. Tall glanced at Wu as if to ask if he could give Bruno another punch but Wu scowled even more at the lofty henchman. Standing in front of everybody with Bruno’s gun is his right hand, he continued, “Alex and Virginia were satisfied and I left it at that. But then you rang threatening me with anonymous tip-offs to the Hong Kong police about my various…activities.” Wu shook his head. “You really think you are so smart? You are nothing!” He slapped Bruno hard across the face. Blood came pouring out of his nose. Wu handed him a tissue from a box on top of a filing cabinet.

“Hey…it was just a joke, I’m sorry,” he pleaded holding the tissue up to his nose, “You know me, Kang, I offer a service. I try to make all my customers happy.”

“Well, consider me a dissatisfied customer,” Wu played with the gun throwing it slightly up in the air and always managing to catch it, “We are no longer in business together.”

Bruno looked at the safe next to Wang’s lifeless body. It had been emptied. Wu had all the profits now from the first wave of computer sales. “What are you going to do with me?” he blandly asked.

“Oh, shoot you with your own gun,” he breezily replied, “then I’m going to hack you into pieces and present your cock and balls mounted on a gilt frame to Virginia and Alex”

And Bruno knew Kang was capable of such an atrocious act, too. He felt cold steel on his temple and hoarsely whispered, “Jade.”

“Oh, let’s not bring her into this,” Kang said in annoyance. He pulled the trigger.

The noise was like an insect flying close to Bruno’s head. “Why not?” he demanded, playing for time.

“Oh well, you are going to die anyway. I might as well grant you this one last wish. Very well, “ Wu sighed keeping the barrel pointed at Bruno’s head, “Jade was never happy about any of this. She actually wanted to speak to Blossom but we all forbid it. Given half the chance, she really wanted to be with you.”

Well, if there was a God in this world then He had just offered some hope to a condemned man. “Kang, you need me!” he urged.

“No I don’t!” he sneered, “I can handle the sale of these things without you. I don’t have to pay the middleman anything. Oh and guess what?” An ecstatic smile played on Wu’s lips.

“What?” Bruno asked, wondering why the fuck Frank was taking so long. Surely the hour had passed by now?

“When I’m finished with you, I’ll be after Blossom, too!”

“Fucking bastard! Stay away from her! She’s innocent!” Bruno tried to get up but Wu’s buddies held him down.

“Bruno, who are you kidding? After a few weeks with you she is about as innocent as an Emperor’s concubine.”

Mr. Fat and Mr. Tall heard it first. Wu saw them cock their heads towards the sound. The metal door was slowly being opened. Then everyone heard the soft trampling of feet.

Bruno decided it was now or never. Superimposed images of Blossom and Jade blurred in his mind. An almost superhuman strength overcame him and he ran out of his seat throwing the henchman off balance. The gun nearly flew out of Wu’s hand. Bruno shouted for Frank and made his way out of the office door. He heard the shot and then felt something hot enter his body. Bruno fell to the floor. All was dark.

The new Cordoba Shopping Center looked like any other modern shopping precinct. Maybe it was the way Blossom was feeling today: nothing impressed her about the place. There were the usual array of chain stores and franchises and they did nothing to instill any enthusiasm. “Maybe having as much money as I will ever need has taken all the fun out of shopping,” Blossom considered.

Feeling fully recovered from her carsickness, she meandered along the upper floor. Blossom noticed a waterbed shop tucked into a corner. She had heard all sorts of good things about having a waterbed. One of her high school pals had the fuck of her life on one and went on about the experience for weeks. Blossom allowed the salesman to tempt her to try out various kinds of beds with and without things called baffles. The squishiest type of waterbed had no baffles whatsoever and she enjoyed rolling about hearing the water slosh underneath her while at the same time the bed gently supported her body. Very nice. Not wanting to commit to a sale just yet, she took a brochure and promised the salesman she would discuss it with her significant other tonight.

Finding a Victoria’s Secret on the lower level, she tried on a bra in her usual size of 38 C. The damn thing felt tight. After asking one of the staff to measure her, she found out she had bounced to a size 40 B. “Oh, for Fuck Sake! Bruno and his shitty take-outs! That’s it; I go on a diet starting tomorrow,” she thought in disgust. Dejectedly, she bought two bras in her new size. The salesgirl asked if she wanted the matching panties but Blossom had enough self-loathing for one day.

The shopping center had one thing in its favor: every quarter of an hour, mechanical dancing penguins came out of the novelty clock situated near the entrance. Blossom laughed to see a chorus of macaroni penguins kicking up their legs to “Cabaret”. After the last penguin shut the door behind him, Blossom finally glanced at the time. Shit! It dawned on her she should have been back at the car ten minutes ago.

Frank looked relieved to see Blossom charging out of the store. Quickly opening the door for her, he wasted no time getting started and back on the road.

“Sorry I’m late, I got carried away looking at some silly penguins,” she apologized as they waited at the red light.

Frank smiled. “Oh yes, that’s why the shopping center was featured in that news item.” Once the light turned green he inquired, “Did you buy anything nice?”

Blossom literally considered this question. Having to buy bras in a bigger size was not nice so she decided not to mention them. She shrugged, “I looked at some waterbeds. Do you think Bruno would like one?” Blossom saw him through the rear view mirror peering at her over his sunglasses. Visions of him handling Bruno’s cock made her wish she had never brought up the subject.

Frank gave her a friendly grin, “I’m sure he would.” They were just about to enter the warehouse’s parking lot when Frank’s face instantly changed to one of shock followed by a look of rugged determination. He unexpectedly swerved the vehicle onto the middle of the road and headed back in the direction they had just come. He created a pile up of cars on both sides of the road: unfortunate automobiles collided into each other in an effort to brake in time.

“What is it? What is it?” she frantically said looking behind her trying to see the warehouse.

Frank attempted to keep his cool exterior but Blossom could tell he was scared. “There were police cars surrounding the building,” he explained as his eyes darted between keeping an eye on the rear view mirror and what was going on in front of him.

“What?” It felt like she was in a dream trying to get away from something but could hardly move.

“Bruno told me if this sort of situation arose then you were to be my main priority.”

“No!” Blossom shouted, “We must go back!”

“We can’t. Bruno is wanted by a lot of people.”

“Yes, I know but…”

“Stay out of it, Blossom.”

“No!” she cried, “if only I had not been so long at that fucking place this would never have happened. I want Bruno,” she demanded. “He’s in trouble!”

“There is no point in ‘if only’. Leave it.”

Blossom sobbed. She felt so guilty. What must he be thinking now? Is he furious? How will she ever find him again? She did not know what to do. And Frank was not coping much better. Blossom looked up and saw they were in some residential part of the valley. “Where are we going?” she asked.

“That’s a good question,” he nervously stated. “We can’t go back to your house, I’m afraid. Chances are someone will be waiting for you there.”

Blossom wiped her nose on her sleeve and pondered. “Look, why don’t you just drop me off somewhere, Frank? You’ll be in trouble, too, when they get me.” Gone were her days of ignorant innocence, she knew that much. Blossom was up to her eyeballs in Bruno’s racket now. Only the other day he decreed she was ready to speak with clients about prospective business ventures.

Frank sympathetically looked at her through the mirror. “That’s very kind of you, Madam, but I prefer to make sure of your safety.”

“Why?” She puzzled out loud, sniffling again.

“It’s part of my job and I am well paid by Bruno to do it,” he explained taking off his hat, wiped the sweat off his forehead and placed it back on again.

“But chances are neither of us will be in a position to pay you pretty soon.”

Frank stopped the car along a street where children raced their bicycles up and down the sidewalk making inane comments as they passed the limousine. He turned off the ignition and pivoted around to speak to her. “Let’s not be hasty. For now, you can stay with David and me.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.” She felt dizzy and frightened. She bent her head forward and rested it on the back of the front passenger seat.

“Why not? Is it because I had sex with Bruno?”

Blossom looked up in surprise. “No, I wasn’t thinking about that!”

“Are you sure?” He looked into her eyes as if her true feelings about him would be contained there. “I want you to know I never had any intention of taking him away from you. I was only providing my sexual services for a short time. David and I are, truthfully, very happy together.”

Blossom smiled through watery eyes and her lower lip quivered. “Help me, Frank,” she pleaded.

“I’ll do the best I can,” he sincerely said and started the car. Entering the freeway, he headed due south. Thankfully, there were no traffic jams.

“Where do you live?” Blossom asked beginning to feel wiped-out with the heat, tears and shock.

“Anaheim. Oh, no.”

“Where is Anaheim Oh No?”

“No look! Look up there!”

Blossom peered into the smog-laden sky. “It’s a helicopter, so what?”

“It’s a chopper; a police helicopter,” he explained. “Keep calm, Blossom, it may be nothing.”

But it was apprehending them. It followed for many miles keeping a steely beat overhead as they changed lanes and freeways. “What shall we do?” Blossom asked in desperation.

“Keep driving, for now.” Frank said with a weary acceptance.

Blossom started a fresh wave of tears. She felt queasy at the thought of being in trouble with the law. What would they do to her? What were they doing to Bruno now? The sound of the chopper bombarded their eardrums as it flew lower and lower above them. In the midst of the chaos, Blossom squinted at the floor of the car and saw something white. Bending down, she realized it was the piece of paper with Virginia’s name and phone number. Now very creased after being folded many times over to fit in Bruno’s wallet, Blossom nervously slipped the wretched thing inside her bag. Bruno would not need it where he was going. But then, it probably would not be much use to her either.

As they approached the exit for Anaheim, police cars lined up like a metal barricade. Policemen and women stood by their cars aiming their pistols right at them.

“I’m sorry, Blossom,” Frank looked at her through the mirror. He looked tired and beaten.

“Don’t be, Frank,” she replied gazing in horror at the scene, “I just wish they would put their fucking guns away. I’m unarmed!”

“Well,” he said pulling out a .357 Magnum from his breast pocket, “I’m not.” And he casually placed it on the dashboard.

“Oh my God! Stop the car! Stop the car!” she hysterically screamed, “I’ve had enough!”

Frank gladly complied with her request. She ran out of the car towards a group of armed policemen. Many looked astonished to see someone they were apprehending coming towards them not brandishing a weapon. Frank got out of the limo with his hands up and told the police where they would find his gun. After they were searched and read the right to remain silent speech, both of them got into a police car without any fuss.

They were taken to the main police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Blossom did not know what to expect but was puzzled to find they were being escorted deep within the station to a small room. There was no need for bars here. Escape was pretty impossible unless they wanted to have a go at a Hollywood style exit through the airshaft. A male and female police officer stood guard in the room. Blossom looked at Frank. He held his head high and smiled back at her. He gave her hand a friendly squeeze. Ten minutes later, Frank was taken away. He serenely agreed with their request but Blossom saw the fear on his face as he left. She began to panic and cried as the door was locked closed in front of her face. A female police officer stayed with her but she remained silent and po-faced.

It seemed like an eternity and a bucket of tears before someone came through the door. Blossom smelt coffee. “That’s milk and two sugars, right, Blossom?” a familiar voice said.

She looked up and saw the face of Vincent Hope. He wore a black tailored suit and an FBI badge on his lapel. “Hello,” he gently said, carefully handing her the hot liquid. “I know how you must be feeling now,” he added, noticing her flummoxed expression.

Blossom nodded. “Aren’t I supposed to be remaining silent?”

Vincent laughed and stood by the door. “Yes, I suppose so and you have the right to have a lawyer present. I’ll let you phone for one but I’d like to speak to you first.”

She sipped on her weak, but sweet, coffee as he told her his tale.

“It all started for me when I began to realize Bill Greenfield was embezzling large amounts of cash from our business. I couldn’t prove it at first so I had words with the IRS about it to save my ass. To cut a long story short, I was offered the chance to become an FBI agent and I jumped at it. You remember that course I went on at the beginning of April?” he paused to ask.

Blossom nodded. She rubbed her eyes; they felt like sandpaper.

Vincent came forward and sat next to her. “That was not a required legal course I went on for the business. It was,” he said dramatically, “my final training course to become an FBI agent. I passed with top marks.”

“Hmm,” Blossom said attempting to keep her vow of silence.

“I learned a lot about Bill. He’s been stealing money for years from other business partnerships. Well, there will be no more flash Ferraris or baby nights with Gayle anymore. He’s about to be locked up for awhile.” Vincent rolled his eyes, “He was probably sterile anyway. Infernal Revenue Services stopped being a business as of two weeks ago.”

“And what’s happened to Veronica?” Blossom exclaimed. She realized she had spoken and a look of terror passed her face.

“It’s okay,” Vincent stated, “believe me. She knew nothing about Bill’s wrongdoings. We are still together,” he smiled, “she passed her exams and we plan to re-open in Santa Monica very soon. In fact, the office will be right across the street from Bill’s favorite Jewish Delicatessen. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Blossom blankly nodded. “Whatever happened to Tom Noble?” she asked surprised she could think of him at a time like this.

“Oh, he got a hot ear from the IRS and he’s still in business. We’ll continue to look after him; keep him on the straight and narrow.” Vincent’s good-looking face suddenly became dark and serious. “Then there’s this matter of you and Bruno.”

Blossom’s heart skipped a beat as she finished her coffee.

“After Veronica and I met up with both of you on Olviera Street, I was casually chatting with one of my colleagues. He nearly jumped out of his skin when I mentioned the name of Bruno Buckingham. We have had your house under surveillance for weeks now.”

She looked into Vincent’s eyes: all cold and professional now. She never would have dreamt he would do such a thing. My God, what things he must have heard! And she was not even thinking about the telephone conversations. She felt violated. “Was it you the other night?”

He feigned an expression of ignorance.

“You know what I’m talking about…the garbage cans,” her voice went a few tones higher. Fuck the right to remain silent.

“Look, Blossom, hear me out. There is no need to get angry with me. I was only doing my job.” Vincent looked at the female police officer for the first time. The only thing she offered him was her usual blank look. “No, that wasn’t me. It was one of my colleagues having difficulty with the electronics. He had to go up the wall to fix something and, well, he nearly messed things up.”

“For you,” Blossom qualified his statement for him.

“Yes, if you want to see it that way. Please, “ he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “this is very important. We raided the Shin Kam Yuk warehouse today.”

“I know.” She disliked his touch and moved away from him.

“But it seems,” he continued undeterred, “that someone else got their first and Bruno was badly hurt.”

Blossom sat there numbly. “Was he?” she said so softly that Vincent never heard her.

“He was having a confrontation with a Kang Hao Wu.”

“Wu,” she corrected him.

“What?”

“Wu as in Wu Kang Hao. The Chinese put their last names first,” she instructed him. “But that would be lost on you, wouldn’t it?” she thought to herself.

“Yeah, well, I have to inform you that he shot Bruno in the shoulder as he tried to get away. We think Bruno thought we were his chauffeur, Frank Taylor, coming to rescue him.”

She felt empty; hollow. “Is he…is he dead?” she gulped.

Vincent tried to reach out to hold her hand but she pulled away. “He’s alive at Van Nuys Medical Center under police guard. He’ll live and then he will go down,” he answered with macho assuredness.

Blossom looked at him. She really wanted to tell him to get the fuck out of her life. “Why are you telling me all this?” she asked instead, her patience worn down to straggling threads.

“A lot of good has come out of it,” he began, “It seems this Kang is a very wanted criminal in Hong Kong. I’ve caught two very wanted people in one day. My boss says I’ll be up for a promotion right away.”

“How very nice for you,” she answered flatly.

“Listen, Blossom, I know you are sore with me right now. That’s not like you; you are a law-abiding citizen. You have led a blameless hard-working life until Buckingham came along.” He leaned forward, “And because you have done me such a great favor today I am willing to make sure you are not put away in jail. What do say to that?”

Blossom sighed. She felt so tired. She looked at Vincent’s face: victory and good fortune shone in his features but she thought it was all a load of bullshit. “I’ll believe it when the judge tells me I am free to go.”

The road stretched into the distance. There was nothing much to do except stare as it rushed by: another few minutes, another few miles. They had already been on the road for a couple of hours and the monotony drove Blossom up the wall. She had another two hours to sit through. She decided she would try and lie down for a while. It felt heavenly to stretch her legs and close her eyes. Then the events over the past couple of months replayed in her head. She tried to black them out but they had an insistence all their own.

She saw Bruno lying terribly still bruised and unconscious in the hospital. At least she was allowed to hold his hand and gently urge him to wake up. After he regained consciousness, the lack of intimacy imposed upon them by the police upset her most. He was tried and convicted as soon as he was well enough. He looked so haggard and hurting in the courtroom that, even now, Blossom shed tears for him.

Vincent had been true to his word. Because she had an immaculate record, strings were pulled for her to be let off which was just as well. The only thing she had to do was sign a legal document stating she would keep his identity a secret.

Veronica phoned her not long after being acquitted and asked Blossom to work at the new business on Wilshire Boulevard and Fourth Street. Blossom declined the well-meaning offer and said she needed time out. The real reason was because she still harbored resentment against Vincent. Okay, she knew it was illogical but, tough shit, that’s the way it goes.

Wu Kang Hao was extradited back to Hong Kong right away under a massive police escort. His on-again, off-again connection with the Triads demanded it. The FBI confiscated all the remaining computers at the warehouse and the money from the shady sales. They would also be investigating the whereabouts of the stolen diamond encrusted bracelet. It belonged to a descendent of the Siamese Royal Family.

Bruno had been successfully convicted of money laundering and attempted manslaughter. Blossom saw Tony Garcia for the first time in the courtroom that day whooping and laughing when he heard the judge’s decision. He was the loudest most insolent motherfucker there. At one stage the judge threatened him with expulsion from the proceedings if he did not remain quiet. It was with great joy the last time she heard about him that he had been shot through the head in a drug’s raid on a house of ill repute. He had been one of the clients at the time - how unfortunate for him. Her Scottish Grannie always had a strange saying, “What’s for you, won’t go by you.”” It took Blossom years to understand that. When she read Tony was dead, she comprehended it in an instant. Bruno now languished in Corcoran State Prison north of Bakersfield. He was destined to spend the next ten years of his life in jail. When he confessed to the whereabouts of massive sums of money, his conviction was lowered to eight or five with good behavior.

“We shall be arriving at the prison in a few minutes,” announced Frank. At Blossom’s request, Vincent also got him off lightly because of Frank’s clean record and his willingness to comply with the police. The judge, however, gave him a few endorsements on his driving license and he had to pay for the damage caused to all the cars caught up in the collision. The judge’s last words were a stern warning never to get in trouble again.

Blossom insisted Frank stay with her despite his tainted record. She wanted someone around her now who had been through Hell and back with her. She was paying his wages out of her own pocket right now and she heaved a sigh thinking she would eventually have to go back to work. She looked down at her expanding belly and patted the new growth. God, she really did not look forward going back into the real world again.

Frank parked in the designated visitor’s car park. Blossom got out and shook her legs. She made her way to see Bruno for the first time in his new permanent home.

Jails look pretty much the same as any other nowadays despite some moral obligation to make them more humane places. Blossom saw Bruno pensively and expectantly waiting for her in one of the cubicles partitioned by a layer of glass. Gray streaks ran through his hair and he looked like all his spirit had been taken away from him. She wanted to cry but promised to hold back the tears in case it upset him even more. Blossom put on a brave smile, sat down and said “Hi.”

Bruno pointed to a phone on her right while he picked up his. “Hi,” he answered back into the receiver and splayed out his broad hand on the glass. She returned the gesture. “You’re…blossoming,” he remarked looking at her nervously, “you okay?”

“I’m feeling better, just a little sick now and again but the doctor says it’s a good sign. The baby is due on the seventh of February.”

“You went to Dr. Epstein like I suggested?”

Blossom nodded.

”Good.” Bruno looked pleased, almost relieved. “You know, Virginia got pregnant when I did it to her like that.”

Blossom thought back. It must have been that day from behind without a Trojan – the only time without a Trojan. She felt uncomfortable at the mention of Virginia’s name. “Does it upset you that I got pregnant the same way as her?”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter…anymore. Look…Blossom, I’ve got something for you. I made it in one of those crappy remedial lessons.” He bent down and produced a rather decent-looking mug. There was something written in neat slanted lettering: I Love Edinburgh. “Not bad for a first effort, huh?”

Happy and sad at the same time, Blossom started to cry. Gray hair, gray uniform, gray walls: Bruno looked pathetic, a shadow of his former self. But this scepter showed a side of Bruno she had rarely ever seen: sincerity and heart-felt thoughtfulness. Could she get used to this new Bruno?

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He then turned around to ask one of the prison guards to give it to her. Minutes later, Blossom wrapped the mug protectively in her hands and cried some more.

“Blossom…please, please,” he implored her, “What is it? Have you…are you…?”

“No, no, it’s really lovely,” she replied taking a tissue out of her bag and blew her nose, “The mug is beautiful.” It was made to a very high standard and ready to use as soon as she got back home.

Bruno’s face lined with concern. “I hope…when I get out…I can take you and Junior to see your folks in Edinburgh.”

“I would like that very much,” she answered wiping away the tears.

His face relaxed slightly. “I thought you were coming here today to say goodbye.”

“You never cease to amaze me,” she exclaimed looking shocked. “I would never do that to you. I love you, I miss you so much.”

He smiled and looked ready to cry. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear it. Look,” he said with conviction, “I am going to get out of here in five years, keep my nose clean, stay out of trouble…you’ll see.”

“I hope so. I want my baby to have a Dad.” There was a suspended silence as they starred at each other.

“There’s some things I need to tell you,” he suddenly said. “Jade, where did you meet her?”

Surprised by his question, she dazedly answered, “Well, it was in a place called Club 64.”

Bruno harrumphed. “Ah, that club.” With a great deal of impatience, Bruno told her about how he had threatened Kang and the eventual encounter at the warehouse.

Blossom cringed at the details. Something must have been on their side that day. She would not have been able to bear seeing him tortured. For all his faults, he did not deserve that.

Then he explained about Jade being forbidden to speak to Blossom that night because she wanted to be with her Dad.

Blossom nodded at the revelation, “I had a hunch that was the reason she kept on looking at me all evening, the poor girl. I hope she is okay.”

“Virginia would never harm her…just find ways to keep her far away from me.”

“Maybe this might help,” she suggested reaching into her bag for something. “Look, Bruno, I have a confession to make.”

“Oh?” the worry returned to his face.

Blossom pulled out Virginia’s number. “I found this in the car.”

“I wonder what happened to that. I thought the cops…took it away. They never gave me back the cigar case you bought me. I don’t think I’ll ever see it… again,” his shoulders sagged as he spoke. Then his eyes did that familiar bird of prey glare. You haven’t…phoned her up, have you?”

“No! That whole episode makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“Good. Then…right here, right now…tear it up!”

Blossom incredulously looked at him. If she was not mistaken, something of the old Bruno was coming up to the surface.

“Go on! Do as I say!”

She tore it into tiny pieces as if it was a rite of purification. She collected all the bits and threw them away into a near-by trashcan. Coming back to sit with him she asked, “How will you find her now?”

“I’ll write to Kang.”

“You will WHAT?” she screeched.

Bruno held the receiver away from his ear and winced.

The room became silent. She looked up and all eyes were curiously gazing at her. She blushed a ruby red. “Are you crazy!” she whispered.

“Maybe,” he did his customary shrug.

Yes, Bruno had returned. It was a crazy notion but Blossom preferred the irascible way-out older version.

“He got it out of his system,” Bruno explained as if it was the most innocuous thing he ever thought of, “Kang’s got nothing to loose now. He’s in prison for life…he might even get executed. He’s murdered a few people over there…rich, influential people. Me? I’m just a…pussycat next to him. He’ll tell me where she is.”

“Jesus Christ!” she muttered under her breath.

“Listen, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I want to see my daughter…hear her…side of the story. Fuck Virginia. Fuck Alex. You understand?”

“Yes, I do.” It was comforting to know he wanted to make amends with one child. Hopefully it meant he would do right by the one still inside her.

“So, you never know, you and Frank may be getting her off the plane one day from LAX.”

“Uh, well, it might just be me and Junior in the Ford Fiesta, I’m afraid. I can’t afford Frank’s wages indefinitely.”

“Yeah you can,” he barely whispered, “You think I told the cops everything? Oh c’mon, Blossom, less of the shocked look. You think I’m not going to provide for you and my child? I want you to memorize a phone number, an account number and a password. I’ve got twenty million dollars stored in a Swiss bank account.”

Blossom needed to calm down before he gave her the information. Talking in a hushed but blasé tone, he made her commit the numbers to memory. “Phone first thing tomorrow…promise.”

“I will.”

“Good, because I’m finished with all this chasing money like it’s snatch shit. I want some peace of mind when I get out of prison, know what I’m saying?”

Blossom nodded.

“Oh, and another thing.”

“Oh God, what next?” thought Blossom. “Yes?” she said aloud.

“Say you’ll marry me.” Without waiting for her reply he mused, “You know that night when we first met outside your house? You put my flowers in the window?”

“Uh-huh,” she answered with a stupid look on her face.

“I said something you never heard.”

She thought quietly for a few seconds. “Yes, oh yes, I remember. You said something but I never heard you.”

“I said ‘I’m going to marry this girl. Fuck the taxman!’"

Both of them laughed.

“You haven’t answered my question,” he stated, looking worried again.

“Oh well, you say it so romantically,” she joked, “of course I will!”

Bruno grunted in approval. “You don’t mind if we have the ceremony in jail?”

“You mean marry you now? Not wait until you are out?”

“Right this second if we could!”

“Do you think the prison officials would let us go back to the Foo Chow Restaurant for a little honeymoon?” Blossom asked on impulse.

He shrugged and smiled. “Maybe.”

“I would love to see that stairway with the dragon again,” she said feeling like she was floating on a cloud.

“You really want an old washed-out money launderer?”

“You know I do. I would not want you any other way,” she truthfully answered. She put her hand up to the glass and Bruno did the same.

Blossom’s head happily spun as she walked back to the limousine. Being a CPA had its uses in this game: she remembered without any trouble the sequences of numbers Bruno gave her and wrote them down. Then she excitedly announced to Frank that Bruno wanted to marry her. He was overjoyed at the news and asked if David could help her choose her dress and help her prepare on the big day. Before they knew it, they were back in Santa Monica.

That night she lie in bed and felt fluttery-type movements deep in her belly. At first Blossom thought it was her imagination but, no, there it was again: faint but definitely there. It made her horny. Blossom masturbated thinking about Bruno’s cock in her mouth, up her cunt and shooting his hot seed all over her. She wanted to worship his dick because it made her feel so good and filled her womb with new life. She screamed his name as she came. Afterwards she cried tears of longing and sadness. Eight year or five years – either way it was going to be a long time without him in bed beside her. Better get used to it. Maybe she would think about getting some dildos and vibrators for the duration.

The following morning, Blossom made that important phone call to the Credit Suisse Bank in Basle. She transferred ten thousand dollars to her own bank account for now. Desperately needing new clothes for herself and to stock up on items for the baby, later on she would think of ways to invest the rest of the money to make it grow, with Bruno’s approval, of course. She hated the idea of him coming out of jail in a few years only to find she had chipped away a good deal of it already. He might just go back to his old ways. But, then again, he was such a scoundrel, really, Blossom was sure he would find a way to get into some type of mischief with or without twenty thousand dollars in a Swiss bank account. That’s probably why she loved him.

Blossom heard a soft knock on the door and she rushed to answer it. Oh my God, in all the fuss over the past few months she had totally forgotten about her garden. “Hello, Maria, please come in,” she warmly said.

“How are you?” Maria asked as she sat next to Blossom on the sofa.

“I’m quite well and yourself?”

Maria gently touched Blossom’s belly. Blossom flinched at the unexpected gesture.

“The baby’s father is in jail for a long time, si?”

“Yes for quite a while.”

“Hmm, I look after you and baby then.”

Blossom quietly chuckled not quite sure how to take this revelation. “That’s very sweet of you but you have enough to do looking after your mother and father.”

“Si, we all help you.”

“Thank you. You are a good friend, Maria.”

“I know Bruno Buckingham was bad man right away. I wanted to warn you.”

“Hey,” Blossom took Maria’s hand,” that’s all right. I learned that pretty quickly for myself. And, I don’t think I’ve done too badly out of it.” She gave her stomach a friendly pat.

Maria squirmed uneasily in her seat. “I like you very much,” she said and brought Blossom’s hand to her mouth. She gave her hand a gentle kiss and then began to suck on Blossom’s fingers one by one making them go in and out like little dicks.

It shocked Blossom at first and visions of Virginia shot through her brain. But Maria was not the manipulating type just a sweet kind girl. “And probably a lesbian,” Blossom pondered, “that could be why she stayed at home after all her brothers and sisters left.” “Maria,” Blossom began, drawing her hand away, “I like you as a friend. What is it you want of me?”

There was an earnest pleading in Maria’s eyes. “I always like you since I first saw you. You have pretty hair, pretty face, beautiful body.”

“Well…I like you too but not in the same way. I’m not a lesbian.”

Maria laughed. “I’m no lesi. I like both.”

Trying to steer the subject away from sex, Blossom inquired, “Is it too late in the summer to start getting on with the gardening?”

“You can do gardening at anytime of the year. It depends on what needs to be done and what you wan’ to plant. You still wanna talk to my father?”

“I would love to!” Blossom eagerly replied.

“Come, then,” Maria held out her hand and helped Blossom up.

At long last, like Candide after all his crazy travels with Dr. Pangloss, she finally got on with the task of tending to her garden. By the end of August, she had a beautiful front garden. Mr. Alvarez put in a rockery and a bubbling water feature. Little alpines and small shrubs were higgledy-piggledy planted amidst the rocks. In the back, Maria and her father dug up the soil to start the vegetable patch. Mr. Alvarez proudly presented her with a big wheelbarrow load of horse dung to get the organic process going. And the cherry tree was duly planted along the south-facing wall. By the end of September, she had a new patio and splashed out on gardening furniture and a barbecue. The new washing line went up and Blossom planted seeds and bulbs of endangered flowers that she and Maria had chosen out of an environmentalist catalogue.

Then one day, quite by accident, when Frank helped her clear out the room destined for the baby, she found the envelope Bill Greenfield had given her all those months ago. It still contained the two one hundred dollar notes. For all she knew, this was part of his embezzlement stash and she felt bad about keeping it. She sent the money off to the World Wildlife Fund. She had received some junk mail from them that morning asking if she would become a member. Now was as good a time as any to join.

One wet October afternoon, Blossom surveyed the fruits of their labors through the comfort of her cozy den. She saw Maria climb over the fence. “Come in and have a cup of hot chocolate with me,” she beckoned. They sat quietly in the living room idly chatting. Blossom tightly clutched the mug Bruno made for her as she sipped the pleasing concoction. Maria patted Blossom’s belly for the second time and noted, “Baby is getting big.”

“I know. He kicks a lot, too.”

“You still marry Bruno?” Maria asked slightly frowning.

“Yes, five days before Christmas. Frank’s partner has chosen my dress for me already and he will help me with my hair and make-up.”

“Will you be married in the prison?” Maria dubiously asked.

“That’s the plan. And we have been allowed to have one night out.”

“Where you going?”

“To our favorite restaurant in Chinatown – under police escort, of course.” Blossom smiled. “Convicted criminals can’t be choosers,” she thought.

“How you gonna, you know, make the marriage legal?” Maria shyly smiled.

“Ah well, I think that’s been done already,” Blossom joked smiling and pointing at her stomach. “Actually, Bruno’s lawyer is working on it – some sort of tagging system which would allow him to stay here for the night without police hanging around.” She kept her fingers crossed about that one. She was desperate to have at least one night alone with Bruno again. It would probably cut her up to see him whisked away in the morning but she was willing to go through with it.

Maria looked at her seriously. “I hope he never upset you again. I used to hear you scream. I would start to cry.”

“Oh Maria,” Blossom patted her shoulder, “that’s so sweet of you.” She felt too embarrassed to say that many of those screams were cried in pleasure.

“If he ever hurt you again then I will be here for you and the baby. You know I love you truly,” Maria sheepishly looked down at her empty mug.

“Thank you, Maria. Please don’t take this the wrong way but I hope that won’t ever be necessary.”

“I know,” Maria sighed.

Blossom switched on the TV and they watched a cable channel gardening program. The baby kicked near her bladder and afterwards she felt a tingling in her nipples and her cunt muscles involuntarily twitched. Blossom knew the signs: she felt horny. She nearly asked Maria to lay on the newly acquired waterbed with her and suck on her fingers again but she knew that would cause all sorts of emotional complications. Bruno jerked himself off nearly every night. She could, at least, behave herself, too.

Excusing herself to wash out the mugs, Blossom grabbed the mobile phone and quietly called Frank.

“Yes?” he smoothly answered.

“Frank, can you please go to that sex shop you told me about in Hollywood and pick up a big assortment of female sex toys? I trust your judgment. Oh and don’t forget the batteries.”

Bill Lentz – he will never read this story but his help was greatly appreciated for his information about accounting in the US.
Ann McIver – accounting in the UK. She has no idea what kind of story I eventually wrote and she never will!
Sheila Holton-Brown – my pal Sheila helped me with all aspects of Chinese food and let me borrow her Kenneth Lo cookery book. She also helped with finding the Foo Chow Restaurant and Club 64 (yes, both are real places).
Gary Brindle – my husband helped me with Kai Tak Airport, general information about money laundering and what happens to money launderers after they are caught.
Duncan Sutherland – the reference to Jimi Hendrix.
Donald Keith Sutherland (my son, not the actor!) – the inspiration behind when Bruno was a little boy. I hope you will be famous, too, one day, Donald!
Muriel Sutherland – the dancing penguins.
Dolina Henderson – my dear old friend from the Isle of Lewis and her amazing Scottish saying.
And a big HURRAH to the Google Search Engine!

Also thanks for the names of the Chapter Titles go to:
A Day in the Life – The Beatles (from the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album)
The Dangling Conversation – Simon & Garfunkel (from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme album)
Deeper and Deeper – a very kinky Madonna song from the early ‘90’s.
Consequence of Falling – k d lang
“Nowhere You Can Be That Isn’t Where You’re Meant To Be” – part of the lyrics from ‘All You Need is Love’, that famous Beatle song
Use the Force – Jamiroquai (from the Travelling Without Moving album)
Love is Harmony, Even in Discord – Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) says that in an episode of Kung Fu.