Overneath the Path of Misinterpretation (Alvis Alendran&Malicious Lullaby)

Caughlin leaned back, mroe than a little intrigued by this particular idea. A deal? Well, he was good at those. He liked making deals.
"All right then Esther. What kind of deal did you have in mind?" He asked her. He all ready had a few ideas for what kind of 'deal' could be made. But none of them were remotely the right idea to him. If that was the deal that wqas being made, it essentially painted Esther in a very unflattering light. And frankly, he felt that she deserved better than that particular kind of attitude. So he'd wait and see how this whole thing shook out. He was prepared to deal quite well. He carefully lifted the bottle of wine, and topped up her glass. It would be helpful if she felt she needed a little liquid courage.

harrison dropped an arm around her shoulders, keeping her fairly close to him as he led her towards the elevator.
"Yes, I think we shall Miss Joyner." he admitted. He pressed a button on his phone with his free hand. When the elevator stopped, a driver was wating with a town car. It was easier than actually driving. He opened up the car door for mallory, a flicker of chivalry taking over. He did have the thought that once he had her at his home, and had given her a fine dinner, he'd likely shed what was left of his chivalry. After all, his aprtment had everything he could need to really make things interesting for Mallory. He nodded to the the driver as he piled in, and the car pulled away. His driver was well paid. And discreet. he had the perverse image of having mallroy on her knees inthe back seat while they drove, but managed to suppress the sudden urge. barely. It had been a while since he'd been this...insatiable.

She smiled at him and sort of wondered what he was thinking. It certainly wasn’t that kind of deal. No way! She liked herself a lot more than that! About to open her mouth to speak, she saw him refill her wine glass. Well…if he was offering and if things went well, she’d be able to pay him back. Certainly not every cent but at least a sort of tit for tat. Picking up her glass, she sipped it, not a big gulp like last time and she placed her glass down before swallowing, her eyes lifting up to meet his gaze. “You showed me your world tonight. How about, I take you out sometime. All on me, you can’t lift your magical finger for anything Caughlin. You got to show me what it’s like to enjoy a night of the high life, quality music included and I’d like to show you how us ‘little’ people go about it.” But she said it not in a way as if he had been insinuating that she was beneath him. No, she said it with humor, the way this entire evening went. Jovial.

Mallory smiled. She couldn’t help it. Harrison was giving every gesture possible to make her feel like a giddy young school girl whose first crush was actually giving her the time of day. She kept her distance, fearful of being pushed away, yet always welcomed his advances because it meant he wanted her around. Walking out of the elevator and out of the building, she smiled even brighter—if it was possible—as he opened the door for her of the car and she tucked herself in after speaking her soft thanks. Sitting back, she let the strap of her purse slide down her shoulder and rest it beside her, sitting back. She stared ahead of her, kept her hands in her lap and did her best not to exactly make eye contact with him. She was fearful a little bit for her body’s sake what could happen. Mallory couldn’t resist him. And she couldn’t remember a time she wanted a man this much.

Caughlin swirled his wine around in the glass, considering the thought. He had the impulse of a counter deal, lettingher choose everything, but simply dropping a wad of money in her lap to fund it. But he most certainly had the impulse that such a thing would defeat the purpose of what she proposed. She had a certain amount of stubborn integrity that demanded that she not simply look at this night as a gift, but as something that she might have to return in kind at some point. It wasn't as though he was drowning in work these days, he'd managed to delegate most of it off to others who, quite frankly, did a better job than he did. It was a form of constructive laziness that served his work, and sensibilities quite well. He nodded.
"All right. You've a deal then Esther." He agreed. He also had the thought that she would have the good sense to not go overboard in what she did between teh two of them. He wouldn't have her beggar herself in the pursuit of a night, even if it came down to sneaky tricks to repay her. He'd learned more than a few of those over the years as well. He checked the time. They still had plenty. He took another few bites of his meal. It was still a small burst of bliss every time he did so. Well done food. There werre few thigns he enjoyed quite as much.

Harrison saw mallory seeming to conciously avoid too much contact with him, and to avoid looking at him. She seemed balanced on the edge of doing something, but trying very hard not to. He actually foudn the entire thing to be a bit...arousing. And the more he thought about it, the mroe he wanted to actually do something about it. After all, why shouldn't he? He was usually so carefully considered, and Mallory seemed rather amenable to being given orders and the like. So why not? He leaned forward a little, and tapped the top of the front seat.
"Bill?" he said faintly. the driver looked at him, and nodded, and Harrison leaned back. The whirring of power seats came, as the passenger side of the frotn seat moved forward, giving Harrison considerably more room in front of him. The whirring continued, as a sheet of black plastice rose from teh back ot the seats, making an opaque wall between teh two sections, giving the back seat some privacy. He turned ever so slowly to see Mallory. He knew they didn't have too much time to get carried away. But he'd carry as far as he could.

He popped his seat belt off, and did the same to her. She wasn't heavy, and it was a simple task to grip her, and slide her across the seat towards him. He crushed her into him with an embrace, and a kiss to get things started. But this was going to be him taking the time to enjoy himself before dinner. One hand swiftly opened his pants, and as he broke the kiss, he looked her in the eyes, letting her get a look at the desire in them then. With that he carefully pushed her onto her knees in front of him. His errect member came free, and stood tall off of his lap. It as a pretty simple thing that it seemed he was looking for.

Her eyes widened again. Holy cow, did she really get away with that? Was he really okay with that? She bit her lower lip and sat up straight, her shoulders rolling back and she felt a bit more confident. Besides, it was only fair. That and she already had an idea, provided he liked home cooked food and the park. She didn’t know much about Manhattan but she did find this beautiful spot in Central Park that just had so much green around it, it was perfect for a picnic. It was the most she could do and afford. But her mom always told her that the best food came from your own hand. And believe it or not, but Esther prided herself in being a damn good cook. That or there were other ideas in which she wouldn’t go bankrupt and it’d all still be really delicious.

“R-Really? Well then…” She smiled a bright smile, not a single nervous nerve or doubt in her smile that made her eyes brighten just as much as her smile was. She took her glass of wine and sipped it thoughtfully before returning to her dinner. Her mind was already working so hard, the cogs going round and round as she came up with the best date, Esther Martin style!

If anything, Mallory was confused. She didn’t really know what was going on but she had a feeling…After all it was Harrison Trenton and he always had something up his sleeve. Besides, if Mallory thought that this would just be a simple car ride back to his place, she had to be out of her mind. Nothing was simple with him and—
Yup, she was so right. But she did her best to suppress her big smile. Instead of a big smile, it was a shy one but the look in her eyes said anything but shy or innocent. Still though, that didn’t mean he couldn’t take the breath right out of her and actually make a blush still creep on her cheeks, even as he parted his lips. She let out a shaky breath before things moved so fast. Her hands rest on his legs and she looked up at him before her gaze dropped to the mightiness that was unleashed. That made her grin. Good girl act dropped, the bad girl was brought back out. Leaning in, her tongue ran up along the underside before circling around the head, doing a victory lap before she actually took just that part into her mouth. She liked being here. On her knees, in between his legs and in the back of a car taking them to his place. If she was the reason a man as big and strong like Harrison was feeling such pleasure, that was a big score indeed.

Caughlin nodded, catching the slight break in her speech at the start. She'd rallied very capably. He got the impression that she'd not actually thought he'd agree to this whole thing. Which he didn't blame her really. He'd known quite a few of the Upper Crust that had that silver spoon embedded in their ass instead of where it belonged. He smiled at her.
"Sounds like a plan then. So when we do something like this, we'll go Dutch, seems fair." he took a drink, and saw the moment of dawning realization on Esther's face, the growing horror of her thinking that he expected her to treat him to a dining experience like this one. "You know, when you show me a night that your side would do. How did you phrase it...the 'little' people I think it was?" He raised his glass in acknowledgement, giving a smile that did indicate he knew exactly what he'd done. He was such a jerk sometimes.

Harrison noted the look in her eyes, the one that put the lie to her outer demeanour, and he admitted that he liked it. Mallory was such a bad, bad girl, and that was suiting him just fine. It had been awhile, but now he was reminded why such a dalliance was always welcome. The feel of her tongue sliding along his member made him take a long, slow breath to keep himself centred, and not simply sieze her head and half skull fuck her. She had earned the chance to really show him what she could do without him forcing things along. When she slid the head into her mouth, he had to admit he loved the feel of the softness of her lips wrapping around him, and sliding him in. Another centring breath, and he found that one of his hands was resting on her head, not pressing, but keeping a bit of pressure on her to make sure she didn't try to pull away. After all, she'd tried that once before. he kept his eyes on her, if her eyes went to his, she'd find him keeping careful eye on her. He wanted this to happen, to go forward. And Gods, it was going to.

Things were settled and she felt like in a better mood already. Not that she hadn’t been. Still overwhelmed, incredibly but it felt good knowing she could pay him back in her own way. He was showing her such an amazing time. She wanted to do the same. After all, how often was it that she actually got to spoil a man like Caughlin? Hell, how often did she ever get to spoil any man? Never, really. And well she wanted to do something for him. He seemed to give a lot. She wondered when someone gave a lot to him in return, simply because they wanted to. See, Caughlin totally made her night. He fixed what she thought would be a truly downing night and well if someone could put Esther’s smile on her face again—considering it was usually difficult to actually wipe it off—he was golden in her book.

Reaching for her wine glass, she brought it to her lips, taking a sip when he suddenly spoke. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth when she thought she might spit it out. Instead, she choked on the wine a little bit. She swallowed yes, but it went down the wrong pipe and now she was coughing, nearly crying from the pain of coughing and the burn of the wine. Placing her glass down, she picked up her napkin and dabbed her mouth with it, glancing at him with playful narrowed eyes. “Touché.” Was all she said, a small smile uplifting the corners of her mouth as she sat back, her hands resting in her lap.

He didn’t have to push down on her head to make her give into him. After all, with how she totally faked out on him before, she could understand. Plus, Mallory had a feeling that Harrison really wanted this, really wanted her mouth on him and she was only far too happen to oblige. After all, wasn’t this exactly why she kept avoiding him? And he picked up on it. She could never get anything passed him. He was a lawyer. And he wouldn’t be one of the best lawyers if he was stupid. And stupid he was not.

Her hands on his legs gripped the pant material gently and she lowered her mouth on him, sliding his thick girth further into her mouth, about half way. He was really big, really, really big and she couldn’t take it all at once. Hell, she wasn’t even sure she could take it all the way but she would try. Because if there was something that Mallory prided herself in, it was having no gag reflex. Her right hand moved from his leg, coming to wrap her fingers around him at the base and stroke as she started to bob.

Caughlin winked at Esther, and raised a glass in a mock-toast. With a chuckle, they both tucked in to finish off their food. After all, they had somewhere to be. When the last bite was eaten, Caughlin stood, and Gaston appeared.
"Usual arrangement for payment sir?" The Frenchman asked. Caughlin nodded.
"Yes, I think so. The second bottle?" he asked.
"Waiting with your car sir. It was a pleasure to have you here sir."
"And a pleasure to be here." Gaston smiled, and Caughlin led Esther out to teh waiting limo.

The car took them quickly downtown. He smiled at Esther.
"So. The friend we're meeting tonight? They were active in the music community for a number of years, until they turned their attention to building places like this. The two of us go back quite a ways, I was one of the peopel who coughed up the money to get the first record of their off the ground. So I'm always invited to things like this." Caughlin explained. He looked at the half empty bottle wine that he had sitting in the car, and the unopened one. He pursed his lips, contemplating. The car stopped, and he nodded, grabbing the unopened one, and stepping from teh car. He held a hand out for Esther. It was not a red carpet event. But the concert hall had a large sign, declaring itself to be the Crystal Palace. It had been a hugely anticipated construction for the city, and rumoured about for years. Apparently less than thirty people ahd been invited to an opening like this, and it was rumoured to be a hugely elite gathering.

Mallory showed a very agreeable reaction to his hand, and began to go to work properly. His breathing was steady, almost a hiss, each one meant to keep him focused on not losing control. Give her the chance. Let her show her own skills without interfering. It was the right thing to do. he felt her hand begin to grip the base of his shaft, adding the hand movement into her mouth, and the combination was certainly not unappreciated. He closed his eyes a moment, leaning his head back a moment as she began to bob her head in earnest. Now the games really began. he also knew they were almost to his apartment building. He slid his free hand out, and pressed a small button. It was a silent signal to his driver to head around the block. Give Mallory a chance to finish up. Gods, she was getting good. he remembered getting himself all in her mouth before, but then her head had been tilted, opening up her airway. But she seemed to be taking a little more in each time she bobbed, and he wondered just how much she'd manage. She was already up to half way, and that was certainly welcome. He smiled at that thought. The things he'd to to her to thank her for this...

She shook her head, her smile broadening but she wasn’t showing teeth. He was something alright. But she liked that about him. She liked that a lot about him. After dinner, upon their departure, Esther thanked Gaston for his wonderful and amazing service before leaving and being tucked away into the limo with Caughlin once more. Crossing a leg over the other and resting her purse in her lap, she sat up and turned her attention to him, listening intently as he explained about his friend. She could have rolled her eyes as he didn’t seem to gloss over his involvement but she couldn’t. Honestly, the man could be considered as pompous, arrogant and spoiled but at the same time, he really couldn’t be. Because the way he said things, the way he carried himself and his zest for life, was truly something to behold and that’s what made him such an amazing person. So she believed at least.

“I can’t wait. Although I would be incredibly fascinated to see this art of ‘coughing up money’ as you say.” She winked. Man all that wine was really a wonderful liquid courage. Or maybe it was just the fact that they were no longer in a restaurant where she felt so out of place, she couldn’t relax. Especially not while under his gaze. It was like he watched her the entire time. Which made her avert his gaze further. But now? Well she could relax her shoulders, even slump them a little bit and simply enjoy herself, which was all she wanted to do anyways. Not that she hadn’t been, but the night just kept getting better and better.

Taking his hand after they arrived, she left her purse in the limo and got out with him. She followed him, kept her strides up with his and was thankful that her shoes were easy to walk in. Otherwise she might have severely bruised ankles at the end of the night. Esther was clumsy. She wasn’t that clumsy.

Mallory knew that the deeper she went, the closer she got. Each time her mouth lowered on him, her lips tightened more and she made better use of her tongue. Because the deeper she went, the more motivated she was—more than she already was—to bring him amazing pleasure, more than he might have ever known. But that was just the vain part of Mallory. She didn’t know how long it took usually to get to his place from the firm but it seemed she was having the chance to finish what she started and this time for real. So she would. Working the muscles in her mouth and relaxing her throat, she pushed her mouth down on him, letting him have just the very slightest and faintest ghost of a graze of her teeth against him before sheathing them once more behind her lips and took the rest of him into her mouth, until her lips touched her own hand. She drew back and went back in, repeating it, her hand around him moving to rest back on his legs and she sat up on her knees for better leverage.

The building loomed up, a curved roof bringing effective acoustics to the design. The front was made of a pale stone that Caughlin knew to be a clear quartz. Expensive, but he'd been glad to foot the bill. A place named the Crystal Palace had better had some kind of crystal in the construction. It was just...tacky otherwise. Maybe crass. He didn't know. He let the thought go. Not what he needed to be focusing on. The doors swung open, and a well dressed man bowed to the two of them, letting them inside. The interior was a sight. The whole room seemed to veritably glow. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lights burning brightly. The walls had a layer of marble on them, white marble that threw the light back out, making sure that no spot in the entryway was shrouded in darkness. It looked good, he had to admit. He saw the small groups of people in the room, and one of them stood apart.

She was not a tall woman, barely over five feet. her hair was an ash grey, even if it was clear that she couldn't be more than thirty from the way she looked. She'd passed on the idea of a dress for the opening, and instead had a close fitting pants suit that gave her an air of calm, collected seriousness. She brightened when she caught sight of Caughlin, and approached.
"Caughlin, you made it!" She announced.
"You sound surprised!" He replied.
"I am! You never come to these openings!" Caughlin held a hand over her heart.
"And the lady shoots true!" She smiled at him.
"This is Esther, who decided that she might enjoy the opening as well." He waved a hand to Esther, and then back to the woman. "Esther, this is an old friend of mine, Quewyn Kruger." The woman smiled thinly, and held out a hand to shake.
"Please, call me Wyn. No one uses my full name anymore."

Gods, Harrison could scarcely believe that Mallory was able to go down that far. Not many women, and he felt he might be able to count them on one hand, could take care of him that well. The very thought of that was enough that he was reeling from the feeling. It had been too long. And Mallory was showing that she certainly had some skills in this area that he was glad to be on the receiving end of. His hands clenched, pressing into tight fists as he leaned his head back, letting a groan loose. He felt himself start to jerk, and did utterly nothing to try and hold himself back. he just let go. The timing was good, happening right when she had taken him entirely into her throat, and he fired straight down her throat. More came, shot after shot after shot going. Gods, it had been a glorious run. He pulled himself out of her mouth carefully, and smiled at her. He only nodded, not really able to find a good wording for what had just happened. he'd see her very amply rewarded this night.

The moment they stepped inside, Esther was floored with the beautiful surrounding, architecture and overall style and design of the place. It was beautiful and she was sure she was probably making Caughlin partly drag her along since she was taking in the gorgeous splendor. It was hard not to notice. It was clear that expensive furnishings went into the building of this place and it was beautifully executed.

They came to a crowd of people and she watched the exchange between Caughlin and a woman whom she learned to be Quewyn. Interesting name but she couldn’t help the slight raise of her eyebrow at the woman’s comment about her name. Slowly, she nodded her head and then just smiled, that way Wyn wouldn’t think anything of her reaction. After all, Esther did hesitate. “Please to meet you.” She spoke kindly.
Goodness, she thought she was a freak. Rich people were freaks! That and it was safer for her to stay silent. Besides, she was ready for music. Something in her element.

It was the most rewarding thing and feeling ever to feel the warmth of a man’s essence oozing down her tongue. His taste was on her tongue and she moaned a very appreciative groan. As he pulled out of her mouth, Mallory swallowed the last of him in her mouth and then sat back, looking at him with a pretty smug look on her face, though trying to mask her smugness with some kind of innocence or at least modesty. Licking her lips, she too said nothing as she tucked him back into his pants and then moved to sit back in her seat. She couldn’t help herself. She knew she was a naughty kind of girl. The look on her face spoke of pure naughtiness and retribution over what she just did. Yeah, if it wasn’t such a callous thing to do, she’d be buffing her nails against her shoulder to further show off her smugness. Mallory had skills. Mad skills.

With the way she handled herself with a kind of easy grace, and the way her hair accentuated her pale features, Caughlin was glad that Wyn was happily married for a few years. He might have done something to embarrass himself otherwise. But she was a god friend, and he'd been pleased to see her succeed in her musical career, and even more so when she went into this kind of work. All he hoped was that she still knew how to put on a show. But he had the feeling that he was in good hands.
"And likewise. It nice to see Caughlin spending some time with actual people for a change, and not just more faceless hanger-ons." Wyn said with a smile.
"Wyn, please! You'll shatter all of the poor woman's conceptions of me!" Caughlin said, holding a hand to his chest in mock hurt.
"It should happen sooner or later." WYn smiled, but a man leaned over to her, adn whispered. Her face fell, and she sighed. "Sorry, but I have to take care of something for the performance. Talk to you after?"
"Of course." She stepped away, a long string of curses coming from her quietly, and all of them in Russian. "Oh, she always did have such a mouth on her when frustrated." Caughlin said with a tinge of wistful in his voice.

Harrison noted the smug look on her face, and the way she sat. Every ounce of her oozed with barely contained smugness. He wanted to cure her of that, and in ways that would make anyone's jaw drop. But he'd settle for now. There would be dinner. And after that...well, he was not widely known for mercy. And Mallory would know that very soon. The car stopped, and the driver let the blocking screen down. Harrison nodded to him.
"Thanks for the ride Bill." He said casually, as though he hadn't just been serviced in the back seat.
"Any time Mr. Trenton." Came the gruff reply. harrison got out of the car, and looked at the enormous building he lived on top of. Penthouse at one of the best areas in all of New York. It cost him, but why not have some quiet and solitude in a huge city. The dorrman nodded to Harrison as he stepped past, getting th elevator that would expressly take him to his penthouse. One of the perks at paying such a handsome sum of money for your living quarters. Riding up with mallory only took a minute, though there was that flash of a moment that Harrison wanted to just pin her to the wall and get a little patback for her work right then and there. He kept the urge under control. Time for that kind of thing later. He led her inside of his penthouse, and turned on the lights.

The foyer alone was nearly the size of Mallory's bedroomhad been. A well tooled mahogany door slid open to reveal the closet, and the racks for shoes. A few jackets and coats hung within as well, though they might have been a touch out of season. The floor was smooth, polished, and a grey marble. Beyond that... the living room opened up into a room that was large enough to host a party in comfortably. Sixty people could have stood within and not had to bump elbows. Here, the floor was a dark wood, almost black, which made it teak. Fantasically expensive, but excelletn at repelling liquids, and also hard as could be, making it hard to damage. The furniture was in place, charis and a couch made of a gorgeous well tooled leather that positively gleamed in the lower light. It looked as though Harrison had spared little expense in the way of making sure he was comfortable in his own home. A hall led deeper in, and door on the right led to what seemed like a kitchen.
"And this is where I hang my hat as it were Mallory." He said casually, ushering her inside.

Whatever thoughts she had about this woman were easily dissipated, the moment she spoke more. Pft, so what if she wasn’t called by her full name anyways? Wyn was a pretty bomb-diggity name to be called. It also said a lot about this woman knowing her name and the way she carried herself and appeared. She seemed like a powerful woman. Whoever snagged her was a damn lucky man!
Her cheeks colored a little bit red from her and she giggled. Esther couldn’t help it considering she didn’t see Caughlin as that type but she wouldn’t be surprised. Yet like the night showed, she could not hate this man. He had too much charm. Plus, any man who could make her laugh, well he could have her eating out of the palm of his hand. All because she loved to laugh.

The woman left and she grinned hearing her muttering in a foreign language. She had a feeling that Wyn was not speaking cleanly in whatever language she was speaking which made her grin broaden. Turning to Caughlin, she looked down at their hands and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, mostly after Wyn’s comment. Just for good measure. “She’s a lovely woman. I take it she was not speaking clean kind words in whatever language she was speaking?” She giggled again. It clearly amused her. Plus it meant people like that were easy to get along with.

Stepping into his home, she walked in slowly to the side out of the door way and her jaw dropped at the magical splendor of the place. It was such a grand place. Shit, her apartment—that Esther was technically paying for—was a hole compared to this. Her eyes traveled over the entire place and when she looked back at Harrison, she snorted. “No shit. I would too. I’d happily kick my heels off and call it a day easily if I lived here.” She walked in further and knelt down to remove her heels and pushed it off the side so it wouldn’t be in the way. Mallory took it upon herself to check out his place, mostly striding through the foyer and towards the kitchen, where her jaw dropped even more. She was basically dragging it across the floor. “Holy hell…” She whispered to herself and her hand ran through her hair. She turned to look at Harrison, her eyes practically about ready to bulge out of their sockets, they were so wide. “You live like a King!”

Caughlin smiled at Esther. Both the hand squeeze, and the comment. She wasn't wrong after all.
"No, not at all. I didn't know she even knew how to curse that well. And in her native language, it's always a sign something pretty bad has happened. Or at least really annoying. Lucky for her that her husband isn't here. He'd likely be flabbergasted at that kind of language." Caughlin filled in, returning the hand squeeze. It was all such a good evening thus far. Esther had made delightful company, being free and easy with her smile and laugh, two things he honestly felt he needed to have more of around him. Too often he was surrounded by the social elite who seemed to think nothing was funny, and that they should enjoy the time spent looking down their noses at people. Esther was refreshingly...well, human. And that was a fine quality to have.

The kitchen itself was a large enough place that put it just over the line of Mallory's living room. The room was a darker place, a certain level on contrast to it. Black marble made the floors, and a grey quartz countertop gave the place a very clean, polished look. Every appliance that was there was faced in stainless steel, and each of them seemed to be the absolute top of the line in manufacturing. The cabinets were covered in a black laquer, making them blend into the floor flawlessly, while a burished steel handles gave off only a very dull shine. It was a place that looked like it had been made to handle not only day to day living, but to be able to keep a party fed. It was hard to say how much use Harrison actually got out of it on a regular basis.

Harrison slid his shoes off, and onto their designated places on the rack within. He stepped past her, smiling.
"Oh that's me all right. Didn't you know? I'm the king of New York." He told her with a smile. He slid out his phone, and pressed a botton. A moment later, he slid it away. "And dinner should be here before long."

Esther giggled. It was hard not to. Especially since she had a pretty vivid imagination of what Wyn’s husband might do, say or look like if he ever heard his wife speaking such profanity like that. It was hilarious how she imagined it because believe it or not, Esther had a very creative imagination in many cases. Right now, it was tuned into humor, like a comedy show reaction.
All in all, Esther was having a blast so far. After they came to an agreement that she’d pay Caughlin back in her own way by taking him out of his elite world and down to her world—also because she really wanted to and not just to say pay him back or say thanks—and the evening progressed, she relaxed considerably. Plus, two glasses of some really lovely wine definitely helped. Liquid courage for the win!
“Is it time yet? For the show?” She asked, the eagerness ever present in her voice. To say she was excited even more than she had been all night, even when he asked her to accompany him to dinner, was an understatement. She had a soft spot for really lovely music.

Mallory couldn’t restrain the slight shit-eating grin that appeared on her face. Handsome and cocky to boot. She didn’t know why but she liked a man who was as confident and maybe a touch cocky like Harrison who knew his wealth. That and considering she had been harboring a crush on this man probably since she was hired, she was in her own little heaven. She could afford to play into her own dreamed up delusions. She saw no harm in it right now. Then again, she was usually the one to do the heartbreak, never on the opposite end. So she didn’t know.

Walking to him, she rest her hands on his chest and leaned in. “King of New York, partner at a law firm and has dinner delivered right to his door step?” She giggled. “I think I am in every bite of heaven, Mr. Trenton.”

Caughlin was sure that if Wyn was in the process of waling along the warpath, the show should be about ready, but something was holding it back. But he did know that they should likely find seats. And possibly if there was a buffet set out. Fine dinner or not, Caughlin was always looking to find some finger foods.
"We can find ourselves a seat in the main room." He offerd, leading her forwards. The place still reeked of well established money, so much real stone in the construction that it beggared the mind. The main seating area with teh sa=tage was set into tiers of seat, making sure no one had to sit through an obstructed view. Each seat was a deep scarlet, and thickly cushioned. The material looked like velvet, and Caughlin ran a hand along one to make sure. It was soft and smooth, a gorgeous feel. The hall itself had the high vaulted ceiling that came with the territory, and everything about the place just screamed a relic from a bygone era. It looked like a classic Victorian concert hall, though it did have speakers set carefully into the wall, not ruining the aesthetic, but making sure that if it was needed, sound could be pumped throughout the place. Caughlin zeroed in on a large table that was set just inside the door, and saw an array of small finger foods. Stuffed lobster tails, and similar delicacies. He made towards them smiling. A very good night.

Harrison stepped closer to him, and put his face close to hers. The feel of him was almost smoldering with desire, sensual heat, and his lips were so very close to hers.
"Heaven? no, that comes later Mallory." He murmured, just loud wenough to carry to her ears. He made as thought to kiss her, but pulled back from her. A little something to keep her interested.

Esther followed and as they entered into the main room, she found her jaw slowly dropping once more in awe and astonishment. Goodness, a night in the shoes of an elite and this is what she was treated to? Yeah, she could get used to this but she’d simply count herself lucky to be part of such a splurge. Though if Caughlin lived like this every day and night, it surely wasn’t a splurge to him but perhaps a splurge on her, sharing it with her and all. That was the bigger honor, to be apart of this at his side. In her shock and awe, she squeezed his hand, not deathly but just in a natural reaction and didn’t release on her grip until he took her towards a table lined with fine delicacies. More food? Well she wouldn’t pass up on more food, fine food at that as well.

The heat radiating off of his body and seeping into her own made shivers and delicious tingles shoot up her spine. Every invisible hair on her body stood up to attention and she leaned herself further into him, raising her chin and fully expecting a kiss. Heaven came later? Oh lord, she was in for a night, wasn’t she? She could be shocked as to what she might have gotten into, wondering what else he had in store for her body that he didn’t divulge onto her already. She didn’t know if she could take it but nonetheless she could never turn away this man. He had her eating out of the palm of his hand. It was quite a place she enjoyed being in. “You’re such a tease.” Screw dinner, she wanted to go straight to dessert!

Caughlin could very faintly hear a few choice words being shot at what was most likely a musician that had decided to be a problem. Wyn wasn't one to get riled up easily, but Caughlin knew that she felt there was a lot riding on this opening. In truth, there was. While Caughlin himself might not care if things went smoothly, he'd be back here whenever Wyn had a particular concert in mind to throw. She always put on a fabulous show. He knew that there were some others from teh social elite that would have issue with the Crystal Palace if it didn't have a wonderous opening performance. He felt the additional pressure on his hand from Esther, and allowed himself a small smile. He gave her a gentle squeeze in return, letting her know that he could tell how nervous he was, and that it was all alright. With his free hand he lifted a lobster tail, and popped the whole thing into his mouth, heedless of any kind of social faux pas that he might be ocmmtting. It was a heavenly taste, and one that he gave a faint sigh through his nose to acknowledge. He swallowed his mouthful, and smiled at Esther.
"If I guess right, I know the caterer who did this. And everything they do is absolutely immaculate. Especially the stuffed lobster tails." He made a point of the particular delicacy, and he wasn't lying. He could see a few musicians setting up on stage. It wouldn't be long now.

Harrison knew that she was likely half ready to jump him to get what she wanted. But to be honest, he'd not had much to eat during the day, and by teh Gods, he wanted his lobster. Enjoyable as it might be, a man could not live on sex. He could die from it, quite happily, but not live.
"I was told growing up that I should stick with what I was good at." He said with a smile reminiscent of a cat that just ate the canary. Oh, he was going to enjoy this. He certainly had the impression that she was hooked, unable to pull away from him. he wondered if he was getting brought to a similar state. When this finally came apart, and he knew it would, how would it affect him? Before he could get too far into it, he heard the tell-tale knock that said his delivery had arrived. His people were extremely efficient, adn he wasn't too surprised that they could get his food and get it here in that short amount of time. He stepped past Mallory, a hand running along her back, a half invitation to more, but brief enough that the contact was only meant to entice just a little more. He collected his order and came back in with two trays. He set them on teh island, and opened one. Lobster steamed with heat, showing how fresh from the pot it was. A potato was beside it, but it looked as though it had been cut in half, and then hollowed out, before the contents had been whipped finely, and mixed with cheese and spices before being put back in artful waves. The brocolli was...well, brocolli. There was onyl so much one could do with such a food. He smiled at Mallory.
"Shall we?" He asked her, pulling out a fork for her.

Esther watched in amusement in how he ate the stuffed lobster tail. This man had no shame and it was lovely to see. Still, many questions rang throughout her noggin and she was dying to ask. But there was also this thing called the filtering system that was born into her and she didn’t want to start of a tangent of questions. Although that would certainly answer one question: What would make a man run so fast, there’d be a man-shaped hole in the wall?

“What are…what did Wyn call them? Faceless…hanger-ons?” She was grinning.

Mallory snorted. It wasn’t the most ladylike sound but it was a snort nonetheless. Of course someone would often tell him that and of course, someone like Harrison would hang onto that bit of advice. He was like a master of many things, teasing being among many talents. Still, she was hoping that it was all reserved for her at the moment. Mallory liked to think that she might have become something to him other than a piece of ass. Yet, at the same time, there was a part of her that would always be okay with just being a piece of ass to him. But that’s what every gal felt until it actually hit home.

Their food came and she watched in awed splendor as it was revealed. The smell wafted through her nostrils and she closed her mouth to prevent herself from drooling. “Oh yes please, we shall.” She nodded her head, not once taking her eyes off the glorious looking food. She could see it now. Mrs. Harrison Trenton. Mrs. Mallory Trenton. It had a good ring to it, didn’t it?

Caughlin paused a moment while he thought about what she was asking. Faceless hanger-ons indeed. He thought back to the last few women that Wyn had met. Once. Since that was usually the first and last time he took them out in the first place. But Esther had asked, and she deserved an answer, and a proper one.
"You see Esther...a man of my station is...expected to behave in certain ways. So for a function like this, I'm expected to bring an attractive young woman as a date. So there have been moments when I simply grab anyone who'll fit the profile, and bring them along. And after the night, I've typically found utterly nothing about them remotely interesting, and cut things off instantly when the night ends." He explained. He didn't pause to try and make her nervous that she fell into that category, but he was thinking back to some of the faceless ones. In his mind they might as well have truly bee as such. He couldn't even remember the names, let alone the faces. he finished his thought. "But then, on rare occurrences, I'd find a woman who was...actually interesting. Someone who might actually make me smile at some point in the night. Those are the ones I remember. The ones I hope for each time I take a woman out." He pat her hand. "So don't worry Esther. You won't be added to the ranks of the faceless." He saw more and more of th musicians were taking to the stage. "Grab a few bites, and we should grab a seat." Caughlin transferred an amount of finger foods onto a small plate to take with him.

He found a seat with a very good view. Wyn was standing at the conductors podium, smiling at the group of musicians. Thirty six of the best there was had all taken their places. She smiled a little more as a nearly equal number of people filed out to stand opposite of them, but they carried no intruments. This hadn't been anounced, but they were a choir that had been across the world, and had enormous talent. She raised her wand, and silence fell over the hall. She gestured, and the strings gradually eased into a soft, sweet melody. (Undying Love Extended Mix). The music kept going, gradually gaining some steam, a slo build until the sound burst out, with the choir lending in a faint, but haunting background. The lead violins gave a piercingly sweet tune. The music seemed to fade back a little, letting the grand piano pick up, before swelling back to the bombastic feel that made Caughlin just have to smile.

The lobster was a glorious thing. He cracked into the shell, and pulled th succulent steamed meat out. It was juicy, and had the flavour of faint herbs that had been in the water that the lobster had been boiled in. He had expected nothing less. He had to smile. Mallory seemed rathr absorbed in her dinner, and he hardly blamed her. He knew how much she made, after all he signed her pay checks. And a dinner like this would be a rare thing indeed. He only hoped that she enjoyed it, though he had little fear of that not proving to be true. She would never find a better lobster in all of New York.

Perhaps if she was any other girl, Esther’s jaw might have dropped in shock and she could have recoiled away from this man. But it had been said once and it would continue to be stated; it was impossible to want to hate this man, regardless of anything. Regardless of some of the things that came out of his mouth Esther couldn’t hate him. He had too much charm. And even as he was explaining what a faceless hanger-on was, she was ever more amused than she had been since the way he asked her out, considering the entire predicament and situation of it all. There she stood, her head tilted and a smile on her face. It was hard not to have. The things this man put himself through and all for what? That’s what amused her the most. The things that people would put themselves through. For what reason? Needless to say, she felt incredibly honored that she wouldn’t be dubbed as a ‘faceless hanger-on.’

“Oh goodie, my mission in life has been achieved. Now I can really enjoy the lobster tails.” Which was…technically true, not that she was really worried about being part of that list, but as she took a lobster tail and indulged, she almost whimpered it was so good. She had half a mind to stock up on the lobster tails to take with the seats. Instead, she helped herself to another before walking with Caughlin to take a seat. The show began. And it was a damn good thing Esther didn’t bring a plate of food. She would have neglected it completely in favor of the music.

Shivers. That’s what she felt during this first piece. Absolute shivers that made her so cold but her eyes were glued to that stage, dancing from Wyn as the conductor, to the musicians and the heavenly vocals of the choir. So transfixed she was, she noticed nothing more of her surroundings.

Mallory made sounds. Nothing loud or obnoxious. Just sounds that showed how much she enjoyed it. And it wasn’t forced either. She had never had quality food like this before. He should know. He signed her paychecks. And considering she hardly paid rent, something she may or may not be aware of, she definitely didn’t treat herself to this. No, her money went elsewhere. Though whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn’t sure. Like any other woman, Mallory was a sucker for good shoes. It was the one thing she prided herself in. She could wear easily affordable suits or formal attire for work. But the one thing that was real on her aside from her rack, were her shoes.

At least we know why she isn’t able to make rent most often.
Back to the lobster. If she could live off of this exact lobster and her favorite wine, she could die a very happy woman indeed.

It had been a long time since Caughlin had seen a performance like this, and he had to admit, it had been worth the wait. Wyn sure as hell knew how to put on a show. As the song faded out, and died away, he fought the urge to give a thunderous applause for the opening act, but he knew that it was considered poor form to applaud before the finale. As the piece was dying out, Wyn set down her wand, and stepped over to the piano. The man sitting at it, slid off the seat, yielding it to Wyn. It was clearly a well rehearsed part of the show. She wasted no time, getting into position, and taking a deep, cleansing breath. And then she started to play. (Waterfall) It was not heavy. But slow, gentle, and with a gorgeous sound to it. The sound began to rise in volume, but not by too much. Very faintly, the choir began to weigh in, adding a soft, almost haunting background to the piano. Even fainter, the strings made their presence known. It blended so well, that you could miss it if you didn't look for it. Caughlin had to smile, the sheer peaceful serenity of it all almost bringing a tear to his eye. Wyn gradually let the music die away, finishing up. She slid back to the podium, and lifted her wand, pointing it at the choir.

The music swelled incredibly fast, with the choir hitting a firm, bombastic note that filled the hall with sound and fury, making Caughlin sit up a little straighter. (Flameheart) The heavy drums played int he background, making a pounding bridge of music until the choir weighed back in, the sounds coming fast and furious, Caughlin completely unsure just how long they could sustain a pace and pitch like this. He felt himself unconsciously leaning forward a little as the song went on, and true to form, the piece was over quickly, ending as suddenly as it had started. He blinked. For the short duration, he still felt, almost drained a little by the way the song had spiked his adrenaline a little. He shook his head. How did you follow a piece like that. If anyone could, it was going to be Wyn. She'd planned this out very, very well.

Dinner was going well, and Harrison couldn't help but smile at the pleased noises Mallory was making as she devoured the food before her with gusto. He always had an appreciation for a woman with a healthy appetite. As the food vanished rapidly, Harrison stood to clear away the dishes. He simply set them into the sink. After all, he had a crew for that kind of work, and it made little sense to pay them and not give them something to actually do. He smiled at Mallory.
"I trust you enjoyed your lobster." He observed casually.

The next piece to play was as beautiful as the last and while she didn’t know Wyn or any of these people, she expected nothing less of what they were performing. Everyone was so talented. Esther dreamed for talent like this. No, her only talent was being able to somehow calm down several classes of thirty to forty students, either fourteen to fifteen or seventeen to eighteen and sing. Though she never thought herself at all adequate in her vocals considering she was never trained. She was a, what do they call it, a bathroom singer, a shower singer. Singing in the private confines of either her bathroom, shower or even her car during her commutes where no one could hear her. To this day, the only person to have heard her sing is her mother. And she hadn’t seen her mother since her college graduation.

Even she sat up a bit too when the more fast paced song began. Her hands rest on the arm rest of the chairs rather tightly, as if the song offered more of a roller coaster ride perhaps than anything else. As if she was living vicariously through this journey and when it ended, she resisted the urge to stand up and scream ‘No!’ because she didn’t want it to end. Instead, she gripped the arm rests even tighter, anticipating for the next. She would cry if she wasn’t in the company of a man like Caughlin or any of these other esteemed people. That might be a touch embarrassing.

But she just might! It was a story. An amazing epic.

Sitting back, he rhand came over the imaginary swell of her belly, so full and stuffed to the brim, she couldn’t even fathom a single bite more or even dessert, something sweet to cleanse her palette. Her head rolled lazily on her shoulder and she looked at him with a casual but tired smile. First their sexual escapades all day and now this very rich meal? She could conk out now if she were to suddenly go horizontal. “Mm, indeed. I have to thank you somehow for that meal Harrison. It was out of this world.”

Caughlin looked out as it looked as though the beginning was to be the plucked strings on a bass, throwing out a wide reverberating sound that filled the air nicely. (Atlas) It was followed in by a slow build of the horns, which was a nice contrast. Horns rarely got the time the deserved. The following violins filled the air with a sweet, rising cound that made Caughlin close his eyes. It was a beautiful sound, one that worked wonderfully. Heavy pounding of drums filled the air, a few heavy beats to puntuate the faint sounds. Heavy drums and srtrings exploded to life, startlign himback to full attentiveness. Horns erupted, throwing out a rousing tune, something that got his blood pounding all over again. The choir chimed in, short rapid bursts of sound that complemented the sound extremely well. The blaring of sound filled the air, adn made him grin. Teh music came to a high crescendo, before ending on the blare of a horn. It was all over so suddenly. But what a build up it had been!

The next piece started slow again, a deep, bass rumble of sound with heavy thuds of drums that reverberated int he chest. (Black Blade) Strings were there, adding a steady counterpoint. The horns were a blaring sound, a ragged edge that conveyed a sense of...power that clean tones would have failed to do. The violins came in with a rousing steady tone that brought his attention to them. As it reached a high point, one member of the choir let loose, an eerie, wailing note to the voice that rose, and rose, ascending higher, with a skilled waver to it that showed incredible vocal control. The choir joined in with a steady, quick beat, the sound blending well as the horns resumed their place. The whole of the orchestra picked it up, putting more and more power into the sound, The single voice rose above it all, giving a short phrase begfore the thunder of the orchestra crashed back in for a brief instant, giving a full force finale.

Harrison listen as Mallory spoke. Some way to thank him, eh? He leaned on the counter, and cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, we aim to please here at Chez Harrison. Only the finest for our honoured guest." He said with a smile in his voice. "And how exactly do you plan to...thank me for such a meal?" He asked languidly. It was a slow, silky tone that made him seem... smooth. And a little sensual. It was definitely leading her in a direction for what he might like as a reward for dinner.

It was like a movie but with music completely and each note, each sound, each string plucked, told a story. Her eyes drifted over to the choir, watching each and every person from where she sat and watched their facial expression as they sang. Then her eyes drifted to the musicians, watching how their bodies moved while they played the instrument, the amount of control yet free will they had as they too let the music take them away but not in that way that the music played would falter. It was so intense. She could feel the drums inside of her, as if they were being directly pounded against her heart. And by the next song, Esther had moved to sit so forward, she nearly fell out of her seat if she hadn’t been gripping the arm rests so tightly, like a woman giving birth. Thank goodness they weren’t holding hands. She had a feeling it might be a bloody end.

She sank back into the comfortable velvety exterior of the seat and exhaled the breath that she had been holding. She didn’t know how long she had been holding it but the female vocalist with such a range that it’d make anyone so envious, caused her to realize she hadn’t been breathing. She couldn’t help it. This was gradually taking her breath away. Full throttle.

The connotation of his voice made her almost blush if she hadn’t been expecting it. With the way they were going, it didn’t surprise her but neither was she disappointed. Mallory couldn’t say no to this man. She wouldn’t want to anyways. He was impossible in some ways but he could make a woman do anything. And just like that, she wanted him more than she wanted him earlier. Sliding off the stool, she stepped to him, close enough that she didn’t even need to extend her elbow as her hand rest on his clad stomach. Her other hand came through and together, she undid the button of his jacket before her hands spread over his stomach, around his back and then slid down to grip his delicious derriere through his pants. “I have some ideas. Part of it means we can’t be wearing any clothes.”

The next piece was sudden. (Menouthis) A deep, throbbing string moment combined with the drums, while the Choir belted out an ominous tone. The sequence repeated, drawing out the choir a little, as the strings made a rapid series of notes to bring some urgency to the piece. The tone was changed rapidly, as the strings made long, smooth strokes that added in well, while the drums pounded relentlessly, with extra percussion thrown in as well. The addition of a different instrument, this one sounding like it might belong to the same family as the clarinet, but with a definite eastern feel warbled in, adding a layer that Caughlin hadn't even realized had been missing. The steady tone left him calm, at peace, but strangely aching for a little more. It was like it was building to something he couldn't quite define. The the song changed. Other instruments ceased, and it was only the percussion and the choir, chanting as much as singing in all of their bombastic glory, the men of the choir taking the lead this time. Gradually, more of the orchestra dared sneak back in, and the women in the choir added their weight. It was rousing, building to a powerful crescendo, beofre ending suddenly, the silence that followed being almost deafening.

Wyn smiled and looked at the orchestra. (Tank! Live) She nodded to them, and pointed to the percussion section. Drum sticks clacked out a starting note, before the group exploded out in a riot of horns. Suddenly different, no longer aiming at the epic tone, it was all jazz now. A double base was plucked relentlessly, bringing out the steady beat, while the horns played loud and hard. It all continued on, with the steady, passionate tones searing through the hall, with admittedly not a lot of variation initially. There was a moment when the sax section picked up, and added in some heavier tones. Wyn set the wand aside, deciding that it was not needed. She stepped off the podium, and held out a hand. A sax was pressed into it, and she turned, and began to play. A riot of sound came as her hands flew along the valves of the sax, his fingers barely visible as she carried herself away on the tide of notes. The rest of the orchestra looked on with a grin, as though deciding when they might be allowed to step back in, and make their own sound dominant again. Wyn, her face flushed from a shortage of breath, trailed off, and let them resume the familiar riff. She used the time to play along, blending into the music again, only throwing out the odd flourish until they reached the end, when the rest of them fell silent, and she took the lead once more. The tone carried itself high, almost impossibly so from the sax. Hand flying once more, she made the song wrap up gloriously, showing a supreme skill that Caughlin doubted he'd ever see anywhere else.

Harrison smiled as Mallory moved her hands along him. He smiled.
"I think that can be arranged." He said with that cocky smile. He came around the bar, and made a simple move that would let him make sure things went according to plan. Whatever plan that might be. He lifted her off of the stool, bringing her face level with his own. he smiled again, bringing his lips to hers, giving her a hungry kiss, something to get them both started. He carried her out of the kitchen, and into the living room. He let himself slide onto the couch, putting her on his lap, while his hand slid under her shirt, and made a trail up her back.