Lies and Innocence (closed for cnuveau)

[cnuveau]

Her smile smile warmed him. There was a certain comfort he found in sharing with her. Knowing that they were both exploring new territory together.

He pulled on his boxers and his pants then leaned against the counter and pulls her into him. Her body pressed to his he knew her mind would soon return to Amanda and he’d wished he could hold that grief at bay forever but sadly he knew she was about to address the staff and it would all come flooding back. A soft kiss of her lips then their foreheads pressed together.

“You should go talk to them.”

 

[Ravishing]

Watching him lean to the counter after sharing things between them, had her step closer to him, drawn in there was comfort found in being held. A balm her mind savours. Savours because something in her knows what is to come. A taste of his lips, a rest of her forehead to his.

As he speaks she nods slow then. Another kiss. Her hand squeezing his. "Give me a minute. Then come done. I dare say Millie will be organising food. We didn't eat much." She clearly wants to linger but pulls away walking slow.

Opening her bedroom she leaves. He may realise right now. She's missing panties. And stockings. And barefoot. At least she's in a skirt and blouse with a bra!

He'd hear her speaking: "...I know. She hired every single one of you. But you should know already your jobs are secure. None of it changes. Bonuses will still be given 6 monthly. I'm going to be juggling a lot in the coming weeks. With my usual duties, the foundation duties, and everything else. You are all like family and together we will get through it."

 

[cnuveau]

Watching her walk away he can’t help but contemplate how his fortunes had changed so drastically in only a couple days.

As he heard her speak he was somewhat in awe at how she so seamlessly transitions between the many hats she as to wear. Vulnerable and somewhat insecure one moment then in the next commanding the room with authority. It really was remarkable and made him realize how much of a burden it must be at times to have so much responsibility heaped on her at such a young age.

One last look in the mirror then he crept out her door and joined the rest of the staff as she was finishing her remarks to them. He stood silently in the back of the group hoping his late arrival wasn’t noticed.

 

[Ravishing]

Most of them expressed sympathy, gave condolences and went off to do their duties. He noted that other than: Harry, Millie, Mark and Jen. There were at least 20 others there. There was a lot of staff he simply didn't see. Some wore uniforms, some casual clothing.

Millie waited while most of the others left she smiled at Katherine moving to the younger woman and hugs her. "I'll make you two some spaghetti." As Millie moves off and towards the kitchen.

Jen sniffles a little and seems to nod a lot. "Mike rang me, so, I... I really should just go.." Katherine shook her head. "It's alright, Jen, you, take a personal day, take the week. With pay. I'll get Brett to ring your girls and tell them to bring it through to here, and not to you. Okay? We'll handle it." She took Jen's hand holding it for a moment. Jen all teary-eyed, looked between Brett and Katherine and nodded. Mike, in the moment, seemed to stir finally. "Miss, might I run Jen home? I don't---" "I don't think she should drive either. Sure. Call in that friend of yours and have him pick you up and bring you back. You take time off too. Tell him it's the usual amount, I'll make sure he gets the transfer."

Mike seemed to offer a softer smile. "Thanks, Miss, you'll be fine?" Katherine nodded. "Yes, yes, I'll be fine. It's going to be hectic for a few days. If I need to drive anywhere, I'll dust my licence off." A hint of a smile in an attempt at humour. Mike sought to shake her hand then. "Your a good one Miss, a treasure. It's a pleasure, working for you." He meant it, Brett might just be able to tell that.

The staff here weren't just people who worked here, went home and bitched about the rich bitch they worked for. They felt invested in her and working here. Katherine had a vested interest in doing whatever she might to make their lives easier. As Mike left with Jen who seemed to half break down again. Brett might just realise it was now them just standing there.

Katherine took a moment just standing there, before she trembled a little, then seemed to pull herself together. "Okay. Okay, right. Office." She turned on those bare feet and then stopped. "Wait. Phone. Bedroom." There's a rake of a hand up through those blonde loose curls then and still, she didn't immediately rush off.

 

[cnuveau]

Brett ached for the staff and Katherine. They clearly cared for Amanda a lot. He’d only met her the one time but she seemed to care deeply for Katherine.

Brett called after her “we should probably call Tess too. Shoiuld I go open the office while you get your phone?”

 

[Ravishing]

"Holly and Becca too." She murmured giving him at least two other names to find there. "Sure. I'll be there in a second." She moved slower then as she walks off barefoot and up those steps nearby. That ass swaying in the skirt as she did.

Up and to her room she took a moment to find not only her phone, but to brush her hair, and then head down. Thus he'd find her perhaps five minutes later stepping into the office and moving to her desk. As she made a conference call. Connecting her three closest friends to her office phone.

"Tess?"
T: "Here."
"Holly?"
H: "You got me."
And finally. "Becca?"
B: "Mhm I'm here sugar. So. What's wrong you sound... different." A chorus of mhm's and yes's from the other two.
"I have some bad news." Katherine began,"Amanda passed away today."
All three gave shocked gasps and cries. "Kitty! Do you need us?" Holly said.
"Of course she does." Said Becca who sounded like she was in traffic. As they heard, "Bite me!"
Tess took a moment before speaking. "Alright, I can be at the estate earliest tomorrow. I'm about to be selling a house."
Holly sounded muffled for a moment. "Me too on the time frame, sorry Kitty."
Katherine smiled a little. "It's okay, I know you all have lives."
Becca snorted. "I'll be there in 20." She hung up and they might just have heard a string of explicit which cut off.
"You gonna be okay?" Holly asked.
"I...I'll get there.." Katherine said, sounding emotional.
"Love yous!" Both girls called out before they hung up.

Katherine sat there a moment. Before she went rifling through her desk finding tissues. "Okay... alright.." A blow of her nose.

Then she looked up to Brett. "Tomorrow we should be able to get more sorted. Between those three, they know enough about the Ronald Rafe Foundation, which Amanda began after her husband died. That, I won't need to deal with it. Yet." She was prioritising. Or trying. She also looked delicate, and very much like she could use support.

 

[cnuveau]

Brett rounded her desk and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get through this. “. Pausing for a moment for her to nod. “who do you want me to get on the phone next?”

 

[Ravishing]

Katherine took a moment feeling his hand there. A smile up at him. What happened for the next three solid hours was a whirlwind of phone calls. Much of it Katherine telling people her Grandmother had known, and accepting condolences. Also a call to the funeral place which was more told to enact Amanda Rafe's instructions in their folder, than Katherine needing to explain a whole lot. After that call, she waved off the phone. She had the paper in front of her which was covered in shorthand notes for everything said.

A knock then occurs. "Miss? Millie tells me spaghetti is ready, and she really does insist you two come to eat." He paused. "She's also sorted the rest of us too, we're going to our wings and such Miss. We'll see you tomorrow." He didn't open the door further more just spoke through the gap in it.

It has Katherine blink as she looks at the clock. "..Oh... it's 5 pm." A blink. Carefully she stood, then threw her arms about Brett and just buried herself in against him there. He'd apparently survived his first 'work' part of his day. What followed, well, no doubt it might not be quite Katherine's usual routine.

 

[cnuveau]

The dizzying pace, for Brett, made the time fly by. For most of it he was connecting calls and just listening the Katherine, getting her water every now and then as her voice got hoarse. She seemed to have wrapped up when Harry knocked on the door, spoke then retreated.

He rounded the desk as he’d don’t before placing his hand on her shoulder. “You should eat.” He said as she blinked up at him. “You didn’t get much lunch and I can hear your stomach grumbling. Everything else can wait till tomorrow. Let’s go.” Trying to pry her from the desk.

She finally rose and he led her to the kitchen where they found what Milli had left out for them.

 

[Ravishing]

Led to the kitchen she smiled. He saw: home made fettuccine pasta, with decent sized meatballs, a thick rich sauce. With a garlic bread.

She went to the fridge fetching a coke, and a bowl. She added some of it all into her bowl, seeking to fill his. Adding garlic bread and sitting there at the breakfast bar. As she sits. There's a peculiar expression before she blushed.

 

[cnuveau]

The smell of garlic filled the kitchen and it made his own stomach grumble as she hands him a bowl. He fills it along side her then sets it on the bar. Noticing she grabbed a coke from the fridge he contemplate getting his own then questioned “Is it too early for wine?” as he glanced at her face noticing her expression and a little blush. “Wait, what’s wrong?”

 

[Ravishing]

"Amanda always said .... its 5 o'clock somewhere." Its said rather automatically by Katherine. Who then nods. "Cupboard door to your left at your feet. There's wine." Glasses he could see in a cupboard.

As he asked what was wrong. ".....I left the bedroom minus something.... we took off..." her panties.

 

[cnuveau]

Face flushed he turns beat red “oh!” Saying with a guilty smile. Walking to the cupboard he selects a nice Malbec, an opener and two glasses before returning to the bar. Opening the bottle he struggles to find something to say. “That was….. nice…. Earlier.” He looks up at her noting her expression. “Should I poor two?”

 

[Ravishing]

"Please.. after today. Yes. A drink." She then blushes hard. "Not you I mean. Us. Earlier. That.... I... lost myself in it...."

She dips her chin, lifting the fork to swirl in spaghetti... "... hopefully as much as you...?"

She lifts the spaghetti taking a slow bite and chewing. Thick sauce on her lush lips.

That phone rang then and she answered it, "Becca. Here. Uh. Catch you later. Tomorrow." Kitty laughs softly. "Sure Becca. Tomorrow." She hangs up and shrugs. "I think she ran into her guy. So, impromptu fun for her.."

 

[cnuveau]

“Ha! Good for her! Safe to say I lost myself as well. Never advisable to make moves on the boss on your first day.” He laughs a little.

A sense of relief hits him as they talk about what happened. He was afraid to bring it up himself in case she later came to regret it. Her grief, their working relationship, his lack of experience all made this a complicated situation to navigate. Be too presumptuous and you’re gone. Be too nonchalant may meet the same fate. He’d have to thread the needle here as this develops he thought to himself.

 

[Ravishing]

"I...uh... kissed you first." Katherine points out to him softly. "I mean..." She looks cutely flustered by it.

Seeking to lift her wine she sips it. "...I'd like to, slowly, see where.....we go?" A twitch then through her. "If... well ... you might like to?"

 

[cnuveau]

“I’d like that a lot” he says placing his hand on her thigh and offering a genuine smile. At that moment he thought to kiss her but decided not to press.

“What do you say we change into something more comfortable and you show me the grounds?” I saw a little on our walk this morning but I’d love to see the rest.” Holding up the bottle “we can take this to-go.”

 

[Ravishing]

With food eaten and enjoyed. His hand on her bare thigh. A suggestion for outside and comfortable clothing. "I'll go change, you can to. Meet at the steps?"

 

[cnuveau]

“Yup! Sounds good!”

They make their way to their rooms. He closes the door behind him setting the bottle and his glass on the dresser. Considering what to wear for a moment he decides on a pair of white shorts and a blue polo. Taking them into the bathroom he slipped out of his dress clothes pausing for a moment he studied his form in the mirror. His mind flashing back to the image of her lowering the boxers he was now standing in before snapping out of it and getting dressed again.

Slipping on his new Sketchers he was back out the door in only a few minutes. Taking a seat on the steps he sipped his wine and waited for Katherine to emerge.

 

[Ravishing]

Kitty shut her door and leaned against it. Before undressing and putting everything into the laundry basket. First a tiny bit of self care, as she washed her pussy and dried it.

Then while bra and panties put on. Before she found a black pleated skirt slipping it on. Pairing it with a white tee shirt. Her sketchers added on with white socks. She found her glass then and sipped as she left her room heading for the steps. He'd hear her coming softly.

As she walks down to join him, a look up might meet him an accidental sight of her panties as the skirt flares some while she walks.

 

[cnuveau]

Hearing the door close behind him Brett turned to greet Katherine and indeed was greeted with an eye full of her panties as she began down the steps. For a moment he cursed the fact that she’d put some on before standing.

As she reached him he topped off her glass then offered her his elbow. “Where to Madam?”

 

[Ravishing]

Katherine held the glass steady as he topped it off, then lifts it to sip from and lowers it. Hand elegantly holding the stem. "I'm not sure." She found herself admitting to him. "Half of me wants to walk, and sip wine while doing it."

A smile to him then as she'd said that since he'd suggested they get out of the house and walk while bringing the wine. "We could go to where the pool and hot tub out here are. Lounge on the double poolside chaise and relax?"

"Or, we could go inside, and to the entertainment wing, which is downstairs. There are not only tv's, a few of those game systems. But the cinema area. I mean it's where I usually watch movies and things. Comfortable reclining chairs, one of those popcorn machines, and a raspberry slurpee machine. Because it's just not the same without it."

Another slow sip of her wine then. "You decide?"

 

[cnuveau]

Brett thought for a moment. His idea to see the grounds was really more about a change of scenery anyway so he certainly wasn’t married to it. Sitting by the pool and seeing her in a bikini certainly wasn’t the worst thing he could think of. Neither was watching a movie with her. Both actually seemed preferable and was technically still “seeing the grounds” in a way. The problem with the pool, he realized, is that he didn’t really pack a swim suit.

“The pool would definitely be my first choice but…. I didn’t really pack a swim suit. I guess I didn’t anticipate needing it for some reason.”

 

[Ravishing]

Katherine offered him a slight smile then, those cheeks colouring a little. "...had not today been today. You'd have swimmers. I think Jen's girls left the stuff at her main place of business. Not, brought it here like they were supposed to. I'm not mad, but you can ring her business in the morning and catch Leah there at least and have her get them to bring it here." She seems to contemplate him for a moment, then drinks a fortifying mouthful from her glass. Liquid courage. "...you have boxers on, and I have, well my underwear. We, could, if you really want to get in the water. Maybe, settle in the hot tub in those."

 

[cnuveau]

He considered it for a moment pretending this wasn’t his preferred outcome. Then with a shrug. “Sure! It’s not really all that different I guess.”

The idea of lounging around the pool in their underwear with a nice bottle of wine sounded about as good as he could ever hope for.