Invaders

He was disappointed...

"Dan Foster called half an hour ago," Watkins began. "He wants to take you and me out for dinner to celebrate their sales figures. He can't speak highly enough of the advertising campaign and thinks you're the dog's bollocks. I told him you weren't."

Bill laughed as he straightened his Armani tie. The Old Man had his own way of keeping people's feet on the ground. "Thanks, Tom," he responded with a sardonic grin at his boss's sense of humour. "I appreciate that."

The Old Man's swivel chair creaked as he leaned forward. "Seriously, you did a great job. Any campaign that exceeds the client's expectations is exceptional. This one will win awards for us, too." He nodded in silent acknowledgment that it was a rare combination. "In fact, I have someone waiting in reception from The Campaign Trail."

Bill whistled. "That's who it is? I saw her as I passed through. A young redhead in a skirt so short it's bordering on indecency. Better behave yourself..."

"I started behaving myself a long time ago," Watkins grunted. "Unlike someone I know. What's this about you and my secretary?"

Bill paused. So that was the bad news? The Old Man had found out about him and Susie? Okay, he should have told him personally but he still didn't see where the problem lay. "Tom..." he defensively began, but the Chairman was breaking into a smile.

"Good for you," he said. "She's a good girl. By the way, I would have passed this reporter your way, but it seems her editor specifically wants quotes from me. But if there's any sort of follow up needed, I want you to take it on. Okay?"

"No problem," Bill acknowledged. "If she's waiting, why don't we finish the conversation after the interview?"

He felt a pang of relief when the Old Man leant back in his chair and shook his head. It was late afternoon already and he should have left the office half an hour ago. There was so much to set up before the band arrived at the venue for tonight's gig.

He and Susie had missed last night's final rehearsal but Patrick had fed back that it had gone well. He'd also mentioned that Lydia and Frankie had gone for a drink together afterwards.

That made Bill wonder...

The brunette only took water and despite the constant attention from the male members of the band, hadn't shown any inclination to get involved with anything other than the music.

"It's your big night at the Astoria," the Old Man explained, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I don't want to spoil that. Besides, I have to leave the office as soon as this woman has grilled me." He paused again. "The thing is Bill, this can't wait."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, waiting for Tom Watkins to get to the point. What the hell was it?

"This craze for blonde hair is gathering pace..."

Bill tried not to smile. Was that all he was worried about? The craze bemused him too, but it was hardly an earth shattering issue. They'd even based the Spencer's campaign around it.

"I know what you're going to say," Tom Watkins told him, clearing his throat. "But before you say anything, tell me this. How many people in the agency have dyed their hair?"

"Two," Bill confidently answered. Susie had told him about Tony Daniels and Terry Campbell. She'd joked that they seemed to have suffered from a personality bypass to go with their new blonde hair. That suited him fine. He'd always thought that the cocky young men needed to be taken down a peg or two.

"Six!" the Old Man shocked him. He raised an unsteady finger, pointing it accusingly at his Deputy. "Now listen here, Bill. I couldn't care less about the colour of their hair, but from everything I hear their work output has dropped dramatically. Explain that to me."

Bill didn't hide his surprise. "That doesn't make sense..."

"Exactly! It doesn't make sense. So I called John Cosby. And Bill Bowers. Want to know something? They checked and found they had the same problem in their Agencies."

The two men stared at one another silently before the Old Man spoke again.

"There's more to this than meets the eye, Bill, believe me. I've learned to trust my instincts over the years. First thing tomorrow, I want you to meet with Sally Cowell. Talk to her about what I've told you and see what you can come up with."

Bill nodded. If something was going on, their HR Manager would know.

"Meanwhile, I'm going to call Steve Russo."

"Steve Russo?"

"London Business School. He's the Behavioural Science Professor. I've used him before on a couple of things and this will fascinate him." He stood up, his face contorted as he held his back.

"You okay, Tom?"

Watkins' forced smile acknowledged the look of concern on the younger man's face. He had ore to worry about than the pain from his back. "Look, Bill, this craze is starting to affect what we do and I want to be ahead of the game. At the minute, I'm playing catch up. I want us to try and meet him tomorrow. Call me later this evening and I'll let you know the arrangements."

***

Although the predicted storm hadn't arrived, it would have taken more than the severe weather warning to deter fans from turning up for the concert. Charlie had gone overboard with the advanced publicity and not only was the arena was filled to capacity; the screaming heaving mass of bodies had been living every moment for the last hour and a half.

There was nothing special about the venue except that this was the Astoria—full of tradition and history. Despite their past differences, he had to acknowledge that Charlie Morton had come up with goods this time. Tonight's gig elevated the band to another level, to the big time. Or more accurately, with careful management it could be the start of the big time.

His eyes flickered back to the stage as the band closed in on their final number. If Frankie's performance had been strangely subdued tonight, there were no such problems with the rest of the band. The guys were on fire and the two women were red hot. Donna and Susie sang well together, but Lydia brought a different dimension.

He couldn't prevent a grin as he watched the two of them go into an impromptu dance together. The final song—A Kiss to Remember—was a jazzy-bluesy number, but the way the women sang it added an additional element. Sex.

Bill realised what Lydia had in mind before Susie did.

His girlfriend's black cleavage spilt over her V-neck top with every sexy sway of her body and those low-rise jeans looked like they could have been sprayed on. Lydia effused sex in a different way and he still hadn't been able to put his finger on it. Yes, her figuring hugging short dress looked sensational on her slender body, but it was the ever present invisible magnetism she exuded that found its way to a man's very core.

He discreetly adjusted his semi-erection as the brunette closed in on his girlfriend. Their arms went around each other's shoulder as they reached the final notes and then Lydia's lips were closing in. Susie's reaction turned from tentative to full blown. As the kiss turned passionate, the electricity in the whooping crowd threatened to take the roof off.

His cock grew to its full length as his gaze instinctively switched to the wild reaction from the watching fans. The catcalls, cheers and whistles seemed to fill the entire arena.

Maybe it was his latest conversation with The Old Man, but at that moment he became aware of the blonde heads across the auditorium. He hadn't realised there were that many. And there was something else. While the majority of other fans were fully immersed in the music, the surprisingly significant number of blonde men seemed focused on the women around. If he didn't know better, he'd have suspected there was some kind of an orchestrated effort to find partners for the evening.

He filed the thoughts away for future reference, cursing himself when he realised he hadn't called the Old Man tonight as instructed.

Shit...

***

Susie was practically dancing with joy when Bill entered the dressing room. They all were, except for Lydia. She was composed, doing what she always seemed to do and taking it all in her stride. The hug Harry gave the brunette seemed to last for a few seconds longer than necessary. That was strange—Patrick had said it was Frankie she'd gone off with after the previous night's rehearsal. Maybe he was reading too much into it?

"What did you think?" Susie excitedly asked him, throwing her arms around his broad shoulders. His lips parted but no sound came out. How could it when her glossy lips were already covering his? As their tongues entwined, Bill felt his erection grow fully again. It hadn't gone away since the girl-girl kiss on stage.

"What do I think?" he grinned, pulling his head back so that he could look into her excited eyes. "I think that was a helluva kiss..."

Her happy eyes beamed into his as she tilted her head forward. "Want another?"

"Not that one," he laughed, raising his eyebrows as he pulled her curves more tightly against him.

She understood immediately and her face coloured with embarrassment as she met his accusatory stare. "You're mad?"

"Hell no," he said, shaking his head. His aroused eyes gleamed back into hers and he laughed. "Like everyone else in the audience who watched it, I'm horny."

She laughed and kissed him again, even harder. "You're horny?" she gasped, slurping off his lips. Her hand found his hardness through his trousers. "Mmm, that feels nice. But it will feel even better inside me..."

Her touch was hot and he felt his cock throb in anticipation. A hand on his shoulder temporarily broke the spell. "Here, mate," Patrick said, handing him a beer. He passed another to Susie as the two lovers separated. "Cheers."

"Cheers, Patrick," Bill returned, then held his bottle up in the air. He swung his head around to grin at the other members of the band. "Great job, everyone."

A huge cheer went up. Patrick's Swedish girlfriend had joined them and so had Tony, the guitarist's. He should chat to them, but he turned back to Susie first.

"You were great."

"I felt like I could fly," she excitedly told him as she slipped a hand around his waist for another celebratory hug. "I've never experienced anything like that, Bill."

"Today its London, tomorrow the world," he laughed, momentarily distracted. Over her shoulder, he could see Lydia leaving the room, closely followed by Harry. Before he had a chance to draw any conclusion, the hand stroking his ass regained his attention. When he glanced back at Susie, his gaze fell into her sweat stained black cleavage. She grinned at him when he eventually met her eyes.

"I know what you're thinking," she whispered, leaning closer and licking around his ear. "And I was thinking the same thing.

"What's that?" he murmured, feeling a surge of heat register in his groin.

"You're wondering if there's somewhere in here we can go so you can fuck me..."

His cock began to throb again. "I have a better idea," he told her, sliding a hand onto her peachy ass as he leant in for another, softer, kiss. There wasn't any chance of them lasting out the evening without some relief. The intention had been to get a taxi back to his house and another to the party after a quick shower. But if they hurried...

"Which is?"

"If we leave soon, we'll have half an hour to spare when we get to mine..."

Her expressive eyes widened. "Wanna go now?" she laughed, turning to the side so that no one could see the way she slid a hand across his erection again. "Or maybe we can stop somewhere on our way to the party? It's absolutely ages since I've been fucked in a car... and never in a Merc."

Bill couldn't help laughing again. "Let me say hello to Greta and Tessa while you get yourself sorted," he suggested, taking a swig from his beer. "Then I just have a quick call to make to make to Tom Watkins."

"The Old Man? At this time? Why?"

"Long story," he answered. "You told me about Tony Daniels and Terry Campbell. Well, it seems there are another four like them."

"Dyed their hair blonde? All with the same personality bypass?" She laughed aloud. "You know the myth about dumb blonde stereotypes. My theory is that this is role reversal. Maybe it applies to men as well?"

"Very funny..."

"Good job I'm dark haired," she continued. "That just confirms my intelligence. As for your shaven head, what colour are you, anyway?"

"You've seen me naked. What do you think?"

Susie slid her body against him and this time she bit down aggressively on his earlobe. "I think you should do your thing while I find the restrooms. Because when we get to your place, Mr. Fawcett, this little black girl is going to fuck you silly."

***

Susie felt giddy as she hurried along the corridor. She'd never experienced such an atmosphere before. Is this what success felt like? Her body was still pulsating with the massive surge of sexual adrenalin from performing infront of two thousand adoring fans.

The sooner she and Bill got out of there, the better. If she didn't get rid of some of this sexual tension, she'd scream...

The sounds she heard as she reached the restrooms stopped her in her tracks. It seemed she wasn't the only one feeling the buzz. She hesitated before taking a step forward. She couldn't do this, could she? Her logical mind told her to turn around and walk away, but the adrenalin running through her body demanded something more.

The door was frosted glass but she was sure she could see shadows through it. The unmistakeable grunts she could hear were male and her heart beat faster when she recalled the similar sounds Bill made when they were fucking. She loved the moment his orgasm approached and if she wasn't mistaken, the guy behind the door was close, too.

Before she knew it, her shaking fingers were silently pushing the door open. She could always apologise for walking in on them, couldn't she? Her heart raced faster at the sight infront of her. Lydia was the last person she expected to see. The brunette was facing her, perched on the cool surface of the counter with her legs wrapped around the guy pumping in and out of her. Her dress was pulled up to her waist and her tiny red thong lay on the floor beside his feet.

The man was familiar, too. The leather trousers around his ankles and flowery shirt still on his back left no doubt that it was Harry.

Susie knew she should immediately leave but paused halfway through her backward step. Lydia's dull grey eyes were silently telling her it was okay to watch. Harry's head was buried in her neck as he grunted his way towards his orgasm.

Lydia's eyes homed in on Susie's, almost mesmeric in their quality. The brunette's fingers clutched the back of Harry's neck, curling in his long hair as she urged him on. When she raised her long legs higher and tighter around his back, the surge of lust that fed its way around Susie's body was impossible to resist. Leaning back against the bathroom door, her black hands slid to her jeans, drawing down the zip and sliding her hand inside.

"Oh fuck," she heard Harry grunt as he began to pump faster. "Oh fuck..."

Her gaze found Lydia's again. The brunette had planted the soles of her feet on the counter so that she created a better purchase to match Harry's thrusts. Susie rubbed her fingertips along her wetness as she watched. The teasing feather light touch made her legs buckle.

"Wait," Harry grunted, trying to stave off the inevitable. "Wait..."

The brunette ignored his pleas. She reminded Susie of an animal in the wild, wrapping her body around her prey with an unerring ease. The counter seemed to bounce under her as she thrust upwards with mechanical precision, relentlessly taking him to his orgasm.

When Harry's body submitted to the assault, Susie's teasing fingers paused. She watched transfixed as Lydia held Harry's jerking body, stroking his hair as she coaxed out his seed, milking her prey of every single drop. Eventually satisfied, the brunette manoeuvred herself from her lover, leaving him slumped against the counter top.

Her eyes stayed on Susie's as she took a step towards her.

***

It had taken Bill some time to finish his conversations in the dressing room and them to find a suitable place to make his phone call. Backstage, couples were pairing off all around him. Even in the open of the narrow corridors or quiet corners, they were all over one another. He had no idea whether they were fans that had infiltrated security or if they worked at the venue. What he did know was that all the men had blonde hair...

The heavy sexual activity enhanced his own arousal but for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, he felt nervous about having left Susie alone. The sooner he spoke to the Old Man and returned to the dressing rooms, the better he'd feel.

Checking that he was sufficiently away from any prying ears, he made the call. Tom Watkins' usually growly tone sounded much softer and he quickly checked the name displayed on his caller identity to make sure he hadn't misdialled. "Tom?"

"Yes."

"It's Bill."

"Yes."

Damn. That was why his tone was different. When the Old Man was that offhand, it usually meant he was preoccupied with something. He should have made the call much earlier, of course. Maybe his boss was already in bed?

"How did the magazine interview go?" he asked conversationally. "Was the redhead as sweet as she looked?"

Even over the phone, he could imagine the look on Tom Watkins' face. The Old Man would be grinning inside but would already have a put-down on his lips.

"The interview went well. It didn't take long."

Bill paused. The last thing he'd expected was such a non committal response. What the heck was wrong? Maybe Watkins had someone with him? Or perhaps his rheumatoid arthritis was still playing up. "Look, I'm sorry if I've called at a bad time..."

"It's not a bad time."

"Okay." He paused again, trying but failing to figure it out. "You asked me to call for details of the Steve Russo meeting," he eventually settled for saying.

"Who?"

"Steve Russo. The London Business School guy. You were going to speak to him, Tom."

"There's no reason to talk to him."

Bill froze. Every nerve end in his body went on alert. "No reason? But you said—"

"There's no reason," the Old Man repeated, cutting him off. "Everything is fine. You'll see later tonight. Call into my office in the morning. Goodnight."

Bill stared at his mobile phone as the line went dead. Tom Watkins rarely made U-turns and when he did, he always had a good reason. He'd have to wait until the morning to find out, but what did that later tonight comment mean? And why talk in such a detached way?

It was impossible to ignore the sudden sense of foreboding that came with each thought.

***

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked as she approached the black girl. Her inquisitive eyes were studying Susie's hand that remained inside her jeans. She pulled it free and held it up to her face, staring at the juice slicked black fingers. "This is your custom?"

Susie felt her heart pump inside her chest. Her custom? Lydia occasionally had a strange way of expressing herself. When the brunette brought the fingers to her nose and sniffed them, Susie gasped. When she took one between her lips, her legs began to tremble.

"You like this?" Lydia slurped, her probing eyes examining the reaction on Susie's face as she took a second finger inside her mouth. She sucked hard on both digits before pulling them free. "I see you do. Earth women are interesting creatures."

Earth women?

The words made no sense to Susie and even if they had, the sexy way the brunette had fellated her fingers made it difficult to think of anything other than the pleasure of the moment. She slumped back against the door, grateful for the support behind her.