Oyster Creek Ch. 04

Daniel unlocked the door to the Oyster Creek General Store and stepped into the gloomy room beyond. The dusty shop-front looked almost ominous in the darkening afternoon light, and he closed the door behind him with a sigh. He flicked the light switch, bathing the dirty space in a lurid yellow, and moved into the storage space beyond.

His office was in the corner and he stepped through the entranceway into the cluttered mess.

This is going to take some work.

He grimaced, glanced around, then set about clearing.

It was a boring job, and he would rather have not been doing it, but Daniel knew the room would have to be sorted sooner or later, and he ought to have it done by the time the staff came in Monday. For one thing, he'd want to be keeping an eye on their work rather than spending all day tidying his office, but more importantly nothing set the tone like a good first impression. A clean space of his own would not only look good to his employees, but it would get across what needed to be done in the rest of the store.

He grabbed a trash bag from the corner and began scooping loose items into it, grimacing as dust filled the air. But soon he was making visible progress, and as the black plastic bags piled up against the far wall of the storage room more and more of the office was revealed.

There were a desk there; large and not in too bad condition. A bit of cleaning would see it in a perfectly usable state, and Daniel couldn't help but be pleased at that. It actually looked like a rather ornate and antiquated piece of furniture, and he felt a little sorry that it had been so poorly looked after. Still, it appeared to have survived the unpleasant details of its storage.

Eventually, he was done. The room was cleared, if still dirty, and he glanced around to ascertain his next move. It needed scrubbing and dusting, but was otherwise acceptable. Some things -- like the office chair -- would need to be replaced, but what was currently there would suffice until he could get a new one.

He paused, then set down the final trash bag, returning to the office with a small smile. Back in London he'd had his own office, too, though it was much larger and brighter than this one. But that was before he had been demoted for his affair with the boss' wife, and so the thought of having his own office once again brought a sense of satisfaction to him. Though he did not want to be in this sleepy town, he could at least feel professional whilst he was there.

He sat down on the chair, pleased to note that, although he did intend to replace it with a more expensive one, it was not going to collapse under his weight. He set his hands on the desk, glancing round the room. A potted plant there, a picture frame there... yes, I could turn this into a perfectly respectable office space.

His hands stroked the top of the wood, and it was then that the drawers caught his eye. Large, ornate bronze handles were set into the dark mahogany, and he reached down to pull one open. It slid out easily, though his was disappointed to find it empty, and he moved to the next.

It was stuck. At first he thought it was locked, but the way in which the drawer would not move suggested more that the wood had just warped over the years. He grimaced, pulling harder on it, and at last it flew open, smashing into his shin.

"Fuck it!" Daniel roared, recoiling and grasping the throbbing site of the blow. He quickly rubbed at the affected area, hoping to soothe the pain, until he was distracted by the documents that rested in the drawer.

He reached forward, pulling them free, and set them on the desk. He looked for a lamp, but could not find one -- something to add to the shopping list -- and so instead had to squint against the dull light of the single bulb that hung overhead.

'The Last Will and Testament of Stanley Porter-Michaels'

My great-grandfather!

Daniel leafed through the document, fascinated by what he saw. A yacht here, a multi-million dollar business there - so that's where Cohort Enterprises went... - there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary, but it still held Daniel's rapt attention. He was sure he wasn't supposed to be reading this, and that taboo edge made him delve deeper into the will.

Something caught his eye, and he leaned closer to thoroughly read it.

'And the Oyster Creek General Store, my pride and joy, I leave to Susan Birch and her lovely husband Mark. They deserve it.'

Daniel froze. He dropped the will back onto the desk, hurriedly reaching for the employment register he had found earlier in the day, and pulled it open. Running his finger down the list of ex- and current employees, he came to the four that worked for him now. Claire Harrison, Rodrigo Sánchez, and Jenny and Lucy... Birch.

Surely not?

He carefully put the book back down on the desk and reclined in his chair, his eyes drifting thoughtfully to the ceiling.

They've not inherited this store. They can't have done.

He leaned forwards again, checking the two documents once more. The information hadn't changed as he pondered its significance, and it was with a confused shake of his head that he replaced the two items in the drawers.

How had this happened? Surely his family would have known about this? Or, even if they hadn't, the Birch family would have done. Why would they let their inheritance go unclaimed? Unless they didn't know, which Daniel supposed was always a possibility.

This needs research.

But not now. He was tired now, and this was a weekend after all. Checking his watch revealed it to be gone five, and a gloom was already settling over the town as night fell. He was unlikely the find the record's office open this late, and even if it were he was not in the mood to dig into their archives.

He stood, sighing as he left the small office then the shop, locking the door behind him and reaching for his phone. The cab he called said it would take five minutes to get there, and as he pulled the mobile from his ear a thought entered his mind.

His eyes swept down his contacts list, and he smiled as he pressed the call button.

The phone rang a few times, before a familiar voice picked up.

"Heya Dan!"

"Hi Jenny."

"How was your day? And Lucy?"

He paused, not knowing how to answer. Was she really asking what he thought she was? "It was... alright."

She giggled. He rolled his eyes and continued. "I just wanted to extend that invitation we discussed earlier."

"Oh yes? Where should we meet?"

"Well, I'm just getting a cab back to my hotel room now, but after I've dropped off some stuff then anywhere is fine."

"Nah, don't bother. I'll come to you, and even better, I'll bring dinner."

"Sounds like a plan, Jenny."

"See you in thirty minutes!"

The phone clicked dead, and Daniel smiled. The evening was looking hopeful already.

*****************************

Jenny was almost completely on time, knocking on his door only a few minutes after her guessed thirty had elapsed. He was impressed by her punctuality; he knew he had a habit of turning up late to social engagements.

He opened it, and smiled. She was wearing the same outfit she had been at the mall, and he invited her in with a wave.

"I hope you like Chinese," she said, hoisting two brown paper bags into the air in front of him. "It was nearby, and I love it."

"I don't mind it."

She placed the bags on the small table of his room, before looking round. "Cutlery?"

Daniel's face fell. "Um... no." He shook his head with a wry smile. "I suppose I should call room service for some forks."

Jenny giggled at that, then grinned at him. "No need, no need. I brought some from the takeaway; I figured you'd not have any."

"Impressive thinking."

"I'm glad you think so." She paused, her eyes scanning his body, then winked. "I hope my thinking is not the only thing you find impressive."

Daniel gazed at her lustfully, salacious thoughts spinning through his mind. "Want me to show you what else?" he murmured.

She grinned. "After dinner, sure. But right now, I'm starving!"

Daniel laughed, closing the gap with her and taking the brown bag that she proffered towards him. She was right, too; he was ravenously hungry, and sex was always better when he wasn't thinking about his stomach.

He waved her to the chairs that overlooked his meagre view, and after Daniel had poured them both a glass of cheap American piss-water (sorry, Budweiser), they settled into their seats and began to eat their Chinese. For a few moments neither spoke, both too occupied with their hot, filling meals to bother engaging in conversation. Not that the silence was rude; they frequently made eye contact and grinned, even as no words were exchanged between them.

At last Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but Jenny got there first.

"So, how was my sister?"

He eyed her coolly once more. He still did not know how to answer. "She was fine. She left to go back to work."

"I'm not talking about her well-being, Dan. I'm wondering how she was when you fucked her."

He spluttered. He was getting to know this girl and her filthy tongue, but she still sometimes took him by surprise. "Jenny, that's your sister!"

"I know. It's not like I'm watching you or anything, Dan. I just want to know if you fucked her, and if it was good."

"Seriously?"

"Would you stop evading the question!"

"Alright, alright." He stared down at his noodles, before shaking his head. "Yes, I fucked her. And yes, it was brilliant. "

A grin spread across Jenny's face. "Good."

"And she told me to tell you that you were right."

Jenny face creased with amusement, and she reached to swig from the glass of Bud.

Daniel pressed on. "Mind telling me what you were right about?"

"You can't guess?"

"I suppose it's obvious, isn't it?" he sighed.

Jenny laughed. "Yes, it is." She paused then to take another gulp of the lager. "Did my sister give a good account of herself then?"

"She is a stunning and voracious woman."

"'Voracious'... I like it."

"I hope so, because I was about to use the same word to describe you," Daniel said with a wry smile.

Jenny laughed again, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "I was going to say it was a Birch family trait, but then... you've not met Claire, have you?"

He paused. His other employee. "No, not until Monday."

"I'd watch out if I were you," she winked back at him. "Maybe there's something in the water here."

Daniel smiled, enjoying her implication, and took another mouthful of noodles. A second's pause followed as they both chewed their meals.

"So how long have you lived in Oyster Creek?" Daniel asked at last.

"All my life."

"You live on your own?"

"No, with Lucy. Our parents moved out a year or so ago."

"And they left you the house?"

Jenny nodded, then smiled. "Yeh, my mom had a few shares up in some company in Chicago -- she's from there originally -- and she sold them on a couple years ago."

"Were they worth much?"

"About three-hundred thousand dollars." She looked over at Daniel, then shrugged. "They used the money to move to Florida."

"Nice."

"Yeh, I guess so. They call a lot; we're still close. Best part is they gave the house to Lucy and me."

"You have any desire to follow them?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I'm not fond of the heat. Don't get me wrong, I like hot places on vacation, but to live there? Nah."

"I agree," Daniel replied, before shoving the remaining noodles into his mouth. He swallowed before continuing. "I enjoy holidays as much as the next person, but to have that heat every day... it'd just be unbearable."

"Maybe you'll like it here then," Jenny laughed, placing down her own empty noodle box. "It can get hot in summer, but it's not that hot all year round."

"Yeh, it's only slightly warmer than it is back home." He looked over at Jenny, then out of the window. The evening sun was retreating quickly behind the horizon. "Maybe this won't be so bad."

"You really didn't want to come, did you?" Jenny asked after a short while.

Daniel took his time answering. "Truthfully? No. Not at all. I was comfortable back in England. I earned enough money, had decent prospects. Life was good."

"Until you fucked your boss's wife, of course."

"Yeh, until then," he grimaced.

Though in all honesty I don't think I was really going anywhere before that, either.

"I suppose this makes a change, though. It might do you good." Jenny smiled at him, motioning all around her. "This place is invigorating if you approach it right."

"I hope so. I mean, I really do. I think my family will be sending someone over in a month or two, to check up on my progress with the shop. This is a testing ground, I reckon."

"To see if you can handle it?"

"Yeh, something like that. If I fuck up then I'm done; if I succeed they might let me go home."

"They can't stop you going home, surely?"

"Well, no, they can't actually stop me. But I'd have nothing when I returned. No family, no job, no house. I'd have fuck all money and my friends would barely speak to me anymore."

"Not really friends then, are they?"

Daniel sighed, glancing at his lap. "No, I guess they're not."

They sat there in silence a moment, as thoughts spun through Daniel's head. This was not how he had intended this night to pan out, with him opening up to his new employee. But it was all true -- he had nothing to return to, not unless he made himself a success here. If he failed... well, that just didn't bear thinking about.

But what if I do fail?

"Well," Jenny said at last, standing from the comfortable chair and grabbing hold of the cardboard noodle boxes. "At least you've got a chance, you know? That's more than can be said for a lot of people."

Daniel looked over at her. She was right, of course. She seemed to always be right. "Yeh."

She dropped the trash into the bin, then turned back to face him. "I have a question for you."

Daniel's eyebrow raised at the mischievous glint that entered her eye. This was not going to be a normal question. "Go on."

"You said you didn't have many friends, at least not proper ones."

"I suppose not. Thanks for reminding me."

She laughed. "I just wondered... did you ever fuck your friends?"

He looked her over, his eyes narrowing slightly. She loved learning about his conquests. "Well, yes. I did."

"Phew," she giggled, elaborately mopping her brow. "I was worried that we couldn't be friends."

"Oh?" Daniel grinned, slowly standing. It was obvious where this was leading. "And why would that be?"

"Well, if being friends meant you couldn't fuck me then I couldn't let us be friends, Dan. At least not for the next few hours..."

He stepped close to her then, wrapping his arms around her waist as a mischievous smile spread across her face. She opened her mouth, no doubt to make some smart-ass comment, but Daniel stifled the voice with his lips, pressing them against hers. She didn't seem to mind too much, moaning into his mouth as she kissed him back, their tongues twisting against each other as their passion ignited.

His hands dropped lower, running over the fine grey sweater that she wore, before reaching her ass. It felt good even through her tight jeans, and he couldn't resist giving it a quick squeeze. She giggled into the kiss, and her own arms roved over his back.

He dropped his hands to her waist, where his fingertips hooked underneath the soft, grey top, and he was surprised to feel bare skin. He pulled back from the kiss and stared into her warm hazel eyes, and she grinned a little sheepishly as she reached down to grasp the garment.

"I don't like wearing too many layers," she smiled as she pulled it over her head, her wonderful chest appearing before him. He drank in the sight, and as she threw away the sweater he had already leaned forward, grasping her large breasts through the black bra she wore.

"I don't like you wearing too many layers, either," he murmured, kissing the tops of the wonderful mounds, feeling her hot skin beneath his lips. Her hands ran through his hair, and his own slid from her chest to her sides, resting on her hips.

They remained that way a moment, frozen in their lust, before Daniel grasped his lover's hips more firmly and pushed her roughly towards the bed. She yelped, then grinned, thumping down onto the soft mattress and immediately reclining.

"Take off your jeans," he growled, hurriedly stripping off his own shirt to reveal his toned chest, and she lifted her ass. Her fingers undid the button, and soon the tight denim had been pulled beyond her thighs, revealing the thin black knickers (sorry, panties) that stood between Daniel and her womanhood.

He grasped the jeans at her ankles, tugging them off the rest of the way, and delighted in the sight. He had fucked this woman once already - and blown his load in her mouth - but still had not seen her naked, nor she him. He intended to rectify that now.

Dropping the jeans to the floor in a heap, he climbed onto the bed after her, and she crawled upwards into a more comfortable position as he placed his hands on her inner thighs, gently pushing them apart. His lips followed his fingertips, kissing the smooth skin, and he slowly traced his way upwards with the very tip of his tongue.

Jenny moaned as he reached the knickers, kissing her pussy through the thin fabric. He could feel its wonderful warmth, and he ran one finger across her folds, appreciating the way the underwear became slightly damp.

At length he reached up, grasping the flimsy cotton and gradually slipping it downwards, groaning with lust as her glistening pussy came into view. This was the first time he had been able to truly take in the sight, and he smiled wickedly up at her as he leaned forwards.

"Oh God..." she said quietly, reaching out with one hand as his tongue passed slowly over her folds. A sharp intake of breath was all he received the second time.

He pressed his hands underneath her ass, lifting her hips so that he could better devour her snatch, and again ran his tongue along the entirety of her pussy. She breathed out heavily, and he did it a fourth time, working it from side-to-side slightly as it travelled upwards.

Daniel continued that way for a while, alternating long, slow licks with more directed swirls of his semi-pointed tongue. He would spend a few minutes exploring every inch of her labia with his tongue's soft, flat surface, then gently caress her more sensitive areas with its tip.

He kissed and sucked her lips, toyed with her entrance, and occasionally swished his tongue lightly on her clit. No part of her delicious pussy was left untasted, and the beautiful girl whom he pleasured certainly seemed to appreciate that.

It was having the desired effect, and Jenny looked down at him lustfully as her pleasure quickly grew. Her moans were constant now, her eyes fluttering between open and shut as his tongue did its work between her legs. He still firmly held her ass, enjoying its suppleness beneath his fingertips, and he glanced up at her face to revel in her expression.

She looked down at him, arching her back as she reached behind her to unhook her bra. Her large breasts spilled free as she did so, pulling the flimsy garment from her chest and shoulders. Daniel chuckled into her snatch, pleased that the mounds were finally unconstrained by clothing, and he slid his right hand up her body to grasp one.

"I thought you might like that," she moaned, holding his eager hand in place with one of her own as he squeezed the soft flesh. He could feel her hard nipple rubbing against the palm of his hand, and he began to lightly toy with the sensitive bud even as his tongue ran in circles around her clit.