Petticoat Mall

"This cunt looks gorgeous."

"Oh Gene," Annie groaned, grabbing two handfuls of his hair a little roughly. "You can't talk to me like that."

She was ignored. He stuck out his tongue and the pussy lips appeared to open automatically for it.

"Ohmigod," she wailed, as if she'd never had a tongue visit her pussy.

Gene pulled out and went to kiss her.

She pushed him away and scolded, "Go wash your mouth first."

He grabbed her arms and kissed her, forcing her mouth open and her verbal protests and kicking his shins subsided and she sucked in his tongue against hers and she groaned something that really did sound like, "Oh my darling."

They fucked.

She was surprisingly tight but didn't complaint. She just panted and told him to go slowly and when he had most of it up her he waddled her to the sofa and sank down with her and she hooked her legs round his waist and the rest of his length went in rather easily.

"God I've probably never had one up that far."

"Can you feel it?"

"Not clearly but if you touch my cervix I probably well."

"I just want to fuck your cunt. The cervix think can stay out of it."

"God you are crude."

"Fucking is crude. Writers and commentators who try to romanticize it are full of bullshit."

She sighed. "Then crude it is. I tend to agree. If it wasn't so nice I probably wouldn't do it."

Later in the bath Annie said, "You are corrupting me."

"How's that."

"Already you've made me taste my own pussy juice and lick up some of your semen."

"Well you liked that involvement, that debasing involvement that exorcises all that stupid so-called morality teaching mothers and other interfering women give to daughters."

"I can't believe how easily you work things your way."

"Let me tell you this. You we satisfied with just the one fuck but when licking my cum off your tit and watching your nipples rise you immediately became horny and were at me to stick it into you again."

"Are you complaining?"

"No."

She sighed. "Nor am I. Will you be licking my rectum."

"Probably."

"Oh god."

"What?"

"You'll want me to do that to you."

"Perhaps this will surprise you but I'll survive if you choose not to do that or to even hit my away when I try it on you. It's you choice."

"How civilized."

"I am civilized."

She giggled. "In time if you hang around me I'll probably allow you to butt fuck me. I have read about it and have wondered what it is like. My understanding is if pain is not an issue for those lucky women who can cope, they actually enjoy it because of the introduction of new sensations."

"That's my understanding. I want you to become CEO of the mall as soon as I have assembled my full development team."

"What?"

Gene lay back, facing her, eyeing Annie's tits.

She finally said she knew nothing about retailing.

"The general manager will be responsible for that. You run the business. You know about management."

"Yes but the mall will be big business."

"Large or small, the fundamentals are the same aren't they?"

"Well yes,"

Annie said as Gene helped her out of the bath. "For some years I've thought I don't indulge in sex enough."

"Well if that's a concern I guess I can help you out."

"Oh Gene, will you," she said, kissing him and shoving her groin in hard against his.

* * *

Gene had consulted two independent land development experts. They both maintained that no way could the application for the rezoning of Petticoat Farm to allow the mall development fail. If the council disallowed the application due to political and personal pressures, rezoning would almost certainly be permitted on appeal to the Court.

Those adamant opinions gave Gene the confidence to proceed with his unconditional purchase that would take effect once the sister's had possession of their new home.

Meanwhile the local newspaper was distributed that morning with a headline screaming, '$30m Shopping Mall for Petticoat Farm'.

Gene grinned when picking up the paper to read it. Nowhere in the article had the cost of $30 million being mentioned and he certainly had not mentioned any figure to Editor Michaels.

He called her.

"It's Gene Gunter Mrs Michaels."

"Oh hi, call me Maggie."

"Thanks for the lead with my story Maggie."

"Your story? We generate our stories Gene, not the public."

"Well if you are very good I'll continue feeding you information for more of your mall stories."

Maggie laughed and said he was very smooth. "But you don't appear to be the type of person to call an editor to praise a story. To complain about a story well yes."

"Actually I was calling to find where that figure of $30 million came from?"

There was a pause.

"Maggie are you still there?"

"Um yes."

"The truth Maggie. No planning has been done, no drawings drafted."

"My father Ben Norris is a civil engineer of Pike, Norris and Sutton. Please don't land me in the shit over this Gene. I asked dad for a ballpark figure for total mall development servicing a city and catchments of 60,000 people."

"I see."

"Oh Christ, you are going to make trouble."

"Er no, I was wondering about the best way of handling this. My thinking is you should lay over a sofa for me."

"Christ no Gene, no. I'm married with two small children."

"Okay, the truth is that was just a bit of wishful thinking. What my request really was could you please arrange for your father to meet me, preferably over a restaurant lunch. I could become a client."

"Oh Gene really? I thought you'd choose Jerry Sutton because he's an architect-engineer. Dad and Harry Pike are the civic and the structural engineers respectively."

"The project would engulf all three if they are of sufficient caliber and have the necessary support services. No just tell your dad we meet for a full and frank chinwag."

"Right I'm on to it as soon as we finish this call. And thank you for not pressing for me to roll over for you. I might have weakened."

"Now, now. Think of your family Maggie."

They laughed and ended the call.

Lexie his real estate flunky called. At least that's now Gene saw her.

"I've found the property that the sisters like. It's not on the market but the folk would consider a good offer."

"Okay, fully appraise the property for me."

"I've already done that. My appraisal and two from professional appraisers have come in within a range of $10,000."

"Excellent."

"I'll bring the information to you in the hotel at, um, say 9:00 this evening."

"Naughty girl Lexie. You have a boyfriend. I checked up on you to see if you were unattached."

"I can drop him."

"No Lexie, he was good enough for you before I arrived on the scene so don't get your ovaries in a knot over me. I will appoint you are my realty consultant and your employer as my listing agency."

"Oh Gene, that's wonderful."

"Thank you. Now never again offer sex just to win business, do you hear? It's practices like that that corrupt people."

"Yes Gene, I hear you loud and clear."

"Bring me the details about the property the sisters want at 5:30. I'll be in the hotel bar."

"Yes, certainly. Oh Gene while I'm thinking of it why don't you take a look at the hotel's day manager Annie Watson? She's attractive and a bit of a loner; I don't think she is attached."

"What great advice. I have been speaking to her but bedding her never entered my mind."

"Well good luck. I know her quite well and can make the introduction if you wish?"

"No Miss Watson and I are already on speaking terms. She knows my mother well."

Gene was eating a steak sandwich for very late lunch when Ben Norris called. They had a short and pleasant exchange and arranged to meet for lunch next day. Then his daughter Maggie called.

"I thought I'd let you know we're already received forty-nine emails about the mall concept. Opinion is running nine to one against the proposal."

"It's not a proposal Maggie; it's a project. Let's get that point firmly established. Now what about some space on the front page tomorrow for a little piece to be inserted in the stuff about reaction to the project? I'd like you to write that the purchase has become unconditional and an application for a zoning change to allow the project to proceed will be lodged shortly."

"Yes I'll do that. All those comments are news. You must remain aware Gene that as a newspaper we must play out this issue down the middle. By the look at early objections the majority of the community will be against you."

Gene said he would turn the tide.

"Oh yes, how do you propose doing that?"

"This is not for publication. I've already started Maggie. What do you think the reaction of your female readers will be to the name Petticoat Mall?"

"Petticoat Mall? Ohmigod Gene... brilliant! They'll love it and adopt the place as their own, especially females twenty-five and over who recall going out to Petticoat Farm."

"Thanks. Bye Maggie," Gene said, smiling.

Ben Norris was already seated in the restaurant when Gene arrived and the slim, balding engineer conservatively dressed in a dark business suit and striped tie stood and waved.

"Hi Gene, I recognized you by your newspaper photos. Another one in this morning's newspaper I see."

"Yes and now a controversial figure it seems," Gene laughed.

"And an optimistic one, taking planning approval for granted."

"It will either be a quick process by a city council in a progressive mood, keen to have it's city in a big commercial shake-up or if not then approval will come a little slower by order of the Court to reconsider its refusal."

"You have done your homework on that?"

"Yes I received two independent opinions from experts, both knowing one of them will become consultants to my company once approval is received."

"Well the outcry against your proposal in today's newspaper is rather disheartening."

"Far-sighted people are not those who sit on their backsides and object Ben. Thanks for coming and I have your charming daughter to thank for that."

Ben smiled and said Maggie certainly had been impressed by Gene and regarded him as a visionary."

"Then suggest she interviews me on that basis and allow me to put my thoughts to the public."

"Right yes, good idea although she may have thought that's a bit premature."

"Ben don't you think the best tactic is stifle opposition before it becomes a negative feeding-frenzy?"

Ben nodded and said quite right. Maggie would be calling to see how the lunch went.

"One of my decisions Ben is to contract many as possible specialists and services as possible to keep a local project local. I have received a report on the three city engineering consultancies and am pleased to say Ben the analysis puts your firm on top. You are managing partner so I'll give you and your two partners seven days from tomorrow to come up with a proposal for me covering exactly what you can do by way of preliminary surveying and preliminary design based on a mall to service a city and environs of 60,000 people."

Ben looked pleased.

"Then I need a sketch of the proposed mall development as viewed from the air for publication in the City Voice. From there, if I find the general design and attractiveness of your proposals acceptable, we enter the contracts for staged development with your office also acting a construction manager."

"Well that is very generous of you. What cap do you place on the project?"

"We can discuss that when we have an exciting-looking mall concept that ought to fire local enthusiasm."

Picking up the beers they'd ordered, Ben asked would Gene simply ignore opposition and was told hell no; he'd deal with it.

"Tell me Ben, when did the city center last have a disastrous flood? I remember them as a boy."

"Four years ago when the stop banks were breached."

"And the cost of losses to city business?"

"Estimates ranged from $17 million to $22 million."

"Can you provide me with data on flooding?"

"Yes of course. We had a student engineer do research while working for us and she compiled flood records from the council, the City Voice and files from its predecessor and from long-established businesses and retired engineers with long memories including the guy who'd finally got the breakthrough and convinced the city to begin building a better and more extensive stop bank flood protection scheme."

Gene grinned. "Judging by the lowest point of Petticoat Farm contour maps I reckon that point is more than forty-feet above the river bed."

"That's a selling point," Ben grinned. "I would have said at least thirty feet. The flood four years ago went over the stop banks that generally are twenty-five feet above the mean river bed level and our researcher indicated the highest flood levels have increased each decade due to deforestation and farmers and upriver towns increasing flood protection measures, meaning less floodwater is spilling out across land and that increases the flood flows downriver."

"We need this documented in a brief that is an advantage to the Petticoat Mall development but that information must remain confidential to us and the council. I have no wish to have the development slowed by having to appeal the council decision."

"Right, understood. You talk like a developer. I learned you gained experience in Australia. Now what about funding?"

"I have quite a bit but propose raising money from local investors before I approach banks. I have an insurance company interested in becoming a cornerstone investor."

"Well that sounds fine. We'll need to talk much more with you at our offices and to inspect the site and check the accuracy of the old contour plans you hold. Meanwhile are you ready to order? This meal is on me."

Next morning's newspaper came out with a screaming headline, 'Huge Turnaround in Mall Support'. The story had numerous quotes from women and some males saying they particularly liked the name Petticoat Mall.

On Saturday the City Voice carried a center spread feature about Gene Gunter, written by editor Maggie Michaels. The heading ran across both pages, 'Developer Returns Home to Build His Dream: Petticoat Mall'.

The story began:

'The photograph opposite (right) shows a schoolboy organizing a group of fellow 8th Graders to pick strawberries on Petticoat Farm. That kid had an entrepreneurial bent way back then. He's Gene Gunter who has just purchased Petticoat Farm to build a huge shopping center he plans to call Petticoat Mall.'

'Some say the mall will rip out the heart of our town but Mr Gunter says that's nonsense. Some long established retail business will remain in the old center and new businesses will fill the gaps. He says he knows because he's seen it happen here in America and in Australia.'

'It doesn't really matter what everyday persons living in the city and outlying areas think, says Mr Gunter, because they'll readily adapt and probably thank him for making parking their vehicles so easy. He says what will either make or break the mall concept is the decision-making of local business and professional people. If they see a better future for themselves in Petticoat Mall they'll go for it.'

'With an engaging grin the handsome Mr Gunter (38), homecoming son of Mayor Gunter, says he'll even have his own office in the mall simply because everyone will expect him to locate there.'

Gene finished reading the article and was pleased. The city would now be better informed to decide which side of the fence to take their stand and remain there unless convinced to jump the fence. He called Maggie and her husband Tony answered.

"Oh the guy who is splitting our city into three camps: those in favor, those against and those who simply don't know or can't be bothered to have an opinion."

"Yes Tony. Well stated. I was just calling Maggie to thank her for the article that I've just read. I declined to see a preview because I'd only be tempted to suggest changes. I wanted it written without undue influence."

"Good man. She's out on the lawn with the kids. I'll get her. No why don't you call round at 11:00 and have a beer and then join us for a cook-out lunch?"

"This will be Maggie's day off. She won't..."

"Gene, give me credit for thinking about that. Privately Maggie is wildly excited about you, saying you will change the face of this city. The mall will just be your first project."

"Is that so? Well her thinking is ahead of mine. Well 11:00 then."

Tony said great and gave Gene the address.

Gene went to a small florist in a crapped out building. Mrs Miller had been there for perhaps a dozen years. His mother and her mother had dealt with Miller Flowers most of their lives.

"Ah the Gunter boy."

"Hi Mrs Miller."

"Don't come sweet-taking to me. I won't be shifting into your stupid mall. No one wants that mall despite what they say in the newspaper."

"That's fine."

"You can buy flowers from me but that won't change my mind. My grandmother established this business in this very spot."

"That's fine Mrs Miller. Please send your Number 1 bouquets to these people: Mrs Vera Williams, Lexie Street, Mrs Maggie Michaels and Annie Watson."

"Very well, that's a huge order. Thank you. These are all women; what have you been doing to them?"

"They all are business associates Mrs Miller. Now could each bouquet contain this message, 'Thanks for being receptive about Petticoat Mall. Gene' and have the flowers delivered to their private addresses. If memory serves me correctly you won't need the addresses from me because you know everything and everyone."

"Correct young man. I see a lot of your mother in you."

"Thank you ma'am. Will a hundred do it?"

"What for Number 1 bouquets at forty bucks a throw plus delivery fee?"

"Well here's two hundred. Make them swell bouquets for swell women. And when you are banking that money Mrs Miller think about staying in this location but also having a branch outlet up at the mall."

"God you have cheek," she grimaced, shaking her head.

CHAPTER 3

The council passed a motion approving the zoning change by a 8-4 vote with the mayor abstaining from voting.

Almost 500 emails and a few letters were lodged with the newspaper that night, all opposing the council decision. Several submissions were published in the City Voice next morning and included allegations of 'undue influence' and 'unfair play' as well as rants such as 'election rigged' and 'councilor's run scared of Developer Gunter'.

The following morning the newspaper announced a further fifteen emails and letters opposing the scheme had been received plus well over two thousand communications from people praising the council for being 'progressive', 'far-sighted' and 'being a council unimpressed by uninformed idiots also known as brainless armchair critics'.

A hastily-organized protest group calling itself 'Down With Petticoat Mall' marched through Main Street on Friday at lunchtime and huge lines of spectators jeered and taunted them and the parade finally scattered under a barrage of thrown fruit, eggs and empty beer cans.

Photos of that melee appeared on page three of the newspaper next morning. Page one carried an artist's impression of 'Our $120 million Petticoat Mall'.

The mall project was underway and down the page was a very attractive photograph of the newly appointed mall company CE0, Miss Annie Watson.

A month went by and Monday's newspaper carried a big picture of bride and bridegroom, Annie and Gene Gunter. After a week's honeymoon the newly marrieds were back home working to get the first stage of the mall open in eighteen months.

Crystal had given the couple her house as a wedding present and while they were away she shifted into the Lily Bryant Suite as her permanent home. Her friend and cook April Lee stayed on at the house to care for her very busy new employer.