Frannie had just stepped from the bathroom, wrapped in her robe and fresh from a bath when Jon walked in. Her scent, emphasized by the steam flowing from the bathroom, surrounded him. He crossed the room to her, nuzzling in her neck “god you smell good. What is that?” Frannie picked his head up so she could see his face, “it’s called moonlight. I’m glad you like it.” He kissed her and then nuzzled in close again, running the tip of his tongue up and down the side of her neck, making Frannie shudder, “what time to do we have to be there?” Frannie ran her hands up his arms, “soon.” He pulled away from her and sighed, “my timing sucks as usual. You finish getting ready, I’m gonna go shower.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and headed into the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes on the way. Frannie just shook her head and opened the closet.
Jon stepped back into the room wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with another and stopped in his tracks. Frannie was sitting on the edge of the bed, sliding her stockings up and hooking them to the garters. He walked over to her and ran his fingers up and down the garters. She looked up at him, her amber eyes glittering with a hint of the devil, “something wrong?” His eyes had darkened to near indigo, “you know what this does to me.” She stood and slipped her robe back on, “so you’re saying you like it?” He shook his head, “you know I do.” Frannie smiled at him, “gives you something to think about all night.” She went to the vanity to finish her hair and make up. He went to the closet to get his suit, “if I think about that all night, I won’t be able to walk properly.” Frannie chuckled, “you’d better be careful then. You don’t want to hurt yourself now do you?” He muttered something Frannie couldn’t quite understand and proceeded to get dressed.
Frannie swept her hair up in a soft topknot, leaving some face framing curls trailing down. She slipped on her dressed and turned to Jon and gasped. He was all in black. “Are you all right?” She nodded her head, “you look wow.” He laughed, “I take it that’s good?” Again she nodded “oh yeah. Now, could you zip me please?” He motioned for her to turn and he let his lips slide over the soft skin at her nape as he zipped her dress. She sighed as she turned and pressed a kiss to his lips, “you are bound and determined to get me flustered tonight, aren’t you?” He searched her face, “is it working?” She shook her head no but her mouth said “yes”. Jon laughed, “good. Now you can suffer too.” Frannie stuck her tongue out at him and walked over to the mirror. The black dress was the one she always wore, but tonight it seemed somehow to be lacking.
Rummaging through one of her bags she found a bright scarf. Moving back to the mirror she wrapped it around her neck, letting one end trail down the back of the dress and other down the front. The red scarf had a gold metallic thread running through it and it was just the punch of color that the dress needed. She added a bold gold bangle bracelet and her black heels before turning to Jon. “Well, what do you think?” He scanned her from head to foot and back again. “If we don’t leave this room right now, we won’t until tomorrow.” Frannie grabbed her purse and Jon’s hand, “let’s go so we can hurry up and get back then.”
Tico was waiting by the front door for them and whistled when he saw them coming down the stairs. “Querido, you are beautiful” he told her when they reached the door. “What are you doing with this” he looked Jon up and down “wanna be playboy?” “Hey!” Jon tried to look insulted. Frannie laughed and kissed Tico on the cheek, “you know I was wondering that myself when I saw you standing down here waiting for us.” She hooked her arm through his, “shall we?” Jon stood there, looking for all the world like he just lost his best friend, “what about me” he nearly whined. Frannie looked back at him and held out her hand, “come on you big baby, let’s go.” He took her hand and drew her close for a kiss, “who are you calling a baby?” She ran the tip of her tongue across his lower lip, “you. Can we go now?” Jon pulled the door shut behind them and they headed to the Alliance.
The show was a huge success. Jon watched Frannie all night and was more and more impressed with the woman she was slowly becoming. She worked the room as well as he ever had. She talked to everyone. She was open, friendly, gregarious, personable. Once she had gotten over her initial nerves, she was just ‘on’ the rest of the night. It was almost like he was watching an entirely different person. He came up behind her at one point, when she was alone and slid his arm around her, his breath warm at her ear “how’re you doing?” She took a sip of her wine, “I’m okay.”
He let his tongue snake out to trace her ear, “I’d say you’re better than that baby. I’ve been watching you. You’re a pro.” She felt her face heat up, “you’ve been watching me?” He ran his fingers lightly up her arm, “I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. You work a room almost better than I work a crowd.” The light touch on her arm combined with his warm breath and low voice in her ear was nearly her undoing. She turned a soft smile on him, “you’re lying, but thank you anyway. I’m almost done then we can go.” He watched as she walked away, willing her to hurry.
By the end of the night every piece Frannie had put in the show had sold. Try as she might not to be too interested, her curiosity got the better of her and she just had to know who bought the one of Jon. She would be sad to see it go, but maybe, just maybe, she could get him to sit for another.
Jon watched her as she walked to the other room. He followed, wanting to see where she was going. Most of the patrons had left and Joan was doing a final tally of the evening. So when Frannie was ready, they could go too. Walking into the room he watched her face as she looked at the sold tag. Her eyes widened when she saw who had bought it and how much it had sold for. Frannie lifted her head to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “So, who’s the lucky bastard who gets to take me home?”
She shook her head slightly, “why Jon, why did you do this?” He crossed the room to her, “did you honestly think I was going to let this painting go home with someone other than myself tonight? Tico even tried to outbid me on it, but I just couldn’t let anyone else have it.” Frannie couldn’t believe he had done this. “But you spent way too much Jon. I can’t let you do that. You should have just asked me for it. I would have given it to you.” He took her hand, “I knew you would do that and that’s not what I wanted. Look at that painting. It’s worth way more than what I spent and I know how hard you worked and how much it means to you.
Frannie wiped at a tear that had rolled down her cheek, “thank you Jon. This means so much. You have no idea.” He pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss on her cheek. “You were amazing tonight baby.” There was a noise behind them and turning, they found Tico and Joan standing in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt,” Joan started “but we are ready to lock up.” She crossed the room to Frannie, “this is for you. This was quite a night. Thank you. Let me know when you are ready to do it again.” Frannie took the offered check, “I’ll call you Joan. Thanks.”
Jon, Tico and Frannie were in the car and halfway home before she thought to look at the check. Her eye’s widened, “Oh my God! This can’t be right.” Jon looked over at her, “what’s the matter baby?” She held out the check to him, “this check. It can’t be right. I’ve never gotten one this big before.” He took it, looked at it and handed it back, “congratulations. What are you going to do with it?” He wasn’t going to tell her that a good portion of that was for the painting he had bought. She looked at him, dumbfounded, “that’s it, that’s all you have to say? I just showed you a check for a quarter of a million dollars and that’s all you have to say?” Jon shrugged, “what you had there tonight was worth more than that if you ask me. So, again, what are you going to do with it?” She smiled at him, “give it all away.”
Jon stepped back into the room wrapped in a towel, drying his hair with another and stopped in his tracks. Frannie was sitting on the edge of the bed, sliding her stockings up and hooking them to the garters. He walked over to her and ran his fingers up and down the garters. She looked up at him, her amber eyes glittering with a hint of the devil, “something wrong?” His eyes had darkened to near indigo, “you know what this does to me.” She stood and slipped her robe back on, “so you’re saying you like it?” He shook his head, “you know I do.” Frannie smiled at him, “gives you something to think about all night.” She went to the vanity to finish her hair and make up. He went to the closet to get his suit, “if I think about that all night, I won’t be able to walk properly.” Frannie chuckled, “you’d better be careful then. You don’t want to hurt yourself now do you?” He muttered something Frannie couldn’t quite understand and proceeded to get dressed.
Frannie swept her hair up in a soft topknot, leaving some face framing curls trailing down. She slipped on her dressed and turned to Jon and gasped. He was all in black. “Are you all right?” She nodded her head, “you look wow.” He laughed, “I take it that’s good?” Again she nodded “oh yeah. Now, could you zip me please?” He motioned for her to turn and he let his lips slide over the soft skin at her nape as he zipped her dress. She sighed as she turned and pressed a kiss to his lips, “you are bound and determined to get me flustered tonight, aren’t you?” He searched her face, “is it working?” She shook her head no but her mouth said “yes”. Jon laughed, “good. Now you can suffer too.” Frannie stuck her tongue out at him and walked over to the mirror. The black dress was the one she always wore, but tonight it seemed somehow to be lacking.
Rummaging through one of her bags she found a bright scarf. Moving back to the mirror she wrapped it around her neck, letting one end trail down the back of the dress and other down the front. The red scarf had a gold metallic thread running through it and it was just the punch of color that the dress needed. She added a bold gold bangle bracelet and her black heels before turning to Jon. “Well, what do you think?” He scanned her from head to foot and back again. “If we don’t leave this room right now, we won’t until tomorrow.” Frannie grabbed her purse and Jon’s hand, “let’s go so we can hurry up and get back then.”
Tico was waiting by the front door for them and whistled when he saw them coming down the stairs. “Querido, you are beautiful” he told her when they reached the door. “What are you doing with this” he looked Jon up and down “wanna be playboy?” “Hey!” Jon tried to look insulted. Frannie laughed and kissed Tico on the cheek, “you know I was wondering that myself when I saw you standing down here waiting for us.” She hooked her arm through his, “shall we?” Jon stood there, looking for all the world like he just lost his best friend, “what about me” he nearly whined. Frannie looked back at him and held out her hand, “come on you big baby, let’s go.” He took her hand and drew her close for a kiss, “who are you calling a baby?” She ran the tip of her tongue across his lower lip, “you. Can we go now?” Jon pulled the door shut behind them and they headed to the Alliance.
The show was a huge success. Jon watched Frannie all night and was more and more impressed with the woman she was slowly becoming. She worked the room as well as he ever had. She talked to everyone. She was open, friendly, gregarious, personable. Once she had gotten over her initial nerves, she was just ‘on’ the rest of the night. It was almost like he was watching an entirely different person. He came up behind her at one point, when she was alone and slid his arm around her, his breath warm at her ear “how’re you doing?” She took a sip of her wine, “I’m okay.”
He let his tongue snake out to trace her ear, “I’d say you’re better than that baby. I’ve been watching you. You’re a pro.” She felt her face heat up, “you’ve been watching me?” He ran his fingers lightly up her arm, “I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. You work a room almost better than I work a crowd.” The light touch on her arm combined with his warm breath and low voice in her ear was nearly her undoing. She turned a soft smile on him, “you’re lying, but thank you anyway. I’m almost done then we can go.” He watched as she walked away, willing her to hurry.
By the end of the night every piece Frannie had put in the show had sold. Try as she might not to be too interested, her curiosity got the better of her and she just had to know who bought the one of Jon. She would be sad to see it go, but maybe, just maybe, she could get him to sit for another.
Jon watched her as she walked to the other room. He followed, wanting to see where she was going. Most of the patrons had left and Joan was doing a final tally of the evening. So when Frannie was ready, they could go too. Walking into the room he watched her face as she looked at the sold tag. Her eyes widened when she saw who had bought it and how much it had sold for. Frannie lifted her head to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “So, who’s the lucky bastard who gets to take me home?”
She shook her head slightly, “why Jon, why did you do this?” He crossed the room to her, “did you honestly think I was going to let this painting go home with someone other than myself tonight? Tico even tried to outbid me on it, but I just couldn’t let anyone else have it.” Frannie couldn’t believe he had done this. “But you spent way too much Jon. I can’t let you do that. You should have just asked me for it. I would have given it to you.” He took her hand, “I knew you would do that and that’s not what I wanted. Look at that painting. It’s worth way more than what I spent and I know how hard you worked and how much it means to you.
Frannie wiped at a tear that had rolled down her cheek, “thank you Jon. This means so much. You have no idea.” He pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss on her cheek. “You were amazing tonight baby.” There was a noise behind them and turning, they found Tico and Joan standing in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt,” Joan started “but we are ready to lock up.” She crossed the room to Frannie, “this is for you. This was quite a night. Thank you. Let me know when you are ready to do it again.” Frannie took the offered check, “I’ll call you Joan. Thanks.”
Jon, Tico and Frannie were in the car and halfway home before she thought to look at the check. Her eye’s widened, “Oh my God! This can’t be right.” Jon looked over at her, “what’s the matter baby?” She held out the check to him, “this check. It can’t be right. I’ve never gotten one this big before.” He took it, looked at it and handed it back, “congratulations. What are you going to do with it?” He wasn’t going to tell her that a good portion of that was for the painting he had bought. She looked at him, dumbfounded, “that’s it, that’s all you have to say? I just showed you a check for a quarter of a million dollars and that’s all you have to say?” Jon shrugged, “what you had there tonight was worth more than that if you ask me. So, again, what are you going to do with it?” She smiled at him, “give it all away.”
4 comments:
Oh, I'll bet that'll shut him up but good! What a great chapter, Steph. The dressing scene was very intimate -- great job, and Frannie's reaction to the check was great. Not that I want you to leave Richie sleeping, but more please!
Wow...that was a great chapter! The dressing scene was just as sensual as undressing!!! I'm so loving this!
~ JonsBambi
I loved the desire felt between the two of them at the beginning and later on in the story Steph. That was almost hotter than the actual sex scene in the shower in your previous chapter. You definitely made it believable.
But hopefully she's kidding about giving all the money away. :( Certainly to give money to charity is a noble thing, but I hope she takes some for herself too, that's really not a crime and she deserves it.
Well done and look forward to the next one!
I'm glad to see Frannie coming into her own and really impressing jon with the woman she was meant to be! It's great to see them supporting each other this way! Did Tico get a painting, LOL?
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