Into the Lion's Den (57 page)

“Yes, your Grace,” the man answered very sheepishly.

In his bedroom, Konrad jerked the drawers open to vent his fury before he would do or say something he might regret later in front of Guntram. 'How can he be so dumb? Doesn't he realise that woman wants to have sex with me to get him out? That's it! He doesn't want anything with me and kicks me to her bed! Once more, they're toying with me! Exactly as Roger, with his doll face and lies! Fuck with the tie. I'll change the shirt and she should be glad!'

Still cursing softly in German, he laced the shoes and put on a Patek Philippe, and heard a soft knock on the door. He went like a thunderbolt to open it, finding Guntram at his doorstep, clutching a big sketchpad.

“Hello. Excuse me Konrad, but the butler told me you wanted me to show my drawings to Miss Stefania and I wondered if this would be acceptable.”

“Yes, she won't understand it.”

“Ah. You look great with a blue jacket,” Guntram said distractedly. “I'll meet her downstairs. She's very beautiful. Do you think she would let me paint her?”

“She's a professional model.”

“Yes, you're right. She must have hundreds of people wanting to do it. I should not bother her. I go now.

I don't want to keep her waiting.”

'No, not playing with me. Hopeless case of good will.' Konrad sighed. 'Did he say that I look great in blue?' Suddenly, his fury had disappeared.

“Go to bed early, Guntram. Don't stay up late drawing like you always do,” Konrad barked the minute he entered the living room to fetch Stefania, ready for a forgettable night out. He nearly gasped when he saw Guntram sitting next to her, after showing her his drawings of some chickens he had seen in the farm near the castle, smiling softly at him, beautiful and unaware of the geyser he was sitting on. 'Like a child without malice. I will have to protect him from people like her.'

“Yes, Konrad. Good night, Madam,” the boy replied, slightly bowing his head to Stefania, looking at him with clear scorn in her eyes. That little mouse couldn't compete with her. She had been so foolish to be concerned about a “young, very handsome and kind boy” living with Lintorff, as one of her special friends, a banker from Milan, had described him at her request.

“Perhaps we will see each other sometime,” she said, extending her hand.

'Not if I have something to say in the matter.' Konrad thought before taking Stefania by the waist and steering her out of the room with long strides. 'Bloody nuisance of a woman. All of them good for nothing.'

The faint echoes of disco music were still banging onto his brain when Konrad sat back in his limousine, with Stefania at his side, chatting with herself because he couldn't care less what she was prattling about.

'Lounge bar? It was a despicable joint for vulgar people. TV artists! They give a bad name to the real ones!' the Duke thought, doing a supreme effort to keep a straight face and his mouth shut before losing his temper, exactly as he had been forced to do for the whole night in front of forty total strangers, all famous, with invitation only, considering than pouring bottles of champagne on top of a half nude
starlette
was the top of refinement. The place had been crowded with “celebrities reporters” (tattle tale of the worst kind) and Stefania had been more than glad to be photographed several times. His bodyguards, Ricardo and Piero had spent the whole night keeping the paparazzi away from him; therefore he had to look for a table in a secluded corner bearing with Stefania's pouting and kissing good-bye his dinner.

The cognac was Hennessy when he had clearly asked for a Louis XIII, Rémy Martin… and a heretic had dared to put ice on it! His people knew he only drank that brand. How right was his father to tell him: “Choose one drink and stick to it. With any luck, the waiters will learn it.” What kind of place was this that they didn't have the Rémy Martin XO?

'The incompetents forgot the funny umbrella,' was his unspoken remark and left the glass on the table, after one sip, refusing to drink it.

He had enough of all this.

Time to put an end. He had much better at home. Ten minutes talking with Guntram or watching him draw were more entertaining than two hours of idiotic prattle from a TV soap operas producer.

“Stefania, darling, allow me to drive you home,” Konrad interrupted her vivid talk with another woman.

“We just arrived darling and …”

“Please.” One word sentences were his best.

She pouted again and made a little girl's face, something he hated, but one of his looks convinced her that Lintorff had enough for one night and she should better keep her low profile if she wanted to fix what had been broken that night in Zürich. After all, the “
stronzo
” had not called her at all. She was not going to throw ten years of work to the trash, especially knowing how touchy Lintorff was.

“Of course, dear.”

She was doing her best to distract him by telling him that funny story about the D&G fashion show in Milan, but he kept ignoring her, brooding and fuming as usual. 'This man is impossible!'

“Do you want to come in for a drink?” she suggested when the limo parked in front of her elegant apartment building.

'I want to go to bed, but perhaps some fun would be good to ease the tensions. If Guntram bites his lips once more or smiles at me, I'm going to jump on top of him in the middle of the living room! Those shy smiles of him are darn sexy! And his eyes are something incredible when he looks at you, caressingly and…´

“Konrad, do you want to come upstairs?” Stefania repeated the question, sounding irked and kicking him out of his limbo of barely contained lust for the boy. 'Roger was an ugly toad compared to this boy. Fuck being friends! I need him in my bed!'

“Do you have some red wine, Stefania?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered taken aback by the strange question. “Your cousin Albert sent me four boxes from his vineyards.”

'Bloody Albert! Again trying to get rid of his rubbish! I swear he does it on purpose!' He opened his door by himself and got out of the car while the chauffeur had been stoically standing for more than ten minutes at Stefania's side.

Once inside the elevator to her penthouse, she caressed his cheek and he smiled as it was mandatory to answer her advances in some way. She opened her door, realising that Konrad was in one of his “sombre nights”, and decided to go for the wine and glasses, her stilettos resounding in the corridor. “Make yourself at home, dear.”

'Home as go to bed or home as get the slippers and sit in the couch? Must be the second, she went for a bottle of that rats' poison.' Konrad walked with certainty to the modernly decorated living room, the one “with the pseudo Warhol portrait” as he used to call it. Some minutes later, she rejoined him with a bottle and two glasses. He took it and started to expertly removing the lid to the “
Principessa di Battistini-1997- Mention Spéciale
” bottle. 'Aunt Elisabetta should kill Albert for using her name for this. It proves that he's her favourite child,' he thought before serving it without tasting it 'no need to, it's well known crap for the snobs.'

“Should we make a toast?” she asked seductively.

“To your beauty and talent, Stefania,” he answered automatically, doing his best to drink it 'without making faces Konrad, it's unbecoming,' as Friederich used to tell him when there were Brussels sprouts on the menu, every fifteen days, like clockwork. He left his half emptied glass on top of the crystal table before grabbing Stefania again.

“You didn't finish your glass.”

“It needs to breath some more,” he mumbled as he kissed her shoulder carelessly tearing the spaghetti strap of her expensive designer's dress. 'With any luck, it will kill all your cockroaches'

His hand went for her back zipper and in less than a second he had it down, pulling from it to get rid of the dress.

“We are a naughty boy tonight, are we not?” she teased him partly pushing him away but he didn't move and inch or removed his hands from her. “You could wait till we reach the bedroom.”

“Fine, go ahead.”

'German noblemen are real pigs and this one is the greatest of them all!' she thought before going up the stairs with him in tandem. She had not even closed the door, when he jumped on her and finished to remove her dress, throwing it to the floor, almost stepping on a real Versace. Instead of admiring her La Perla lace underwear, he unhooked the hooks fast and started to fondle with her breasts as all contribution to the romantic part, without removing his clothes. She jerked his tailored jacket so he would understand—as if that were possible—that he also had to make the supreme effort to disrobe himself, without help, if he wanted to get something from her.

'She's right, it's uncomfortable with shoes and clothes on,' he thought when he felt the strong pulls in his jacket. With quick and precise movements he removed the jacket, shirt, trousers and underwear before rejoining her on the bed, only wearing her thong and silk stockings. He placed his body on top of hers and kissed her on her neck before starting to suck one of her breasts.

Stefania couldn't help to think 'what a waste, such body for such a boring man! That's all he can make, three minutes sucking, then he penetrates you, another five minutes and it's over. He snores or leaves. Better I start to moan so he finishes sooner.'

“Turn around, Stefania,” Konrad asked her. 'If she starts to moan so soon, it means that she wants something big from me. She should earn it.'

“Konrad, baby, you know I don't like it. It's painful,” she half pleaded.

“Steffi, you know I like it a lot when you do it. You're incredible.”

“But, this is not romantic.”

“Please, darling. You would make me very happy,” he pleaded in a mocking way, determined to leave if she wasn't complying with his request.

She sighed and he took it as her acceptance, turning her around, almost hitting her head against the headboard in his haste to place her on her fours, just to remember he had forgotten to put a condom on. 'The last I need is a bastard from her or catching a STD,' and he went to get one of his own stash because he would have never taken one from hers: 'oldest trick in whores' history; get pregnant from the rich man.'

Only with a brief preparation, Konrad sodomized her without giving her time to get used to him. He mounted her at a fast pace, grabbing one of her breasts to stabilize her under his thrusts. When he reached his climax, he emptied within her with a groan in her ears, releasing his hold over her and lying spent by her side.

One hour later, after slumbering holding her body—for appearances sake as he needed a second or even a third round to be completely relaxed when he returned home—Konrad decided that it was time to resume his activities with Stefania. The only good thing about her was that she was always willing to do what he wanted, although later the tab would become bigger.

Once more, her faked moans convinced him that either she wanted something big or she was truly trying to make up from the latest date. 'Always take care of your customers, used to say my father.'

Round number three was in the shower as it was already late and he wanted to be home before 3 a.m. as he planned to take Guntram to visit St. Peter's treasury museum. He climaxed again thinking that 'this should be sufficient till we reach Zurich. There I could visit Henriette or ask Charles for a drink. He's always willing to have some fun.' He showered and kissed her with a “you're truly amazing, Stefania.”

He redressed himself quickly while she combed her dark raven hair. 'Time to clear the agenda, she's too dangerous to have around Guntram, What if she makes him nervous? He had already the jealous wife experience to have now the scorned mistress one.'

“Stefania, dear, I've been thinking hard in what I should give you for your birthday.”

“It's not due till December, darling,” she laughed

“It's an important number. You don't turn forty every year,” he said jovially, expecting her more than probably explosion.

“It's thirty-six, darling,” she corrected him acidly

“Yes, I'm sorry. How dumb of me! Anyway, I was thinking to give you this flat for it. I would need some time to prepare the papers. Why don't you ask your landlord to contact my secretary, Monika and she will take care of all the details?”

“That's most wonderful of you!” she cried excitedly. “I don't know what to say!”

“You deserve it, Stefania. You have been a good friend for the past ten years. I want that you have some security in your life. This man was speaking about a new TV show for you, something much better than cable TV, something in the RAI, if I understood correctly.”

“It's a fashion show on Saturdays at 2 p.m., but he needs more financing.”

“How much?”

“I would say around €700,000 for two years. It's a lot of money and the network is not sure about it.”

“I will pay them for you. National TV could be your big break.”

“Konrad, this is too much. We don't know if we can pay you back, we still don't have enough sponsors.”

“As a tribute to your talent. Monika will also take care of it.”

She jumped to his neck and kissed him. 'Well, the first real kiss I get from her. Fair enough for a farewell.' When she was telling him how wonderful he was, he only said. “I'm afraid that we part ways tonight, Stefania. You have made me very happy.”

“Why?” she shouted.

“I have decided to settle down with someone. To have children even. I think the fairest thing to do is to let you go before I take more of your time,” he said very seriously.

“When?” she started to weep. “Who? I gave you the best years of my life! I loved you! And you leave me like this?”

'You got a generous lay off, don't complain woman.' “Stefania, I'm almost forty-six years old. It's time to settle down and be a responsible man. I have found someone who could provide love and stability to my life. I wish you all the best and should you ever need something, call Monika. There is no reason for us to stop being friends.”

“
Stronzo! Sciagurato! Figlio di puttana!
You're fucking with that little Russian slut! Pervert!”

“Not really.”