Chapter 113: Interrupted

The following morning, Tom woke to the System’s familiar chime.

[Good morning, Host.]

Then the daily panel unfolded in his vision.

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[DAILY TASKS]

1. Spend one hour on exercise

2. Take a meaningful step toward commencing Josie Hale’s recruitment

3. Take a step toward setting up the club

Reward: Random Chest

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Tom read through the list and sat up. It was a full day on paper, but the calendar favored him. Today was sunday. That meant he could clear the tasks properly and leave Monday free for the L×L Boxers signing and everything that would come with it without needing to rush through either of the two.

"Okay, first thing first." He mumbled as he grabbed his phone, set a timer and dropped to the floor, and got to work.

Push-ups first. Then sit-ups. Despite the fact that he had been building a routine of exercising early in the morning, the hour did not pass easily.

Halfway through, his breathing turned rough, but he pushed through the sets without bargaining with himself. After all, the evidence of the hardwork would be shown through and through.

"I can do it!" He growled out as he kept at it.

By the time the timer went off, sweat had soaked through his shirt. He dragged in and out a heavy breath before rising from the floor, rolled his shoulders, and headed into the bathroom.

Only after showering and dressing did he begin sorting the rest of the day.

"She..." He began.

Josie first, at least in planning. G

He knew getting to her would not be simple. The thought of asking Stella for connecting crossed his mind and left just as quickly. Stella would want to know why he needed access to Josie Hale, and that was not a conversation he intended to open yet. Instead, he reached for his phone and searched the interview.

’How to meet the CEO of Goldy Realty Company’

Different news article came up on similar topics but completely unhelpful. He came across a recent interview... In it, Josie had been asked how she spent her Sundays. Her answer was plain enough: she stayed home. Any recreation she wanted, she handled in the comfort of her own house.

Tom exhaled, disappointed but not stuck. A homebound Sunday made a direct approach harder. Fine. He would move the club task forward first and return to Josie later with a better angle.

"I will go check out the property first... That counts as a step right?" Tom asked the system. He got a reply that told him he was on the right path and walked out of the house.

He was almost reaching his car when a car pulled up outside. A man stepped out with a small package in hand and met him at the entrance.

"From Ms. Marchetti," the man said, straight to the phone.

Tom’s eyes shoned as he accepted it. He was already smiling before the seal was fully broken. He knew Stella was mischievous. Inside were an access card and a key. No note.

He was just turning the two items in his hands when his phone rang.

"Stella," he answered cheerfully.

"Get in the car," she said before he could ask questions. "You’ll be driven to the place. Once you arrive, the rest of the instructions will follow."

And before he could ask where he was being taken, she answered the question for him;

"Don’t ask where. Just go. Don’t ruin the fun."

Tom looked from the access card to the waiting vehicle. Whatever this was, it had her fingerprints of mischief all over it. He could afford the detour. Club inspection could wait an hour if necessary. He concluded because after yesterday, he could use something fun today to start the day.

"Alright. But I need to take my car, I have somewhere else to go to, after unwrapping the package." he said.

"Okay, take it and follow the car then." She said then the call ended.

Tom discussed the new arrangements with the man who had delivered the package, the driver of the errand car. Afterwards, he got into his car and the man entered his, and the drive began.

The drive was longer than he expected. They almost drove to the end of the city. When the car finally stopped, it was inside a fenced tall building, Tom stepped out and read the understated signage.

A massage parlor.

A chuckle escaped in amusement. Because knowing Stella, this wasn’t ordinary. Leave it to Stella to dress a reward in something that looked ordinary from the outside.

He wasn’t proved wrong when he entered the building...

It was big, expensively decorated that even the air smelled like a kind of heavenly luxury, the layout made clear this was no neighborhood spa. Everything about the place said a lot of money. And then there were the walls.

The art was not abstract.

Across the reception and the corridor beyond, large commissioned pieces were covering the surfaces in openly erotic detail: both female and male bodies were bent over massage tables, oiled hands sliding along the table, their eyes had blindfolds and their mouths were parted. The drawings were refined in technique and shameless in subject, elegant enough to belong in a private gallery and lewd enough to announce exactly what kind of establishment this was.

Tom’s chuckle grew into an open smile.

Yes. That was Stella Marchetti.

He presented the access card at the desk. The receptionist checked it, inclined her head, and personally led him down a quieter hallway lined with more of the same explicit art. At the far end, she opened a reserved room and stepped aside.

"Your suite, sir."

Tom entered.

The room was large, and there was no enough light in it but it was meticulously arranged and Tom could see enough.

A wide padded table stood at the center under more softer gold lighting. The side shelves held towels, oils, and sealed complementary kits. The air here carried a more clean expensive scent then the reception and it seemed it was starting to lure Tom to sleep.

And waiting inside were three women... completely naked, each blindfolded in black silk, each holding a glass bottle of oil against her palm as if the room itself had arranged them into position before he arrived.

His phone rang again.

"All of that is for you to enjoy." Stella said when he answered. Her voice was calm, pleased, unmistakably satisfied with the reveal.

"Those are professional hands. They know where they press and you will release all of everything you’re holding in... You know what I mean... in a few minutes without you doing absolutely nothing." She said softly.

Tom dragged a hand once over his mouth, still taking in the room. "You’re unbelievable."

"Switch to video," Stella said. "I want to see your face while they work."

"And don’t say no, please. Don’t spoil the fun for me." She added in the same breath.

He chuckled under his breath, then did as she asked. The call shifted, and Stella’s image settled onto the screen with the composed look of a woman watching a plan land exactly where she wanted it.

A mischievous smile spread across her face as she saw Tom. Her camera shifted and became angled at her breasts and neck, intentionally, of course. She had on a grey lacey bra which was transparently showing her hard nipples and breasts.

"Thanks for the view..." Tom said, playfully serious and Stella chuckled.

Then one of the blindfolded women turned her head slightly toward the sound of his voice. "Are you ready, sir?"

Tom glanced once more around the suite, then toward the phone in his hand. "Yes."

"Please lie down on the table."

He moved to the table and lay back against the padded surface. His left hand dropped to lay on the table while the right hand held the phone, still angling to show his face to her.

The three women approached him confidently and directly as if the blindfolds were merely for decorations.

They took positions by the table and were about to begin when the door suddenly pushed open.

Tom turned his head sharply.

The moment he saw who had stepped onto the doorway, his eyes widened in pure surprise and he quickly ended the video call with Stella.