Chapter 6

When they were done getting ready for the party, they walked out to see Mara wearing her blue silk toga and smiling at the look and feel. Tom said, “You look great. I forgot something; I’ll be right back.” Mary was wearing a green dress with an emerald necklace surrounded by diamond. Tom found a Sapphire necklace surrounded by diamonds and some clip-on earrings that had diamonds that hung down a few inches. The top was a carat diamond and then they got smaller as they got lower. He took two pairs and went out. Stopping in front of Mary he said, “You need some earrings,” as he clipped them on. He then went to Mara and said, “You would look good with the same thing in blue,” as he put on the necklace and then put on the matching earrings.

Her hand went to her neck and then her ears as she went to Mary and looked at her jewelry knowing hers was just as nice except a different stone type and color. “These are too expensive. I’m afraid I will lose them.”

“If we stay for the orgy, we can put them someplace safe. You should be fine walking around.” Durr and his men stepped into the room wearing red uniforms with their knives and swords. Their gold chains stood out. There would be six guards with them and all six stopped and stared at the two women.

Durr said, “We may need more guards if there is anyone in the streets tonight.”

Mary said, “Thanks for the complement Durr. We do look sexy tonight. Tom is a lucky man.”

The walk was uneventful except for both men and women that stopped and stared as they passed. The door was open with a servant announcing new arrivals. He asked their names and Mara told him. Tom and Mary Andrews and Mara. He looked at a piece of paper and announced to the room, “Miss Mara and Prince and Mrs. Andrews.”

Mara looked at him, “Prince?”

“I’m not a prince. I think Pagana just wanted to look important at her party. That is Mr. and Mrs. Tom Andrews.”

The servant repeated it as instructed and every eye was on them as they entered. The women and men couldn’t believe the dresses and jewelry the ladies had on. Pagana came rushing over, dragging a man behind her. “Hello, hello, thank you so much for coming.”

Mary said, “Thank you for inviting us. This is my husband Tom.”

“I heard that you were a prince.” Looking at both Mary and Mara she continued, “Are those part of the Royal jewels?”

“I am no longer a prince. I denounced the title when I left home. The jewelry is just something we picked up along the way. I don’t even remember where. Thank you for inviting us. This is our first party since coming to Rome.”

Pagana blushed at the thought. Her husband came up and said, “I hear that you moved into Dario’s home.”

“Yes. We just arrived and heard it was for sale so we bought it so we would have a place to live. It is a nice place. Mara showed up to visit her uncle and didn’t even know he’d sold it. It was a very quick sale.”

“What business are you in? I am one of the Senators.”

“I buy and sell things. I am a merchant or importer and exporter to be more accurate.”

“Welcome to Rome. Enjoy the party.”

It was funny to watch all the people. Most of the people wanted to meet Tom and Mary but they stayed close to Mara and let her be the gatekeeper. She would kindly and gently let people know when their time was up. She would invite them to the open house the following Friday and nod to the next person or couple that was off to the side, waiting.

Sometimes the man would have some interest in Tom or business but normally it was the wife interested in the jewelry or where they came from and being of royalty. Looking for bits of gossip so she would have something of interest to share. Little by little the story was leaked. Mara would drop things about the wine and liquor that she had. If the couple was snobbish, she was sure to mention that the slaves were marked with gold collars.

Marco showed up with his wife and daughter who was a few years younger than Tom and Mary but seemed very interested in them. Her name was Pace and was just 18. She was in great shape. She didn’t look muscular like a bodybuilder but when she moved you could see her muscles. Tom thought she would look good in a thong walking down the beach.

Marco separated Tom from the ladies and told him that the warehouse, and villa had been registered and he was now the official owner. Tom mentioned, “When we arrived tonight, I was introduced as a prince. I think you were the only person that I told.”

“Tom this is Rome. Believe me, reputation goes a long way. You and Mary are both young, blonde, blue eyed and wealthy. Add good looking and Royal with items that have never been seen before and you become too good to be true, so people are interested. If you want people to come to your shops, they will for the merchandise eventually but to see you and what other mysteries you have at first.

“About half of the couples that are normally gone now have stayed because they don’t want to miss out on something that may happen later. My daughter is here because she heard from someone that your slaves are marked with gold. I know a couple mistresses that may have some gold but not too many slaves. She would normally go to a party of kids of the wealthy and not of the parents. This is Rome so I let her live her life. Be gentle if she asks you.”

“She is very pretty like your wife. You are a lucky man like me Marco. I have spoken with the builders and an architect and may need some contracts reviewed. I also need to settle your bill. I don’t know where your office is.”

“I do a lot of work for the emperor and some senators, so it is over in that part of town. I will stop by some day this week to be paid. If you want to follow me to work, you can see where my office is.”

“I’ll do that. You never know when I will need to have some work done.” Pace had moved from the group with her mother, Mary, and Mara to stand next to her father. “Pace your father said that you don’t normally come to these parties because the people are so old. He said that you go to the parties with all the younger people. I’m so glad you came tonight. Maybe you can take me to one of your parties some time. I would love to see how the younger crowd lives. I am only twenty-six.”

“You are always welcome. Some of the boys and girls for that matter can be a little immature but you are much closer to my age than most of the people in this room. The biggest difference is that you are buying homes and starting businesses. The jewelry that Mary and Mara have on is so pretty. I would give anything to have something like that. I saw one of your slaves at the market and even she had on what I thought was the prettiest necklace I’d ever seen. Then I looked up and saw her male guard wearing a rope of gold as well.”

“How did you know they belonged to me.”

“When I mentioned it to Father, he let me know that he was doing work for a man that marked his slaves in gold and that you may be here tonight. I passed on the kids party and decided to come here instead.”

“I hope you don’t have to put up with too much boredom while you are here. Men talking business and women talking gossip can be too much at times, even for an old guy like me.” Her father had stepped away and she looked to see that he was out of earshot and engaged in conversation with another. “Most of these guys that stay for the orgy afterwards are one and done. Too old to perform according to Mom. She is one of the youngest here and was 22 when she had me. I will invite you and Mary to one of the younger parties. You may be out of place due to your place in society, but you won’t be out of place at the orgy. Most of the people there are between 16 and 30, either students or just starting out in business.”

“Wouldn’t it seem odd for Mary and I to show up?”

“You look young. Even Mara comes sometimes. She is good friends with Alexa. Mara comes to these parties to help her aunt and uncle or to please them when she is in town. She normally comes here first and then hops over later. She is your age.”

“We will see. You can always stop by the house and spend some time getting to know us better. We are also having an open house on Friday.”

“What is that?”

“Like a party but less structured. Like you said that Mara will go to one and then another. People will come and go, stay for a little while or stay for a long time. We can meet our new neighbors and those people we will work and socialize with in Rome.”

“Can I invite some of my friends that may want to meet you?”

“If they are half as pretty as you, I would be disappointed if you didn’t”

She blushed a little, “I will have to invite the ugly ones, so you don’t lose interest.”

“I think that losing interest would be an impossibility. Do you have any advice on how to handle these parties?”

“Get a lot of work done while all the men are in one place. Don’t be afraid to say, No, to people that are just trying to use you. Father has people asking for free legal advice all night. He tells them to stop by the office where they can talk in private. And if it isn’t too much of a burden fuck the hostess if she is interested. It shows her that you are thankful for inviting you to her home. She has worked hard to put on the party, she should get a reward from the man or men she wants that night.”

“All this from the mouth of an 18-year-old. You are wise beyond your years.”

“I pay attention to things that go on around me. I listen, learn and ask questions when I don’t understand.”

“I should hire you. I can always use someone that cares enough to listen and learn.”

“What would you have me do?”

“I can think of a lot of things but for work, you would look amazing and make others wish they could look like you. They would buy makeup, jewelry and hair styles hoping to be as beautiful as you. As happy as you. You have a beautiful smile.”

“If you would pay me to do that, I would be happy to do so. When do I start?”

“We are just starting construction on our new market for the elite. Things to pamper and impress those that want what others don’t have or at least what others have that they don’t. How many would collar their slaves in gold to show that they were as good as Mary and me. If one does, then another will follow. Soon you will be looked down upon by your social group if you don’t have slaves collared in gold. How many husbands will hear about not having a necklace as pretty as Mara and Mary’s tonight? How can you stand there without diamond earrings? Don’t you feel out of place?”

“My job will be to make them feel inadequate so that you can sell them something to try to fix that. It sounds sneaky but this is a group that is closed to others. Not everyone in the city was invited. They get off on being different or set apart from the commoners. I think I like it already.”

“Does it make your nipples hard?”

Her eyes widened as she blushed a crimson red. “Can you see through me?”

“I can see your soul in your beautiful eyes, and it is beautiful as well. It is my job to see and understand how people respond. Even now as we talk about others and how they respond or desire frivolous trinkets, you can’t help but want a pair of those earrings. They are magnificent. I picked them out. They draw attention to the neck, one of the sexiest parts of a woman. It connects a beautiful face to a body that is just as alluring. When you work you will be modeling the dresses, makeup, jewelry, fragrances and services that we will want the men and women to buy.”

“How much do you pay?”

“You won’t get a salary.”

She started to frown. But Tom said, “You will get a small portion of everything you sell. A commission. You can be a very wealthy woman if you do well. If you are lazy or not a good saleswoman, you will get nothing or very little. I believe in you. I want you to succeed.”

“I’m so hot right now. I’m ready to start work tomorrow.”

“Maybe we will take you home tonight. Unless your father would kill us both.”

“He would be proud of me, but Mother would be jealous as hell. She hates these parties. Father gets a lot of work and a lot of things done but mother is one of the youngest and prettiest, so all the men want her. She should bring a guard in with her she says to keep the roaming hands to themselves.”

“Your mother is very beautiful, and I can easily see why men could lose control. I will have to keep an eye out for Mary and Mara.”

“You should go and talk to the men and not flirt with a little girl like me.”

“Not so little and not a girl. A young woman. I will mingle and meet new people.”

It was about an hour later when the first Toga had a wardrobe malfunction as a man was rubbing the woman’s breast. Some people slipped off to other rooms and some kept talking as if nothing had changed. Mary said, “You should satisfy Pagana. She lusts and curiosity is high over the blonde man with the blue eyes.”

“Will you be able alright if I leave you alone?”

“Mara and I will take care of her husband, but we will stay together all night.”

“Have fun and just scream my name if you need me.”

Tom looked over to see Pagana looking at him. He walked to her, “Are your hostess duties over for the night? Are you finally able to enjoy yourself?”

“Would you like to help me enjoy myself?”

“Do you want the world to see you in joyous bliss or would you rather they just hear your screams of enjoyment?”

“I see that you have high expectations of yourself. To be young and full of dreams. Let’s go to my room.”

As they entered the room, he stopped her and turned her to face him. “Pagana, I am going to use your body for my pleasure. I hope that excites you a lot and scares you a little. If you say the word chicken at any time, I will stop, get dressed and leave. If you don’t say the word chicken, I am going to do to you whatever I want, if I want and as hard as I want until I am satisfied. Do you understand me.”

“I understand you, but I don’t think you understand how this works.”

His hand went to his toga and it dropped to the floor. Her toga was soon beside it as his lips pressed into hers and their bodies came together. He could feel her large breasts against his abs as he pulled her into him. It was a battle as she denied him but then gave in. She was having that internal battle of body and mind. She wanted to be in control of her body, but her body had a mind of its own.

Before she knew it, she was on the bed with his fingers deep in her cunt tapping on her G-spot. She started by using her hand to try to push away on his wrist. Three minutes later as he was still kissing her, she had a death grip on his wrist to keep in from pulling away at all costs as her hips were up in the air with her legs spread. He pulled back as she grunted out a loud orgasm. He watched the waves of the orgasm sweep over her as she settled back down onto the bed.

He was still tapping on her G-spot until he took his fingers from her pussy and pushed them into her mouth. The taste of her own juices woke her up to where she was and that she wasn’t done. Tom kissed down her body, stopping to suck and bite her nipples. Soon he was between her legs and licking her labia and tongue fucking her sweet pussy. He was careful not to touch her clit. She would have to wait for that.

The tormenting of her G-spot had her motor running and he never let her turn it off as she revved back up and soon had her fingers in his hair holding him into her pussy as she screamed her second orgasm. But before she could come down, he filled her sopping wet cunt with his long thick cock and as the head bumped into her cervix, he brought his pussy juice covered lips to hers and kissed her. She could again taste herself. She wanted to push him away, but he was bigger, stronger and his cock felt so good to her.

He was just getting in a good rhythm when she showed signs of getting ready to come again. He told her, “You can’t cum until I tell you. I want you to cum on my cock as I fill you with my seed.” She struggled to obey. She wanted him to cum so she would squeeze her cunt to make it feel better for him. But that made it feel better for her and drove her higher and closer to orgasm. She kept getting higher and higher but fighting her release. She was grunting and cussing. She was sweating and worn out. Tom asked, “If I let you cum, can I fuck your ass?”

“No,” was all she could say without losing her concentration to hold back her own release. But 30 seconds later she was ready to explode and said, “You can do anything you want to me but please let me cum. You can fuck my ass.”

With that, Tom pressed the head of his cock against her cervix so she could feel his release and as the first blast hit her, she came as he was giving her permission. The scream of pleasure was loud and clear as she came. Her body was still trembling in the aftershocks as he rolled her over and placed the head of his cock at the opening to her ass and started to press in. He went slow to give her time to say, Chicken, even if she could remember her safe word. She didn’t but gently pressed back. Over the next few minutes, it was two steps forward and one step back until he was deep in her. As he picked up speed, he moved her to her knees so he could thrust faster and harder but also so he could reach around to her clit that hadn’t been touched all night.

It was like a stick of dynamite that was just waiting for a match. Her body thrashed from side to side as she tried to escape the explosion that her body wanted. She called out to god a few times and then came so hard that most of his sperm and more of her girl juices were ejected from her cunt. She collapsed back onto her stomach as he pulled out and used a rag by the bed to clean up. He went over to the bath for a quick dip rinse and dry before getting dressed. She was still passed out but clearly breathing and smiling. Tom left her to rest and rejoined the party. As he left the room everyone was looking at him and looking behind him to see if Pagana was alright.

A female servant slipped into the room but came back out about 10 minutes later saying that Pagana was resting and may be out later. Mary was on Tom as soon as he exited the room. “You should have been out here. Both men and women were openly rubbing themselves as they listened to you in the other room. That woman was so loud. I bet you were in the zone and completely blocked it out. And did you have to fuck her ass? She kept screaming, fuck my ass, fuck my ass.”

“She thought she wanted to be in control when we went in there, but she soon learned that it was better to give than receive so she gave her body to me.”

Mara’s laugh made him look up to see her, Pace and her parents all standing there. Tom blushed a bit. Marco laughed. “I’m glad that I work for you and people know it. I will get business because of our affiliation.”

He looked at Pace as he spoke to Marco, “So people will pay you just so they can work with the same advocate as works with me?”

“People are strange in the way they think. Maybe they will be better in bed if they use the same advocate.”

His wife said, “And we all know that you are not, ‘That,’ good in bed.”

Everyone laughed as well as his daughter and Marco himself. Marco said, “I think things will wind down from here. We are going to go home. My daughter tells me that you may have a job for her.”

Nodding, Tom said, “I think she would do well with what I have in mind.”

“I will stop by next week with a bill and show you where my office is.”

“Unless the ladies want to stay, I think we will be heading home as well.”

“There may be other women that want to meet you?”

“Then they can dream until it becomes a reality. Sometimes fantasy is better than reality.”

Pace softly said, “We will see.”

Her mom and dad looked at her but didn’t say anything. They all walked out together but went their separate ways. When they made it home, the ladies went in to change for bed. They all ended up in the bath to wash off the sweat and smells of the night. Mary said, “If the parties are all going to end up with some other woman having the ride of her life while I get to babysit her husband, I think we may be one of the couples that go home early. Not because I don’t like to play but because I want what she got. Her husband was funny, and I had to work hard to not laugh in his face when he wondered out loud why she never acted that way with him. Like she had any control over it.”

Mara added, “At those parties the women often take care of each other because the men take care of themselves just like they do with their wives at home. They say the women in Rome are wild but, they just want to have a climax and need each other to get there. I think that Tom should always take them behind closed doors so the secret doesn’t get out that a man can bring the kind of pleasure he does.”

“I was talking to Pace and she said we should skip the old people parties and go to the parties of their children. She said there were a wide range of ages from 16 to 30.”

“I have been to both and I tend to go to the adult parties for better food and drink. Maybe to help my family’s businesses and see some friends but I’m like you and in between in age. The kids are kids and tend to have more fun. The sex is more frantic, and you would be the head bull at either party breeding any woman you want. Mary is the same, she could have any man she wanted and most women or girls. I know you are having the open house this weekend. It will be interesting to see who shows up and how long they stay.”

Tom made sure that both women had orgasms before he went to sleep happy but exhausted. Sunday was a day for planning. They planned the party, they planned for things around the house and gardens. Tom talked to Mary about getting a teacher to teach Latin to both the guards and the girls.

Mara had given back the jewelry and even though it wouldn’t have been a big deal for her to keep it, it would have looked bad or wasteful on their part to not care about the value. He did find a gold anklet and copied a dozen or so and put them in a box. He took one and put it on Mara’s ankle as she sat on the patio with Mary. She looked down and then smiled as she jumped out of her seat. “This is beautiful. Such an intricate piece and so precious to adorn the dirtiest and lowly part of the body.”

Tom was playful and picked up her foot and kissed her ankle. “It looks and tastes alright to me.” He continued to kiss up her calf, then inner thigh until she was sitting with her legs spread and being eaten by Tom. Mary came beside her and pinched her nipples.

“She does look good enough to eat Tom. We should have let her keep the necklace and made her our sex slave or the earrings to show that we think she is precious.”

After her orgasm, Mara said, “I may never go home. You two are too unique not to see what you may do next.”

The following day Tom and a couple guards went with Maria to the market to get some food and other items. They stopped by the booth that was selling blacksmith goods and she had the items Tom had requested. They were big grates of crisscrossed metal poured into a mold in the sand. When the molten metal cooled and hardened, it was just like an oven rack or grill rack from back home. He did have one of the guard’s help carry them so his hands would be free to help Maria. There was also some thick wire that had also been made. It was still thin enough to be pliable and was exactly what he wanted.

After they were home, Tom went out and then came back later. “Maria, I went back out and found this beef. It looks good and I want to cook it slowly, near a lower temperature. Almost cool enough that you can hold your hand there for 5 seconds but not 10 seconds. It will cook for 3 or 4 hours. We can have it for dinner tonight and if we like it, we can make it again for the party.”

She was a slave and wasn’t going to tell him, “No”, or that he didn’t know how to cook. The standing rib roast had come from his pack and was some of the finest beef that could be had. Prime was something they could only dream about in Rome. He stopped by every half hour or so to check the temperature and how it looked. Maria smiled at his attentiveness and listened to what he was saying. When it was close to being done. He moved it closer to the flames for just a minute on all sides and then set it aside to rest. He poured some wine for him and Maria and they sat and talked about what it was like to grow up not being able to talk.

She said that she had an accident where she landed on her throat. They helped her to breathe but couldn’t save her voice. She was glad that he could hear what she was thinking to him. Tom didn’t know sign language but told her that they would make some things up so that she could talk to others. That made her even more happy.

After an hour Tom sliced into the Prime Rib and saw the pink center. Just the way he wanted it. He gave the first slice to Maria. “Taste how good that is. It isn’t cooked to death; it isn’t bloody and raw. It was cooked gently, and you can enjoy the flavor while the meat almost melts in your mouth.”

“Tom, this tastes so good. If you serve this to your guests, they will go crazy for it.”

Tom took some egg yolks and broke them into a bowl and discarded the whites. Maria sat on the edge of her seat and watched what else he would do. He whipped them up then drizzled a little olive oil in and kept whipping it and adding a little oil at a time until he had an aioli or mayonnaise. He let her taste some off his finger and she smiled. Then he took a loaf of bread and cut some off and added the mayo and prime rib.

Maria ate the sandwich and her eyes got bright. “No need for a fork and knife.”

“If you make a couple hundred small loaves of bread, smaller than the size of my fist. We can slice them and make something like what you just had. People can pick it up and eat it. We can make other things that people can eat without a table, knife, and fork. I will look to see if we have some spices that may help the aioli and enhance the flavor of the food. You can fix the roasts a few hours ahead of time and stagger the times you start them, so you have 2 done before people arrive and one or two an hour after that.”

“This will make my job easier.”

“We expect you to have help. You can hire the baker to make the small loaves. You can hire your mom or others to come in and help cook, plate or serve.”

“How many can I hire?”

“No more than twenty to help, cook, serve and clean up. We will have pitchers or wine. Is there any place we can get ice?”

“Ice is hard to get but there is one man that has it shipped in. Almost half of it melts before it arrives but he has a room that is always cold, and he keeps it as long as he can for his food.”

“Can you take me to meet him?”

“Sure.”

Everyone in the house liked the prime rib and when he found some horseradish and added it to the mayo people were amazed at the flavor. After dinner they went a few blocks and knocked on the door. A servant answered and Tom asked to speak to the owner. A man came to the door and Tom introduced himself. They were invited in and his wife came in to join them.

His wife asked, “Is this your wife?”

“No this is my slave and cook, Maria. She led me here when I asked if she knew of anyone in the city that had ice.”

The man, Barnabus, smiled and said, “I do like my ice. I hate when meat goes bad or milk spoils. I have it brought in by boat and sell it to a few of the high-end butchers.”

“Do you have a lot that you can spare, or can I help fund the shipments and split the bounty?”

“In the winter it is easier but, in the summer, there is a lot of melt and loss. The problem is the summer is when we need it. We can make some sort of arrangement. I’m not in the ice business except to help a few people. We can double the number of shipments and split the ice so that it doesn’t have so long to melt.”

“I would like some for a party I’m having on Friday. You are welcome to attend.”

“How much do you want?”

“I don’t know how much you have. I can use 20-50 pounds, maybe more.”

“I’m expecting a delivery in the next week or two and since it is just now spring, I have enough to spare. We can start with 50 and if you start to run low, I will have someone come and get some more.”

“Thank you Barnabus.”

“Call me Barney.”

“My name is Thomas, but I go by Tom. I or someone will be by on Friday to pick up the ice.” They shook hands and They went home.

Maria thought, “Why do you want ice?”

“Some drinks taste better with ice, there are things I can make if I have ice to help me. Like fire and heat help some things, ice and cold help others.”

“I am the cook, but I keep learning things from you and Mary.”

“I may have come from privilege, but I was always taught to help and learn. I can cook, build, sew and other things. Maybe not as good as those that do it all the time but enough to help and learn.”

Later when he told Mary she laughed and said, “I have both 20- and 50-pound bags of ice for the replicator but it would be hard to explain. Now we can have it whenever we want either by shipment or from a plastic bag. We will get a clean bin and an ice pick. I could use a good cocktail.”

The day finally came for the party. Mara had jumped in to find help for cooking and serving. There were pitchers and pitchers of wine, margaritas, old fashioned, and chilled white wine. There were a lot of glasses and different ones for each drink. The servers were told to serve from trays. Take the dirty ones when they are finished and get them washed before taking them back to the bar. There were two women behind the bar and there was a buffet of prime rib sandwiches and other finger foods.

The first people to show up were Barney and his wife. He wanted to see how the ice was and if they needed more. It was all chopped up instead of the block of ice he’d sent over. Tom took a glass with ice and added the old-fashioned mixture into one and a different glass and the margarita mix to the other. He handed Barney the old fashioned and his wife the Margarita. They both took a sip and smiled. They tried each other’s and nodded.

“The ice helps in the drinks and both are good. I could get drunk on a few of these, but they are very drinkable.”

His wife said, “I could drink these all night.”

“And Barney would have to carry you home. There is the same amount of alcohol in each. Please have some food before too many people crowd the table. Thanks again for the ice.”

Marco and his family showed up and the door never seemed to close after that. Tom, Mary, and Mara spent the night talking to one and then another person or couple. They thought people would come and go but they didn’t want to leave. It kept getting more and more crowded. Pace started walking with Tom and when her friends that she had invited came in, she introduced them. Only one or two were sixteen but they were quick to hint that they were women and not girls. Pace laughed at them.

When Alexa came in, the place got quiet. Mara went over to meet her and welcome her. The volume went back up after she was engaged in conversation. Tom looked over to see Alexa bent over looking at Mara’s anklet. When they started to walk towards Tom, Pace said, “Just act natural, she is a nice girl.”

Mara said, “Tom, I want you to meet my friend Alexa. Alexa, this is the owner of the house and our host, Tom.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Alexa.”

“It is nice to meet you Tom. I’ve heard a lot about you and Mary. It has all been good or interesting or something that made me have to come and meet you.”

“Would you like a drink? Some wine, something fruity or something with a little bite?”

“Do you have something fruity that will have a bite?”

“I will make you whatever you’d like or something special but try this. It is called a margarita.”

The server almost bowed when she delivered the drink and Alexa took a sip and said, “That is good.”

Alexa focused the conversation on Tom and what his plans were. She asked about the shops, the farm and the warehouse and ships. She would change the subject when he asked about her. She did have to take a bathroom break at some point and Pace leaned in and said, “She is the emperor’s daughter. She is very down to earth but be careful.”

When she returned Tom looked at her and said, “I have been informed that you are the Emperor’s daughter. I’m sorry if I broke any protocols or customs. I didn’t know and wouldn’t know how to act differently if I did.”

“I have heard you were a prince, so I guess we are even except you have fed me delicious food, amazing drinks and I have just fed you question after question. Where can I buy an anklet like my friend? Every time I look down, I get jealous.”

“It is hard to keep your eyes off her legs isn’t it. Let me see if we have any more.” Tom went and got one and was happy to see two guards posted at his door. He picked on one up and carried it back to her. He knelt and put it on her ankle. “The price is a thank you and a kiss on the cheek.”

She watched as he put it on her leg and noticed that the craftsmanship was amazing. When he told her the price, she jumped in his arms and gave him a hug and a kiss on the lips. “Thank you. It is beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“It must have cost a fortune.”

“It has been paid for so your hugs and kisses must be worth a fortune.”

“I’ve heard that you can do more things that would be worth so much more.”

“Do I need to have them stop serving you drinks? I don’t want you to let your imagination run away with you.”

Pace said, “I wasn’t imagining anything last weekend at that party and the drinks there were so bad, that I was completely sober.”

Mara teased, “I was there too, and I agree with Pace. I think that Pagana was ready to dump her husband and ask for a gold necklace if she had half a chance of getting some of that again. I don’t think she has stopped looking at you since she came in, Tom.”

“I didn’t know that she was here. Maybe she was looking at Pace. I know I like to look at her.”

“We all do, she is gorgeous, but she didn’t make that woman scream. She isn’t even embarrassed. When people ask about it, she tells them that until they have the chance, they have nothing to say. I agree with her. You should give her an ankle, and everyone will think it is for those you’ve screwed to oblivion.”

Alexa took a sip of her drink and said, “I guess I have more payment to make. It sounds like fun.”

Tom said, “You three are fun but I am the host tonight and need to make sure everyone has food and drink. I have to walk around a bit.”

Alexa was getting a little tipsy but gave him a wicked smile. “I’m not through with you. I will talk to you later.”

There were more and more drunk people as the night went on. The party was scheduled to end at 10 but it seemed for everyone that left, a few more showed up and at 10 the place was still full. The food was almost gone but the drinks kept flowing. Tom was wandering around and saying hello to most of the people. He was just about to hand a drink to a woman he was being introduced to when he heard Durr yell, “Tom.”

Durr called him, Sir, in public unless there was danger. He turned to see a man about to punch him. Tom sidestepped him and handed the drink to the lady. He then grabbed the man by the back of his toga before and pressed him against the wall. “I don’t know who you are or why you are attacking me, but we can blame it on the good drinks. What has you upset, my friend?”

He was upset and sneered, “You fucked my wife and even fucked her ass.”

“I’m new to Rome and was told that if you attend a party and stay for the after-party you should go with the host or hostess if they ask you. I think I was just the new guy that looks, talks, and acts differently than everyone else. I thought that you spent time with my wife but I’m not attacking you.”

“She says that I’m not half the man you are in bed.”

“I have a large cock, but I also spent more than half of the time giving her pleasure before I even thought about me and my own pleasure. I used my fingers, tongue, and mouth to get her ready. Did you do the same for my wife or your own?”

“I don’t do that.”

“Whether that makes me less of a man or you less of a man in bed, I don’t know. I did it, I do it and I enjoy the way it makes women react. I’m going to let you go now. If you want to leave fine. If you want to continue to party that’s fine. If you try to attack anyone else or are rude, I will kick your ass and throw you out in the street. Do you understand?”

He nodded, and Tom eased off the weight he was pressing into his back. When the husband turned around, “Are you staying or are you going home to sleep it off?”

“I think I will go home.”

“Take your wife home. You need to figure out what you want and need from each other. I am not the bad guy here.”

He walked over and took her hand and led her out of the room. A server took her glass from her. She had pleading eyes trying to show she was sorry. Tom turned to Durr and nodded his approval. There were two guys near him in case he needed help. There were eyes on Mary, Mara, and Tom. Most of the guards were waiting outside for their employer or master. The one exception was Alexa. Tom walked over to one of her guards. “How are you doing. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Sir. You handled yourself well.”

“I didn’t know who Alexa was until just a bit ago. Is there anything special that you need, or I should know?”

“She does what she wants. It looks like she wants you. If she’s consenting, there will be no repercussions. Her parents want her to spread her wings and grow. She is a really sweet girl and is picky about what she does.”

“I am here to protect her from others as well as herself. I don’t want to get in trouble or get her in trouble so what you said is helpful. I think she has had a bit too much to drink tonight to make clear choices so I don’t think I will let anything happen but if it is another time and she feels that way, we will see what happens.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

It was almost 11 and people kept coming in. Tom called out. “Last call for alcohol. The bar is being shut down. You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.” It sounded good but he’d stolen the saying from a song or the bouncers that had closed a few bars while he was still there.

The servers and bouncers collected the glasses as people tried to walk out with them. There were a lot of people staggering down the street with many stopping to thank them for a fun night. Barney and Betty came up to Tom. “Maybe more people will see the value of ice now. We planned to stop by for a few minutes and then get out of the way of the party crowd. We kept running into more and more people we knew. Maybe we should get out more. We had a lot of fun. Thanks Tom.”

“Thank you for sharing your supply. I’m glad we could stretch it as far as we did. I for one was glad we had it.”

When the last person had left, his hand was sore from all the shaking. The staff was cleaning as fast as they could. He went to help them and thank them for helping make the party very successful. He called them all together and then gave them all a drink. He motioned for his guards and saw that Alexa’s guards were there as well. “Any of you that want a drink may have one. I’m sorry that there isn’t more food to feed you with. I know that some of you are slaves and some are hired but you will all be getting a tip tonight as a thank you from me to use as you wish. Thank you all once again.”

Most had a drink as they had heard the guests all night complimenting the taste. Mary had come out with a bag and gave each person two silver coins or about 100d. They were all thankful for the gift and soon finished their drinks and started to seriously clean the place. It reminded Tom that they didn’t have any maids, a driver, a coach, or tutor for languages. They did have a lot of friends now and they had a good time. He would have to hire some people or find some more slaves. He liked the idea of slaves because he could eventually set them free.

Guards were dismissed and Tom asked where Alexa was when he saw the guards still there. One said, “She went in that room with Mara and Pace,” as he pointed to the guest bedroom. Durr said, “You can go to bed Sir. We have men on watch and can finish shutting down the house for the night. And thank you for the silver. You give us so much, but a man feels better with a little money in his pocket.”

He went to bed and Mary wasn’t there. He rinsed off in the bath and slid into bed. Mary woke him when she slid in next to him. “Good night Tom. Those girls were all drunk. I know you didn’t want to start out with any of them that way, so I took them next door and wore them out. When it is your turn, you won’t be disappointed with either Pace or Alexa, they are both fine.”