29. Merits of Tom Ford v Zegna (James Bond)

Merits of Tom Ford and Zenga

Tony often wondered about his life and what might have happened if his Uncle Clive hadn’t intervened following his mother’s death.  The family was an old family in England, one of the old money titles.  A  fact emphasised by the fact his uncle was in fact, Lord Clive Paddington, the fourteenth Earl of Oxfordshire.  

His mother’s family had never approved of Senior - that just said that they had good taste.  What they didn’t do was punish him for his father’s greed.  They didn’t cut off contact with him after his mother's death.  In fact, Uncle Clive decided to exert some of the family power to gain custody of Anthony or Tony as he preferred from family and friends.  

Tony had found suddenly he had rules and routines. It was strange and he had rebelled as a child.  Clive had weathered all of it and now Tony was a grown ass adult.  He never imagined working for the British Treasury but at university, apart from sport, he found a great career for himself - Forensic Accounting.  

Anthony had taken the Paddington name as a way to honour the effort they had taken on his behalf.  His uncle, normally a very reserved man, had teared up when he’d asked for the name change to occur officially.   For Tony, it wasn’t an empty gesture - it was a simple truth, the Paddington’s were his family because they had taken him in and made him one of them.

All that was irrelevant because right now he was sitting on a high-speed train carrying twenty million in cash for some secret agent to play poker with a terrorist.  Tony was not sure why his bosses thought this was a good investment but hey ho, they didn’t have access to his trust fund so he didn’t care.  

“So I’m the money,” Tony announced unabashed.Bond looked him up and down. “Every penny of it by the look of it.”

Tony smirked as he slid over his credentials showing he was an Agent of the British Agency Taskforce and it showed his full name of Anthony Paddington. “Power of a good suit and you would know all about that Mr. Bond, given what you wear yourself.”Bond shrugged as it was not an unfair insight.  “So how will this work?”Tony took a sip of the wine. “Well you have ten million wired to your account in Montenegro, and a contingency for a further five million if I deem it prudent.”Bond could hear the thinly veiled scorn. “You don’t think this is a good idea?”Tony snorted because that was the least of his opinion in all honesty.  “You are playing a game of poker with a terrorist and if you lose you will be responsible for the British Government directly funding terrorism.”Tony guessed he struck a nerve so he picked up the dinner menu. “What looks good?”Bond responded. “Not the lamb, I’d try the veal.”

Food allowed the conversation to flow (the wine helped) but Tony never let Bond get the upper hand.  He was playing him like a fiddle and it wasn’t too hard, for all Bond’s spy tricks he’d never had to live amongst the social elite - that was an education in itself.

“So you are telling me I shouldn’t be worried as it is a matter of probability and odds ... And there was me getting worried there was some chance involved.” Tony finished with a smirk suggesting he knew all the things that Bond was saying.

James scoffed. “You know that in poker you don’t play the hand you play the person in front of you.”“You mean the bluff?” Tony rested back against his chair. “Well, now I am sure the money is safe.”James smirked. “You know with my powers of reading people I can sense your sarcasm.”Tony didn’t give an inch. “Is that all you can sense?”

James sighed.  “Well, your thinly veiled sarcasm suggests you are against this plan and you don’t agree with our bosses.”Tony snorted. “Oh, so there is a plan?”

“There is.”Tony shrugged. “It is not my own money you are risking but it seems an awfully risky venture for little return.”

Bond would love to know more because the Treasury Agent fascinated him.  He spoke English with a hint of an American accent but held the name of one of the most famous aristocratic families.  It could be coincidence but then he spoke of having his own money suggesting he was part of that family - the Zegna suit was another hint.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&Bond had assumed he would buy a nice dress for the treasury agent sent to assist him and could use them as a way to distract the players.  Anthony being the agent didn’t change things too much and it wasn’t like he wasn’t stunning enough, and he knew the importance of wearing good clothes.  

He looked on his bed and knocked on the door to the joining bedroom. “What is this?”“Well, there are dinner jackets and there are dinner jackets, this is the latter.”

M would be laughing her ass off as her agent was left speechless. “This is tailored.”Tony turned around with a snort. “ Please. I sized you up the moment we met on the train.  Now, I need you to look like you belong at the table. Don’t worry, I will put my brain away for a few moments to distract your players.”

James chuckled. “I would love to seduce you rather than play poker with terrorists.”Tony simpered, fluttering his eyebrows. “Well, you sure know how to show a guy a good time.”

James smirked. “I will do more than that.”“Promises, promises.”

&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Tony was watching the poker game unfold and you had all the usual characters at a high-stakes poker game.  He looked at Le Chiffre and he was glad he’d snuck his firearm in.  As he was playing the toyboy he just had a bland smile on his face.  He was waiting for the right time to play a distraction.  It was funny, he never recalled a module at the university devoted to playing the distraction.

Still, he was a Paddington and they were born with spines of steel.  He was trained to fight, in case he chose service in the Army, like several of his cousins.  He could shoot because you couldn’t be a guest at the summer parties and not indulge in clay pidgeon shooting.

“It’s the last hand.” Dealer announced.   Guess that was his cue.

Tony waltzed through the crowd.  “James darling are you done?” He threw in a kiss to the nape of the neck for good measure.   In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Soon.”Tony smirked and headed to the bar.  He stood there with Bond’s contact and watched the last game unfold.  “This is it.”Tony’s eyes were on the blonde taking James a martini, damn it .  His eyes narrowed because she was not a member of the bar staff that much was obvious and you didn’t need to be a detective to see the ill-will in her eyes. He’d put money on her being a plant by Le Chiffre aiming to take out any competition, like for example, Bond.

Tony moved to intercept, he knew Bond was a seasoned Agent but he wasn’t taking his eyes off Le Chiffre so he may miss it.  He swayed his hips as he moved back to the table just in time for the last hand to be called.  It was the grand finale - the cards were being turned over.  Little miss blondie was nearly at the table and Tony conveniently nudged the person in front of him to crash into her - causing the drink to spill.

She was disgruntled and Tony was even more sure of her ill will.  She was angry and Le Chiffre himself couldn’t hide his anger, which caught Bond’s attention. Good, mission accomplished in Tony’s eyes.  

Higher full house was the call and Le Chiffre looked pretty smug.

Tony leant into Bond’s side playing the angle of the vapid pretty boy.  He didn’t have to act it too hard - he just remembered what cousin Crispin’s date would do.

He was smug too until Bond revealed his hand, damn, Tony would take back every comment had - the man could play Poker.   He pulled Bond close. “Darling congratulations, we should celebrate.”

Tony waited until they were close enough that he could whisper in his ear.  “We should go don’t you think?”James couldn’t agree more.  He’d just sat down with ten million and won one hundred and fifteen million in a poker hand. He was almost giddy if he was the type to indulge in that type of emotion. He went for the big distraction and for no other reason than he wanted to, he kissed Anthony soundly.  “I say we should go back to our room to celebrate.”

Anthony didn’t blink he just smiled, slow and smug. “Let’s.”Le Chiffre tried to interrupt. “Stay a while - you and paramour should try a new hand.”

James looked smug. “When you have someone this gorgeous willing to take you to bed, it’s rude to refuse.”Tony didn’t want this to develop into a pissing contest, the idea was to get them out of the line of fire.  Bond had managed to snatch all the money so there was no doubt that he had the terrorists attention.  It was a question of what happened next?

James waited until they got back to their room.  His radio link let him hear M loud and clear.  “Well done Bond and don’t ruin this.”He wasn’t stupid and didn’t need to ask what she was referring to.  The kiss had been a little for show but their chemistry underlying the kiss was all too real.  “Yes ma’am.”

Tony turned back to him. “So how do you feel?”“Rich?” Bond offered with an added smirk. “If only for the day.”Tony chuckled. “You know whoever gave you that chip on your shoulder should be shot.”

Bond shrugged. “MI6 would have no use for me if I wasn’t maladjusted.”Tony pulled him closer. “That blonde bitch roofied your drink ... I am sure of it.”

Bond reeled Tony in by his tie.  “Well, you certainly showed her ...  Le Chiffre didn’t seem amused by it either.”“Cheating bastard terrorist.”Bond snorted. “They are not known for their honour, you know.”Tony shrugged. “I was just making sure they knew not to mess with my man and I take my role seriously.”James peeled off Tony’s jacket but didn’t remove the shoulder holster.  They say when stripping you get to learn lots about the person with and you that is especially true now.  There was humour in his voice. “I don’t remember being told treasury agents were armed.”“I’m not just any treasury agent.” Tony said as an immediate rebuff.  

James smirked. “No, you are not.”  He didn’t stop unbuttoning the shirt, not quite ready to remove the shoulder holster and gun. What can he say? It was a kink of his.The knock at the door stopped them, panting and mid strip - luckily they still had their trousers on.  Tony growled as James opened it.  He checked, it was a goon but better to open the door and control the situation then have them shoot indiscriminately through the door.  Tony didn’t blink and had his gun out of his holster.  James grinned as he opened the door. “Doesn’t your boss understand no means no.”The goon sneered. “He wants you to reconsider or we are to harm your little boyfriend.”Tony rolled his eyes because wow, way to go straight for the cliche.  He decided to show how he felt about being called little.   He felt the Walter Sig pistol staring the goon in the face with an unwavering grip would give them some clue.  “I’m not little in any shape, way or form and I mind very much.”

James grinned looking like an idiot in love.  The goons hissed and James sprang into action and in a few short moments - the idiot goons were sprawled on the ground in pain.

Tony growled. “Fuck this, the family has an apartment here ... Let’s go there.”

James smirked. “You don’t feel like getting dressed first?”Tony looked down, he still had his trousers on and whilst his shirt was undone.  “I have my trousers and my gun. Do I need to be anymore dressed?”

James didn’t care about image or anything like it.  He would serve queen and country and do it with a smile on his face but he was going to do everything possible to make Tony his.