0 comments/ 8354 views/ 0 favorites The Project By: MasterTinagra I had been putting the finishing touches on the “project” for the last week or two and I had tested all the systems. I felt the time had come for me to put it and you through its paces. I knew you had a three day weekend, I knew you had no plans. It was time and I grinned to myself thinking ‘beware what you ask for…’ I entered the kitchen where you were sitting doing a puzzle on the table. You looked up at me and smiled. How I love your smile. It is dazzling on an already wonderful body. Five feet tall, slender and sexy with pert stand on their own tits, a perfectly formed bottom and a to die for “innocent” looking shaved pussy made for a sight worth beholding. To think this knockout was my submissive was almost to much, but I stared straight into your eyes, smiled back and said. “ Butterfly, go strip, wash and report back here in 20 minutes. I want you naked and collared.” You bowed your head respectfully and replied “Yes Master.” and hurried off to complete your tasks. We both enjoyed these days. Calling you Butterfly was my way of saying I was in the mood to play. You never knew what I had in store for you, and I laughingly wondered to myself if you were more curious this time since I had been spending so much time in the playroom. I dismissed the thought and went to the fridge for a cold Mountain Dew. I knew that you had always fantasized about being used without limits, taken and abused, sensory overload. I also knew I was the type that wanted you all to myself. You were in for quite the surprise. You returned early and knelt before me. You smelled faintly of roses and you were wearing my favorite collar. I ordered you to unzip me and you hurriedly did so. Knowing what I wanted, you did not need to wait and soon my shaft was hardening in you mouth. Your lips and tongue we providing wonderful suction and the moaning added to the stimulation. I knew if I let you, you would suck me dry in no time. I detached myself from you unwillingly and ordered you to put your long brown hair up. You glanced up at me with you green eyes questioningly and I quietly reminded you to do as you were told. You nodded and returned when your hair was ready. I lead you down into the basement and to the bookshelves. I selected a hard bound edition of ‘Different Loving’ and gave it a pull. Silently a latch released and the bookshelf opened inward revealing a play space half the size of our basement. Here was our sanctuary. I watched your eyes as you scanned the room and you opened your mouth to ask “what”, but I cut you off and said for you to be silent. I lead you over to the whipping bench and secure you. I turn and close the secret door and select a riding crop from the hook on the back of the bookshelves. I run the whip up and down your back, up and down your thighs and between your legs. The tip of the whip comes back wet. I laugh. I take a few moments and warm your ass with the crop, having you count our loud for me. After twenty strokes and twenty thin red lines appear, I stop. “Tonight.” I begin “we will test your endurance. This is my new toy. I built it for you. It is quite complicated, but that is not your concern.” I lead you over to a bench with many arms. I have you lay on your back and I tie you spread eagled. “Let me explain how this is going to work Butterfly. This machine will accurately simulate a gang bang. All of the attachments are interchangeable and all can be positioned to work from different angles. I have modified the cock that will be in your mouth to ‘cum’ water every so often, an male voice will scream “I am cumming in your mouth bitch” or something along those lines just before it happens. I don’t want you to choke, and this will provide you with something to drink as well.” I take the six inch white cyberskin cock with the hole in it and stuff it into your open mouth and secure it to you collar so you cannot get away from it. I watch as you start sucking right away. “Good Girl” I say as I hit the activation switch and watch your eyes as the piston starts to move it in and out. I can tell you weren’t expecting that. “Next is you sexy ass.” I move the second cock which is a solid seven inches and has the veins sticking out and placed the tip against your rosebud. I pressed a couple of buttons and the cock ejaculated lube all over your ass. “This cock cums every five minutes and will spurt pre-warmed lube into your ass.” I hit the last switch and the cock starts to enter you. I watch you react and you try to escape. I know how you enjoy anal sex with a small cock, which is why I picked a bigger one. I want you to really feel it. I see you struggling and then I watch as you try to scream around the cock in your mouth as the one in your ass finally enters you completely. Just as you start to get use to it, the one in your mouth speeds up and you her… “uggg cumming cumming in you now.” And the cock erupts with a stream of luke warm water. I watch as you swallow and the cock slows down, still pumping in your mouth. “See it works well.” I watch as you still are trying a little bit to escape the cock in your ass, so I push another button to make the cock come again in your ass lubing it a bit more. “Finally,” I say “is your sexy pussy.” I move on top of you and take my hard cock and line it up. I feel the rhythm of the cock under me and I wait for my moment and thrust into you as the cock in you ass comes out a bit. You scream and I feel your body orgasm. I watch as you thrash and try to hold myself still as the cock in your ass strokes my cock deep inside your pussy. It is very hard for me to hold back and soon I am thrusting into you like a mad man. I hear you moaning and saying “oh” and other one worded statement between the trusts of the cock in your mouth. I feel you building again to orgasm and I start to pump fasted. I know I cannot hold back much more and I feel my balls begin to boil. I cum deep inside of you and that sets of yet another orgasm for you. After I drain every last drop I pull out. I see you start to relax. “We are not done yet Butterfly.” I say as I move a third arm into position. This large 9 inch cock lines up with your pussy and I squirt some lube on you, although with your wetness and my cum, you don’t need it. I push the green button and it enters you. I starts right in time with the cock in your ass, it is timed perfectly as I planned. I watch you as you scream an jerk with the new intrusion. I pinch your nipples and lean over you. “See you in a couple of hours.” I say. Your eyes widen and your head tries to shake “NO”. “Don’t worry. I will be watching. I also installed a webcam. Its been sending out a live video since we came down here. I wonder how many people will be watching tonight?” I watch you orgasm yet again and I laugh as I move out of your line of sight. I know you will be concerned with how long I will leave you like this, but soon it won’t matter because all you will be thinking about is not passing out from wave after wave of orgasm and exhaustion. The last thing you hear is me saying… “Its going to be a long hard weekend isn’t it Butterfly… ‘beware what you ask for’” This was my first attempt. I have a wonderful submissive who I hope to one day be able to do this too. All comments welcomed. The Project Tina and I had worked on the same team for the last two years. Our team would create small computer programs for the rest of the company to use. Tina was one of our assistants that would run many of the programs and helped us when we'd create it. We had never been on the same project together, but had worked close enough to become close friends during that time. During team meetings we would get there early so we could talk about what was going on in our lives. Since she had a boyfriend that she had been living with for the last 7 years and I was married, the friendship remained just that, a friendship. At 37, Tina was a few years older than me, and was quite attractive, but dressed very conservatively. Now that it was summer she was wearing some skirts and some tops that showed a little bit of cleavage that I would sneak a peek at when I got the chance. It was at one of the team meetings that summer; our supervisor assigned a two week project that Tina would be helping me with. We were both excited that we would finally get to work together and spend some time together. The first couple days went really well with Tina spending most of the day in my office. We talked and laughed and really didn't get much done on those days. At the end of the first week I looked over our progress and realized that we were way behind. So come the next Monday we had to get to work. We worked that whole day, trying to get caught up but we were still behind so I asked Tina if she could stay late and she agreed. After 5 almost everyone had left, and the Air Conditioning was turned off. As it got warmer, Tina slipped off her outer shirt so she was just in the tank top she had on underneath. When she would stand up and lean over the desk to point at something on the computer screen, my eyes would steal a glance at the outline of her breasts under her tank top. A couple of times she leaned just right for me to get a peek down her top and see down to cups of her bra. We ended up working until about 6:30 that night and finally decided to quit and go home and have dinner. That whole night I kept thinking about Tina leaning over the desk, and getting to see as much of those tits as I could. We ended up working until 6:30 or 7 the rest of the week. Each night after the AC would go off, Tina would repeat her actions from Monday and slip her outer shirt off and work the rest of the time in her tank top. Each time I would sneak a peek, for as long as I thought I could. I had many times I had to adjust in my chair so she wouldn't see how excited I was getting. By Friday we were pretty caught up, the only thing left was to finish writing the instructions. I looked over at her just before we were going to go, my eyes glancing down to get the last glimpse of the week of her tits, then looked up into her eyes, I told her that I would do the instructions over the weekend so they would be ready by Monday. She responded by saying she would help me and that we could do them at her place on Saturday. Her boyfriend worked weekends so we'd have the place to ourselves to focus. I agreed, thinking it would be nice to have one more day working with Tina. I arrived at Tina's house about 10 Saturday morning. I was pleasantly surprised when Tina answered the door in a tight Tshirt and short jean shorts. Normally in long pants or a long skirt, I thought her legs looked great. For being only 5'4" her legs looked remarkably long. As my eyes made their way up, I thought I saw her nipples poking through her shirt, but I couldn't stare too long without her noticing. I stepped in and she led me to the dining room table. I set the laptop up and brought out the pages of instructions we had set already. Tina pulled her chair close to mine and I could smell the slightest hint of perfume. I knew it would be difficult to work with her as a distraction, but it was a great distraction. We ended up finishing everything up around noon and I had Tina take one last run through everything. It all worked perfectly. With that I looked over at her with a big smile and told her we were done. She then stood up and leaned over and gave me a big hug. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in close to me. It felt so good feeling her against me. Tina told me to wait there as she stood back up and turned and walked into the kitchen. She came back with a little bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses. She said that she wanted to celebrate our first project completed together. I put the laptop and papers away as she poured us each a glass. We stood there in the dining room and clinked our glasses together and toasted what we hoped was our first of many projects together. We each took a sip, and then walked into the living room and I sat on the sofa. Tina sat down next to me and we kicked our feet up on the coffee table. We sipped on our sparkling wine and talked. After a couple minutes Tina leaned in and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. She said she had really enjoyed working with me and I quickly agreed with her that this had been an enjoyable time. She then looked up at me and gave my cheek a little kiss. I looked down into her big brown eyes staring back up at me and I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. It felt so good finally getting to kiss her. I had wanted to do that for so long, but had held back so many times. We sat and kissed for a long time, our lips parting and our tongues dancing over each others, with soft smacking the only sound in the room. After a moment, Tina broke the kiss, sat up, turned and straddled me. She cupped my face with her hands and leaned in and we continued our kiss. My hands were running up and down her legs, taking in the soft smooth skin. Tina started pushing back and forth slowly and began making very soft moans. I slid one hand up under her shirt, sliding higher until my hand was cupping one of her tits, feeling the lace of her bra. My other hand started pushing her shirt up and she leaned back and stopped me. Tina stood up and took my hand and had me stand and told me to follow her. We went upstairs turned and stepped into the bedroom. Seeing her stand there in the bedroom felt so wrong, but I wanted her so bad at this point. Tina sat on the edge of the bed, still holding my hand. She pulled me on top of her as she laid back. I lay on top of her, kissing her, my hands pushing her shirt up until it slid off. My lips only left hers long enough for her shirt to come off. My fingertips brushing over her body, tracing the lace edge of her bra. I slowly started to kiss down her neck, down between her breasts. My lips were gliding over her soft, warm skin. I felt a tugging at my shirt and looked up and saw Tina pulling on it, I slid up and helped her get it off of me. Her hands ran over my back as I sucked on one of her nipples through her bra. My teeth were even gently tugging on it. Her body looked and felt so amazing under me, I had to see more and I continued my kisses down it. I was taking my time, making sure to kiss as much as I could as she was beginning to writhe under me. Her hands were now in my hair, running through it and even lightly pulling it on occasion. I kissed down until I reached Tina's shorts. I kneeled between her legs and my fingers unbuttoned her shorts and I worked the zipper down. I looked up into those sexy brown eyes as I slid those shorts down, finally off one leg, then the other. I looked down and saw the little black thong she was wearing. She kicked up her legs and rested them on my shoulders, my hands ran over them, toward her thong. I turned my head kissing the inside of one of her calves while my hand gently rubbed over her thong. I saw Tina bite her lip as she grabbed the covers on the bed. Her hips were starting to buck slowly as my finger gently stroked her pussy through the thong. After a moment, Tina sat up, sliding back on the bed, she kissed my lips and then pushed me so I was lying on my back. She was kneeling, straddling my legs looking down at me as she unhooked her bra. "Oh yes" I moaned when I finally got to see her 36C tits. My hands immediately reached up and started playing with Tina's tits. With my fingertips, I was tracing circles around her large nipples. Her fingers were opening my pants, and sliding them and my boxers down. She slid back, until she was standing at the foot of the bed, and my pants fell to the floor. She stood there, slowly swaying back and forth as I lay on my back and watched her slide her thong off. I saw she had a surprisingly full bush, which looked so sexy and made my cock stand even straighter. She slid back up to lay on top of me. We kissed a very quick kiss, my moans were growing louder. I, whispered to her that I wanted her so bad. Tina sat back up, straddling me, my cock resting between us as she took her hand and held it tight to her bush. She started rubbing her bush with my cock. "Yes, I have to have you" I said. I watched as Tina leaned over and opened the nightstand drawer. Her tits were bouncing with each little movement. She pulled out a brand new box of condoms, that she opened and pulled one out. I laughed a bit and said, "You must have had something planned" Tina replied with a big smile, "You're not as sneaky with your glances as you think." Tina handed me the condom and I opened it and started rolling it on. As I did, Tina slowly moved back and forth on my legs. She took her breasts in her hands and rubbed them, taking her nipples and rolling them between her fingers. Once I had the condom on, my hands replaced hers and she took my cock in her hand and guided it to her pussy. I could feel it start to slide inside her as she lowered herself down on it. I pushed up slightly and let out a long moan. Once I was all the way in, she leaned over me; her long auburn hair was framing both of our faces. "Oh God, Tina, that feels so good." I cried out. Tina's response was a long lingering kiss. We moved slowly together, my cock buried inside her. My hands were taking as much of her tits as they could, and massaging them, squeezing them and rubbing over her nipples. We fucked slowly for a few minutes, kissing and touching each other. We started to go faster and faster as my hands ran down her back and grabbed her sexy ass, spreading her open as I tried to get deeper inside her. Feeling that, Tina started pushing back harder and we started going faster and faster. Our moans were getting louder with each thrust. Finally, Tina sat up, her hands pressing down on my chest as she rode me hard and fast. I pushed up as deep as I could inside her and she looked up and her eyes closed. Her tits bounced in my hands each time she dropped on top of me. Then I felt it, her pussy tightened around my cock and she let out a loud cry, "Oh yesssss!" as she came to a climax. Feeling how tight she got, proved too much for me and I pushed up as deep as I could inside her felt my cum start to fill the condom. I looked down and watched my cock push up harder into her as I released jet after jet of cum. Moaning with each release, and telling her how amazing it was feeling. As we both came down from our orgasms, Tina collapsed on top of me. We resumed our kiss and I started to slowly pull out of her. We ended up laying together, her on top of me, for another hour. We kissed and touched each other's bodies. I looked over and realized it was getting late in the afternoon. I gave Tina one last kiss and let her know I had to be going. We stood up and got dressed, held each other and kissed one last time. She led me downstairs and I gathered my things and walked out. Due to the success of that project, over the next few years, Tina and I worked on many more projects together. Every one of them was wonderful to work on with her. Each project we worked on together, I couldn't wait until we were finished so we could celebrate. The Project Julia had the management team in the palm of her hand. They sat around the board table, transfixed, as she presented her business case. Julia had her PowerPoint presentation, her Gantt charts, and plenty of supporting facts and figures. But more importantly, she knew how to subtly guide them towards the outcome she wanted so that afterwards, they would think it was their idea. A black pencil skirt and tailored jacket showed off her toned physique but also projected a very professional image. Julia knew that many men let their guard down when confronted by an attractive woman. With this bunch of stubborn, testosterone-filled businessmen the twenty-eight-year-old project manager needed every advantage she could get. Reading their expressions, Julia could tell they were about as receptive as they were ever going to be. Well, except for the operations manager. Bob had a rather pained expression on his face but she suspected that had more to do with his ulcer than her presentation. With perfect timing, she went for the kill. "So you see, we can meet our client's needs and provide a healthy boost to the bottom line. All we need is a few extra resources on this critical path," she pointed at a red bar on the Gantt chart. She held her breathe and waited for their reaction. "What do you need?" asked the chief financial officer, frowning slightly. Considering that last week he had threatened to axe a project that went over budget, Julia took this as a good sign. "A ten-percent increase in developer hours will be sufficient," Julia replied. "Isn't the R&D team already fully committed?" asked the marketing manager warily. Derek, the R&D manager, sat up straight as he became the center of attention. He cleared his throat. "Actually, my team is on target with their other projects. In fact, a couple of guys have asked if there will be any overtime available this quarter..." Julia hid a satisfied smile. She knew very well the developers were happy to do overtime. She had casually asked a few of them just last week and suggested that they make their preferences known to their manager. "Well, that's settled then. You and Derek can work out the details and then I'll approve the budget variation," said the CFO. He then closed his leather-bound diary and the rest of the group took that as a sign the meeting was adjourned. Julia walked out of the meeting with her head held high. She allowed herself to savor the satisfaction for a few moments. This was the biggest project she had ever been contracted to manage but so far she had proven herself up to the task. The project involved upgrading billing and financial software which was used by some of the largest companies in New Zealand. Her employer, Gensoft, was a software development firm with approximately two hundred employees in Wellington. Sometimes it seemed a daunting task but it was just a matter of keeping your eyes firmly on the goal and tackling the obstacles one at a time. She spotted a familiar head of frizzy blond hair waiting in the corridor. It was Steven, one of the younger developers. "Hi Julia. Um...how'd it go in there?" he asked hesitantly. "Very well, thank you. I got approval for the variation." She grinned at him and noticed how he stood up straighter and unconsciously returned her smile. He was in his early twenties and she'd heard he was quite good at his job. His social skills weren't very polished though, and his wardrobe seemed to be limited to long-sleeved t-shirts and corduroy pants. He seemed like the harmless sort, a stereo-typical computer geek. "That's great news," Steven replied. "You're really good - at doing business cases I mean." He blushed unexpectedly. Julia looked at him curiously, wondering whether he had been waiting for her or standing there for some other reason. She often noticed he was nearby but he never talked to her before. Steven wasn't even on her project team, so it wasn't like they had much reason to interact. Steven started to look a little panicked, as if he didn't know what to say next. Julia suddenly realized a potential explanation for his odd behaviour. Perhaps the younger man had a crush on her. If that was true it would be flattering but a little embarrassing. She didn't really want to encourage his attention. He wasn't the kind of guy she would normally date, and there was also their age difference to consider. She decided it would be best to limit contact with him. She put on a professional, but disinterested, smile. "Thanks Steven. Well, I had better get back to work now. Have a nice day," she said brightly. "Ok... you too," he stammered. Julia walked away and hoped he wasn't still watching her. She put a lot of effort into earning respect and even admiration from her colleagues, but a crush was taking things a bit too far. Julia returned to her office. It was scarcely bigger than a supply closet but it was sufficient considering she was a contractor and not a permanent employee. She had a couple of motivational posters on the walls, a potted fern in the corner, and a door she could close when she needed to have a difficult telephone conversation. Most of the building was open plan so she was quite lucky in that respect. She sat down and started checking progress reports and scheduling meetings for tomorrow. --------------------- Julia arrived at her home in Kelburn a little after 6pm. She dumped her laptop, slipped off her heels and padded into the kitchen to cook a quick healthy stir-fry for dinner. The phone rang just as she was cleaning up the dishes. "Hi babe. How are you doing?" asked a familiar masculine voice. "Mark, hi. I'm fine thanks. How are things in Sydney?" Mark was her boyfriend. Well, not exactly her boyfriend anymore. It was complicated. He had moved to Sydney for a job six months ago. A successful corporate lawyer, he asked her to go with him but Julia loved Wellington and didn't want to leave. At first she had missed him terribly and flew across the Tasman almost every weekend to be with him. But he kept making excuses for not visiting Wellington in return. As months passed they met less frequently and sometimes weeks passed even between phone calls. With a start, Julia realized she hadn't even thought about him since the last call. Mark rambled on about his current project arranging a merger between two companies and Julia had to stifle a yawn. He was thirty years old, handsome and successful and everything she thought she wanted in a man, but she just wasn't willing to rearrange her life for him. Too independent for her own good, as her mother would say. She interrupted him as diplomatically as possible. "That's great, Mark. How about we talk about it more when you visit this weekend?" There was an awkward silence on the phone and Julia had a sudden sense of déjà vu. "I don't think I'll be able to fly over this weekend after all," he said apologetically. "I need to meet with some clients on Saturday afternoon. I hope you understand..." "Don't worry about it," Julia said politely. "I guess I'll see you when I see you." "You could come to Sydney instead. There's a great new restaurant on the waterfront I'd like to show you." "Maybe next month," she replied. "I'll check my calendar and get back to you." "I look forward to it. Take care, babe." As Julia put down the phone she realized she didn't even feel disappointed or angry with him anymore. There was just nothing left. It must be time to move on. She never asked him if he was seeing other women in Sydney because she didn't want to know. But it was highly likely that he was. Julia made a resolution to get out and meet someone new. Just as soon as she had some spare time. Julia changed into shorts and a dri-tech top exercise top and pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She needed to go out for a run while it was still light outside. She had a lot of stress to burn off and some thinking to do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nine o'clock the next morning Julia sat in the R&D manager's office. Derek, the R&D manager, was in his early forties, with a receding hairline and glasses. He wasn't an overbearing sort of man but managed to keep the developers in line well enough. Perhaps because he used to be one himself. Julia knew from experience that engineers didn't tend to respect managers who didn't understand their work, which was why she made an effect to research the technical details of any project she was involved in. Technical knowledge wasn't necessary to manage a project but it certainly didn't hurt. Julia and Derek were discussing the additional resource requirements of her project. "Have you thought about who else you could assign to my project?" she asked him. "Yes, I have," he cleared his throat. "Steven can help you." Julia wasn't happy with the suggestion but she kept her face neutral. "Really? I thought one of the senior developers would be more suitable. This is a high priority project and we have strict time constraints." Derek looked surprised at her disinclination. "That's even more reason why you need Steven. He writes very good code, and quickly. He's also eager for the overtime since he's saving for a trip to Asia. I know he's only two years out of college but he really is your best choice and he's familiar with the product. Let's get him in here" Julia didn't really have a good reason to refuse so she sighed inwardly and waited for him to fetch Steven. If he really was the best man for the job then she would just have deal with it and hope things didn't get too awkward. When Steven appeared his hair looked even more unruly that yesterday, if that was possible. It was far too long and her fingers itched to take to his blond curls with some anti-frizz balm. He wore a different long-sleeved t-shirt to yesterday and the decidedly casual look was completed with a pair of scruffy trainers. He paused and smiled hesitantly when he saw her and Derek had to push him through the door. "Have you two met before? Julia, this is Steven..." "Yes, we've met," Julia said politely. She stood up and shook Steven's hand anyway. It felt very warm and he looked to be in danger of blushing again. "Derek said you might be interested in joining the project team," she said to Steven. "Uh, yes. I'm happy to help where I can," he replied. "Are you familiar with the details of the upgrade?" "Yes, I've read the, uh, overview document." He didn't project confidence and Julia wondered at his manager's faith in him. She hoped he was more competent than he looked. But it wasn't like she could afford to be picky. If he could do the job, great. If not, she'd be back to put more pressure on Derek. She pulled a thick document out of her folder. "We have a demo scheduled for next month but no-one has had time to create the new interfaces yet. Here are the detailed specifications." Julia handed it to Steven. He immediately started scanning it. "You don't need to read it right now," she said in amusement. "If you could get back to me on Monday with a time estimate I would really appreciate it." "Of course," said Steven. His seemed to have completely forget his shyness as he studied the document intently. An intense frown of concentration appeared on his face. "Excellent," said Derek, clapping him on the back. "That's sorted then. You two can meet on Monday and let me know if you need any help." He ushered the younger man out of the office. "Thanks, Steven," Julia called out. He walked away still reading the document and she realized he was on a collision course for a large pot plant. "Watch out for the..." she tried to warn him. Steven bumped into it and looked up in surprise. "...plant," she finished. He glanced back at them and looked embarrassed but continued on his way. Derek turned to Julia with a rueful smile. "He'll do a good job, I promise." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Mark had cancelled their weekend plans, Julia arranged to go out on Saturday night with a girlfriend. She met Emily at a popular bar on Cuba street. "Hey sweetie. I haven't seen you in a while," said Emily cheerfully. She wore a layered red top and tidy jeans. Her dark hair was shorter than Julia remembered, and cut in a cute bob. "Yeah, sorry. I've just been so busy with my new contract." Julia perched on the bar stool beside her and ordered a drink. "You work too hard, girl," Emily complained, frowning. Julia rolled her eyes. "I'm here now, aren't I?" she replied. They talked about work and other topics. Emily was an occupational therapist at the hospital and always had an interesting story to tell. "How is that no-good boyfriend of yours," she asked after a while. "Mark?" Julia shrugged. "Haven't seen him in ages. You were right, I should move on." Emily looked at her in surprised delight and gave her a quick hug. "Good few you, sweetie. There are a few hotties here tonight," she whispered conspiratorially. Julia glanced around and noticed more than one man trying to catch her eye. "I see what you mean," she whispered back. It wasn't long before someone took the seat next to Julia. She glanced over and decided she liked what she saw. He was tall and well-dressed, clean shaven with short brown hair. Emily covertly poked her in the side but Julia didn't need much encouragement. She smiled at the stranger. "Hi, I'm Ben," he introduced himself. "Can I buy either of you ladies a drink?" Emily smiled and shook her head. She already had a partner waiting at home so didn't begrudge Julia the attention. "I've already got one, thanks." Julia lifted her half-full glass. "But I might need another, later." Ben grinned and turned to face her. "I'll stick around in case you run out then," he said graciously. Julia talked with him for at least an hour. She made an effort to include Emily in the conversation but Emily said she needed to get home to her partner. She winked conspiratorially at Julia and told her to have fun. Ben was charismatic and a good conversationalist but Julia started to get a little bored. She was also getting a bit cold in her skimpy evening top. Ben noticed the goosebumps and stroked her arm slowly. "Has anyone told you how gorgeous you are recently?" he whispered. "Not recently, no," she admitted. Ben smiled confidently. "Well, let me fix that for you. Come back to my place for a while," he offered. Julia bit her lip. Ben was handsome and charming but for some reason she didn't feel that much attraction for him. Maybe she was just out of practice at dating. It wasn't like she had anything else more exciting to do tonight. "Ok," she agreed. They went outside to get a taxi and Ben put his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. She sighed in contentment and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt good to be held by someone again. Mark was fading into a distant memory. It was a short ride to Ben's apartment. He opened the door and she caught a glimpse of a modern grey interior but suddenly he was kissing her and she couldn't see anything else. She was a little taken-aback by his boldness but he was a good kisser. His mouth moved against hers gently but insistently. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Ben wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer and she could feel the evidence of his desire. "You really are gorgeous," he said, breaking off the kiss. She looked up at his hungry smile. "You're not bad yourself," she replied. She kissed him again and suddenly his hands were roaming everywhere, including under her top. He pulled her towards the bedroom and she helped undo the buttons of his shirt. Later, she lay naked in bed beside him as they recovered from their exertions. Ben's arm rested on her stomach and idly stroked up and down. "God that felt good, babe," he said huskily. Julia felt a curious sense of déjà-vu. Mark had called her babe, too. On the surface Ben and Mark were similar in many ways; both handsome, educated and charismatic. But she really didn't know much about Ben at all. Maybe he would turn out to be different in some important way. Or maybe this would end up being a one-night stand. She was surprised to realize she didn't really mind one way or the other. "Can I use your shower?" she asked. He pointed the way and she collected her clothes from the floor. She showered and got dressed. When she emerged from the bathroom he was sitting up in bed, still naked. "Leaving so soon?" he asked playfully. She nodded and smiled apologetically. "I have things to do in the morning." Ben called her a taxi and put some pants on while they waited. He walked her to the door when it arrived. "I'll call you," he promised. Julia nodded and gave him a quick kiss goodbye. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Julia arrived in the office bright and early on Monday morning. She opened Outlook and immediately noticed a new email from Steven. It was time-stamped 10pm on Sunday. She frowned. Why was he emailing her on Sunday night? She opened the email. I've finished and submitted everything to the testers. Confused, she typed a reply: What did you submit exactly? I'm expecting a time estimate from you. She hit the send button. The reply was almost immediate, Steven must have had his email open already. I mean I finished developing the interfaces. I haven't done my timesheet yet but it will be about 12 hours total. Julia stared at the email. Surely he couldn't have done it all in one weekend? She checked her watch; it was still only ten to eight. When the testing team got to work she would check and find out what exactly Steven sent them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Julia approached Steven's cubicle. He had headphones on and seemed to be completely engrossed in his work. She stood there for a few moments, reluctant to disturb him. Faint sounds of music escaped from the headphones. His hands flew over the keyboard and as he coded and compiled. The contents of the screen changed so fast it made her head hurt just looking at it. Steven paused momentarily when an progress bar appeared on the screen and she took the opportunity to tap him on the shoulder. He jumped, startled, and pulled the headphones off. "Sorry to disturb you." "No, it's fine really," he said, looking flushed. Julia looked around for a spare chair and pulled it over so she could sit down. "I got your email this morning." He swiveled around to face her and looked apprehensive. "Are you annoyed because I didn't send you the estimate before doing the work?" She quickly shook her head to reassure him. "No, that's fine. I just can't believe you did it so quickly. It was supposed to take a week at least," she said in admiration. "The testers had the quick look and they said it looks great." Steven seemed to be uncomfortable with the praise. "It wasn't too hard," he said modestly. "I just followed the specification. Although, I did log a couple of small changes. I think there might be some errors in the document. But if you really want it that way I can change it back easy enough..." "I wouldn't," piped up an invisible voice from the other side of the partition. "Steven knows what he's doing." Julia smiled at the endorsement from his colleague. "I'll get someone to have a look at it," she promised him. "Thanks for your help Steven, I really appreciate it." "Any time," he offered, smiling back. Julia was suddenly struck by how blue his eyes were. He didn't make eye contact often, but when he did his gaze was very intense. He also had nice skin for a guy, lightly tanned with a dusting of freckles. She gave herself a mental slap. Now was not the time to be admiring a younger colleague's physical attributes. The Project She went to stand up but he stopped her. "Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favour," he asked in a rush. "Ok," Julia said cautiously. She hoped he wasn't about to ask her out. She had considered how she could politely decline in such a situation but it would be easier if it didn't come to that. "Well...um...I have an idea that I want to present to management but I'm not very good at public speaking. I was wondering if you could listen to my presentation and give me some advice." He looked nervous as he made his request and Julia suddenly felt like an idiot for assuming he was romantically attracted to her. The poor guy just needed some help, and she was probably the most qualified person he knew to provide it. And she did owe him for saving her budget on the project. "I would be happy to help," she said graciously. She whipped out her Blackberry and checked her schedule. "Would 5pm suit you?" "Today? Uh, sure," he said, looking pleased. "Great. Come and find me in my office when you're ready." She patted his arm affectionately and then left him to it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The air-conditioning failed late that afternoon and Julia sweltered in her stuffy little office. She took her suit jacket off and wore only a sleeveless chiffon blouse and skirt but was still sweating. Tendrils of long auburn hair escaped her bun and hung in damp curls down her neck. She was just about to head home early when she noticed someone hovering outside her office and remembered her promise to Steven. Drat. Julia called him in, hoping she didn't look as disheveled as she felt. "It's a bit warm down here, isn't it," he remarked. "Yes, I noticed," she said shortly. Steven had changed into a short-sleeved t-shirt but didn't seem to be otherwise affected by the heat. He seemed to shrink back at the irritated tone of her voice. "If now is a bad time, we could leave it for another day," he offered apologetically. Julia forced herself to stop grouching and be more helpful. It wasn't his fault the air conditioning failed. "No, it's fine. Let's see if the meeting rooms are a bit cooler." She picked up her notebook and Steven followed obligingly. The meeting room on the South side of the floor was only slightly cooler, but it would have to do. She took a seat at the end of the table and directed Steven to stand up the front. He connected his laptop to the projector and opened PowerPoint. "Ok, let's see what you've got," she encouraged him. "I'll just listen the first time through and make notes." "Um, now? Ok..." he cleared his voice and stood up straighter. "Good morning everyone. My name is Steven Moore and I'm a software engineer here at GenSoft. I'm here today to tell you about some software I developed which can convert images from a standard digital camera into a three-dimensional model." He clicked the mouse to start the PowerPoint presentation. Then he started talking enthusiastically about polygonal mesh templates, terrestrial albedo, client-side presentation and embedded flash code. Julia was completely lost after the first ten seconds. She tried to take notes but soon realized it was pointless. "Steven, stop a minute." He stopped and his face fell. "Was it that bad?" he asked dejectedly. "No, you spoke very well," she reassured him. "Your presentation would be great if you were delivering it to a group of developers as knowledgeable as yourself." "But I'm not presenting to developers." "Exactly." Understanding dawned in his face. "So you're saying I need to explain it in a way that managers will understand." "Yes, that is important," Julia agreed. "But the most important thing is to keep in mind what you hope to achieve from this presentation. Is it your goal to educate management about 3d modeling?" "It might help," he suggestted uncertainly. "But what is your primary goal?" "Well...I want them to provide some funding and resources to develop my idea commercially." "Now we're getting somewhere. If you want people to invest in something you need get inside their heads and understand what motivates them. Most people don't need to know the technical details, they just need to know that you know the details." "Really?" he asked, looking unconvinced. "Trust me. All you need is a smattering of technical phrases in the right places. For example, I've learned that many people are impressed by the phrase 'probability density function.'" A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. "I think I could work that in somehow," he said agreeably. "In your case I think the words 'terrestrial albedo' will work just as well," she informed him. "Won't they need some kind of proof that my software can do what I say it can?" "That's what demos and technical reports are for. Now, I'm still not sure exactly what your software does. Have you thought about the commercial applications and potential markets? That's the kind of thing management will want to know." Steven stared down at his notes. He looked disappointed. "I haven't really thought too much about that, I was more concerned with the technical issues." Julia felt a rush of admiration and sympathy for the young man. He was obviously very intelligent and had a lot of emotional investment in this idea of his. He just needed a bit of help to take it to the next stage. "Maybe I could help, if you show me what it does," she offered. He looked at her in surprise and gratitude. "You would do that for me? It's all set up on my home computer, so I would have to show you there." Julia stood up and tried to peel her shirt away from her sweating back. "Let's go then. I can't stand this heat any longer." "Uh...right now?" Steven asked nervously. "Oh, I'm sorry," Julia laughed self-consciously. "It was a bit rude inviting myself to your home wasn't it? Your girlfriend is probably waiting for you to get home for dinner." "Actually, I live alone," he corrected her quickly. "Well, except for Sasha." "Sasha?" "My cat," he clarified, blushing a little. "You're welcome to come over right now, I just assumed you would have other plans already." "Fortunately, my evening is wide open" she replied cynically. Julia didn't feel the need to explain that, in recent months at least, she typically spent her evenings alone reading reports or doing work around the house. That would completely ruin the sophisticated image she maintained. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven lived only a few blocks away in a terraced apartment so he usually walked to work. Julia had caught the bus that morning so she didn't have a car to worry about and walked home with him. They chatted along the way and Julia was pleased to discovered that he became a much better conversationalist once he relaxed a bit. She learned that he grew up in Taupo and had a younger sister who was studying at Auckland university. Julia didn't know what to expect of his apartment, some kind of computer-geek bachelor pad, perhaps. She was pleasantly surprised when he opened the door and found it was light, roomy, and attractively furnished. The apartment was fairly modern, with clean lines and a neutral colour scheme. There was a large oriental rug in the lounge which provided an splash of crimson and gold to contrast with the cream leather sofa. "This is a nice place you've got," she commented. It had a comfortable, welcoming feel. "Thanks," he said shyly. "It's nice and convenient for work. Look, there's Sasha." A grey tabby cat strutted out of the bedroom to greet her owner. Or, perhaps more likely, to demand her dinner. She had the lanky look of a young cat not long out of kitten-hood. "She's a bit stand-offish with strangers," Steven warned Julia. Sasha sniffed cautiously and then proceeded to rub up against Julia's ankles, purring loudly. "You don't say?" Julia raised an eyebrow. "Well she usually is," he asserted, watching his cat in bemusement. "Would you um, like a cold drink?" "God yes," she replied gratefully. He fetched her a glass of ice cold water while she patted Sasha. Soon the cat was rolling around on the tile floor in ecstasy, offering her tummy for a rub. "Your cat is shameless," Julia said teasingly. "Well, you can't blame me for that. She didn't exactly have a high-society upbringing before I adopted her from the shelter." he said with a straight face. Julia grinned as he handed her the glass of water. She hadn't really expected him to have a sense of humour. She drank all the water in a few gulps, and soon felt a bit cooler. "So, where is your project set up?" Julia asked. Steven led her into a small room off the lounge. It was furnished as a home office. "What a beautiful desk," Julia exclaimed. The large desk took up almost half the room. It was executive-style, mahogany with leather top and carved detail around the edges and drawers. It was set up as a computer workstation with a desktop box and 22 inch screen at one end. Beside it was a matching mahogany bookcase with DVDs and books stacked tidily on the shelves. "It's an antique," Steven said proudly. "My dad helped me restore it when I was nineteen." Julia looked at him and tried to fit this new piece of information with the preconceived image she had of him. It didn't fit at all. She realized her preconceived image might need a bit of an overhaul. "What is the blue sheet for?" she asked curiously. It was hanging from the end wall and didn't really fit with the rest of the décor. "Oh, that's my blue screen," he explained. "I use it as a background when I take pictures so it's easier to isolate the object I want to model. Look, I'll show you." There was a small table in front of the wall, also covered in bright blue cloth. He took a small wooden bowl down the shelf and placed it on the table. Then he got a digital camera and took pictures of the bowl from several different angles. "Now I'll use my software to mesh create a three-dimensional model out of these images." He turned on the computer. "Um, would you like the chair?" he offered courteously. Julia declined since he would need to sit down to use the computer. She was happy to stand and watch. He plugged in the camera and downloaded the images. The he opened the program he had developed. "My object-recognition algorithms detect the shape of the object from each image," he explained. "I just need to tell it which angle I took each picture from so it can put them together to create the model." He preceded to do as he described. Julia noticed the interface for the software was pretty rough and the process seemed to involve a lot of tweaking of the source code. Now she understood why it needed more work to make it ready for commercial use. Steven clicked a button and an hourglass appeared. "I'm creating the model now. It doesn't usually get it quite right the first time but I have a few tricks to improve it." An image finally appeared on the screen. Julia leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. "What the hell is that?" she asked. The object looked vaguely wooden in texture but it had odd spikes and angles and looked nothing like the original bowl. "Um. Yes." Steven looked embarrassed. "This is the albedo problem I mentioned earlier. Reflections confuse the software. But I can fix it by constraining it to a basic mesh shaped like the object." He selected something which looked like the wire outline of a bowl and processed the image again. This time, the resulting image looked almost exactly like the original bowl. "Hey, that's pretty cool," Julia said. "But what is the advantage of that image over the original photos you took?" "You can't do this with a photo." Steven demonstrated by rotating the virtual bowl to show it from different angles. Julia suddenly realised the possibilities. "Oh wow, you could use this to make a model of something you wanted to sell on TradeMe or Ebay. Potential buyers then view it from any angle they wanted," she breathed. "Exactly. That's where you'd use the embedded flash I was talking about. It could be useful for any online retailer" he said eagerly. "And people could use it to create virtual objects for games," she added. Steven turned to face her and Julia suddenly realised how close they were. She had her hand on his shoulder and their faces were so close his hair tickled her cheek. He must have realized at the same moment because he suddenly turned bright pink. Julia stood up hurriedly and stopped invading his personal space. She kept talking and pretended she hadn't noticed his embarrassment. "I think that's the angle you need to go for, Steven. Use your presentation to show management how useful this would be for online retailers and they'll be beating down your door to fund it." Steven nodded and the color slowly faded from his cheeks. "Thanks, that's really good advice. Of course, I'll have to redo my presentation from scratch." "You do that, and let me know when you're ready to go over it again," she smiled at him. "Now, can we try modeling something else?" "Ok, what did you have in mind?" "How about this book?" She picked a dictionary up off the shelf. "I already did it," he replied. He opened a folder with dozens of pictures in it and showed her model of the book. "I've done pretty much every object in my apartment." "Even Sasha?" she asked with a smile. Steven shook his head and sighed. "I tried but the little minx won't sit still." "Hmm. How about people. Could you do me?" "You?" Steven looked surprised but considered it. "I don't have a person-shaped mesh yet but we could try it anyway." Julia moved the little table out of the way and stood in front of the blue sheet. She struck a pose and pouted like a model in a magazine. "Ok, I'm ready!" Steven laughed out loud and captured the ridiculous pose on camera. He checked the image on the camera screen and looked thoughtful. "I don't think your white top is going to work very well. It's very reflective," he observed. "Are you trying to get me to take to my top off, Steven?" She frowned in mock seriousness. "No, I would never...that's not what I meant," he stammered. He seemed alarmed at the accusation. Julia debated whether or not to make him sweat for a while longer but then felt sorry for him. "Relax, I'm just pulling your leg," she grinned. Steven sighed in exasperation. "Well stop fooling around, or I won't make a 3d model of you!" He held up the camera and sternly instructed her to turn ninety degrees. "Yes, sir!" she said obediently. She turned side-on and repeated the pose. He barely managed to take another photo before they both succumbed to helpless laughter again. Eventually they got photos of her in the same pose from every angle. "Now I need one from the top down," said Steven. He stood on a chair and took a picture of the top of her head. Then she watched as he downloaded the pictures to his computer. "Good god, my hair looks terrible," she said, mortified. It had gone all frizzy in the damp heat. "Why didn't you tell me?" "Don't be silly, you look beautiful," he said automatically. Then he did a double-take. "I mean, uh, in a professional kind of way..." He looked like he was about to blush again. "Thanks Steven, you're really sweet. But I'm still deleting the evidence before I leave." "If you like," he said amicably. He set up the images in the appropriate order and ran his program. Julia held her breath and waited for the model to appear. She burst out laughing. "I look like I'm wearing a Madonna outfit drawn by Picasso!" Steven looked a bit hurt. "I did say the white wouldn't work very well. Maybe you should have taken it off, after all." He fiddled around with the software and somehow pushed parts of the model into the correct shape and removed the spikes. "That looks lot better," Julia said charitably. "You could have left those a bit bigger though." She pointed at her avatar's breasts. Steven drew in a sharp breath. "Let's not go there," he said firmly. "Fine." She pouted. "But at least make my butt smaller." "For the love of..." He slumped back in his chair in exasperation. "Are you always this demanding?" She shrugged. "Probably. My last boyfriend moved to Sydney to get away from me." Julia suddenly realised what she'd just said and was completely mortified. How did that come out? She barely knew Steven but was acting like a complete air-head and telling him far too much about her private life. "I'm sorry," he said softly. His blue eyes were full of sympathy. "Don't be," she said shortly. "I'm over it." "Even so, he must have been a total moron," Steven declared. Julia decided a change of topic was in order. She gazed at the little 3d representation of herself on his screen. "Your software does seem to work just as well on people. It still needs a bit of work but there's another application for you." "What, narcissism?" "No," she laughed. "Online clothes shopping. People can upload their avatar with some measurements and dress it up to find clothes that suit them." They discussed the possibilities for a while before Julia's stomach reminded her it was dinner time. Steven, reading her mind or perhaps hearing her stomach rumble, offered to call for some Chinese takeout. The steaming boxes of noodles were delivered within fifteen minutes and they sat on the couch to eat. Sasha was terribly curious about the delicious-smelling boxes and Steven had to scold her when she jumped up on the couch. She stayed on the floor after that but she still watched them intently. "You've got a good view here," Julia noted, looking out the large window. Downtown Wellington was light up with brilliant reflections of the setting sun. "I guess that's one advantage of living in such a hilly city," Steven mused. "There are a lot of places with nice views." Julia finished her noodles and Sasha took that as an invitation to jump on her lap. "Oh," she exclaimed. Sasha turned around a few times and then settled down, purring happily. "Sorry," said Steven. "Just push her off if you like." "No she's fine." Julia stroked the cat, who purred even louder. But her phone rang suddenly and Sasha jumped off in alarm. Julia took it out of her bag and checked the caller id. It was Ben. "Sorry, this won't take long," she told Steven. He nodded quickly and she took the call. "Hi Julia. It's Ben" "Hi Ben. How are you?" she asked politely. "I'm good. Really good. I've been thinking about you," he replied. Julia glanced at Steven and saw he was still busy eating. "Yes, I had a good time too," she told Ben. "Are you busy later in the week? We could grab dinner and a show or something." Julia didn't need to ask what he meant by 'or something'. She felt a bit guilty about talking with him in front of Steven though. "I'm with a colleague at the moment," she informed him. "How about I call you back later?" "Working late, huh? I'll wait for your call then. Goodnight, babe." "Goodnight." She closed her phone. "Sorry about that," she said to Steven. "I don't mind, really," he reassured her. He looked curious but she didn't volunteer any information about Ben. She wasn't really sure how to refer to him at this stage, since one date hardly qualified him as her boyfriend. Julia thought some more about the original topic of Steven's presentation. "Have you thought about what you're going to wear?" she asked. Steven finished his box of noodles and put in down. "Wear?" he asked, confused at the abrupt change of topic. "When you're giving your presentation to management," she explained. "You should really wear something a bit more professional-looking than your usual clothes." The Project "What's wrong with my usual clothes?" He sounded a bit hurt. "Nothing is wrong with them," she explained gently. "You just need to tailor your wardrobe to the audience, just like you tailor your content to the audience." He looked down at his t-shirt as understanding dawned. "Oh," he said. "I don't think I have anything better I can wear." "Come on, you must have something nice," she replied impatiently. "What do you wear when you go out on a date?" Steven looked rather uncomfortable at that line of questioning. "I haven't really had many dates," he said eventually. "I guess I would just wear my favourite t-shirt." Julia sighed. "Let me see what's in your wardrobe."Steven led her to his bedroom with a worried frown. She belatedly realised she should have asked before going into his bedroom. Luckily it was tidy, with no dirty laundry or anything embarrassing in sight. Steven was remarkably well house-trained for a young man. His closet, however, was not so impressive. It contained of dozens of t-shirts and an old black suit which looked like it hadn't been worn in years. "You're right. You really don't have anything else." She made a snap decision. "Alright, I'm taking you shopping. Lunchtime tomorrow, ok?" "You're taking me shopping?" he asked in bewilderment. "Yes," she insisted. "You do want the executive management team to take you seriously, right?" "Yes, I guess so," he reluctantly conceded. "But surely you have better things to do with your lunch break than go shopping with me." "Don't be ridiculous. I love shopping," she said with a smile. "One of my favourite pastimes as a little girl was dressing up Barbie in new outfits." Steven stared at her in dismay. "I am not one of your Barbie dolls," he insisted. "Of course not." She grinned mischievously. "You can be Ken." He groaned and Julia patted his arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, I'll find you stuff to try on but you can dress yourself." They wandered back into the living room and Julia checked her watch. "I'd better go before it gets much darker out there." If Steven looked a bit disappointed he didn't try to convince her to stay. "Sure, um, I'll drive you home if you like." "Don't worry about it, I live close enough to walk," she said. He looked like he wanted to argue but thought the better of it. "At least let me walk with you," he suggested. "It wouldn't be right to let you go alone" "My hero," she teased. She picked up her bag and jacket waited outside the door while he locked up. The suburb of Kelburn was a winding maze of narrow roads and parks and alleyways with steps cut into the hillside. But Julia knew it as well as the back of her hand. She led the way confidently up the hill. She paused at the top of a particularly steep climb and was surprised to find Steven still right behind her. He didn't even look out of breath. Definitely not a typical computer nerd – if there even was such a thing. "Nearly there," she promised. "My house is just further down this street." They walked down the tree-lined street. It was one of the older suburbs in Wellington and had a variety of character homes from every decade. She stopped at her gate and Steven stared at the house in surprise. "This is your place?" Julia felt a sudden twinge of embarrassment at the peeling paint on the weatherboards and the rambling roses which were long overdue for a prune. "Yes, I bought it as a do-up project. Obviously it still needs a lot of work but I'm making progress." "It's nice," said Steven. "I like old villas. Is it turn-of-the-century?" "Nineteen-oh-six," she replied proudly. "I started renovating the inside first because I couldn't bear the poky old bathroom and kitchen. Obviously the exterior will need to be completely sand blasted before I can repaint." "You're doing it yourself?" He asked in surprise. "Of course I am. Women can do anything, don't you know." "Right, of course they can," he said quickly. "I just...uh...you're different to how I expected, is all." He stared at his shoes and Julia couldn't really tell in the twilight but she expected he was blushing again. She'd never met a grown man who blushed so easily. It was funny but kind of endearing as well. "You mean I'm not the smart, sophisticated businesswoman I appear to be at work?" She prompted him. "No. Well, yes, of course you are but..." he stammered. "Don't worry about it. It's part of my job to project a certain type of image in the office. I need people to take me seriously and have confidence in me. Outside of work it's different." "I don't think I could do that," he lamented. "Pretend to be someone different, I mean." "It's not about being someone else. It's about concentrating on the qualities you already have that best fit the situation, and projecting that part of you," she explained seriously. Steven thought about that for a few moments. "How did you get to be so wise," he asked curiously. "You're not much older than me, surely." "I'm twenty-eight," she replied with a smile. "See, only four years! It's not fair," he grumbled, kicking a stone on the pavement. "You'll do just fine," she promised him. Julia got her keys out of her bag and prepared to go inside. "Thanks for walking me home." "No problem. Thanks for all your help" he said earnestly. He looked as if he was going to say something else but then changed his mind. "Goodnight." Julia watched him walk away in the growing darkness. She was oddly disappointed. Usually her home was a welcome refuge but tonight it felt like a lonely place to be. Maybe she should have invited Steven in. Then she remembered she was supposed to call Ben. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was nearly midday. The air conditioning had been fixed and Julia had a productive morning in her office. She put down the report she'd been reading with a sigh of relief. She typed a quick email to Steven. Hi, are you ready to shop until you drop? She received a reply thirty seconds later. You didn't warn me about the "drop" part. But I'm ready whenever you are." She met him downstairs a few minutes later. He smiled automatically when he saw her. "So, where are we going?" "I have a couple of menswear stores in mind. Let's get going, Ken." He glared at her. "If you're going to call me Ken I get to call you Barbie." "Fair enough," she laughed. They left the building together and walked the two blocks to the nearest retail area. It was fairly windy outside, typical of Wellington. But the sun was shining and the sidewalks were crowded with office workers on their lunch breaks. They arrived at the first menswear shop and went inside. Julia scanned the store and zeroed in on the business shirts. She pick out a dark blue shirt with vertical stripes. "How about something like this," she suggested, holding it up to him in front of the mirror. "I guess," he said hesitantly. "You don't like stripes?" she asked. "No, stripes are fine," he stammered. "Good, why don't you try this on. What's your shirt size?" "Um...I don't know." She frowned and examined him with an analytical eye. He was lean, with a flat stomach, but not overly skinny. "Take a forty and a forty-two," she said finally. She passed him the shirts. A sales assistant approached with a determined glint in his eye, as if he could smell an imminent sale. "Can I help you with anything?" he asked in a condescending tone. "Yes, he would like to try these on please," she replied. "And can you measure him for pants?" "What?" Steven asked, startled. She turned to him and raised one eyebrow. "Would you rather I do it?" "Uh, no, that's all right," he said quickly. The sales assistant led him towards the fitting rooms. "Your girlfriend obviously has good taste," he commented loudly. She didn't hear Steven's reply but it was probably an embarrassed denial about the girlfriend part. Julia hung around outside the fitting rooms while Steven tried on the clothes. "Let me see when you've got them on," she instructed. "Ok, I'm ready," he called out. She went into the fitting room and found him wearing the blue shirt and tidy black pants. He looked ill-at-ease but the transformation was startling. The shirt made his shoulders look broader and the trousers molded to his narrow hips. "Very nice," she said appreciatively. "But you're supposed to leave the top button undone." She reached up and undid the button and smoothed his collar back. Her hands lingered on his chest. "This is good quality fabric. It won't fade or pill or anything..." Julia stroked the soft fabric as she talked and was surprised at how warm his skin felt through the shirt. She could feel his heart beating, fast. She hadn't really noticed before but he was a good six inches taller than her. Her eyes were level with his chin and there was the barest hint of blond stubble on it. He smelled like Imperial Leather soap and some other scent she didn't recognise. Unexpectedly, she felt a sudden wave of desire. She looked up in surprise and found he was staring down her. There was a strange expression on his face and his eyes looked a darker blue than normal. He reached up and put his hand over hers, which was still on his chest. She drew in a sharp breath. The sales assistant chose that moment to bustle in and asked if everything was to their liking. Julia removed her hand so fast it was as if it burned. She stepped backwards and Steven turned away from her, blushing furiously. "Everything is fine, thanks," she told the assistant. She escaped back to the main area of the shop and leaned against a counter, breathing fast. What the hell had gotten into her? She wasn't type of woman to let hormones take control. Steven might be becoming a friend, but he was still a younger colleague who looked up to her and he was not a suitable or appropriate romantic partner for her. She had to control her impulses for both their sakes. By the time Steven emerged from the fitting room she was calm and composed again. He looked apprehensive but she pretended nothing had happened. "What do you think of the clothes?" she asked cheerfully. "They're comfortable enough. If you think they are appropriate I guess I'll buy them," he said. "Great," she replied, pleased. "The shirt is on sale but the pants aren't. We should check the next store are see if they have anything cheaper." The sales assistant, however, wasn't having any of that. He offered a good discount if they bought the shirt, pants and belt together. Steven gratefully accepted and they walked out of the store a few minutes later with his new outfit. "That was a quick shopping trip," he observed. "We're not finished yet," Julia objected. "Do you have any black shoes?" "Actually, I do," said Steven. "I haven't worn them since graduation but they look fine." "Very good," Julia replied. "Then the only thing left to consider is your hair." "My hair?" Steven touched it self-consciously. "Yes. You have nice hair for a guy but it needs a trim and some styling product to keep it under control. Look, there's a barber right across the street." If Steven minded being bossed around he didn't show it outwardly. He just shrugged and followed her across the road to the barber. Afterwards they had lunch at an outdoor café. Julia ordered a chicken salad and Steven had a grilled Turkish sandwich. She couldn't stop looking at his hair. "What?" asked Steven, noticing her staring at him again. "Oh, nothing," she replied, smiling. "Your hair looks much better." It was a little bit shorter and no longer reached his neck. His tight curls were now better defined and not so frizzy. She wished she could run her hands through them and see if his hair was as soft as it looked. "Thanks," he said bashfully. Julia finished her salad and rested her chin on one hand, still observing him. "Maybe you'll have better luck with the girls with this new look," she said casually. "Wha...what?" he asked, his forked paused halfway to his mouth. "Or guys, if that's what you prefer," she continued with a sly smile. "I'm not gay," he insisted hotly. "Ok, just checking," she said soothingly. "I just can't understand why a nice guy like you is still single." Inwardly, Julia wondered what on earth possessed her to start this conversation. It was really none of her business why he was single. But on the other hand, maybe she could help him. She never could pass up an interesting challenge. "Yes. Well." Steven stabbed his sandwich and avoided making eye contact. "I was kind of the fat kid at school. Plus I was a total nerd," he said eventually. Julia stared at him in disbelief. "You're not overweight at all," she objected. She didn't comment on the nerd thing because obviously he did have nerd-like traits. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. "I lost weight after college when I started swimming three times a week," he explained. "But...you have had a girlfriend, right?" She asked carefully. She didn't want him to think there was something wrong but being a virgin but she just had to know. "Yes, in college," he said. She breathed a sigh of relief. "But it didn't work out. But I still can't seem to talk to girls." Julia smiled at his ironic statement. "You're talking to me now. I'm a girl," she pointed out. He looked up at her curiously. "You're right. But you're easy to talk to, so this doesn't count." "Steven," she laughed. "Good conversation skills don't always come naturally. There are techniques you can practice which will make it much easier." "Yeah? Like what?" he asked curiously. "Like active listening, for example. Have you heard of that?" He shook his head so she explained it. "Active listening involves listening to what the other person says and then paraphrasing it or asking clarifying questions." "Ok..." he said dubiously. Julia decided a demonstration was in order. "Here, let me show you. I'll start a conversation and then actively listen to you." She paused and thought for a moment. "Tell me about this trip to Asia you're saving up for." "Ok. I'm, uh, hoping to go to Indonesia later this year," he said self-consciously. "Indonesia, huh? Have you been there before?" "No, it will be my first real trip overseas." "That sounds exciting. What are you planning to do there?" Julia asked. "I want to see the rainforest and national parks and the water villages. And I've read the markets are really amazing too." "Oh, I love Asian markets. Are you looking to buy something in particular?" "Something in particular? No, not really. But they do make a lot of carved teak furniture over there, so I might find something nice to ship back home." Steven was smiling now. He was obviously looking forward to the trip. "So you like teak furniture then?" "Yes, I think it looks much better than the boring old pine you find in New Zealand stores." Julia couldn't agree more. She almost forgot she was supposed to be teaching him about active listening. She could have sat there talking about travel or decorating for hours. "Did you notice what I was doing, Steven?" He frowned in concentration. "Yes, I think I understand." "How did it make you feel?" she asked. "Feel? Um...I guess I felt like you were really interested in what I was saying." He looked at her curiously. "You were interested, right?" "Yes, I was," she reassured him, "but even if you were talking about something completely boring, it would still seem like I was interested if I used this technique." "Ok, I think I could do that," he said confidently. "It does take a bit of effort sometimes," she warned him. "Why don't you try it now. Ask me what I did last weekend." "Ok, what did you do last weekend?" She leaned back in the chair and feigned a bored expression. "I washed my hair," she said simply. "You...washed your hair?" he repeated. His brow crinkled. "Yep," she nodded. Steven look at her expectantly but she didn't offer anything else. "Um...what did you wash it with?" he asked finally. Julia leaned forward as if she were confiding a secret in him. "I used Garnier Organic Coconut Cream shampoo and conditioner." "Organic coconut cream?" "Yes, it's a brand new product range and it makes my hair so soft and shiny," she exclaimed girlishly. Steven started grinning as he caught on to her little game. "I can see how shiny it is. Where did you find these new products?" "Oh, my personal stylist recommended them for me. I only use the very best, don't you know." He thought for a while about that statement. "What other products do you use?" he asked finally. "Well let's see. I use a super-antioxidant exfoliating scrub from the Body Shop. It has, like, a hundred different essential vitamins." "A hundred different vitamins, wow. And here I was thinking there were only thirteen." "They created new vitamins for this product," she insisted seriously. Steven couldn't take any more. He started laughing at her. Julia tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help grinning too. "See, you're pretty good already at active listening," she said. "I guess it's not too hard," he conceded. "I just hope I don't meet a girl who really is as ditzy as you were pretending to be." "Hey, for all you know I did spend the entire weekend washing my hair," she indignantly. "Yeah, right," he grinned. "I know for a fact you were working on your renovations." "Oh really. How would you know that?" she challenged. Her smile faltered for a moment as she considered the possibility that he might have been stalking her. But that was ridiculous, he didn't even know where she lived until last night. Did he? Steven was oblivious to the thoughts running through her head. "You had flecks of green paint in your hair yesterday," he said simply. Julia instinctively reached up and touched her hair. "Oh god, really? How embarrassing." "Don't worry, I don't think anyone else could have seen it," he said. After they finished lunch they walked back to the office. Julia was pleased to notice the receptionist did a double-take when she saw Steven's new hair cut. Just wait until they see him in his new shirt, she thought proudly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Thursday evening Julia worked until six and then waited outside for Ben to pick her up. He was taking her out to dinner. Steven walked out of the office and stopped when he saw her. She was pleased to notice he was wearing the new shirt. "Hi Julia," he said in surprise. "Hi Steven. Working late again?" she asked him with a smile. "Not too late. You...look really nice," he said. Julia had changed into a form-fitting black dress and let her hair down. It fell in soft waves around her face. Julia knew her hair was one of her best features, and she preferred to wear it loose when not in the office. She graciously accepted the compliment. A moment later Ben pulled up in his silver BMW. Julia waved at him. "Here's my ride," she said to Steven. He wished her a good evening and watched her get into the car with Ben. As they drove off she could see him in the side mirror. He was still standing there, rather forlornly she thought. "Who's the kid?" Ben asked. Julia resented him calling Steven a kid but she kept her annoyance in check. "He's a software engineer. And a really nice man," she said pointedly. "Ok," Ben replied. His disinterest was obvious. They ate at a popular Japanese restaurant and Julia made polite conversation all evening. Ben told her about his job as a property developer and she told him about some her recent contracts with various firms. By nine o'clock she was quite tired and asked Ben to take her home. He was disappointed but did as she asked. The Project She was hot! She was hot and she knew it. The table had been 'guy central' as guy after guy made the pilgrimage to the shrine to ask for her to bestow even the smallest amount of attention on them. She danced with a few, but turned three times as many away. Some things never change. ++++++++++++++++++++ She was hot! She was hot and she knew it. The two girls with her weren't bad, but they didn't even come close to her. A steady stream of guys made their way to her table and after a moment or two of conversation she sent them on their way. Football players, baseball players and all of the other types of jocks wanted to sit with her at her table in the school cafeteria, but she turned them all away. I sat and watched and wished I had the nerve to try, but if she wouldn't have anything to do with the school's elite what chance did a bookworm like me have. None I thought; not a chance in hell. Bobby the bookworm. That was me. The kid with the worst case of acne on the planet. The kid who sat in the back of the class room. The shy guy who kept to himself. ++++++++++++++++++++ Two years went by and Bobby he bookworm had filled out some. The acne had faded, but my face was so covered with scars and pits that it looked like a golfer with spiked shoes had walked across it. I was still the shy guy and I still sat in the school cafeteria and looked across the room to the table where she sat with her two friends and held court. And then the strangest thing happened. She looked my way, our eyes met and she smiled at me. I knew it as sure as I knew my own name. She didn't smile in my direction, she wasn't smiling as she looked off into space -- she was smiling at me. The buzzer rang announcing the end of lunch period and breaking the spell and we all got up and shuffled off to our next class. I didn't have any shared classes with her in the afternoon so I didn't see her again my first two classes the next day. I thought I saw her glance my way once or twice, but I was probably mistaken. I was sitting in the cafeteria alone at a table which is how it usually was when she and her two friends came through the serving line. I, along with every other male in the place, watched as she paid the cashier. Next she would look around for an empty table and we would all watch as she and her two friends walked to it. It was the walk that we all wanted to watch. It was the sexiest sight in the world. Even if you couldn't see the rest of the package the walk alone would give you the hard on of all hard ons. The cashier gave her her change and she looked around the room. There were several empty tables on the east side of the room and none on the side where I was sitting although there were three empty seats at my table. She turned and headed toward the empty seats at my table and behind her I saw her two friends look at each other in confusion before following along behind her. She walked up to my table, looked at me and said: "May we join you?" I was too stunned to say a word, but she knew the likelihood of my saying no was on a par with the moon being found to really be a big blob of cheese and so she sat down. She looked at me and said: "Robert right?" I nodded a yes. "So tell me Robert, why do you sit here every lunch hour and watch me like a hawk?" Her friends looked from her to me and then back to her and "what the hell is going on here" was as clearly on their faces as it was in my mind. I was shy, but it was the kind of 'shy' that prevented me from approaching people, not the tongue-tied kind of shy when people started talking to me. I smiled and said: "Beauty attracts the eye. Extreme beauty attracts the eye and holds it." She appeared surprised at that. The doofus was not a slack jawed clown? I had no idea what she was thinking at that moment. I wasn't the kind of guy who was privy to the way a goddess thought. She gave me a dazzling smile and asked: "If that is true why have you never come over to talk to us?" "What? Me? A commoner approach the throne?" She laughed and said, "We could stand a steady diet of that kind of flattery, right girls?" Her two friends, Carol and Bev, gave half assed smiles that clearly indicated that they had no idea of what was going on. "Seriously" she said, "Why haven't you ever spoken to me before?" "I can turn that back on you. We have been classmates for over three years now. Why haven't you ever spoken to me?" "Because I am the queen bee and all the males are supposed to approach me, not I them" and then she laughed and said, "The truth of the matter is that I have been pretty much a superficial stuck up twit. I'm so used to all of the good looking guys fawning over me that I have never paid much attention to guys who look like you." There was a sharp intake of breath from Bev and Carol when she said that and she laughed again and said: "I'm the queen and the queen can say what she likes." She looked me right in the eye and said, "You know what you look like so you are not surprised that I see you the same way right?" I shrugged and said, "No, not really." "Good. We start off with no illusions." "Start off?" "That's right bubba, start off. Meet me after school and you can carry my books home." "Carry your books?" "A figure of speech Robert. I usually go out the east door." Then she switched subjects to who to vote for for the prom king and queen and we talked while we ate lunch. When the buzzer went off she said: "East door at three. See you there." She walked off leaving me sitting there wondering what the hell had just happened. Befuddled yes, stupid no! At three I was on the steps outside the east door when she came out. Bev and Carol were with her and when they saw me waiting I saw the look that passed between them. Each was soundlessly asking the other "Do you know what is going on here?" There was no surprise on her face when she saw me because she knew that I would be there. She handed me her book bag and I took it. At the bottom of the stairs she turned right, but I took her arm and steered her to the left. She gave me a questioning look and I said: "Bear with me my queen. All will become clear soon." I walked us into the student parking lot and up to a 1993 Ford Mustang convertible. I unlocked the passenger door, opened it as I bowed low and said: "Your chariot awaits my queen." None of the three had ever seen the car before which wasn't all that odd since I'd never seen it myself before the previous night. It was my eighteenth birthday, but the decision had been made that we would celebrate it on Saturday so I wasn't expecting anything until then. Mom had told me to take out the trash while she got dinner ready and dad got out the plates and utensils to set the table. I went out the door to the attached garage where the garbage cans were and stopped in my tracks when I saw the Sea Green Mist Mustang with the white convertible top. It had a huge red bow on it and a streamer that said "Happy Birthday Rob." I just stood there and stared at it. Mom and dad came up behind me. Mom said, "Happy birthday honey" and my dad said "The color is kind of yucky, but you're young enough that it can grow on you." Mom punched him and said, "Shut up you. It is beautiful and I'm pissed you didn't give it to me and give Rob my clunky looking van." "Couldn't give it to you" dad said. "You go out driving in that and I'd be beating guys off of you with a stick and I'm too old for that shit." Mom laughed and said, "You are kind of old a decrepit. Maybe Rob will loan it to me some night and I can go cruising and find me some stud who can keep up with me." Dad said, "I'll show you old and decrepit" and he picked her up, put her over his shoulder and carried her in the direction of the bedroom as she laughed and told him to put her down. I held the door so Bev and Carol could get in the back and then she climbed in the front and settled into the white leather seat while I put the top down. I started it up and turned to her and said: "Where would my queen like to go?" That was the start of my relationship with Melissa Anne Courtney. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ She directed me to Bev's house and then to Carol's and told them that she would call them later. Once we were alone she said: "Why don't we go through the drive-thru, get a couple of Cokes and then drive over to the park?" "I hear and obey my queen." She laughed and said, "I should have found you sooner." "I've been here all along." "Tell me about yourself." "Nothing to tell. I'm a bit shy and I keep mostly to myself except for a half dozen really good friends. Mostly I go to school, study and spend time at the library three or four times a week." "Why so much time at the library?" "I belong to a chess club that meets there on Tuesdays and a book discussion group that meets there on Thursdays. Wednesdays I read books to a group of four, five and six year olds." "I notice that you don't participate in any sports." "Don't care much for them. I'm not into physical competition. I do play tennis with my mom on weekends and bowl with my dad sometimes, but I get most of my exercise in the gym that my dad set up in our basement. But enough about me. Why has the queen deemed this lowly commoner worthy of her attention?" She was silent for a moment and just as she was getting ready to say something we arrived at the Burger Barn and pulled into the drive-thru. I ordered two value meals and then drove across the street to the park, got out and went to a picnic table and sat down. She took a bite of her burger and a sip of her Coke and then said: "The truth hurts Robert, but given the way you accepted my comment on your looks I believe you can handle it. I also said that I was a superficial, stuck up twit and it is true, but I had never been aware of it. I didn't have to be because I was too busy being adored and fawned over. Boys have been flocking to me since I was twelve and I had my pick. If the one I picked turned out to be a toad so what? Just dump him and pick another. "I never lacked for a date and I didn't have a care in the world and it might have gone on that way forever if I hadn't overheard a conversation between my mom and dad. I wasn't supposed to be in the house. I was supposed to be at a sleep-over at Carol's, but she got sick and so I went home. Apparently my parents didn't hear me come in and they were talking about me. My dad was worried about my future if I didn't change my ways. He commented that all of my boyfriends were empty headed jocks and if you took the last five I'd gone out with and lumped all their brains together they still wouldn't be able to come up with the sense that God gave a grape. He said that they only reason that any of them spent any time at all studying was because they had to maintain a 'C' average or they couldn't play sports. "My mom said it wasn't really that bad and besides I was young and having fun like you were supposed to when you were my age. My dad said that was true, but he was afraid I'd take my taste in boys with me when I went off to college this fall and I'd end up with some meathead whose only ambition was to play pro ball. "I went up to my room and thought about what he'd said and I realized he was right. The only guys I had ever dated were good looking jocks. A lot weren't as dumb as my dad depicted, but they were almost all interested in sports and it seemed like that was all they talked about. When I studied it was never with the guy I was dating at the time; it was always with Bev, Carol or a couple of other girl friends. I tried to remember the last time I'd had a meaningful conversation with one of my boyfriends and I couldn't remember even one. My dad was right. I picked my boyfriends on appearance alone and it dawned on me that the reason I went through boyfriends so fast was that except for looks they didn't have anything going for them that would capture and hold my interest. "I thought about it for a couple of days and decided that I needed to see how the other half was. I looked around and there you were. This is the truth may hurt part. I wanted to get away from jocks. I wanted to get away from yummy looking hunks. I wanted someone who my daddy wouldn't think of as just another meathead and like I said, there you were. Even at that you were the luck of the draw. "It was night before last that I finally decided to do it and I spotted you yesterday sitting alone at lunch and I thought, "Whoa Lissa, there he is, the perfect guy. Not the best looking and not a jock and he is on the honor roll every semester so when I saw you sitting alone at lunch today I headed for your table and here we are. So what do you think of your queen now?" "So I am a social experiment?" "Why don't we say that you are part of a project?" "A project?" "Yes. The project is to try and change the self important, stuck up superficial twit into something else. Are you up to the task?" "Probably not." She lifted an eyebrow at that and I said, "You said it yourself about four hours ago when you told me that you never paid much attention to guys who looked like me. The problem is that you are not the only girl with that attitude. I'm eighteen and have never been on a date with a girl and not from the lack of trying. I wouldn't have a clue as to what I could help you do as part of your project." "You are pulling my leg right?" "Not in the least. Never found a girl who wanted to go out with a guy whose face looked like it had been worked over by a cheese grater." She sighed and shook her head. "Last weeks Mellissa would have been one of them. I guess there are two projects to work on now." "Two projects?" "Yep. Me and you. You get to work on the re-invent Mellissa project and I get to work on the turn Robert into a social butterfly project. Maybe they will compliment each other. Can you dance?" "My mom made me take dance lessons when I was in the seventh grade." "Done any since then?" "With my mom at home. She and my dad used to compete in ballroom dancing events. When he is gone on business trips she wants to dance to fill in her evenings." "Okay then. The first step in what I shall refer to as the "Bobby Project" will be to get you out into the company of others on dates. The goal will be to have you ready to shine at the prom." "The prom? I don't have a date for the prom. I don't even know anyone I can ask to the prom. Every girl I have ever asked for a date has turned me down." "Of course you have a date silly. You just haven't formally asked me yet." "You? You are going to be my prom date?" "Depends." "On what?" "A silly little requirement known as "asking." I looked at her stunned and she said, "Repeat after me Robert. Will you go to the prom with me Mellissa?" I stared at her in total confusion. How could this be happening? That the best looking and most popular girl in the school was sitting on a park bench and talking with me was mind boggling in itself. That she was telling me to ask her to the prom defied all logic. "Come on Robert; you can do it. Just follow along with me. Will you go to the prom with me Mellissa?" I pinched myself and felt the pain so I knew it wasn't a dream. I took a breath and asked: "Miss Courtney; would you do me the honor of allowing me to be your escort to the senior prom?" "I thought you would never ask. Of course I will. Now that we have that settled we need to go and see your mother." "My mom? Why?" "If she competed in ballroom dancing competitions she knows how important it is for you to be in sync with your partner. We need to have her see us together so she can make comments and suggestions. As you point out Robert I am the queen and the queen will need to reign supreme on the floor at the prom. When would be a good time?" "I'll have to ask when I get home." She looked at me and I found that she was pretty good at reading facial expressions. "What are you thinking Robert?" "I find it hard to believe that this close to the prom the best looking and most popular girl in the senior class doesn't already have a date, but mostly I find it hard to believe that you want to go to the prom with me." "I have been asked by a half dozen guys and I have put them off since I was having a hard time trying to pick between them. I've already told you why I've never dated any one guy for very long and all the guys who asked me were the same as the ones I kept changing. There were all cut from the same cloth; out of the same mold so to speak. Your senior prom is supposed to be special and I was hoping for something better to come along. Then I did the re-evaluation thing and here we are. As your queen I'm going to lay a quest on you. It is up to you to see that your queen's senior prom is special. Accomplish this and your queen may grant you a knighthood or kiss you and turn you from a frog into a prince. Fail your queen and she may leave you a frog forever." "I hear and obey my queen." She laughed. "You big doofus. I should have checked out frogs sooner." I drove her home and walked her to her door. She kissed my cheek and told me she would see me at school the next day. Over dinner I told my mom that I had a date for the prom and told her what Mellissa said about getting some pointers on our dancing and mom told me to bring her home with me after school. I called Mellissa and she told me she had no plans for that afternoon and that she was looking forward to dancing with me. +++++++++++++++++++++++ Mellissa and I shared two classes and they were both in the morning and at the end of the second one she told me to make sure that I saved her a seat at my table during lunch. When I sat down in the cafeteria I thought I saw people looking at me and I wondered what was up with that. I found out when Mellissa and the ever present Bev and Carol joined me at my table. Mellissa had told the guys who had asked her out that she wouldn't be going to the prom with them. She told Carol, Bev and a few others that she was going with me and the school grapevine spread the word. After some small talk about what Mr. Anders had covered in third hour Mellissa asked me if it would be all right if Carol and Bev could come with her to my house and I said that it was okay with me. At three I was waiting for them at the east door and we drove to my house. Mom and Mellissa seemed to instantly connect and after a bit of conversation mom said: "Okay you two; let me see what you got." We went into the family room which had a hardwood floor and mom put on the CD that we usually danced to and started it playing. The first number was a waltz and it became immediately apparent that Mellissa couldn't dance. I mean she could dance like most teenagers, but she wasn't up to ballroom dancing standards. I was making her look bad. Not at all what I wanted for my queen. Mom was not the soul of discretion. She flat told Mellissa: "You need some work honey. Let me show you what it should look like." She held out here hand to me and hit the play button again and I took mom around the floor until the tune ended. Then mom said: "We need to do one of two things here. Either Bobby has to tone it way down or we need to bring you up." Mellissa said, "I vote for bringing me up. How do I do it?" "Hard work honey. Hard work and time. How much can you give me?" "Every minute I'm not in school. That includes weekends." "What do we have? Two weeks until prom?" Mellissa nodded a yes. "Okay then. Every night after school and all day on Saturday. If we make good progress we can skip Sundays." She turned to me and said, "It means that you will be responsible for having dinner ready when your dad gets home. That all right with you?" The Project "No problem." Mellissa said, "He cooks too?" "My Bobby is a man of many talents. Sooner or later some very lucky young lady is going to realize what a catch he is." I blushed and mom told me I wouldn't be needed for the day's lesson, but to be prepared to work hard the next day. As I headed for the kitchen I heard Bev ask if she and Carol could sit in. I didn't hear what mom said, but I was pretty sure it would be okay with her. As I drove the girl's home they talked about dresses and other prom related things and when I got Mellissa home I walked her to her door. I got another kiss on the cheek and she told me to remember to save her a seat at my table next day. I was late getting to lunch the next day and when I got there Mellissa, Carol and Bev were already at a table, but the fourth seat was occupied by Ray Hendricks so I found a seat on the other side of the cafeteria. That afternoon at three Mellissa showed up at the east door alone and as we drove to my house she apologized for not saving me a seat at the table. "Ray sat down before I could tell him that I was saving the seat for you. He started talking to Bev about their prom date so I couldn't chase him away." I shrugged and we pulled into my driveway. We were just walking into the house when I found out why Carol and Bev hadn't been with Mellissa when she came out of school. Ray pulled up in front of the house and he and Bev got out of his car even as Carol and Steve Miller pulled up behind him. I looked at Mellissa. "Your mom said she would also work with Bev, Carol and their dates." I just shrugged and said, "I guess the queen's court should look good to" and we went into the house. Mom was in her element. She had to be a dance instructor just waiting to come out of the closet. She spent the afternoon going through the basics using me as a visual aid until about and hour before dad was due home and then I had to hit the kitchen and start fixing dinner. When dad got home he worked with mom on the lesson and around six-thirty things broke up and mom came and told me that Mellissa was staying for dinner. Dad pretty much dominated the dinner table conversation asking Mellissa all about herself, her family, what she was going to study in college and what were her goals in life. When dinner was over he said he would handle the clean up so I could work with mom and Mellissa. At nine I drove Mellissa home and as soon as we pulled away from my house she said: "Okay Robert, give." "What?" "Why the long face earlier when Ray and Steve showed up with Bev and Carol?" I was silent for a moment and then said, "I've spent most of my school years with girls having little or nothing to do with me and then my fairy godmother took pity on me and waved her magic wand. The fairy dust settled and there you were. That is the only possible explanation for it. And like the fairy godmother only gave Cinderella until midnight I know that I am only going to have a short time with you and I guess I don't want to share what little time I will have with anyone else." She didn't say anything to that, but then what could she say? She knew it was true. I walked her to her door and she turned to face me with a strange look on her face as she said she would see me at school the next day. She leaned forward and kissed me. Not on the cheek, but on the lips. Then she turned and went inside. When I got home dad said that he would order pizza for the next day's dinner and then take over the kitchen chores on Saturday to give me more time to work with Mellissa. "I think you got a good one there sport and we need to do what we can to see to it that you keep her." "Yeah! Right" I thought. Like that could ever happen. ++++++++++++++++++++ Friday at lunch all the talk was about dancing and prom dresses and my only part of the conversation came when I was asked what dances I thought were likely to be played. I said is was more that likely that half would be waltzes and the rest fast numbers based on current popular tunes and I speculated that there would be at least one each tango, cha-cha and samba. "Do we have time to learn those?" Carol asked. "Maybe some of the basics" I replied. Of course that night Carol had to bring it up and equally of course mom took it as a challenge. "How hard do you want to work?" she asked. "We can work late tonight and then a full day tomorrow. You will need to be here Sunday most of the day and next week work a couple of hours later than we have been. We have tonight, all of this weekend and all of next week and weekend. I think we can do it, but you won't have time for much else." I could tell that Ray and Steve were not all that interested in doing it, but Mellissa, Carol and Bev were all for it so Ray and Steve got dragged along. It was either that or possibly losing girlfriends thirteen days before the prom. We worked until ten before calling it a night and then I took Mellissa home. We were almost to Mellissa's house when she said: "Your queen is pissed." "And what pray tell has this lowly one done to upset his queen?" "We haven't been on a date yet. We have spent all this time together and have yet to go on a date." "This lowly one apologizes, but at the risk of incurring the wrath of his queen he must say that it was the queen who made the decision to fill up all of her available time with dance lessons." She looked at me for a moment before saying, "I guess I did didn't I." Before I got to her house she told me to take a left on Jerry Street. "Why are we doing that?" "Be patient; you'll see." She had me make a right on Paris and I looked questioningly at her because Paris was a dead end. At the end of the block she told me to pull over and park. I did as she said and then she said, "Get in the back" as she got out on her side and moved to the back and I followed. "It doesn't look like we are going to be able to squeeze in a date before prom and I'll be damned if I'm going to wait thirteen more days to do this. We can't do it up front because of the bucket seats, center console and gear shift so we will have to do it back here. Kiss me." I was going to argue? She broke the kiss and said, "You weren't joking when you said there hadn't been any girls in your life were you? If there were they sure didn't teach you how to kiss. Here, let me show you." And she did. After a couple of minutes she said, "Not bad, but we will have to spend some time working on it" and then she sought my lips again. It was another half hour before she told me that it was time for me to get her home. The goodnight kiss at her front door was a little on the intense side and I drove home giving my fairy godmother effusive thanks. It might not last long, but I was going to have some very nice memories. ++++++++++++++++++++++ The next ten days took on a sameness. We spent twelve hours a day on Saturday and Sunday working under the task master that my mother had become. Monday through Friday was school and then after school four more hours of lessons. The following Saturday and Sunday were also twelve hour days. Each night when I drove Mellissa home there was a make out session. Sometimes I got the feeling that Mellissa was waiting for me to do something, but I didn't know what. When I got home after taking Mellissa home following Sunday's session mom told me that she thought that Mellissa and I were almost good enough for competition. "You've always been ready baby, but Mell does need just a little more work. Carol would be too if she had a better partner, but I'm sorry to say that Bev and Ray don't have what it takes. They will shine at the prom, but that will be because most of the other kids won't have had the benefit of lessons." "You really think that we are that good together?" "You bet baby." I went to bed that night feeling pretty damned good. ++++++++++++++++++++ That good feeling was with me right up until the end of fourth hour. At the end of our second hour class Carol asked me to meet her outside the east door before going to the cafeteria for lunch and then she took off for her next class without giving me a chance to ask why or even agree to meet her. Curiosity being what it is I was there waiting when she came out. She walked up to me and hesitated. She wanted to say something, but it seemed she either didn't know what to say or how to say what she did want to say. I tried to help. "Go ahead Carol. As you might imagine I'm used to hearing bad things from girls. I can handle it." She took a deep breath and then she said, "Mell is my best friend and I usually don't butt into her business, but over the last couple of weeks I've discovered what a great guy you are and what a great family you have. I don't want to see you hurt Rob, but I'm afraid that Mell is going to hurt you. I know why she is spending time with you, but I know her Rob. I know that you aren't the kind of guy who will hold her interest for long. She is using you to satisfy some need she feels she has and then she will drop you like she has a dozen others. "I see the way you look at her Rob and I know how you are going to feel when it happens. I guess I hoped if I prepared you for it that it might help some." "I appreciate your concern Carol, but I'll be okay. I've always known that it wouldn't last. At least I will have had prom and that is something that wouldn't happened before Mellissa took an interest in me for whatever reason." "That brings up the other thing. You do know that you will only be able to spend part of the prom with her right?" "What do you mean?" "She is bound to be elected prom queen and Dick Harbor will more than likely be named prom king and they will have to spend some time together. The there is the queen's court and tradition says that she has to dance with all the male members of her court." I shrugged and said, "At least in the record books I will have been her date and our picture will be in the class year book. That is something I'll always have. Come on; were late for lunch." That night after our dance lesson I drove Mellissa home and as soon as I pulled out of the drive Mellissa said: "I saw Carol talking to you today. What was that all about?" I hesitated and she said, "Come on sweetie; you can tell me. Carol and I are too tight for whatever you tell me to affect us." "She says she likes me and doesn't want to see me hurt." "So?" "She more or less told me not to let myself get too close to you." "Why would she do that?" "The idea was that if I didn't get too close it wouldn't hurt as bad when you dumped me and moved on to your next conquest." "And you think that is going to happen?" "Given my history with the opposite sex why wouldn't I? You are the queen and I am a lowly serf and we lowly serfs know better than to try and climb too high." "Pull over." "What?" "Pull the fuck over!" I'd never heard a profane word from her so I was shocked, but I did pull over next to the curb. She turned and climbed over the center console and shift lever, turned off the ignition and then she kissed me. The kiss turned into a hot make out session. She lifted her sweater, grabbed my right hand and put it on her breast and then she placed one of her hands on my hard cock and rubbed it. "I've never done this with any other guy. Not one of the studs and hunks I've dated have ever gotten this. You are special Robert and you are my guy. You are stuck with me asshole so get used to it!" It was a nice thought for me to carry around even if I didn't believe it. +++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday and Wednesday went by quickly and it was prom night. My mom had picked out the corsage and she handed it to me as I started to leave. I was headed for the garage to get the Mustang when my dad said: "Where are you going?" "To get my car." "Your ride is out in front." I went to the front door and saw a stretch limousine sitting at the curb. He handed me two one hundred dollar bills and said, "Have fun." When I got to Mellissa's house and she came down the stairs to greet me she was so beautiful that I almost lost my breath. If I didn't get to experience anything else I at least got to see that vision walk toward me. I had to pose for pictures as Mellissa's mom took twenty or thirty shots with her camera and she told me that she would make a set for my mom as I walked Mellissa to the door. "You might want one of my queen getting into her chariot" I said as I opened the front door and Mellissa walked out onto the porch and saw the limo. "Hopefully it won't turn into a pumpkin before I get you home." Mellissa turned and kissed me with a kiss that made me weak in the knees and her mother got a shot of it. "Would you please make me a thousand copies of that one" I asked and her mother laughed. All eyes were on us as we walked in. Half of those watching were probably thinking "What the hell is she doing with him?" and most of the males present were drinking in her beauty and wishing they were me. Mellissa, Carol, Bev, Ray, Steve and I dazzled the rest of the attendees as we dipped and swirled around the floor. Mellissa was indeed installed as Prom Queen and Carol and Bev ended up as part of her Court. The biggest surprise was that Dick Harbor didn't make it as King. The honor instead went to Mike Ashell who was one of Mellissa's old boyfriends. The biggest shock of the night came when it was time for the King and Queen to dance. Mike had this big grin on his face as he walked up to Mellissa while the band started playing a waltz. The smile disappeared when Mellissa reached up, took the crown off his head, walked over to me, placed it on my head and then led me out onto the dance floor. Just the two of us, alone on the floor with every eye in the place on us. If we had been in a dance competition during that dance we would have swept the floor with the other contestants. We were that good together. When the music finally stopped Mellissa and I bowed to each other as the place erupted in thunderous applause. I found out later that the band leader played the waltz an extra three minutes because we were doing so good he didn't want to stop us. Mellissa took the crown from my head and took it back to Mike and then led him out onto the floor for the next dance. Carol walked up to me, elbowed me in the ribs and said: "Show off. My turn now." I danced with Carol, Bev and several other girls that night because there was no way I could keep Mellissa to myself for the entire evening, but I did have her for more than half the night. There were one or two other highlights. When the band played a cha-cha mom's students were the only ones out on the floor and when a half hour later they played a second one mom's students each grabbed a partner from the crowd and led them out onto the floor and tried to lead them through the dance. The same thing happened when the band played two tangos. The first was just mom's crew and the second was mom's crew pulling partners from the crowd. During the second tango I pulled Nancy Neubert out onto the floor and as I tried to lead her through the dance she said: "Damn Rob. Where the hell have you been hiding?" I almost laughed in her face. I had asked her for a date at least a half dozen times since we were in ninth grade together and she had always shot me down. I just smiled and kept my mouth shut. The last dance was a waltz and all was well with my world as I moved around the floor with Mellissa in my arms. As the last note faded she kissed me and said: "You are a frog no more my Prince." +++++++++++++++++++++++ My reverie was broken as she sat down beside me. "Having second thoughts?" she asked. "Not at all. Just thinking back to the senior prom." "I could tell. That's why I asked you if you were having second thoughts." "Not a one. It was just a paving stone on the walkway that led us here." "More like two or three." "Want another drink?" "I don't think so. I told the sitter we would be home by eleven." "Okay. I just need to make a quick trip to the bathroom." When I came out I saw Mellissa talking to Carol. Carol said something and Mellissa laughed and then Bev said something and Mellissa laughed as Carol stuck out her tongue. They all hugged and I marveled at a friendship that had lasted for over eighteen years; from the sixth grade until now. I've had friends and good buddies galore, but I couldn't think of even one that I've been as close to as Mellissa, Bev and Carol were to each other. I walked up and put my arm around my wife. "Goodnight all" I said as Carol and I turned and walked out of the Landing Strip Lounge and headed for home. The Project "Fuck," the thick blonde spat between pants. Her perfectly manicured fingers clinched the Egyptian cotton sheets tighter. "That's what you need, slut!" He said as his dark hand connected once more with the alabaster skin of her upturned bottom, turning it an indecent shade of red. Moving her hips back, she felt his thickness invade her once more; reaching depths that sent her spiralling out of control. She moaned and moved quicker. It seemed as if 'it' were just out of reach. Always out of reach. Always. *** Jade woke up. Her knuckles were white as they gripped the sheets of her bed. Her legs were tangled in them. Her ample bosom glistened with a fine sheen of perspiration as did her upper lip. "Fuck," she cursed as she kicked back the covers and headed down the hall. Another cold shower beaconed. It seemed that cold showers were her personal cross to bear. Or they had been for the past six months. Menopause. The Change. Or whatever the politically correct term. It sucked. Flipping the switch on the wall, light flooded the tiny bathroom. Like everything in her life, it was in a perpetual state of transition. The essentials worked of course. The new toilet had been installed even before she moved into the derelict building that was her mid-life crisis. The lavatory and tub though had taken longer. She had scoured the Internet for antique fittings that were both free and in working condition. For over two months, she had survived with only the campers' shower that she filled with water each morning and left to warm in the sun. But finally, she had found just what she sought. Devon, one of her 'students,' had run across the exact items she sought in one of the older homes that the city council had authorized for demolition. She had jumped with glee and thrown herself into his strong arms. It had taken them hours to dismantle the plumbing and the help of several of the others to load and unload it from the old truck that had replaced her sports car. She had regretted her choice of the top floor apartment when they tried to haul it up four flights of stairs. It had gotten stuck on the second floor landing, refusing to budge despite the brute strength of six young men pushing and pulling from all sides. Finally, Devon had suggested they take out the bathroom window and use pulleys to lift it up the outside of the building. Of course, it was so late that they had to wait for the next day. Even now, the walls were only half painted. The area around the big bear claw tub was a patchwork of multi-color ceramic tiles of various sizes, shapes and textures. It reminded her of an Amish quilt or the Joseph's coat of many colors from the Bible. The bare wooden floors were partially stripped and sanded. It was her latest project that she worked on when time permitted. Of course, as the days got shorter, the wind hollowed louder, the sun's rays grew weaker and the working poor of her adopted Detroit neighborhood drew their coats tighter about them as they hurried about their day; Jade's focus was upon other more essential tasks. The last of her summer garden needed to be harvested before the first frost. The make-shift pens for the chickens, rabbits and goats needed to be repaired and made ready for the approaching winter freeze. And always, the spirits of her wounded 'students' needed mending; seemingly on a daily basis. Turning the tap, she stepped up and over the side of her precious tub. Lifting the shower nozzle that was attached to the spigot, she closed her eyes as the cool water slid down her over-heated body. "Damn," she thought as she added yet another "must do" to her never-ending list. The last of solar panels on the roof needed to be connected. While the ones that were already functional supplied enough electricity for the summer months, they would not be sufficient for the heating of even the few occupied units in her 'project.' Jade pushed all thoughts aside and let the refreshing water wash away all cares for several minutes. With a deep sigh of never-ending exhaustion, she reached for one of the luxurious towels that bespoke of the comfortable life she had once led. She wrapped it about her curves and stepped carefully over the side of the tub. She hugged its warmth and softness about her body as she walked back down the hall to the kitchen. Like her bathroom and her life, it was starkly unfinished. The old solid wood cabinets were stripped bare. The walls were yellowed with years of grease that clung fiercely despite several attempts to wash it all away. The old brown and green linoleum was torn in several places. Yet all of the electrical sockets had been replaced and shown a bright white against the starkness of it all. Jade lifted the kitchen tap and filled the kettle with water. She turned on the propane and lit the front burner, settling the kettle on it. She rummaged through the cabinet above the sink for the instant coffee. It was a far cry from the Venti black eye that has sustained her for long days on the trading floor and longer evenings spent hunched over a laptop researching stocks and carefully watching markets in Tokyo and London. But caffeine was caffeine, no matter its form. She had just filled the mug with a heaping spoonful of the dark crystals when there was a knock on the door. Jade's brow furrowed as she looked at the old coo-coo clock that hung on the wall in the living room. "Who could that be at six thirty-five?" Fearing that it was some emergency with Mrs Taylor, the eighty-five year old woman who occupied one of the first floor apartments, or perhaps the new family from Texas that had arrived just the evening before, she rushed to the door, forgetting that she wore nothing but a towel. Throwing open the door, Jade was greeted with the image of Devon, loose jeans that hung low revealing more than just the waistband of his black underwear. He wore a thick hoodie with the emblem of the high school he had attended just a couple of years before. He smiled as he held out a steaming Styrofoam cup. "It ain't no fancy Latte, but it is fresh brewed. Did it myself just before my shift ended." Jade smiled as she took the cup, "A man with hot coffee on a morning like this. I think it might be love." Stepping back, she allowed Devon to enter the apartment. "How did it go?" "McJob ain't that bad. It is work and money. In this city, you can't expect much more." It was a sentiment that Jade had heard before. Not only from the younger people, but even professionals, who had once made this place famous for its cars and music, had relegated themselves to...something less. It was what had drawn her to this place. To her 'project.' "Remember it is just a stepping stone." "Yeah, right," he said as he followed her into the kitchen. "If I work real hard, then in a couple of years I can go to junior college and even be a manager. Smelling of greasy fries and working sixty-hour weeks, what a life?" "You know damned good and well that is not what I meant. I have graded your practice SATs. You have potential and you know it. As long as, you stay away from the old crowd and out of trouble. Don't end up dead or in prison." Jade believed in shooting straight. It had served her well on Wall Street. She was not about to change now. Devon smiled that dazzling bright grin that usually meant he wanted something. "Me and de boyz still ain't figured you out, lady. What the hell you doing in this place?" "The boys and I, Devon. The boys and I." She corrected as she brought the cup to her lips. The first sip scalded her tongue. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders as she answered, "Guilt? Idealism? Stupidity? Insanity?" The deep, rich peel of laughter washed over her skin like the cool, crisp water of the shower. "So which is it?" he asked. "All of the above," her voice sounded as if it were more of a question than a statement. She had spent the past few months carefully avoiding her own motivations. He leaned against the cabinets. His arms crossed in front of his chest. Silence filled the chilly morning as he waited for a further explanation. Thinking of all the long hours and days that this young man had spent scavenging old buildings, lifting heavy treasures, stripping paint, sanding floors, tilling soil and hundreds of other chores, Jade figured she owed him this much at least. Her fingers trembled around the Styrofoam. "My office was on the hundredth floor of the South Tower." She stared at her toes as she spoke. How long had it been since she had a pedicure? "I was on vacation in Barbados that morning. Everyone that was at work that morning..." Her voice trailed off. Lifting her head, she looked at Devon. "So yeah, guilt is a big part of it. Why me? Why did I survive when others didn't? Don't get me wrong. This isn't some pity party. Two weeks later I was right back to work. Trading, selling, buying. Making money for my clients, my company, myself. We were told it was what was best. We all needed to get on. It was the best way to honor their memories." His brows furrowed. "But how do you know all this stuff then? I mean the gardening, the animals, the building." She chuckled. "That would be the idealism. I come by it honesty. When I was three, my parents took my brother and me and moved to a commune in California. We grew all our own food, organically. At five, I worked alongside hundreds of others picking tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, whatever was in season." She smiled wistfully. "At five? Ain't dat young?" "It wasn't as bad as it sounds. We got up early and all ate together in the dining hall. Then we went out into the fields with our parents or another adult. We would work until it got too hot, and then come back for lunch and lessons. Then the evening we spent together with our group. It was kind of nice actually." Devon shrugged his broad shoulders. "It was all I knew. By the time I went away to college, ours was one of the few families left. Dad and a couple of his friends turned it into a profitable business providing organic produce to natural foods stores." "So you gots your business sense from your dad. You get your stunning looks from your ma then?" he teased. "Very funny, Devon. But speaking of organically grown produce, I need to change. We have work to do." He groaned. "You a real slave driver, lady. Give a guy a break. I just pulled an eleven to six shift in the wonderful world of fast food." Jade smiled as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean you specifically. There is plenty of other we's around to help. You get some sleep. See you this afternoon if you feel up to it." "Lady, I am always 'up to it' when it comes to you." She shook her head. "Yeah, right. Last time I checked I have your mama by almost ten years." Devon reached out to where her hand rested on his shoulder. His large dark hand covered hers and squeezed. "But she isn't nearly as interesting a lady as you, Jade. I got a feeling that I ain't even heard half your story. But I'm going to." His hand slid slowly up her arm, past her shoulder, until his fingers were tangled in her long, red hair. He drew her head forward slowly. His black eyes held her gaze. Then the solid floor gave way beneath her bare feet. His warm lips brushed slowly back and forth over hers. The Project I really wasn't into projects. Long before in my various encounters with members of the opposite sex I'd come to the conclusion that there were two types of girls I could meet while I was at college. Ones who I could tell would wind up sharing my pillows that evening and those who wouldn't. I was always focused on the first group. My attitude was that I was in school to showcase my pitching talents to MLB and to learn those things which would provide the foundation for my future career after baseball, not to invest in building relationships. I enjoyed exercising my dick a few times a week but I had no time to learn their names. I'm not saying anything bad about the sometimes beautiful members of the second group. I'm sure that the type of girl I'd probably end up marrying someday was probably in that group but as I said, at that point in time I wasn't into projects. On that particular Friday night I was pretty sure I was going to get laid. In fact since there were two parties that night, one a frat party at the Sig house and the other an exercise in hard beer chugging in the basement level at Harrison Hall, I was quite certain I'd wind up with a 'three holer', a girl who'd be willing to accept my cock in all of her three orifices. The more the deck was stacked in my favor with a multitude of targets the more demanding I became in my pursuit of sexual satisfaction. I was enjoying my second Gran Patron Platinum at Casey's, the bar closest to the campus, planning out my evening which, I was sure, would culminate in my driving my cock into some freshman girl's inexperienced anus. Somehow I couldn't imagine anything more clearly that staring at this head of long hair (I didn't much care about the color but in my mind this one was a honey blonde) attached to a sleek back without an ounce of fat and culminating in the full round twin globes my hands had a tight grip on. I spread those cheeks and spit on her star shaped target. It was at this point in my fantasy that the girl would say something totally forgettable like "Please don't... not my ass!" or "Go slowly it's my first time." Whatever she said would always make me smile as I jammed my hard cock as quickly and as deeply into her as I could. I planned to finish my tequila at Casey's and head to the Sig house to test the waters. The girls were probably more sober earlier in the evening and although many cherries had been hoisted up the house' second floor flagpole the atmosphere was generally less intimidating to inexperienced ladies than the brawl at Harrison Hall. In the unlikely event that I struck out at the frat I could always use the brawl as my fall back. The girls would not only be more shitfaced but as it would be later in the evening they'd be a lot more desperate to avoid going back to their dorms alone. It was always at this point in the evening when you'd see the most missing tops on the various women both on and off the dance floor. Just as I was about to rise and pay my check my catcher and two of the outfielders from my team stumbled in, saw me and loudly greeted me. Since I had to buy my catcher a tequila I just went ahead and ordered four. I could see immediately that they were all several drinks ahead of me. Pat, the center fielder, threw his arm around my shoulder and blasted, "Boy it's a good think that we're too drunk to drive because the cops are out in force to-night. Word is they've already handed out three DUIs and carted one poor sucker off to spend the night in a cell." I had to ask, "If the cops are out then why is it so good that you're shitfaced?" He started laughing, "Because we're not driving!" By the time I left they had each sprung for 'another round' and I discovered I couldn't walk the straightest of lines either but I stuck to my plan and headed on to the Sig house. The place was packed! I couldn't remember being in such a target rich environment since I was a freshman three years before. I also couldn't remember being this loaded what with the ocean of Patron floating around in me. The place was crowded to the point of being uncomfortable as I drunkenly weaved through the mass of mostly female flesh on the dance floor. Usually the game room downstairs was a little less crowded so I headed down. Needless to say all the stools at the downstairs bar were occupied but suddenly it didn't really matter anymore because I realized that my fantasy had already kicked in. There, sitting on the end barstool was the head of long honey blonde hair, the slim torso and full round ass belonging to the girl in my fantasy. The two things I couldn't tell from my fantasy that I could see before me were her angelic face and bodacious tits. I, once again, knew I'd shortly be looking down at my rock hard cock ravaging her star shaped anus. I walked up to her and said, "You don't look nearly inebriated enough to rate that bar stool. I, on the other hand, am well on my way to being comatose." She gave me a curious look as if she were studying me. After about eight seconds she shrugged and bounced off the stool. As I sat down she said, "I needed an excuse to move my ass and get out of here anyway. I haven't seen the bartender for about twenty minutes." She collected her purse and sweater and turned to leave saying, "You be careful, now." I replied, "You'd better put your things back down since you've already seen I'm too drunk to go behind the bar and get myself a shot from that Patron bottle on the second shelf. Since you're already going back there I'll buy you one, too." The curious look reappeared. She took her time looking me over but concentrating on whatever she thought she could read in my eyes. She put her sweater and bag back on the bar and said, "It's a party Bozo, the drinks are free." "Bozo? Bozo? If I'm going to be Bozo in this fledgling relationship then I've gotta give you a nickname too." She fought her way between standing bodies and made it behind the bar. During her struggles I realized that those huge titties were braless, a fact used by several guys to impede her progress to the Patron bottle. She left wide smiles and grins in her wake. She filled two glasses with the fiery liquid and assumed the leaning bartender's position in front of me saying, "I started this evening drinking Kettle One. I suppose I shouldn't be mixing these but WTF." I didn't respond since I was completely absorbed staring at the tits laying on the bar before me. She asked, "Have you decided yet?" I said nothing but soon realized a response was called for. I looked up at her trying to think of something to say. Finally she said, "about my new nickname? You were going to come up with one?" The Patron seemed to be playing tricks on me so I just said the only thing I could think of, "Tits?" She chuckled, "So in years to come when they write the Russian novel lengthed book about us there'll be a line about Sigma House being where Bozo first met Tits." She put her hand on her things. "I really should be leaving but will Bozo be able to get home?" "Probably not without Tits help. Could you be my icebreaker through the crowd?" She sighed, "Come on, Bozo, lean on me and I'll help you out of here." I rested my left palm on her shoulder and let her lead me. As we were crossing the main sitting room she asked me, "I understand the left hand supporting yourself on my shoulder but you do realize that your right hand is now clutching my breast, right?" I was still stupefied so I didn't respond. She removed my hand. "Let's not advertise your impending embarrassment at attempting to nail probably the only virgin in the room, okay?" That word made it through to my subconscious. "V... virgin?" "Oh so that's what it took to pierce the fog you're in, huh?" We made it outside and the cold made me vaguely aware of the fact that I'd left my jacket in the frat house. Tits asked me, "So Bozo, where do you live?" "Cold." "I know you're cold and I'll try to get you warmer but first I need to know where you live. Where's home Bozo?" Actually, my head was starting to clear in the cold night air but playing along with this drunken Q&A might still get my dick into her star so I played along. "Here." "Right, but I doubt you want to sleep on the sidewalk so where do you sleep Einstein?" "Bed... not Einstein... Bozo sleeps in bed." "Very good, so I'll tuck you into your warm little bed. You want that?" I just nodded. "But your bed's at home isn't it? Don't you want to be home?" I kept nodding. "So specifically where do you want to be, where's home?" I damn well knew where I wanted to be so I answered, "Star!" She sighed before trying a different tack. "Do we need a car to get you home? Do you know where your car is?" I went back to nodding and pointed in the vague direction of South Lot 4. As we got closer to my car my hand went back to her chest and she didn't try to remove it. Things were definitely looking up! I got out my keys and unlocked the car pushing that head of honey blonde hair into the front seat first. In short order my hands were all over her tits and our tongues dueling, the site of the duel changing from my mouth to hers periodically. We were both still cold so I started the engine and put the heater on HIGH. Making out, sucking face, whatever we were doing was very nice and also very High School. She was quick allowing me to strip off her shirt and play with those huge tatas but every time either of my hands attempted to stray below her waistline she would grab the offending appendage and remove it. She finally said, "Look Bozo, for some bizarre reason I haven't quite figured out yet I find myself liking you but liking you isn't the same thing as being willing to offer up the one unique thing I've been guarding for almost nineteen years. It's just not going to happen. If you want to continue what we've been doing knowing I'm going to insist we still keep it light, kiss away. If you can't handle that then kiss off!" So it was to remain a middle school petting party. She did allow me to help her out of her jeans so I could get a better grip on her ass cheeks but definitely no pussy and no penis. We were really into some good nipple sucking when we heard the thunderous tap-tap-tapping of a police night stick on my window. I sobered up pretty fast as the adrenaline started pumping. Tits started to reach for her top and pants which we'd thrown into the back seat when the officer said, "Ma'am please face forward. Are there any weapons in the back that we should know about?" She couldn't meet the cops eyes as she answered, "Of course not! I was just reaching for my clothes." His attention shifted to me, "May I see your license and registration Sir?" As I fished for my paperwork I had started to calm down realizing that these two were just local town cops and for all practical purposes the University was the only enterprise in the town. I didn't know what the penalty for making out with a girl in a parked car was but I was sure it was nothing to worry about. My journey toward composure suddenly came crashing down around my ears when the cop asked, "Have you been drinking sir?" "Yes I have officer. We just came from a party and I was going to walk this young lady back to her room when I thought I might detour her for a few kisses. We neither drove anywhere nor intended to drive anywhere." The second cop, the quiet one who had spent the entire time allowing his eyes to rove up and down Tits' nearly naked body, finally spoke. "Look son, we're not the morals police. You want to... what'd you say?.. detour for a few kisses, we could give a shit. If the little Miss here needs to get naked every time she kisses someone we don't fucking care! You want to call all your buddies on the ball club and have them come on down for the gangbang then that's your goddamn concern! Only thing that peaks our interest is when you break state laws." He smiled and put his cop hat on the hood of the car. "Look, we've been watching this car for about half an hour. Officer Murphy and I would certainly be willing to testify that it's our opinion you had no intention to drive this vehicle anywhere. Only thing is, the members of our state legislature saw fit to write it into the law that an inebriated person in a motor vehicle is not breaking the law unless that person starts the engine. The starting of the engine carries with it the assumption that the person intends to drive said motor vehicle no matter what Officer Murphy and I say. I'll even go so far as to admit that under ordinary circumstances we'd probably let this slide but you might have noticed that there are Staties all over campus eagerly waiting to tag the students under Officer Murphy and my noses and rub our noses in the incompetence they'll say we're displaying. So what this all boils down to is that if you can't pass the blood test then it's goodbye to your baseball scholarship, your team and a major piece of your future." He turned to the other cop. "I guess you might as well 'cuff him Tony. It's too bad 'cause he had a pretty nice arm; fastball around 102 and a sinker that collected all the lead from every fishing cast I ever made." Tony opened my driver's door and as I stepped out handcuffed me behind my back. Just then Tits chose to look up at the cop in charge and ask, "What did you mean by 'you guessed Tony might as well 'cuff my friend?' Did that mean there are circumstances under which you might 'let this slide'?" The cop opened her door and offered his hand so as to help her out of the car if she chose to do so. Tits eyes locked on mine and to this day I've got to admit that her eyes were the window to an even deeper well of sheer panic than the limb numbing depression which had taken hold of me. I didn't know what she saw in my eyes but she put her hand in the cop's and looked up at him as she asked, "May I put my shoes on? The gravel looks rough to walk on." The cop helped her stand and said "Don't worry Darling, I'll keep those pretty feet off the ground and you weren't going to do much walking anyway." He picked her up and sat her beautiful ass on the car's front fender. His tongue took possession of the territory in her mouth so recently occupied by me and his hands began to knead those lovely tits I so worshiped. He put his right hand where neither of mine had been allowed to go and literally tore her panties from her. He leaned in against her body and with very little foreplay thrust two fingers into that beautiful pussy which had never been touched by man before. As she was pushed back her arms grabbed his shoulders to keep her from falling backwards. He smiled and said, "Officer Murphy I need to shed a few garments here so why don't you sit the young lad's ass on this hood next to my Darlin's. Maybe they'll want to hold hands while you stick your dick between these lovely lips. That'll give me enough time to get myself ready for action. My hands were still cuffed so I couldn't hold much of anything but as soon as I sat next to her Tits left hand flew into mine and began fluttering there much like a bird which has realized it's been mortally wounded. I couldn't caress the bird or comfort her in any way. To make matters even worse my addled brain began to absorb the fact that I was now off the hook. There would be no lost scholarship and I'd still get to pitch my slot in the rotation in the upcoming playoffs. My life would go on, able to rise and fall without ever having to endure the consequences of my own stupid actions. I turned my head and again looked into Tits' panicked eyes. There were my consequences displayed for the whole world to see. She'd taken them and was in her personal living Hell I'd created for her. I was still locked into those anguished orbs when the lead cop jammed his cock into her precious pussy. I could almost swear that some of the light died in those eyes as he began to pump repeatedly into her. Tears were freely flowing from her eyes as they continued to darken. The sympathetic pain I felt became almost too much for me to bear. My pain began to turn to anger. I thought, 'Who was this bitch and why would she decide to give it up to save my reputation? Fuck her! I didn't ask her to stand between me and the charging rhino! Who does this? Certainly not me! I don't do fucking projects!' They took turns pounding that pussy and filling her mouth with what seemed like quarts of their cum. The leader was ready for another go but first he flipped Tits over on her belly. Seemingly knowing what was coming her right hand fluttered into mine. I looked down at her and was struck by the fact that something looked strange. I scanned the tableau before me; the same honey blonde hair, slim torso and wondrous round globes of her ass looked the same but... not. It was almost as if I was looking at a scene slightly out of phase. I suddenly knew what was wrong. Although everything was almost perfect I realized that the hands holding those hips weren't mine just as the cock lining up behind her beautiful star wasn't mine either. As if listening through a door to sounds made in the room beyond I heard the inevitable, "Please... not my ass... please! I beg of you..." just as he drove full force into her. As his pubis crashed into the soft landing that was her ass cheeks she screamed and the little bird between my hands experienced a violent spasm and transformed into a dying fist. I knew I was crying, sobbing hard actually. Tits didn't look at my face but had just curled into her fetal position and lay on my hood. I looked around and realized that the cops were gone. It shocked me that I couldn't remember them leaving. I reached into the back seat and got what was left of her clothes. She allowed me to lift her right leg to put into her jeans and I was confronted with the copious amounts of the former virgin's blood smeared everywhere between those legs. Her panties were history so I finished putting both legs into the jeans. She refused to raise her arms so instead of sliding her shirt on her from the top I unbuttoned it and slid it past one arm at a time before I rebuttoned it. After slipping each one of her seemingly perfect feet into her sneaks I finally had to ask, "Do you want me to call the State Police?" A guttural violent sound shot past her lips as she scrunched further into her fetal ball while shaking her shoulders. "Okay I won't, I won't. Do you have any friends you want me to take you to? I don't know if it's such a great idea for you to go home alone." She finally lifted her head and stared at me with flat dead eyes. Suddenly she launched herself up the lane and ran away from me up between the barren trees. I say she ran but really it was more of an accelerated hobble attesting to the pain her battered and torn holes were giving her. Then Tits was gone. I still didn't know her real name, where she lived or any of her friends. > The semester finally ended and a new one had begun. In February I pitched the first game of the new season and I threw a one hitter. My life had mostly gone back to normal except I still had this lingering habit of glancing over my shoulder at every head of wavy long honey blonde hair I encountered. I never saw her but that was actually a good thing since as I've already told you, I don't do projects and she, if I ever found her, would probably become a project. One Friday I was in Casey's savoring my second Patron when a few of the other guys came in and started buying rounds. As I took my first sip of my fourth the similarities to that day in my past made me ask, "Anyone know of any good parties tonight?" The Project I didn't even look up when I finally heard the inevitable "Yeah, there's a wild one over at the Sig house, why don't we head over?" I smiled and simply raised my hand and said, "Check!" I was sitting on the same barstool downstairs when a pair of hands rose up behind me and covered my eyes. "Guess who?" I froze. Even though I'd half expected it would happen one day I suddenly dreaded how the evening might play out. I reminded myself about not being into projects but still adopted a forced smile and turned around expecting to face the girl I knew only as Tits. Instead I was confronted with a beautiful face sporting a sea of freckles under a crown of amber hair. I sort of recognized her but couldn't remember her name. The redhead laughed one of those energetic straight from the diaphragm guffaws and rubbed her nose against mine. "You're impossible Pat. Couldn't you at least pretend you were almost at the point of remembering my name? It makes a girl feel that she was more than just another notch on your bedpost. My name was then and is still now Alice; Alice Reed." She kissed me and we left immediately. As she shed her clothes back at my room I had to admit Alice was certainly worth remembering but more importantly she knew exactly what to do with everything she had. I was still stepping out of my jeans when she grabbed me and inhaled my cock deep into her throat. By the time I'd finished undressing I knew I couldn't last for much longer so I pulled her on top of me and began dining on her delightful slit. I hadn't had time to introduce myself to her clit when I exploded down her throat. She stayed to milk every last drop from me and then popped up and nearly ran off toward my kitchen. I heard cabinet doors opening and pans clattering and by the time I'd made it to my kitchen I could see that she had raided my 'fridge and was halfway into creating a western omelet with the various leftovers she'd found. "Protein! I've got to get more protein into that frame of yours because I fully intend to fuck you straight through 'til dawn. I'm sure you're thinking that this is a three egg western but I've got to confess I couldn't find any ham in there so I substituted some shredded pork I found in a container of leftover Chinese." She grabbed two melon balls from some contained and popped one in each of our mouths. "Have you figured it out yet?" She giggled. "You still haven't figured out where you know me from! Two years ago on the day the freshman dorms opened up to receive the incoming horde I was parked in front of Harrison Hall unloading my Jetta. You were walking by and apparently liked what you saw and leaned against my front fender as I emptied my car of boxes, suitcases, loose hanging clothes, shoes and whatever. When I had emptied the car and was carrying the last two hanging plants into the dorm you reached in and took my iPad from the front seat and followed me in and up the stairs to my room. You tossed my tablet onto the bed and told me it was customary to tip the person who's helped you move in so I gave you a quick peck on your cheek. Three hours later I missed my orientation dinner while being 'oriented' having your cock up my ass. I'd only slept with two boys in my entire life and no one had ever used my backside but by the time you left my room the next morning I'd been introduced to more sexual firsts than I knew existed. I've often fondly thought of you as being responsible for turning me into the total whore I am today." I sat on one of the kitchen stools as she spoke and found myself completely at ease with this girl. We continued exchanging life trivia about ourselves. "...and by the next morning I'd been passed around to eleven of the brothers. I'd never been DP'ed until that night and when I left I sure was walking funny. So how's your life been going Pat? Been in on any fraternity gangbangs lately?" I smiled at my lap for several seconds before answering. "You reminded me of a night last semester when you mentioned 'walking funny'. I've never told this story to anyone before." So I proceeded to tell Alice, with full disclosure and complete honesty, about that Friday night with Tits. She never once interrupted me but continued to cook the omelet, pour the juice and coffee, and clean up after herself while I let my tale unfold. I'd been picking at my eggs while spinning my tale when she sat on the stool across from me. Her lovely C cup breasts momentarily distracted me giving her time to take the fork from my fingers and taste my eggs. After returning the fork she silently listened until I got to the point where Tits crookedly ran out of the parking lot and out of my life. Alice interrupted the silence after I'd finished with a single word. "Wow!" I enjoyed watching her delicious nude ass cross to the coffee pot and fill our two cups. Without another word she came back and took my hand leading me back to my bed. I was already hard again so she put our cups on the night table, pushed me onto my back and proceeded to straddle and then mount me. I don't think either of us could figure out whether she wanted to fuck or not. Once she was fully impaled on my spike she simply laid down on my chest with her face turned to the left. She snaked her hands under my scapulae and hardly moved save the occasional vaginal contraction to keep me hard. Finally she spoke against my chest in a tone so low that I barely heard her. "I've already admitted that I love being a complete slut but..." She paused for about ten seconds. "...but rape or forced sex of any kind is different. I doubt that excluding my family I've ever loved anyone enough that I'd volunteer to have my body plundered by two rapists. ...and she didn't even know you, and she was a virgin and you never offered up your real name. I just don't think I could do it." She lapsed into silence but in a few minutes I felt her hips begin to move. I grabbed the cheeks of that lovely ass and began picking up the pace. She sat up, leveraged her feet into my armpits and bridged onto her outstretched hands behind her. With my cock as her fulcrum she raised and lowered herself on me and we were off again on the roller coaster. Alice didn't stay 'til dawn. By four o'clock she was pulling her clothes back on saying only, "With a seven o'clock meeting I might as well shower and dress in clean clothes at home." When she was dressed she sat on the side of the mattress next to me and kissed me deeply. She then took her mostly full coffee cup and held it while asking, "Do you ever look for her?" "No, I never have. When she ran from the car she obviously didn't want to face what had happened in front of me so I figured it was up to her to contact me if she wanted to. Besides, looking for her would seem too much like a project and I don't do projects." Alice swallowed the last of the cold coffee in her cup and stared at me until she shook her head saying simply, "I'm sincerely sorry, Pat. I'm sorry because, acting the way you're acting you're either a total shit or severely wounded and I don't think of you as being a shit." She pecked me again and headed for the door. Before walking out she offered one last comment, "I have no idea who or what fucked up your head but trust me buddy, it wasn't that girl. If it had happened to me I'd really need to know why she did what she did... but that's me." The door clicked shut. Alice's speech notwithstanding, as I've already said life had resumed my familiar and predictable pattern. I scored with the ladies more often than I didn't, my grades were high and eleven games into the season we were carrying a ten and one record. The team bus was just pulling into Durham for a three game series at Duke. I was due to take the mound for the second game and I was getting pumped since I was sporting a ridiculous ERA of .93. We were staying at a place that was only a mile from the ballpark and it was a nice day so I chose to walk rather than riding the team bus. I'd never taken the time to look at the Duke campus so I took my time, constantly consulting the map in to guidebook that was in my room when I checked in. During the walk I spotted three honey blondes but the only one with the properly shaped ass could have hidden many shoplifted items in her B cups. It didn't matter that I wasn't in the lineup for that day. I've always adopted the same mindset I'd have if I was about to face the next batter, only without warming up. I studied the size of the Umpire's strike zone even though I knew he probably wouldn't be brought back to home plate for tomorrow's game. I studied each batter's tells and swinging tendencies, I was immersed in it all. There were two outs in the bottom of the third and I was watching the eyes of the next batter kneeling in the on deck circle, trying to learn what he thought was worth studying. Then my reflex kicked in and my eyes flew to a head of wavy, long, honey blonde hair. She'd been sitting behind third base so she had had a clear view into our dugout. The hair was right, the torso was slim and the twin globes of her ass were pretty much the size I remembered. As I waited for her to turn enough for me to see either her chest or face I found my palms sweating. All my game day mindset was in shatters as my eyes followed the metronome that was her cheeks but she never turned. She just walked straight into the tunnel and out of the park. Oh well, at least now I could refocus on the game but that transition wasn't quite as easy as it normally was. After the game I asked a few students where the closest pubs were and found out there was only one in walking distance. I got my iPad out of my bag and strolled over. It was early so I took the vacant seat at the service end of the bar and ordered an iced tea. I got some reading done but my retention was for shit and I knew I'd probably have to reread those chapters so I shut the tablet and continued with my primary purpose for being there, studying the crowd. There were three blondes with appropriate asses but none of them were Tits. After four hours I finally left, leaving an overlarge tip for occupying a seat which was unproductive from the bartender's point of view. I was in the zone. I'd just struck out one of their better hitters on three straight pitches and that made me six and a third innings into a perfect game with I wasn't quite sure how many Ks but I knew it was a lot. A zephyr blew in from left field and blew the wide brimmed hat off the head of a girl standing at the entrance to the third base tunnel. The movement caught my attention and as the girl stooped the retrieve the offending accessory I saw the bodacious tits and long honey hair. She wore a pair of huge retro-Elton John round shades so I couldn't properly see the face but I knew it didn't matter. It was her. The six and seven batters both took me deep. After hitting number eight in his elbow I was yanked from the game. While I showered and dressed after the game all the rest of the team and the coaches gave me my space expecting, based on the look on my face, a complete meltdown. I asked my catcher to see that my gym bag made it back saying I needed to walk a bit. As I walked out of the team tunnel she was just where I expected her to be. As I got close she turned and began walking to the right, away from the campus at a very slow pace and I fell into step beside her. For the first time I became aware of the rest of what she was wearing. In addition to the floppy hat and retro sunglasses she wore super tiny Daisy Dukes with the bottom third of each cheek exposed for the world to see. Completing the outfit was Daisy's red and black plaid shirt unbuttoned most of the way down to the knotted tails tied just under her braless tits. As she walked her cowboy boots made little slapping sounds against the backs of her calves. She saw where my eyes were and broke the silence with, "I dressed like this just for you." "That was you at the game yesterday. Why'd you leave in the third inning?" She didn't really look at me keeping her gaze on the path before her. "I knew you played but weren't going to pitch until today so I scanned the bullpen for a while but couldn't find you. I finally asked someone sitting near me whether pitchers not scheduled had the day off or not. He said definitely not and that if you weren't in the bullpen you'd probably be in the dugout. Once I saw you I knew I wouldn't have the courage to approach you so I left." I laughed. "So you figured that outfit would give you more courage? That doesn't sound like the Tits I remember." She reached out and took my hand and held it as we continued our slow stroll down this lane she had us on. She began to swing our hands at a slow pace to match our walking. Her eyes stuck to the path. "The Tits you remember doesn't exist. I'm not sure she ever did. Did it ever strike you as being odd that night that an above average looking college girl with huge invitations to the entire male sex and most of the females stuck to her chest and no religious manias still had an intact hymen?" It almost seemed rhetorical so I didn't answer. My lack of response however caused her to chuckle. "You were probably so target oriented you didn't waste any time thinking about irrelevancies like that. All you could think about was an image of your own cock sliding into my pussy, right?" "Ass." We continued several more steps before, "Well it was all I could ever think about. I obsessed about it constantly. I listened to all my friends speaking casually about sexual anecdotes and experiences and they drove me crazy with jealousy. I didn't care about major conquests with star athletes or other celebrities, I just wanted to be a normal girl with a healthy sexual appetite. Instead I was always so terrified of the act I just shot down everyone who tried anything with me. Then came the night at the Sig house party. From that barstool where you found me I'd already shot down four guys with a variety of lame excuses." She paused, I was sure, for effect. "Then this asshole starts ordering me around. I find myself giving him my seat and pouring his drinks all the while under dire danger of being thrown up on. How do I react? I lean forward on the bar and flash my tits at him. I get at close as I was capable of getting to asking him to jump me. I... Shit, I knew that if you simply hit on me I'd shoot you down just like the others so I... well you were so into yourself I figured your patience would be pretty thin. When I got into your car I was doing everything in my power to tease you into raping me. If I was incapable of either casual sex or emotional lovemaking then I wanted to orchestrate my own rape. Well I got my wish... sort of. It may have been the wrong cocks tearing me up but at least I knew I'd outlive my hymen. I've thought about it a lot and I'm fully aware that it wasn't really a rape. If I'd just kept my mouth shut I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have done anything to me. They would have carried Pat Erikson off to some cell and escorted me back to my dorm. The moment they put those 'cuffs on you you'd become a bit player in the unfolding drama. I entered into a conspiracy with those two cops to assassinate my cherry. You had no say at all in the unfolding events." The lane sloped down to a tree lined river with a large boathouse and a rack with several rowing shells. "We've got a pretty good rowing team." She sat on the riverbank's grass. "I come here sometimes, it's peaceful." I sat next to her. "You have the advantage, you know I'm Pat." "Kristy, Kristy Swanson. Pleased to meet you. After the parking lot I didn't let anyone touch me until I'd transferred here. Then I kind of went off. My goal was thirty guys in forty-five days." "How'd you make out with that?" "Let's just say I exceeded expectations. It probably didn't hurt that this one guy set up a party; nine guys and me for the weekend." She turned to me and smiled, "I've been told I'm a pretty good fuck! I'm wearing this stupid slut outfit and I take you to this stupid river with all these stupid trees for privacy but I don't think I'm doing such a hot job at seducing you. Last semester I fucked anyone who even glanced at me. Not so much lately but you come under the heading of 'unfinished business', no strings and no projects." I'd been sitting next to her but I leaned back and stretched out. I began, "Not that long ago I was having a 'morning after' moment with a girl named Alice Reed. I told her everything about that night starring Bozo and Tits and she said I was either a total shit or a wounded bird. As she was leaving she said she didn't think of me as a shit. Maybe between the two of us you win the prize for Best Sexual Mental Hygiene." Kristy rolled onto my chest and laid her head on my collarbone. "We're pretty pathetic." She felt good there. I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arms around her. We fell asleep that way. When I started awakening my arms were still wrapped around her back. Once again I kissed the top of her head while I slid my left hand down her back hoping to slip inside her shorts and grab the ass I remembered so well. Only problem was as I got down to her butt I found my way unimpeded by any more garments. Somehow while I was asleep she'd managed to separate herself from her shorts allowing my fingers an easy route to the interior of her already wet pussy. Since I wasn't yet used to anyone named Kristy I slipped two fingers into Tits while allowing my index finger to begin drawing lazy circles around her clit. She moaned and the moans became slurred speech, "I've wanted this for so long." She reached up with both hands and grabbed two fistfuls of my hair as she drove her tongue deep into my mouth. I reached up and untied the knot beneath those wondrous tits. Throwing her shirt aside marked the first time I'd ever been with her when she was completely nude and somehow the removal of that tiny piece of cloth that was her panties made all the difference. I rolled her over onto her back and began to feast. With every swipe of my tongue her moans became groans, groans became cries and cries became shrieks. She slid onto her side and turned so that she could match me stroke for stroke inhaling my dick. In the last nine months she'd certainly become a world class cocksucker but my fantasy was now kicking in. I pulled her onto her knees and kneeled behind her preparing to play out my dream. I sank my cock full into her pussy for a few strokes to get it well lubricated before reaiming it at the star I'd been dreaming of for so long. I drove my cock home and Tits roared. "I know that sound! Kristy's having a party!" I turned and saw three big linebacker types trotting down the bank seemingly intent on joining our party. I called, "Hey guys, how about letting us have a little privacy here?" The first guy turned to his mates and said "What do you know? Little 'Captain Meltdown' can't enjoy our Kristy without privacy! He can only use one hole at a time but he doesn't want to share. Dude, if you'd finished out the game the way you'd thrown the first six maybe you'd deserve her as your prize but the speed that you fell apart? Feel lucky if we allow you to stay." Pulling my dick from Tits' ass I rose and shoved the guy on his back. The other two grabbed my arms, gut punched me and quickly pinned me to the ground when Tits jumped to her feet. "He's mine Randy and he's right. We really want some privacy here." Her words were falling on deaf ears, however. Randy wanted payback and he advanced toward me with clenched fists. Tits didn't hesitate at all though and jumped at him, head-butting him on the bridge of his nose which instantly collapsed gushing copious amounts of blood. As Randy dropped to the ground Tits turned to the other two. "Greg you two carry him back to the nurse's station. He's apparently just tripped. If I hear any other version of that story around campus I will charge all three of you with attempted rape and my friend will back me up. Even if you get off, that's the kind of charge which will follow you around for the rest of your lives. Now leave us alone." The Project I was still attempting to breathe normally after the hit to my solar plexus when Tits lay back on the ground cradling my head against her breast. I couldn't help it. I was a guy and a huge breast was before my lips so I began to suckle. I finally asked, "Without naming any names do you think you could use this incident to get your administration to let you transfer back?" She looked into my eyes studying me as she had at the bar back in Sig House. "Probably, do you want me to try?" I pulled her on top of me and I was able to get my still ¾ hard dick into her pussy. As we began rocking against each other I answered, "Yeah, very much so. You see I think I really need a project in my life." The Project Guide Pt. 01 It was the final year of college, and the time for students scrambling for getting their final semester projects completed or running around for the last few companies that come for recruitment. I had gotten placed in my third year itself due to my extremely good relations with the placement officer and my ability to charm my way through difficult situations. The final year project had a big impact on your over all score and passing it was a pre-requisite for joining the job I was offered. Sadly, my project group was just me and two other girls of my class that were, lets just say not very bright. We had managed to completely screw up the project, and with only fifteen days to go for the final project submission, it was time for desperate measures. Our project guide was Mr Sawant, he was the brother of the Dean of the university and our Head of Department. He was famous for being an ass, and flunking students in the final year and destroying their careers. I was sitting in the library when I got a message from the placement officer, Mr Singh. "Come over to my office I have Sawant waiting for you." I had mentioned about my project to Mr Singh, when we were on our way back from a meeting with the HR of a Mumbai based company. He had taken me along to represent the student body. It was more as an eye candy than anything else. Plus he got to have me alone in the back seat of the car for the four hours drive. The driver knew what was going on in the back, and I guess he must have been paid well in advance to keep his mouth shut. My nipples were sore from all the pinching and mauling, and my arms were hurting from the four hand jobs I gave him during the journey. But I guess it was worth the effort, because now Mr Singh was helping me with the final year project. He had told me that he will talk to Sawant Sir and figure something out. I walked over to the placement office, in anticipation of this meeting I had dressed to make my presence felt. As it was the middle of the week and during college hours I couldn't have dressed overtly suggestive, so I wore my tightest pair of denims that fit my thighs and butt perfectly, the white top was a size too short and had buttons all the way down. The buttons on my bust were accentuating the curves by highlighting the strain they were in trying to keep my breasts from bursting out from the top. The pink bra was contrasting enough to be visible through the top, and yet did not look slutty. I wore my hair back in a ponytail, which made my features more prominent. The extra lip gloss was making my lips shine invitingly. The smudged eyes were doing their bit as well. All in all, I was putting myself out there to get this done. The look on their faces as I entered the room said it all. The dress and the makeup were having the desired effect. Singh was sitting on his chair behind the desk and Sawant was sitting across the table. There was one chair next to Sawant, and I was motioned to sit on it. I put my bag down and sat on the chair, I kept the books that I had held across my chest on the table and crossed my legs. Both men adjusted their pants a little as I smiled. Singh broke the awkward silence, by telling Sawant how talented I am and how I helped him in getting the big companies to come for campus placements in our college. I was smiling and acting flattered, while Sawant was busy ogling my breasts and thighs. My hands were in my lap, with the perfectly manicured nails had red nail paint on them. Following his gaze I gently caressed my thighs and adjusted the top a little to tell him that I know what he is looking at. He looked up and I gave him a smile that would have made his cock twitch in his pants. Sawant was in his late 40s and had a son in first year of the same college. His wife was in the university admin staff. He had a pot belly, and hair all over his body, slightly bald and looked like a crude man. He was infamous for misusing authority and I could see that in his eyes. Singh ended his monologue by asking Sawant to help me in the final year project. He looked at me and then at Singh and smiled, and then in the most condescending tone possible said, "I can see what you mean Singh. I am sure me and Tanya can work something out". He kept his hand on my thighs and asked me to come over to his cabin after 5 pm. The way he grabbed my thighs was indication enough of what was in store for me. I was asked to leave and they continued their discussion. After a while I got a message from Singh saying that everything is set and if I do as Sawant suggested I will get the top score in the project. At 5 pm I went to his cabin. It smelled of sweat and old paper, I sat on the chair across to his table and waited for him to stop ogling and start talking. I smiled at him when he finally managed to look at my face. Then he laid out his evil plan, which gave me goosebumps. He wanted me to spend a week at his home, with his family. I will be Singh's niece from Delhi, who is here for MBA entrance exam, and since Singh is going out of town for talking to companies for placements he can't leave me alone at his place. The story in college, was that I was going with Mr Singh to Bangalore to meet with a few IT companies for campus hiring. Sawant had a daughter as well, who was doing her Masters degree from abroad and came home once a year, and I was going to stay in her room. It sounded so creepy, but for some strange reason felt like an adventure as well. The plan was put in motion when I packed my bags for the trip and Mr Singh came to pick me up at my hostel, he talked to my hostel warden and acted like a guardian who will take care of me on the trip. What did she know, that he was going to pimp me to another professor in the college. We arrived at Sawant's residence, which was half an hour drive from the college. We were greeted by Mrs Sawant and we sat there in the drawing room as guests, and were served tea and snacks. I looked around the house and felt like an animal in a cage. Mrs Sawant and Singh talked about family things and plans for me etc. Eventually, Singh left and Mrs Sawant showed me to her daughter's room. I put my bag down and looked around. There were family pictures, pictures of her growing up and graduating. She was a really pretty girl. I walked over to the bed and sat on it. Everything was in slow motion, I knew I would be fucked again and again on this bed, in this room, in this house, and yet I was there. I walked over the cupboard and it was still filled with her clothes. She was known to be a very popular girl in college and had some really nice dresses in there. Skirts, tank tops, beautiful trendy sleeveless salwar kameez, small nighties etc. I was just starting to unpack when Sawant came into the room. He walked over to the bed and stood very close to me. I looked up in his lust filled eyes and tried to smile. But before I could react, his hands were mauling my breasts like a hungry beast from over my top. He squeezed them and pinched them and pressed them with all the pent up desire inside him. It hurt, but I felt sorry for him, and let him molest me on his daughter's bed in his own house, while his wife was cooking lunch for us in the kitchen. After five minutes of mauling and squeezing my breasts and rubbing his crotch on my forearms he moved back, looked at me with hungry eyes and said, "I will come tonight, wear something nice from that cupboard." I just sat there for a while, digesting by what he just said. It made me sick in my stomach when I realised what he wanted, and why he wanted me in his house. And I hated myself for feeling wet at the same time. Since, his wife was there in the house, I didn't want to wear anything too revealing during the day. So, I changed into a casual top and jeans before going for lunch. At lunch, I sat opposite to him and his wife served us food. She was a really pleasant woman and started talking to me about her daughter and other random stuff, while he kept giving me cheap looks. After lunch she came with me to the room and told me to feel at home and showed me her daughter's cupboard and said that I should wear whatever I feel comfortable in, and that there is no need to be so formal around the house. I smiled and thanked her for making me feel at home. After she left, I decided to go through the wardrobe as there was nothing much to do. I took out one of her skirts and a plain white top. I took my clothes off looked at myself in the full length mirror next to the bed and knew why I was an object of desire for men around me. I smiled to myself as I wore her clothes. It seemed like she was shorter and thinner than me. So the skirt came till my mid thighs and the top was clearly a size too tight. I looked at myself again, and decided to keep those clothes on just for fun. I walked out of the room hoping to bump into Sawant, but as soon as I came out of my room, his son walked in. He just stood there as if he had seen a ghost, and then scanned me from top to bottom, stopping at the right place. He looked familiar, so I just stood there and smiled. I introduced myself as Singh's niece , but he seemed very suspicious. I excused myself and went into the room and slid under the blanket and eventually went to sleep. I was woken up by Mrs Sawant around 5 pm for tea and snacks. I slid out of the bed and washed my face and came to the dining table where Mr Sawant and his son Rahul were already having tea. They both gave me a nice ogle and poor Mrs Sawant didn't even know their intentions. She said, "Doesn't Tanya looks pretty in Neha's clothes? She reminds me so much of her. Come sit next to me dear." We had tea and discussed about MBA courses and how tough it is to get into a good college these days. It was a very casual tea time conversation, after which everyone went to their rooms. There was a knock on my door and Rahul came in. I was sitting on the bed doing some college work, I quickly closed it so that he does not notice, and smiled at him. I said, "Hi Rahul, how can I help you?" Rahul replied, "Tanya Didi (elder sister), I think I have seen you in our college before. Arn't you the Tanya Mehra from Final Year Computer Science Department?" I was dumbstruck, and didn't know how to respond. If he opens his mouth in front of Mrs Sawant I can kiss my chances of passing college goodbye. I got up from the bed, and walked passed him and closed the door. He turned around and looked at me, surprised by what I just did. I gave him the sexiest and the most seductive smile I could manage, and walked over to him, held his hand and took him to the side of the bed. He started to speak, "Tanya Didi, what are you doing?" I put my perfectly manicured finger gently on his lips, and took his hand to my left breast. I said, "Shhh!! not a word.." as my hands went to his crotch and I massaged his balls, grabbing his cock over his shorts. I could feel it grow in my hand as he furiously massaged my breasts and pinched my already sore nipples. I moaned a little as he put his head on my cleavage and started licking my exposed breasts. My hands went inside his shorts and freed his young cock which was now a raging rod of steel ready to enter inside me. I pushed him on the bed and took my top off, as I came over him. My skirt bunched up all the way as I slid the panty aside enough to let his cock enter inside me. He was still in shock, as I started to ride him like a slut, on his sister's bed wearing her clothes. He was in heaven as his lips found the pink nipples screaming to be sucked. My bra was slid from my shoulders and was hanging around my waist as I moved over him faster, feeling him all the way inside me. Just then he held my shoulders and pinned me to the bed and came over me, and spread my legs wide. He entered inside me again with all his strength and started ramming my dripping wet pussy. His hands mauled my breasts and he was giving me sloppy wet kisses on my lips. He was by no means an expert, but was compensating it by his eagerness to please me and prove himself as the man in the room. My legs were wrapped around him as he moved faster, pumping me, and I was matching him stroke for stroke by arching my back and moving my hips to take him all in. Just when I knew he was almost there, I held his face and whispered, not inside me, please cum on my breasts. He almost exploded hearing that, and barely managed to get his cock out as it started spurting streaks after streaks of his think cum all over my waist and breasts. He dropped on the side and tugged his now limp cock back in his shorts and looked at me. I was laying there on the bed covered in his cum, my legs spread wide, and my naked young breasts standing proud. I was rubbing his cum all over me as if possessed by my own desires. He heard his mom call out his name, and quickly got out of the bed and ran out closing the door behind him. I smiled at him as he left, still laying on the bed naked. I stayed like that for a few minutes and then got up to clean myself. As I looked myself in the mirror a strange sense of power engulfed me. I felt as if I could have achieved anything I wanted in that moment. The Project Manager Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction concocted entirely within my imagination. Any resemblance to real people shouldn't be surprising since most of my stories are based on people I know. While I hope you enjoy this story and are compelled to provide feedback, I don't expect the subject matter will appeal to everyone who reads it. As such, I discourage venomous, nasty feedback full of violent wishes against essentially fictional characters in fictional situations. If this story does not appeal to you, there is undoubtedly one somewhere on Literotica that will, so your energy will be better spent on finding it rather than on vilifying me. Your opinions are welcome but your attacks are not. * As the meeting was wrapping up and we were all gathering our things, Jane asked me if I had a moment. I lingered behind as everyone cleared out then followed her to her office. "Am I in trouble?" I asked as she closed the door behind us. Jane was the project manager for a client I was working with and, though a few years older than me, I was definitely attracted to her. I thought I had been really careful not to flirt outright with her, especially in front of the rest of the project team, but I was wondering if I had slipped up. "No, you're not in trouble," she replied, "but I think we need to be really careful with the flirting going back and forth between us." I was relieved that she'd said "back and forth" because it confirmed that she'd been guilty of it, too. "I think we just need to be really conscious not to do it in front of anyone," she continued, "although when it's just the two of us..." She slipped into my arms and we started making out; two horny enginerds who'd realized that they couldn't resist each other. My hands went down to her ass and I was pleasantly surprised how quickly one of her hands found the growing bulge in my jeans. It had been stiffening quite well on its own but, with her help, I was soon completely rigid. She put both hands to work opening my jeans while we continued making out then took my cock out and stroked it in her fist. I brought my hands around to open her jeans, as well, and slipped a hand inside to caress the damp front of her panties, which made her moan softly. Rather than slip my hand into her panties, I just went ahead and started sliding her jeans down. I dropped into the chair behind me as they dropped down her legs, forcing her to release my cock. I caressed her ass through her panties then started to slide them down as well. Her brown bush was neatly groomed and I knew I'd want to bury my face in it if we had the time. As she stepped out of her jeans and panties, I pushed my own jeans and underwear down, then leaned back in the chair as she straddled me. I guided my cock to her approaching pussy and she lowered herself onto it, both of us moaning softly as her hot, wet pussy engulfed my throbbing tool. We went back to making out again as she started to slowly ride me and I started to caress her tits through her blouse. I went ahead and unbuttoned it, caressing her tits through her bra and feeling her hard nipples, before reaching behind her to unfasten that. I slipped my hands up under the cups to caress the soft smooth flesh and gently stimulate her hard nipples. She had a decent set of tits that she kept pretty well hidden but, in the boys' club of the engineering world, that was not a surprise. I had definitely noticed them before so I was happy to have the opportunity to get my hands on them. Of course getting my tongue on them or my cock between them would be nice, too, but I didn't think her office would necessarily be the right place for that undertaking. Then again, we were fucking in her office, so who knew? Her pussy felt fantastic as it continued to move up and down my tool and it seemed to be getting even wetter and hotter the longer she rode me. Her initial slow pace was also gradually increasing and it was starting to feel as though her orgasm was imminent. I was still not quite there but I was certainly enjoying the slow build and the pleasure I was experiencing due to her hot pussy. It also took a little bit of pressure off me if she came a lot more quickly than I had been expecting. I knew that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to hang out naked and fucking in her office for too long so, if she was satisfied quicker, I wouldn't have to try to hold out longer. My hands gravitated from her tits around to her ass as I helped her move up and down on my cock while pushing up into her each time she came down. When she slammed herself down and stayed there, she pulled her mouth from mine and pressed her face against my neck. I felt her body trembling as she came and was pleased that I'd been able to help get her there. When she'd finished riding out what appeared to be a long and intense orgasm, she raised her head. "I want to finish you off with my mouth," she told me. "Okay," I replied, "but not quite yet. Your pussy feels so damn good." She seemed to appreciate this compliment and went back to riding me hard as I continued pushing up into her. Her pussy did feel outstanding but I was sure that her mouth would, too, so I didn't let myself get too close to cumming before I indicated that I was ready to have her suck me off. She gave me one more quick kiss before climbing off of my lap and dropping to her knees in front of me. She pumped my cock briefly in her fist before wrapping her lips around it and sliding them down. I moaned softly and ran my fingers through her curly brown hair while watching as her lips slid slowly up and down my cock. Her oral skills left nothing to be desired and the level of pleasure that I was feeling had my orgasm continuing to steadily build. I was kind of getting the impression as she sucked me off that she was enjoying herself almost as much as I was enjoying having her blow me. It wasn't that odd when I considered how much I really wanted to bury my face between her thighs, though I wasn't sure I'd have the opportunity before we adjourned this meeting. In a low voice I was letting her know how much I was enjoying her cocksucking and how good she was at it. As my orgasm drew closer, I couldn't do much more than gasp and moan softly while my cock grew even thicker. She never let up in bobbing her head up and down, even as I start spurting my load into her mouth. She swallowed my load as she continued sucking me off, then let my cock fall from her mouth once I was spent. "That was outstanding," I told her as she sat back on her heels and looked up at me. "Good," she replied, "I was hoping to entice you into a covert sexual affair. I think that, if we're smart and careful, we should have no problem pulling it off." "Like coming up with a reason for this impromptu, closed-door meeting?" I asked. "Exactly," she replied, "It isn't like we don't have plenty that we could be discussing if we weren't more interested in fucking each other." She'd stood and was reaching back to refasten her bra when I stopped her. I grabbed my cell phone and took a quick photo because, as she was reaching back, her tits were jutting out and looking spectacular. "Just make sure the only one who sees that is you," she suggested. "Of course," I replied, "This one, too." Her jeans and panties were still on the floor so I took a picture of her trim bush while she was still fiddling with her bra. "Enough already," she chastised and turned away, laughing. This, of course, exposed her ass to me so I took a picture of it, as well. "Don't worry," I said, standing with my jeans and underwear still at my knees, "no one will see those but me. I'll need something for the times when we can't manage to slip away for some of this..." I started to kiss her neck and slipped a hand around to stroke her pussy as she was trying to button her blouse. "Don't go getting me all worked up again if you can't follow through," she said. "I don't think this meeting is over yet," I replied, "I think I need to take care of you with my tongue." "Well, okay," she said, "if you insist." She turned around and sat up on her desk while I took a seat in her desk chair. She spread her legs and I started kissing along her smooth inner thighs, alternating sides as I got closer to her trim bush. Once I'd reached it, I took a moment to admire it at close range, then ran my tongue up her juicy slit. She moaned and grabbed my head as I slurped up her abundant juices before slipping a couple of fingers into her and focusing my licking on her clit. It sounded like she was having a bit more trouble keeping her vocalizations in check while I was licking and sucking her clit and pumping my fingers in and out of her. Again, I knew this really wasn't the time or place to indulge myself too much in eating her pussy but it sounded like it wouldn't require too much to get her cumming again. I figured that, if I could accomplish that, then the chances of getting another opportunity when it would be more appropriate to spend more time going down on her would definitely improve. The longer I ate her, the juicier and more engorged her pussy was becoming while, simultaneously, my cock was recovering admirably. As hot and wet as her pussy was, I was definitely looking forward to another opportunity of slip my cock into her. I certainly had not arrived for the initial meeting that day expecting or even considering that I might have the opportunity to not only fuck Jane, but to eat her pussy and blow a load down her throat, as well. I was definitely appreciating the position I found myself in, however, and was going to make the most of it even though I fully expected that this was only the beginning of a sexual relationship that we would both find highly satisfying. She was tensing up a little bit the closer she got to cumming so I remained focused on getting her the rest of the way there with the greatest level of pleasure that I could provide. When she started to cum, she let out a soft gasp and the tension left her body as it started to tremble. I continued eating her through her long, intense orgasm, raising my head only once she'd let out a content-sounding sigh. I stood up, revealing that my cock was nearly rigid again, and she reached for it, stroking it and making it even harder before guiding it to her pussy. I slipped easily in and we both moaned softly. I started to slowly fuck her, then recalled that I really should not dawdle, so I picked up the pace. Fucking her as she sat up on top of her desk didn't end up being the best position, especially as I started fucking her harder, so we changed positions not too long after we'd started. Once I slipped out of her, she hopped off of her desk and turned around, bracing her arms on the desktop and resting her head on her arms. I guided my throbbing cock back into her pussy from behind and took her by the hips as I admired her ass. I started fucking her with long, slow strokes initially until I had a good rhythm going, then I picked up the pace again. She'd managed to get her tits back into her bra and her blouse buttoned up, so I didn't reach up to fondle her tits as I fucked her. Instead, I slipped one hand down to her pussy and gently stroked her clit as I was pumping my cock in and out of her. Despite having cum already not that long prior, I could feel my orgasm building again pretty quickly due to the pace I was setting and the feel of Jane's pussy. This, of course, was ideal for the situation we were in, though I was hoping that I'd be able to make her cum again, too. As she started pushing back against my incoming thrusts and her pussy continued to feel even hotter and wetter, I suspected that it wasn't any unreasonable prospect. I savored the building pleasure that I was feeling while doing my best to provide a comparable level of pleasure to her between fucking her and stimulating her clit. When I found myself right on the verge of cumming, I was afraid that I was going to end up leaving her in the dust. Fortunately, as my cock was swelling even more in anticipation of shooting my load, it must have helped her over the edge, as well. Just before I exploded into her hot pussy, I heard Jane gasp and could feel her body trembling as I was filling her with my spunk. I continued thrusting as I was cumming as well as continuing to stroke her clit, not stopping either until I could no longer thrust into her. I slipped my cock out of her and she straightened up, then turned to face me. We made out again without saying a word to each other initially. "Okay, we really need to wrap this meeting up or people will start to wonder," Jane finally said after pulling her lips away from mine. We cleaned ourselves up using the box of Kleenex on her desk then got all of our clothes back where they belonged while discussing what to tell anyone who asked what had gone on in the meeting. We managed to come up with something that would definitely require follow up meetings on a regular basis.