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Personal Training Ch. 01

By: MissPrim



My legs pumped up and down on the pedals of the exercise bike. It was a steady rhythm measured against the war between my stamina and my body's protests. I was, most definitely out of shape. Confined to bed for three months, I had put on weight and I didn't need any extra fat to begin with. 

Unlike some people, I've never enjoyed exercise. The weakened state of my body made the physical work even more onerous. Even with my iPhone plugged into my favorite music station, and the Kindle app fired up with a book, I was bored. My eyes roved over the length of the gym, checking out different guys. I had picked the wrong time of day to come. Close to noon, most of the men were retired older fellas, not too buff and none too interesting. Either they were out of shape or very skinny. Most of the good lookers were in their twenties, much too young for a mid-aged lady like me. I suppose considering the state of my own body I shouldn't have been too judgmental, but a girl likes what a girl likes. 

Ahead of me, in the machine area, two twenty-something women were laughing, getting progressively louder. The excitement in their voices rose and I glanced over to see what the fuss was about. Oh my! There was something to fuss about. Helping the two skinny young things, adjusting the weights on the machine, was a man somewhere in his thirties, early forties. But it wasn't his age that was the standout. The first thing I noticed were the tattoos up and down his tanned and well muscles arms. With him wearing a black tank, it was easy to see that the designs spread well under his shirt and across his chest. Normally I don't like that much ink on a man, but something about the way they played across his well-developed muscles was fascinating.

His attention was in setting up the weights and talking to the girls, laughing and smiling, giving me a few extra seconds to drink him in. He wasn't all that tall, perhaps 5'8", but that was tall enough for me. His dark hair was shaved to almost nothing, again a look I don't usually appreciate. It was his eyes, an electric ice blue that melted me. One could get lost in eyes like that, especially if his lips were pressed against mine.

Whoa! Those eyes shifted away from the girls, and my own snapped back to the bank of television screens hanging from the ceiling ahead of me. "Watch it, Annie," I told myself. It wouldn't do to be caught staring. Did he notice? As my heart curdled in embarrassment, he walked slowly, perhaps too slowly, to the next weight machine and struck up a conversation with a guy there. With his back turned to me I could see his best asset yet, beautifully tight and round butt cheeks. It was easy to image those globes meeting with thighs as hotly developed as his arms.

My imagination shifted into overdrive, I thought about what his cock must look like. That was it. I was doomed. My legs pumped harder as my heart did, and I felt the warmth spread down my torso to the tingling space between my legs. My underwear couldn't entirely sop up my flowing juices and I was glad I was wearing winter weight sweat pants.

He walked away from his friend and headed back deep into the weights area. Greeting some of the guys back there, he struck up the conversation with a man by the hand weights. I wondered then if he was gay, since he all he did was chat up people, and more guys than women. Well, that didn't stop me from looking, or stop the horny thoughts in my head. One good thing was that all this attention I spent on him paid off in extra minutes on the bicycle. But it was time to work on something else.

I lost track of him then as I got off the stationary bike and limped over to the treadmills to the left of me. The car accident that shattered my leg and my life left me with a limp that I was desperately trying to work off. The doctor said it was possible, if I worked hard enough. It was true I was making progress. I only shed my cane a month ago, and the walker two months before that. Still I was self-conscious about how it looked when I walked. 

Navigating the big step up to the treadmill always took a minute. I had to make sure my weaker left leg didn't give under me as I climbed up. By the time I got the treadmill going, I had no idea where he went. Suddenly I saw him come right down the aisle where I was. How did he get there from the other end of the gym? While I couldn't help but to admire the fluid grace of his muscles under his clothes, I also was embarrassed he might have seen me walking. As he walked away toward the changing rooms, I concentrated on the treadmill, working up the rhythm to match to the flow of the belt under my feet. Five minutes into the treadmill, he came walking out the changing rooms, gym back slung under his arm. 

He had changed into some light sweats and a sweat jacket, sadly hiding his wonderful tats and his magnificent arms. I kept my eyes forward to the television screens, watching out the corner of my eyes him walk up the aisle. He stopped to speak to a pregnant girl on the treadmill on the opposite side of the aisle from me. The conversation carried on for quite some time, with him seeming to try to find new topics of conversation with this woman. Gods, he was a chatty guy. I debated whether to work my leg with the weights, but decided against it. Just thinking about him made my muscles melt and I had no more strength in me to work on anything else. Punching the button to stop the machine, I limped out of the gym to my car. 

I couldn't stop thinking about him on the short drive home, the sensations between my legs begging for attention. Then in the rearview mirror I noticed a black car edging too close to me. I picked up my speed, and the car behind sped up as well. I tore down the residential street and the black car followed at the same pace. Up ahead was the stoplight, where I'd turn left to go home. What should I do? Drive past my street and drive around to make sure I wasn't followed? That whole idea was frightening. 

As it turned out, I didn't have to make any decisions. The black car pulled up to my right, to take that turn to a main thoroughfare. I turned my head to see the driver. It was he! Our eyes locked for a brief second, and then the light changed and he took the right turn hard, speeding down the road carelessly.

Two minutes more and I was home. I was breathing hard, both from my horny thoughts and the thrill of that weird car chase. It was nothing. It had to mean nothing. He was just going the same direction I was. That was all. He turned off where he should have. Still adrenaline sped through my blood, and it didn't take much for my hand to find the soft folds of skins between my legs. Lying down on my bed, tugging my workout pants down past my knees, I thought of the things I wanted to do to him. My fingers swirled around my clit, the delicious feelings of arousal fueling my thoughts. 

In my mind he was laying on my bed, beautifully naked, his cock standing straight up as I knelt between his legs. Bending over so my full breasts rubbed against his balls, I licked the tip of his penis like it was an ice cream cone. He moaned softly as I lowered my lips to his head, poking my tongue to space under the ridge between the shaft and the head. I twirled my tongue around the head some more. He puts his hands to my head to try to pull me down lower on him, but I am only just beginning with him. 

I moved his hands away, and slide my tongue down the underside of the shaft, one good strong lick. He moaned some more when I found the space between his balls and shaft. I buried my nose and tongue there, breathing in his rich male scent, my tongue stroking him relentlessly. All the while I kept my right hand on his cock, riding up it up and down between my index finger and thumb. Little sounds escaped his lips as I palmed the head of his dick every few strokes. At the last twist, it jerked between my fingers.

"Please," he said. "I'm going to cum."

"No, you aren't," I said and I grasp the base of his cock hard. He gasps as I hold my grip and suck his balls into my mouth, one after the other, tickling them with my tongue. He was breathing harder now, and I feel his cock getting rock hard between my fingers. I run my tongue up the underside of his shaft, and he shivers. Swirling my tongue around the tip once more I sucked him into my mouth. Keeping my tongue against the sensitive underside, I took him as far down as I could. My head bobbed up, and then down again, over and over, until he bucked to drive himself in deeper, with a cry letting his cream spray down my throat. 

With these thoughts I plunge my own fingers into my cunt and pull them in and out, pushing my clit back and forth until my orgasm thunders through me. My hips rocked with the pulses of my vagina until they subsided and my breathing slowed. Still, it was not enough, and I knew I wouldn't truly be satisfied until I had the real thing.

Personal Training Ch. 02



I stopped by the gym to pick up my first check and get my work clothes from my locker to get them to the laundry. Opening the envelope, I made sure everything was correct on it. Yep, my name, Abel Williams, was spelled correctly. The social security number was right too. The tiny amount of money? Well, I'll get that changed soon enough. But as I tried to leave, I found myself in the thick of dealing with client questions. It was my day off, but I couldn't ignore the regulars, the ones I hope to develop into repeat clients. I was beginning to develop a reputation as a good personal trainer and I hoped to improve it. The gym gave me a draw against commission, but I needed to pump up sales of my services and exceed my draw. In my last relationship she earned more than I did, and I lived more comfortably than I normally would. But the affair was in the dumpster and I was out on my own. Every time I thought of it, my gut clenched. It wasn't fair.

But then again, life wasn't fair. 

A couple of women, Jill and Terry, waved me over. They were in their late twenties, and in reasonably good shape. But neither woman was my type. I liked my women older, much older. So I smiled and laughed as Jill and Terry chatted excitedly. Jill touched my arm every few seconds, as I showed them how to set the weights and work the machine. I had to squat to do that, and when I looked up I noticed her eyes on me.

Immediately, her head snapped up to look at the television screens. I lowered my head and smiled. There, that was my type, older, confident, and savvy. Older women weren't clingy like younger women, and when you wanted to do something with the guys or by yourself, they were fine with it. And I learned things too. My last girlfriend was an investment banker. From her I learned the value of saving, and building a good portfolio. That portfolio was what saved me when I was out on my ass. 

This one, I didn't know what she could teach me, but her eyes smoldered with a need I recognized very well. That was another thing I like about older women, their experience and lack of inhibitions in the bedroom. 

Oh, she was a cool one, this woman. She set her gaze to the bicycle readouts in front of her, and I realized she must have her smart phone set on the little ledge under the readouts. Her finger flicked every few seconds to the screen indicating she was reading from her book app. She read quickly. I learned long ago the smartest ones speed read. You didn't get through college without being able to do that. The required reading in my night courses at the local community college is giving me a bit of trouble, so I know how difficult that is to master. 

I made quick goodbyes to Jill and Terry, ignoring their disappointed looks and sauntered over to the next machine occupied by another regular, Marco. I picked up a conversation with him and gave him a couple quick tips on how much weight and the number of reps he should use. The mirrors hung on the gym walls showed Miz Cool on her bike. She was definitely checking me out, her eyes lingering on my butt. Good. 

Without her knowing, I was able to check her out too. Her wide green eyes, the first thing I noticed, were a bit mysterious, as if she kept many secrets. My eyes wandered down to her breasts, round mounds of cleavage pushing up through the v-neck of her tee shirt. For a moment I imagined burying my face in those luscious tits. I felt my cock stir from the images in my mind, so I had to shut those down. No, I had to keep those thoughts in check unless I wanted to embarrass myself in front of my potential clients. 

Now I had no motivation to leave, and every reason to stay. But what excuse would I used to talk to her? There was no telling how long she'd sit on that bike. The best way to start a conversation was when a woman started on a different piece of equipment. I wandered to the weights area, and talked to a few guys there. One of them, Arnold, was interested in some training appointments, so for a few minutes I was into that conversation. When we agreed on the first appointment I looked into the mirror in front of me to find Miz Cool was no longer on the bike.

Damn! I missed my opportunity. I scanned the mirrors quickly to see she settled on a treadmill. Wondering if I could salvage the opportunity, I moved to a door marked "employees only" and moved up the service corridor to the opposite end of the gym. I came out the hidden door there, in back of her in the treadmill area. The first thing I noticed was her ass. The cheeks were full and round. I licked my lips. I noticed, though, she was not moving very fast and I studied this. Then I saw what the problem was. She was limping slightly, the left leg moving more slowly than the right. Oh, the treadmill hid that somewhat, but my practiced eye knew something was not quite right. It looked like she really did need a personal trainer. 

She was fully into her treadmill routine now, so I lost that opportunity as well. Scrambling, I had one chance left. I walked down the aisle to the men's locker area, and throwing on my sweats and jacket, over my shorts and tank grabbed my gym bag. I walked back out the floor, relieved to see she was still on the treadmill. I saw another potential client, Marty, on a treadmill opposite Miz Cool's. Marty was five months pregnant but concerned about keeping her figure after the baby arrived. Smiling, I walked up to Marty and asked her a few questions about her pregnancy. While I did so I watched Miz Cool from the large mirror. She stole a few glances at me, but nothing too long. Did I misinterpret what I saw in her eyes, or was she just shy? I decided to find out. Marty asked me a question, and I had to take my eyes off the mirror. When the conversation finally ended, I turned around and saw Miz Cool wasn't on the treadmill anymore. 

No! Not again. I took a few steps and saw her heading for the door. I followed, not sure what I was going to do now. Who knew what her schedule was or if it matched my hours at the gym? I certainly didn't see her in my first two weeks there, and only saw her coming here on my day off. She got into her car, and I hurried to my own. Swinging out the parking lot, I was right in back of her. Her car turned left, the way I was going to go anyway. A couple blocks down the road, she signaled a left turn, onto a residential street. Even though it wasn't the way I needed to go, I made the turn too. Her car sped up the road, going faster, and I sped up too. "This is crazy," I thought. "She's going to think I'm some sort of nutty stalker."

Ahead was a stop light and her car pulled to the left. I pulled my car to right and glanced over at her. She looked me in the eyes, a steady even gaze. For some reason, I shivered. Then the light changed. I pulled away, turning too sharply and moving a bit too fast. 

When I came up the intersection, I realized where I was. This was the street I would take home. My usual route was a half-mile down further the main road before I took a left. So, she taught me a little shortcut. But I was far too worked up to go home. When I came to my turn-off I continued straight down the road for several miles. I couldn't get the look of those green eyes from my thoughts, and my cock, that bastard, pushed against my shorts, reminding me of that. I was a little pissed now. Things didn't work out like I planned. I was horny and had no good way, except jacking off, to take care of that.

Up ahead was an intersection flanked at all corners by shopping centers. On the right hand side there was a sign of a sports bars. Why not? I parked and sat a few minutes getting myself together, thinking over the stats of last couple of Yankees games before I could walk in.

It was the usual kind of place, all wood paneling with a long bar against the furthest wall. A couple of pool tables stood to the left, booths under the windows and small tables between the booth and the bar. I sat at the bar, shedding my jacket, and ordered a beer, looking up at the television screen at the latest baseball game. The bartender filled my order and I sat for a while sipping my beer. Eventually there was a movement at my left elbow.

"You like baseball?" 

She was blonde and petite, small pert tits under her tee shirt. From the way her nipples poked out, she was not wearing a bra. Not my type, but then again, beggars can't be choosers. 

"Sometimes," I said, smiling. 

"Cindy."

"Abel. Want a beer?"

"Sure. Nice tats."

"Thanks. Nice tits."

She blushed, but smiled anyway. Her beer came and we chatted, flirting really. Another beer and my hand touched her inner thigh, stroking it lightly with my fingertips. Her face flushed, but she didn't stop me. The inner thigh was always a sensitive place for women, and as long as I didn't push things too far, too fast, things would progress nicely. Another beer and she whispered into my ear an invitation to her place. 

It was a small high rise next to the shopping center, so we walked there. I put my arm around her waist, and kissed the back of her neck. She picked up the pace and we got to the building and went into the elevator. I pressed myself against her there, kissing her, my tongue demanding hers. The door to elevator opened and it almost shut on us, before we broke away and she led me to the apartment. When her door shut, the real fun began. 

She asked me if I wanted a drink and started toward the direction of the kitchen. "No," I said, and spun her around. I kissed her, diving my tongue in her mouth, and grabbed her ass. Pressing her to me tight, my hard cock rubbed against her through my clothes. Grabbing her tee shirt from the back and pushing her back a bit, I pulled the shirt over her head in one jerk, and tossed it. Descending on her naked tits, I sucked her nipples, one at a time, and she made little noises. I backed her into her bedroom, my tongue sliding up, down and around her nipples. I shut the door. But I had no intention of using the bed. 

I turned her around again, and pressed her against the door, this time my tongue going up and down her spine. She moaned. I pulled her hips toward me, so she leaned forward. I kicked the inside of her ankles lightly. "Spread 'em," I said.

She hesitated.

I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Do you want me to stop? If you do, I'll just leave."

She shook her head.

"Spread 'em," I ordered. 

She spread her legs out wider, and I pulled down my sweats, my cock jutting forward. I pressed my cock against her crack, rubbing my shaft up and down between her cheeks.

"No," she said.

I pulled back. "No?"

"Not without a rubber."

"No problem." 

I took a condom from the wallet in my sweats and got it out and on. That done I reached around with my right hand and pulled on her pubis, bringing her toward me. My fingers rubbed her clit, light strokes at first, and then harder as she leaned her body into mine. She threw her head back. "Ah," she moaned and she put her hands on the door to steady herself. 

With my other hand, I guided my cock to her slit. It was dripping wet, ready for me. I pushed in, her tight cunt surrounding me. She whimpered a little, but that only encouraged me. I started pumping, pushing farther and harder with each stroke. She cried out and her pussy pulsed around my cock. But it wasn't enough, damn it. My mind flooded with the thought of those green eyes, and an ass more deliciously wider than this, pounding her harder with each stroke until my cock exploded. I held her tight to me until my cock softened and I caught my breath. I turned Cindy around, and gave her a kiss.

"Darling, that was wonderful," I said and gave her a little hug. I went into the bathroom on the right and did a quick clean up.

"Damn," she said after me. "I'll be sore for a week."

I went back to her and gave her another kiss.

"I'll call you in a week then." 

She looked a little dazed and nodded her head. She probably didn't realize I didn't have her number until well after I left.



Personal Training Ch. 02



After I hung up the phone with my husband I turned out the light and got comfortable in our bed. I was physically exhausted from the very heavy sex I had not an hour ago. Jerome lasted a lot long than John does plus he was much larger, fucked harder, and was rougher. Not that it was a bad thing, being rougher that is. It just wore me out along with all of the other reasons above mentioned. I was still in shock I had actually done it. I really had sex with a black man and even did it in the bed I share with my husband. What also surprised me is I really didn't feel much if any guilt about what I had done. More of a sense of satisfaction of finally fulfilling a deep down need and desire. A desire that was more than met with because of Jerome. I was tired enough that it didn't take long for me to sleep. 

During the next few hours I dreamed almost constantly while I slept. There was little surprise that every dream always lead in one way or another to me having sex with Jerome. I was in such a deep sleep curled up on my left side I hadn't felt it when he came into the bedroom and slowly climbed into bed. 

In my head I was performing oral sex on Jerome when I felt something snap me out of my dream world. A hand was gently rubbing my right breast over my night shirt under the bed covers. I was half asleep but simply laid there smiling. I hadn't even considered who it was. I my half awake state my mind went right to my husband John. More so since this warm body pressed up against my back was laying on John's side of the bed. I left out a soft moan as his hand softly kneaded my breast. My nipples were soon getting hard from the attention. 

"I just love your nice big tits Marisa" the voice behind me said. The voice snapped me totally awake as I opened my eyes. The room was dark but not completely. A small night light we keep plugged in near my side of the bed to make it easier to get up illuminates the room enough to see. First thing I noticed was the clock on the night table in front of my face informing me it was only a little past 4 o'clock in the morning. I knew it couldn't be John and had no doubt it was Jerome who was now rolling my nipple between his fingers. Lifting to covers off my chest I looked down to see his dark hand playing with my breast still over my shirt. 

"Crap!" I said. "You surprised the hell out of me Jerome. In my sleepy state I actually thought you were my husband for a moment."

"Really?" Jerome replied laughing. "Well unless your husband got taller and became a large black guy then no it's not him. Hope you don't mind but thought I'd surprise you. I woke up horny as hell and was really in the mood. So, I figured I'd sneak in here and give you an early morning wake up call."

"Can't say I have ever had something like this" I said to him. 

"Wow, you poor girl" he replied. "Maybe we should change that then." Jerome moved his hand only for a moment to pull me closer to him before placing it right back onto my right breast. With his other hand he brushed the hair away from my neck before lifting his head kissing and sucking on it. I was now fully awake and very turned on. I only asked Jerome not to suck too hard or too long in one place since I wouldn't know how to explain any hickeys to my husband. He agreed and did as I asked. Jerome was now pinching and pulling on both of my nipples over my shirt causing me to moan. I could feel his penis against my butt as it strained against the material of his shorts. 

"Are you as wet as I am hard?" Jerome whispered into my ear. "Don't answer that" he quickly shot back. "I would rather find out for myself." Jerome moved his hand from my chest and glided it down my body. Slowly he slid his hand lower until he reached my mid thigh where the hem of my shirt rested. Pushing my right leg forward spreading my thighs apart. Moving his hand up the back of my right thigh and under my shirt he slipped a couple fingers between my legs from behind running them gently along my pussy. My body jerked in reaction. Jerome moved one finger to my hole and pushed the tip of it into me. 

"You are a little wet but not wet enough yet" he said. With that he pulled his finger out and moved it up beginning to rub my clit. In no time at all he had me moaning softly. Jerome rubbed my clit in small circles only stopping to stick the tip of his finger back into me to get it wet. I had never been woken up for sex before like this but I was not complaining a bit as he touched me. This continued for about two minutes when he stuck his finger in me one last time. 

"You are more than ready now" Jerome said as he pulled his hand away from my crotch. He also moved his entire body back away from mine at the same time telling me to turn around towards him. Turning my body to face him I could clearly make out Jerome in the dimly lit room. He was laying on John's side of the bed and was now on his back with his hands under the covers. I watched as he lifted his legs up then dropped them again as he pulled his arms out from underneath holding his shorts in his hands. I knew that he was completely naked and the major tent he was making under the sheet and light blanket proved that without a doubt. Jerome turned his head to face me. 

"Now come here Marisa and get on top of me" he said in a commanding voice. "I want you to slide that nice white pussy down onto my big black cock!" I simply smiled as I crawled over and straddled him. Jerome pulled my night shirt up over my butt as I leaned forward over him supporting my torso with my hand on the bed beside of Jerome. With my other hand I reached down between the two of us and wrapped my fingers around his penis. Lining the tip up with my hole I let out a gasp as I began to push down onto it. The head spread me open wide as it sunk into my body. Jerome let out a grunt as it popped into me. 

"Shit, still so fucking tight" he moaned. "Can't believe you've got such a tight pussy girl. Just as tight as before." I slowly slid down onto his big black penis. Stretching me out as it went deeper and deeper into my very willing body. Until finally he was completely inside of me as our pelvis' met. In the position we were in I felt like I was literally impaled on his massive black pole. It wasn't as uncomfortable as the first time. It was almost complete and total pleasure as he filled me beyond my wildest dreams could have imagined. Taking a moment to relax I placed my other hand on the bed and started to slowly slide up and down on his shaft. Jerome and I seemed to almost moan in unison as I glided up and down on him. I only did this for at most two minutes, if that. 

"Stop riding me girl" Jerome said. "I want you to sit up and then lean back on your hands so your back is arched and your chest towards the ceiling. Then I want you to just rock back and forth on me as I rub your clit." Having done that before with my husband I knew exactly what he meant. Sitting upright I was about to lean back when Jerome stopped me again.

"Why don't you take off that shirt while you're at it girl" he ordered. Smiling I reached down to the hem of my night shirt. Pulling it up and over my head I threw it from my body before leaning back onto my hands. With my hands resting beside of Jerome's knees I began to slowly rock my pelvis back and forth on him. Jerome reached down with his hand and proceeded to rub my clit with his fingers. He did a good job working them faster and faster until I could feel an orgasm coming on and informed Jerome of it. A string of moans came from my mouth as I reached my climax point. 

"Good baby girl that's what I wanted" he replied. "I want you to cum Marisa. I want you to cum around my black dick." That seemed to send me over the edge as I screamed out as I came. My body shook in pleasure and my vagina tightened up around his penis as I had a heavy orgasm. When I came down Jerome jokingly said it felt like I was trying to strangle his dick. 

"Take a moment to catch your breath Marisa" Jerome said. "Then I want you to lay back down on the bed so I can climb up between you nice white legs." Sitting up I lifted myself off of Jerome's penis and laid down on the bed beside of him. Jerome didn't waste any time as he rolled over and pushed my legs apart before moving his body between them. Bending my legs up at the knees I made myself comfortable as Jerome moved up above me. His heavy penis partially resting against my vagina. 

"I want you to put it in again Marisa" he ordered with a grin. Reaching down between us I lined up the head with my hole. Without waiting for a second he pushed himself back in. Felt so good to have him in me again. Once he was balls deep Jerome got comfortable before he started to slide in and out of me. As I began to moan he moved faster and faster causing me to moan louder and louder. Soon enough he was repeatedly thrusting hard and fast into me. My screams of pleasure filled the bedroom as he kept up his constant assault on my body. My fingers dug hard into his arms as I wrapped my legs around his back. Toes curled in pleasure as this hot black man invaded my body. 

Jerome - "Yeah take that big black dick like a good married white slut! Do you mind me calling you that Marisa? Calling you white girl or my white slut?"

Me - "God no, please do! It's so fucking hot and gets me so turned on when you do."

Jerome - "That's my good little white girl."

Me - "Yes! Fuck me Jerome! Fuck me with your big black dick! Feels so good ... so fucking good."

Jerome - "Anytime baby girl. I want to meet you again when your husband's gone. Every time your husband's gone. Sound good to you Marisa?"

Me - "Yes! Oh hell yes!"

"That's my good girl" he replied. "My good married white girl." Jerome continued to fuck me hard. Making me moan and scream so much and so loudly I thought I'd lose my voice. He was even causing the headboard to bang against the wall with each thrust of his massive black dick. Over and over again he assaulted my body. Then all of a sudden he slowed down until he was gently gliding into me. I asked him if everything was okay since it was such a quick change. 

"Yeah I'm fine but if I don't slow down I'm going to explode real soon" he replied. I smiled as I looked up into his dark brown eyes. Jerome grinned back as we stared into each others eyes while he slowly moved in and out of me. There was something erotic about this as we kept fixed into each other not looking away. Him breathing heavy and me softly moaning as he kept a slow pace never breaking our eyes locked on each others but to blink. Both the feeling of his large penis moving in me and watching this sexy black man above me was extremely hot. I also relaxed myself loosening my grip on his arms and letting my legs off his back.

"Such pretty blue eyes you have Marisa" Jerome said. Smiling I thanked him. He continued going slow for a couple minutes and it did feel really good. More sensual than earlier but just as nice in a different way. Then without expecting it Jerome's expression changed. I could tell without a doubt he was getting close to an orgasm as his eyes almost glazed over yet never lost contact with mine. His movements also became slightly quicker and more shallow.

"Fuck Marisa I'm trying so hard to hold back but can't much longer. I know I'm about to cum" he said. It really did look like he was straining to hold back. Wrapping both my legs around him again I continued my gaze into his eyes. He closed his and I had to tell him to look at me. Jerome did his best to keep eye contact as he reached his orgasm. 

"Then cum for me Jerome" I told him. "Cum in me." Jerome smiled when I said that and I knew it's exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Fuck, going to blow!" Jerome said moaning. "Going to cum for my white girl and shoot it deep in her little white puss. Oh fuck ... AAAHHHH!" Jerome let out a deep long yell as he shoved his entire penis into me. I tightened my legs and pulled him in at the same time holding that large black monster inside of me as he came. It was immediate since he held back as long as he could before finally letting it go. His testicles tightened and released over and over against me as I felt hot streams of his semen shooting deep into my body. He didn't cum as much as last time since it hadn't even been a full day yet he still came a lot. Could feel it thickly coating my cervix and vagina. The whole time he tried to keep his eyes fixed on mine making this even hotter. We stayed this way until he was totally drained. I released my vise like leg grip on him as he slowly pulled out. Jerome got up on his knees between my thighs looking down at me.

"Oh I forgot ... Good morning Marisa" he said with a silly grin. Shaking my head all I could do was laugh at that dumb statement said in jest. Pulling my legs away from his body I sat up and slipped off of the bed to grab some tissues since I could already feel some of sperm running out of me. Cleaning myself up as Jerome got his shorts back on and waited for me to finish. He tossed me my night shirt. Thanking him I put it back on as he walked up and gave me a deep kiss on the lips. Thanking him for the early morning wake up call he laughed.

"No, thank you Marisa" he said. "Was better than coffee. I also figured I'd get it in now because it's going to be a couple of days until we will see each other again. I will probably be gone by the time you wake up again since I have to get to work in a few hours since the roads are cleared already." I told Jerome I completely understood and giving him one last kiss I laid back in bed as Jerome left the room. Rolling over I glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly 30 minutes to the mark since he woke me up. I fell asleep soon enough being even more exhausted from having sex not once but twice with a large, sexy black man with an equally large penis. 

When I woke up the second time I found myself home alone. Jerome had left as he said he would and I spent the morning cleaning the house up. I was slightly sore between my legs for a short period in the morning but other than that I was perfectly fine. I still couldn't believe I had really done it but I was happy I finally had enough balls to do something I really wanted to. A little after 11:30 in the morning John came home and we had a relaxing day together. He asked me how everything went yesterday so I told him it was pretty boring and uneventful. It was nice to see John and I put all thoughts of Jerome out of my head while my husband was home. Later that night John and I even had sex together. John was home the entire next day too before he headed back to work the early morning after. Kissing and hugging goodbye he went off for another three days away.

Getting changed I drove to Jessica's house where I jumped into her car as we rode together to the gym. Walking in I glanced around but couldn't locate Jerome. As Jessica went to the aerobics class as I jumped on the treadmill. A few minutes later I heard a couple of men talking and turning my head to look I saw Jerome walking into the other side of the gym with one of the male members. Moving to some of the weight lifting equipment Jerome didn't notice me at first until he by chance looked in my direction. I saw a smile go across his dark face and he excused himself for a moment walking towards me. He asked me how I was doing and told him perfectly fine.

"Is your husband gone or is he still home" Jerome asked. I informed him he would be gone for three days which seemed to please Jerome greatly. He asked if I could wait around until he finished work in a few hours and go to his place? I told him I couldn't because my friend gave me a ride here. He than asked if he could come by later on? With a smile I told him yes, just to give me a call when he leaves. 

"Giving me something to look forward to Marisa" he replied with happiness. "Been months since I've had sex before the other night and it was worth the wait."

After Jessica was finished she took a quick shower and we both got changed. When we got back to her house Jessica asked me if I wanted to go out later this afternoon. Knowing I already told Jerome to come by and I wasn't going to explain to Jessica that I was having an affair with the black trainer at the gym I begged off. Telling him I had some house work to take care of and food shopping but would love to get together with her soon. Driving off I got back home and had a light lunch before Jerome called to tell me he was leaving work. This gave me around 50 minutes until he was here so I took some time to clean up a little. Putting on some light make-up I figured I'd change while I was at it. Trying to figure out what to wear I in the end decided on something simple. A pretty matching lace bra and panties set, black low heel pumps, and a long robe. When I bell rang I opened it up to see that tall sexy black man before me. Inviting him in I closed and locked the door. 

Taking Jerome by the hand I didn't say a word as I lead him to the couch. Undoing the robe I dropped it off my body to reveal what little clothing I had on. Jerome was surprised in a really happy way. Telling him to sit on the couch I dropped down to my knees in front of him. Moving up between his legs I undid his pants and reached in pulling his large black penis out which was already semi hard. Bending down I ran my tongue up the shaft several times before wrapping my hand around the base until he was fully hard before sinking my mouth down onto his dick. 

"Fuck yeah baby" Jerome said with a moan. "Suck that big black cock like a good white girl. My little married white slut." I proceeded to give Jerome a blowjob bobbing my head up and down his dick and stroking his shaft at the same time. I am the type of woman who enjoys giving oral sex to a guy and really liked giving it to this sexy black man. There is also one other thing I like when doing this and he wasn't doing it for me so I had to show him what I wanted. Stopping for a moment with his penis in my mouth I looked up at Jerome and grabbed his right hand. Picking it up I guided it to the back of my head. I didn't need to say anything as he tightly grabbed my head and hair with a grin as I began to suck his dick again. 

"Yeah, that's my good little white girl Marisa" Jerome said as he looked down at me as I did my best to give him pleasure. This was how we started an almost two day long sex vacation. Jerome was off work for the rest of today and all of tomorrow so he just stayed at our house. We had sex, oral and vaginal, a total of seven times over this period of time. In the bedroom, living room, kitchen, and guest room we fully wore each other out. This ended up becoming a common situation for the two of us. When John was gone I either went to his house or him to ours. Sometimes just for a few hours and other times for a couple of days. John thankfully never knew what I was doing which is exactly what he asked of me and I got exactly what I needed and wanted. I know it will likely only last until John get's a better position but until then I was enjoy myself as much as possible.



Personal Training Ch. 03



It was another day of frustration. You would think that the life of a self-employed writer would be stress free, but it is not. No matter that I work in my pajamas with the television on in the background. People who tickle a keyboard for dollars enjoy a status somewhere between squat and jack. But the accident threw me out of my job. I was in bed for three months, not very mobile months after that, and there were bills to pay. Fortunately I had a skill to exploit and a laptop in my bed. But things are far from wine and roses in my little world. For one thing, there are the clients.

Some clients just did not get it. The last one, for the third time, requested pitches for pieces for the next month, and you know what? After the first two sets of pitches, I'd given her my best ideas. If she didn't see that I couldn't waste my time with her anymore. I needed money, not endless discussions how I might make that money.

But the truth was, most of my frustration was centered more in my loins than my work. That was the part that got me. Yeah, yeah. I had a bad year. Yeah, yeah, I didn't have enough fun. What if I didn't want to have fun? What if I didn't want to throw myself into the arms of the first guy that I found attractive since the accident? Maybe I had too much hurt to even think about it? Damn, damn and damn again. I couldn't stop my randy thoughts about that guy in the gym. 



I pulled up my latest assignment on my computer. Okay, it wasn't due for three weeks. However, if I don't do it now, and waited until it was due, three other jobs would come up wanting to be done "right freakin' now." The subject matter didn't help much. "Sex Secrets--How He Loves to Love You." 



This article didn't help my horny thoughts. My hand wandered to my clit. 



No! That wasn't enough last night and I couldn't take the hyper-excitement of being partially satisfied. 



My cell phone rang. 



"Hi, honey," said a silky voice. 



Oh geez, it was Jack, my old boss. 



"What's up, Jack?"



"I'm in town. Want to get together for dinner?"



"Will there be wine?"



"As much as you like."



"Yeah, sure, you old cheapskate." Jack's parsimony with his cash was the stuff of legend.



"You've hurt my feelings," he said. 



"Like you have any to hurt."



He chuckled. "Okay, I'll pick you up."



"Seriously, you'll spring for the gas?"



"Bitch. I'm already here."



I got up from my bed and peered out the window. 



"Really, another new car?" 

I stared at the sleek black Mercedes with a bit of awe. 



"Will you hurry up, or what?"



"What, afraid you'll miss your reservation at Hooters?"



"One," he said. 



"Jack, I'm not ready."



"You have to ten, and you are wasting time. Two."



"Bastard." I hung up the phone, and shedding my robe, grabbed a pair of dress black pants, black lacey shirt and one of my sparkly jackets. I had no way of knowing where he'd take me. But this combination worked for most places. I'd wear a dress, but I still needed a knee brace to keep things together for me. I slipped on a pair of pointy black flats, grabbed my purse and cell phone and was out the door. 



"Ten," he announced as I climbed into the car. 



"Ass," I said. It was always "ten" when I got in his car. 



He laughed again. Jack had brown eyes, and was handsome, even for his early sixties. His black hair turned salt and pepper, but I thought it made him appeared more distinguished than he deserved. He was rich too. Oh, not from his own efforts. Daddy made the money. He promptly threw Jack out of the house when Jack refused to takeover the family business. But after Jack's mother died, father and son had a tearful reunion, and all was good again. Jack could have any woman he wanted, but the problem was he didn't want any woman for more than a few nights. And it wouldn't be me anyway. He liked a specific type, very tiny, very thin. Someone his near six-foot frame would tower over. 



His clothing, a gray camelhair jacket and black pants and shirt weren't clear clues as to our destination. But it was obvious he'd gone all out for this night. His hair had that close shaven appearance of someone who'd just had a haircut and he was wearing cologne. 



"Where are we going?" I said. I was feeling more than a bit suspicious. Something was up. 



"Shut up and ride," he said. "Take a nap. We'll be busy tonight."



Okay, my friend was an asshole. The basis of our friendship was that I accepted his abrupt manner and the domineering attitude. It was his essential nature. Oh, with other people he was the polite gentleman. Only with me did he let his guard down. When we worked together I was his office wife, best buddy and sometimes wingman. But that was all. For one thing I was married at the time. For another, and he'd tell you the same thing, he was a heartless dick. He couldn't love anyone and made no bones about it. And that was fine with me. 



"Hey, wake up."



I opened my eyes. We were at one of the Connecticut casinos. 



"I should have known. Do you have a coupon for the buffet?"



Jack chuckled. "As a matter of fact..."


I rolled my eyes. "They don't have wine at the buffet."



"Yeah, but you can get it at the racing book."



I saw my evening set ahead of me now. This was an old routine. We'd spend the evening watching races, while Jack made his bets and drank an endless supply of free strawberry daiquiris, his guilty pleasure.

"Did anyone ever tell you what an exciting man you are?"



"No."



"Thought so."



#



After a half dozen three-ounce daiquiris, Jack's mood changed. He let the last few races go by without getting up and placing his bets. Unlike him, he stopped laughing at my jokes and got very serious. I had a few glasses of wine myself, and had a little buzz on. 



"I don't think I can drive," he said. 



"Well, stop drinking and we'll leave in a couple hours."



"I thought we could stay here in the hotel."



"Jack, are you feeling okay? It sounds like you getting ready to spend money."



"Oh, what the hell. You can't take it with you."



I put my hand to his forehead. "You're not running a fever."

He grabbed my hand and kissed it. 



"Jack?"



"I've already booked the room. The key is in my pocket."



"One room."



"Yes. But there are two beds."



Oh geez. "I'll get a rental and go home."



He gave at me a calculating stare. 



"Okay, just help me to my room."



I should have known better. I was aware he was a predatory bastard. It just didn't occur to me he'd cross the lines we so carefully drew years ago. 



As soon as the door was open he pulled me in and shut the door. He pressed against me. 



"Have you ever wondered," he said, "what it would be like together?"



Of course I did. 

Any woman who ever saw him thought the same thing. I swallowed hard. 



"Why don't you lay down on the bed?" I said trying to figure a way to get him off me. 



He stumbled over and sat hard on one of the king-sized beds. He looked at me as if waiting for me to join him. 



"Come here. I have something I want to tell you," he said. 



Reluctantly I went over and sat next to him. 



"You know, I missed you," he said his words slightly slurred. "Since you left, things haven't been the same...anyway, that husband of yours never deserved you."



"So you've told me," I said coldly. 



"And then he got you into that accident and he died and you nearly died too. I can't tell you how upset I was that he almost killed you. But you loved him, and I know how much you hate people trying to help you, so I stayed away. But it's been a year, so I thought..."



He fumbled around in his jacket pocket and handed me a box, a velvet blue ring box. I had to look and almost fainted. It was a one-carat emerald cut diamond, the type I joked I always wanted. 



"Jack?"



"It doesn't have to be for now. I just want you to know I'm serious about this."



Oh, fuck. 



Fuck. 



Fuck me. He gave me with such an earnest look that it broke my heart. 



"You are such an idiot," I said. 



"I know," he replied. And he leaned over and kissed me, tasting of strawberries and alcohol. 



"You don't love me, Jack."



"No, but I need you," he said. "God, you look so hot."



"Have you had your eyes checked lately?"



"Shut up," he growled. He leaned over again, the scent of the wool of his jacket and his cologne colluding to strip me of my senses. With his two hands he pushed off my jacket and nibbled on my neck. His hand strayed to my breasts, squeezing one then another. Finding my mouth he kissed me intently. First his tongue played with my lips and then dove in. God forgive me, I let him. Wine and frustrated sexual heat did their dirty work. I gave in to the need that tingled from between my legs and up through my attention starved body. My alcohol fueled decision made, I let loose. He didn't know what hit him. 



I tugged off his jacket. He worked the buttons of my shirt. I got his undone faster and his shirt was off before mine. He reached around and undid my bra, and my 38DDD's sprang out, released from their lace prison. Jack's eyes got very wide. 



"Shit," he said. "I knew they were big, but..."



"Shut up," I said. My tongue attacked his nipples and then worked its way down his chest, his abs and his bellybutton, my breasts rubbing each area before my mouth did. I swirled my tongue there, darting in and out of that little hole. He moaned a little, and I pulled at the end of his belt, and in one swift motion, released the buckle and jerked the belt up and out. Unbuttoning his fly and unzipping his pants, I pulled his pants down. His cock rose up under his shorts, and I tugged them down too, not bothering to take either his shorts or slacks fully off his legs. 



"I wish I had some lube," I said. 



"Jacket pocket," he said. 



"Seriously?"



"I come prepared."



"You've got condoms too?"



"Come on. You know I get tested every few months."



"Safe sex is happy sex," I said. 



"Yes," he sighed. "I have condoms too." 



"Good, but we're not there yet." 

I reached over to his jacket, fished out the lube, and smeared a good dollop between my breasts. Cradling my flesh between my hands I lowered my breasts on his dick rubbing up and down the shaft. After all this time, it felt good to have a man's hard cock between my breasts. Little electric shocks traveled down my spine at the thought of what I was doing to him. I dipped my head down and licked the tip of his penis. His cock hardened more and a few drops of pre-cum pearled at the tip. 

 "Fuck," he said. 



"Oh, not yet." 

I grabbed one of the condoms from his pocket and ripping the packet open, took it and rolled it on. 



"Bitch," he said. 



"Asshole," I replied. With that I plunged his dick in my mouth, and worked my tongue up, down and around it and then again. Gripping the base I added the strokes of my closed hand, my saliva dripping down his shaft. As he strained in my hand, my head lowered to his balls, while I moved my index finger to the sensitive spot under the head of his cock. While tip of my finger and my fingernail played with that, I teased his balls with my tongue. When I took one in mouth his back arched up. 



"Ah," he groaned. "Stop."



"Stop?"



"I'm not as young as I once was. I only get one shot at this."



"I just think you're out of practice." My head dipped back to his waiting cock. 



He put his hands on my shoulders, and sitting up, pushed me away. 



"I must be, to let you call the shots." 

With that he pulled me up and across him, placing me on the flat of my back, while he turned, kicking off his slacks. He pulled at the waistband of my pants, and pulled them down, taking my underpants with them. Jack looked at my knee brace then. 

"Just leave it there," I said. 



Moving between my legs, he pushed apart my thighs with his hands, and lowered his head to my clit. He lapped it lightly, his hot breath sinking into the middle of my mound. 



"Oh," I moaned. 



He picked up the pace, and the pressure, taking his tongue lower and licking the entrance of my pussy. Then he speared it. His cooling saliva on my clit, and the pressure of his tongue pushing inside me made me gasp. His hand moved to my clit then, and rubbed the soft folds of skin around it. 



"Oh, oh." 



He picked up the pace, his fingers becoming more insistent. My breathing quickened and I took his hair in my hands holding him tight against me. I came with pent up energy, my pussy bucking against his face. He pulled my hands away from my head and rising up pushed his cock inside me even as my cunt pulsed. I cried out again as he plunged deep inside me, prolonging my orgasm with his strokes. My tits danced with the force of his pounding.

Jack grabbed my hips hard with his hands and drove his cock in and out of me as he rode my orgasm to its end. It felt so good. It felt so very good to have a man slide in and out of me. 



His last thrust had brought him over the edge. 

"Fuck, oh fuck!" he cried out. 

With that he collapsed on my chest, breathing hard. There was a long silence while Jack lay on me while his breaths slowed. 



"Jack, are you okay?"



He pushed himself up and grinned. "If I knew you were this good, I'd have given you better performance ratings."



"Asshole."



"Bitch." 



Personal Training Ch. 04



You would think that since I got off last night, that my dick wouldn't be so much of a pest in the morning. And you'd be wrong. The dream that got everything going was a replay of last night. Only instead of Cindy it was Miz Cool I was fucking. Her broad, round ass was under me as I gripped her hips, pulled her to me and slipped inside. Heaven. 

I woke up then, my cock rock solid. 

Fuck.

I grabbed my cock with my hand, sliding up and down the shaft, looking to get this over quickly. But there are some things you just can't rush. I was getting into a rhythm though, feeling the rush that told me I was close. And then the phone rang. 

I tried to ignore it, but there is no ignoring that noise, so I picked it up. The number was blocked.

"Hello, sweetie." I didn't recognize the voice. 

"Um, who is this?"

"Cindy. Or have you forgotten me already?"

"Ah, no. But how did you get my number?"

She giggled. 

"Your business card was on the floor."

Shit. It must have fallen out when I got the condom. 

"Well, isn't that lucky for me," I said.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Um, jerking off."

"Oh, well, why don't you come over and I'll take care of that for you."

"Can't. I have to get to work."

"On Saturday?"

"Yes." She didn't need any more information than that. 

"You were so hot last night. I dreamed about you all night."

"I dreamed about you, too," I lied. Well, it was almost the truth.

"I liked how you licked my tits. Do you know what I'm doing right now?"

"No," I said.

"I'm pinching my nipples with my fingers. It hurts so good. I wish they were your fingers, your rough, hard fingers. I like things rough."

My hand slid up and down my cock again, by phone cradled between my shoulder and my ear. "I noticed."

"I'm pinching one nipple very, very hard. And my other hand is rubbing my snatch. I can't help it. You make me so hot, Abel."

"Ah," I said. I lost the ability to speak right then.

"I want you in me, Abel. I need your cock in me. I need you to fuck me, hard."

"Oh." My hand pulled on my cock faster and harder.

"Fuck me, Abel. Harder. Deeper. Oh, yes. More please, more. Pound me, baby. Fuck me. Harder. Fuck. Oh, fuck! FUCK!" Those words and the sounds of her orgasm sent me over the edge. My cum shot onto my chest. 

"Oh," she said when her breathing slowed. "That was good."

"Yes, it was," I admitted through scrambled thoughts.

"Let's get together and do that in person."

"Sure," I said.

"Great! Tonight. I'll meet you at the bar." And her phone clicked off before I could beg off. 

A great many things went through my head after I got off the phone with Cindy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to meet Cindy tonight. I needed to get my laundry done, since I didn't get it done last night. Also I needed to get to work soon. I stripped the sheets, wiping my chest and sticky hands with them, and stuffed the sheets in my laundry bag. A quick shower, and shave, throwing on my work clothes and dragging the laundry bag, I was out the door. My feet pounded down the stairs from my second floor apartment to the parking lot and I pulled up short.

Where the hell was my car?

My assigned parking space was empty.

Shit. My heart pounding I called the police. 

"I want to report a stolen car."

The dispatcher took my name and address and told me to hold on. After a few minutes she came back on the line. 

"Mr. Williams, your car wasn't stolen. It was repossessed."

"That's impossible. I don't owe any money on the car."

"Say's right here, Mr. Williams that the owner of the car took possession through Big Dick's Auto Recovery. The papers were filed in the station last night. I suggest you call the owner."

I lowered the phone from my ear in shock. 

Lynn. Fucking Lynn. Sure when we bought the car, Lynn's name was on it because her credit was better than mine. But I paid for it, every dime. Hands shaking I called the bitch.

She answered the phone sweetly.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck, Lynn. Where the fuck is my car?"

"Your car?" Her voice was all innocence. "That's not what the title says."

"I swear to fucking god," I started.

"Swear what, Abel? What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll take you to court. I have all the fucking receipts."

"Sure, baby," she said her voice like honey, "You can do that. But its gonna take awhile, you know? Filing the papers, getting them served, the court date. Maybe you will get the car back, if I still have it."

"God damn it!"

"And Abel, sweetie, you might want to get a new phone, because the service on the one in your hand... I just shut that off."

"Fuck you!"

"As if you could." The line went dead.

#

The ringing cell phone woke me. Both our iPhones were sitting on the table by the bed. Jack had called his dad to check on him. I called my son and asked him to feed the cats in the morning. Jack wasn't kidding about the one shot, so we watched movies until we both fell asleep. 

I picked up the phone in my sleepy state. 

"Who the fuck is this?" said a shrill female voice. Damn, I had picked up Jack's phone. 

"I'm Jack's sister. Who are you?" In point of fact, Jack did have a sister. Another point of fact she died ten years previous. But the woman soon proved she didn't know that. 

"Oh, I'm looking for Jack."

"And you are?"

"Juju."

"Juju," I repeat for Jack's benefit. 

Jack was awake now, giving me an "aw shit" look.

"Jack, Jack," I called out loudly. "Juju is on the phone for you."

Jack reached over my arm grabbing for the phone. I wouldn't yield it. He sat up, leaned in, and snatched it away. 

"Oh hi, baby. No. I had to go take care of my dad. Yeah, Carol came this morning to spell me. No, I'm not sure when I'll be home."

"Home?" I thought.

"I should be back by tonight. Yeah, you too."

I tried my best to give him a disapproving glare, and honest-to-god he had a look of fear in his eyes. But I couldn't hold it, and I started laughing. This was stereotypical Jack, hiding secrets. I wondered what else he was hiding. 

"Shut up," he said sounding a little pissed.

"There was any number of ways I could have handled that call. Most of them would have you sleeping alone tonight."

"Yeah, thanks," he mumbled. 

I sat up and put my hands around my knees.

"So who's Juju?"

"Um, the receptionist at dad's factory."

"Really, Jack? How many times have I told you not to swim in the company pool?" Jack got himself into real trouble at our last job by failing to keep his pants zipped. I had to slap him around verbally until he behaved. 

He bit his lip, which, by the way, did not make him appear adorable.

"Don't you see? This is why I need you! You keep me on the straight and narrow. I don't fuck up when you are around."

"Oh, so you didn't "retire" after I left?"

He shook his head, his dirty secret out now. 

"And this is why you are working at your father's factory?"

"Well, it is true he did go into a decline after mom died."

"Spill it, Jack." I said. I knew there was more. 

He sighed.

"The books were kept sloppy. The board of directors called for an audit."

I drew in a deep breath. Now I know why Jack descended on me. Part of my old job was keeping the many auditors off our backs. 

"Who is the fiduciary, you or your dad?"

He groaned. "Me."

Fuck. If things were bad enough Jack could wind up in jail. 

"Asshole! Why didn't you check things out before you agreed to that?"

"He was sick. I didn't think my own father..."

From who did he think he inherited his less enduring traits? "You really are off your game." 

"Come and help me. I'll make it worth your while."

"No."

"Now you are just being stubborn."

"I spent five years babysitting you, Jack. I did my duty."

"And I made sure you got the money you were worth. And I'll do it again."

I glanced away. Totally sober, this was fucking weird, sitting in bed naked with my old boss, him begging me to work for him again. 

"Look," he said. "You lost everything after that accident; your savings, your house. Look where you are living."

Now I was pissed. "You don't have to be insulting," I said.

He leaned over and kissed me. "I'm not trying insult you. You deserve better, is all. And I can give it to you."

"I don't know," I said. 

"Aww, come on," he said. "I have one hell of an employee benefits package."

"I'm not sure. I'm not even used to the 'friends with benefits' package."

He smiled. "We can work on that too."

I looked into Jack's dark eyes. Oh, in Jack's screwed up sense of morality he would marry me just to have his favorite lieutenant pull his ass out of the fire. And he masterfully played on my every weakness, my loneliness, and current financial difficulties. But there were many devils in this world, and not all of them with cloven hooves and horns. I was looking at one of them right now. My question was, do I choose the devil I know?

And right now that devil was nibbling on my neck. 

Jack's plan of attack was very methodical. First he nibbled my ear until a few sounds escaped my mouth. They might have been, "Oh god, Jack," or "More, do that more." Certainly they were not "Fuck me, Jack," because as good as everything was last night, I was sure that would be a mistake.

His tongue was relentless though, moving to the back of my ear, the sensations of his lapping tongue driving electric tingles to my clit. Where he was really diabolical though was when he moved to back of my neck. His teeth nipped the sensitive spot under my hairline followed by wet, hot lashes of that marvelous tongue. 

Fuck me. An image hit me of when I caught Jack doing the very same thing to one of my employees in his office. That sobered me faster than a pail of cold water thrown on my naked body. I sat up abruptly. 

"I'm going to take a shower," I announced. I didn't give him a chance to answer. Pushing myself up off the bed, I limped into the bathroom. 

The hot water flowed over my body as I hung onto the handicap handles in the shower. I heard him walk into the bathroom and take a long piss in the toilet. So ordinary, so common, our actions, me in the shower, him using the toilet, like two people who knew each for years. Comfortable.

Only I wasn't comfortable. I was distinctly uncomfortable. Especially when he pushed aside the shower curtains and stepped inside.

"I'd like a little privacy," I snapped looking at him over my shoulder. 

"Why?"he smirked. He honest-to-god smirked. What a bastard.

"I will never drink around you again," I announced. I turned my face back to the water.

I heard something like a cap snapped, and then a bottle settling somewhere on the tub. He reached around and started rubbing my nipples, something foaming in his hands. Soap.

Oh god. The slickness of the soap and his restless hands brought both nipples to attention, the nubs standing out like little soldiers in his fingers. Pleasure ripped up and down my spin as the rivets of water splashed down my shoulders. He stepped back, and I was left hanging there a second from the stall handles, my knees too weak to move myself. I heard the cap snap open again.

"Jack," I said.

"Ssh," he said in my ear, pushing himself against me. His right hand reached around settling on my mound, swirling his fingers in my pubic hair around clit. Probing lower his fingers found the entrance to my pussy. He stroked up and down, grazing my clit and poking the ends of fingers into me, holding me up as I slid further into a place of no reason. Resting my clit in the palm of his hand, he slid his fingers in me. He took a half-step back, and began to rub my ass with his soaped left hand. Next he slid his fingers on my lower back. His index found my butt hole, making little circles around it. With firms strokes of his index finger, the soap-lubed rosebud of my ass he pressed in his finger slowly, so very slowly. His other three fingers reached up my pussy to greet his brothers there. 

Oh. My. God. I gasped.

Leaning against me, he pushed his finger in deeper up my ass, and then moved fingers in the front back and forth, slowly building up a rhythm. My hips rocked over his hands. 

"Cum for me, baby," he whispered in my ear, his breath hot and thick. "I want to hear it."

"I'm close."

With that he picked up the pace, front and back, the sensations building in force so that I no longer felt his fingers as separate assaults on different parts of my body. The pleasure merged, pushing electric currents that pulsed up my spine. A whimper and then a scream escaped my throat. My orgasm crashed on me, blanking all thought except for my cumming's white heat, and the convulsions of my pussy. Finally, I just slumped against him and he slid his fingers out of me. 

When my breathing got back to normal, I turned ready to repeat the favor. But I did not see what I expected. Jack's cock just hung there, unperturbed. I must have stared.

"Don't worry about that, darlin'," he said. "I used my last Viagra last night. You can always make it up to me later."

I sighed. "Take me home, Jack."

#

In the driveway of my little rented condo, I tried to give Jack back the ring. His hand closed over mine.

"Keep it," he said. "I said I was serious."

"But I'm not," I said. 

He gave me a cocky smile. "Not yet, anyway. Now get out of the car."

I stared at him.

"Get out of the car," he ordered. "You can't start missing me until I'm gone."

I raised my eyebrows but I did anyway. 

"I'll call you," he said as I shut the door. Then he pulled down the driveway and gunned his engine down the street. 

Jerk. He didn't even give me a goodbye kiss.



Personal Training Ch. 05



I dumped the laundry back into my apartment and started hoofing it to the gym. Luckily I hitchhiked a ride to the shopping center, so I wasn't too late. But still it was a real bad way to start the day, especially when my boss, Carl, had a few sharp words about me not being on time for my shift. He was right. I was new. He had no way of knowing if I was going to be a fuck-up or what. 

Getting the new phone at the phone store in the center didn't help my mood. My break was only a half hour so I didn't have much time to pick something out and the security deposit was outrageous. Since I could get the same model iPhone for $100 bucks, I could keep my sim card and not lose my contacts. After serving up my credit card, a new phone with a new number was in my pocket. One problem solved. 

At my next break I went to the little UPS store in the center, and shipped the old phone, stripped of anything useful, back to Lynn. My note wasn't exactly nice, but at this point she didn't deserve nice. I wrote: "Since you took everything else..." It felt strange to write down my old address on the paperwork, like any of the past five years didn't mean anything. But in the end, it didn't anyway.

Checking my watch I saw my break was nearly over. I picked up the pace. I was nearly at the door when Jill and Terry drove by, calling my name and waving at me. In the next second I crashed into the next person trying to enter the gym. Quickly, I reached to steady her so she didn't fall. 

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry, " I said. The woman turned to face me and I froze. It was Miz Cool. I'm sure my embarrassment was all over my face.

She looked at me and her eyes got very wide. 

"Are you okay?" I said, my heart racing. 

"From the looks of it, you got the worst of the deal. Yes, I'm fine," she said. But she took a step forward and winced. 

Oh god. "Look, let me look at it. I'm a trainer here."

"You are? I haven't seen you before."

"I just started. Abel. Abel Williams."

She bit her lip. "Annie Lloyd. But I'm okay really. Its just an old injury." 

I held open the door. "Please, to ease my mind."

She sighed and walked in, limping but not any worse than the day before. The boss, standing at the desk shot me a nasty look. 

"Abel," he said, "Is there a problem?"

"He's just helping me, Carl," said Annie. "That's okay, isn't it?"

"Of course, Annie," said the boss. "You let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Carl," she said. 

"Come with me," I said, and I led her to one of the massage rooms. I patted the table. "Up you go." 

"Really," she said. But she got on the table. 

"Let me see that leg." 

She rolled up her pants leg, where I saw the knee brace.

"What happened?"

"Car accident. Tibia and tibia plateau fractures."

It was my turn to wince. "Painful."

"I was laid up in bed for three months before the doctors allowed me put any weight on it. And then I had to wear an ugly brace. I did physical therapy, but there came a point where the therapist couldn't do any more for it, so I started back up here."

There wasn't any bruising or swelling, but still with an unstable knee any shock isn't good.

"The muscles are all knotted up, probably from working so hard to walk. Let me give your legs a massage."

She looked down then. "I'm sorry. I can't..."

I smiled. "No problem. It's on me. As an apology. Please?"

She smiled then. "All right."

I helped her swing the legs up and helped her lay back. I undid her brace and carefully pulled it off her leg. 

"Call me Abel."

I grabbed the massage oil and put some in my hands. When I put my hands on her legs I got a shock. The skin on her lower leg was the softest I've ever felt. I put both hands on her calf and started the massage, moving my hands up and down either side of her calf. I had my back to her, because frankly I could take looking at the mounds of her breasts on her chest. 

"You sound like you know Carl." I said trying to keep my mind on my work. I went to her ankle and foot pulled my hands down over them. The soles of her feet were perfect, no rough skin, no calluses. I run my thumb against the sole of her foot. She drew in a deep breath. 

"I should," she said. "I went to school with him."

"That's not possible," I said. "He's like, sixty." My hands went back to her calf. Touching the softness of that skin stirred my cock. Down boy, down, I thought. 

"Oh, Carl did some hard living, for sure," she said, "before he settled down and started this place. He's not quite sixty, but we are the same age."

"You're kidding me. No way are you in your fifties." My hands worked my way up to her knee. 

"Yep, my husband and him belonged to the same lodge."

"Husband?" My heart sank. Of course she had a husband.

"He's passed now," she said quietly. 

"Sorry." My hands moved up to above the knee. "Your skin is in wonderful shape." I turned now and faced her, my hand massaging her thigh. It took some effort to kept my composure as my mind wandered to what would happen if I moved my hands up toward her sweet spot. Immediately, I shut that thought down. 

"Thank you. I credit a lack of sunbathing, and good lotion." 

"Oh, you're into lotions, are you?" I said smiling. 

She gave me a strange look. "Abel you not flirting with me, are you?" she said.

"Maybe I am," I said.

She drew in a deep breath and I stopped breathing then. Maybe I went too far. 

"You can't possibly be interested..." Her face flushed. 

"Why not?"

"I have to be close to twenty years older than you."

I shrugged. "I find women older than me very sexy. Some men do, you know." 

She put her hands on mine, stopping the motion.

"I have to go now."

"Please, don't," I said. 

She got flustered, and swung her legs off the table. 

"No, really. I didn't have much time to work out anyway. Just thought I'd do a quick session on the bikes." 

With that she was out the door and out of the gym. 

This day really sucks.

#

Oh, god, oh god, oh god. What am I thinking? I went back to my car, flushed, upset and if I admit to myself, aroused. He was gorgeous, so fucking gorgeous. He couldn't possible be interested in anyone like me, late 50's, overweight, and with this damned limp. I got in my car, but just sat there, my head slumped on the steering wheel. Every single emotion I held back since last year came flooding up, pushing up through my gut, resulting in tears that flowed over the back of my hands. 

It was bad enough that Eddie was dead, leaving me behind. There is nothing as lonely as abandonment from the grave. You aren't supposed to feel sorry for yourself or be angry at them. They are the ones that are deprived of life, not you. But it doesn't feel like that. It's not just lonely, it's torture, wanting to be with someone you can never be with again. 

The rest that happened, the fallout of that accident just seemed lesser punishments of the gods for all the times I didn't appreciate Eddie. Now, here was Jack with his ridiculous proposal, and now, this what? What do I call him? He's a man, but so close to my own children's ages, he seems like a child to me. Not only do I feel unattractive, and let's say it, damaged, now I feel like a dirty pervert for being attracted to him. 

There was rap on the window next to my head. I looked up, and became even more embarrassed. It was him, looking very concerned.

"Annie," he said through the glass. "Are you all right?"

I sniffed, and wiped my eyes with my hands and nodded. 

"Roll down the window, please?"

I had to turn the key to do that, and instantly there was a look of panic on his face. But I put the window down.

"What?"

"I didn't mean to upset you," he said.

"Don't flatter yourself," I said. 

He gave a me a look that said, "Oh really?"

"Sorry, it's been a hell of a day," I said. 

"I know what you mean. Listen, how about if we go get a drink, 

or a coffee, or something. I'd really like to talk with you."

"I have to go."

"Yeah, right. That's why you are sitting here in the parking lot." 

"Don't you have to work?"

"Shift's over."

"I'm sure you have something better to do."

He shook his head slowly. 

"Well, I'll follow you then."

"Here's the thing. Car is in the shop."

I sighed. "Do you like pizza? I know a place near here."

He smiled and I melted. "Sure. Who doesn't?"

I unlocked the doors and he got in, his broad muscled arms and shoulders barely fitting into the seat. The musky, sexy smell of this young man filled my car. My heart started to pound and my pussy got very wet. 

I am going to hell for this. I know it. 

#

Annie took me to this little pizza place, called Jimmie's, in a tiny shopping center on the road that would normally take me home. It was one of those places run by one family. It had with old wood panels, red vinyl booths and pictures of friends and kids and grandkids handing on the walls. In the air hung the scent of baking dough and sharp pizza spices. When we walked in an older woman with bleach blonde hair looked up from the cash register.

"Hi, Annie," she said warmly. "Been a while."

"Hi, Gina, " Annie said. "Thought I'd sit in for pizza today."

"The usual?" Gina said looking me up and down.

"Well, send over a pitcher for starters," said Annie.

Gina nodded and Annie walked over to a booth in the corner and we sat.

"Is there anyone in this town you don't know?" I said.

"Not really," she said smiling. "Remember, I grew up here." 

Gina came over with a pitcher of beer and two glasses. 

"There you go," she said. "Ready to order?" 

"Give us a minute," said Annie.

"Sure, I'll send someone back."

"Great," said Annie. And then to me she nodded toward the menu. "You can check that out, but I recommend the clam and garlic pizza. It's a house specialty."

"That sounds pretty good to me," I say.

"Oh! Hi Abel." I looked up. It was Cindy. She was wearing an apron and holding one of those little pads to write up orders. Shit. She worked here.

"Hi, Cindy," I said.

"Oh, and is this your mother?"

Annie's face turned several shades of red. 

"No," I said firmly. "This a friend. Annie this is Cindy, Cindy, Annie."

"Oh," said Cindy, a little less brightly. "Well, I'll see you tonight, right?"

"Cindy," said Annie, her voice low, "how about taking our order?"

"Yeah, sure," she said.

"One large clam and garlic pie," said Annie.

"Okay." She wrote the order down, looked at me again, and walked off looking none too happy.

Annie poured a beer and pushed it to me, and then one for herself.

"I'm not the only one with friends," she said. 

I shrugged. "I just met her, actually. There's a bar she hangs out at."

"Oh," said Annie. 

"I don't know many people here," I said. "I just moved here a month ago."

"What prompted you to move here?" She sounded surprised anyone would want to.

"The lure of the big city," I said smiling. 

"Abel, this isn't a big city."

"I was misinformed."

She stared at me, I smiled, and she started to laugh.

"So you like old movies?"

"I pretty much like any movie, but yeah, movies from the 30's and 40's are awesome."

We talked about movies. I found out she like science fiction movies best, but hated the ones based on comic books. She would watch anything with Tom Cruise in it, though she thought his interest in scientology was misplaced. I threw in a few jokes, she came back me with some more and we were having a pretty good time, until Cindy showed up with the pizza. 

"Here, you go," she said sweetly. She smiled at me. "Let me top off your beer." With that she picked up the pitcher.

"You don't have to do that, Cindy," I said.

She leaned over to my ear. "Tonight? Right?"

"Um, I can't."

"Can't?" she said, her voice becoming shrill. "Can't?" With that Cindy turned the pitcher over my head.

"What the!" I said, dripping in beer. In a flash, Annie was out of the booth and standing over Cindy.

"Get your shit," she growled. "You're fired!"

"What? You can't fire me."

Gina immediately was at the back of Cindy.

"Yes, she can. She's Jimmi's daughter."

Cindy looked at me, then to Annie, who had a fierce look on her face, then turned and fled.

"How long has she worked here?" said Annie to Gina.

"Just a couple months, part-time."

"Is there anyone else you can call in?"

"Yes, sure. Junior's always up for more hours."

"Okay, and some bar towels, please."

"Sure, Annie."

"Abel, I am so sorry," said Annie turning to me. Gina brought a stack of towels. Annie handed the pizza to her. "Box it up, please."

"Sure."

Annie handed me a towel and she started moping up the mess. 

"Annie, I'll do that," said Gina. 

"Good thing we weren't busy. God, when pops finds out about this, he'll hit the roof."

Gina touched Annie on the arm. "He'll be glad you came in, Annie. Don't worry about it."

"You'll be okay, here?" said Annie. She looked tense. 

"Sure, I texted Junior. He's on his way, Tony's in the back."

"Come on, Abel. Let's get you cleaned up."

Before I knew it, after a short car ride, I was in Annie's condo.

#

"The bathroom's on the right," I said. "Here, give me that shirt."

Okay, maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to bring a man I hardly knew back to my house. On the other hand, considering how coolly he handed things back at pop's restaurant, I didn't think he was the violent type. He even started apologizing in the car for what Cindy did.

He stood in my kitchen and pulled the shirt over his head. I had to keep from gasping. Man, he was built. And, I suspected, his tattoos played out over his pecs. His abs weren't inked, but they were tantalizingly ripped. I took the shirt quickly, trying not to let him see my stare. 

"Go, get that beer washed off you. Then we'll eat."

I washed his tee shirt in the sink, using dish soap, scrubbed and rinsed it good, giving it good twists to ring it out. I got a towel from the linen closet and rolled the shirt in it, blotting the excess moisture, then threw it in my dryer. I turned around and Abel, gloriously half-naked was staring at me. I swallowed hard.

"Let's eat," I said. 

He stood there a second as if thinking something over.

"Have any good movies?" he said.

"I have Amazon and Netflix," I said.

"Good."

I showed him the set-up in the living room, and he started going through the movies. I put the pie on the coffee table, and brought him a beer from the fridge. I got myself a glass of wine. 

He settled on Casablanca, of all movies. He patted the couch next to him.

"Come on," he said. "I love this movie."

God help me, I sat right next to him, my heart thumping.

"What do you like about this movie?" I said.

"How everything is so messed up. Ilsa loves both of them, and wants both of them, but for different reasons. Her husband is the knight in shining armor, and Rick is the handsome rogue that she can't stop thinking about. Who does she choose?"

"The good boy and the bad boy, huh? What's good for her and the one that isn't?"

Abel nodded. "Only, as the twist, the rogue turns into the knight, but only if he can't have her."

"Yeah, that ending still has people talking," I said. "But, she let Rick make the choice for her. That's the part I don't like."

"Really? If you were her, which one would you chose?"

"Me? Hmmm, the morally superior prick that so graciously "forgives" my indiscretions, or the rakish rogue that's too afraid to commit and uses the world's crisis to avoid me? Neither! I'd choose Claude Rains. At least he's not afraid to have a good time." 

Abel started laughing then, a good long laugh that shook his shoulders. God, how sexy were those shoulders? When he stopped laughing he put his arm around me, and kissed my temple, just like that, sweet and affectionate. Then we settled in to watch the rest of movie eating the pizza. He'd tease me whenever Rains came on the screen. "There's your honey," he said and he'd chuckle. And I'd poke him in the ribs with my elbow for his cracks, though gods, help me I wanted to put my hands on him. With the last crack and my last poke, his used his fingers to tickle my side, and I jumped. This encouraged him even more, and soon, I was laughing, trying to fend off his tickling. I kept trying to scrunch down to protect myself, and soon he was leaning over me with his marvelous body. His got very serious. Against my leg, I could feel the bulge in his pants. Our eyes met, and warmth spread between my thighs. 

"Are you afraid to have a good time," he said.

"Apparently not," I reply. 

"Good," he said. And he kissed me. 

#

Here I am, with a beautiful man kissing me and I'm fighting myself whether this is a good idea. The horny side of me was winning out, when my damn phone went off.

"Let me get that," I gasp.

"Let it ring," said Abel.

"No, it might be my father, or the restaurant or..."

Abel pushed himself away and I picked up the phone off the coffee table.

"Hi, sweetie." Jack. 

"Yup," I said.

"Miss me?"

"Nope."

"There's a little thing called conversation. It starts out by stringing a few words together."

"Uh-huh," I said as I move to the kitchen. "So what's up?"

"The auditors are coming next week. I can really use you."

"Yes, I'm sure you can." I didn't hide the sarcasm in my voice. 

"Please."

"What?" 

"Just...please."

"No."

He swore.

"Good night, Jack. I'm hanging up the phone now."

"No, wait." He sounded desperate. There was a hitch in his voice. 

"What is it?"

"I promise a huge bonus if you just show up. Look at things. 

Help get things organized. You don't have to stay, just come."

He sounded very strange. 

"Are you okay?" I said

.

"Fine, just...come, okay."

"Allright, Jack" I said. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Thanks," he said. And I hung up.

I turned around, and Abel was leaning, arms crossed, in the doorway.

"Who's Jack?" he said

#

I hoped that JuJu wasn't at my apartment, but I wasn't that lucky. She sat on the couch watching the television. She bounced up and flung herself at me. Her jasmine scented perfume clung to every inch of her even her long black hair. JuJu was petite, just the way I like women, but was still was curvy. Her yellow summer dress hung low on her round breasts and pulled in tight on her waist, the skirt hugging her shapely hips. 

"Hi, honey," JuJu said. She laid a big kiss on me. 

"Um," I said trying to pull away, "I'm really beat, honey."

"Oh," she pouted. "I picked up your prescription for you." She looked at me hopefully.

"Let me take a raincheck," I said.

"How about a drink?" she said.

"Sure."

"I made some hot wings for you. Spicy, just the way you like them." She breathed that last sentence in ear and I knew she wasn't going to give up.

"Sounds great," I said. 

"Let me just heat them up. They will be ready in a second."

I walked to my bedroom, seeing JuJu's clothes spread out all over. I told her a thousand times to put up her clothes, and take most of them home and she just wouldn't listen. This is my own fault, of course. I got a little enthusiastic about JuJu when we first started up and let her spend more time here than I should. Sighing I walked into the bathroom, and opened the medicine cabinet. There in the new prescription bottle were the little blue pills that help keep things going for me. I picked up the bottle. 

JuJu came in the bedroom. "You got an email from the auditors. They are going to be here next week."

"Oh fuck, why didn't you call me?"

"I tried, you didn't pick up. But what difference does that make? It's a week."

"I have to make a call," I said.

"Can't it wait, baby? I missed you."

"No. Why don't you get the table set."

"Okay," but she didn't sound happy. She left the room and I called Annie. It took a few rings before she answered.




Personal Training Ch. 05



"Hi, sweetie," I said.

"Yup," she said. This wasn't like her. 

"Miss me?"

"Nope," she replied. Just then JuJu came back in the bedroom with a wicked look on her face. I tried to wave her away, but she moved closer to me, swinging her hips seductively. 

"There's a little thing called conversation," I said. "It starts out by stringing a few words together." Juju pulled at my belt and undid it. Damn, how come women were so good at that? 

"Uh-huh," Annie said. "So what's up?" JuJu pulled my pants, then underpants down, and started licking my thighs, working her way up to my balls. 

"The auditors are coming next week. I can really use you." Juju sunk to her knees and gripped my thighs, pushing her head up under my dick. She licked the space between my balls and my shaft. Damn, that felt good. 

"Yes, I'm sure you can," Annie said. Juju slid her tongue down my cock and put the head in her mouth, sucking it deeper inside her mouth. 

"Please," I said, though at this point I wasn't sure if I was talking to Annie or JuJu. 

"What?" said Annie. I felt my cock harden from JuJu's efforts, and it was difficult to keep my breathing even. 

"Just...please," I said. JuJu bobbed her head up on down encouraging my cock to grower harder. Tired soldier that it was it was resisting, but what she was doing felt good anyway. 

"No."

"God damn," I said as JuJu's tongue laid tingles of pleasure on my shaft.

"Good night, Jack. I'm hanging up the phone now," said Annie. 

"No, wait." My voice hitched as JuJu grabbed my balls with her hand, massaging them.

"What is it?" said Annie.

"I promise a huge bonus if you just show up. Look at things. Help get things organized. You don't have to stay, just come." I knew my sentences were getting shorter, but what JuJu was doing was working. My cock grew harder from the swirls of her tongue around it. My voice sounded strange even to my ears.

"Yes, cum, baby," JuJu whispered.

"Are you okay?" Annie said.

"Fine, just...come, okay." My balls pulled up and I felt the rush that told me I was about to explode. 

"All right, Jack" Annie said. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Thanks," I say and the phone clicked off as I shot my load into JuJu's hungry mouth.



Personal Training Ch. 06



"Who's Jack," Abel said.

I looked in Abel's eyes after he asked his question. It was really none of his business, but he stood there looking so wary, as if my answer would change things irrevocably. I wasn't sure what I wanted just then, but shutting the door between us wasn't one of them.

"He's my old boss," I said. "He's offered me a temporary position."

"Oh," said Abel watching me with his ice-blue eyes. Why wouldn't he stop staring?

"I have to go to upstate New York for a week or so. I leave tomorrow."

"Good," he said.

"Good?"

"Yes, that still gives us tonight." He moved toward me and wrapped his muscled arms around me.

There were still protests swirling in my head. But damn, he was so gorgeous, and his arms so strong, and he smelled so sexy. He leaned in for a kiss, tender at first and then more demanding as his tongue met mine. His hands slid down my ass and pulled my hips into his. I felt his hard cock against me, and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to feel it my hands and my mouth.

"Let's go to my bedroom," I said.

"Um," he said burying his face in my neck, pulling my shirt up over my tits.

"Abel, I can't stand very long, not like this."

He pulled away, his eyes glazed.

"Sure. Lead the way."

As soon as I sat on the bed, he was on me again. This time he pulled my shirt completely off, and reaching around worked at the hooks on my bra.

"Damn, woman, these things are held in tight." But he got it undone and he tore my bra off as well. Abel's lips rained kisses on breasts, pushing me down on the bed from the weight of his body. My hands sought his cock, and managed to reach in and felt its velvet crown, but he pulled my hands away, and held them above my head.

"If you can't behave, you'll have to grab the headboard," he growled.

I smiled. "Is that how you want to play it?" I said.

"I'm not playing," he said.

"But I am," I said. With my tongue I lapped behind his ear, and in his ear, swirling my tongue around. Ears are so sensitive. Then I sucked the lobe of his ear in my mouth and kept working it.

"No one, ah, oh," he moaned as the full weight of him pressed down on me. I used his distraction to get him to roll to the side with a twist of my body, and I brought my mouth to his nipples, sucking and licking them. Soon he was on his back, his cock jutting up under his shorts, while my tongue worked its way down his stomach, with him making little noises of pleasure. I got as far as his pubis, pulling to tops of shorts down and started mouthing the area just above his cock when he pulled me away.

I looked in his eyes, and he shook his head no.

"Don't you like that?" I asked.

"Too much," he said.

"It's never too much," I said. "I have to taste you."

A little whimper escaped his throat.

"I have to taste you, too," he said as a whisper.

"Then there is only one way for both of us to do that." I turned on my side toward the footboard, and he pulled my workout pants down while I tugged at his shorts pulling them down off his muscled legs. Licking his thighs I worked my way up and his tongue found my clit. I groaned and his tongue found my pussy, licking my juices. I found the place between his thigh and cock and sucked it hard. His back arched pushing his cock into my nose and I breathed deeply his musky scent. More, I wanted more. Up to now I hadn't used my hands, but now I needed to wrap my fingers around his cock. I took his rock hard dick in one hand and pointed it to my mouth. He sucked my pussy with increasing fierceness, sending jolts of pleasure up my spine. 

Putting him in my mouth while on my side wasn't the most comfortable position since he was thick as well as long. Repositioning myself, I took his dick in my mouth savoring the taste of male and pre-cum. My tongue seemed to work on its own accord finding different ways to play with his shaft, working to move him deeper in my throat. Tasting him in my mouth and feeling him pleasure me with his tongue brought me close to the edge. 

I moved my hips more against his insistent lips, and he moved his cock in my mouth. I felt him stiffen. A muffled roar came from him that sent shockwaves up my pussy and clit. I pulled my mouth off him as I came and felt his hot cum spray on my face and my breasts. My pussy pulsed while his mouth clamped down on my clit. Finally he moved his mouth. We lay there few minutes unable to move.

My head cleared a little. I sat up, thinking to clean off in my bathroom. However, he pulled me down to his face, and started to lick his cum off of me. He did it so eagerly, so wantonly, that it sent little mini tingles from my face to my brain.

When he was done, he said, "Taste this," and he pressed his mouth to mine sharing the combined tastes of my pussy and his cum on his lips and his tongue. My back arched and his fingers reached for my clit, clamping his hand over it, and rocked it as I writhed with this new heat. His fingers sought my entrance and he plunged them in, rocking back and forth, not letting me go until I came again, electricity searing from my tailbone to my pussy. 

He held me tight against him, kissing my breast. His mouth found my left nipple and he latched on hungrily, his tongue flicking the nub. I was so sensitive at this point that as he pulled and sucked I got increasingly excited. All he needed to do was put one finger to my clit and I screamed again.

"I...can't... take...this," I gasped.

His eyes locked onto mine. "Too bad," he said and I shivered. He took my hand and pushed it to his cock, hard yet again.

"Need you," he whispered.

"Get what you need from the nightstand."

He looked at me and opened the nightstand, and saw the condoms and lube. He picked up a condom.

"I'll help you with that," I said. Taking the package, I opened it and smoothed the condom on his hardened shaft. God, young men are so wonderful. With his cock in my face I slurped it into my mouth.

"Hey," he protested. "None of that now. I'm going to get what I want."

He slid down, and teased my pussy with the tip of his cock. Abel took hold of my hips and rocked, barely entering me. My stomach muscles clenched with a new wave of excitement. I grabbed his hips and pulled him to me.

He smiled and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

"You want it?" he said.

I nodded, not able to form words just then. His movements were driving me crazy needing him inside me.

"How do you want it?" he said.

"Fuck me. Hard." But what he gave me wasn't what I expected.

Abel's first thrust was hard and deep, so that his balls were against me. He held himself there, breathing rhythmically. Making little movements inside he tantalized me to arousal again. My pussy clamped around him.

"Ah," he said.

This went on for such a long time that every thought I had centered on his cock inside me, teasing me. My gut and the tip of my spine shot with pinpricks of pleasure, growing, gathering in a white storm that built until I could take no more. I thrust my hips, feeling every movement as a shaft of heat that rose through my spine. A scream tore from my throat as I came.

Abel smiled and leaned over. "There's something I want," he breathed into my ear. Oh god, even that hot breath sent tingles though me.

"What?"

"Your ass. I want to bury myself into your sweet ass, Annie."

I was still breathing heavily and didn't know how to reply.

"If you don't say yes, now," he said. "You will by the time I'm done with you. I'll just keep making you cum until you beg for it."

"Do it."

He took the lube from the nightstand and put a glob on his fingers, and rubbed around my rosebud. He pressed in and around in circles around the hole, while I grabbed his cock and stroked it. His pushed in one finger and worked it in and out, me gasping. When he added a second I went somewhere else, some place in heaven. He added a third finger with some more lube, and opened me up.

"Oh, Annie, this is going to be so good."

He pulled out his fingers and adding some more lube to his cock, pushed the red mushroom head against the hole. I kept my mind on relaxing my body, ignoring the assault on that sensitive place with his huge cock, and gasped as he pushed in.

"Oh, yes!" I said.

"You like this?" he asked his voice husky.

"Always have. More. I need more."

He pushed in, sliding further up, sending fire through my insides. But the pain soon subsided and I pulled his ass toward me. He moved plunging in and out, slowly and then with more eagerness as I encouraged him with my hands on his ass.

"Yes," I said.

"Oh god," he said, fucking me in earnest now, the motion of his thrusts exciting my overly sensitive clit. I felt another orgasm gathering, thunder rolling in my hips and my head. "Fuck me!" I said. "Fuck me, more."

His last few thrusts threatened to split me in half, and his ass clenched beneath my hands.

"Fuck," he breathed. Yeah, I'm cumming, Baby. Fuck! Lynn!

When my own waves of pleasure subsided I realized he called out another woman's name.

He lay on top of me, breathing hard. When he pushed himself up I looked into his eyes.

"Who's Lynn," I said.

#

Oh, fuck! I did not do that. I did not call out Lynn's name. I stared at Annie, wonderful Annie, who gave herself to me so openly, and wished to God I could take back what I said.

"Sorry," I said lamely. My dick quickly deflated. She pulled back and I flopped out.

She looked at me with her beautiful green eyes and I did not see anger, just a kind of resignation. Somehow that bothered me more than if she was angry. She patted my back.

"Come on," she said. "Time to get you home."

It felt like a dismissal, like she was done and that was that.

"I didn't mean," I started.

"Ssh," she said. "We all have a past. I think yours is a little closer to you than mine is to me."

I tried to kiss her, but she moved her head.

"I have an early day tomorrow," she said.

I cleaned up in the bathroom and we dressed, both of us quiet. We were silent in the car as she drove me to my apartment. She pulled up to the stairwell I pointed to, and waited for me to get out of the car.

"Annie," I said. "I want to see you again."

She did this little thing where she half bit her lip.

"We'll talk when I get back." She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I wanted more of a kiss, but when I moved for it she moved her head away. Well, it was plain that wasn't going to happen.

"We'll talk," I said and got out the car. She pulled away quickly and roared out of the parking lot as if she couldn't get away fast enough.

This day really, really sucks.

# 

I didn't sleep well. Many things churned in my mind, Abel, Jack, and the mess that was rapidly becoming my life. Abel, well, that boy has some issues, and at this point I wasn't sure I have the patience to deal with them. And Jack? He has even bigger issues, and I knew I don't want to deal with them. But I was going to upstate New York anyway, despite my misgivings. Unable to sleep, lying in my bed listening the birds outside my window, I figure it's best to haul my ass out of bed.

I feed the cat, showered, packed and drunk my coffee. By the time I finished with these things, my doorbell rang. It is an overnight package delivery guy. I signed for the package, and open it. It was from Jack.

A key fell out of the cardboard envelope. Inside were instructions to his house.

Oh no, that cheap bastard expected that I was going to stay at his apartment. Well, that would change when I got there. He was going to have to pay for a hotel.

Before I left I called my son, the one that lives in town.

"Mom, what the hell, " he said, obviously jarred awake by my call.

"I've got to go out of town for a few days. Can you take care of Libby?"

"You might as well give me that damn cat, Ma. I'm bringing her over to my house."

"If you want. But I want her back."

"Where are you going?"

"Syracuse."

"Syracuse? Why?"

"My old boss gave me a temp job. I'll be gone two weeks, tops." He was silent a few seconds.

"Okay, but text me where you are, just in case I have to send out search teams."

"Love you too."

Soon I dragged my luggage and my laptop out to the car and I was off. In seven hours I pulled into the parking lot at Jack's apartment. Using the key, I opened the door.

The door opened on a living room, with a hallway running straight back from it.

"Jack?" I call.

A small dark-haired woman came from a door off the hallway.

"Who the hell are you?" she said.

And what the hell are you doing here? I thought. I stood there froze in my tracks thinking over my next words.

"Oh, you're here," said Jack coming up behind me. I turned he had a paper bag in his hand. He smiled at me with his perfect white teeth and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"I'm not the only one," I said.

Jack looked past me and swore under his breath.

"JuJu, I told you to get your things and go back to your apartment. It's why I gave you the afternoon off."

"Well, you didn't tell me why," she said glaring at me. "Who is this woman, Jack?"

The bastard didn't miss a beat.

"This is Annie, my fiancé."

# 

I tossed and turned all night. I kept thinking of Annie, and how wonderful she was, matching what I did, step for step and coming up with more. The scent of her hair was in my nostrils, the taste of her pussy on my lips, the sweetness of her mind and body infected my thoughts. Even if my mind wanted to push these thoughts away, my cock wouldn't let it. Throughout the night it kept getting hard reminding me of what it wanted. It wanted Annie.

My anger at myself didn't help matters. Why on earth did I call Lynn's name? It's not that I wanted her, not now, and not ever again. Not after what she did. Maybe it was force of habit or just that she played such a significant part of my day because of the car and the phone. It was stupid. And it didn't mean what Annie obviously thought it meant.

"We all have a past," she said. "Yours is a little closer to you than mine is to me." Well, fuck me.

My cock hardened again, demanding attention. This time I gave into it, pulling up and down on the shaft thinking of her. Her tongue was like velvet on my cock as she sucked it. She tasted so good, everywhere. Her nipples got so hard when I sucked on them. I loved how her breath quickened when I fingered her clit and put my fingers into her pussy. It was so hot that she came almost immediately third time, she was that excited. I wanted to hear her cum and cum some more just to hear the sounds she made when she did it. Inside her was tight I almost exploded when I entered. I had to take it slow. I wanted to see her cum again. And then when I entered her ass...

This last thought sent me over the edge, my jizz shooting out on my stomach and chest. And that should have been enough. But it wasn't. I still wanted Annie.



Personal Training Ch. 07



"She's my fiancé," Jack said. 

"Fiancé? Fiancé!" JuJu's voice rose several octaves as she stared at me with murder in her eyes. 

"Yes," said Jack. His one word held a note of venom in it. I recognized this tone, the one he used when he was getting ready to cut someone out of his life. I had heard it twice before, once in personal context and once in a professional one. Neither person knew what hit them.

Apparently, JuJu recognized the tone as well. She stepped back, and cocked her head, looking first at Jack, then at me. 

"Well, congratulations," she said, though the words strangled in her throat before she let them out. She stood very straight then, and very slowly, swaying her hips back and forth walked up to Jack and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow then." 

Without another word JuJu walked out of the apartment, shutting the door as she left. 

"That went well," I said.

Jack gave me a quizzical look, not sure if I was serious or making a joke. 

"Jesus, Jack. Did you have to be such a douche with her? Fiancé." I shook my head. 

"I've had it with her. I'll fire her ass."

"You can't do that. She'll sue you and your father's company."

"I can't work with her again, not after this."

"This is why you need to keep your pants zipped with employees." I sighed. "I'm sure there is something she can do there that keeps her out of the line of fire."

"Can't you be on my side, for just this once," said Jack. Unlike him, he sounded peevish. 

"Please. You need to get on your own side and stop fucking yourself up." I sighed. "Come on," I said. "Let's get me a hotel room."

"Why?"

"You think I'm staying here? Forget it."

"Why not?"

"Because," I said, "she's not done with you yet, and I don't want to be collateral damage."

#

I couldn't convince Annie to stay with me. At least she was here and I wasn't going to do anything to mess that up. And what she said about JuJu not being done with me stuck in my head. I've never known Annie to be wrong even though I was resolved to end things with JuJu. If she didn't get the hint last night, then I would just have to tell her.

Walking in through the employee's entrance, I was greeted with the usual "Hello, sir," by my plant foreman. "Anything going on, Gus?" I asked.

Gus looked distinctly uncomfortable then. 

"You might have your girl get back to your office. I've got work to get done, and she's distracting the boys."

"What, girl..." I said as I swung around to follow Gus's gaze. Damn, it was JuJu, dressed in tight red dress and red spiked heels standing in the middle of a group of workers. They were damn near drooling all over her as she laughed and tossed her long wavy black hair.

She caught my eyes then, and gave me a long, self-satisfied smile. I nodded my head sharply toward the door. JuJu gave me a salute.

"Sorry, boys, the master calls," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. They laughed and she winked. She waited as I walked past her and she fell in step in back of me. We exited the plant and entered the hallway that ran to the offices. 

"You should be at your desk." I said

.

Her perfume came closer to me. I felt her at my back. 

"What was that?" she said. Then she took her finger and ran up against my crack through my slacks.

"Quit it," I snarled.

"What? You felt that? I didn't think you felt anything, Jack."

I spun around, annoyed now. And she grabbed my crotch hard and, damn it, my dick started to swell at her grip. 

"Ah, so you do feel something," she said. JuJu licked her red lips. 

I stepped away and she stepped forward. 

"Enough. Annie will be here soon."

"Ah, but not yet?" 

We were at the offices now and I pushed in the glass door of the vestibule and stepped inside, my office just a few feet within. 

JuJu followed me. I couldn't stop her. I opened my office and she squeezed in against me as I entered, pushing her breasts into my chest. 

"No," I said. She pushed the door closed and we were alone in my office. 

"Your lips say 'no', your cock says otherwise." Her hand was on it again, and she started rubbing it through my slacks. 

"Damn it," I said not knowing if I was more pissed at JuJu or myself. 

She reached for my belt, and my slacks slid to the floor. In another second she peeled my boxers down. With a little shove of her hand I stumbled because of my clothes around my ankles and I went down onto the couch against the wall. I stared at her as she dropped to all fours and moved towards me, as sinuous as a jungle cat. She growled, and licked her lips again. In another second she was on my dick again, sucking it deep into her mouth. 

My hands went to her shoulders then, but instead of pushing her away, I pulled her deep into my crotch. My dick hardened even more in her mouth. Her tongue slid up and down the shaft, and up under the crown, the tip of her tongue relentlessly roaming over my dick. She plunged her mouth on my spear again, this time nearly taking it all in. 

Damn, it felt so good. I rolled my hips trying to get in further and she bobbed her head down and then up as we got into a rhythm. I looked at JuJu, her gorgeous ass moving back in forth in time to my fucking her face, and I thought about sinking myself into her. Her hands moved under my dick and she started massaging my balls. To my surprise one finger reached up and pushed into my hole. I cried out in pain, because her fingernail was sharp as it scrapped in, but she found my hot spot with her finger and rubbed it. I was done then, lost as fire shot up my spine and my load spilled into JuJu's throat.

There was a knock on my door. "Just a minute," I said. But the door opened anyway, and there stood Annie, dressed for work. She looked at JuJu, and then she looked at me and shook her head.

"What did I say, Jack? What did I say?"

#

I sighed. 

"Get off your knees, JuJu. Jack and I have far too much work to do for you two to be playing games."

The woman glared at me but rocked back and then stood putting her hands on Jack's knees to steady her ascent. She straightened her skirt, giving her ass a little wiggle for Jack's benefit. He just sat there like an idiot looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights.

"Since you can't be counted on to act professionally," I said. "It's time for you to take a vacation."

"You can't fire me."

"I'm not firing you. You're going on vacation. I can't have you trying to play pitty-pat with Jack while the auditors are here. "Now, go home." 

"But," said JuJu. 

"Better get on with it, JuJu. She is being nicer with you than I've seen with any other person."

"Jack!" protested JuJu.

"Go!" he growled and her eyes grew wide and she pushed past me in the doorway. I heard a desk drawer slam, and turning, saw JuJu running out the door with her purse, her spiked heels going clickety clack down the hallway. 

Jack sighed. "Thanks for that." He stood, half-naked and faced me.

"Are you going to put that thing away, or do I have to get a cage for it?" I said.

He smiled.

"Don't you want to try out the employee benefits package?" he said. 

"You're a mess."

There was some noise at the front door, and Jack scrambled to pull up his pants. An employee brought in a tub of mail, and the day began. 

#

Annie worked like a demon as soon as IT got her into the computer system. There was no one better than her at pulling out information from a computer. Stacks of paper started filling up places along the wall. I recognized this from before. She was putting together information by categories, getting reports together that the auditors would want to see. She labeled each stack with month and year and I saw she was going back further than I thought she'd need to. By the end of the day she had proper Profit and Loss Statements that revealed a troubling thing.

Someone was stealing money from the company.

"From what I can see, the last time the books balanced was three years ago, Jack," she said."

I nodded. This was well before I rejoined the company.

"And money is missing as soon as last month."

"So whoever is doing this..."

"Is still with the company."

I winced. No one likes to believe employees are stealing. 

"So it isn't my father," I said. 

"Why would he steal from himself?"

" Can you figure out who is doing this?"

"I can try."

Annie's "trying" was better than most people's doing. I watched this often enough at the last place we worked together. If there was an impossible job to do, I would give to her regardless of what department it fell under. It didn't make her popular with the other managers, and they took their grievances to my boss. It didn't help things either that I didn't take the job as seriously as I should. I didn't blame Annie when she didn't fight for her job back after the company let her go after her accident. They were thankless people who didn't know something good when they had it. But I did. And I was resolved not to let Annie go this time. 

"Well, let's knock off for the night. I'll buy you dinner."

"Jack," she said, her voice a warning.

"Only dinner, Annie, I promise. You're working, I know. No fun and games."

"I'm really tired."

"No problem, " I said. "Go back to your room, and I'll bring dinner."

She gave me a look like she didn't believe me.

"Okay, but just dinner."

"I get the message. Go!"

She got up from JuJu's desk, where she'd been sitting for the day and I noticed her limp was more pronounced than earlier. Annie must be hurting, but she didn't complain. 

I swung by Danzer's and picked up some of a couple of their thick, meaty sandwiches and some their onion rings. From somewhere I remembered Annie liked those. Stopping by a liquor store I picked up a six-pack. I wasn't much on beer, but Annie was, so I picked up some Rolling Rock, which would make her laugh. It was a cheap beer, and I thought it wouldn't do any harm to let her make fun of my choice. 

By the time I got there, she had change to jeans and a t-shirt. I gave her the six-pack and she just shook her head. 

"It gets better." I held up the paper bag. "Danzer's"

"Oh, man. I haven't had these since..."

"Yeah, I know, college."

I walked into her room and plopped the bag on the little table.

"How do you remember that?" she said. "We haven't talked about my school years since..."

"Your interview with me. Yeah, I remember."

"You do? You remember that?"

"Of course I do. I knew you were something special the day I met you." I sat down at the table and tore open the bag. "Besides which, I haven't met many people who went to school in my hometown."

She down across from me and gave me an incredulous look.

"Now there's roast beef and turkey. Choose one or the other, or we'll take a half of each."

"Halfsies," she said.

"Good," I said. 

"Are there pickles?"

"Of course there are pickles. Here you go." We divvied up the food. 

She dove into her roast beef half, which was the size a regular sandwich anyway, her enjoyment obvious. I opened up the onion rings, and she fell on them too. I like this about her. Every other woman I met tried so hard to be proper and reserved, at least at first, but Annie was just herself, nothing to hide. I smiled watching her and she looked up at me.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I just like watching you eat."

"That's weird."

I shrugged. "Then I just like watching you."

"Even weirder."

I chuckled. "I guess you're right."

"No, that's not what I mean," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"How you feel about JuJu."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"That you love her."

I choked on my sandwich.

"Where did you get that freakin' idea." I was indignant.

"The office, this morning. I never saw you look at a woman like that, Jack."

"That was just sex." 

"No, Jack. What you and I did the other night, that was just sex. How you looked at JuJu was was something else. Get it through your head, buddy. You got it bad for that woman. 

"You're wrong. She's no different from any other woman I've been with."

"Really, Jack. Then why did you let her bring her clothes over to your apartment?"

"It was convenient."

"No." 

"It's none of your business," I said, getting up from the table, getting angry now. "She's no good for me. It's over and done."

"We'll see," she said. 

"No," I said, pulling her up from her chair. "You'll see." She stared at me wide eyed as I kissed her. She didn't resist, but she didn't put anything into either. "You're what's good for me."

I pulled away before I got to far into this to stop. She didn't say anything and neither did I as I left her hotel room. 

"We'll see," I thought I heard as the door closed. 

#

"What's wrong with you, kid?" said Carl.

I shrugged my shoulders. What do you say to your boss? I fucked your childhood friend and now she's pissed off at me? Yeah. Right. Flipping through the appointment book where I was standing at the counter, I put my mine into my iPhone. 

"Haven't seen Annie around," he said. 

I shrugged again. It had been a week since we were together. My anger at my own stupid self hadn't gone away.

"She got a temp job," I said.

"Really?" said Carl.

"Her old boss she said."

Carl's eyebrow went up. 

"Jack?" he said. 

"Yeah, that's his name."

"Shit," said Carl.

"Why?" I said. 

"That guy, well, her husband didn't like him at all. Caused real problems with her and Eddie."

"Oh," I said. "I wouldn't know."

"Not that Annie would do anything. She's always been a good girl."

"Yeah," I said.

"I told Eddie that. Eddie had other ideas. He'd say, where there is smoke is fire."

I looked Carl in the eye suddenly feeling more than a little annoyed. 

"I really don't care," I said.

My boss gave me a funny look. "I can see that," said Carl. The phone rang and he picked it up.

I looked back at the appointment book, looking through the pages when someone came to stand in front of me.

Looking up I saw Cindy. Shit. 

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm working," I said.

"It's real obvious how hard you are working." 

I snapped the appointment book shut so loudly Carl looked at me again while on the phone. Walking around the counter, I took her arm. 

"Outside," I said. "Now."

She shrugged my arm off. 

"You don't have to manhandle me," she said.

I opened the door for her, and I nodded for her to move down the walkway away from the doors.

"What is it," I said.

"You are such a bastard," she said. 

I crossed my arms. "You aren't telling me something I don't know."

"You gave me a STD."

"What? No way. We used a condom." 

"Well, you did...what you did before you put it on. And the doctor said that all it takes with this one. In fact, not even a condom is total protection because of what it is."

"What is it?"

"Trichomoniasis." She leaned over to me. "It's a fucking parasite, you ass." She shuddered. 

"How do you know it was me?"

She looked like she wanted to hit me.

"I was clean before I was with you. I just had my doctor's appointment before that."

Fuck. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Now you do," she said. "Here's my doctor's card. Go get it treated before you crawl into bed with anyone else." She started to walk away, and then looked over her shoulder. "And you better tell anyone you were with before and after."

I stared at the card. Lynn, fucking Lynn, still screwing up my life. And I had another thought. Oh god. How was I supposed to tell Annie this?

#

Dailing Lynn's number, I hoped she wouldn't pick up, thinking to just leave a message. I wasn't that lucky. 

"Hello."

"Lynn."

"Oh, Abel." Her tone said I was last one she wanted to talk to. 

It took everything I had not to say something sarcastic. 

"Look, I found out something today. I have an STD."

"Oh." She didn't sound surprised.

"You knew? And didn't tell me?"

"I found out after you left."

Sonofabitch.

"It's bad enough you cheated on me, then you don't bother telling me about this? Jesus Christ. You're fifty fucking years old. Just when are you going to grow up?"

She said something so quietly I didn't hear her. 

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't begin to cover this."

"Abel, baby. Come home. We'll work this out."

"No. You made it pretty clear who you wanted, and it wasn't me."

"He's gone." She almost whimpered. 

"Well, sorry to hear. Gotta go."

"Wait..." But I clicked off.

#

They say there no such think as love at first sight, but you couldn't prove it by me. And that was real strange because up to that point I met Lynn, I lived alone and liked it. If I needed companionship I could find it, but otherwise having my own place was ideal.

The first time I saw Lynn I knew I loved her. I was running in the park, and she ran past me in the opposite direction. There was something about the way she moved, the fluid grace of her body that set me on alert. Though it was craziness I spun around and followed her. 

Suddenly she stopped and I almost ran in to her.

"Are you following me?" she said, her deep blue eyes boring into me. I could get lost in those eyes, or in nuzzling her neck under her silky blonde hair, my arms wrapped around her shapely body. 

"No."

"Liar."

"Okay then, yes." I wanted to say I'd follow her anywhere, but that would be too cheesy. I smiled instead, hoping to win her over. 

"Well, stop," she said, her feet getting ready to push back into her run.

"What if I can't," I said.

"Then I'll report you for stalking."

"I don't see how you can do that. You don't even know my name."

Her eyes narrowed. 

"What's your name?" she said.

"You aren't going to get it out of me so easily now I know you are prone to making police reports."

She make a little noise of annoyance.

"Tell you what," I said. "How about you let me buy you a coffee, and then I'll tell you my name."

"Can't. I barely have time for shower before I have to be at work."

"Call out," I said.

She snorted. "As if. Tell you what. Meet me at seven at the Hanes building and I'll let you take me to dinner. Then I might tell you my name." With that she pushed off and sped up the trail leading out of the park. 

Guys are supposed to be cool about things like this, right? At least that is what we tell ourselves. I was a nervous wreck the whole day, work going by in a blur. When I got home I went through everything I had in my closet. Should I dress casual or should I dress up? Finally, I picked a pair of khakis and a white shirt. You can't go wrong with that, right? 

I paced for twenty minutes in front of that damned building, thinking I was stood up, before she came out the doors. Oh man, she was glorious. She wore a black suit of some shiny material, a simple white shirt and black heels, a large rectangular bag handing off a strap on her shoulders. The simplicity of her clothing focused her beauty on her face. Suddenly I felt underdressed. 

She hooked her arm into mine as if she knew me my whole life and gave me a little peck on the cheek. 

"Well," she said her eyes shining, "You've passed the first test."

"Test?"

"Showing up."

"I'm always good at that." I said.

"Well, then, there is always the second test."

"Which one is that?"

She whispered in my ear. "I'll tell you later."

My mystery woman steered me to a restaurant that was very expensive. I've ever paid this much money for a meal. Wondering if this was another test, and trying to figure out how I was going to pay for this, I tried to play it as cool as I could. Seated at the ceiling to floor windows, we talked about everything. As the evening wore on, and the streetlights came on to chase away the night's shadows I was utterly at ease and completely under her spell. We had several glasses of wine in each of us and I had a drink before that, so maybe I wasn't thinking clearly. 




Personal Training Ch. 07



"Let's go," she said. 

"Where?" 

She laughed. "Where do you think?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I stood and she slid her arm around me. 

"Follow me," she said. 

"What about the check?" I said.

"Don't worry about that. My company will get it. Business expense. But you will have to tell me your name, so I can open an account for you."

"Oh, is that what this is. Another way to get another client?"

She laughed, and we walked down the sidewalk in the night. Lynn put her head on my shoulder, and then turned up her lips to my neck, kissing it softly. In reply I stopped, and pulled her toward me, pushing my tongue into her mouth. She took my tongue eagerly and we teased each other in exquisite ways, sliding up, down and all around. Little tingles went to my brain, and I wanted more than just this. I pushed my hips into hers so she could feel the swelling in my slacks. Her hand reached down and stroked my cock through the fabric and it was all I could do to not pull up her skirt in the middle of the sidewalk. 

She pulled away, her eyes full of mischief. "Come on," she said, "We won't get anywhere like this."

We walked down that street, each step taking me further away from my solitary life.



Personal Training Ch. 08



"It's the most common STD out there," the doctor said, "and unfortunately most people don't know they have it. Only thirty percent ever develop symptoms and most of them are the women."

The doctor kept his tone dry and professional but there is nothing impersonal about a cotton swab put your dick. I didn't feel so lucky then that the doctor's office had me come in the same day I called.

"Fortunately, it's one of the most treatable STD's."

The doctor turned his back to me as he packaged the swab up.

"I'll be back in a minute. You can dress."

"Thanks."

Dressing was no more than pulling up my pants. I waited for the doctor to return. There is nothing more embarrassing as having to discuss your sexual history with a total stranger even if he is a doctor. Supposedly he had heard it all, but me? It's something I've never had to do. Up to and after Lynn I was always careful. I told the doctor this, and he nodded. "Still," he said, "anyone after should be checked out, just in case."

And I nodded and agreed though it killed me that I would have to have that talk with Annie. And getting in touch with her wouldn't be easy, but I didn't have her phone number.

The doctor returned and gave me a prescription.

"No sex for at least a week."

I nodded my head.

"Many single men," he continued, "don't see a doctor for much of anything. It's usually married men I see because their wives get them to come in. But we probably should do a full work-up on you; get some baseline tests. It might not seem more important now. However, you are heading into your forties. It's good to get that information now, so if something crops up we have records to compare it to."

"Yeah, thanks," I mumble. The oh-so-subtle hint that I wasn't getting any younger was exactly the thing I needed today.

"See the receptionist on the way out to schedule a physical."

I thank him again, and I pay the bill with my credit card, but I don't make that other appointment. The doctor's little chat only reminded me what I hadn't done during my thirties. Most of my old friends were married and had some kids, a couple on their first divorce. Me? I never saw myself as the marrying kind. Lynn was all up in her career and hadn't wanted to interrupt it with marriage or children, anyway. But finding yourself suddenly homeless unsticks your thinking. I find myself mulling over what might have happened if Lynn and I did make things permanent. Maybe we wouldn't have fought as much, or said some of the things we did to each other. I'm not stupid enough to think our break-up was all Lynn's fault. It's just in the end she acted more stupidly than me.

#

I look up Annie's account in the customer database in the gym to get her number. Hopefully it's her cell. Standing at the desk I dial the number. I get it wrong a couple times and I curse at myself. A guy answers.

"Hello, can I speak to Annie?"

"She's not here."

"Um, it's important I get in touch with her."

"Sorry. I can take a message."

"Tell her Abel Williams, from the gym, called." I give the guy my number.

"Okay, when I speak to her I'll tell her."

"Thanks." And shit. I don't know who this guy is, but it sounded like he has no interest in getting the message to Annie. And I had no idea when she'd be back.

Carl came up to the desk and looked over my shoulder.

"What's up, Abel."

I shrugged. "Nothing much."

"Uh huh. You want to get in touch with Annie, that guy's business is called Coldwell Industries."

I stared at him.

"Gena told me about what happened at the restaurant. It's a small town, Abel. Word gets around."

"Annie won't like that."

"She's used to it. And she's a big girl. And no one blames her for having a little fun, not with what she's been through.

I must have given him a look because I didn't like what he said.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's nothing, Carl. I'll go take a look at that machine that's acting up."

"Yeah, do that."

A bit of fun. That ground my nuts. It's always like this. Younger guy, older woman. No one takes it seriously, like there couldn't be anything real. It was like that when I was with Lynn. She'd bring to me to company parties and her girlfriends would coo over me. She'd just smile. Her girlfriend's husbands would be passing polite, maybe afraid their women would get a wild hair to try it with a younger guy. The men she worked with wouldn't talk to me at all. It got so I wouldn't go to the things. In the end it didn't matter, because she started that affair with another guy in the office, an older guy, proof positive I wasn't worth her time.

Shit. What did I know? Who was that guy at Annie's condo? Or what was up with this Jack guy?

Well, it didn't matter much. What I had to tell her would pretty much blow up things anyway. I was screwed no matter what.

#

"Annie, that conference call starts in five."

"Yeah, Jack, I'll be there." Today was Thursday, and I'd been here four days preparing what I could for the auditors scheduled to arrive Monday. This was the preliminary call with auditors, where they would tell us what documents they would look at first. It was important because it would set the tone for the week ahead. At least I hoped it would only be a week.

The phone rang.

"Annie Lloyd," I said. I didn't have an official title. I was a consultant.

"Annie, it's Abel."

"Oh hi, Abel."

"I need to talk to you Annie."

"I'm real busy right now, Abel."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry, but this is important."

"I'll be home in a couple weeks."

"It can't wait that long."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, no, well, yes," he stammered.

"Annie!" I heard Jack call.

"Look, I gotta go now. I'll catch up with you later."

"Annie,"

"Sorry, bye."

# 

The call with the auditors went like I expected though Jack looked distinctly unhappy.

"Shit, Annie," he said, "It sounds like they plan on being here a while."

"They always sound like that. They bill by the hour. Remember, in the end, we are paying the bill. But you know, I'd like to get to know your board of directors. What would give them the idea to audit the company anyway? It's not publicly held, so it's not as if you have to worry about the SEC or Sarbanes."

"I tell you what. I'll set something up."

"Okay." At least I could get an idea of what Jack was dealing with.

Jack got called out to the production floor then, so I went back to my, or rather JuJu's desk. The woman was a mess and a half. I spent my first hour here cleaning up her desk. Jack was gone a while, and I dug back into the financials. You would think that finding where the money went would be easy. But it wasn't. But then again, I had years worth of deposits to go through, and match to billing. Yeah. That was fun.

Jack came back into the office, went into his and closed the door. The little lights on the PBX phone on my desk lit, so he was making calls. The afternoon passed like that, Jack working on whatever, I working on the books. It was getting close to quitting time when my cell phone rang.

"Hey, ma."

"Hello, son. What's up?"

"There was this guy, Abel Williams, I think? He wants you to call."

"Oh, did he leave a number?"

"Yeah, got a pen?"

"Silly question. I'm sitting at a desk."

"Here goes then."

So I get Abel's number.

"Um, ma. There's a problem at my place. They found some black mold, told me I had to stay somewhere else until it's fixed. It's okay if I stay at your place?"

"Why are you even asking?"

"To let you know I'm staying there."

"It's okay. Just don't "liberate" any of my furniture for your apartment."

"Oh, ma."

It was an old joke. When Teddy moved out of the house he took a fair amount of things without asking.

"Love you too, son."

I knocked on Jack's door. He held up his hand and finished his call.

"I'm heading out," I said.

"Dinner?"

"I'm beat, Jack."

"All right. I'll call you later." He picked up the phone again.

"Okay, then." I had no idea why he would call me but I didn't have to answer. On the way to the hotel, I grabbed a fast bite through the Mickey D's drive thru. When I got in, I took a shower, and wrapped in my robe, my hair in a towel, I called Abel.

"Hi, Abel? It's Annie."

"Hey," he said.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No. I'm just sitting here watching TV."

"An old movie?"

"Yeah, The Maltese Falcon. Here, I'll pause it."

"So what's up?"

He sighed. "There isn't a good way to say it, so I'll spit it out. I didn't know it, but when we were together I had an STD."

My heart thumped.

"Which one?"

"Trichomoniasis," he said.

"Oh, okay."

"Okay? I thought you'd be upset."

"It's not the worst thing in the world, Abel. Inconvenient, but not earth shattering. I'll get it checked out."

"You know what it is?"

"Yes. Like I said, no big thing."

"Annie."

"Yes."

"You're wonderful. Thank you for not making this a big deal."

"Perils of the dating world," I said.

"Annie, I know I've gotten off on the wrong foot, but I don't want this to be a one time thing with us."

I didn't say anything for what seemed to be long time.

"Annie?"

"Abel, I've just come through a long year. I'm still churned up about a lot of stuff. Let's talk when I get back."

"Sure, Annie."

Someone knocked on my door.

"Okay, then. I'll call you when I get back."

"Okay then. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight." I clicked off and pushed myself out of the bed. I looked through the peephole, swore and opened the door.

"God damn it, Jack. I see you all day. What are you doing here now?"

He kissed me on the cheek, not at all repentant. He held up a bakery box.

"I thought after the day you had, you deserved a reward. Cheesecake."

"Oh, Jack." I didn't know whether to be miffed or pleased. The bastard was aware I loved cheesecake.

"I've been watching my weight," I said.

"And I've been watching it too."

"That joke is so bad I can't even smile at it."

"Are you going to let me in, or what?"

I stepped aside and he walked into my room.

"Oh, and nice look."

I pulled off the towel on my head.

"Jerk."

"I love when you mutter sweet nothings."

"Do you want to leave now?"

"Okay, okay, I'll behave."

"Better," I said. He sat at the little table.

"Shit. I don't have anything to eat it with," I said.

"No problem. I have sporks." He pulled out a couple of the plastic wrapped utensils and handed one to me.

"So," he said. "I've arranged for you to meet the board of directors." He folded the sides on the bakery box and took a bit of the cheesecake from the piece closest to him.

"Good," I said following his example.

"This weekend."

"What?" "Why on the weekend," I thought.

"At my father's house. I thought it was good for the family to meet you, so I arranged a picnic."

I groaned. "Oh, Jack. I swear if you call me your fiancé to these people I'll strangle you."

He smiled. "Too late. Why do you think we're having the picnic?"

#

I really did want to strangle Jack, or at least yell at him a bit, but I was too tired. After a brief wrangle at the door where he tried to kiss me, I flopped into bed and fell fast asleep. The next morning my desk held surprise, a floral box with a dozen red roses. Immediately I thought they were from Jack, but I was wrong. They were from Abel.

"Thank for being so wonderful," the card said. I melted a little then. How can a woman not like roses?

I found an old vase in one of the file cabinets in which to put the flowers. I was hard at work when Jack breezed in. Immediately the flowers caught his eye. He stopped at the desk.

"Nice flowers. From one of your kids?"

After Jack's little stunt of arranging a picnic for his family to meet his "fiancé" I wasn't inclined to kind or chatty.

"Nope," I said, my eyes not wavering from the computer screen.

"Your dad sent them for your birthday?"

"If you ever remembered my birthday, you know it isn't anywhere close to my birthday." This last bit a dig because of all the times I've remembered Jack's, but he never reciprocated."

Jack scowled, looked the flowers again and walked into his office. The door closed with an audible "thump."

I chuckled. The flowers were going to drive Jack crazy all day and if I was lucky, next week as well. 

#

One of the other guys called out sick and Carl had me close for a few days. It meant that I had to cover some long shifts, so as not to miss any of my client's appointments. 

Before I locked the doors I checked the showers warning anyone in there that the gym was about to close. A couple guys filed out the men's but I heard nothing in the women's so I locked the door. The lock clicked loudly in the empty gym, and I tested the door to be sure. I ran an X tape for the cash register, counted down the cash, and added the credit cards and the couple checks. Geez, who used checks anymore? The money checked out so I Z'd out the machine, resetting it. I shook my head. This cash register was so old it was older than me. I prepared the deposit slip, processed the finally tally through the credit card machine, and stuck everything in bank bag. Going into the office I tossed it into the safe that Carl left open and closed the safe door.

In the office I was about to turn off the lights, and thought I heard something. Crossing the gym floor, there were noises coming from the women's locker room. The sound of running water greeted my ears. Strange, I hadn't heard that before.

Giggles came from the shower stalls.

"Hello?" I said.

More giggles. Looking under the shower curtains I found the stall with water pooling at the bottom. Two pairs of feet were standing in that water. And the pairs of feet were pointed at each other.

The curtain slid open and there stood Jill and Terry. Terry was sucking on one of Jill's ample tits, grabbing her ass with her hands, grinding her crotch tight against Jill's hand. Jill's fingers were buried in Terry's pussy as the water beat down on them leaving trails of beads on their skin. I swallowed hard.

"Hi, Abel," said Jill. She squealed as Terry pulled off her tit with a loud pop.

"Hi, handsome," said Terry. "Want to join us?"

"Um," I said. Nothing more coherent came out of my mouth.

"Oh course he does," said Jill. "Look."

Terry's gaze fell to my shorts that tented from my growing erection. She sighed and smiled. Jill reached out and grabbed the waistline of my shorts. She pulled and my legs, however unwilling, followed.

"Come here, lover," she said.

"Now, wait a minute," I said.

"We've been waiting long enough," said Jill. "All night in fact."

"Not that we didn't have fun waiting," giggled Terry.

"But we'll have more fun now," said Jill. With two hands she reached in a pulled down both my shorts and boxers and they fell around my ankles onto the wet floor. Quickly she grabbed my cock, and with her slick, wet hand, the one that had been buried in Terry's pussy a minute ago, stroked my cock. She pulled on it again urging me to get in the shower, but I stood there. This wasn't what I wanted, but my cock wasn't co-operating with me. No, he was agreeing with everything Jill was doing. Terry stepped out of the shower and moved to my back, massaging my ass with her hands. Then I felt something warm flick between my butt cheeks finding my hole. Oh shit. She was rimming me. Jill stepped out of the shower, water sliding her breasts, beading at her nipples, and got on her knees and took my cock in her mouth. Terry clutched my hips tight with hands her tongue moving around my hole. I couldn't move and my cock was doing my thinking for me. 

Jill's head bobbed up and down my shaft, and I may have whimpered. My balls were now pulled up high and I felt ready to blow.

"Fuck. I'm going to cum."

"No," said Terry, and she pulled down hard on my balls. Pain shot up me with the roughing handling, but Jill kept sucking, pain and pleasure mingling through my aborted orgasm.

"Shit," I said.

"Jill," said Terry in a serious tone. "Ease off. We aren't done with him yet."

"So right," said Jill. "Abel, darling. I want you in my ass." She turned and leaned hands against the wall, pointing her ass at me. Her pink, smooth pussy slick stared up at me. Jill continued her relentless rimming, tingles shooting up my spine.

I stood paralyzed by my lust while my head screamed "no." The last thing I wanted was another complication, this time with regular gym bunnies that I saw several times a week. It hadn't been a week yet since I started the medication and the doctor said to abstain for at least that long. 

I shook my head.

"Sorry, ladies, your timing couldn't be worse." I moved to the side away from Terry and Jill. My erection looked up at me angrily as I pulled up my wet shorts. I reached in and turned off the shower while the girls gave me disappointed pouts. I reached for their towels and tossed one to each. 

"Get dressed quickly." I said sternly, leaving no room for protests. "The alarm company is going to call Carl if I don't have the system on in," I checked my watch, "ten minutes." This last part wasn't as serious as it sounded. All I needed to do was call the alarm company and let them know I was still in the building. But they didn't know that. At least I hoped they didn't.

With grumbles they went into the locker room, and pulled on some clothes. I herded them out of the locker room and unlocked the front doors. 

"Another time," said Jill with a smile. 

"Yeah," I said. The two women slid by me and into the dark parking lot. I was about to leave when I put my hand in my short's pocket and didn't feel my iPhone. That was probably a good thing, considering the shorts were on the wet floor a few minutes ago. I went in, locking the door, and looked around the counter and found my phone sitting there.

Hearing the click of the front door lock, I started. I saw Carl at the door.



Personal Training Ch. 09



The story so far: Annie Lloyd is a widow who suffered the loss of her husband while sustaining a near crippling injury. Her recovery takes her back to the gym, where she notices a new personal trainer, Abel Williams, who is twenty years younger than her. Abel notices Annie as well and Abel appreciates an older woman. Before he and her can get together, an old boss and friend of Annie's, Jack Colson, sweeps back into her life, proposing marriage. Annie, knowing Jack is an incorrigible womanizer, doesn't accept his offer, but does take him up on his second offer, temporary employment to help him get ready for an audit called by the companies' board of directors. Before she leaves for the temp job, she literally runs into Abel at the gym and as one thing leads to another, they go to bed together. Abel makes it clear that he wants to see her again. Annie is confused by Abel's and Jack's attentions and doesn't know what she wants. She goes to Syracuse, where Jack's company is located, and immediately is confronted by Jack's lover JuJu. Jack introduces Annie as his fiancé. But Juju doesn't accept defeat easily and continues to pursue Jack. Annie discovers that someone is stealing from the company and she wants to meet the board of the directors that are so hot to audit the company. The story picks up at a cookout at Jack's father's house that Jack arranged for Annie to meet the family. 

#

Saturday morning I drove out to Jack's father's house in the trendy section of Syracuse if there is one. For all its big school bravura, the townie side of Syracuse was a sprawling mess of turn of the century homes that barely cling onto their value. Jack's father's house, though, was another matter. A two story grey block home set off from the street. Tall trees and neatly trimmed shrubs obscured its view. A long, curved drive brought you to the door, if it wasn't already clogged with the cars of guests. Which it was. I found a spot down the street and walked to the house. 

No one answered the front doorbell, so I walked down a little hill to the side looking for the party. There were a few knots of people I didn't know, so I walked past them, to the back, where a wide and long lawn stretched back to a white privacy fence. Lawn chairs littered the carefully groomed lawn. A couple round tables with sun umbrellas stood the left of the yard. A bluestone patio, tucked under the overhand of an upper story stretched out from the back of the house. Several long banquet tables were butted up against each other, waiting to be filled with food. Further back, next a set of French doors, sat a portable party bar. That, of course, was were I found Jack.

"There you are," he said with a smile. He pulled me to his side and gave me a quick kiss.

"Really, Jack."

"Ready to meet the family?"

"Not without a drink."

Jack mixed a mimosa and handed it to me.

"Let me know when you're fortified," he said.

I sucked down the mimosa, and nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm ready now."

"Good." He took me for a quick turn around the yard, introducing me to the people there, but there wasn't that many yet, so we were back at the bar quickly. He mixed me another drink. I set it down on the bar. 

"Why don't you show me around the place? That is if you can tear yourself away from bar keeping duties."

He pushed open the double doors. "After you."

I entered what must be the basement. An out-of-style pit sofa group dominated the right hand side of the floor sitting in front of a large fireplace faced with granite. Wood paneling covered the walls. On the left was a hot tub.

"You know Syracuse," said Jack."Always cold. Hardly worth the effort to put in a pool outside."

"Yep," I agreed.

He led me up a flight of stairs that brought us to the first floor. We came out in the kitchen where a blonde haired woman was looking through cabinets.

"What do you need, Midge," said Jack. 

"I'm looking for another bowl, to divvy up the potato salad."

"Midge, I told you that you didn't need to bring anything. The caterer will be here any minute with the food."

"You are the only person I know that hires a caterer for a cook-out," she said. She turned. "Ooh, who's this."

"This is Annie. Annie, Midge, my cousin."

"Annie? The Annie?" She gave me an appraising look. 

The doorbell rang. Jack leaned over to look through the large window in the dining room. 

"That's the caterer. Excuse me, I'll be right back."

Midge found a bowl and spooned half of the salad into the empty bowl.

"You're not at all what I expected," she said, her back to me. "You aren't like Jack's usual girl." She turned to me, and gave me a fake smile holding out a bowl. "Be a dear and take this down to the table."

"Sure," I said, more than happy to get away from Midge. If this was a sampling of Jack's relatives, maybe he was the nice one. That was a sobering thought. 

Jack was in the back directing the caterer. 

"Delivery. One bowl of potato salad," I said.

"Lord. Can't you chuck it?" he said.

"Jack!" I hissed. The woman was coming up right behind me.

Jack moved in close as if to kiss me.

"I prefer not to be poisoned by my family's cooking," he whispered.

"It can't be that bad."

"Go ahead. Taste it. I dare you." And looking behind me he said to Midge. "Why don't you put that one back in the fridge. It will give me something to eat later." 

She looked doubtful. "Sure, Jack." She turned and retreated back into the house. In the meantime I stuck my finger at the edge of the bowl and tasted.

"Oh my God," I said. It was beyond awful. It was gut wrenching. "How does someone make something that bad."

"None of my family has the cooking gene. None."

"Hence the caterer," I said. 

"Hence the caterer," replied Jack. 

"How did you survive?"

"I discovered restaurants at an early age."

"Where's the trash?" I asked.

He pointed and I tipped the potato salad into it.

"You're bad," he laughed.

"Now to hide the evidence."

"What evidence?" Midge was behind me, a sour look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Midge. I tripped and spilled the salad."

"I'll get the other bowl."

"No, let me make myself useful. I'll get it." Ignoring the daggers in her eyes, I hurried off into the house and up the stairs. 

Finding the other bowl of potato salad in the fridge, I disposed of that too.

"Who are you? And what are you doing?"

Looking over my shoulder, I saw an elderly man in a wheelchair.

"Are you Jack's dad?" 

"Yes."

"I'm Annie."

"Oh, the famous Annie," he said dryly.

"Geez, how much does Jack talk about me?"

"I've heard nothing else but. I understand you have the books whipped into shape."

"Not quite. Getting there."

"You aren't what I expected, based on Jack's tastes in women."

"Oh really?" I was getting tired of hearing that.

"But maybe that boy of mine is finally getting smart."

"Do you want to go outside? Join the party?"

"What? Spend time with that crowd. You're welcome to them."

"Okay, then."

"But I wouldn't mind the show."

"What show?"

"When you meet them."

"Well, I see where Jack gets his wicked ways," I said.

The man grinned. "There is a portable ramp for the front door. From there the driveway will get us to the back. I'll show you the way."

There was a lightweight aluminum ramp in the corner by the front door. I grabbed it, and with some maneuvering, opened the door and laid it down. It clung on the threshold and sloped gently down to the walkway. 

"Ready," I said. "Let's go, Mr. Colson." 

"Jim," he said reaching up his hand and laying it on top of mine.

I pushed the chair and the man down to the grass, and went back up and pulled the door closed. Soon I had Jack's father wheeled to the backyard.

Midge came up and made all sorts of noises of concern, and while Jim rolled his eyes, I promised to get him a drink.

Jack was back at the bar, this time mixing Strawberry Daiquiris.

"I need something for your father," I said.

He frowned. "If the old man wants something, he can come down here."

"He is." I pointed to Jim, hovered over by Midge.

"How did...?" Jack stared in amazement.

"I brought him down. He wanted to watch the "show"while you introduce me to the relatives."

Jack shook his head. "Here," he said pouring his daiquiris mixture into a small plastic glass. "Give him this, and tell him to take it easy. He's only getting one."

"Jack!"

"He has to watch his sugar. Diabetes."

"Oh, okay." I took the drink over to Jim and handed it to him.

The man took it with relish. "Hmm, Jack always does a good one of these."

"Uncle," said Midge. "You shouldn't..."

"Shush, woman. If I ain't dead yet, it doesn't hurt me to have a little bit of something good."

Midge face screwed up like she was sucking on a lemon. And then she looked at me.

"Where's the potato salad?"

"Oh, sorry. Dropped that one too."

"You're very clumsy," she said.

"Apparently. Hmm, the caterer has put out a good spread. And look, potato salad. Jim, would you like me to put together a plate for you."

"Sure."

"Now, Uncle Jim, I can do that for you," said Midge. "We shouldn't monopolize Annie's time."

"No, I don't mind," I said. "Jack's busy tending bar. Jim, let me set you up under one of those tables with umbrella's.

"Thanks, Annie." He gave me a wink.

I set him up at the table, making sure his back was to the sun.

"I'll be right back."

The caterer was busy grilling hamburgers and hotdogs on the patio. Jack saw me.

"Annie," he said motioning me to come to him.

"What."

He grabbed my left hand and jammed the engagement ring on my finger.

"You went through my desk?"

"I can't believe you left a seven thousand dollar ring in your desk. Are you crazy?"

"Please, you wouldn't have paid retail for something like this. But it was better than leaving it in the hotel room. At least I lock my desk and the office door."

"Well, it wasn't safe."

"Apparently."

"My father loves you."

"How can you tell?"

"Has he spit on you yet?"

"No, of course not." I was appalled he'd say something like that about his father.

"Then he loves you. Good call on steering him away from Midge. She was two minutes shy of getting a spittle bath."

"I better get his food. Anything he can't eat?"

"Yeah, his words."

"You are so fucking charming, you know it?"

He smiled. "I do."

I grabbed a burger, sans bun, and a few salad things, as well as some sausage and peppers, keeping the portions on the small side.

"Here you go, Jim. You want more, let me know."

"Rats. Jack told you about the diabetes."

"Hey, I'm just the help."

"Has Jack introduced you to the family?"

"Not all of them yet."

"Good, I'll introduce you as my nurse."

I patted his hand. "You do that."

"Where'd you get that ring?" he said his eyes wide.

"Cracker Jack box. You'd be surprised how much better the prizes are now."

"I can't eat Cracker Jack. The kernels get stuck in my dentures."

"Too bad."

"Seriously, my boy gave you that?"

"What can I say? I'm irresistible."

There was a bit of a commotion up by the patio. Jim swore and I looked up. JuJu, outfitted in a form fitting white dress, flung her arms around Jack's neck. Another man, of similar size and build, but with brown hair, stood by both of them.

"Tad," hissed Jim.

"Who's Tad?"

"Midge's brother. My sister's boy. But who's that woman?"

"That is JuJu. One of your employees."

"She seems awful friendly with Jack."

"She always does." Figuring this was my cue, I went to the little group.

"JuJu, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you were on vacation."

She turned and gave me a stare that would kill. Then she smiled a wide crocodile like grin. "I'm Tad's date," she said brightly while hanging on Jack. 

"I can see that," I said. "Hope you have a good time at the party." I stared back at her, and her arms slid off Jack. "The caterer has set up a great spread. Why don't you help yourself?"

"Will do, once Jack mixes me a drink. I'll have a dirty martini, darling."

"I'll have someone bring it over to you," he said, frowning.

"Oh, okay," she said with a disappointed pout. "I'll catch up with you later, sweetie."

"Not if I can help it," Jack muttered under his breath. He looked absolutely livid as she and Tad walked towards the table with the food.

"Something wrong, sweetie," I said.

"Shut up," Jack said.

#

I watched Jack as his eyes followed JuJu as Tad greeted different family members.

"So, he's on the board?"

"Yes, Midge is too." 

"Who else?"

"Um," he lifted his hand and pointed to man standing over Jim. "Teddy, my uncle's son."

"Another cousin. And?"

He pointed to a woman in a red and black floral dress. "Sylvia, my uncle's daughter."

"That's it?"

"Well, my father, of course, and his lawyer, Robert, who hasn't shown yet."

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers.

"Jack, why is your company's board of directors made up entirely of family members?" 

"Dad thought it was the best way to keep an eye on them."

"Well, he was wrong."

"What do you mean by that?"

I had my suspicions, but I didn't have any proof. And I did't want to make accusations without it. "You know, I've got to use the little girls room. Later."

I entered the house through the sliding door and went up the stairs. The first floor bathroom was closed. I knocked, and someone said "A minute." But things were getting a little urgent for me, so I went upstairs. Testing the doors, one was open, and I went in it. Only it was a bedroom, and from look of it, with the railing at the bed and medications on the dresser, it was Jim's. There was door to the left, which I surmised must be a bathroom. 

Wrong again. Instead, the door opened to a two tier desk with security cameras mounted around it. Every room in the bottom floors and the backyard was covered. "What the hell?" Feeling very creeped out now, I left and finally found the bathroom, used it, and went back downstairs. 

Jack was standing next to someone new, a man with dark hair. He was holding a beer. 

"Annie, let me introduce you. This Robert Anson, our family lawyer."

Robert stuck out his hand and I took it.

"Congratulations, I hear, on your engagement. Listen, this isn't the place, but let's get together in the next couple days to go over the pre-marital agreement."

"Robert," said Jack in a warning tone.

"You know your father insists."

"Oh, there isn't a hurry, Robert," I said. "We haven't set a date yet."

"But Jack said...oh, I'm sorry if I ruined a surprise." 

"Jack?" I said. 

He put his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek.

"I thought while you were up here, we'd pop over to Niagara Falls."

"Oh, Jack. Your sense of cliché is not honed finely enough. I was thinking a Vegas wedding, your know, one with an Elvis as the chaplain and another Elvis singing "Love Me Tender." With a smile I twisted away from him. "I'll go check on your father."

"Oh, there's my nurse," Jim said to the two people with him, JuJu and Tad. "Where have you been? Never mind. Be a good girl and get me a beer."

"I'll have to check with Mr. Colson," I said sweetly, playing up the joke.

"I'm Mr. Colson," he said peevishly. 

"No, I mean that tall and handsome one over there. I waved my hand in Jack's direction, and that huge diamond caught the sunlight. I heard JuJu gasp. She grabbed my hand and turned it over, studying it."

"Where'd you get that?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"It was in my desk, I mean, your desk. Jack said I could keep it."

She turned three successive shades of red as she struggled for speech before Tad gripped her arms and steered her away. 

"Well, all the time she's been here this is the first time I've seen her speechless," said Jim. "I'm liking you more by the minute. But I'd like you better if you get me a beer."

"Tell you what? I'll get me a beer and you can watch me drink it."

"Spoilsport."

#

The party whined down, guests left, and the caterers packed up and left after getting a check from Jack. Even Midge left, but JuJu and Tad were still hanging around. 

"Hey, Jack. You don't mind if we take a soak in the hot tub."

"No," said Jack dismissively. "There's suits and towels in the closet by the stairs."

Jim looked worn out. Jack and I arrived at his table the same time.

"Come on, dad, I'll get you upstairs," said Jack.

"No, let my nurse do it," he said. Jack gave him a quizzical look.

"He calls me his nurse," I said. 

"Annie, you don't mind? Jack leaned over and spoke quietly in my ear. "This is most difficult part of the day when he starts to lose it a bit. He can be quite a handful."

'I'm sure we'll do just fine," I said though my leg was starting to get sore from all the walking. "Come on, Jim. Let's get you settled."

I got Jim into the house and helped steady him so he could sit on the electric chair that would take him upstairs. 

"There's another wheelchair in the room on the right. Can you get it please?"

"Sure." I pushed up the stairs, my knee complaining and got the wheelchair. Jim rode up to the second floor, and stood and sat.

"You can walk, can't you?" I said. 

"Just a few steps. I get tired, and I'm not all that steady. And my neuropathy gets bad if I spend too much time on my feet."

"Do you do physical therapy?"

"No. What's the point? I'm old and I'm going to die anyway."

I shook my head. He sounded just like Jack. 

"Be a good girl and get my pajama's out for me. I'm going to take care of the necessaries." 

He rolled to the bathroom and I went into his room looking through the drawers for pajamas. I found a pair, and put them on the bed. As I turned to go back out the door I caught something on the security cameras that drew my attention. 

JuJu and Tad were in the hot tub, but judging from JuJu's tits bouncing in the water, they weren't wearing suits. 

I moved to leave the room when I saw Jack, equally naked slide feet first into the tub. I bit my lip as I saw Jack glide over to her, and kiss her hard on the lips, she returning it. He pinched one nipple, while Tad pinched another and she writhed in the water. Jack's hand slid under the water, and I could only imagine he was going for her clit. Judging by how she spread her legs, that's exactly what he did. Tad's hand was at her backside while he licked and nibbled her spine. At little look of surprise came over her face as Tad worked his hand underwater. She bucked a bit then, her orgasm washing over her face while she twitched. Tad pulled her on top of his lap, and she gasped again as he pulled her down tight on him. He nibbled her ear as Jack sucked hard on one tit, then another. Her back arched, and he pulled back. Tad slid forward a little bit putting his arms on the railing, taking JuJu with him as if she were joined to him, which she probably was. 

I watched in morbid fascination as Jack spread her legs and grabbing her hips pushed himself forward. At the same time he pulled her down harder on him. JuJu's face twisted as if she were moaning, oh, oh, oh and Jack pumped harder, both JuJu and Tad moving back and forth in the water as he thrust. Tad threw back his head, and his mouth opened as he wailed, grabbing the edge of the tub tighter. 

JuJu came apart from Tad then, and Jack pulled back. He turned her around and pushed her over the edge of the tub, her tits laying on the edge showing her red and swollen tips to the monitors. His cock was still straight up, the head purple in its heat. Holding her hips tight, He pushed once again hard and fierce to gain her ass. She cried out a bit, maybe in protest. Jack pumped furiously then, her tits flying forward and back, and tears actually streamed down her face. But she didn't stop him. Instead I saw her mouth the words, "Harder, fuck me harder." God help me, he did. He was like a madman, his face twisted between rage and lust as he thrust back and forth brutally in her ass. Finally she cried out, and Jack soon after, breathing so hard it took him a bit to get a hold of himself. She turned and tried to kiss him, but he pushed her away into Tad's arms who wrapped around her, kissing her gently. 




Personal Training Ch. 09



"That's not the first time they've shared a woman." 

I jumped. Turning I saw Jim in his wheelchair, towel over his lap, regarding me as if to figure me out.

"It's always a competition between those two. Tad's always wanted what Jack had."

There wasn't anything I could say to his father. I didn't love Jack and I never would precisely for just this sort of thing. Despite Jacks protests, he'd never stay loyal, and that was a deal breaker for me.

"Your pajama's are on the bed."

He winked at me. "Why don't you stay and give me a massage like a good nurse should."

"Sorry, Jim. I've got to go."

"Something I said?"

What a narcissist.

"No, Jim. Just a long day. I'm sure I'll see you soon." I gave him a little peck on the cheek, and made my way out of the house and to my car. I drove down the long street and made several turns before I was on Onondaga Boulevard heading for my hotel. 

#

"You sure are an idiot," my father said to me.

"Where's Annie?"

"Left. The one good woman you managed to drag home and you couldn't keep it in your pants long enough to seal the deal." 

"What are you talking about?"

"She saw it, idiot. On the monitors." 

"Dad, you didn't..."

"Do you think I'm a moron? No, she found it herself. And she watched. The whole thing."

"Shit."

"What were you thinking? With that slut, and your cousin." He slammed the words down hard, demonstrating his disapproval, just like he used to do when I was a kid. I felt like I was ten years old. 

"None of your business, old man," I growled. "Annie knows who and what I am. I've hidden nothing from her. Now, do you want help with your pajama's or what?"

I managed to help him dress and get him in bed. From his bed he gave me a sour look. Yet, he was helpless too, his body torn up by his illness and age, an impossible combination.

"Let me check your sugar."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Apparently I already did that. Hold out your hand and stop giving me a hard time." 

I took his hand, and this time he didn't struggle. The numbers were high, of course, so I gave him his shot. And a sleeping pill. 

"Get some sleep, dad," I've said. "You've had a busy day."

"So have you," he said sleepily. He turned over and shut his eyes.

"Day's not over yet," I said.

#

I stopped at an ice cream shop to drown my sorrows in a rocky road sundae with hot fudge and marshmallow topping. Though it was completely against my diet, I felt I was due. Not that I cared the Jack fucked JuJu in the hot tub. Rather I cared that he kept lying, to me and to himself. As long as he had these delusions that we'd be a couple, he wasn't going to leave me alone. 

And I didn't want to be alone. The past year was hell enough, between the emotional pain of losing my husband and the physical pain from the car accident. I was just beginning to feel okay when Jack drove back into my life, turning everything upside down. Jack was my friend, dammit, and I didn't need our friendship messed up with this marriage talk or his roving penis.

Couldn't I just have a friend? 

The door to the shop opened and Jack stepped in. Shit. He smiled a shit-eating grin, and went to the side counter and got a spoon and a napkin.

He sat at my booth, and dipped his spoon in my sundae.

"Hey, get your own."

"What? You don't want to share?"

"Oh, you are the sharing and caring type of guy too?"

Jack's eyes went cold for a second."

"I'm sorry you saw that."

"Sorry for doing it, or sorry you got caught?"

"Annie, it wasn't..."

"It wasn't what, Jack? Everything I told you not to do?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You're right."

"Worse yet, you can't even see what those two are doing to you."

"What? What do you mean?" he said. 

#

Somehow Jack convinced me to let him follow me back to my hotel. I don't know why I let him do that to me. Maybe it was like I said before, I was tired of being alone. It wasn't like I wanted him, especially after his performance in the hot tub. Changing into my nightgown I slid in between the sheets. Jack turned off the light, and I heard his zipper, and his pants falling at his feet. He climbed in and put his arms around me.

"Should your father be alone?"

"He isn't alone. The night nurse is with him. She arrived after everyone left. Now tell me, what is it about what happened in the hot tub that turned you off so much?"

"Why would you want to know that?" 

"Because a lot of women would be all wet just seeing a scene like that, and you were just plain disgusted."

"It's really none of your business, Jack." 

"Ah, so it really wasn't about me and JuJu, was it?"

"So little is about you, Jack. You just don't realize it."

"Fine," he said pulling away. He turned his back. "Good night, Annie."

He started snoring, but I couldn't sleep. He guessed right. My reaction wasn't about him and JuJu. You know how you get these feelings about something, like a flavor you can't quite recall, or a song that you half remember? I was having one of those experiences. It was twined with thoughts of my husband, and the last night we were together. 

I was working late. We did that often, especially during budget preparation. Jack was at the home office in Philly, while I was sitting in his office waiting for a call that might not come. I was expected to hang around, computer fired up to answer questions about different parts of the budget, especially the parts I prepared. Eddie called me, and asked when I would be home. I said I didn't know, and the argument started on the phone. The other line lighted up, the phone call I waited for, so I hung up on Eddie. That, of course, pissed off my husband.

When I got home, the house was dark. But then I heard some laughter coming from the back porch. I made my way through the house, not knowing what was going on, but my gut clenched anyway. 

I stood at the back curtained sliding door staring out at the hot tub. There was my husband, his back lit by the security light at the corner of the house, clutching on to some woman. Her long dark hair fall past her shoulders, and I could only see the silhouette of her lithe body in the semi-dark. But I knew who she was. Charlotte. My best friend. 

My feet were rooted to the floor, my hands frozen against the curtained glass as I watched through the slit in the curtains his seduction play out. The movements of his hands were the same as when he would touch me. He nipped her ears and the side of her neck in moves I knew so well and intimately. As his lover's dance played out, she made noises in all the spots that I would. His hands glided down the side of her body, and cupped her ass, made his way to her pussy, and stroked and fingered it. I didn't need to see every detail. I knew from experience what he was doing. What he did next was no surprise. He went to his knees in the hot, bubbling water, and licked the folds of her twat, his tongue delving deep into its folds. I could hear both their moans, and her excitement. I stood there breathing hard, my anger in my heart and the bile in my stomach rising. I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, and I felt my explosion rising, though it was not one of lust. 

She cried out her orgasm, and I whipped open the sliding door, standing there in a righteous rage. 

"You fucking asshole!" 

Eddie and the woman jumped apart, and Eddie gave me a look that was unreadable.

"Oh, you finally got ho..."

"Yeah, right."

And the argument began. Charlotte, her face red with shame now instead of lust, gathered her clothes and mumbled some apologies. But Eddie and I didn't care. The words started flying, accusations and recriminations slapped against each other in the disappointment and failure of our marriage. When he hit me, I fell against the side of the house. Standing quickly I wiped my mouth where blood trickled out. I ran into the house grabbing my purse and hightailed to my car. Sliding into it, I started the car. But then Eddie was at the window pounding on it, enough for neighbors to hear. Lights turned on in the upper story of the house across the street, and I became afraid they would call the cops. Foolishly, I opened the door as he demanded, and he pushed his way in, shoving me across the seat into the passenger side. I smelled then the alcohol on his breath, fierce and hot, as he called me despicable names.

He put the car in gear, screaming at me, "Where do you want to go, Annie! Jack's?" He raced down the street like a madman, the car fishtailing as he took the right turn onto the main road. Eddie's foot bore down on the accelerator until we going eighty on a forty mile an hour residential road. But worse than that, he took his eyes of the road as he shouted his insults and curses at me. I begged him to slow down, but he wasn't listening. 

The next curve in the road was sharp. Eddie never made that turn.

And I woke up in the hospital. Alone.



Personal Training Ch. 10



"Jesus, Carl, you scared the shit out of me."

I was late turning on the security system, because two gym regulars, Jill and Terry, tried to seduce me in the showers. This is the last thing I wanted Carl to know, especially since he's taken note of my relationship with Annie. I didn't want to known as that guy who fucked customers on a regular basis. That was bad for business and the continuation of my employment.

My boss is a little less than sixty years old, but looks older. His short-cropped hair is totally white, and he's as skinny as a rail. We are about the same height, but somehow he looks shorter. He looked at me with a jaundiced eye.

"The security company called me. Said the alarm wasn't on."

"Sorry, I heard something in the ladies' bathroom after I closed out the register. I found one of the showers left on."

He looked like he didn't believed me.

"Your car still in the shop?"

That's what I told everyone, though of course, that wasn't the truth. 

"Yeah."

"Must be in bad shape, then. Maybe you need a new car."

"I was thinking that."

"I'll check around with some of my friends. Someone always seem to be selling something. Come on. It's supposed to rain. I'll give you a ride home."

"Thanks."

We settled into Carl's car, a classic Chevy Nova. 

"You take very good car of this car."

"Have to. She's my baby."

The car rumbled to life and I gave Carl directions to my apartment.

"Yes, I know the place," said Carl. "When I was in high school I spent a good amount of time there painting the apartments. Annie's father owns it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Eddie was dating Annie then, and started working for her father. So he got me a job too. We were real tight, Eddie and I."

"Yeah, I think you mentioned that."

"Me, Charlotte, Eddie and Annie, we all hung out."

"Who's Charlotte?"

"My ex."

"Oh."

Carl got quiet a minute. 

"Have you talked with Annie?"

The question made me uncomfortable. "Yeah. A couple nights ago."

"Is she coming home soon?"

"She said a couple weeks."

"Did she tell you Jack proposed to her?"

Something cold washed over me when he said this. Is this what she meant when she said we'd talk when she got back?

"Where did you hear this?"

"Gina, at her Annie's father's restaurant."

"You know what, Carl. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate people talking about her like this. If she had something to tell me, she would have."

Thankfully, we pulled up to my apartment building. 

"Thanks, Carl. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow."

Now I'm feeling a bit pissed. I couldn't believe Annie would be playing me, but on the other hand, there seemed to be plenty of people around her with which she had history. Me? I barely knew her. 

As I moved up the stairs, I glanced over to my parking space. No way. My car was sitting there. I went back down the stairs, and checked it out. It was my car all right. What the hell? Looks like Lynn changed her mind. Maybe things were starting to turn around for me. 

But I shouldn't have been so optimistic. There leaning against my door stood Lynn.

Fuck.

I looked her over. The lights in the walkway highlighted her stunning body, her long blonde hair and blue eyes. Only her eyes were lined with red, like she was crying.

"What are you doing here, Lynn?"

"Can we talk?"

"Nothing to talk about."

She bit her lip hard turning it a delicious red. "Please."

"Move away from the door." I said.

Lynn like she was about to start crying again.

Oh, fuck me. If she started to cry it would be all over. I mean, what guy can stand to see a woman cry? Only heartless ones, and I wasn't heartless. 

I sighed. "Okay, just for a few minutes. I'm tired. It's late."

"Just for a few minutes," she agreed. 

But instead of talking, when we entered my apartment, she launched herself at me. She threw her arms around my neck and planting a searing kiss on my lips. She didn't stop there either. Her tongue pressed forward and played with mine. Everything was so familiar, the scent of her, the press of her body against mine. I'm not sure about at what point I stopped thinking but it was along about the time when my cock hardened and pressed between her legs. 

She stepped back and tugged at the waistband of my sweats, trying to unknot the tie. I looked down at the top of her head, her blonde hair spilling in wisps over her shoulder. The past couple months came rushing at me again, sending a chill to my heart and my cock. I gripped her hands.

"No, Lynn."

She swallowed hard. "Come on, sweetie."

I shook my head. "This isn't going to solve anything. Now if you have something to say, say it."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"We've been over 'sorry,' Lynn. Sorry doesn't cut it."

Her voice was barely a whisper. "I miss you."

"Yes, that is exactly why you repro'd my car, and shut off the phone. Oh, and kept everything we ever bought together, because you miss me so fucking much."

"This isn't about stuff."

"Well, what else do we have now, Lynn?" I walked over to my fridge, took out a beer and popped open the cap. I didn't necessarily want the beer, but I needed to do something other than look at her. 

"How about one for me?" she said.

I pulled out another beer and put it on the counter the divided the kitchenette from the living room. She walked over and sat on one of the three stools there. Lynn took the beer between her hands, looking at it instead of me.

"I got scared," she said. 

I just stared at her. 

"I turned the big five oh, you know, and suddenly I couldn't ignore the fact I was getting old. That promotions I should have gotten were going to younger people, that I didn't have the house in the suburbs, or the two point four kids..."

"And a husband that could pay for it all."

"Abel." 

"No. I get it, Lynn. It's fun to have a younger man as a fuck toy, until the shit gets serious."

"That's not what I meant. Jesus, Abel. It wasn't about you. I just couldn't compete anymore, and I thought eventually I would fail you too."

I shook my head. "Well, I never could compete, with all that, with what you could have had. You told me you didn't want those things, and I believed you. But you were lying, to me and to yourself. That's where it went wrong. Fucking that guy, that was the consequence of that."

Taking a long pull on my beer I saw the past five years shone in sharp relief in Lynn's face. It wasn't all her fault. It was partly my fault because what I wanted, what I needed, was so out of step with how the rest of the world lived. 

"Baby, I need you," she said. "Let's go home."

A lot of things went through my head. I wanted to say, "Let's go to bed," but, shit, everything in me kept saying no. 

"You go your home. This is mine."

"Able, it's late. It's a long drive."

I sighed. "Then go sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Abel."

"Last offer, or no deal."

She bit into her lip then, and nodded. I pointed to the bedroom, and I went in and got one of the pillows and a sheet from my closet. She said goodnight as I closed the door on her. I fixed the sheet on the couch, and half lay on propped on my elbow. Sipping my beer, my mind ran over everything that happened tonight, especially what Carl said about Annie. I took my cell phone from my pocket, looked at it thinking about calling her. I had a reason. She hadn't said anything about the roses. 

She picked up.

"Hey," I said.

"Something wrong? It's late."

"Yeah, sorry. Just wanted to make sure you got the roses."

"Yes, they were beautiful. Thank you."

"You know, woman, you need to get back here soon. There are all sorts of rumors floating around about you."

"Rumors, what rumors?"

"That your boss asked you to marry him."

Silence. 

"Annie? You there?"

"Yeah."

"Well, did he?"

It sounded like she sucked in a breath. "Yes, but..."

"Well, I'm happy for you. Congrats. Really."

"It's not like that. It's complicated and I can't talk now."

"He's there, isn't he?"

"Abel, don't do this. It's not what you think."

"What else do you expect me to think? But hey, we didn't know each other all that long. I wish you all the best. Goodbye, Annie."

#

Jack stirred beside me as I hugged my knees to me, cell phone still in my hand.

"Something wrong, Annie?" he said, sleep still in his voice. 

"Everything and nothing," I said.

"We'll talk about it in the morning," he said turning over, his back now to me.

I cupped my eyes with my other hand. Abel telling me goodbye was nothing less than I deserved. I don't know what the hell I've been thinking. I wondered who opened their big mouth and then it hit me. Gina. It was a phone call so short I haven't thought about it since. I had called to make sure everything was okay at the restaurant, and I joked with her about Jack's proposal. I think I made it pretty clear to her how ridiculous it was. But Gina's sense of drama was always a little bit on overdrive. How it got to Abel I'll never know, but it did. 

What an idiot I am. 

At some point the cell phone fell from my hand, and exhaustion claimed me. Half rendered dreams strolled through my sleep as pieces of the men in my life. I felt my husband's touch, like the memory of a summer day that dissolved in the haze of a hot day. The scent of Jack melted into that, and I saw shit-eating smile he had on his face the first day we met. And then there was Abel, his body half lit by lightning through a window. 

The crack of thunder that woke me up sounded like a slow tear in the fabric of the sky. A flash of light followed after it, along with another sharp crack. I jumped in my bed. But the image in my head wasn't the lightning, the thunder, or the dark haired man lying next to me. It was an image from my dream, Abel, his magnificent body moving in the dark, a woman under him, a woman that wasn't me. 

"What is it this time," Jack groaned. He pushed up, and looked at me. "I didn't realize you were such a light sleeper. After we marry, I might insist on separate rooms."

I didn't say anything, immersed in my thoughts. 

"Annie?"

"I made a mistake. I have to go home."

Jack's dark eyes were full of concern.

"What mistake?"

"I shouldn't have come here."

"Oh, Annie. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about JuJu and that whole mess. It was a mistake and I shouldn't have done it. Can you forgive me?"

"Jack," I sighed. "It's not that. Look, you've always been my friend, and you always will be. But you and me? Married? We don't have a chance in hell. We are just too different, need different things. I spent too much of my life married to the wrong person for the wrong reasons to make that kind of mistake again."

"You loved Eddie," he said.

"Even love isn't enough, sometimes. Do you know what Eddie and I argued about that night, the fight that caused the crash?"

"You didn't tell me."

"Well, I found him fucking someone in the hot tub. And it wasn't the first time he screwed around on me, Jack."

"I see," he sighed. 

"I worked as hard as I did because after awhile I couldn't bear to go home and look at him, it hurt so much. But we had the kids, they were in college, and well, I didn't want to mess that up for them, you see? So I hung on. But the bastard, he just didn't understand. For him, no big deal right? But all the hours I spent at work, he thought I was being unfaithful to him. And for some reason, that mattered."

"I never did like that guy."

"We had more stupid arguments about you and me than ever should have happened."

"I didn't know," he said softly.

"And now? Where am I? In bed, with you, the man who never found a pussy he didn't like."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"No, I'm not thinking, Jack. And it's about time I did."

And round of thunder ripped through the atmosphere, and I jumped. Jack pulled me closer to him. He rained little kisses down the side of my face, down my neck, murmuring "sorry" over and over. Jack bent his head and found one of my nipples, and licked it, swirling his tongue around it. It felt good, but this was wrong. Very wrong.

"Jack," I said. "This isn't a good idea right now."

He pulled back and sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Maybe you thought you'd try to make me feel better. And I appreciate it. Just not tonight."

"Then let's get some sleep, for heaven's sake." With that he pulled me to him again and wrapped an arm around my waist. "Wake me up again, and there will be hell to pay," he whispered in my ear. "I won't take no for an answer."

#

I couldn't sleep. The couch was none too comfortable, but then again neither were the thoughts that kept rolling around in my brain. Then the rain started up, hard driving thing that smashed against the windows of my apartment despite the overhang over the walkway. I watched the lightning streaks from the couch, and then the thunder started up. One clap was so loud it rattled the windowpanes. 

My bedroom door creaked open.

"Abel?" Lynn said.

"Yeah."

"You know how am I during thunder storms." 

I sighed and got up. 

"Yeah."

When I got to the bed, she was already in it. When I climbed beneath the sheets, she slipped her arms around the neck. She drew herself closer, working her body in as tight as she could against mine. She was naked under those sheets, and my breathing sped up a bit.

"It feels good to hold you," she said. "I've missed that."

I stroked her hair away from her face, remembering the good things between us. Truth be known I missed her too, missed this, the closeness we had. If I kissed her, it was because of all those things, not the bullshit that came later. 

Yeah, I kissed her. And she kissed back, sucking my tongue into her mouth, hungry for it. Her hips squirmed against me, and my hand dropped to her clit, fingering her little knob while she moaned. My fingers became increasingly wet as her cream flowed onto them. I slid my forefinger into her pussy, keeping my thumb on her clit. Her hips moved in time with my strokes and soon I added a second finger. She jammed her hips against my fingers, moaning and begging.

"Please, more. I need more."

I bent my head, found a nipple and sucked on it hard. The little nub got hard under my tongue, and I lashed it without mercy, licking and pulling at it with my teeth. She gasped and her back arched.

"Oh, god, I gotta, I need to..."

I know what she needed. I pulled back a minute to take off my boxers, and grab a condom from my nightstand. But before I rip the foil, pleasure shot up my cock. Lynn had it in her mouth, gripping it with both hands, moving her head around in a swirling motion that made the room swim. She took my balls in one of hand and massaged them together.

"Oh shit," I said. Tingles of pleasure shot up my spine. I pushed my cock further into her mouth, going as far as she'd let me, the warmth of her tongue on the underside of my dick. I wanted it to go on forever, just that feeling. But the rush inside my balls and cock that flood my brain told me it wouldn't. I pulled away before I got past the point of no return.

"Get on your knees." I said. She didn't move a second, and I thrust my fingers into her pussy again, stroking her. She gasped.

"It's that, or I'll keep during this until you beg me."

"You want me to beg," she said.

"Oh, yes" I said, my mouth getting dry. My thumb moved around her clit. But then I moved in between her legs and brought my head down to her clit. I gave it a little bite, and she jerked. The smell of her juices flooded my nose as my tongue met her slick folds. My tongue licked, poked, and prodded, as her pussy gushed even more. It was luscious, and my tongue probed even deeper, sinking inside her sweet hole, swirling around inside it. She leaned into my tongue, her wetness sliding down it like melted butter.

"Oh, baby," she cooed. "More, I need more."

I moved two fingers to replace my tongue, and rubbed back and forth, but slowly. I knew what she needed to come, and I wasn't going to give her exactly that.

"Bastard, you're torturing me," she complained.

"Beg me. Beg me to fuck you from behind," I said.

She tried to wiggle more onto my fingers, but I used my other hand to hold her hip down. She looked at me, desperation in her face. She didn't exactly like this side of me, but then again, when all was said and done, she didn't complain about it either. 

I put my thumb on her clit again, swirling around the delicate folds that hid it.

"Come on, baby. Tell me what you want."

She made a little mewling noise. "Fuck me."

"How, Baby. How do you want me to do it?"

She gasped as I pushed my fingers forward. "From behind. Fuck me from behind."

"On your hands and knees." I said retrieving the condom from the bed. As she did so, I ripped the package, my hands almost shaking from my own excitement and rolled it on. Her hips rose in front of me, and I pointed my dick with one hand while gripping one hip with the other. Finding her slit, I rammed my cock inside her. She gasped and I started fucking her hard, driving as deep as I could, holding both hips. Her pussy pulsed around me. Neither one of us was going to last much longer.

"Cum now," I said my voice a hard rasp, as I pounded her driving into her with all the strength I had. She cried out, the muscles in her cunt wrapping tightly around my cock, and I gave way with a final rush that sent flashes of light across my eyeballs.  

#

I woke up alone. Feeling the sheets next to me Lynn wasn't there. Then I heard the front door opening and closing, and I smelled coffee.

Lynn and her coffee.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. "I got you a breakfast sandwich."

I got up, pulled on my sweats and walked to the living room. She was sitting at the counter. I went to the refrigerator and took out some orange juice. 

"So," I said after taking a swig from the carton. "What's the program, Lynn?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've got to go to work soon."

"Call out," she said.

"Lynn, do you see anyone here helping to pay the bills?"

"You can come home," she said with a smile.

"I think it's a little early for that. One good fuck does not a relationship make."

"Oh, is that was that was, a good fuck?"

"I see what you mean. It was an okay fuck."

"Abel!" But she laughed.

"Seriously, what's with my car? Because if you are going to keep it, I've got to get another one."

"No, I'll sign the title over to you. It was wrong of me to take it." She pulled an official looking piece of paper out of her purse, and took out a pen.

"Here." She scribbled her signature on the back and slid it toward me.

"Thanks," I said. 

She moved around the counter to me. "I tell you what. I'll hang around until you get out of work, and then you can drive me home. Or not." She traced the outlines of my tattoo on my shoulder with her finger. "So sexy," she said in a low voice. I put my hands on her waist and kissed her. Her lips opened and her tongue found my mouth. She teased my tongue with hers.

"I...really...need...to...go," I said as she continued to attack my mouth. Oh, fuck. She wasn't going to stop. I swallowed hard.

"Lynn."

"Hmm?" She decided then my right nipple needed attention, taking it in her mouth and sucking on it. I moaned. She switched to the left nipple and then reached into my sweats to take my cock into her hand. 

I couldn't take it. I pushed her to the wall by the stove and unbuttoned her jeans. She pulled on my sweats and they fell to the floor around my ankles. I pulled my feet clear, and gripped her ass. Lynn wrapped her legs around my waist, and had her arms around my neck. I pulled her away from the wall, and walked her into my bedroom, my cock tip angled between her legs. I dropped her to the bed, and climbed on top of her. 

"Oh, baby," she said.




Personal Training Ch. 10



I reached for my nightstand and pulled out a condom and the lube. 

"What?" she said. 

"Ssh." I rolled on the condom and slicked her bottom with the lube. With one hand I fingered her clit and her pussy, and the other, her ass. Her hips moved in time with the motion of my hands.

"I need you," she said. 

"You'll get me. I have plans."

"I thought you had to go to work."

"Yes, I do. If I'm late it will be your fault."

I continued to rub around her clit, and her eyes closed. Sinking two fingers in her pussy, and I put a finger in her ass. I moved my hands fasted and she made little noises. I put another finger in her ass, and plunged them in and out, both hands moving at the same pace. 

"Oh, oh," she said.

I pulled away my fingers, and put the ones that were buried in her pussy to her mouth. 

"Suck my fingers."

She took them in, her tongue lapping her juices.

"Harder, suck harder," I said as I rubbed the inside of her cheek with them. 

As she did so, and I sucked in a deep breath, I guided my cock to her pussy, and pushed in. I pulled my fingers away and started fucking her in earnest, plunging balls deep into her back and forth.

"Oh, baby. I'm close."

"Not yet," I said pulling from her. Her snatch was so wet I didn't need anything else. I put the end of cock at her hole and pushed slowly. Soon enough I pushed through and she gasped.

"Hang on, baby," I said. I waited a minute for her to get used to me in her ass. 

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yes," she said in a whisper. 

"So tight," I said. 

I moved in and outt, and soon she made noises of pleasure. 

"Finger yourself, baby. I want to see you play with yourself."

Lynn moved her hand to clit, rubbed, and pushed her clit, faster and faster as I buried myself repeatedly in her ass.

"I can't... anymore... I'm there," she gasped. Her hips pushed back and forth under me, as she clutched as my ass. She cried out, digging her nails into me. At the flush of pain from them spearing my flesh, my own orgasm rushed me. 

"Fuck," I said as I let go, feeling my cock shoot everything it had with the next few strokes. Lynn shuddered under me in an aftershock of her orgasm.

When she could breathe again, she smiled at me. "Does two good fucks make a relationship?" she asked. 

"Don't know. I'll let you know when we get there."

She grabbed a pillow and smacked me in the head.



Personal Training Ch. 11



Dear Readers,

Thanks for your patience as I finish up the chapters for this story. The last five chapters are done, except for a couple scenes, so I'm posting a chapter every other day until they are all up. You've all been great, and I appreciate all the feedback I've received.

My next story is a science fiction one, that I'm calling the Non-Standard Man, so I hope you'll join me for that in about ten days. 

******

The story so far: Annie Lloyd is a widow who suffered the loss of her husband while sustaining a near crippling injury. Her recovery takes her back to the gym, where she notices a new personal trainer, Abel Williams, who is twenty years younger than her. Abel notices Annie as well and Abel appreciates an older woman. 

However, before he and her can get together, an old boss and friend of Annie's, Jack Colson, sweeps back into her life, proposing marriage. Annie, knowing Jack is an incorrigible womanizer, doesn't accept his offer, but does take him up on his second offer, temporary employment to help him get ready for an audit called by the companies' board of directors. 

Before she leaves for the temp job, she literally runs into Abel at the gym and as one thing leads to another, they go to bed together. Abel makes it clear that he wants to see her again. Annie is confused by Abel's and Jack's attentions and doesn't know what she wants. 

She goes to Syracuse, where Jack's company is located, and immediately is confronted by Jack's lover, JuJu. Jack introduces Annie as his fiancé. But Juju doesn't accept defeat easily and continues to pursue Jack. Annie discovers that someone is stealing from the company and she wants to meet the board of the directors that are so hot to audit the company. Jack arranges a cookout with his family who also sit on the board, and introduces Annie to them. Annie also meets Jack's father, and he takes to her immediately. Jack decides that even if Annie won't have sex with him he was going to make sure he is in her bed each night regardless. 

Meanwhile, back in Annie's hometown, Abel finds out from his boss, a friend of Annie's family, that Jack proposed to Annie. Lynn, Abel's ex-girlfriend shows up looking for a reconciliation. Abel tells Annie goodbye over the phone, though he isn't happy about it. We pick up the morning after Abel and Lynn sleep together, though the first scene in this chapter is with Annie and Jack. 

******

The trill of an iPhone woke both of us. Jack clutched the thing and answered it. 

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'll be right there."

"What?" I said.

"Dad had a bad night."

"Oh."

"I've got to get over there."

"Sure."

"It shouldn't take long. It's Midge's day with him anyway. She never misses those."

I rolled my eyes.

"After, how about you and I take a drive."

"What? To Saratoga?"

He laughed. "You know me too well." He gave me a kiss on the cheek. "That's what I like about you."

"Yes, you always do know the hot things say to romance a woman."

He gave me a grin as he put on his slacks. "Later, I'll find a use for that smart mouth of yours."

"Promises, promises."

He grabbed my shoulders and gave me serious kiss.

"Not a promise, a threat," he said. 

"Get out of here!" I said laughing. 

But my laughter only lasted until he shut the door and I was alone in my hotel room. I took my own phone and scrolled through the messages. My son thought it important to tell me the cat threw up a hairball. Gina messaged "no problems" for the restaurant. Dad asked when I coming home. Then there was a rare one from Carl. "Sorry. I told Abel about Jack. Don't know what my problem is."

Shit.

Well, now I knew. Gina must have told Carl, and he, the idiot, couldn't keep his mouth shut. I knew Carl was dating Gina, though for reasons known to only them, they kept it quiet. And maybe for the friendship he shared with Eddie he thought it his job to "protect" me. But that nonsense had to stop. 

"Carl," I texted back. "Cut the shit. I'm a big girl."

As for Abel, I needed to set him straight. Maybe nothing would come of him and me, but he should know the truth anyway. 

I dialed his number. A woman answered. Well, now, the boy doesn't waste time.

"Can I speak to Abel?" I said.

"Who is this?" the woman said. 

"Annie," I said.

"And you know him how?" The woman's tone was sharp and tinged with suspicion.

"I'm a bill collector. Now is Mr. Williams available or what? If he isn't, I'll mark that in his file."

She hung up. 

#

"You answered my phone?" After getting out of the shower, I heard the ring of my phone, but I let it pass. If needed, I'd call whoever it was later. But I heard Lynn's voice and it made me more than a little pissed. She knew how I felt about that shit. 

"Who is Annie?" she threw back at me.

"None of your business." 

"She said she was a bill collector. But last I knew, you didn't key bill collectors into your contacts."

"You're right. I don't."

"So?"

"So what, Lynn? Are we back to this crap again? You worried what I supposedly do when you are the one that does it?"

Her eyes got very wide. She grabbed her purse from the counter, and made a dash for the door.

"And don't come back!" 

The door slammed. Bitch.

I never learn.

#

Abel's phone went to voice mail. It was the third time I called but he wouldn't pick up. Well, if he didn't want to talk to me, that was his business. But I wasn't going to let him think things that weren't true. 

"Abel," I said. "I'm sorry you got the wrong information. Jack's an idiot, it true, and did propose to me. But I never agreed to marry him. And I won't. If you want to talk, call me. Otherwise, well, I wish you the best."

#

It really was too much to expect that Lynn would leave the car. Never mind. I needed a run anyway. I put some work clothes and a towel in my backpack. I'll take a shower at the gym. My feet hit the street, the road stretching before me. It wasn't a long run and I should be at the gym soon.

I never made it there.

For whatever reason I decided to take the long way to the gym, the way that did not include the shortcut that Annie showed me. As I trotted down the road, an ambulance streaked by me trying to get around the stopped traffic on the road. I ran past the traffic. Ahead was the flash of police lights. 

And my car crashed into a telephone pole.

"Lynn," I yelled running to the car. A police officer stopped me.

"Easy there, buddy."

"That's my car! Where's Lynn?"

"They've taken the driver to the hospital. Is she your wife?"

"What? No. Is she okay?" I was beside myself.

"I don't know."

"Which hospital?" 

"Look. Was she drinking?"

"What? No. She was on in her way home."

"And she has your car."

"What the hell. Look, she spent the night with me. I let her take it okay. I don't work far and she lives two hours from here. Look, I have to get there."

"Is there someone I can call. You shouldn't drive."

"Do I look like I have a car to drive?" 

"Okay, settle down. You can call a cab."

"Yeah, good idea," I said though I was fuming at the officer and his insane questions. 

It took fifteen minutes for the cab to get there, and while I waited the wrecker came and took the car. The officer gave the me the location of the wrecker company. 

I was frantic with worry by the time I got to the hospital. They wouldn't let me see her.

"Look, I'm her emergency contact."

"Your name?"

"Abel Williams."

"Let me check."

More waiting. I paced the reception area like a madman.

"Mr. Williams?"

"Yes."

"Step through these doors. She's just gotten back from x-ray."

Lynn lay on hospital bed, the stupid policeman asking her questions that she was barely able to answer.

"Abel," she said her words slightly slurred.

She looked pretty banged up, dried blood on her forehead. 

"Hey," I said. "You gave me quite a scare."

"I'm sorry," she said. "Your car."

"Don't worry about it. You'll buy me another one."

She smiled weakly. 

"I'm more concerned about you."

"Nothing too bad. A few cracked ribs. My head hurts. They say I have a concussion.

I looked at the policeman. "Do you have what you need? She's obviously not up for any questions." 

"Yeah, I guess so. It was pretty straightforward. She lost control of the car. Here's the ticket, speeding. She's lucky she didn't get reckless endangerment."

"Yeah, thanks."

They kept her in overnight, and I stayed with her. She was in no condition to be alone for a couple days, so I took her home, to my apartment. 

Really, what else was I suppose to do?

#

Monday morning, bright and early, I woke before Jack did, and I went to the doctor. Funny thing about community health centers, but even though they didn't have my records from college, they were still willing to see me. I was set to go a round with the noxious antibiotics that goes with a trichomoniasis infection, but I was declared clean. Thank goodness. 

Having dodged that bullet I was feeling good as I entered the office. And stopped dead in my tracks. My roses were gone. The only one in the office Friday after I left was Jack. And he pillaged my desk, finding the ring in the back of the top drawer. I took the ring box, ring inside and went into his office and opening the pencil drawer shoved the box there thinking how much of a bastard he was.

When he showed up, with his usual grin, I didn't look at him.

"Morning," he said brightly.

I didn't answer.

"I had fun at Saratoga."

"Yeah, great." It was a fun time for us. Jack enjoyed making his bets. I liked seeing the ponies run. But right now I wasn't thinking of good times. 

"Annie? Something wrong?"

"Where the fuck are my roses?"

"Who the fuck is Abel?" He glared at me then, and the mask was ripped away from the man who acted so happy all weekend. And that's what it was, an act. He was pissed at me, but rather than show it, he pulled this shit. 

"None of your business, is who."

"Now you are being childish."

"As childish as throwing away someone's flowers?"

"Yeah, as childish as that. Who is Abel? And why is he sending you roses?"

"A friend. A REALLY good friend."

"Oh, it's like that. Is he the reason why you keep saying you won't marry me?"

"Jesus, Jack. Just look at you. You are the reason I don't want to marry you."

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"Really? Do I need to count the ways? You can't keep your hands off your employees, and you can't mind your own fucking business. And you want marry a woman you don't love!"

"I don't know what the fuck you are talking about. I am keeping my hands off you!"

"Not by choice, you're not!"

Just then there was a knock at the glass door. It was a courtesy knock, because no one ever knocked to enter this office.

Three people stood at the doors, two men and a woman, carrying thick brief cases and large coffee cups. 

I opened the door. Jack introduced himself and me. Their names were Jerry Ryan, Bob Roberts and Casey Ryan, no relation we were told with a grim smile.

"Nice to meet you," Jack said, shaking their hands. "Ms. Lloyd will provide whatever you need, and answer any questions. Check with her first, but don't hesitate to ask me anything."

The look on Jack's face was somewhere between wooden and calcified. I had never seen him so cold meeting someone for the first time. I didn't know whether it was from the exchange with me, or them being here, or both. But Jack was definitely off his game. He walked stiffly into his office and shut the door. 

"Here," I said quickly, "I've got you set up in the conference room, " I led them to it down the hall to the right. "Whatever documentation you need, please see me, and I'll get it right to you."

"We need to see your profit and loss statements," said Mr. Ryan.

"On the table, in triplicate. The only thing we ask is that you don't go on the production floor. For insurance purposes only employees are allowed. If you need anything else, please let me know. I'm in the office you first came to.

The woman, Casey moved towards me as I left.

"Could you show me the ladies?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. When we moved away from the door she sidled up to me.

"Looks like you and your boss don't get along so good."

"Everyone has their bad days," I said noncommittally. 

"I understand. You don't want to say anything bad about your boss."

"I never do," I replied. "Here is the ladies room."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

I returned to the office. Jack had his door open.

"Ms. Lloyd, I'd like to speak to you."

"Oh great," I thought. But I went in.

Jack got up from his desk, and shut the door, his body inches away, his arms at either side, keeping me from moving away. He stared at me.

"Why are you so fucking stubborn?" he said. 

But before I could say anything he crushed my lips with a kiss. He pinned me against the door, leaning into me. I couldn't move. I couldn't breath. I tried to push him away, but he kept kissing me, his tongue forcing his way in my mouth, playing with my tongue. My breathing sped up and did his. Why did he have to smell so damn good?

His hand pulled up my skirt to my thighs, and he reached to rub my clit. His finger circled coaxing my excitement and I felt a rush of wetness. So did he.

Jack groaned a bit, pushing against me, and I felt his hardness against me. His hands went to my ass, cupping and kneading both cheeks.

It wasn't fair. Jack was playing dirty. To get me to do what?

His hands pushed up my skirt, and then pulled down my pantyhose and panties. Sliding down to his knees, he buried his nose in the space between legs, and lapped the crease. He did this gently, at first, breathing in deeply as if he savored just the scent of me.

"God," he muttered. His tongue lapped between the lips of my pussy, hitting just the right spots that made everything feel comfortably warm. Warm and sexy. Warm then hot. This was wrong. We shouldn't be doing this here. And somehow the wrongness made the feelings all the more intense. My ass cheeks tightened, and my body shivered as tingles of pleasure shot through my body. Damn, the man had a talent. 

Then pulling my hips forward with his hands, he speared his tongue through the center of me, running his tongue in circles inside me. I grabbed his head intending to push it away, but just then he pushed up with tongue, and eased up, then speared me again, fucking me with his mouth. 

A little noise escaped from my throat, which only encouraged him more. Now he buried his lips into my pussy, nibbling, sucking, working his whole mouth at the center of my heat. Fucking shit. I couldn't think, couldn't bring to mind what I should be doing. All I knew was here, now and Jack's incredible mouth buried in the center of me. I started to rock back and forth building, magnifying the pleasure I felt. Heat shot through my body, and I couldn't get enough, needed more, wanted more. His tongue pushed up one more time, and my clit bucked against his upper lip. Bam. I couldn't see anything as lightning flew through every nerve ending. I may have rocked my hips, I don't know. I didn't know anything then except how good everything felt. He kept sucking as my orgasm washed away, but now the ministrations of his mouth felt more hurtful than pleasure.

"Please, stop, Jack. I can't take anymore."

He leaned back on his heels, and bending forward gave my mound a little kiss.

"Okay then, help me up."

I must have given him an incredulous look.

"I'm not as young as I used to be," he said. "And there is something I want to do."

"What," I said as I held out my arm which he used to help push himself up.

"This," he said. His mouth descended on mine again, only this time I tasted myself with my tongue, smelled my scent dripping on his cheeks.

"Oh," I moaned like some goddamned porn star.

"You taste so fucking good. I wanted you to taste it too."

He pulled away, bent down again and worked my panties and panty hose up over my hips. Jack then tugged my skirt down, and smoothed it down with his hands. Pulling me into his arms he gave me a slap on the rear.

"Now, get back to work, Ms. Lloyd. And don't make me have this talk with you again!" He said this with such seriousness I have to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, so this is your secret to human resources success? You eat out your employees to discipline them?"

"Yes," he said with a wicked smile. "And you should see my production manager's face when I do it to him."

This time I did laugh. "You are so fucking wrecked, Colson. No wonder you need me here to help you."

His smile eased into a thoughtful look.

"Precisely what I've been telling you all along."

#

I went back to my computer, crunching numbers, with a little smile on my face while I did that. In the tiniest part of my heart I felt a warmth there for Jack Colson that wasn't there before. That should have been a big read flag with me, but I was still tingling from what happened in his office. 

An hour later, he came out of his office.

"We're having dinner tonight," he said as if he was announcing there was a business meeting I was required to attend. 

"We are?"

"Yes. Be ready, five sharp. I'll pick you up here."

"And where will you be?"

"Out. Call me on my cell if you need something."

One hundred percent Jack. Even if I pressed him, he wouldn't tell me more.

"Five, then."

He nodded casually and strolled out the office like nothing out of the way happened between us.

The bastard.



Personal Training Ch. 12



I just really had enough of Annie's balkiness. I'd been clear enough about my intentions, what I was willing to do. So, she didn't fall all over me like so many women did. Maybe that was part of her appeal. She wouldn't take my bullshit, kept me in line. Now, more than ever that was important.

But I had to make some things clear first.

She wouldn't be happy with the result of my first errand. Too bad. She'll understand it's what we need to do. 

The next was a phone call I'd put off. I'd gotten the number from her cell phone yesterday morning when she was in the bathroom. IPhone's airdrop is such a useful tool. 

A man whose voice sounded as cranky as I felt answered.

"Yeah," he said.

"Mr. Pizzolo, I'm Jack Colson."

"Yeah," he repeated sounding less happy if that was possible.

"I'm a friend of your daughter."

"I know who you are, Colson. She worked for you long enough."

"We are a little more than work buddies. In fact, I think she's a very special woman. I'd like to talk to you a little more about that."

"Talk."

"Not on the phone. Annie and I will be in town this weekend. Can you make some time for me then?"

"If you come over, I can't stop you."

"Thanks. See you then." 

I closed my eyes when I clicked off the phone and took a deep breath. God, the man sounded as irritable as my father. 

Maybe Annie and I had more in common than I thought.

The new housecleaner said she'd be there at noon, which gave me fifteen minutes to make it to my apartment. I know, I know, I shouldn't have let the last one go, but JuJu was there all the time anyway, and kept things in reasonably good order. I didn't see the sense in paying for cleaning. Now, with JuJu gone, I had to get another one.

As I walked up the steps to my apartment, I brought my head up, and came eye to eye with JuJu. 

"Hi, Jack."

"You're here early. How'd you know I'd be here now?"

"I still have friends, Jack. I drew a line from A to B."

She dropped her head and looked at me from under her dark lashes, sliding her hips to one side. 

"I miss you, Jack."

"I don't have time for this," I muttered to myself. But she heard me anyway. 

"What Jack?" she said taking the few steps down to meet me. "What don't you have time for?"

She licked her red lips. 

"I'm not interested."

"You called me, remember?"

"Yes, to get your clothes. Grab them and go."

I walked past her on the stair and opened my apartment. She took her time walking in, swinging her hips, and looking around the apartment. She made her way to my bedroom, and I followed. 

"Hmm, your friend is not staying here."

"Get your things."

"Can I use your bathroom? I've been waiting a while."

"You know where it is."

She walked by me with a seductive swing of her hips. For once I didn't look as she walked away. 

JuJu didn't spend long in the bathroom. There was a flush and she was back out in the hallway. 

"Jack," she said moving to me. "I don't understand. Why you are so mean to me?" She reached out and tugged my tie.

"This isn't going to work," I said.

"I've heard that before." She slid the sharp edge of her red fingernail along my jaw. "We've always made things work."

"Not this time and not today. We're done, JuJu. It's my fault. I never should have started this. But we are done."

She put her arms around my neck and I inhaled her perfume. "You're mad about Tad, aren't you? Well, what did you expect me to do? You won't see me."

I pulled her arms off me.

"Damn it. I'm not mad about Tad." I picked up her clothes. I put them all on hangers last night, so I picked up the batch of them and stuffed them in her arms. 

"That's all of it."

She looked at me, shocked. 

"You really want me to go?"

"Yes."

She blinked, and then turned and walked out the door. I followed her to make sure she actually left. As she stepped out of the apartment, she turned to me. 

"We aren't done, Jack."

"Goodbye, JuJu." I shut the door, loudly. Then I realized she left a little too easily.

I went to the bathroom, and sure enough, my nearly new prescription bottle of Viagra was empty. Fuck me. My plans for the evening were flushed down the drain. 

#

The female auditor came into my office.

"I'd like to see Mr. Colson."

I looked up from the computer screen.

"He's not here. He's gone for the day."

"I have questions for him."

"Any questions you have, ask me."

"Yes, but you aren't an employee of the company are you? You don't have fiduciary responsibility."

I shot her a look. 

"I'm an agent of the company, brought in especially to work with you."

"Isn't that unusual, for a simple audit?" She drew out the word 'unusual' as if it had special meaning. 

"No," I said turning back to my work. "Not if you know Jack. He's not an expert in accounting."

"And you are?"

I sucked in my breath. 

"Because I checked the database, and there is no Annie Lloyd listed in the licensed CPA files."

"That's because I'm not a CPA."

"So what makes you an expert?"

"I didn't say I was an expert. I said Jack wasn't."

"You dance around words really well, Ms. Lloyd. But there is something funky with these books, despite your 'expert' doctoring."

I stood then and glared at her.

"One. I doctored nothing. I corrected mistakes made by the accountants, the CPA's hired by owner. Second, you better have some juice to back up that charge besides items being put in the proper slots in the profit and loss statements, because I, Miss Ryan don't play." 

"There are significant differences between the P & L's you submitted and what is on the company's books."

"Oh, is there? Now, exactly how would you know what our internal documents look like, Miss Ryan?"

The woman blanched having overplayed her hand.

"Who gave them to you?"

She backed away to the door.

"No one gave us anything."

"I didn't say "us," I said you, Miss Ryan."

She turned and fled.

I thought so. She was someone's friend. Someone on that goddamned board. 

#

Jack showed up at 5:00 PM just as he promised. He stood over the desk as I finished up and turned off the computer. He'd shed his suit and was wearing khakis and a button down. 

"Jack, we need to talk. About the audit."

"Sure, Annie. But let's get out of here."

"Okay, but I'd like to change too."

He gave me a crooked smile. "Sure."

I noticed straight off that we weren't heading to the motel.

"Jack, we are going the wrong way."

"No, we aren't."

"But I need to change."

"And you will."

I suddenly had a suspicion. "What did you do, Jack?"

"I checked you out. There is no use in paying for a hotel room when you should stay with me."

"Jack!"

We pulled in the parking lot of his apartment building. He turned and handed me the key I'd left behind.

"Here you go, honey. I'll wait. But don't take too long or go too casual. Reservations are for 6:30."

"Jack Colson," I growled.

"Go on, now," he said as if he didn't have a care in the world. "We don't have all night."

#

It was a moderately priced Italian restaurant, expensive enough the require reservations, cheap enough to have the prices on the menu.

We were seated, and Jack ordered a whiskey sour for himself, wine for me. I looked at the carefully groomed menu. There were just enough entrees to keep the customer's happy, not enough to overwhelm the cooking staff. 

"You chose a decent restaurant for once. You can't have coupons for this one. What's up, Jack?"

He looked slightly embarrassed, and then smiled at me. 

"I want to make you happy, Annie. I know you like places like this."

"Bullshit. Spill, Colson."

"I wouldn't bullshit you, Annie."

Before I could shoot off a retort, a man came up to the table. My eyes widened in recognition. It was Jack's lawyer, Robert Anson. 

"Jack, Annie, good to see you."

"Hello, Bob," said Jack.

"I hate to keep bringing it up, but you two need to get in to see me about that pre-nup. Your father called me about it today."

I saw Jack swear under his breath.

"You tell that old man that we'll get to it when we are ready."

"Just what does that pre-nup say, Bob?" I asked.

"Well, it says that each of you keep your own property, there is no mixing of that during the marriage, and the only communal assets would be mutually acquired ones."

"Bob," said Jack a warning in his voice.

"No, Jack. That's absolutely fine with me. Do you happen to have this document?"

"Actually, a copy is in my briefcase."

"Get it."

"Annie, you don't have to do this."

"Go ahead, Bob."

Bob moved away from the table.

"Annie, really. My father is ridiculous. You don't have..."

"Jack, if I married you, do you think it'd be for your money?"

"Of course not."

Bob returned and handed me the document and a pen. I signed it and handed it to Jack.

"Go ahead," I said. "Let's get this over with so we can eat."

Jack took the papers and signed them, his lips drawn tightly. Anson looked relieved when Jack handed them over.

"It was nice seeing you, Bob," I said. "Good night."

The lawyer left slightly confused over being dismissed so quickly. Jack's eyes bore into me.

"What was that about, Lloyd?"

I started laughing. I couldn't help myself. 

"Your father," I gasped. "So worried I'd get my hands on the family money." I couldn't contain my mirth and the giggles continued.

"Annie, are you okay?"

"He made you sign away all of mine."

"What are you talking about?" he said genuinely confused. "You've struggled this past year."

"Well, just because my father is rich doesn't mean that I'd take his money."

"What?"

"But I am the only child. Eventually it will be all mine."

Jack smiled, and then started laughing too.

#

Jack made sure I had plenty of wine at dinner. I should have watched it myself, but after the stresses of the day, I just gave in to the relaxing glow of the alcohol. Jack drew me close to him as we walked out of the restaurant, and he felt so warm I snuggled next to him. I stumbled a little, a testament to the wine in me, but he held me up. He steered me into the car. 

"Let's take a drive," he said. 

"I'm really tired, Jack."

"Come on," he said. "There's something I want to show you."

I think I nodded off then. I wasn't lying when I said I was tired. Well, being drunk helped. It was when Jack shook my shoulder that I opened my eyes and saw we were sitting in front of a lake. Across the water, the high rises of the city stretched up to the sky in blackness, and the light from street lamps danced across the moving waters. 

Jack pulled me closer, putting his arm around me. God, he smelled so damn sexy. He always did. Spending as much time around him as I was, I was getting used to the idea of always having that scent around me. But there is one thing, that's true. Bucket seats in this position are very uncomfortable.

"Jack, um. I'm losing feeling in my hip here."

"Oh." He let go of my shoulder.

"I'm going to sit in the back," I said. 

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Jack's eyes widened but he smiled too. He opened his door while I pushed open mine, and we climbed into the back at the same time. There was a bit of a tussle as who was going to be on the bottom, because cars aren't as big as they used to be.

"I seem to remember this being easier," said Jack.

"That's because forty years ago cars were as big as boats."

"Only forty years?" he said grinning at me.

"Must you top me?" I said giggling. Seeing that he twisted me under him, this seemed funnier in my drunken state than it should.

"I tell you what. I'll buy us a big old Cadillac."

"An old people's Cadillac. People will think we are properly old when we tool it down to Denny's."

"While we ruin the leather in the back seat," said Jack. 

"Dream on, big boy," I said.

Jack got very serious then, and with one hand unbuttoned my shirt. He reached in and cupped my right breast.

"God, these are amazing," he whispered. His lips crashed down on my breast, and sucked hard on my nipple. As grew hard under the satin of the bra, he took the nub in his teeth and bit down, saliva from his mouth soaking the bra and seeping down to my skin.

"Fuck."

"You have such a dirty mouth," he said in my ear. "All these years, of your prim and proper suits, and sensible shoes, I never knew how hot you ran."

His other hand wriggled under my skirt. Jack grabbed my ass cheek and squeezed hard. 

I whimpered. I was pinned under him, couldn't move, couldn't resist. Not that I wanted to, not in my alcohol-addled state. But there is something very primal about a man on top of you, a man you've known for years, a man as familiar to you as the wrinkles on your face. Guys never get it. They are always looking for something new to spark their imagination. But women? Give us what we see every day and we are just as happy. That is if the guy keeps trying to make you happy. That is the real battle of the sexes, I think, trying to reconcile the new and exciting with the tried and true. And right now, Jack was trying to prove just how true he was even as my mind wandered.

Another sharp bite to my breast jolted me to the present. Jack pushed my skirt up and rubbed his hand between my panty hose covered legs. The idea of him there at that sensitive spot, but not having full access, tripped my arousal up several notches. Still trapped beneath him, there wasn't much I could do. But I could wrap my arms around him, so I did, digging my fingernails into his back through his shirt and dragging them down his spine. He gasped and ground down on me. All the breath was pushed from my lungs. 

"I can't believe how hot you make me," he said. 

That may be true. I wasn't too good of a judge of that right now. But this space was too small to do much other than some furtive and frustrating groping. 

"Sit up, Jack." I said. Then I licked behind his ear.

Jack shifted off me, and I could breath again, thank god. Immediately Jack's fingers found my pussy, but this time he pushed down the panty hose and put his fingers against my clit. He groaned a bit as he felt the wetness between my legs.

"Get up on your knees," he said. 

I pushed myself up, my back to the window, with my hands on a backrest on either side. The waistband of my hose was riding my thighs, so I couldn't move them too far apart. My head hung down, looking into Jack's eyes, the back of my head hitting the roof. 

Jack pulled down my panties, and he thrust his fingers into my pussy. I jerked up, but there wasn't anywhere else to go. He continued to stare at me as his fingers assaulted me, pushing up as deep as he could go. I could feel my wetness slide down his fingers, and I shivered. My hips moved in rhythm to his finger fucking and I pushed down harder on his hand. He twisted his wrist a bit, and found that sensitive spot, pushing it, stroking it, sending delicious heat through me pushing for release.

"Cum, Annie. Cum for me."

"Fuck!" I said as I shook from the force of my own explosion. Waves of pleasure rolled through me, making me forget where I was, who I was with. His fingers still moved in me as I came to my senses. 

I pushed his hand away and leaned over. Unzipping his pants, I put my hand on his crotch. Surprisingly, even after all that, he was still soft.

He pulled my hand away.

"Sweetie," he said softly. "That's not in the cards tonight. 

I twisted and sat down next to him and looked into his eyes.

"What's going on, Jack?"

"Nothing much. My medicine fell in the toilet, is all. You don't mind, do you?"

My head knew all about this, but my heart didn't. It was difficult not to feel disappointed that you can't get a man aroused even if it had nothing to do with you. But it was also bad to let that disappointment show.

"Of course not," I said.



Personal Training Ch. 13-14



Chapter 13

Jack's phone rang in the middle of the night. Making a note to tell him to change the shrill ring tone I put my pillow over my head and tried to go back to sleep.

The damned thing rang again.

"Fuck," I muttered getting out of my bed and walking over to Jack's room.

"Colson! Your phone!"

"Wha-? What?" he said sleepily.

Men. I fucking swear, if the building was burning around them, they still wouldn't wake.

I switched on his lights, went to the nightstand and handed him his phone.

He sat up, put on his reading glasses, and looked at the number.

"Shit." He redialed.

"This is Jack. Uh, okay. I'll be there in twenty." He sighed. "I don't know why I pay them." He swung his legs off the bed and looked up at me.

"Dad," he said in response to my questioning look. "He gets these nightmares. The nurse's aid can't handle him. "

"How often does this happen?"

"Couple times a week." He sighed. "Go back to sleep, Annie."

"No. I'm awake now. I'll go with you."

"You don't have to," he said as I walked out of the room.

"I know." 

In the middle of the night there were few cars on the road, so it didn't take long to get to Jack's father's house. It was chilly this time of morning, the hours before dawn. As Jack opened the door, I heard yelling, and the sound of glass breaking.

Alarmed Jack ran up the stairs, and I followed.

"Dad, dad, it's me, Jack!" I heard as I got to the top of the stairs. 

In his bed, Jack's father flailed his arms. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

I walked in, and saw the terrified nurse's aid backed into the wall. 

"Dad, calm down!"

"Jack," I said. "Move away. Don't touch him."

"What? "

"He's not even awake." I moved over to the bed and ran my hand over the top of elderly man's head.

"Sssh, sssh," I said gently. "It's okay. It's just a bad dream." After a minute or so of me stroking his head, the man stilled, and then opened his eyes.

"What the hell?" he said. "What are you doing here?" His eyes widened when he saw Jack and the nurses aide. "What are you all doing here?"

"You've been giving Ginny here a bad time," said Jack.

"I did no such thing."

"Of course, you didn't," I said. "But you scream a lot in your sleep and it scared Ginny."

"I do?" 

"Yes."

"Well, shit."

"Sorry, Ginny," he said grumpily. 

"Can I get you something, Mr. Colson," said Ginny.

"Yeah, I can use a drink."

"Get him some tea," said Jack. "Black, no sugar." Jack's father rolled his eyes. 

"Yes, Mr. Colson." Ginny left, looking glad she did so. 

I took the controls of the automatic bed and raised the head of it, then went around the bed and straightened the covers.

"You found yourself a good one here," said the elder Colson. "I approve. I won't have to cut you from the will after all."

"Dad!"

My eyes met Jack's and I held his gaze for a couple seconds. I saw everything in his eyes, that what Jack's father said wasn't a bad joke on his part. I finished straightening the blankets. 

"I'll go see what's keeping Ginny," I said.

As I walked to the door, Jack grabbed my arm.

"Annie." His eyes pleaded for my understanding.

I shook off his arm.

"Do you want some tea, too?"

"No."

"I'll be downstairs."

Making my way down to the first floor, Ginny passed me, with the tea on her way up. I didn't know what to feel. Of course I knew Jack had ulterior motives for his marriage proposal. I didn't realize just how ulterior they were. 

Jesus. Jack's father was beyond words. What kind of father threatens to cut his only remaining child from his will? I guess the kind of man that raised someone like Jack Colson.

I moved down the hall at the right of the stairway, going to the bathroom room there. On the right there was an open door and looked in. It was a family room of sorts. Curious I entered, and looked at the pictures on the wall. There were pictures of Jack, Jack and his mother, Jack and his sister and his various cousins, but curiously, none of Jack and his father. On the left of me was a glass-covered bookcase. Inside were sports trophies, everything Jack achieved while growing up. Baseball, basketball, hockey, golf. Jack took home more trophies on his own than all my children put together. In the center of the top shelf was the largest one. High school boxing champion. Yes, that suited Jack. He always did come out punching.

I looked at all the trophies again. All these trophies won to impress a man that was never around. What was going on in Jack's head now wasn't about money. It was about trying to get a man's approval that would never give it. 

I turned, and Jack was standing in the doorway.

"Annie," he said.

"Don't say anything, Jack. I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. Let's just go home."

#

I sat at my desk in the morning. Jack had gone over to check on his father one more time, and I promised to hold down the fort. I was still pissed at him and I was doing a slow simmer. Of course, part of this is my fault for letting him draw me into his little drama. 

I was trying to reconcile invoices to checks cashed and kept running into the same problem. Those checks just weren't in the bank account. I couldn't imagine how anyone could cash checks made out to a business, but I suppose anything was possible. Calling the people who sent the checks, asking for a copy would be embarrassing and could hurt the business' credibility. As I was thinking through how to handle this, one of the production crew walked in holding something in his arm. 

"Where's JuJu?" he said looking around the office.

"Vacation."

"Oh, here are the daily production reports."

I motioned to an in box on the desk, and at the heavy sound of papers hitting it, looked at the thick stack. 

"If these are daily reports, why don't we get them everyday?"

"Um, JuJu never minds. We get busy, you know, and its okay with her if she gets them once a month."

"Well, it's not okay. Bring one everyday, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." He left quickly. 

My eyes flicked over the production reports again. And got an idea. 

It took me a bit to find the production reports. JuJu had them tucked away in the closet, which was unusual. She usually kept records in the cabinets that lined the left wall. It was a pain hauling them out, and then matching the jobs to the invoices. She hadn't been too smart about what she did. And I found out why the invoices and the bank records didn't match. 

When Jack came to the office, I showed him what I found. 

"Sonabitch," he said. "So I can fire JuJu now?"

"Yes," I sighed. "You'll have to. But you know that is just part of this whole mess."

#

Annie suggested I hire a private investigator. It took a few days before he got the evidence. The result was about to play on my computer screen. I sat in my office queuing up the video the private investigator shot for us to see. Annie stood at my shoulder. 

"Do you really think we should watch this?" said Annie.

"Hell, yes," I said. "After what they put us through, we deserve a little amusement."

There was a knock at my office door.

"Come in," I said.

The female Ryan entered. 

"Ah, Mr. Colson. Glad to see you are in." Her words dripped in sarcasm.

"Is there something I can do for you?"

"I, I mean we have some questions about the financials." 

I smiled. 

"I'm sure you do."

"You are?"

I got up and walked over to her, standing as close as I could to her. I put my hand on the door closing it and held my hand on it, my arm now over her shoulder. 

"Yes," I said in a low voice. "That is why you are here."

She swallowed hard, and moved away. 

"I should get back to my desk," said Annie.

"Good idea," I said. 

"No!" said Miss Ryan. "I mean, you might help answer the questions too, Miss Lloyd."

"Actually," said Annie, "That's Ms. or Mrs. to you, Miss Ryan."

"Uh, huh," she said I moved closer to her. She looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Uh, going through these invoices, we find a number of them that are marked paid, but we can't find the deposits for them."

"Really," I said continuing my stare. Without looking back I said. "Annie, do you know anything about this?"

"I found the same thing, Jack. It is a puzzle."

"Hmm," I said undressing Miss Ryan with my eyes, "I'm sure you and your crack team will find the answer. That is, after all, why you are here."

"This is very serious, Mr. Colson! Money is missing. Someone," and she looked directly up to me, "could go to jail."

I mustered the best "fuck me" voice I could. "That does sound serious," I said. "Perhaps we should meet later, to discuss the ramifications of that."

"Oh no," she said, growing more flustered. "That would not be appropriate, Mr. Colson."

"That's a shame," I said.

"So you are saying you have no idea why that money is missing."

"What do you think?" I said, still laying on the sexy voice.

"I think you are impossible! And that you are going to jail!"

"Is that so? Then I better have all the fun I can before I get there."

With a squeak, she jumped a little and I moved away. She jerked open the door and fled. 

Annie, who had been holding it in, started laughing.

"Jeez, Jack. You'll be lucky she doesn't file a sexual harassment charge against you."

"Let her. You're my witness. Did you see anything inappropriate?" 

"Me? I didn't see a thing."

"There you go. Okay, let's see what the PI has for us."

#

I paid for the PI to film everything in as much detail as possible. The room was dark, but there was enough light coming from the motel bathroom to see more than what we needed to see.

Miss Ryan entered the room, and a man, his back to the window embraced her. They kissed passionately for a couple minutes, his hands running up and down her perky little body. We couldn't see much from this angle, but I caught where he pulled up her skirt, and I could only imagine him fingering her pussy. That's must have been it, because she threw back her head, her mouth forming o's. 

"Jack, let's just fast forward to the end," said Annie.

"What, getting hot, Annie?"

"No," she said with tightness in her voice.

"Too bad," I said.

She made a little noise, and I imagined she was rolling her eyes. I didn't look back to see though. I was watching proper Miss Ryan throwing her leg over the man's hip. Quickly, his slacks slid down his legs. He pushed her to the wall. She pulled down his jockey shorts, revealing a large dragon tat on his ass. Soon his hips pushed back and forth, Miss Ryan holding onto his neck for dear life. Then a second leg came over his hip. He pushed roughly her up and down the wall, her blonde hair falling out of its neat bun and spilling on her shoulders.

Annie, behind me, took a sharp breath.

I was getting a little hot myself, even without my little blue pills.

He pulled her away from the wall, and turning, fell with her onto the bed. He pulled her legs over his shoulder, and he was pumping her again with a force so primal that my heart started pumping hard. 

"Oh shit," said Annie.

Shadows fell across his face, so I didn't get a clear view. Her face I could see, especially since he fucked her so viciously that he pushed her partially off the bed. Her head hung over the edge, her face contorted in passion. Her shirt was unbuttoned, her breasts pointed up to ceiling, jiggling with the force of his thrusts. Her faced grimaced as she came, and with a few more thrusts, he did too. He fell against her, his face still hidden.

"Fuck," said Annie. "We can't see his face."

"I don't need to," I said. "I recognize that tat."

"And just where would you see a man's tat on his ass?" she said.

"I was there when he got it."

#

It was the fastest audit ever. On Thursday after noon, Ryan and Company announced they were done. With a speed that never affected my family before, we were all in the conference room waiting to hear what the auditor's had to say Friday morning. My father wasn't there, but Tad, Midge, Teddy, Sylvia and Robert Anson were.

Annie sat next to me, sitting on the edge of her chair. I put my hand on her knee.

Jerry Ryan, and his confederates sat across from us. 

"Shall we get started," said Tad.

"Yes. Do." I said.

"Well," said Ryan, "We did a comprehensive test of all the financials given to us. We found that someone is embezzling money."

Tad smirked. 

"And who would that be?" he said.

"We couldn't determine that," he said. "We couldn't locate where the money went."

Everyone one in the room exploded, demanding explanations.

Tad whistled and quieted everyone down. "The person that needs to answer to this is Jack. He is ultimately responsible. Jack, what do you have to say? Because if you don't have a good explanation, we are going to have to ask for your resignation."

I just smiled. "I'll let Annie answer that. She's the one that found out what happened, not these high priced jackasses you hired."

"I couldn't find the money either," said Annie. "And I checked everywhere." She looked around the room. "The reason that neither I or Ryan and Company couldn't find the money is that there wasn't any money to begin with."

"What are you talking about," said Ryan. "The invoices were there, marked paid. But the money wasn't."

"That's because the invoices were fake," said Annie. "Oh, it wasn't easy to find. But once I matched the invoices with the production reports I figured it out."

The room exploded again. I nodded to Annie, who walked over and opened the door.

"Come in, JuJu," I said. 

JuJu entered, stunning in a black dress that hugged her curves. But her beauty wasn't going to save her today. She looked around shyly.

"Not all of you know, JuJu, but until recently she was my executive assistant. In fact, she was my father's also," I said. "Tad, you know JuJu very well, don't you."

"Not really."

"Tad. Let's not play games. My father has some very interesting video that displays how well we both know JuJu. Do you want me to show it?"

If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now.

"I don't really blame JuJu, because she is who she is. JuJu, what did Tad promise you if you posted those invoices to the books? Marriage?"

JuJu just stood there, stunned.

"But you see, JuJu, Tad had no intention of marrying you. Nor you, Miss Ryan."

The female member of Ryan, Roberts and Ryan blanched. 

"I don't know what you are talking about!"

"It was Tad that suggested your firm. Now we know why."

I pulled out stills of the video the private investigator took and started passing them around the table.

"Those are the mildest ones. There are others that are more...descriptive of the type of relationship you and Tad have."

JuJu caught a glimpse of the pictures and launched herself at Tad. 

"You bastard!" She hit him on the head, and he tried his best to back away.

"Well," I said. "I think that clears up everything. We're adjourned."

I stood and held my hand out to Annie even while Tad was fending off JuJu. 

"Come on, Annie, let's get out of here."

Chapter 14

I wasn't earning points for myself by calling out of work. But I couldn't leave Lynn alone all day. I also couldn't tell Carl the exact reason I was calling out either. He had this protective streak about Annie that was a mile long and even though, technically, we were done, I knew that old man wouldn't understand that either. 

I spent my time, not with Lynn, but on Craigslist looking for another car. Lynn had properly pissed me off this time. In talking with the insurance agent, I found out that Lynn dropped the collision coverage on the car. I was screwed. I'd have to dip into my shrinking savings to get another car. 

"Where did the money go that I paid you for insurance, Lynn?"

I wasn't very nice when I said this, but after being shocked from what the insurance agent told me, and sore from sleeping on the uncomfortable couch all night, I couldn't be blamed. 

Lynn didn't say anything. She just turned over and pulled the blanket over her head. 

Later, Lynn, contrite, and filled with pain meds, agreed to pay for a rental. But a rental was expensive, and wasn't going to take care of my long-term need for transportation. 

When Carl called, I thought it was about the job. I was wrong.

"Abel, you still need a car?"

"Yeah," I said. "Turns out, it couldn't be salvaged."

"You got a few minutes? I can swing around and pick you up so you can take a look at what my friend's got."

I looked at my bedroom door. 

"Yeah, I'll meet you downstairs."

I got into Carl's Chevy Nova.

"Thanks, Carl," I said.

"You've been okay?"

"I haven't felt well. Stomach bug. I'm better, but you know how those stomach cramps are."

"Yeah," said Carl. "especially when they've been brought on by car crashes."

"Oh."

"I've got buddies on the force. I heard about it."

"Sorry."

"Look, your business is your business. You don't get paid if you don't work, so I figure what ever it is, if you aren't earning, it must be for something important."

"I'm just helping out a friend."

"Sometimes you have to do that. Here we are."

We pulled up to an auto repair garage though look like it hadn't been painted in twenty years. Paint peeled from around the glass window in the from that proclaimed Jimmi's Auto Repair in faded gold letters outlined in red. There was one gas pump by the side of the building, and the parking lot was just dirt. 

Carl and I got out of the car, and we walked up to the repair bay. I smelled the usual things that people did at these places, oil and gasoline and the musty smell of a place that never been properly cleaned. 

"Hey," Carl called out.

A young guy maybe in his early twenties came out of the garage wiping his hands on an oily rag.

"Hey, Uncle Carl!"

"Hey, kid. Your gramps here?"

"Yeah, he's in the office."

"This is Abel. He's one of my employees."

The kid cocked his head as if trying to figure something out.

"Good to meet you, man," he said, showing me his greasy hands. "You don't mind, do you? You know the car trade."

"Yeah," I said though I knew shit about repairing cars. 

"Come on, Abel. Rob here has to finish up, so he can go crack the books."

"Uncle Carl," the kid protested. 

"You should get out of here, before your mother finds out you've been dipping your hands in grease again."

"And how would she find that out, eh?"

"I'll tell her." Carl said this so sharply even I backed away. 

"Okay! Okay! Good thing you aren't my real uncle."

"Get outta here you brat."

Rob smiled at him and threw the dirty rag at him, laughing.

"Brat!" Carl called again. But he smiled.

Carl made his way through the repair bay, and I followed. We entered a small office covered in dust and grease. There was metal desk that had to be from the forties, and some chairs lining one wall. A grizzled elderly man sat behind the desk, his back to us, speaking on the phone. 

"Yeah, well I have some plans for that bastard. Look, gotta go."

He spun around and looked us both over.

"Hello, Carl." he said in a tone that much more polite than his previous conversation on the phone. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Abel, Mr. P. I told you about him."

The man stuck out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Abel. Carl says some good things about you."

"Carl's a good guy."

"I've always said the same. Looking for a car, are you? How much can you spend?"

"My budget's getting tight. Maybe five grand."

The man stroked his chin. "I think I can help you out. Come on."

He led us through a door that brought us through a hallway and to the back of the building. There were a number of cars there, all in a varying states of disrepair. But there were two cars by the door, including a beautifully restored red Mustang from the sixties. I whistled. "Now I see where Carl has the work done on his car."




Personal Training Ch. 13-14



"Now don't get any ideas about that Mustang. That's mine. But this 2006 Grand Prix, she ain't bad. The engine was shot, but I put in another one from a car that was rear-ended. We checked everything over good, and she's sound. Robbie gave her a good buffing too."

"How much do you want for it?"

"For you, I'll give you the Friends and Family discount. Three grand."

As I said, I knew shit for cars. But the car looked surprisingly good and if it ran, three grand didn't sound bad. I looked at Carl, and nodded his head. 

"Okay, I'll need to get insurance."

"Not a problem. Come back into my office."

We walked back to the office, and Mr. P. dialed a number in his rotary phone. As it rang, he said," Give me your license, kid."

I took out my wallet and handed him the license.

"Yeah, Bill. I need insurance for an Abel Williams. Here's his license number." He spit out the number, my birth date and my address. "Yep, that's good. You got the fax number. Yeah, charge the first payment to my account. Yeah, mail the card with the stamp to his address. Great, thanks."

"Bill's a great insurance agent. Treat him right and he'll take care of you. So the policy will be mailed to you, and if you don't like the payments, you're welcome to find something else."

I just stared at him, because I never ever seen anyone work that fast. 

"Have a seat, Able. I got a little more paperwork to do, and you'll can drive out of here with it."

He saw my incredulous look.

"I'm a licensed used car dealer. License, title, everything handled right here."

"Um. I don't have any money on me right now," I said. "I thought I was just going to look."

"Thanks, Mr. P.," said Carl breaking into the conversation. "I gotta get back to the gym now."

"Yeah, later, Carl."

The old man continued like we weren't interrupted at all. "Carl vouched for you and that's good in my book. In fact, I kinda like you myself. You look like a working man."

"I like to think so," I said.

"Good. That's the way to be. Not some goddamn idiot who never got his hands dirty."

"Sorry?"

"Never mind. Just thinking about some jerk my daughter got involved with. Fucking rich asshole. Never played it straight a day in his life. Now he wants to marry her." He rolled his eyes and I felt sorry for the poor bastard engaged to his daughter. Mr. P. sighed. "Let's finish up this paperwork so you can get back to your life."

And then it hit me. What life did I have to get back to?

#

I loaded Annie's bags into her car, and gave her a kiss.

"I'll be down tomorrow evening."

"Why, Jack?"

"Well, you met my family. It's only fair if I met yours."

"You've met the kids."

"That was years ago."

"What are you up to, Jack?"

"Look, you don't seriously expect me to stay in this town this weekend with that mess that happened today? Give me a break."

She sighed. "You're right, Jack. I wouldn't want to hang around either. But what are you going to do about the mess with your father? I'm not exactly thrilled with the reason you picked me to be Mrs. Jack Colson."

"Let's talk about that this weekend." She glared at me. "Come on, Annie. It's been a hell of a two weeks."

"Okay, she said. "But I'm making no promises and you aren't staying with me."

#

I get back to my apartment. I bought dinner at a local restaurant. Lynn was sitting on the couch. Her hair was a mess, and she was wearing one of my shirts. At another time I might think she looked adorable. 

"Where you've been?"

"Buying a car."

"Oh. When are you picking it up?"

I handed her a Styrofoam box. 

"Already got it."

"That quickly."

"It helps to have friends."

She looked down then. "I was hoping we could patch things up."

I put my own box down on the coffee table and went to the fridge to get a couple beers.

"I think we both know that isn't going to happen," I said as the fridge door slammed shut.

"Yeah, I've been an idiot."

"Maybe not so much. Maybe I've realized a few things. I sat down next to her and opened a beer for her. "Listen, Lynn. I don't fit in your world. I never did. I'm not rich and I don't have the right education. For a long time I didn't care. Now, I think I need a place where I really belong."

"And you think that's here."

"I don't know. I'm still figuring that out."

She sighed and leaned over and gave me a kiss. 

"You're a bright guy. I'm sure you will."

#

Saturday morning I twisted off the couch. Lynn was still sleeping, of course, when I hit the shower, and as I left the apartment. I had to get to work sometime. Lynn was doing well enough to be left alone and since I went food shopping last night, there was enough food in the fridge. 

"How's the car," said Carl.

"Great."

"Good to hear," he said. "Your clients have been complaining. They don't want an old man like me training them. I'm too rough on them."

"I can imagine," I said.

So I went to work. I had three regular appointments and a walk-in so was I pretty busy. That's the reason I didn't notice Annie when she walked in.

But I noticed her perfume when she walked by.

I turned, and we faced each other eye to eye.

"Um, hi, Able," she said.

"Good to see you Annie. How'd it go in Syracuse?"

"Pretty good. How you've been?"

"A little busy. But it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too."

"Hey, can I call you later?"

"Sure," she said. And she walked off to the treadmills and the bikes and kept herself busy. I glanced over every so often, but she didn't seem to be looking my way. I didn't know what was wrong, but I was going to find out.

#

Okay, maybe it was a stupid idea. Before I left work I ordered a couple of pizza's from Jimmi's, one of them a clam and garlic pizza. I dropped the other one at the apartment for Lynn. 

"Where are you going?" she said.

"Out, see you later."

"You won't be back for a while?" she said.

"Yeah."

"Maybe I'll do something. There's cabs in this town isn't there?"

"Of course there are. We have all the modern conveniences."

She chuckled, and I gave her a peck on the cheek.

"So maybe I'll take you home tomorrow?" I said.

"Yeah. I've some things to do before I go back to work."

"Okay, I'll take you back after my shift. It will be an early one. I open tomorrow, so I should be back around noon."

"Okay, baby. See you then," she said. When I looked at her with raised eyebrows, she winked at me. "At the very least." She took out a slice of pizza and bit into it "Um, this pizza's good."

"Yeah," I said, thinking of the pizza cooling in my car. "Gotta go."

"Later," she said waving me off.

Like a teenager my heart beat fast in my chest as I drove to her condo. I frowned when I didn't see her car there. But then I saw a light switch on in the living room. Someone's home.

Clutching onto the pizza like it was the last real thing in my world I rang her doorbell, and stopped breathing. 

The door opened. 

"Pizza delivery," I said holding the box up to hide my face.

"I didn't, oh Abel." 

I lowered the box and smiled. "Hi, Annie."

"What are you doing here?"

"You said I could call."

"Yeah, but-"

"What, Miss Lloyd, are you unaccustomed to having gentlemen callers at your door? Then I can understand why you'd be confused."

She chuckled, and shook her head.

"Well, you better come in, if you're calling."

I walked into her condo and looked around. Things looked out of place, dishes here and there, and in the sink.

"You'll have to forgive me. My son's been staying here, and he never did learn the fine art of doing dishes."

"Oh," I said.

"But I sent him packing back to his own place. Of course, he had to take my car. I figured I'd get it squared away tomorrow. It's been a long two weeks. I was just thinking about what I could do for dinner and realized I had nothing here. 

"Then you're glad I showed up with a pizza."

"Only if its garlic and clam."

"It is."

"Well then."

"It might need to be warmed up though."

"Then give it here. Let's see if there is any beer left in the place."

She looked in the refrigerator. "Ah, here is one. Looks like the last."

"Mine, then," I said taking the bottle with one hand and handing her the pizza box. I went into the living room and started looking through the Amazon movie selection. "Anything in particular you want to watch?" I called. 

"You pick it," she said.

I queued up a movie and made myself comfortable on the couch. After a few minutes, she brought out the pizza she warmed up.

"It didn't take too long. The pizza was still somewhat warm. What are we watching?"

"To Have and Have Not," I said. "With Bogart and Bacall."

"Interesting choice."

"Why?"

She gave me a disparaging look. "You aren't too subtle. This is film where Bogart and Bacall meet and start their affair despite the fact he was twenty-six years older."

"Really?" I said trying to look innocent. "I didn't know."

She scoffed. "What bullshit!"

"I never bullshitted you, Annie, not once."

"Turn on the movie," she said, deflecting my words.

"Fine."

After a couple slices, I moved closer and put my arm around her. Annie shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" she said. 

I put my other arm around her and drew her close. "Don't do anything," I said. "Just be with me."

Her full breasts were pushed against my chest. I unbuttoned her top button, and buried my lips between her breasts, licking her delicious skin with my tongue. She didn't stop me, and her breath hitched. I couldn't help it. I reached for her left breast and cupped it, softly squeezing. 

"I thought," she said, "you were done with me."

"I was wrong," I said. There is nothing like having a full breast underneath your hand. I squeezed again, this time pulling my hand along the side, and rolled her nipple between my thumb and hand.

"Ah," she said. I placed my lips on the side of her neck, nibbling up toward her ear. My tongue slid under and behind her ear. She whimpered a bit. 

With the scent of her hair in my nostrils, her breast in my hand, and her soft sounds of pleasure, my cock pressed against my jeans. Her hand reached my crotch. She stroked my erection through the fabric, gently at first and then with more insistence. 

I kissed her soft lips, the friction of our meeting igniting the fire between us. Seeking more, my tongue penetrated her mouth, and met with her tongue, flesh with flesh, stoking my need and hers. 

My hand dropped to her waist, and I worked open the button of her shorts. My fingers wandered down to that sweet spot between her legs, grazing her clit, seeking her entrance. Her juices flooded my hand and my cock grew harder, demanding attention. By now all I could think of was sinking myself deep within her.

"I need you," I whispered in her ear. 

Her hips bucked against my hand. Now. I waited too long for this. It had to be now. I rose up on knees and pulled her shorts off her hips. Lifting her legs up to my shoulders, I pulled them off, and her legs fell to either side of me. I unzipped my pants. She pushed up on her elbows, and then sat upright, pulling my jeans down pass my ass. She reached and rubbed my balls, pulled up tight, her soft hand building the pressure just by her touch. Looking her in the eyes, I moved her hand to my cock. She knew what I meant and positioned it at her entrance, the first contract with warmth and wetness nearly driving me wild, building my excitement to where I thought I might let loose right then and there. I gripped her hips and thrust, propelled to seek her depths by desires that I could not control. 

I needed this. I needed her, to bury myself as deep as I could possibly go. Pleasure coursed up my cock, rushing through me like a thunderbolt, growing in intensity as I moved back and forth within her wet pussy. She had my hips in her hands as well, urging me to plunge deeper, harder and as I moved I felt no longer a sense of her and me. There was only as if there was no separation between us, so intent we were in our joining. We were no longer in her living room, on a couch with a decades old movie playing in the background. We were in some unearthly place where only our pleasure existed. I heard her screams, her joy, her pussy contracting around my cock, urging my release. I came with such force that my breath was stolen from me. I pulled in one more lungful of air. 

"Annie!" I cried. In one last push, I held myself inside her as everything I had rushed out to her. My cock twitched in aftershocks in her heat. On my knees, I grabbed the back of the couch, gasping, to keep from falling on her. 

"Abel?" she said. 

"Yes, baby."

"We didn't use a condom."

I brushed her hair out of her eyes, and away from her face. "That's okay, baby. It's okay." My lips touched hers again, and again, kissing away her protests and her fears.



Personal Training Ch. 15



I put my bags into my car, and checked on dad one more time before I headed out of town. I drove straight through, and it was pretty late before I hit Annie's town. Knowing how early she hit the hay, I didn't bother her. She made it quite clear that I wasn't going to stay with her anyway, so I hit up a Marriott, and checked in. 

"Where's a place I can get something to eat?" I asked the front desk clerk.

"Just down the road there's a bar, but they serve food until closing too."

"Good." I got directions, and hit the road.

It was pretty busy, but then again it was Friday night, and a younger crowd kept the waitresses busy. I pushed up to the bar and took a seat.

"What you'd have?" said the bartender.

"A menu would be good." 

"And to drink?"

"Jack and Coke."

So I was left alone and looked over the menu. I decided on some hot wings, and ordered them when the bartender returned with my drink. Just as he put it down, a woman twisted on the seat next to me and knocked the drink over.

"Oh shit," she said. She apologized profusely. 

I laughed. "That's okay. I'm sure there's more of that where that came from."

"Let me buy you another one. Bartender, another one for my victim here."

"Sure enough." He grinned at her and I could see why. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders, drawing attention to her shapely breasts. Looking down, the rest of the package was just as nice. Her waist pulled in tightly, and her hips flared out in a luscious way. 

"You are regular here?"

"Nope, just here one more night before I go home. I decided to go out."

"Now how on earth can you be without someone?"

"Oh, I just broke up, again, with my boyfriend."

"That's a damn shame."

"It's okay. It's been in the works for a while anyway."

"So why are you in town, then?

"Oh that, long stupid story. I got mad at him and wrecked his car."

I gave her an incredulous look.

"It was an accident, I swear. Anyway, he took me home from the hospital to keep an eye on me. He's taking me home tomorrow."

I stuck out my hand. "I'm Jack. For what its worth, I think he's an idiot. I wouldn't let you go home all. "

She looked me up and down, and smiled. I swear it was as if she was lighting up the room. 

"Lynn." 

"I'm glad I met you." A waiter brought my wings, a huge plate of them it seemed. 

"Like hot wings? I have more than enough."

"Love to."

So we sat and talked. And joked and laughed. When I found out she was an investment banker, I picked her brain, and came away with a few good ideas on where to put some money. She was sharp, funny and overall a very classy lady. I hadn't enjoyed the company of woman this much since, ever. Not that I didn't like Annie's company, but this was different. Lynn was easy to talk to, and she didn't lecture me like Annie did. 

"So," said Lynn. "Are you seeing someone?"

"Well, yes, actually."

"She's a lucky woman."

"That's what I keep telling her."

Lynn laughed. "Is it serious?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Too bad. So why aren't you with her now?"

"She's an early to bed, early to rise, gal and I didn't expect to get in until tomorrow."

Lynn looked at me over her glass. 

"But you aren't married?"

"No."

"You know, I could use a ride back to the apartment. You got a car?"

#

So anyone could see this coming a mile away. When we got into my car, she leaned over to give me a kiss, which should have been a friendly peck. Instead, it was a full on seduction, she leaning over the divider in the seat, her breasts pushing into me, her tongue twisting with mine. 

And she tasted delicious. It wasn't just the alcohol. She smelled wonderful, hot and sexy, and I couldn't get enough of her.

"Hold on,' I said, trying to get myself together. "I think both of us have had a little too much to drink."

"I certainly hope so," she said.

"Lynn, darling. Look, you're awesome, you just are. But I've got plans with this woman, and I'm pretty serious about them."

She pulled back and smiled.

"I'm not looking for forever, Jack. I could use a really good fuck, and you look like you can give it me. "

"You know. That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me."

So, I took her to my hotel. 

What? Who wouldn't?

#

As soon as we hit my room, she was all over me. The scent of her was in my nose as she crushed her lips to mine. Her fingers quickly undid the buttons of my shirt as her tongue rolled against mine. When my shirt was undone, her tongue traveled down my chest. My belt was her next assault, then the zipper of my slacks. As she pushed my shorts off my hips, her warm tongue met my shaft. I stood my back against the door of my room, my hands on her shoulders, as she took me in her mouth, and unleashed her marvelous tongue up, down and around. She was so hot, I got hard almost immediately. On her knees, she took it all in, and I had an uncontrollable urge to grab her blonde hair in my fists, and push my dick in her mouth as deep as I could. And, God help me, she let me. My heart hammered in my chest, wanting more than this. I wanted her. I wanted to bury myself between her sweet legs and watch her face twist in passion. 

"Baby," I said. "I just have to have you. Now."

She pulled her lips aways. "Are you sure? Because I love tasting you."

Damn.

"On the bed, sweetheart," I said, pulling her up, kissing her hard once more. My hand went to the zipper on the back of her dress, and I pulled it down and it fell to the floor. 

I sucked in a breath. She wasn't wearing any underwear, top or bottom. Her perfect tits jutted out ending in the peaks of her pinks nipples. I couldn't help it. My lips sucked one in, and her back arched, pushing her sweet pussy on top of my cock. Her wet warmth met me. It was all I could do to urge us both to move to the bed. I started walking forward, holding her tight was she walked backward. 

"Sit down, baby," I said when we got to the edge of the bed. She bent her knees and I lowered her to the bed. I sunk to my knees then, and put her legs over my shoulders and buried my head between her legs. I couldn't believe how good she tasted, musky and sexy. I lapped her clit, as she pressed my head with her hands into her sweetness. My tongue found her pussy, and I pushed my tongue in as far as it could, my lips crushed in her folds. I almost couldn't breath, and I didn't know if I wanted to, as her honey dripped on my tongue. I moved my hands to the folds around her clit, and rubbed gently as first, but Lynn moved her hands on top of mine and pushed them down. I took the hint, and massaged her clit with more pressure. Soon, her hips were moving in time with my tongue, moving forward as I pulled it back. She make little noises, then whimpers, as I continued my assault in pursuit of her pleasure. Lynn fisted my hair, and let loose a scream. The warm walls of her pussy pulsed around my tongue, a feeling so incredibly hot, I had to feel that on my cock as well. When her fists finally relaxed enough to move my head, I stood. 

"Pillow," I said. 

She smiled and passed me a pillow. I put it under her hips, and then put her legs against my shoulders. I stared in her blue eyes as I pulled on my cock, bringing it back to full attention.

"Let me," she said putting her hands on my cock. I rocked back and forth as she massaged my shaft and my balls. My balls and the tip of my cock tingled, and I knew if I let her, I'd come just like this, so I pushed her hands away.

Her lips formed a sexy pout, and I couldn't decide if I wanted my cock in her pussy or her mouth. Either would be great. But my cumming didn't want to wait on decisions, so I choose proximity. In one motion, I entered her, and she took me, all of me, without hesitation.

"Yes!" she hissed. "Fuck me, Jack. Fuck me hard."

I didn't need the encouragement. I held her hips as I worked in and out of her, my pace quickening without my volition. My balls slapped against her pussy. She was so hot, so wet, so utter wonderful, I almost came before she did. But another of her screams tore the air, and she pulsed hard around me. I exploded inside her, gasping, never wanting this moment to end. 

#

I tried to be quiet, but I woke Annie anyway when I got out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to open the gym. I need to get home to clean up and change."

"Okay," she said sleepily.

I leaned over to kiss her. 

"I'll call you later."

Her eyes flew opened and stared into mine.

"About that."

"What?"

She sat up.

"Abel, you've got to know that I think you are a terrific guy, really."

I closed my eyes. This was the other shoe dropping.

"But?" I said. 

"Jack's coming in for the rest of the weekend."

"Jack," I said. 

She nodded.

"Tell me something, Annie. Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Do you love him? After all, he did ask you to marry him."

"Oh, Abel. It's not about that. But we have history together, we understand each other-"

"He's closer to your age."

"Yes," she said softly.

Well, fuck me.

"But you don't love him."

"No."

"Then give him up. Send him packing."

"Abel." She said my name with such anguish I knew I could never convince her.

"Damn it, Annie," I said. Leaning over her I gave her one last kiss. I felt her eyes at my back as I left, but she didn't say another word. 

#

I pulled my car slid into my parking space. Behind me I heard another car drive up. Under the parking lots lights I see this black Mercedes, definitely out of place in this complex. Then I see the flash of Lynn's blonde hair, as she got out, then her butt as she stuck her head in the car again. 

"Bye, baby. I had a hellava time. Call me if decide to ditch that woman of yours."

Lynn stood up and shut the car door hard. She spun around and almost slammed into me. 

"Hello, Abel," she said slurring her words. She was drunk all right.

"Tearing up the night life, eh?" I said.

"In this hick town, definitely not. But I did meet this very, very interesting man. Oh yeah, I had fun."

"Good. Let's get you upstairs and into bed. I have to get to work."

"Sure, baby."

I poured Lynn into bed. She was too loose to even help her out of her clothes, passing out as soon as hit the mattress. A scent clung to her of an expensive men's cologne. Yep, she always did know how to pick them.

And I went to work. What the hell else was I suppose to do?

#

Annie thought I was crazy. "Why do you want to meet my father?"

"I'd like to get to know my future father." 

"Trust me, Jack. No man is good enough for me in my father's eyes. You won't win any points, and quite possibly just piss him off."

I smiled. "Who can resist a face like this?"

She sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

And as usual she was right. I was standing in a middle of a small family room, with a wizen old man sitting in a recliner scowling at me. 

"Hello, Mr. Pizzolo," I said sticking out my hand.

The old man looked up from his recliner with wary eyes and ignored my hand.

"Colson."

"Good to meet you."

"Annie," her father called out to her. She was in the kitchen, doing something. Annie popped her head in. "Yes, dad."

"There's an envelope on the kitchen table. Take it to Carl for me."

"Okay."

"Today."

"Oh for-" she said exasperated.

"It's important."

"Sure Dad, whatever you say."

He turned his attention back to me "What do you want, Colson?"

I sat on a chair next to his.

"To have a chat with you."

"About Annie."

"Well, yes."

"Hmph," he said settling back. "Well, go ahead."

"I think Annie is wonderful. I want to marry her."

He made a noise. "Over my dead body."

Annie came to the doorway again.

"Dad!"

"Stay out of this, daughter."

"I will not."

"Annie," he said, "I forbid you to marry this man. He's a player that hasn't done an honest day's work."

"I won't stand for you treating Jack badly, and if I want to marry him, you can't stop me. Let's go, Jack."

The old man gave Annie a strange look. "Don't forget to take that envelope to Carl."

Annie snorted. "Fine. Jack, let's go."

#

"I'm sorry," Annie said, clutching that envelope as she gave directions to the gym where she had to drop it off.

"You warned me. But I'm was glad of one thing."

"What's that?"

"That you'd say you will marry me."

She just shook her head. "You're impossibly stubborn, Jack Colson."

"Yes," I said. "I am."

#

The day dragged on. I couldn't get Annie out of my head. With her, I felt like everything slipped into place. I didn't feel like someone's trophy, or somebody stuck in the wrong life. Holding her, after loving her, I felt a peace I never felt before.

But as right as if felt for me, it felt wrong to her. It just pissed me off that I had come so close to having the right woman in my life, and she kept pushing me away. 

It was close to noon, time for me to clock out, and Carl got a phone call.

"Right, sure, Mr. P, will do," said Carl. 

"Abel, watch the desk," he said. "I've got to go to the back and check on something."

"Sure, Carl," I said. I worked at straightening the papers on the desk, putting them in order. The door opened, and I turned to greet the client, and stopped short. It was Annie.

"Oh, hi, Abel. Carl here?"

"He's in the back."

"Okay, will you give this to him? It's from my dad."

I caught her hand as she gave me the envelope. I caught the whiff of something familiar on her hand, a man's cologne. Where did I smell that?

"Sure, Annie." It was all I could get out.

"Okay, then," she said. "Bye, Abel."

I still held her hand.

"Um, Abel, I have to go. Someone's waiting on me."

"Jack."

"Yeah. That's him there."

I looked to see a tall man leaning against a black Mercedes.

"That's his car?"

"Yes."

I came from behind the counter. 

The car, the cologne, it all clicked. "THAT'S his car!"

"Yes, Abel. Why? What's wrong?"

"Do you know who he was with last night?"

"What are you talking about?"

I strode out the doors and up to that bastard.

Annie ran up behind me.

"Abel, what's wrong?"

"How could you? How could you cheat on Annie?"

He gave a look like I was crazy, which at that moment, I suppose I was.

"Cheat?" said Annie.

"Abel?" said Jack. "Annie, is this the jerk that sent you those flowers?"

"Jack, forget the fucking flowers! What is he talking about, cheating?"

"With my ex, Lynn," I said.

"Lynn?" said Annie, sounding even more confused.

"Then I was right," said Colson. "You are a jerk. How could you let a woman like that go?"

"What business is that of yours?"

"What an asshole." He grabbed Annie's arm. "Let's go. Get in the car."

"Get your hands off her!"

"Say's who?" Colson said with contempt.

"I said let her go."

"Jack, Abel, stop it. Both of you just stop it."

I stepped forward, and jerked his hand off Annie's arm. 

"Get in your car, and shove off. Annie's not going anywhere with your lying ass."

"Abel!" Annie said more loudly.

"You think so?" Colson looked away, and then swung at me with a right cross. I staggered back, and then getting my feet under me, rushed him and knocked him over. I was on top of him ready to land a blow to his face. I felt a strong hand grabbed my arm and hold me back.

"Abel," growled Carl. "Come to your fucking senses. Get off that man. He's twenty five years older than you, for chrissakes."

With Carl's help, I got up. Annie immediately bent over Colson.

"Are you okay, Jack?"

"Come on," said Carl pulling on my arm."Back in the gym."

"Annie," I said.

"Let it go, kid," said Carl. "If you were smart, you'd have fallen on Colson's punch. Then Annie would be leaning over you. But you're fucked now. Let it go."

I walked back looking at Annie as she helped Colson sit, then stand. She didn't glance at me once. 

In the gym I watched as Annie got into the Mercedes and then as it sped off.

Carl was as at the cash register. He pulled out some money.

"Here's your last week's pay. Now get going."

I must have looked at him stupidly.

"With all that commotion, someone will have called the police. You do not want them to see that shiner forming. Get out of town, at least for a while." 

The gravity of what happened began to hit.

"Sure, Carl. Thanks for everything."

He shook his head. "I'm real sorry, kid. I was rooting for you."



Personal Training Ch. 16



This is the last chapter. Heads up, there's no sex in this one, but read on to see how things turn out. Thanks to everyone who have read, voted on and favorited the chapters!

***

I took Lynn home. She asked about the shiner, and I told her I was pushed accidentally into a piece of equipment. Her expression told me she didn't believe me, but I wasn't in the mood to talk. When I left her off, I didn't even notice which way I was driving until about an hour in. I was heading home, the place I grew up. 

#

Pulling up to the driveway of the small ranch house memories of my childhood hit me. I saw myself as a small boy playing in the driveway, and then older playing basketball with a hoop that Papa Ry put up for me. I remembered the family barbecues and birthday parties. It was all so very normal except it wasn't quite. There were painful times when other boys teased me because I had two dads and no mother. Or, as a teen, everyone assuming I was gay because my fathers were. Or when the dads didn't agree with my decision not to go to college. All I wanted was to get out of that suburban town and out on my own. But right now, it didn't matter that my relationship with my dads was strained. I had to go back to something familiar while I sorted my head. 

The door was open and I called out.

"Hello, anyone home?"

"Oh my God!" Papa Ry come out of the kitchen and threw his arms around me. "Abel!" He looked me over. "What happened to you? Is there something wrong? We haven't heard from you for so long."

Papa Ry was no taller than me, but he was much thinner in the shoulders and a little thicker in the waist. His hair was brown but now had flecks of gray. His hazel eyes bore into me demanding an answer.

"I'm fine. Just had a little accident at work. My fault," I said. "I should have called. How are you? How's Dad?"

"We're fine. Everything is good. Better now that you're home. How long are you staying?"

"A few days, if that's okay."

"If that's okay? What are you thinking? Of course, it's okay. You know Dada Ashe wouldn't allow me to change a thing in your room."

I rolled my eyes, imagining sleeping in my room decorated with memorabilia of my teen years.

"Got any beer in this place, or do I have to go the store?" 

"In the fridge," Papa Ry said. "Come sit, tell me everything."

I followed him into the kitchen. "There isn't much to tell." He gave me that parental look that communicated he knew I was lying.

"How's Lynn?" he said with a tone that communicated his distaste.

"We broke up," I said. I had no inclination to elaborate on the circumstances.

"Oh," he said. There was no distress in his tone of voice. I took the beer he offered and walked to sliding door looking out over the back yard. 

"How long ago?" he asked.

"Couple months," I replied still staring out the door.

"So this visit isn't about that," he said.

"Nope." I turned and looked at him. "Look, it's just been a while. I should have called you and didn't so I decided to visit."

"If you say so," said Papa.

"I say so." I pushed open the sliding door and walked onto the deck. I sat down in one of the lounge chairs. It smelled sun tan lotion, and brittle scent of rain dried in the sun. As my beer hit my tongue again, Papa Ry sank down into the other lounge chair.

"So, what's been going on?" he said.

"I moved to another town a couple hours away from Lynn's place. Got a job there at a gym. Lost it."

"Oh?" he said, his eyebrows arching. "And why is that?"

"I was stupid."

"I see," he said, though he clearly didn't. "Well, you don't have to worry. You can always stay here for a while."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm fine."

"You can cut the macho bullshit with me, Abel. I know you better than that." 

I sighed. "No really. Can't we just visit?"

"Sure, son. We can visit."

We talked for a while, Papa Ry filling me on the local gossip, me just nodding, grunting here and there and drinking my beer. When that one was done, I got up and took another, and later another one after that. Finally, Papa Ry patted my knee and said he had to go to the store. 

"Don't forget the beer," I said.

"Obviously," he replied, though there was some worry in his voice. When he was gone I listened to the wind in the trees, and the birds chirp and watched the squirrels chase each other in the branches. My eyes grew heavy, and I put down my beer. That's the last I knew for a long while.

#

I woke hazily some time later hearing Papa Ry and Dad talking from the kitchen.

"Well, whatever it is, it's bothering him bad," said Papa Ry. "But he won't talk about it."

"It's none of our business," said Dad. "He's a grown man. Abel doesn't need us prying."

"Prying? We're his parents, for Heaven's sake."

"And we'll do what parents do, wait until he's ready to talk."

"Well, I can't sit around and do nothing. I'll pull together a party for tomorrow night. He won't know the difference that it wasn't planned before he got here."

"Alright, babe, you do that. Just don't expect him to be happy about it."

"Please, what would make him happy right now?"

"Steaks on the grill would do right now," said Dad.

"No, that's to make you happy," said Papa Ry.

"Damn right." I heard a slap and knew Dad gave Papa a playful tap on the rear. And then there were smooching sounds. I just closed my eyes, sighed, and tried to nap again. 

#

Papa Ry always did know how to put on a party. Their friends came, but a bunch of my old ones as well. I spent the evening catching up, everyone glad to see me, everyone wanting to know far more than I wanted to tell them.

I was out on the deck talking to Rob, a guy I'd grown up with on this street. "It's the economy," said Rob. "Everyone is laid off, Abel. I've been out of work for six months, and things are looking grim."

"Sorry to hear, man. Let me get you another beer." When I turned I nearly bumped into a knot of people coming onto the deck, and stopped short. 

"Hello, Abel."

I blinked. "Hello, Elaine." There she stood, my first real love. I was eighteen, she was twenty-eight. She seemed so worldly, so grown-up then. I was in awe. She was lonely. 

She reached over and gave me a big hug, and lingered a little longer than she should.

"You're looking good, Abel."

"So do you. How's Frank? The kids?"

"The kids are good. Frank? We divorced last year."

"Sorry to hear."

"What are you up too?"

"Oh? About my fifth beer. Want some?"

She laughed. "No. I don't indulge. Not good for the figure. And us spiritually evolved types are high on life, you know?"

I laughed."So, what are you doing?"

"I've opened a yoga studio on Main Street. It's a tough go, but the clients keep coming."

"That's great."

"And you?"

"Between jobs."

"Oh. But that's not like you, Abel. You always work." 

I shrugged my shoulders. "Stuff happens."

She leaned towards my ear.

"I'd like to talk with you, Abel. But not here."

I looked over her shoulder and saw Dad give me a knowing smile.

"It was my father that invited you, wasn't it?"

She shrugged.

"Come see my yoga studio," she said, taking my hand. 

#

Elaine turned on the lights to the studio, showing a large room with hardwood floors and walls of red brick. Then she pulled shades down at the picture window, obscuring the view on the street.Then she drew a mat from the corner of the room. She sat down on it and patted the space in front of her. 

Lowering myself to floor I faced her, and she smiled. 

"Lay face down. I'll give you a massage."

I had enough beers in me that laying on a yoga mat on a hardwood floor didn't feel that bad. It felt better when she kneaded my shoulders.

"That's great," I said.

"So, your dad said you've been having a rough time." She moved her hands up my neck, pressing in with her fingertips. The pressure stopped short of hurting.

"Who doesn't," I said. 

Her hands wandered down to the biceps of my arms and I felt her breasts against my back. I sighed.

"Are you going to keep being stubborn?" she said.

"You've always said communication wasn't my strong point," I replied.

"I can feel the sadness in your muscles, your spine."

Her thumbs pressed into my spine and drew them down toward my ass."

"You've kept yourself in good shape though."

"Thanks."

She worked the muscles at my lower back, and I grunted. 

"Oh, the third chakra. It's blocked. Feeling like you don't have much say in your life do you?"

I sighed and pushed myself up. I turned around to face her. 

"If you haven't figured it out, I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."

"Good."

Elaine leaned in to kiss me and I put my arms around her. Memories two decades old washed over me, crushing on her, loving her, having her. Our lips touched, and she opened her mouth her tongue seeking mine. It was good. But something was off. She didn't smell or taste right, not as right as Annie did when I made love to her. I pulled away.

"Something is wrong," Elaine said.

"Not with you. Me. I've changed."

She stared into my eyes. "I see it."

"You do?"

"Yes. A man's eyes always change when he falls in love."

"That's ridiculous."

"No, it's not. When you look at me, you aren't looking at me. You are looking for her."

I sighed. "I better go."

"I'll let you as long as you walk towards her, instead of away from her. Otherwise there is more work to do here."

"I don't see how that can happen, Elaine. She's determined to marry someone else."

"Is he right for her?"

"I don't think so. She doesn't either."

"Then, Abel, you need to make things right, however you do it."

#

I headed back to town. I had to pay Mr. P. anyway for the car. Seeing that I didn't have a job anymore I didn't want this to hang over my head. I went to the bank and drew out almost the last of my savings in cash and headed to Jimmi's Garage.

There was no one in the repair bay when I pulled up, but the doors were wide open. I got out of the car and walked into the office by the front door.

"Anyone here?" I said. 

There was the sound of flushing and Mr. P. moved out a door in the hallway, walking a little stiffly.

"Oh, Abel. It's you. Have a seat."

He settled into his chair and studied me.

"What's up."

I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and put it in on the desk in front of him.

"I brought the money for the car. It's all there."

He sat there, nodding his head. "I knew you were a good one. Even when I heard about what happened at the gym between you, Colson and my daughter, I knew you wouldn't bail."

I must have stared at him. I didn't make the connection before, Jimmi's Pizza, Jimmi's Garage."

"I wish I was there to see it," he said. "I miss all the good stuff."

"I didn't realize Annie is your daughter." 

"Well, I wouldn't know it now that she's marrying that damn fool, Colson."

"Mr. P., Annie doesn't waste her time on fools."

"Hmm, perhaps not. Doesn't mean they are right for each other, though. Annie's a working stiff. Colson's not. She won't be happy with him."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"She's made up her mind."

He looked at me, his old eyes glittering. "I bet you could unmake it."

I scoffed. 

"Now, I heard all about it from Carl, you and Annie. That's why I had Carl bring you over here, so I can see you for myself."

"You must have noticed, the difference in age between me and her."

He shrugged. "So? Annie's mom was fifteen years older than me. That worked out okay."

"She was? Annie never said."

"We didn't make it a big deal, because it wasn't. And you shouldn't make it one either."

"How long were you married?"

"Twenty years, before the cancer took her. "

"So Annie?"

"Yeah, she was still in high school."

"Oh. And you never remarried?"

"Never wanted too, son. She was one of kind."

Things fell in place for me then. Annie watched her father live alone all those years. Annie wasn't afraid of our age difference for herself. She was afraid of it for me.

"Well, thanks, Mr. P. I guess I've got to talk to Annie."

"You better hurry, son. She's marrying Colson tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Where is she now?"

"Don't know. She won't pick up my calls since I told her I wasn't going to the wedding. But I do know where the wedding is. Here's there invite she gave me. It's got all the details."

#

I was as nervous as a cat. Sitting next to me was Lynn, who may have gotten the wrong idea about why I asked her to this wedding. But with the way Colson went on about Lynn, I thought it was a good idea to have Lynn next to me, just to give the guy an eyeful. 

Jack and another guy came out a side door. He was dressed in a tux, looking very distinguished and very self-satisfied. God, how I hate that guy. Jack said something to his friend, and the guy went through his pockets and produced a box.

Lynn's eyes went wide when she saw Jack. 

"Abel?" Lynn said. 

"Excuse me," I said to Lynn.

"Where are you going?" she whispered. 

"Men's room," I said. I got up and went to the right hand vestibule door. The first person I encountered I asked, "Where's the bride's dressing room?"

"Are you family?"

"I'm her brother. Just want to give her hug before the ceremony."

He pointed down the hallway. "Second door, left."

"Thanks."

I pushed in the door with a trembling hand, and saw Annie in her gown. The white dripped over her beautiful figure. She was staring at herself in a floor length mirror and sighed.

"You are gorgeous," I said.

She turned, a startled look on her face.

"Abel, what are you doing here?"

I entered the room and shut the door.

"Don't do this," I said. 

"It's the best thing. For everyone."

"It's not the best thing for me," I said. "And I'm sure it's not for you either."

She shut her eyes. In the space of a second I closed the gap between us and I put my arms around her. I kissed her putting every warm feeling I had for her into it. She struggled a minute and then melted into my arms. Our tongues met and for a second I forgot everything but for the feeling of her mouth on mine. She pulled away.

"I love you, Annie. I don't care about anything but that. I will always love you. So please, don't break my heart by marrying that man."

"Abel!" The sharp voice came from behind me. Lynn.

"Annie?" said another, deeper voice. Jack. "What is going on?" he said. 

"Abel, give me a minute with Jack."

I nodded my head and walked out to the hallway.

Lynn gave me a cold look. I shrugged. In a few minutes Jack and Annie came out of the room. They walked past us back to the chapel without a glance to either of us. 

#

The sun and sand were both hot and the Caribbean waters the color of lapis lazuli. I looked over to my wife.

"Do you want a fresh drink, Mrs. Williams?" I said to her. Her face was hidden under a big straw hat. 

She laughed. "Are you trying to get me drunk?" she said from under the hat. 

"I think she's already there," said Jack leaning over, and moving her hat, gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, kiss your own wife," I protested. 

"What do you say, Mrs. Colson. Should I kiss you?"

In the end, it only seemed natural for us to honeymoon together after we got everything straightened out. Jack offered to downgrade his bridal suite to two regular rooms, and Annie insisted we take one of them. 

Lynn looked at Jack with her big blue eyes. "Oh, yes. Especially if you want to be kissed tonight, Mr. Colson." Jack pulled her over onto his chair and she squealed.

I smiled, glad to see Lynn so happy. In the end it made sense. Both had more in common with each other than I with her or he with Annie. It didn't take long after Annie and Jack announced their breakup at the wedding for Jack to move in on Lynn. In fact it was at the aborted reception that Annie found Jack and Lynn in the coatroom wrapped around each other. "There," she said to Jack. "That's the woman you should marry." I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he listened to Annie. He always did. They would always be friends, which was okay with me now that Annie was mine. 

"Hey, get a room," Annie said. 

I stood. "I've got a better idea. Let us get a room." I held out my hand and when she took it I pulled her up. I started up the beach toward the hotel at a trot.

"Hey," protested Annie. "I can't go as fast as you. My knee, remember?"

I turned back, jogged to, and then around her.

"Show-off," she said laughing.

I smiled. "Oh, we'll get that leg working like it should. All you need is a little personal training."