0 comments/ 7178 views/ 5 favorites The Midnight Sex Case By: goldenass Edited by the awesome Kumani * She showed up in my office a few minutes late for the morning appointment wearing quirky velvet gloves, Italian pumps and a designer black lace cocktail dress so meagre I wondered how she passed through reception. We were meeting for the first time. This appointment was a free consultation to see if she wanted to hire me and if I wanted to accept her as a client. Instead of sitting, she strode to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that surrounded the outer corner of my office and stared down the forty-two stories toward the street below. She seemed to be checking on something, how edgy the height made her maybe. This afforded me a generous view of her. I saw a woman of captivating, statuesque beauty, erotic, pale as cream, long auburn hair sumptuous as mink. She posed to display these graces disturbingly well. She knew what she was doing, that part I understood right away. I found myself unable to avert my gaze as she left the windows and extended her hand in greeting. Standing this close, I could smell a distinctive perfume with traces of fine incense, honey and something else, familiar but hauntingly obscure. "Mr. Witnauer?" "Good morning, you are Ms. Alpanu?" She nodded. "Welcome. Will you please have a seat?" She sat, crossing her legs. This had the effect of hiking the dress up to a dangerous point. I resumed my place more safely behind my desk and made an effort to look directly at her unusual, olive green eyes. "What can Strong, Witnauer and Hill do for you, Ms. Alpanu?" "I am coming to you with a breach of contract matter, Mr. Witnauer. I understand you are a contract specialist. I have also been told you are an ace in court." "Contracts are a significant part of my practice." "I have a challenge for you." I smiled indulgently. "You have a contract you want to enforce?" "Yes." "Alright, what kind is it?" "A contract for sex." "Uhmm, sorry?" "A sex contract." "You mean an agreement for full disclosure before having sex?" "No, I want to sue a man who broke the long-term contract he willingly signed to please me erotically whenever and however I want." She said all this as if she was talking pleasantly about the weather. "Someone signed a contract to have ongoing sex with you?" "Yes. " "Are we talking about your husband?" "I do not require one of those, Mr. Witnauer." "So this is not a divorce context?" "This is just sex." "You mean an affair?" "Well, there is no romance. He just fucks me and answers to all my erotic needs, pure and simple. To increase our arousal, we put it all in a contract." She said the word fucks with surprising refinement. "Hmmm. You like this arrangement?" "Absolutely, I am continually in ecstasy." "So why do you want to sue him?" "He is not fulfilling the contract." "Which part?" She sighed. "One very important clause in particular...If you are going to be my lawyer, I suppose I had better be open." "Openness does help." "This is extremely important for me, Mr. Witnauer." She rose, walking over to the windows again. Once there, she placed a hand on the glass, bending to look down toward the street the way she had before. The hem of her dress drifted high enough that only a tantalising bit of mystery remained. I could see her otherwise quite nude bottom, milky as sin, the shape perfect enough to still my breath. I reflected with a stirring feeling that she probably meant to offer me this delectable sight. "He is down there waiting. I can see him from here. He follows me everywhere, like a dog or a slave and I adore him for it. But there is one thing he will not do. That is why I have to sue him." Thankfully for the sake of my concentration, she straightened her dress and returned to her chair. "He will not indulge in my busturariae fantasy. I would say that is the truly awful, unacceptable breach. I cannot tolerate it." "Sorry, I am not certain I caught that term...your what fantasy?" She stared at me with appraisal, managing to do even this sensually. "I said my busturariae fantasy. I refer, Mr. Witnauer, to a particular sort of sexual act. It is all in the contract. I suppose you will have some research to do." "If I take this case, I guess so." "But you must. It is all going to be so perfectly delicious. We really could not abide any delay." "We? You mean this lover of yours already knows you are going to sue him?" She shrugged. "I imagine he is getting just as excited about it as I am." "Ms. Alpanu do I have this right? You are proposing to hire me to sue a man primarily to turn both of you on?" "Exactly, but you do not seem taken by the idea, Mr. Witnauer." "The law is not a sex toy, Ms. Alpanu." "Oh, but why not? I get so incredibly aroused during discoveries and cross examination. So does my lover." "Are you joking?" "I have been in two already, just financial matters. I loved them. The control, the exposure of the truth...and this time it would be about all the gorgeous sex the two of us have been having and must have in the future. I have been excited for days just anticipating the possibility. Forcing him through the law to do what we agreed, I think that is just beautiful." "You are choosing a rather unusual form of exhibitionism, if you do not mind me saying so. " "I do not mind. That is part of the point, Mr. Witnauer" "Look, this will be expensive. There are much cheaper ways to get a kick." "I have no inhibitions about cost. I will double your usual retainer." Unintentionally, I laughed. "The firm has a reputation. I have a reputation. A doubled retainer will not make up for that kind of loss. To be perfectly frank, none of this sounds even slightly enforceable. It could make a mockery of justice." "So you do not want to be a groundbreaker? There may be other benefits." "For example?" "Me. You never know, with all the intensity, the preparation..." "Uhuh, sounds like an excellent way to get disbarred. They say never get involved with a client. I now have an even better rule - never get involved with a client, even an unarguably stunning one, who wants to put you on retainer to sue a guy for the breach of a sexual contract as part of an ongoing erotic act." "I was told you were courageous, non-judgmental, and definitely open to sex with clients." "Who could possibly have told you that?" "My aunt is a client. She claims you fucked her like a god on several occasions." I squinted. "Who is your aunt?" "Dame Mona Alighieri-Simms." "Ah." "No need to explain. I know she is irresistible." I cleared my throat. "No wonder you're not worried about cost. Did you say a god?" She smiled. "I did, yes." "She said that? You're not just buttering me?" "Not a chance." "Well...but look, Ms. Alpanu, I still can't take this case. It is just too bizarre. I am a fairly conservative practitioner, not some sort of kinky legal hippie." She stared at me long and hard. I was unsure what would come out of her next. Unexpectedly, she just shrugged her exquisite shoulders and rose. "I give in. I would not have tried if I had not been told that you were the only man in the city who could take on Sophia Finch toe to toe." "Finch? Wait a minute, what does this have to do with her?" "The man I wish to sue has already retained her. I think he hired her to sue me for breach too. We like to reciprocate as much as possible." "Sophia Finch, really?" "He got her to work for him, just like that. I'll tell you something else. They screwed like rabbits at the first interview. She gave him an exquisite blowjob apparently. So, you and I have fallen a bit short, I would say." "Sophia Finch had sex? She even knows what that is?" "That appears to disturb you, Mr. Witnauer. Apparently, your nemesis is fairly hot." "Hot? She's colder than dry ice and harder than flint." "Too bad you do not wish to take on the case. My bet would have been on you. What a fight it would have been, the two best in the city, so enticing it is nearly unimaginable. Well, thank you for your time." This cracked me. My ego could not resist, no matter how much trouble I was getting into. I could not refuse another chance to crush Sophia Finch, no matter what the case was. "Look, just wait. I..." "Yes, Mr. Witnauer?" "If Finch is truly involved, I'll consider a retainer. You will have to give me a copy of the contract, of course. We can set up another interview. I'm not saying anything absolute here." "Perfect. I will triple the retainer if you want more convincing. So, you want me now or later?" "Want you?" "I expect to keep up with the other side, Mr. Witnauer, even press ahead. To be honest, you appear fairly prepared right now." She smiled. So much for glass top desks, she had a fair view of me standing as she was. I was in no position to deny that I presently sported a very obvious physical response to her. "I have another appointment in five minutes." "Well then, I suppose later it is." I shrugged without commitment. "You will be paying for legal services, Ms. Alpanu. That is what I intend to deliver. I hope you don't mind if I am unable to see you out?" "Not at all, Mr. Witnauer, I understand perfectly." The rest of the morning was fairly much ruined. I blundered through my next appointment. I was so distracted I chose to cancel my last meeting before noon. At lunch, which I took early and alone at my favourite little bistro, I could not get my mind off this implausible interview. I took out my blackberry, cycled through the address function and dialled an old friend. My call was answered by a receptionist: "Good afternoon, you have reached the office of Dr. Kirby Emanuel." "Oh, hi, is Kirby...Dr. Emanuel available?" "She is presently in a session, sir." "Yeah? Does she have a bit of spare time this afternoon?" "Well, you may be in luck. There was a cancellation of her two o'clock." "Oh, you mean an appointment?" "I do mean that, yes." "Well, why not? I'll take it, name's Tom Witnauer." "Alright, thank you, Mr. Witnauer, we will see you shortly." When I showed up at Kirby's office in a funky old building three blocks from my own, I did not have to wait long. The receptionist, who looked like her voice, very coy and willowy, led me straight in. Kirby was sitting in a massive armchair aligned by a couch near a tall set of windows. As usual, I felt a pang of regret seeing her. She was unquestionably the wisest woman I ever met, not that I neglected the fact that she was also the most beautiful, with a memorable glow to her honey-caramel skin and deep-brown eyes. We had known each other for more years than I could remember. I trusted her completely. She sat as I remembered back in university, with her ankles tucked under one thigh. She was writing some notes and looked up. "Tom, so it is you. I wondered." "Sure is. Nice office." "What are you doing scheduling an appointment with me? Don't think for a second that I am going to accept you as a client." "Why?" "Because we are old friends and it is no secret that I have been dying to get it on with you since we met. Talk about a conflict of interest." I laughed, sitting on the couch. "Great to see you again...by the way, why didn't we?" She shrugged comfortably. "I think it was your fault for not asking enough." "I did ask." "Not enough. You have to work for these things to make them special. So, what is this about?" "I need to talk to you in a sort of a consulting capacity, or maybe just friendly advice." "We'll see. Tell me what's on your mind." "You are an expert in treating sexual deviancy right?" She shrugged. "We do not use terms like that much anymore, but yes." "I have this prospective client..." I gave her the run down. She smiled when I was done. "Not exactly an ordinary day at the office for you." "Definitely not, it was outright strange. So, what is a busturariae fantasy? Did I say that right?" "Close enough. The exact pronunciation is obscure, given that it is ancient Latin. The busturariae were a form of prostitute in ancient Rome." "So she is fantasizing about being some kind of old fashioned prostitute?" "Well, there is a bit more than that. They were a special type, not for everyone. The busturariae were a sect that doubled as professional mourners, an important profession back then. They had sex with their clients on graves and gravestones. Their office, so to speak, was the cemetery." "No kidding?" "Hard to be sure of the exact views of the sect, but it is thought they maintained the link between sex and death. Maybe that is what citizens did with their grief for a lost lover. Who knows? The ancient Romans could be a fairly kinky bunch at times." "I have to say, that is a bit creepy." "For you, yes, I suspect it is. I hear much odder stuff several times a week, believe me." "So, what does all this mean, Kirby?" "Sounds to me like you probably have a couple of sex addicts who have begun to lose their sense of having any social constraint, and they are wealthy enough to hire you and your main rival to play their game with them." "I guess." "That is not typically a good sign, losing a sense of social constraint. Usually this sort of behaviour is a prelude to really big trouble. There are other possibilities of course. I would have to meet with them to be sure." "You think I should stay away from this one? I have to say, it would be really tough to back away from Sophia Finch." "I can't tell you what to do, Tom. The experience could be positive or negative depending on how you manage it and what decisions you make. Most situations are like that. You make up your own mind. Just be careful, because you could get in over your head very easily. If you do take it on, check in with me once in a while, ok? I am asking you as a friend." I took note. Kirby was never one to worry. "Sure, ok," I replied. "I'll be in touch. Thanks for the help." * * * The following day, I received the contract. It came delivered in an unusual envelop, oddly scented, as Ms. Alpanu herself had been, and made of a very rare, expensive type of handmade Italian paper from the Amalfi region. I recognized it since I am an aficionado of fine paper. With interest, I pulled out the contract, written on deckled paper of the same origin. It looked fairly old and, as a first impression, it was much larger than I anticipated. Hefty, is the best way to describe it. I flipped through. The style was amateur but clear. There seemed to be more sexual variations and requirements in it than the Bible. I realized I would need research assistance. Of course, help would be a bit dicey in these circumstances. I hit my intercom button. My assistant answered. "Yes, Tom?" "Deborah, I need young George Bertram, and what is that other new associate's name, Duch...something?" "Natalie Duchamp?" "Right, thanks, I need them both, high priority." "Sure, I'll get them for you." Not five minutes later they filed in as associates always do with a mix of nervousness and eagerness to please. They sat as usual in front of my desk, notebooks out and pens poised. George was a confident young man, tall and good looking enough to keep him away from the new client. Natalie was...well, a bit plainer than she could have been. She pulled her midnight black hair back tight in a bun usually, making her look severe. She was skinny or lithe, hard to tell hidden by her 40-something clothes, very pale, with small breasts. In the right circumstances and a much less dowdy outfit, she could be counted as a beautiful woman, once she grew up. They were both young and fresh looking, I felt a bit uncomfortable exposing them to this file, even though I knew they both had to be in their early or mid-twenties. They were a bit perplexed with my hesitation. Usually, I threw instructions at associates and junior partners without mercy. "Alright, I have this file and it is an odd one. " They both glanced curiously. I cleared my throat. "I mean very odd. Have either of you ever done any work on the sexual side, you know, allegations of affairs in divorce proceedings, harassment issues, those sorts of things?" Natalie smiled eagerly and nodded. "I did some pro bono work for a woman's shelter for a few years school, mostly helping to get injunctions to keep the deadbeat husbands away. There were lots of sexual abuse issues there." "Ok, that is sort of a start. This is not a sex abuse case. It is a sex case, a breach of long term sexual contract case. There is an alleged lack of performance." Both of them stared. George broke the silence. "Uh, I have never heard of this type of case, Mr. Witnauer." "That is no surprise, George. I haven't either until yesterday. This is new, so new I am going to be asking you both to do some digging around to determine the legal feasibility of taking this on. The client is very wealthy, so getting experts will not be an issue. Oh, and Sophia Finch is on the other side. It goes without saying that we will do anything within our power to prevail against her team, understood?" "Understood." They said it in unison. No one who worked in the firm was ignorant of my hatred for Finch. "I want you to go through this contract, bizarre as it may be. I want you to understand what is in it and what is enforceable as a matter of law, or prospective law. Just understanding it may be tricky. There are references in here that seem to be historical, or ritual, or maybe just kink lingo, I wouldn't know, but I'll expect you to know in fairly short order. Are you both comfortable with this? Be frank." Natalie spoke for both of them, looking slightly flushed, "Absolutely, ok." George nodded, also looking flushed. "Alright then, the client is supposed to come in tomorrow for a second interview. I am in Court. Natalie, I think it had better be you to take that meeting for me. Use the time with her to understand anything in the contract you are unable to hunt down through research." With that, I sent them on their way. * * * Only after I had finished up in court the next day did it hit me how reckless I had been leaving young Natalie on her own with an exotic nymphomaniac I had only met once. I reasoned that the kid was a full grown, licensed attorney. Still, I quickened my step back to the office. As soon as I got there, I called both associates in. When they entered, I knew my concerns were grounded. George sauntered in juggling a stack of notes and precedence. Everything was normal there. However, Natalie had transformed. There was no significant change in her clothing, though she looked slightly more dishevelled and her dowdy stockings were missing, revealing quite appetizing, even gorgeously muscled calves, so it was lithe and not skinny. Somehow, in spite of her retaining this depressing wardrobe, the drab librarian look had been cast aside. You didn't need the amatory prowess of Casanova to see it. It was apparent in how she carried herself now and how she moved. There was inexorable proof of a deeply satisfied woman, a woman who had slaked all cravings of the moment with great sex. Her eyes were still full of a smoky pleasure. Bedroom eyes, no question. "So where are we on the Alpanu case?" I asked them, feeling a bit guilty. "I guess it will be no surprise that there is no useful jurisprudence directly on this," George offered. "Found a few things that might help peripherally. You want to hear them now?" "Maybe do a memo for the file, thanks George. Natalie?" "Yes, Mr. Witnauer?" "Do you understand more about the contract? Is the research going alright?" The Midnight Sex Case "Oh sure, the research is going well. I will have a full account of all the requirements within the next day or two. Some of the more obscure ritual stuff requires follow up." Her voice, a bit more husky than usual, conveyed the same deep satisfaction her body exuded. I was starting to feel a bit jealous. "You met with the client?" "Oh yes, I met with Ms. Alpanu. She is...really unbelievable." "And?" "And she's going to return today. She, uh, helped me to understand so much more, but she said it was imperative to speak to you, Mr. Witnauer." "When?" "She should be here any moment, I guess." I glanced at my watch. The firm would normally be closing the doors to the public in a few minutes. "Well, if she really wants to bust in here, I won't stop her. You two go back to it. We'll pick it up in the morning." They nodded and rose. Just as they reached the door, I could not help asking, "Hey Natalie, you ok?" "Oh, I am just great...really." The way she said this scared me a little. I did not have to wait long for the client. She entered magnificently, wearing a white leather dress with ample lace cut outs designed to stun. The lace provided such negligible cover, very little imagination was required to verify that her nipples were exquisite. Difficult to say how she got away with such things in broad daylight, she just had that much confidence, I suppose. The overall effect was impossible to dismiss. "I hope you were not avoiding me today, Mr. Witnauer," she said as she took a seat. "I was in court. That's what I do for a living." "Mmmm, I like that thought." "So, before we start, I have to ask, what did you do to my associate?" "You offered me a nice little appetizer. Was I supposed to refuse it?" "She is an associate with this firm, not a plaything." "Don't be annoyed. She will be much happier now. I merely liberated a few natural impulses. It was fun for both of us." "Look, if I am going to be on retainer with you, no more dabbling with the staff, no more liberating impulses, natural or not. Agreed?" "That is a very tiresome request." "Well, you'll have to live with it. I mean, she's practically a kid." She laughed, "You are entirely wrong about that. There is nothing childish about her at all. She has great promise and a bit of wicked streak. You should try her." I sighed. "Ms. Alpanu, can you just agree?" "I suppose it is your loss. Alright, yes, I agree. It extends only to staff of course?" I ignored the implication. "Why are you insisting to see me this afternoon?" She handed me a document. "I wanted to give you this. I just had to share my pleasure about it with you. Oh, and I think you have to do something deliciously legal in response." I took the document and flipped through it. "This is a statement of claim against you, a document that initiates a court case. This guy, Mr. Giorgio Fabia, just sued you. This is clearly Finch's work. When was this served on you?" "It was served this morning, at my downtown residence, by a delicious little man." I looked up. "Please tell me you didn't?" "I wanted to, but he left far too quickly." I sighed. At least she did not ravish the process server. "Thanks for small mercies. Ok, so we will have to go through this and file a statement of defence and counterclaim. I think it should take..." I stopped. "Yes, Mr. Wintauer?" "Are you...?" She was masturbating, with no slight attempt to hide it. Her chin raised a little, eyes flashing with deep pleasure as her hand adopted various rhythms between her now exposed legs. "I simply must. Oh. Please just continue." I shrugged, not knowing what else to do. "I guess it's your nickel. So, our statement of defence will have to answer point by point to the alleged breaches in here. I guess the main one seems to be that you are allowing him to have sex with you only at midnight right now. Is that true, you are constraining things to midnight with him?" "Ah, oh, yes...Mr. ah, Witnauer." I waited until she achieved orgasm a minute or so later. I admit she was magnificent to watch. "Can you explain that, just having sex at midnight?" She smiled, mysteriously, or perhaps it was just the post orgasm delirium. "I take him at midnight because that is when I am the most powerful. I am getting ready for the event he refuses to participate in." I nodded, "This busturariae thing?" "Yes." "So, you want to screw on top of a few graves at midnight? That is what all this is all about?" "That is an unpleasantly superficial way to state it, Mr. Witnauer. You have no idea how remarkable this is - I speak of a very ancient and dignified tradition of great importance. I could show you something about what I mean tonight if you wish." The way she looked at me was difficult to resist. "Probably not my kind of thing to be honest, I have pretty simple tastes. But even taking your point that it is some kind of profound act, does he have a point about breach on your part?" "What if he does? He is not doing what I want either. That is what I need from you, Mr. Witnauer. Force him. Make him do it." "Well, I'll be really honest, that is the trouble with this whole case. Sex has to be consensual at all times. That's the usual rule. You don't force anyone." "He consented when he signed." I shrugged, "I guess that is the argument both sides are going to have to make if we file a counterclaim. I am just saying we are way, way off the beaten track on this. Hard to say what a judge would make of it all." "I have confidence in you, Mr. Witnauer. So, what shall we do now? Will you take me to dinner?" This was getting complicated. I was not sure how long I was going to be able to put her off, or how much longer I wanted to. "Short notice for tonight, but..." She raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow would be acceptable. I will arrange dinner at my place. I have an excellent cook." I felt unable to refuse. * * * The next morning I held a short meeting on the file with George and Natalie. Natalie came in first. I noticed right away that she was even more pale than usual and looked uncomfortable in an unseasonably heavy sweater. Given it was early summer and the office was a maintained at a comfortable temperature, this stirred my curiosity. "Cold?" I asked. She winced. "I am freezing, have been all last night and this morning." "Maybe you are coming down with something. If you are feeling sick, you don't need to stay." "That is the strange part. I am ok. I just feel cold all the time, and really, voraciously hungry." This last part she said with husky emphasis as she openly stared at my crotch with a look of desire. She realized it was too late to avert her gaze, I had caught her. She glanced up wide-eyed. We both stood blinking with embarrassment. "As I said, if you don't feel well..." George interrupted. "Sorry I am late, Mr. Witnauer. I just finished up the memo." We all sat. The tension in the room began to dissolve as we sorted through the accumulating documents for the file, and I started dictating what should go in the statements of defence and counterclaim. A few times as we worked, I spotted Natalie gazing hungrily at me and alternately George, as if she could sexually devour either of us or both right on the spot. This was making me uneasy. George was oblivious. I sent him off to draft the first copy of the counterclaim. After he left, Natalie remained seated. I wondered why. The meeting was over. She was nervous, starting off. "Mr. Witnauer, I want to raise something with you, but I don't want to sound like a head case." "After the week I seem to be having that would probably be difficult, but please go ahead." "I saw some odd things while I was doing my research. I really think you should see what I am talking about." I held out my hand, expecting her to hand me the notes she was holding. "Ok, why don't you show me?" "I really mean you have to see them, they are over in the Museum of Civilization. I was following up on some aspects of the contract. The curator there was helpful. But, you really have to see it for yourself or you will likely not believe me." "You want me to go to the museum with you?" "It is not far, just a few blocks. I can't imagine it would take any more than a half an hour or so, and it may be really important." I turned to look through the window. "Well, I guess it is nice enough out there. Why not? Maybe you can warm up a bit on the way." She was staring at me again with that sexual greed in her eye. "I know a much better way to warm up." "Pardon me?" She shook herself. "God, I'm sorry. Mr. Witnauer, I have no idea why I said that. I really apologize." "Look, Natalie, about yesterday, if you need to talk about something, you have a sympathetic ear here." "I am alright. I am. Thanks though." Obviously, she was not going to break her silence on this. I felt guilty all over again, but had no idea what else to say. "Well, let's get going and see this museum of yours." Once at the museum, Natalie took me to the ancient history wing where the Etruscan and Roman exhibits were displayed. She aimed us straight for the Etruscan civilization Room. In one corner was reproduced a life-sized cross-section of a tomb. On a platform behind the security ropes was a sarcophagus from the period, a beautiful stone work with panels along the sides carved in heavy relief. She pointed at the sarcophagus. "Just look right there, you'll see the same thing on a fresco behind the case over there and the funerary urns." "I am not sure what...holy shit." She nodded. "That is exactly what I said. The likeness is even more pronounced and clear on the funerary urn." I was basically looking at Ms. Alpanu. It was a perfect likeness of her in the stone, a carving that was now more than a few thousand years old. She was wearing snakes around each wrist and not too much else other than a scanty chiton that left her breasts bare, and fur boots. Just beside her was another figure, larger and more prominent who looked incredibly like Dame Alighieri-Simms, the supposed aunt. I felt a bit dizzy. "What the hell is this?" "Weird, I know, but Hell does actually have something to do with this, Mr. Witnauer. I knew you had to see it yourself. I asked the curator about this exhibit. These figures are thought to be Vanths." "Ok. What are Vanths?" "According to him a Vanth was sort of a demon, but a nice kind, otherwise known as a chthonic deity. They belonged to the underworld and appeared just before death. They were sort of divine beings that helped the dying to die, and maybe took the dead over to the other side. Well, that seemed like one of their functions anyway." "Sort of like the modern day grim reaper?" "Right, they would be ancient Roman or pre-Roman equivalents I guess, a gentler, sexier version to be sure." "Shit." "Yeah, I have been pretty freaked out to be honest." I looked over at her. "I can't blame you." "What are we supposed to do, Mr. Witnauer?" "How would I know? Look, maybe she saw this exhibit, perceived the resemblance and is kinked by it and trying to live the role or something." Natalie shrugged. "Could be." We both stared at the carving. I did not mention at this point that Dame Alighieri-Simms was also a dead ringer, which made it all a bit harder to explain, and was now really setting me on edge. One might be coincidence, but two such likenesses? She sighed. "You know, you are probably right. I was just getting caught up in the research." "You don't sound convinced." "I'll be really honest, Mr. Witnauer, I can't get Ms. Alpanu out of my head. I think it is her that made me so cold now and, so constantly... she did something. I feel strange, kind of empty and obsessed at the same time." "Natalie, I really think you need to tell me what happened yesterday." "I guess there is not much of a choice. She...she nearly fucked the life out of me, Mr. Witnauer. I should never have let it happen, but before I knew it, I was out of my clothes and she was doing things I had no idea anyone could do. God, the pleasure, she had this way of breathing close to my thigh..." "Ok, maybe I don't want too many details." She blinked. "So are you going to fire me?" "Fire you? I wouldn't even think of it. What you did is not exactly in line with the professional code, but everyone is entitled to a mistake. God knows I have committed a few big ones myself, and I would call these very extraordinary circumstances. " She must have been under intense emotional pressure and fear for her job since the incident. She started to break down. Instinctively, she sought an embrace. She sobbed a few times, but once held, her body started to respond to me. In an instant, she was no longer seeking emotional comfort. She gasped and I could feel her start to buck slightly against me. One hand dropped to get me ready. Knowing her vulnerable state, I took a step back from her and held her by both arms. "Natalie, you are not yourself right now. " "I know. Take me anyway." "Well, from an ethical point of view, that is a terrible idea. I am going to give you the number of someone who can help you, a clinical psychologist who is an old friend of mine. She knows what she is doing with this kind of stuff. Take the rest of the day off, maybe the next couple, whatever you need. I want you to go see her right away." To my relief, she nodded very willingly, her eyes filling with tears again. "Ok, I just want this to stop, Mr. Witnaeur." * * * I was sure Kirby would take excellent care of Natalie. I went back to the office, not able to avoid the thought of how I was going to take care of myself if I went to dinner with Ms. Alpanu. I mean, the idea that she was anything but human was entirely bizarre, but I saw what I saw on the sarcophagus and something real was happening to Natalie. My ambivalence increased the more I thought about it, a struggle between by sense of curiosity and what was likely very sensible apprehension. Apprehension was winning out and I had just about decided not to go when my assistant poked her head in my office. She seemed a bit smug. "Hi Tom, your car is waiting." "My car? What do you mean?" "There is some kind of old fashioned limo parked out front waiting for you." She smiled. "It is drawing quite a crowd. Planning on a big night?" I sighed. "You have no idea." I headed downstairs and was taken aback even before I went through the revolving glass doors from the front lobby. My client was willing to challenge expectations with more than just her wardrobe. The car was a bloody Isotta Fraschini, in perfect condition with a smartly dressed chauffeur waiting to open the rear door. I had seen a few of these works of art in the old movies, but never thought to see one in real life, let alone have one waiting for me. If I was placing myself in danger, at least it was in grand style. The ride was short, smooth and quiet. I felt my tension building. I had to ask myself what the hell I was doing this for, especially with a client. There was no good answer, of course, except to acknowledge that I had a dumb sense of bravado at times and had never been able to exercise much resistance against either my curiosity or the tantalizing prospect of sex with an erotic woman. Her 'residence' turned out to be the top few floors of an elegant high-rise in the old part of the city, with a neo-classical, deco feel to it. My guess was she or her famously wealthy aunt owned the building underneath too. Once the elevator opened on the top floor, the neo-classical aspects of the building vanished. It was all classical to the last detail. Palatial was the best description. The entrance hall was from another, distant time. It was lofty, dazzling with polished marble, mosaic, niches and exedras trimmed in what seemed to be real gold leaf and studded with the most remarkable frescos that were Roman in style if not origin. I was led through by the driver, who had accompanied me up. I was avid to ask him about his employer, but he was a very silent, tough looking man. The only words I had heard him speak were to verify my identity when he first let me into the car. So, I just followed in silence until we arrived at another large room. In the centre was a large pool between large marble columns, the water of which was dappled with rose petals. She rested just beyond the pool on a traditional Roman couch. In the candlelight she was breathtaking, her hair arranged in an intricate pile held by jewelled pins. She was wearing a long, very provocative white gown that revealed hints of her legs, not to mention the rest of her, beautifully. I noted with a prick of distress that on each wrist she wore a heavy gold bracelet, each in the design of a coiled snake that travelled up her forearm. She rose, watching me cross the room with an air of satisfaction. "Welcome to my home, Mr. Witnauer. I am so pleased that you chose to honour me." "Thank you for the invitation," I replied assertively. She nodded to the driver. "Thank you, Agostino. You may let the ladies know that we are ready to dine. Please follow me, Mr. Witnauer." I did. She led me to a dining room that opened at one end to an outdoor terrace with a surprising, lush looking roof-top garden. All was of similar opulence and stateliness to the rooms I had just been through. Only the lights of the city beyond the terrace strengthening in the dusk gave any indication that I was in the right time-frame. From the moment I reclined on the feasting couch offered to me, everything that took place was intended to arouse me and increase my desire. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I understood I should be diligent, but the idea of a grand seduction focussed upon me was impossible to shrug off. I remained convinced that I could handle myself. "Wine?" "A little would be nice." She poured slowly from a decanter. I found this very sexy. She glanced up as she handed me my glass. "I cannot tell you how much I have been looking forward to this evening. So, how did you find the contract now that you have had a chance to study it?" "Interesting. You'd have to be, well...erotically very busy to perform it all." "We are wonderfully busy, Mr. Witnauer, I can assure you. Do you like that idea?" "Sure, why not? I should mention that we did quite a bit of follow up research, including at the Museum of Civilization." She had no visible reaction. "I have never been there. I take it you found something worthwhile?" "I saw an Etruscan sarcophagus, I guess that would be pre-Roman in a way." She smiled. "Yes, it would be in a way." "Funny thing, there was a really good likeness of you on one of the panels, and your aunt, Dame Alighieri-Simms too." She laughed. "What a delightful imagination you have, Mr. Witnauer." Her tone was so confidently dismissive, I immediately felt embarrassed. "I like that in a man. I hope it extends to your sensual talents." I had no idea how to respond. I am not sure I could have anyway. Emerging from a discreet side door came two servers with large trays of food, which they carried over. Kneeling, they placed the trays on a low table at the head of our couches. What absorbed my attention was that these women, aside from being classically beautiful and graceful as swans, wore nothing except delicate floral decorations in their hair, which was held up and adorned with gold coils. Their bodies were flawless, smooth as marble, including their enticing mounds, which they did nothing to conceal. My hostess was amused at my gaping. "I am treating you to an authentic Roman feast, Mr. Witnauer, perfectly authentic in every respect. This is just a beginning, a few appetizers, as you would call them. We call it the gustatio. Do pace yourself." The Midnight Sex Case "You certainly do up your fantasies very thoroughly. I am beginning to understand the nature of your contract better. I suppose I have forgotten my toga." "That is not a problem at all. I beg you to accept one of mine." I paused. "You mean you want me to wear one?" "I had planned to persuade you. It would allow for a much more complete experience. I suspect you will be more comfortable than in that suit. Not to worry, you will be delicious in one." I wondered exactly how kinky this was going to get. The presence of the servers, the heady wine and the near presence of this erotic, beautiful, unpredictable woman was obviously draining away my sense of caution. "Well, why not?" She signalled to the young women, who silently took me by the hand as I rose. They led me back to the room with the pool. By its edge, they began to undress me while I stood passively. Each touch was a deliberate caress. Their attentions were pure, unrushed and expert. My jacket was off, my tie and shirt next, and then I felt that first touch near my belt buckle. One of them had knelt before me, a perfect sensual vision. I felt a momentary pang of embarrassment at the extent of my engorgement as she opened my pants, but this vanished as she smiled with acceptance and silent pleasure. Once freed of the rest of my clothing, they guided me into the scented warm water of the pool to the level of my upper thighs and began to wash me. I became rapt with the touch of their hands, aware of nothing else, especially when they reached my cock. The sense of pleasure became astounding as lips and tongues joined with the brush of fingertips. With a sense that I had fallen into some kind of sublime dream I indulged in touching their perfect bodies, touches that they welcomed I have no idea how long they pleasured me, just intentionally short of release on my part. With a drifting feeling I allowed them to lead me out, towel me dry and rub me with fragrant oils. One of them left for a moment and returned carrying a linen tunic and a toga pura, a plain white toga made of wool. I was far too gone in my sense of immediate pleasure to feel foolish in this antique getup. This was going to be a very entertaining evening. I was starting to wonder why I had been worried at all. The woman was just fabulously indulgent, that was all. As the servers led me back in, I saw that my host had changed into a more traditional, sleeveless stola, in which she was doubly magnificent. With my desire piqued from the bath, I wanted her with increasing appetite. "Very impressive, Mr. Witnauer, you have pleased me." I resumed my position on the couch, which seemed to have moved closer to hers. She plied me with more wine, heavy, powerful and sweet. I suspected it had honey in it and spice of some kind, soothing, but going straight to my head. As we began eating, she declared openly that everything had been carefully selected for its authenticity and also for its aphrodisiacal quality. I am fairly sure I could have experienced unknown heights of passion and desire even without the careful selection. I had never before eaten a long meal in a state of continual arousal. The servers kept coming and going setting more food before us and taking away remains, occasionally delivering and withstanding caresses, arching and smiling with delight, but speaking not a word. During the actual cena, dancers swept in, also mesmerizingly nude, filled with sensual splendour, casting a deep erotic spell over the room. The food and wine kept carrying me further and further into a state of heady arousal. Through all of this, I was dimly aware that my client watched me with amusement and increasing satisfaction. Her gaze was occasionally so intense with lust, it took me aback. I had the feeling she was waiting for something. Dessert began to appear. Large helpings of cakes drenched with honey and heaps of ripe exotic fruit, plums, quinces, grapes, melons, medlar fruit and elderberries. Feeling adrift in pleasure, I tried to rescue myself, and reassert the fact that I was her lawyer. I spoke strangely, made stupid by the wine that had also continued to appear without pause. "Ssso why are you so interested in thish guy Fabia?" I managed to ask. "Because he is delightfully handsome, and more to the point, he is the last of a deliciously ancient Roman line." "That mashters to you?" "Oh, yes. His ancestors are very important to me, my favourite among the greatest of the patrician families of ancient Rome. They are waiting for him." I was not following her. I looked into my goblet, still half full and drained some more. "Whatzs special, a...about that, a bunch of dead ancestors? Is that supposed to be...uh, senshual?" "Incredibly, Mr. Witnauer." They way she said this made me even harder, if that was possible. "The Fabii were all delightful men, aristocratic, brave in war, aloof in the Senate, sublime lovers. They ruled Rome for generations. The line was nearly extinguished in the Battle of Cremara against Veii. Imagine, three hundred and six gorgeous Fabii men fell in one glorious day, nearly the whole line at once." She shivered with oblique pleasure. "Only one of the bloodline survived. They have all been waiting, and now the last is very, very near. If you can win this case, a great occasion is upon us, Mr. Witnauer, after several thousand years. You have no words in your language for that kind of pleasure." Again, this made no sense. "I musht be drunk..." I muttered. "You are nearly ready," she replied with a smile. "Oh yessh, for what?" * * * I awoke with difficulty, held in a black, rolling fog. I was in my bed, staring...until I finally realized I was looking at my ceiling. Painful morning light streamed in through the slats of the shutters. My blackberry was ringing somewhere close, likely in the pocket of my pants. I could not move to retrieve it. My head and neck were awash with sticky pain. The rest of my body I could not feel, though I predicted that when I finally could, the experience would be less than pleasant. I closed my eyes again, with that awful, dark spinning, though it stilled as I began to remember the previous evening. I could remember only snippets of the later part. She had taken me to a graveyard at midnight or so, not that I had been in any position to resist. At least I knew what a busturariae fantasy amounted to now. I had been so insanely aroused by the time we got there, I think I would have done just about anything. I remember I felt no shame as she forcefully removed my toga and underlying tunic in the sultry night air and pressed me down on the rough stone of a large burial monument. The full revelation of her lustrous body in the half- light was incredible. The moonlight seemed to intensify around here as if the two shared a meaning together. I think they did. I remember feeling out of my mind with pleasure as she rode me like a divine creature. At one point, it seemed to me the snakes at her wrists were real. They wrapped around my wrists and forearms, binding them to hers, arousing, sinuous and dangerous. This took me beyond control and I had the most amazing release as she and her snakes held me down, seeming almost to consume my awareness as I bucked uncontrollably. In the middle of this strange orgasm, I seemed to plummet and rise with the sense of being in places where humans were not permitted to be, alive at least. Yes, I had been really, stupidly drunk, and delusional...apparently. Now I was sore all over. And, damn, with my increasing wakefulness I realized that, like Natalie, I was freezing although the room was warm. I was also as horny as a goat. The cell phone went off again. With tremendous effort I fished it out of my pocket. "Uh, hello?" I croaked pathetically. "Tom, thank goodness you are alright." The voice was Kirby's. "Alright...is a matter of opinion," I managed. "I tried reaching you all night. I was really concerned. After I met with Natalie..." "Is she ok?" "She is now. You could be at a considerable risk, Tom." "Might be a bit late for that thought, Kirby." "You mean...?" I tried to smile sheepishly, but it hurt too much. "Yeah, got out of control last night, I am still not sure how bad it got. To be honest I am so hung over and wrecked, I can barely move." "Ok, stay put, I am coming over." "Kirby..." "I am going to insist, Tom. This is serious. We have to talk." "Fine, ok." After I hung up, I waited in bed a bit longer, trying to recall the minute details of the events of the previous evening. Yep, I had screwed up, abandoned all my dignity and common sense. On the other hand, I could easily say it had been one of the most sensually intense and remarkable nights I have ever had in my life, at least so far. I tried to rise. This proved so dizzying, I gave up and stayed where I was, splayed on the bed still half in my suit. I succumbed to the inky fog once again. I awoke again to the light touch of fingers in my hair. Wincing, I opened my eyes slightly to see the beautiful face of my friend. Her gaze was filled with concern. "Kirby...how did you get in?" "Security remembered me and your door was unlocked. Wow, you are a mess, buddy." I grimaced. "Can't argue there. I seem to have completely lost my mind last night." "Try not to blame yourself. You were dealing with a very powerful force." "You mean you believe..." "I am capable of believing quite a bit in my line of work. How are you feeling right now?" "Uh, hung over...very definitely hung over." "And?" "Well, cold." "Anything else? A bit raunchy maybe?" "Well, yeah, I could screw just about anything that moves right now." "She definitely got to you. I was worried about this." "What do you mean?" "She is a Vanth, Tom, one of the oldest, I suspect." "You think that is for real?" She placed a finger on my lips. "This is no time to question. You trust me right?" I nodded. "She is in the process of taking hold of your soul." "Ok, that doesn't sound so good." "It brings her power in this world, taking sex from the most vital of the living. She can't help it, being what she is." "Then all this stuff about the contract is bogus?" "Not necessarily. Who is it she is trying to bind?" I explained about Giorgio Fabia and the strange information she had revealed over dinner. "Ah, that explains it. She seeks the last of the Fabii." "You know something about this?" She shrugged. "Knowing the past is important, Tom. I did some research about Vanths after I saw Natalie. I had to do something while I was going out of my mind with worry for you. The demise of the Fabii in one battle is a well known episode in Roman history. There is a less known story about the last survivor. Of the Vanths sent to lead the noble Fabii men to Elysium, one Vanth indulged in them with such gluttony that the last of the Fabii slipped away unnoticed. He has been immortal since. The Vanth was sentenced to stay in the living world as punishment until she could bring him over." "You mean these two have been trying to trick each other for a few thousand years?" "Could well be." "Ok. I am willing to believe just about anything at this point. So the contract was supposed to help trap him I suppose. There must be something about the graveyard...she wants to perform a sexual ritual with him on the tombs." "Speaking of which, what exactly happened last night, old friend?" I winced and told her, at least what I could remember. When I finished, she sighed. She turned to lift a knapsack she had brought along. "We will need to act quickly. Tom, I need your permission to heal you." "Ok." "I am asking you permission because, for part of it, you will have to be with me. The cure will be stronger that way." I could feel my already hard cock stir. "Hey, you know...whatever you need to do." From the knapsack she took out a small statue and set it on the night table. In front of it she placed an ashtray, an unlit cigarillo, a ripe looking green chilli, and a bottle of beer, which she opened with a twist. "This is Anaisa Pye." "Who?" "In my culture, she is an loa. She will help us. We all have our beliefs and powers, Tom. These are the beliefs I come from. We are going to need some help. You are a Christian, or used to be, which is ok for some things, but is pretty useless for dealing with a force like a Vanth. We need a tradition that is much less confused about sex. Just go with it, ok?" "Well, sure, I guess. So this is..." "Voodoo. No worries, it will not be any harm to you. Anaisa Pye is full of love, especially when it comes to men." She winked. I had no idea what to say at this point. I took Kirby's advice and just went with it. My head still hurt too much to do anything else anyway. Any reluctance I retained was swept away as she rose and with a single motion, swept her dress up and over her head. Her perfect skin mingled with the light that continued to steal in through the slats of the shutters, extraordinary in its effect upon her. I was reminded of the way the moonlight had mingled with Ms. Alpanu, but the daylight and Kirby were far more incredible. Even in my drastic condition, I could realize that no more beautiful a sight had ever greeted me. As she gently removed my clothing, muttering sensually in a forbidden language I did not understand, I began to feel a deep change. Although my goatishness had not by any means worn off, I began to feel more than mere desire. I began to need her in a far more profound way, beyond lust or passion. She became the most precious force in the universe, filling me with a sense of an entirely new kind of want. The new truth was that I was openly in love with her, deeply. Every movement she made confirmed it, making the feeling more powerful. As she incanted, her body writhed on top of mine, her hips swaying and bucking over mine in an unbelievable rhythm that gained in intensity, but never speed. It was all so loving, slow and perfect. I think I might have wept while she took me in this extraordinary way. By the time we were done, I was rapt with a sense of purity and happiness. Every last trace of my hangover was gone. I could have floated of the bed with pleasure. Kirby had snuggled into me, resting her head on my shoulder. She touched my forehead with and affectionate fingertip. "Hey, you ok?" I moaned. "How could a human being possibly be any better?" "Her hold on you is not completely gone, but we seem to have resolved most of the issues." "Kirby, I don't know how to thank you..." "No need. This was given as a friend, Tom." "I can't believe I waited all these years to know you like this. I really think I have been out of my mind to have missed the opportunity." "Hmmm. For the record, if you ever want us to do this again, no more going about it through cursed, oversexed deities. You will have to romance me, boy. I mean really romance me." "Fine with me. I could not possibly think of a better use of my time and energy. Romance will be my new focus in life." She smiled. "Good start. There might be hope for you." "Now I just have to figure out a way to get rid of this case and Ms. Alpanu as a client." "I think that might be covered. I asked Anaisa Pye for an extra special favour, a little matter of readjusting destiny to get it back on track." * * * I did not ask Kirby what she meant by this special favour, but it became clear once I finally made it to the office. I had a phone message from Sophie Finch. Gritting my teeth, I phoned her back. "Tom..." She answered curtly, no hello, as usual. "Sophia. I take it you were calling about the Arpanu case? Have to tell you that was the worst pleading I have ever seen you file. I'll be initiating a motion to strike the claim in entirety in the next few days." "Fuck you, Tom. You're such a cunt." "Whatever..." "I was actually calling to tell you not to bother." "What, are you coming to your senses and giving up?" "My client, Mr. Fabia, was hit by a laundry truck about an hour ago." "He's...dead?" "Very." I felt both a little shocked and relieved at the same time. "So that wraps this up I guess." "It does. " "Ok, well, thanks for letting me know. Have a nice day." "Fuck off." I hung up. So it looked like Anaisa Pye could do some special favours after all. * * * Ms. Arpanu showed up at noon. I was surprised it took her so long. Like Sophia, she did not bother offering me a greeting. "You interfered. I am not sure how." I shrugged. I was certainly not about to tell her about Kirby. "Well at least you can get back to wherever it is you call home now. I thought you would be happy after a few thousand years." "My origin is never all that far away from this world, Mr. Witnauer. I am not certain I will vacate the field quite yet. I have more work here. There are still many descendants of old Rome in this city. I have gotten used to certain pleasures. Who knows, I might be able to use a good lawyer from time to time. I was truly enjoying our...collaborations." "I'm done." Her eyes burned with an unstated malevolence. I experienced a sense of just how powerful she was. I was seeing her true nature for the first time. "So that is it then? You have truly abandoned me to find an inferior lawyer? You were very good, you know." I nodded, feeling a bit nervous about snubbing a divine being this way. "Oh yes, that is it." She approached me. I was relieved when she simply kissed me once on the cheek, and whispered. "Just leave the future open a little. You never know. And anyway, at the very least, you will see me again when you are ready for Elysium. After all, you are not strictly a Christian any more. Not after what you gave me. You should feel good about that. They cross over in such boring ways, so self-immolating." She then turned to leave. My infernal curiosity made me stop her just as she was about to leave. "Now that the truth is out, I just have to ask. Did you ever do Julius Caesar?" Her face returned for a moment to the gentler, exotic client I had known, and she laughed. "No. I did have his nephew a few times though, before he became Emperor, and Marcus Tulius Cicero, that might interest you." "Hmmm, Cicero? One of the greatest lawyers of all time, amazing. I am curious, how did I compare?" "He had a much bigger cock if I remember correctly." I crossed my arms and turned to look out the window to hide my disappointment. "Figures." "But a much fatter ass." "Thanks for the information." I could hear her sigh. A final silence fell. "You know, I cannot stop you. Any of the authorities I can appeal to will think I am insane. But I will keep an eye out. I am going to take it as a personal duty to protect however many I can." When I turned from the window to see the effect of my words, she was already gone. I was not sure she had used the door.