The continuing sequel to "Team Spirit" by Janice the Dreamer. Honey and Bob continue to grow closer while Dr. Hanson decides to get answers to some nagging questions. Chapters 25 through 29 of 48. Additional editing assistance by Kelly Ann Rogers. Indicated elements apply to entire story. Next update on 11/10/10.

Team Spirit: The Second Half
By Meps98

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

I open my eyes and push the hair from face. I’m laying face down on the bed, my arm stretched out on Bob’s side of the bed. He wasn’t there, but I heard him in the bathroom. He was humming. I’d never heard him hum before. I roll over onto my back and stretch.

OWWW! My shoulder! I sit up and rotate my right arm. There it is. Why does it hurt? We did a lot of physical stuff last night, could have happened anytime. When you’re really into the sex, endorphins flood your system, dulling the pain. Thank God for that or we couldn’t have done half of what we did yesterday. Unfortunately, you sometimes pay for it the next day. Bob steps out of the bathroom wearing a robe.

“You have a problem Honey?”

I swivel my shoulder and wince. “I think I pulled a muscle last night.”

“You pulled a lot of my muscles last night.”

“Hardy Har Har. I think it’s either my neck or shoulder.”

“Here, let me help.” He sits on the bed behind me and starts to massage my neck. I rotate my head.

“Oh yeah, that’s the spot. That’s ... good.” He keeps massaging until the pain fades.
“Wait here, I have a muscle rub that should help.” He goes into the bathroom and comes back with a tube of cream. It’s a smell I’m very familiar with. Every locker room I’ve ever been in reeks of the stuff. Bob sits back down on the bed, squeezes some onto his hand and then rubs it on my neck, shoulder and upper back. My skin tingles but the shoulder feels better. I’m also feeling very horny.

“You could be a therapist Bob. My shoulder feels much better. In fact …” I take his hand and put it on my breast “… I feel well enough to give it a work out, why don’t you come back to bed.” Bob gives my breast a squeeze. I sigh.

“Honey, how long has it been since you last took your ’medicine’?”

“What time is it?

“11:38 a.m.”

“We slept until almost noon?”

“You slept until almost noon. I have been up for a couple of hours. How long?”
“It’s been about twenty six hours.”

“I will go get it.” He starts to stand up, but I grab his hand.

“Don’t go. Let’s take advantage of this. Come back to bed and we’ll fuck until supper time. You know you can do it.” Bob gently pulls free of my hand.

“No Honey, I refuse to take advantage when you are under the influence of Amy Hanson’s biological programming.” He leaves. I flop back on the bed. Why won’t he fuck me? I start to rub my pussy. First with one hand, then both. Soon I’m finger fucking myself. It feels good and I’m getting closer to orgasm. Bob walks in with my “daily dose”.

“Honey, stop that. Drink this.”

“No. Come on Bob, just fuck me. I’m already warmed up, it won’t take long. Please.” I’m rubbing faster and harder with three fingers in my pussy.

“Stop right now. Control yourself. Just drink this and then we can talk.”

“I don’t want to talk. I want to fuck! Give me that big fat cock of yours! Here” I get on all fours and wiggle my ass at him “you can fuck me in the ass. We haven’t done that yet. You’ll love it. If you think my cunt is tight, wait until you try my ass. Come on Bob, ream me good.” I reach back and spread my cheeks so he gets a good look at my ass hole. My head is flat on the bed.

“OK, sit up Honey.”

I roll over and sit up. He opens his robe, exposing his beautiful cock. I crawl to the side of the bed so that I can reach it. I start to lick his cock, sucking on the head, running my tongue around it and flicking the tip. He’s about two thirds erect so I open my mouth wide to suck him in.

Bob jumps on the bed behind me, grabbing me around the neck with his arm while tipping my head back. He pours Anthony’s semen in my mouth than clamps his hand over my mouth and nose. I swallow reflexively, stunned at how fast he moved. He lets me go. I fall back on the bed, and roll over, face down, crying.

“Why did you do that? What’s wrong with you? All I wanted was sex. What kind of man would refuse to fuck a hot piece of ass like me? You’re no different than all those assholes at the club! I thought that I loved you and then you attack me! Oh Bob ... you ... how could ... crap.” I can’t talk any more. I just cry and sob. I feel Bob’s hand on my shoulder. I push it off.

“Don’t you touch me you bastard!” I cry harder, tears streaming from my eyes and down my cheeks, soaking the sheets beneath me. Bob sits down next to me, but says nothing. I continue crying for several minutes then start to taper off as Anthony’s semen takes effect. I sit up, still sniffling. Bob reaches over and pulls me over to him. I struggle just a little but my heart isn’t in it. He rubs my back. I don’t want to give in to him so I just sit there, but soon I slump back against him, then lay my head on his shoulder. He keeps rubbing my back.

“I am sorry Honey; you were slipping into a sexual frenzy. In the past you always tried to avoid that, but for some reason, you embraced it this time. I did try to talk to you about it, however you were too far-gone. I could not think of anything else to do and I certainly wasn’t going to call Hanson about it. I understand why you are angry with me, but I hope you can see why I did what I did and that you can forgive me someday.”

I keep my head on his shoulder, not looking at him. I’m actually embarrassed about the way I acted. He’s right, I was almost out of control. Normally I hate it when Anthony refuses to have sex with me and drives me to that point, but this time, it was a chance to have more sex with Bob, something I wanted. It was a new situation for me. Bob too.

“I understand.” I snuggle in closer, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I forgive you. I would have been happier if you hadn’t attacked me, but I can see why you thought you had no choice.” He probably didn’t have any other choice, at least none that I can think of now.

“I honestly wasn’t prepared for you to refuse treatment. You have always said you hated it when either Anthony or Amy pushed you past the point of reason, turning you into a sex mad nympho. I could not understand why you would willingly cross that line. Has something changed?”

I don’t want to tell him, yet I may not have a choice. I’ve already said the “L” word when I was crying and Bob is much too smart to have missed it.

“Yes, something has changed.” I whisper.

“Do you want to tell me what that is?”

“Yes and no.”

Bob pauses. “Does it have anything to do with you possibly loving me?” I can’t say it but I shake my head ‘Yes’. Bob pauses again.

“So, because you may love me, the thought of sex with me wasn’t that objectionable and you were willing to chance the effects of the sexual frenzy as long as you were fucking with me.”

I have to smile. Bob sure knows how to charm a girl. “No Bob, because I may love you and sex with you is so far from objectionable that it’s not even in the same ball park, I wanted to take advantage of the sexual frenzy and fuck your brains out.” Bob pauses for a third time.

“I see. It appears I may have acted rashly. I will try to remember that the next time.” I lightly punch him in the kidneys.

“Kidding Honey, I am just kidding. I am however quite serious about not taking advantage of you when you are about to lose control. I refuse to add to your pain of being compelled to have sex against your will, even if you ultimately enjoy it.”

“Thank you, Bob.” I turn my head so that it is still resting on his shoulder, but I am looking him in the eyes. I sigh. “What are we going to do about us?” He kisses me on the forehead.

“I don’t know. It is an unexpected turn of events. Let’s get dressed and fix some lunch while I think about it.”

Bob gets up, goes to his closet, removes a pair of pants and shirt, returns to his dresser and takes out underwear and socks. He takes off his robe and hands it to me.

“Go shower and get dressed, we will take it from there.”

“We staying in?”

“Probably.”

“Good.” I get out of bed and slip the robe on but don’t tie it. I walk over to Bob, go up on my toes and kiss him. He reaches into the robe and rests his hands on my waist, returning my kiss. His hands slip off my waist, moving around to my ass, pulling his naked body close to my naked body. My pussy is getting wet again. I put my hands on Bob’s chest and lightly push myself away from him, breaking our kiss.

“I think it will be a cold shower.” Bob lets me go and I walk back to my room, pausing to look at him over my shoulder as I leave. Once I get back to my room, I drop the robe and start my shower, setting the temperature colder than normal. It will help clear my head. I step in and suck in my breath when the water hits me. It’s colder than I thought but I tough it out. I quickly adapt to the cold water and start washing my body, starting at the top and working down, leaving my hair for last. Stepping out of the shower, I dry off and then wrap one towel around my head and another around my body. Bob has these really great fluffy towels. Soft and warm. I take a pair of jeans out of my closet, then a scoop neck T-shirt and matching bra and panty set out of my drawer, After dressing, I sit cross legged on my bed, brushing my hair. This always takes awhile because it’s so damn long. I’d have it cut, but Anthony would kill me. He loves long hair. I slip my feet into my cross trainers, tie them and go to the kitchen.

Oh crap! My dress is still laying in a heap in the middle of the floor. That thing cost more than what I make in a month. Bob walks in right behind me.

“I’m sorry Bob. I forgot I left my dress in the kitchen last night. I’ll take care of it right away!”

“Don’t worry about it Honey. There are parts of my tux scattered across the living room.”
“Yeah, but your tux didn’t cost an arm and a leg.”

“Well, it was my arm and my leg, so it is not a problem.” I carefully pick up the dress.
“I’m going to put this away and be right back.” I take it back to my room and lay it out on my bed, smoothing the wrinkles. It’s such a beautiful dress. I hurry back to the kitchen.

Bob has already started cooking. There are two rib eye steaks sizzling in the frying pan. I move next to him.

“Here, let me do that, it’s my job.”

“I’ve got it Honey. You make the salads. You always make wonderful salads.”

I go to the fridge and get the lettuce, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes and shredded cheese. I chop the lettuce and mix the salads, leaving the onions out of Bob’s, he hates raw onions. I add some croutons and we are ready to eat. I lay out the place settings, set the salads down and Bob serves the steaks.

“Do you want something to drink Honey?”

“Just water. I want a clear head when we talk.”

“Good idea. Two waters it is.”

Bob pours the water, we sit down and start to eat. Neither of us says anything for several minutes. I don’t know what we can safely talk about. The future doesn’t look too good. I feel uncomfortable talking about our sexual marathon last night because of the way it ended. Bob tries to start a conversation.

“I was surprised at how good a dancer you were last night Honey.”

“Thanks. You weren’t half bad yourself. Have you had lessons?”

“Some, though they were many years ago. It was part of the basic training at the company. You never know what situation you might find yourself in, so it was always best to be prepared.”

Bob rarely talked about his old job.

“Did you ever have to dance as part of an assignment?” I’d never asked him a work question before. He thinks for a moment. He knows the answer, he’s just deciding if he’s going to answer the question.

“No Honey, I never used a cover that required me to dance. I tended to specialize in assignments that took advantage of my ability to blend in. I would not want to stand out with my fancy foot work.”

“I never said you were a good dancer, just not half bad.” I smile at him. “You were able to keep up with me, but the dress held me back.” Bob raises one eyebrow in surprise.

“We may have to put that claim to a test someday. On another subject, how do you think things turned out for Gwen and Tom?”

“No idea, but I am curious. It’s a big jump from making out with someone to sleeping with them, particularly if you are married to someone else. They were both going at it and everyone seemed willing. What do you think?”

“I am deferring to you since you are the expert.”

I think about it for a moment. “My guess is that they both hit pay dirt, but that Gwen had to work harder than Tom. For a married couple to get picked up like that, they would each have to accept that it would likely end in sex. We saw that Tom was doing really well behind the plants. So, unless she had a change of heart, he probably did OK.”

“Why would Gwen need to work harder on her partner?”

“Married men always have fantasies about sex with other women, but aren’t too happy with the thought of their wives fucking other men. The husband likely had to talk his wife into it but had buyer’s remorse after she said yes. Eventually his hormones won out and he fucked Gwen, maybe as a bit of ‘revenge’ against his wife for agreeing to do Tom.”

Bob smiled at me. “Very good Honey! Well reasoned. Some of your suppositions could be wrong, but the logic after the suppositions was quite good. I should be able to track them down and find out if you are correct.”

“It’s not worth the effort Bob, just idle curiosity.” Besides, I wanted to keep him away from Gwen Francis. We were both done eating so I cleared the table and sat back down. “Are we done with the small talk?”

“Yes we are Honey.” He slides his chair closer to mine. “I know I have said this before but I am going to say it again, so that I am sure you understand. I am not doing this because I think you are stupid. In fact, I think you are very intelligent. I am counting on it. Here it is. I will not tell you anything that you could not repeat to Amy Hanson. When you return to the club tomorrow, she will eventually question you. Answer her questions truthfully. Don’t try to out-guess her or be clever. Just answer the question. If you do not know the answer, say you do not know. Do not speculate. This is the only way for you to limit your trouble and pain.”

“Trouble and pain?”

“Yes. I have made a terrible mistake Honey and, unfortunately, you will be the one who will pay the price for my mistake.” This does not sound good at all.

“What mistake? What’s going to happen to me?”

“I let you get close to me and I let myself get close to you. Close enough that you think that you love me.”

“But I do love you!” I had also done some thinking, thinking what my life was like before Bob and what it’s been after I met him. How extraordinary he is, how kind he has been to me and finally, how sex with him is so fucking amazing, better than anything I have ever experienced.

“I believe that you think you love me Honey, but you don’t really know me. I have told you very little about myself and, believe me, there is a lot more to tell, much of which is not very nice.”

“I know enough about you to know that you are the kindest, strongest, smartest, sexiest person, man or woman, I have ever met. So I don’t know your past, I know your present and I love you!”

“We don’t have enough time together for you to really love me. You could love the way I make you feel in bed, love that I have provided a break from your time at the club, love the lifestyle you have here with me but true love requires more shared experiences than we have had.”

“You don’t believe in love at first sight?”

“Not exactly. There can be lust at first sight or attraction at first sight. If two people experience a mutual attraction and they are lucky enough that their relationship grows and matures until it is true love, so much the better for them, but it was not all there at the first moment they saw each other.”

“That’s not very romantic.”

“You're right. If I put you in a room with 100 eligible men, the odds are that 98 of them would be instantly attracted to you. If you were attracted to just a few of them, would that be love at first sight?”

Could he be right?

“It sure as hell feels like love to me. I had more than a few girlfriends as Josh Thomas and this is much stronger than I felt then.”

“You may just be experiencing the stronger emotions that women feel verses those that a man feels.”

“Maybe. The question is, do you love me?”

“I cannot tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both, because it is in your best interest to not know the answer to that question so that Amy Hanson does not know that answer.”

“Why would she give a damn?”

“This will take awhile to explain. When I first came to town, I was looking for someone to help me as my health deteriorated. I wanted to establish an emotional relationship with that person, not necessarily a romantic relationship. I found you and started to implement my plan. We both know what happened after that. Once it was clear that we were not going to be leaving town together, I should have ended our relationship. Unfortunately, I was not strong enough. I allowed my attraction towards you to overrule my head. As we became closer, you became more vulnerable to Hanson’s continuing thirst for vengeance.”

He’s got me confused. “How do my feelings for you make me vulnerable to her?”

“She will try to take it away. You remember the old saying ‘tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’? My experience is the exact opposite. I am more an ’ignorance is bliss’ person. We brought happiness to each other, contentment. Amy Hanson is still looking to hurt you any way she can and she will try to use our relationship to her advantage. She had taken everything she could from you, including your very identity. She molded you into a perpetual teenage bimbo whore. I tried to ‘save’ you from the hell she put you in and have done a pretty good job of restoring your spirit and will, something she will not tolerate. I gave you something that she will now try to take away. She is going to try to beat you down all over again, break your renewed spirit. She will likely try to prove to you that I do not care for you, that my own needs come before yours, that you are nothing to me. She will not do anything to me, at least not directly. If she thinks I love you, she could hurt you just to try to harm me emotionally. If she had confirmation that we loved one another, it would be worse for you than it is already going to be.” Now he’s got me worried.

“How could it be any worse than it was?”

“I can not get you away from either her or Anthony. You will be returning to a life of dancing and prostitution, with no end in sight. Before I showed up, you had no hope and had adjusted to that. I gave you hope, a weekly break from the unending misery. She will take that away too. Hanson will not permit our Tuesday/Wednesday visits. Even if we had those visits, if we continue to have some kind of relationship, the sex is finished.”
“What do you mean ‘the sex is finished’? You can see me at the club, come up to my room. You can certainly afford it. You can make a new deal with Anthony.”

“We both know that Hanson calls the shots, Anthony just implements her orders. He has had a certain amount of freedom to do so until I showed up. Now she is going to be much more hands on. She will not permit anything that you enjoy. Besides, you will start having unprotected sex with all kinds of men in the next two or three days. If we are still having sexual relations, then I will be having sex with these same men. Hanson’s treatments likely protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, but not me.” What was he saying?

“So you are saying that you can’t fuck a dirty, filthy whore like me.”

“Don’t say that Honey. It has nothing to do with you as a person, it is strictly a matter of health. I do not consider you to be a whore.”

“I have sex with anyone who has fifty bucks, how am I not a whore?”

“You are compelled to have sex by your biological programming. If you do not, Anthony will beat you or refuse to feed you his semen, which is much worse. Failure to do what he wants could lead to a horrible death.”

“How is that different than any other pimp who threatens to kill his whore if she doesn’t work hard enough for him?”

“Because they always have the option of leaving, seeking help from the police or social service agencies, you do not. You leave, you die. End of story. You have no other choice than to comply. Honey, you are a strong, smart, loving woman and do not ever forget that. You were dealt a bad hand and have played it as well as possible. I am sorry that I have made your situation worse.”

Bob had painted a pretty dark picture, accurate but dark. My eyes tear up as I look at him.

“Isn’t there anything you can do about this? Can’t you just kill her? Isn’t that what you do?” He shakes his head.

“There is nothing I can do. I will forgive you for asking me to kill Hanson, because you do not know the details of my past and don’t realize what you are asking of me. I am truly sorry. I should have been able to resist your charms.”

“So, this is all my fault?”

“Absolutely not, Honey. It is completely my fault. Well, it is actually Hanson’s fault, but I did not help the situation. Things did not turn out as I planned and I did not adapt to the new reality. I will do what I can to limit the harm to you, but my ability to influence matters is not great.”

“What do we do now?”

“I am not sure. We do not need to be at the club until 11:00 a.m. on Monday, just a little less than three days from now. I don’t really have anything planned. I am willing to do whatever you want. I owe you that much.” I stand up, walk over to Bob, sit on his lap straddling him, put my arms around his neck and kiss him tenderly. He puts his hands on my hips.

“I’ll think of something but we’ll do it together. To hell with Amy Hanson.” Bob pats my ass.

“That’s my brave girl.”

He won’t say it, but I think he loves me.

* * ** * ** * ** * *

We spent the rest of Friday at the park. I wanted to spend time outside with nature before I go back to being stuck in the club 24/7. We packed a picnic dinner and spent the afternoon and evening outside, soaking up the sun and enjoying each other’s company. I told him my life story and he told me a little of his, though it could have been “Bob James”, his cover’s life story, I’m never sure. I guess you could say that I love “Bob James”, whoever that is. There was a local band playing at a pavilion, so we stopped and listened awhile and even danced a bit. When we got home, we had a late evening skinny dip and then made desperate love through the night. Bob didn’t want to at first, suggesting that it would be better for me to start cutting back, but I insisted. The damage, whatever it is, is already done and I won’t let fear of Amy Hanson ruin what hours of freedom I have left. Bob said he admired my spirit.

In fact, I’m scared shitless. Bob probably knows it, but won’t say anything, respecting the illusion of bravery I want to project. He does stay close to me all the time though, touching, hugging, holding my hand. It’s not sexual, just supportive, and I appreciate it.
We started Saturday with sex in the morning, breakfast and then more sex in the shower. Bob says that his recovery time hasn’t been so short since he was a teenager. I’ll need to remember to thank Amy for that when I see her next.

I decided that today’s adventure is an amusement park, Six Flags over Texas. I always loved amusement parks as a kid and hadn’t been to one in years. It would be outside, with lots of people and things to do to keep my mind off Monday morning. It’s in Arlington, only about forty miles from Bob’s house and full of thrill rides. We get there before the crowds get too bad. I’m dressed in jeans and a polo shirt but still getting a lot of looks from guys, young and old. Right now, they are decorated for Halloween. We ride the “Titan” and “Mr. Freeze” before lunch. By 1:00 p.m., the crowds are big and the lines are pretty long. Thanks to Bob’s heavy tipping and my obvious assets, we manage to avoid most of the lines and ride the “Texas Giant”, “Dive Bomber Alley”, “Batman” and “Superman” at least once, most twice. I love these kinds of rides, super tall, super fast, full of twists and turns. I’m waving my arms and screaming my head off. Bob, on the other hand, has a death grip on the handles of each ride, gritting his teeth so hard that I’m afraid that he’ll grind them to nubs. He says that it’s a matter of trust. I trust the designers, builders and maintenance guys, he doesn’t. Seems like an odd reaction for someone who risked their life to take a life for a living. However, he’ll keep going as long as I’m happy. We keep riding until 9:00 p.m., go out for pizza, get home by 11:00 and end the day with another round of skinny dipping and anxious, passionate sex.

Sunday is my last full day of freedom and we spend it like we’ve spent the last six Sunday’s, watching football on TV. Despite all I’ve gone through, I still enjoy watching a good game. I stay curled up on the couch with Bob all day. He’s in charge of the snacks and beer. The only breaks I take are bathroom breaks, which are fairly frequent thanks to the beer. He’s got the full NFL package on cable so I‘ve got a lot of choices. We go to a local barbecue restaurant for supper and then back home for the late game, which ends around midnight. We end up together in bed, Bob holding me in his arms, my head resting on his chest.

“I can’t do this Bob.” I say quietly. “I can’t go back to the club, back to being a fuck toy for any jerk or crazy bastard with the money. Sometimes they don’t even pay Anthony, just give him a yellow card. Those guys are always the worst.” Bob caresses my hair.

“Where do they get these yellow cards?”

“Who knows. They just show up, hand Anthony the card and then they work me over good. Sometimes it’s bondage, sometimes it’s anal, other times it’s a beating. Occasionally it’s all three. There have been a couple of guys who were even worse.”

Bob kisses the top of my head. “When does this happen? Any particular time of the year?” I pause to think about it.

“I hadn’t really thought about it before. It seems to happen before the fourth of July and again at the end of the year.”

“Is there anything else that happens at the same time?” I pause to think again.

“No, nothing that comes to mind.”

“How about either before or after?”

“Amy gives me my six month tune ups in early July and the end of December. She wants me fresh and tight for the annual Super Bowl celebration for the Wranglers. That is always the absolute worst.” I shudder at the thought. Anthony leaves me alone for the whole day before and I’m ready to fuck anything that moves by the time the “Party” starts. By the end, I’m covered in and full of cum and begging for more, pleading for anybody to fuck me. One year Billy Joe brought his two Great Danes. God, did Amy laugh at me that night. The dogs have been a regular part of the show ever since, always at the end because no guy wants to follow the dogs. I start to cry.

“I just can’t go back to that life Bob.” He rubs my back.

“I know, I know. So these particularly bad guys show up just before your twice a year treatments from Hanson?”

“Yes, regular as clockwork. What am I going to do Bob? How am I going to survive?”

“You will survive Honey. You are a strong, brave woman. Don’t forget that. You have survived up to now and you will continue to survive. It will likely be worse than before initially, but it should settle down quickly if you don’t fight Hanson. Do what she says, answer her questions truthfully and these bad times will pass.”

“Yeah, I can get back to the good old days of stripping and whoring.”

“Here Honey, lay on your stomach, I’ll help you relax.”

I stretch out on the bed, on my stomach with my head turned to the side. Bob moves to the end of the bed and starts by rubbing my feet, then my ankles, then massaging my calves. He works up to my thighs. I am relaxing, which is surprising. I expected to get turned on, that the massage would be foreplay and we would soon be making love. Somehow, this is different, like he’s pushing different buttons. He works up my hips to my waist, then my back. He switches to my arms, flexing them. I’m very relaxed now, concentrating on Bob’s hands on my body. He’s massaging my shoulders. Now he’s working my neck. It feels really weird, like he’s squeezing the nerves deep in my neck. I pass out.

When I wake up, it’s 8:34 a.m. on Monday. I push my self up off the bed. Bob’s not there but I think I hear him in the kitchen. I slip my robe on and walk out, rubbing my neck. I look in the kitchen and see Bob buttering toast. He’s made a light breakfast. I don’t think my stomach could handle much more.

“What happened last night?” Bob pulls a chair out for me and I plop down.

“Good morning Honey. I thought that you could use some sleep and did not think you would get much last night without some help.”

“What kind of help? Did you drug me?”

“No drugs, just some relaxation techniques and nerve manipulation.” He pours me a cup of coffee. I rub my neck again.

“You mean the Vulcan Neck Pinch?”

He chortles. “Not as simple as that, but there are similarities.”

“You could have asked before knocking me out.”

“Did you have a good nights sleep? No bad dreams?”

“Yes, no bad dreams and lots of sleep, but you still should have asked first.”

“Duly noted. Eat your breakfast.”

I slowly eat my toast and drink my coffee. Bob makes good coffee. Might as well face the music.

“What’s the plan today?”

“I thought that after you shower we could go through your stuff and you can decide what you want to take with you. Anything you cannot take I will keep it here for you.”

“Why bother, I’m not coming back. You said it yourself.”

“You never know Honey.”

“Don’t try to give me false hope Bob. I’ve got to face the reality of my situation if I hope to keep my sanity.”

“I would still like to keep them.”

“Suit yourself. I’m finished. I’m going to shower.” I stand up and shuffle to my room to shower.

I set the water to hot and take a long shower. It’s so much better than my dinky tub at the club. Bob buys me the best shampoo and conditioner and I use half a cup of each today. I dry off, wrap myself in towels and walk out of my bathroom. Bob is waiting for me.

“I think I’m going to miss these towels more than anything else.”

“Take some back with you.”

“Amy probably won’t let me have them.”

“How can she object to towels?"

“She’ll find some way.”

“Then make her say ‘No’. She might miss them.”

“Fine, I’ll try.” I drop my towel and start to go through my underwear drawer. There are some things slutty enough but most is what a normal girl would wear. I pick a red thong and put it on, then a matching underwire shelf bra. I check my closet and find the red dress that I was wearing the first time I came to Bob’s to stay. There are a few skirts short enough and tops skimpy enough to take back with me but the jeans, shirts, rest of the dresses and sportswear stays. I put on the red dress.

“Could you zip me?” I turn my back to Bob and lift my hair. Bob pulls the zipper up and fixes the clasp.

Almost none of the shoes are sexy enough. I can just imagine the crowds reaction if I strip in cross-trainers. My dress and shoes from “Marie’s” are more than sexy enough but I’ll be damned if I’m going to wear them for Anthony or any other man. I pile the few items on my bed. Bob hands me a duffle bag. I put four towels in the bottom, then add the clothes and shoes. I save a pair of heels to wear today but I’m not going to put them on until I have to. It’s just past 10:00 a.m.

“We do not have to be there until 11:00 Honey. Is there anything you want to do?”

“I need to get out of here. Let’s go sit in the park until 11:00.”

Bob picks up the duffle bag and we walk to the car. We drive to the park, stopping near the playground. There are several groups of kids playing on the slides, swing sets, monkey bars and play houses with their mothers nearby. We’re sitting in the car, holding hands.

“Do you have any kids Bob?”

“No Honey. I have never had a relationship strong enough to have children.”

I laugh. “You don’t need a relationship to have kids, you just need sex.”

“I do not have a history of frequent sexual partners and on those occasions when I did have sex, I took the necessary precautions.”

“Not with me you didn’t.”

“True, but Anthony assured me that you could not get pregnant. He wasn’t lying was he?”

“Amy says I can’t get pregnant, but I wonder sometimes. I don’t have normal periods like regular women. I only have one when she gives me my six month tune-ups. I think it may have something to do with my semen addiction, like my body thinks it’s always just a little bit pregnant.” I shrug. “Don’t know for sure, just a guess on my part.”

“Did you have any children as Josh Thomas?”

“No, though there were a couple of paternity cases. Probably a good thing I didn’t. That’s all a kid needs is for his father to disappear off the face of the earth. Hell, if I had a son, he could be almost as old as I am now. He could come to the club and I could take his virginity. That would be one for the psych books.”

“Did you want children?” This is something I hadn’t thought about much before.

“Not really. I dated women that I thought about marrying but never seriously considered having kids. I was real happy those paternity cases went my way. I had nothing against kids, just didn’t want to be tied down, didn’t want the responsibility. But now ... ” I trail off.

“’But now’ what?”

“I don’t know. Somehow, it’s different. Obviously I wouldn’t want a kid now, stuck in the club, what kind of life would that be? But, when it looked like there might be an escape from Amy, I let myself think about what my life could be like. How could I make a living? Could I live the rest of my life as a woman? Can I force Amy to turn me back into a man? What would life as some guy’s wife be like? There were days, I practically ached to have a baby. If I saw a baby on TV, it was like I needed one right then. The feeling would eventually fade away but never completely disappear. It’s weird.”

Bob squeezed my hand gently. “I would guess that it is hormone related. No one knows where ‘maternal instinct‘ comes from. You are as female today as any natural born woman so, logically, you should have the same drives and reaction to stimuli, at least those driven by biology as opposed to those driven by nurture.”

“So you think I have ‘maternal instincts’?”

“Yes, I do. The way that you cared for me when I was off my meds for MS was a clear example of that.”

“But that was just my job.”

“It was the way you did it that showed me that you cared.” Bob patted my hand. “I am sure that you would make an absolutely wonderful mother, if given the chance.” I blush.

“I don’t imagine we’ll ever find out. Not unless Amy decides that me being pregnant is funny.” God, I hope she doesn’t think of that one on her own. The clock on Bob’s dash says 10:48. Times up
.
“Let’s go Bob.”

“We have a few more minutes. Are you sure?"

“Yes, I want to get this over with.” Bob releases my hand, starts the car and backs out of the parking spot. As he pulls away, I look over my shoulder at the kids and their mother’s, talking, laughing, wiping noses, tying shoes, hugging. I start to silently cry, sad at the missed opportunity. Bob reaches over, quickly hugs me, then returns to driving.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

We pull up to the club and park around the back. Anthony’s car is there, so is Amy’s. This just gets better and better. We get out, Bob picks up the bag, I put my shoes on and we walk to the door. It’s unlocked, so we enter. The lights are on, but there is no one around. Bob calls out.

“Hello? Anthony?”
No reply, but I hear someone walking our way - it’s Anthony, I recognize the sound of his footsteps, heavy and deliberate. He turns the corner and enters the room, looking at his watch.

“Hey Bob, you’re early. Hanson’s here, so we might as well get started. Come on.” Anthony turns and walks back to his office. Bob follows him and I follow Bob.

Amy is sitting on the couch in Anthony’s office. Anthony sits behind his desk and Bob takes the chair in front of the desk. Amy pats the couch next to her.

“Come in Honey, have a seat next to me. Isn’t it nice to finally be back home?” I glance at Bob, but his face is a blank.

“Yes Dr. Hanson, it is nice to be ... home.” I sit down next to her.

“Why Honey, I think you have put on a little weight. We can’t have that can we? I’ll make a diet program for you and Anthony can increase the number of your dance sets so you get more exercise. Maybe he can reduce your rates to generate a few extra customers. Vigorous sex burns calories too. We’ll have you back in shape in no time.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hanson, I’ll try not to disappoint you.”

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic, Honey. There is no problem is there? Bob didn’t mistreat you did he?” She isn’t going to make this easy.

“No, Dr. Hanson, Bob treated me very well.”

“Then why the sad face?” Bob said tell the truth so I take a deep breath to prepare to answer her question but Anthony interrupts.

“Can we skip this shit and get down to business? We all know why she’s unhappy and we also know it doesn’t matter. She’s back, she’s staying and she’s open for business.” Amy gives him an “eat shit” look, but he got me off the hook.

“Anthony, I would appreciate you not interrupting me in the future. I will let you know when I want to hear from you.” Anthony grips the arms of his chair but doesn’t move.

“This is my office, my club and my business. I will say what I want, when I want, to who I want. Doc, you can just go ...” Bob raises his hand.

“Please, please let’s all take a breath and relax. There is no reason to argue.” Bob turns his chair so that he can see both of them. Amy doesn’t seem too calm.

“Why are you even here Mr. James? You’re not Honey’s bodyguard by any chance are you?”

“No, Dr. Hanson, I am returning Honey to Anthony’s custody today. You and he can do what you want with her. I have an opinion as to what that should be, but it is your choice. I am just attempting to fulfill my part of our agreement.” I’m ready for Bob’s little speech this time. It still hurts to hear it, but not devastating.

“So, you are saying, that if I was to do something like this ...” Amy reaches out and back hands me hard across the face. I fall back and hit the floor on my side. I look up at Bob. He hasn’t moved an inch, his face still a blank. “... you will do nothing?” He turns to look directly at Amy.

“I do not see why that was necessary Doctor. I have attempted to be open and honest with you. I can understand why you might not trust me, but assaulting Honey proves nothing.”

“It may not prove anything, however your reaction does give me information. I also owe Honey a little something for a bit of attitude she gave me several weeks ago. I did not forget Honey.” She looks down at me, a cruel smile flitting across her face. She is one crazy broad.

“Assuming you are done with your demonstrations Doctor, perhaps we can send Honey to her room while we have a talk.”

Amy stares at Bob with narrowed eyes, her face kind of scrunched up. She’s thinking.
“Fine, but first I want to check that bag.”

“Certainly.” Bob hands her the duffle bag. She opens it and dumps the contents on the floor.

“What is all this?”

“These are clothes Honey purchased while living with me. There are more at my home but she did not think Anthony would approve of them. These are the ones that she thought would pass Anthony’s inspection. Do you wish to check them out, Anthony?”

Anthony leans away from his desk to get a better view.

“They look fine to me. I’ll have Honey model them for me later just to be sure.” Anthony nods towards me. “Put that stuff back in the bag and get ready for your shift. You’re working both lunch and evening today.”

I get up off the floor, stuff my clothes and the towels back in the duffle bag, sling it over my shoulder and walk out.

* * ** * ** * ** * *

“So, what do you wish to talk about?”

Honey has left and now it is time to deal with Anthony and Bob. I must admit that it was great fun to slap her in front of Bob. It showed him who is in charge here.
Anthony jumps right in, “I’m calling in my marker, Doc.”

“What ‘marker’ is that Anthony?”

“I told you that I would want something in return for agreeing with your plan to treat Bob and keep him around.”

“If I recall correctly, I told you that I would consider it, but that I would not automatically give you what you wanted.” Anthony glowers at me.

“Either way, I am going to get what I want.”

“And what is that?”

“I want to stop Honey’s addiction to my jiz.”

What a coarse man.

“Do you mean your semen?"

“Yeah.”

“No, that is not acceptable.” Anthony stood up, hands on his desk, leaning forward.

“Like hell it isn’t!”

Bob stood up between us. “Please, Anthony. Sit down. We can all discuss this rationally.” Anthony doesn’t move. Who does Bob think he is?

“There is nothing to discuss Mr. James. I have made my decision.” Anthony raises his arm and points his finger at me.

“See what I have to put up with? The high and mighty Queen has spoken! She won’t listen to anyone. I ought to ...”

Bob interrupts him. “Come now Anthony, don’t say anything you will regret later.” Bob turns to me. “Surely you don’t object to an honest discussion of the issues, do you Doctor?”

“An honest discussion, no I don’t object. Go ahead Mr. James.” I will participate in this pointless exercise for now, just to keep the peace.

“Fine Doctor. Anthony, why do you want Honey’s addiction terminated?” Anthony sits back down.

“I am tired of having sex with her every damn day. It never stops. She’s here 24/7/365. The only break I’ve gotten in the last three years is the past six weeks, and I still had to make weekly deliveries.”

“Why Anthony, I thought that you were more of a man than that. I’m disappointed that you can not service one little girl on a regular basis.” Anthony starts to get up again but Bob reaches out and restrains him.

“Doctor, let’s see if we can avoid the insults. Anthony has stated why he wants what he wants. Is there anything else Anthony?”

“Yeah, you were right about Honey knowing way too much about my business and that, if pushed, she can’t keep her mouth shut. I think the situation is too damn dangerous.”
Bob turns to me. “Doctor, what are your reasons for the continuation of the addiction?”
I sit back on the couch and think for a moment.

“Obviously, it makes her very easy to control. She can't run away. She does what I want, or else.”

“That is good Doctor. Are there other ways to meet those objectives without the addiction?”

“I am sure there are but why make a change? It works so well.”

“Perhaps too well Doctor. Are there any other reasons for keeping the addiction?”

“Certainly, it makes her an enthusiastic whore, which is to Anthony’s financial advantage. Her willingness to have sex with any of his paying customers makes him money.”

“Anything else?” Of course there is, but I will not tell him.

“Nothing else that I can think of at this time.”

Bob sits back down in his chair and says nothing for a moment. “Let me suggest another reason Doctor. You thought that the addiction and the resulting need to have frequent sex as a female would help break Josh Thomas’s will, shatter him psychologically, destroy his spirit. Plus, you would get the pleasure of knowing that he would spend the rest of his life being fucked by abusive jerks and low lifes, present company excepted Anthony. It would be the final act in your quest for vengeance.” Damn him! He is too astute for his own good. Well, it is not my final act. Thank heavens he doesn’t know about that.

“Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Honey’s addiction, but certainly not the only one. I would think that Anthony would want the control her addiction gives him.”

“Sure, it makes my life easier, but at what cost?” Anthony leans forward in his chair. “I don’t have any trouble controlling anyone else at the club and they aren’t addicted to my jiz.”

Bob raises his index finger. “To be fair Anthony, no one else is a prostitute at the club, at least to my knowledge.”

“Yeah, but she is scared to death of me. If I tell her to jump, she jumps and then asks if that was good enough.”

He has made one of my points for me. “If she is so afraid of you, she would run if she could, but she can’t. You need her addiction to keep her from running.”

Bob starts rocking in his chair. “There are other options, Doctor.”

“Such as?”

“You remind me of an old proverb, ‘To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail’.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that we are limited by our knowledge and experience in solving problems. Your expertise is in the biological sciences, so your solution to most problems is based on biology. There are other available technologies, beyond biological. For example, an implantable electronic tracking device. It would not prevent Honey from running but it would prevent her from hiding. Fear of what would happen when she is caught would prevent her from running.” He is right about that, assuming the technology works.

“Assuming the technology works, how is it superior to my solution?” Bob stands up and starts to pace around the room.

“OK. First, a tracker would not leave her vulnerable to being separated from Anthony by the police, as I stated several weeks ago. She would be no better than any other hooker at keeping her mouth shut but no worse either. Second, Anthony would be released from his daily obligation to service Honey. Third, Honey would not have to be around Anthony all the time, limiting her access to information about his business. Fourth, to all other people, she would be a perfectly ordinary girl, reducing the chance that someone would discover her unique origins. It would not solve all problems, Anthony would need to stop giving his associates free access to Honey to limit her ability to identify them but he would need to do that anyway, addiction or not. She would not be as enthusiastic about fucking any Tom, Dick or Harry, but that again would be Anthony’s problem. There may be other advantages I have not thought of yet.”

I have to say, I am impressed. Short, concise and to the point. He did forget about me breaking Honey’s will.

“You failed to mention how your tracker is superior to my semen addiction in breaking Honey’s will.”

“I did not forget Doctor because it has no effect in that area, the same as the addiction.”

What is he talking about? “If her addiction did not break her will, what did, Anthony’s beatings?”

“Neither broke her will, because it is not broken. I have seen people who have been utterly broken mentally. Honey has certainly been abused physically, but mentally she is practically untouched.”

“How can you say that? She does exactly what either Anthony or I tell her to do. She doesn’t argue or fight. She’s as docile as a little kitten.”

“That just means she is smart Doctor. She still longs to escape her situation. She knows that you and Anthony are her enemies and that you do not have her best interest at heart. Certain accommodations have been made by her due to the irresistible urge to have sex, but it is the irresistible nature of those urges that provide protection to her psyche. She has absolutely no choice in the matter, no control. All she has to do is tolerate the sex. Maybe she also enjoys it, but again, she has no control over that. If you had managed to break her, she would not want to escape; she would treat you and Anthony as allies, if not good friends. I would compare her spirit to a sponge. You squeezed her until she had shrunk down to a small, compliant ball but once the pressure is relieved, she returns to her original shape. Her time with me released a large amount of pressure and mentally she has bounced back.”

This is too much. “Are you saying she is going to be disobedient and obstinate? That I am going to have to start from scratch?”

“No Doctor, her behavior should return to what you have experienced before very quickly. As I said, she is not stupid. The pressure is back and her spirit has started to ‘compress’ for its’ own protection. Did you ever read ‘1984’ by George Orwell?”

“Yes, I have read it.”

“The protagonist in that book was a broken man at the end. Honey is not remotely close to that and never will be unless you change your tactics.”

I am going to have to speak with Honey, see for myself if Bob is correct. If he is, I may have wasted the last three years. Well, not exactly wasted but failed to accomplish all my objectives.

“What new tactics are you suggesting?”

“The choice of tactics vary from person to person. I am not suggesting anything in particular. Though I am aware of the basic concepts and procedures, it is not an area of my expertise. I just know a broken person when I see one, and that the current process is fatally flawed due to her complete lack of control.”

I had not planned to spend time today dealing with this. I just wanted to meet Honey, remind her who is boss and get back to work. Now I have a new can of worms to deal with. This will take some thought. “I do not want to commit to anything right now. I need to think about it. There are many interrelated factors that must be considered.”

Bob nods his head. “I understand Doctor, a wise move. I would suggest two things. The first is, if you are going to speak with Honey, do so quickly before she adapts again to the environment of the club. The second is that an implantable tracker and the semen addiction are not mutually exclusive. You could implant the tracker and give it a trial run before removing the addiction, should you decide to do so.” Both rational and reasonable points … which raises a question.

“Why are you being so damn helpful Bob? You have spent the last six weeks living with Honey, quite likely having sex with her. My immediate suspicion is that this is some kind of plot to free her so that you can have her for yourself. Why would you be giving me information that could make her life more difficult?”

“All good questions Doctor. Honey and I have discussed this. We are both aware that you are never going to let her go and that while she might escape for a brief time, you would spare no expense to find her and bring her back. We did grow closer in the weeks we were together and yes, we had frequent sex the last two weeks, thanks to your treatments. However, with her return to the club, that has come to an end. When I accepted your offer to trade my treatments for help in keeping you out of trouble, I became a part of this conspiracy. It is to my advantage to make it a successful conspiracy so that I avoid trouble with the authorities. You already know my opinion about the difficulties Honey’s addiction creates so I am not exactly an unbiased mediator, but Anthony has his own problems with it as well. If there is a way to safely accomplish the joint goals that we can all agree on, then it is an advantage to all of us, with the possible exception of Honey. Does that answer your question?”

“I do not have time to speak with Honey right now, but I will be back this evening after 8:00. Please make sure she is available. We all have a great deal to consider gentlemen.”

I stand, walk out of Anthony’s office, through the club and pause at the door to the main floor.

The lunch crowd, such that it is, is arriving and Honey is just starting her set. She has put on a little weight. She has a slight, forced smile as she slowly gyrates on the stage. Then she sees me. The smile disappears and her eyes blaze in anger. Her movements on stage become quick, deliberate, and sharp, all the time she stares me down. Bob was right, her spirit was not broken. I have her under my thumb but she was still squirming. I have a lot of research to do.

** * ** * ** * *
Bob closes the door to my office.

“Well Anthony, how do you think it went?”

“I don’t know. She is at least thinking about it. Who can predict what she’s gonna do?”
“I am optimistic. We may not get all that we want but there will probably be some positive changes. I will be going now but return by 8:00 so that I can be here when Hanson speaks with Honey. Do you have any question?”

“Yeah, did the Doc’s treatments really fix you? I mean can the little soldier salute now?” Bob grins.

“Do you mean, can I get an erection now?”

“Yeah, can you throw a boner?”

“Absolutely.”

“Did you put it to good use?”

“Yes, very good use. I realize that you have been with Honey for three years but she was just extraordinary, like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life. Are you certain that you want to give that up?”

“I’m not giving it up, I’m just gonna get it when I want it, not when I have to. I just may not want it for awhile. After all, if I don’t have to spend my energy on her, I can spend it on some other lovely ladies.”

“I am sure that the ability to choose will make a difference.”

“You don’t have to stop hitting that just because she’s back here. You know where to find her.” I laugh. “Hell, I’ll even give you a reduced rate.” He shakes his head.

“No thank you Anthony, though I do appreciate the offer. No offense to your customers, but I just think it best to not share a sex partner with them. Frankly, I am surprised that you were willing to do so in the past. I assume that Honey’s treatments protected her from STD’s but I do not believe that her partners would be similarly protected.”

Huh, I hadn’t thought about that. Some of the guys who were Honey’s regulars are pretty disgusting. God knows what kind of diseases they carried. Bob may be on to something there.

“I have also recently been thinking about what other things might be circulating in Honey’s system. Neither of us have any idea how Dr. Hanson transformed Josh Thomas into Honey Sweet-Lay. We do know that she received a lot of injections and she still gets regular booster injections. Her blood likely contains a lot of unnatural chemicals, organisms, viruses or some other agents. I have no idea if anything could be transferred to sexual partners.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that Bob. I’ve been fucking her for years and I’m fine.”

“You are probably right. Even if there is a cumulative effect, you would be the first person to feel the symptoms. Maybe it would require direct contact with her blood. Well, it is all speculation at this point.”

“You’ve got some good points there. I’ll ask the Doc about it the STD’s when she’s in a better mood.”

“I would not ask her about how she transformed Josh Thomas though. I am sure she would react badly to any questions in that area.”

“No doubt Bob, no doubt. I don’t care, just as long as she sets me free.”

“I will see you around 8:00 Anthony”

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Stripping is a lot like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it. I must admit that I was a little rusty during the lunch shift and got distracted when I saw Amy watching me, but was back up to speed by the evening shift. The crowd seemed more enthusiastic than usual. I know that they had gotten a little tired of me, taking me for granted. It had been almost two months since my last performance so, to the audience, it was my homecoming.

I’m damn hot and know it. I can also put on quite a show, which Anthony likes. Since he’s back in charge, a good show is what he’s going to get. It really helps if the crowd gets into it. Tonight, they are.

I start with the big strut around the stage, swinging my hips, tits and ass, trying to smile at the crowd. The smile is tough to manage. I work the edge of the stage, not too close though. Some of the girls let the crowd paw them but it makes me nervous. My costume is pretty simple tonight, just a shiny gold bikini top and thong with gold pumps. That way there is more skin for friction on the pole.

After circling the stage twice, I move to the center pole and lean into it, hands up high. I slide up and down a couple of times, the pole in the center of my breasts. I then lean away from the pole and swing around several times, my feet at the base. Moving back to the pole, I slide up and down again, this time with my back to the pole, resting it in the crack of my ass, wiggling my hips as I go, pressing my tits together.

After the last slide, I bend forward at the waist, letting my breasts dangle, showing them to the crowd as I shake my chest. Pivoting on my left foot, I return to the pole and then climb it, wrapping my legs around it and pulling myself up. Once I reach the top, I let go with my hands and lay back, ending upside down, my hair draped on the floor. I remove my top and throw it aside, then jiggle my boobs and tweak my nipples. I hold this position until I start to get woozy from the blood pooling in my head. I swing my body back upright, which is really hard on my abs, grab the pole, release my legs and spread them wide. I again slide down the pole, ending up on the floor doing the splits. I pull myself upright and then strut around the stage again, making sure everyone gets a good look at my tits.

I did put on a few pounds when I stayed with Bob, half went to my ass, the other half to my boobs. The crowd cheers and the guys up front reach for me, but I stay just out of range, teasing them. I then drop to my knees and start my floor moves, crawling like a cat, slowly moving my shoulders and hips, letting my legs trail behind me, arching my back, licking my lips and locking eyes with different guys as I move around. I prefer the pole to the floor because fewer girls can really work the pole, and the floor is usually a little dirty and too close to the crowd.

I stand up again and unhook one side of the thong. I turn in place, letting the guys see what I’ve done. They start to whoop. I hook it back up but repeat with the other side. Same reaction. I let it drop to the floor and step out of the thong. I’m naked except for the shoes. The strut starts again. Guys are starting to dive at me. I keep walking, swinging my ass and boobs but looking around for Anthony. He’s the one who keeps things from getting out of hand. I don’t see him so I decide to wrap this up before a riot starts. I go back to the pole, grab it about half way up, lifting myself off the ground, spread my legs wide and spin around slowly, giving everyone a good look at my pussy. The crowd goes nuts. I drop back down in the splits, pop upright and prance off, waving to the crowd and picking up my costume as I go. I get backstage without any trouble. Candi is waiting there to meet me.

“Damn girl! You’ve got them whipped up. I’m next. If anything happens to me, it’s your fault. Let’s talk after I’m done.”

Her music starts and she shimmies off to start her set. I walk over to the makeup tables, pick up the least filthy towel I can find, sit down and wipe the sweat off my body. There is a terry cloth robe on a hook near me so I pull it off and put it on. Leaning back in my chair, I close my eyes. I’m going to hurt in the morning, it’s going to take at least a week to get back into dancing shape. I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders. Opening my eyes, I see Anthony looming over me.

“Great set Honey! There are about a dozen guys lined up out there to fuck the shit out of you. Pays to advertise. You should take six weeks off more often. Unfortunately, the Doc wants to talk with you tonight, so those guys will have to wait their turn. Well, there’s always tomorrow. I’ll let you know when she gets here. Really good work out there.” Anthony heads back out to the floor.

Why does Amy want to see me? Wasn’t smacking me in the face enough for her? God. Damn. Bitch.

I close my eyes again and sink back into my chair. Candi’s music is just ending. There’s a bunch of applause and whoops and she comes strutting through the curtains. I stand up to greet her but she beats me to the punch, strongly hugging me.

“Honey, I haven’t seen you since your date with Bob. How did it go? Where did you eat? What did you do after supper?”

I pull myself from her hug. “Slow down, slow down. Take a breath. It was wonderful, maybe the best night of my life. We ate at the ‘French Room’ ... ”

“OOOOO, that place is great! Expensive, but good! What did you have?”

“Guinea hen stuffed with lobster, asparagus and French Onion soup.”
“That sounds scrumptious! Sit down and tell me all about it.”

We sit down at the make up tables and I give her the story of the entire evening, the meal, the dancing, Tom and Gwen Francis and the paparazzi waiters. Candi laughs about the camera phones.

“I’ll have to go on line tonight and see what I can find. I’ve never heard of something like that happening before. Isn’t technology grand?”

“I don’t know if agree with you about the technology thing. Frankly, it was a little unnerving to have all those guys secretly taking my picture.”

“Maybe I’ll put the pictures I took on line.”

“Please Candi, don’t. That kind of publicity is the last thing I need.” Candi scoots her chair closer to me.

“You haven’t said anything about what happened when you got home.”

I lean in closer to her with a sly smile. “You’re right, I haven’t.”

She’s exasperated. “Don’t hold out on me! Spill it!”

“Wwweeeeellllllll, let me think about it.”

She swats my arm playfully. “I worked my ass off for you Honey! You owe me this.” I decide to give in.

“OK, fine. What do you want to know?”

“I want to know what happened, damn it!”

“I don’t want to get in to too many details, but I can say that Bob is no longer impotent and that he made up for a lot of lost time.”

“Was he any good?”

I take her hands in mine. “He was the best I have ever had, the best sex I have ever had, the most sex I have ever had and you had a lot to do with it.”

That wasn’t quite true. I didn’t want to tell her about the Wrangler post Super Bowl parties, which I don’t think of as sex exactly, more like biologically induced rape.

“Honey, I’m so happy for you!” Candi said, tears in her eyes. “I hope it all works out for you and Bob.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell for Bob and I, I just smiled back at her.

“We’ll have to see about that Candi, but thanks again for all you did. Thank Marie too when you see her next time.” Anthony walks in.

“Get dressed Honey, she’s here. She wants to see you in your room. Hurry up.” He hurries out. Candi looks at me, head cocked to one side.

“What was that about?”

“My doctor wants to meet me.”

“Your doctor makes house calls? I’d like to meet him.” I pull on a thong and fasten my bra.

“It’s a her and not exactly a house call. It’s hard to explain. I’ve got to go. I’ll give you more details about Bob’s ‘performance’ later. He’s got more tricks than Houdini.”

“Who’s Houdini?”

“Right, before your time, sorry. How about Doug Henning?” I drop a blue mini dress over my head and pull it down my body.

“Nope.”

“Alright. David Blaine?” I slip my feet into my high heels.

“Oh, right, a magician. Sometimes Honey, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You’re not the only one. See ya.” I slip out of backstage and head for my room.

I’m a nervous wreck when I reach my door. I pause to catch my breath. Nothing good can come from this meeting. I reach for the doorknob but catch some motion out of the corner of my eye. I look left. It’s Bob, standing at the end of the hallway. He doesn’t say anything but gives me the ‘Thumbs Up’ signal and smiles. I return the smile and the signal. I feel much better knowing that he’s here. I open the door and walk in.

* * ** * ** * ** * *
Anthony left at least ten minutes ago to get Honey and she’s still not here. Two months ago, she would not have left me waiting so long.

I use the time to review some pictures stored on my laptop. They were found on the internet by my personal assistant, Janet Lester. They are camera phone pictures of Honey at the French Room and the Adolphus Hotel, eating, dancing and generally enjoying herself. Bob is probably there but, not surprisingly, the photographers are concentrating on Honey. I must admit that she is stunning, a testament to my skill and planning.

This room really is depressing. No privacy. Bland colors. No view from the window. Just a chair, a bed, a dresser, a lamp, a bath, a sink, a rack for some clothes. Quite soul crushing.

It is perfect.

I check to make sure that my contribution to the décor is still screwed to the dresser and aimed correctly at the bed. The clock reads 8:22 p.m. Honey has kept me waiting twelve minutes. This is simply unacceptable. I hear the doorknob turn, the door opens and Honey walks in.

“There you are Honey! Come in. Have a seat on the bed.” She sits on the edge of her bed while I sit on the chair. “We need to get caught up on what you have been up to these last few weeks. It has been a while since we last talked.”

“We talked about nine hours ago when you smacked me in the face Dr. Hanson. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

It is worse than I thought. She would never have even thought about talking to me like that two months ago. She is just sitting there, with an intentionally blank, emotionless face. No obvious fear or nerves.

“I have not forgotten Honey. I just needed to make a point.”
“What point was that, Dr. Hanson?”

I force a smile. “That I am in charge Honey. You are my creation and that I can do what I want with you.”

“I don’t think anyone is questioning that Dr. Hanson.” She smiles back at me. That was a surprising answer.

“You have changed Honey and I do not believe I like it.” She shrugs her shoulders.

“Bob and I discussed my situation several times over the last few weeks. It helped me understand things. He told me that I should simply tell you the truth at all times. If I tell you the truth, there will be no reason for you to torture me for information.”
“Then explain these.” I flip the top up on my laptop, displaying the pictures from the cell phones. Honey leans forward, looking closely at them.

“He thought that might happen. Most of them aren’t very good, they don’t really do me justice. I looked very hot that night.”

“What were you doing out dressed like that?”

"I talked Bob into going out for a night on the town."

“You planned this?”

“No, I talked him into going out, but he made all the plans. We ate supper at the ‘French Room’ and then went dancing.” She leaned back on the bed. “Then we went back home and made wild, passionate love the rest of the night and early morning. Bob told me to thank you for the results of his treatments. I’d like to add my thanks for that too.”

That is more information than I needed. “You have fucked hundreds of men. What makes Bob James so special?” She has an unfocused look on her face.

“Bob James is the finest lover I have ever had. He knows exactly how to treat a woman, what turns her on, what buttons to push, where to touch and when. No one else is even close.”

I think that must be what rapture looks like. “Even better than Anthony?”

She actually snorts at that. “I’ve never been more than a cum dump to Anthony. It’s apples and oranges.”

“That is all quite interesting, but I would like to put your willingness to tell the truth to the test. Does Bob James have any plans to try to rescue you?”

“From what?”

“From me, from Anthony, from this.” I gesture around the room.

She looks down at the ground. “Unfortunately not. We both agree that I am truly stuck here.”

A likely story. “Why should I believe you without further questioning?”

She looks up at me, anger clearly in her eyes. “You mean torture, don’t you? Go ahead. You did it once, you’ll probably do it again. I survived.” Now she is sneering at me. “Bob made a point of never saying anything in front of me that I couldn’t tell you. He was much more careful than you or Anthony ever were.”

“Are you saying he is smarter than I am?”

“I don’t know about smarter, but probably more careful, more cautious. He’s a devious son of a bitch.”

“So he may have a plan and not tell you about it.”

She returns her eyes to the floor at her feet. “I thought about that, hoped and prayed that he had a hidden plan, but I just don’t see how he could do it.” She lifts her head and looks back at me, tears in her eyes. “Do you see any way he could pull it off?”

“No Honey, there is no way he could succeed. Bob may be very smart … but I am smarter.”
“So why torture me? You already have your answer.” She is pretty sly herself.

“Maybe I just want to, isn’t that a good enough reason?”

She stands up. “I’m sure that it’s good enough for you. Unless you plan on starting right now, I have to get back to work. Is there anything else Dr. Hanson?”

“No Honey, nothing else ... for now.” She strides past me, out of the room.

Well, that could have gone better. Her spirit is not broken; it may not even be bent. How could more than three years of hard work be undone in six weeks? What exactly did Bob say to her? More importantly, what can I do to crush Honey Sweet-Lay? I pick up my laptop and walk out the door. Bob is leaning against the wall at the end of the hall.

“Mr. James, why am I not surprised to see you here?”

“Because very little surprises you Doctor.”

“Oh you are not correct about that Mr. James. Ms. Sweet-Lay just surprised me in the last few minutes with an unwelcome display of will and spirit. Where do you suppose that came from?"

He pushes himself off the wall and walks towards me. “I suspect that I am partially to blame for that.”

“Only partially?” He is now standing next to me.

“Yes Doctor, only partially. Your efforts over these last few years left her damaged, but hardly beyond repair. All I did was treat her like a human being and she blossomed. Remember, my original plan was to find a desperate woman, rescue her and then employer her to care for me in my anticipated disabled condition. I did not find out about Honey’s true situation until after that process had begun. So, I helped fix her but you left me the opening.”

“We need to talk Mr. James.”

“I agree Doctor but it will have to be tomorrow, or some day at least a week after tomorrow.”

“Why those particular days?”

“I will be gone next week. I need to payback one of my associates who assisted me while I was under your care.”

I pull my PDA from my purse and turn it on. “I can see you after 3:45 p.m. tomorrow.”

“I will be there at 3:50 then. Good night Doctor.”

“Good night, Mr. James.” He turns and walks back to the club floor. I need to formulate some kind of plan, get ready for that meeting. I just cannot escape the feeling that I am being played the fool.

* * ** * ** * ** * *

It took most of the night, but I believe that I am ready to face Bob James. I have been operating upon a few assumptions that have not been proven true, nor have they been proven false. The validity of his advice and recommendations are contingent upon the truth of those assumptions, which will be put to the test today. I rearrange the chairs in my office to put a little extra room between them and my desk. I would like to keep Bob further away from me, just in case. It is 3:35. Bob tends to be prompt. I page Janet on the phone.

“Yes, Dr. Hanson?”

“When Mr. James arrives, buzz me, then wait ten minutes and show him to my office.”

“Certainly, Dr. Hanson.”

All along, Bob’s advice seems to make a certain amount of sense. I hate to admit it, but my plans concerning the destruction of Josh Thomas’s will seem to not have been one hundred percent successful. The physical changes are perfect, as are most of the mental changes. He has accepted that he is now a she. She also pretty much acts like a female in manner and dress, though more like a whore than a real woman thanks to Anthony’s careful training. The problem is that she has retained too much free will. The constant threats of beatings by Anthony and her biological compulsion to fuck like a bunny keep her from exercising that free will, but somehow it remains intact. Bob could be correct about why my plan was not as effective as I hoped it would be. The limited research I was able to do overnight seems to support his criticism. My problem is that while all his suggestions make sense, they also seem to make Honey’s life easier and lessens my control.
The phone buzzes. He’s here. I want him to wait. It’s a petty power play on my part and he will likely recognize it as such, but I don’t care. I am tired of being on the defensive all the time.

I busy myself with some paperwork while waiting for Bob, but I cannot really concentrate on it. There is a certain amount of risk in what I plan to do today. There is a knock at my door.

“Come in.” Janet opens the door.

“Are you ready for Mr. James now?”

“Yes, thank you Janet, please show him in.” She steps aside, Bob walks in and she shuts the door behind him
.
“Please sit down Mr. James.” Bob sits in the nearest chair

“Good afternoon, Doctor.” He has the same blank, emotionless look on his face as Honey did. Now I know where she got it. I nod towards him.

“Good afternoon, Mr. James. I have given your recommendations considerable thought and find them to be mostly reasonable. I am willing to give the tracking device a trial and, should it work, I will remove Honey’s semen addiction. If things do not work out, I can always reverse that change.”

“Will that change cause any other changes? Honey suspects that the addiction is also related to her lack of menstrual periods and inability to become pregnant.” I laugh.

“Does Honey want to become pregnant? I can arrange that, you know.”

“To my knowledge, she has no interest in having a child, but you can speak to her about it. My interest is in preventing unintended consequences. Change one thing in a complex system and you could face a cascade of changes, some anticipated … some not. I do not like surprises.”

I stifle a smile. I plan to surprise you today Bob. “She is partially correct. Once I remove the semen addiction, it will be necessary to begin a regime of birth control. There are many commercial products, however I have an implant I am working on which should be an improvement. It should give a full years’ protection with one dose. Honey will be the first human trial.”

“I am sure she will be happy to be a lab rat.”

Still no change in his expression. “Are there any other changes?”

“Likely not, but there are no guarantees. Honey is unique, obviously, so it is impossible to be absolutely sure. If there are other problems, I will deal with them.”

“That is understandable. Do you have any questions about the tracker?”

“Yes, how does it work?”

“It is GPS based, keeping track of a person by triangulating with several geostationary satellites. The signal is broadcast to the receiver using cell phone frequencies.”
“What is the power source?”

“Rechargeable batteries. The recharging is done through magnetic induction, each charge is good for at least twenty days and it takes two hours to recharge. Battery life is expected to be approximately six years but the technology is fairly new, not a lot of field trials yet so that is just an estimate.”

“How big is it?”

“The main unit is about one third the size of a pack of cigarettes, which is mostly battery. There is a wire antenna that needs to be just below the skin of an arm or a leg. The receiver is the size of a Palm Pilot.”

“How many are in use right now?”

Bob pauses for a moment. “I would say no more than eighty.”

“What prevents interference among the units?”

“Each one has a unique digital code. The current system should handle up to three hundred thousand separate transmitters.”

“So, if the cell phone system is disrupted by power failures or sun spots, I lose track of Honey.”

"That is true. You would also lose her if she lands in a cell phone dead zone, but you cannot stay in a dead zone forever. You would not lose her should there be a problem with the satellites because the system automatically shifts to cell tower triangulation, which works, but is not as accurate as the satellite system. The number of cell phone dead zones are decreasing all the time. It is a multi frequency system, so it works worldwide. This is not a perfect replacement for your semen addiction solution, but all choices have pluses and minuses, including your addiction plan. In addition, this system should get better and more reliable as time passes.”

“How is it that you have access to this equipment?”

“One of the benefits of my prior employment.”

Yes, his employment as an assassin. Well ... we will see about that. “Do we have permission to use it? I don't want to get into trouble with the government.”

“As long as I remain a part of the group, we can safely use the system.”

Ah, the indispensable man ploy. We cannot afford to lose him because it would cause too many problems. The more dependant we become on him, the more power he has.

“It all sounds quite impressive Mr. James, assuming it works.”

“Oh it works Doctor, trust me.”

“You have hit the nail on the head Mr. James. Not to put too fine a point on it, I don’t trust you. Perhaps more accurately, I don’t believe you.” He does not react at all, which is frustrating.

“Exactly what do you not believe Doctor?”

“I don’t believe that you are an ex-government assassin. You have given me no proof except your word and a short beating of Anthony.”

“What about the blood pressure incident during my initial treatment?”

“That just proves that you have access to unique technology, like this tracking system. You could have simply hired some people to watch you for a few weeks and monitor your condition. My problem is that I think that you are lying to me. If you are, then you can not be trusted and neither can your advice.”

He closes his eyes and sighs deeply. “Doctor, are you telling me that you wish to revoke our agreement?”

“No, I am saying that I want you to prove to me that you are an assassin.”

“How do you propose that I do that?”

I can’t help smiling. “Why kill someone, of course.”

He opens his eyes and stares at me, head slightly cocked to one side. “I told you that I was done with that life, that I would not kill to further your plans."

“Isn’t that rather convenient? ‘I am a killer but I don’t do that anymore so don’t ask me to kill anyone.’ I am a scientist Mr. James. I need evidence, proof, something tangible.”

He sits in silence for a few moments. “You are assuming that I will not just refuse your request and leave you in the mess that you have created.”

“Don’t talk to me about ‘my mess’. This is about you. Any time I challenge you, you insult me to divert my questions. It will not work this time. I think that you have enjoyed the benefits of my treatments and would be loathe to give them up. I understand that you and Honey had a couple of very enjoyable weeks together. If you are as good as she says you are, you should have no trouble replacing her. Is that something you are willing to lose?”

“Do not assume that all men are controlled by their penises Doctor. I would prefer to keep my virility, but I will not sacrifice my integrity for it.”

“Integrity!” I jeer. “What do you know of integrity? Trying to take Honey from me. Helping a rapist escape justice. Don’t talk to me about your integrity!” I stand up, walk around my desk and lean against the corner. “Besides, even if you leave, I will make sure that Honey pays the price. She will think that the last three years have been paradise when I get done with her.”

Bob says nothing, drumming the fingers of his right hand on his leg. He raises his right eyebrow. “What exactly are you proposing?”

I’ve got him! “That you kill someone and provide me with irrefutable proof. Once you have done that, we can talk about your tracker.”

“I assume that you are off limits as a target.”

A weak show of spirit on his part. “You won’t harm me or Anthony and I doubt you would even consider Honey. Other than that, I do not care.”

“It is quite clear that you do not care, Doctor.” He stands and walks over to my window, looking out. “You remind me of my past employers. They did not care about the consequences of their decisions either. They had their reasons for wanting a particular person or group dead, unfortunately killing someone is like throwing a stone in a calm pool of water, ripples spreading well beyond the initial impact. My employers rarely thought beyond the first or second ripple. I, on the other hand, could see the fifth or sixth ripple. The benefits from the death usually were less than the ultimate harm. Eventually, I started seeing effects that even I could not predict. That was why I decided to get out of the business. I could no longer be the tool of ignorant idiots.” He turns away from the window. “Now you are attempting to force me to kill again just to satisfy your curiosity. Who are you proposing I kill?”

“Some homeless person, a drug addict on the street, a hooker that no one will miss. There are probably hundreds of potential targets out there in Dallas alone.” He walks back to my desk.

“I think you believe that you are giving me no choice in the matter, but there is always a choice. People claim that they are forced to do something to avoid personal responsibility for their choices. I refuse to do that. I accept your request Doctor.” He reaches into a coffee cup I keep on my desk with an assortment of ink pens in it, removing a classic Bic Stick plastic barrel pen. “Please ask Ms. Lester to come in.”

“Why do you need her?”

“Because I am going to kill her in your office, right now, with this pen.”

“Don’t be absurd! You can not kill some one with a pen and you certainly are not going to kill my assistant in my office!”

He twirls the pen in his fingers. “I certainly can kill someone with a pen. You are old enough to remember that old television commercial where they fired this type of pen through a board and it still works. You drive this pen through the temple of someone’s head and they will die ... eventually. It is not fast or clean but it works.”

This is not funny. “Yes, you are right. That would kill someone but you are not killing Janet. I forbid it!” Bob walks up to me, sneering as his face nears mine, a steely cold look in his eyes. I may have made a serious mistake.

“Actually Doctor, I was just humoring you when I asked who you wanted killed. Once you decided to give me this little test, your opinion no longer mattered. You clearly do not take this seriously so I have decided to bring the consequences of violent death home to you. Since I cannot kill you, Anthony or Honey, Janet Lester is the next best choice. You know her but she is not vital to the operation of the clinic. You are going to call her back to your office.” He holds the pen in front of my face. “I am going to jam this pen into the side of her head. If that does not kill her, I will beat her head in with this chair. I will then leave the body here for you to deal with.”

“Are you insane?! Every one in the clinic will know what you have done! How do I explain this to her husband, her children?!”

“Your employees know how to keep secrets; this will just be one more. As for the husband and children, that will be your problem Doctor. Now please call her.”

He actually expects me to cooperate with him. “I will do no such thing! This whole idea is ridiculous! If you are going to act like this, just forget I even asked you to prove that you were an assassin.”

“Doctor, you did not ask, you demanded. You had a good reason for doing so. You do not believe me and we cannot continue until you do. Therefore, I must decline your request to stop. It is too late to retract your demand of proof. Since you will not bring Ms. Lester to me, I will go find her.” Bob quickly strides to the door, throws it open and walks out before I can stop him. I run out after him.

“Bob, stop! Stop right now! You leave her alone! I demand that you stop immediately!” He is much faster than he looks. By the time I catch up with him, he is in the lobby. I look around but do not see Janet anywhere.

Bob also looks around the lobby and then quickly walks down the hall to the lab. I run after him. He opens the door and sticks his head in.

“Excuse me Ms. Connors, have you seen Ms. Lester?” I get there just as she opens her mouth to answer him.

“Don’t answer that!” Connors’ eyes are wide in shock.

“But Doctor, she’s gone for the day, don’t you remember? She had a dental appointment.” My God, I had forgotten that I had given her permission to leave early today. Bob just stands there, rolling the pen in his hand. He checks his watch.

“It appears that Ms. Lester is getting a brief reprieve. I have a plane to catch and must not be late. I will be back in seven to ten days. Ms. Lester will be dealt with when I return. I suggest that you do not warn her or attempt to hide her from me because I will find her. Either that or I will substitute Ms. Connors or Ms. Smith.” He hands me the pen. “Good bye, Doctor.” He walks to the lobby and leaves. I slump against the wall.

Connors is staring at me. “What was that all about?”

I straighten up, pulling myself together. “Nothing you need to worry about. I will deal with it.”

I just don’t know how.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

The club always has some kind of special program for Halloween. The dancers dress in the classic “sexy” costumes, sexy nurse, sexy cop, sexy schoolgirl and so on. I get the sexy maid. Short black satin dress with petticoats, lace apron, lace cap, fishnet stockings with garter belt, feather duster and black pumps. It’s a lot harder to work the pole with stockings, less friction, but I put on a good show. The crowd is still happy to see me back on stage. Unfortunately, they are also happy that I am once again available for fucking. Anthony was right; they have been lining up all week to fuck the shit out of me. They are all enthusiastic, which is something, but none of them has Bob’s skills. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be the same.

I’m afraid that he may have been wrong about that “loved and lost” thing. I still get off on the sex, still have orgasms, still need that sexual relief, but it’s not the same anymore. After sex with Bob, everyone else is kind of “blah”. It’s just not enough, like you spent your whole life eating vegetables and then you finally get to eat chocolate for a few weeks and then back to vegetables for the rest of your life. Vegetables after chocolate ain’t the same. Same deal with sex after Bob. I had just finished licking my last customer’s cock clean when Anthony knocked on the door.

“Honey, when you’re done, wash up and come to my office.”

Great. I hope that he just wants to talk, because I’m beat. This last guy was going to be the final one for the night.

The john pats me on the top of the head, like I’m his dog, and tells me that I did a good job. Gee, thanks buddy, I aim to please. After he leaves, I wash the cum off my face and reapply my lipstick. Please God, let this be quick so I can go to bed and get some sleep. I put my panties back on, adjust the top of my dress and head off to Anthony’s office. The door is closed so I knock.

“Come in Honey.” I open the door and look in. Damn! Amy is here. I just can not catch a break tonight. Anthony points to a chair.

“Have a seat.” I sigh, walk in and sit down. Amy looks worried, though she is trying not to. Anthony’s also uncomfortable. I wonder where Bob is. Anthony coughs lightly to clear his throat.

“Honey, we need to talk to you. There may be a small problem and you might be able to help.”

Amy is looking at the wall, avoiding me. Anthony sounds really concerned. Where is Bob? “I’ll do what I can, Sir.”

“That’s good Honey.” He doesn’t say anything else, clearly trying to decide either what to say or how to say it. “About a week ago, the Doc and Bob had a small ... disagreement. Bob said he would ... ah ... do something that Dr. Hanson would prefer he not do. He’s been out of town on ... business for the last week but he’s supposed to be back any day. No one’s heard from him and the Doc would really like to talk to him before something bad happens.”

Amy glares at him when he says “bad”, like he’s giving something away. I decide to just listen for awhile. Anthony keeps talking.

“We thought that you may know of some way to reach him, a phone number, an email address, something we could use to contact him. It’s important.” Wow, from “small problem” to “important” in two minutes. This could be interesting.

“I am sorry, Sir. Bob only gave me his cell phone number, which is the same one he gave you and Dr. Hanson. Isn’t he answering his phone?” I say that last part a bit too innocently. Can’t help it.

“Do you have anything else? The name of someone maybe?”

“Nothing, Sir. Bob was extremely careful to avoid telling me anything like that. He never slipped up.” Unlike the other people in this room. “He never mentioned any other names in all the time I spent with him.” Anthony is disappointed and Amy is pissed. I can’t explain why, but I feel like taking a chance. “If either of you could tell me what is going on, I might be able to help more.” Neither of them say anything. “I mean, if it is so important and all.” I’ve taken the plunge.

Anthony looks at Amy and she nods her head slightly. He starts again. “Bob and Dr. Hanson were talking about Bob’s recent ... suggestions. She told him that she had ... uh ... problems with some of his ideas and wanted him to ...” Anthony got stuck here. He couldn’t figure out a way to say it without upsetting Amy. I turned to her.

“What did you want Bob to do?” She looks surprised that I’m speaking directly to her, but I don’t think she plans on answering me. I turn to Anthony. “What is going on here? Why are you both so afraid of what Bob may do?” Anthony is still hesitating. This is just wasting my time.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I have nothing else to say because I don’t know what this is about and have no idea what I may know that could help.” I stand up. “Can I go to bed now?”

Amy finally speaks. “Sit down Honey.” I sit down, facing her. She says nothing else for a moment or two. “I told Bob that I thought that he had some useful ideas, but that I needed further proof that he was what he said he was before I would proceed.” Oh God no, she couldn’t be that stupid.

“Do you mean proof that he was a killer?”

“Yes.”

Stupid doesn’t begin to describe it.

“What kind of proof?” Amy can’t look at me. I turn again to Anthony. “What kind of proof, Sir?”

“She wanted him to kill someone.”

Well, that would be proof. Why is she so worried when she asked for it herself? Then I remember who we are talking about. Bob never does the expected, that’s his charm in bed and why he’s so hard to deal with otherwise. The penny finally drops.

“So the problem is that he has decided to kill someone that Amy didn’t chose.” I turn back to Amy. “Who is he going to kill?”

“My assistant, Janet Lester.”

Frankly, I would prefer he kill either Connors or Smith, but this probably isn’t the time to bring that up. She also didn’t notice I called her “Amy”.

“Why hasn’t he done it already? Bob’s not the type of guy to put things off.” Anthony answers.

“I told you, he had to leave town on business.” So that was true. I thought he made it up to avoid telling me the truth.

“When is he supposed to get back?”

“He may be back already or in the next three days, we don’t know for sure.”

“If this happened a week ago, why are you just talking to me now?” Anthony points to Amy.
“Ask her.” She glares at him.

“It doesn’t matter why. Apparently you can not help me, so it has been a waste of time.”
She didn’t come to me any sooner because I was her last option. She wouldn’t ask me for help unless absolutely forced to.

“I didn’t say I couldn’t help. Just because I can’t reach Bob doesn’t mean I couldn’t talk him out of killing her. Who’s watching his house?” They look at each other. I can’t believe this.

“No one is watching his house? You don’t know where he is at and no one is keeping watch of the one place you know where he might show up?” I stand up. “I’ll go set up camp at his house. If he shows up, I’ll try to talk him out of killing anyone. I will need to borrow the van.” I hold my hand out to Anthony for his keys. He hesitates.

“Why should I let you go out on your own?”

“You got a better idea?”

“More importantly, why are you helping at all?” asks Amy. “Surely you will want something for this. What is it?” I hadn’t really thought about that. What could I get away with? What the hell, go for broke.

“Change me back.”

Amy laughs wildly. “No chance. Bob could kill a thousand people and my answer would be the same.” Nothing ventured, nothing gained. What is something she might agree to?

“Stop my addiction to Anthony’s semen.” I hate that and how it makes me feel.

Amy answers with a sneer. “Agreed, you stop Bob and I will make that change.”

“I can’t guarantee that I can stop him. I will try … if I can find him.”

“If we can not stop him, it may not matter. Give her the keys Anthony.” Anthony opens his desk drawer, removes the van keys and tosses them to me.

“I’ll change clothes, pick up some supplies and get over to his house.”

* * ** * ** * ** * *
I change into my most comfortable outfit, which still leaves me looking like a whore or a party girl. I put some bedding in the back of the van along with some bottled water and snacks from the bar. I can watch for a few hours outside his house with this stuff, but will need more supplies if it is going to be a long term stay.

I drive over to his house and park in the driveway. I want him to know I’m here. I get out and walk around the house. There doesn’t seem to be anyone home. I’m not dumb enough to try any of the doors or windows, God knows what kind of security precautions he’s taken. I go back to the van, find a piece of paper and pen in the glove box and write a note.

“Bob,
I am in the van. Please don’t do anything without first talking to me.

Honey”

I put the note on the front door. There is no reason to push him. He’ll either agree to talk with me or not. I stay awake until 3:00 a.m. but am just too tired. I go to the back, wrap up in the blankets and quickly drop off to sleep.

* * ** * ** * ** * *

I wake up, stretching out the kinks from sleeping on the metal floor of a van. Wait ... I’m not in the van. I sit up and look around. I’m back in my room in Bob’s house, in my old bed. My clothes are hanging in the closet and I am wearing one of Bob’s T-shirts. I look over at the clock radio. It’s 10:42 a.m. I can smell coffee so I get up and shuffle to the kitchen. Bob is sitting at the table, reading the paper and sipping coffee.

“Good morning Honey. Would you like some breakfast, or perhaps brunch?”

“When did you get in?”

“About 4:10 a.m. It was cold outside and I could not leave you out there all night.”

“Thanks. Why not just wake me and invite me in?”

“You looked so beautiful just lying there, wrapped in blankets, I did not have the heart to wake you.”

“If what I have been told is true, you do have the heart to go back to killing innocent people.” Bob stiffens.

“Dr. Hanson should not have accused me of lying to her. I will not tolerate that from anyone. She also should not have threatened your well being.” I thought that she might have done something like that. Stupid bitch.

“Please Bob, don’t kill some innocent woman because you’re pissed at being insulted or to protect me.”

He shakes his head. “Amy Hanson needs to learn a lesson.”

“Fine, kill or seriously hurt her then, but Janet Lester hasn’t done anything wrong. Amy hired her after my transformation so she has nothing to do with any of this.”

“Did she ask you to come out here to talk with me?”

“They finally told me what was happening at the last minute. It was my idea to come out here. No one knew how to get in touch with you.” I walk over to the coffee pot, pour myself a cup and sit down at the table.

“What are you getting for coming out here to talk to me?”

“Why would I be getting anything?”

“One, you did not deny it, instead responding to my question with a question, attempting to deflect me. Two, while I would hope you are a more altruistic person now than you once were, I do not think you would pass up the chance to extract some concessions from Amy.”

I swear, he is always two steps ahead everyone. “She agreed to end my addiction to Anthony’s semen if I stop you from killing Janet Lester.”

He didn’t say anything for about half a minute. “You sure you want that?”

OK, I’m confused. “Of course I want that. I’m sick and tired of being betrayed by my own body. I want some control back in my life.”

He pauses again. “I will say just one thing ... be careful what you wish for. I know it is a cliché, but clichés are clichés for a reason. They are often true.”

“Aren’t you the one who told Amy the whole addiction thing was a bad idea from the start?”

“Yes, but that was because it was the wrong strategy. Once the addiction plan was implemented, there are likely other aspects of your biology that it also affects. You may not like living with the consequences should she make the changes you are requesting.”

Sometimes he gives me a headache. “You want to tell me what is really going on?”

“You know I cannot even comment on that question.”

“Just like old times. Will you agree not to harm Lester or anyone else on Amy’s staff?”
“I will agree to meet with Amy later today to discuss it.”

She’ll probably agree, if only to buy some time.

“I’ll call her to see if she will agree to that but let her sweat a bit. In the meantime, I’ll fix breakfast.” I start to stand.

“Sit down, I will fix breakfast. How about steak and eggs?”

“No offense, but your eggs are greasy.”

“Perhaps you can show me the correct technique?”

God, how I miss this.

* * ** * ** * ** * *

I call Amy after breakfast and let her know that I’ve spoken with Bob. She agrees to meet with him at the club at 2:00 p.m. I get dressed and we hang out until time for the meeting. I tell him about the camera phone pictures on the web and we spend some time looking for them, finding my photos on several MySpace and Facebook pages. The large percentage of comments are favorable, the rest think that I’m a hired escort. Either way, they all agree that I am spectacular. I hope nobody ever makes the connection between me and those pictures. If that happens, I’ll never get any peace at the club.

Bob seems to be in a good mood when we leave for the club. He’s driving his car and I follow in the van. However, when we get there, he’s withdrawn and sullen. He can be a real hard guy when he wants to. We walk in. Anthony’s waiting for us. I’m not sure if Amy has him here as protection from Bob or if he’s got his own turf to defend. I give him the van keys and start to head for my room.

“Wait Honey.” Anthony reaches out and grabs my arm, then looks quickly at Bob and lets me go. “Sorry. The Doc wants you at the meeting.”

Why does she want me there? Am I going to be some kind of bargaining chip? I look at Bob, but he has no reaction. I don’t really have a choice so I follow them to Anthony’s office. Amy is already there and she looks like she’s had a rough night. Her face is haggard, hair out of place, clothes rumpled. She always looks so perfect, so together, all the time. Bob must have her worried. Anthony closes the door. Bob takes charge right away.

“You wanted to see me, Doctor? I thought that I made my intentions clear the last time we met.” You can hear the steel in that voice, a “don’t fuck with me” tone that you would have to be an idiot to miss. Amy’s not an idiot.

“Yes Mr. James, you did make your intentions very clear. I just think that there has been a misunderstanding.” She is trying to match his tone, but can’t because she is trying to back track from something.

“No Doctor, there was no misunderstanding. You called me a liar and demanded that I kill some poor unfortunate person to redeem myself.” He’s not going to give her any way out. Anthony seems interested in their conversation but not particularly nervous. If Amy had brought him in as muscle to use against Bob, he’d be more on edge. They are going one on one this time.

“I never said that you were a liar. I just said that I was having a hard time believing you. Even you would have to admit that the odds of an assassin showing up in Anthony’s club are astronomical.”

“What are the odds of a Nobel Prize Laureate showing up in Anthony’s club?”

“That is not a fair comparison. I have business with Anthony.”

“That is true. The business is tormenting a young woman. I too had business, which was searching for a tormented young woman. Remember, Anthony’s club was neither my first nor last stop. I had visited several clubs in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Galveston and other cities. I would say that our paths were almost certain to cross.”

“I still say your presence is unusual.”

“The odds are long only because there are so few of us. The same could be said about the gas station I frequent, the grocery store where I shop and the movie theater I go to. While there are not a lot of retired assassins, we are all some place all the time. Your lack of belief has nothing to do with ‘the odds’. It is just an excuse to ignore my conclusions and advice. What I find most offensive is your attitude towards other people you consider below your position in society. The less fortunate are not fodder to be sacrificed to satisfy your morbid curiosity. The death of any individual leaves a hole in the lives of those who knew them, loved them. Some deaths leave larger holes than others. I imagine that your death, Doctor, would leave a hole that would require a micrometer to measure.”

Damn Bob! Amy looks like she’s been punched in the gut. She starts to speak but Bob moves quickly to stand in front of her, his hand raised to silence her. Anthony remains motionless.

“Janet Lester’s death will traumatize her family and friends. It will also destroy your relationship with the remaining clinic staff. They will know that you sacrificed her life in a futile attempt to question my bona fides. They will begin to wonder how safe they are. A youthful long life is only good if your boss doesn’t throw you to the wolves. I seriously doubt that your clinic will survive the disruption. When all is said and done, you will begin to understand some of the consequences of murder.” Bob turns his back to Amy and walks to the door. “If you will excuse me, I have a distasteful job to do.” He reaches for the doorknob.

“Please stop!” Amy has found her voice. “What can I do to convince you not to do this? I will do what you want. I will end Honey’s addiction; I will use your tracker. Clearly you do not want to kill her so don’t. Tell me what you want.” He stops, turns around and crosses his arms across his chest.

“I want an apology.” Amy looks surprised.

“Is that all?”

“Yes Doctor, an honest, sincere, heartfelt apology. This also means that you will never question my honesty or motives in the future. Those subjects will be now and forever off the table.” Bob walks back to stand in front of Amy. ”This has never been about you following my advice without question. I have my reasons for my suggestions and you are free to agree or disagree, take it or leave it. As long as you have good, logical reasons for your decision, it is fine with me. I could be wrong ... though that rarely happens. What I will not tolerate is you questioning my honesty or motives. If you can accept these terms, I will spare Ms. Lester.”

“I certainly apologize for any unintended offense you may have taken due to my unfortunate choice of ... ”

“Goodbye Doctor. See you at the funeral.” Bob heads for the door again. Amy panics.
“Wait! Wait! I am apologizing. I am sorry for ...” He comes back, pointing his finger within inches of her nose.

“That was a politician’s apology. An attempt to brush off responsibility by claiming any harm was ‘unintended’. You can either admit what you did was intentional or you can admit that you are a moron who has no idea of the effect of her idiotic words. Chose one because they are mutually exclusive.”

Amy is red faced with anger. There is no way she would say she was a moron. Bob is going to force her to admit she was wrong, not give her a way to wriggle out of it. This has got to be killing her. Bet she’s sorry I’m here to see it.

“Fine, yes I did demand that you kill someone to prove you were a killer. Yes, I did suggest that your victim be one of those little people that no one would miss. And yes, I did make a mistake in ever bringing this up. Are you happy now?”

“Not exactly on point Doctor but close enough. Let me know what you decide to do about the tracker. One other thing. I assume that Honey’s presence today is a subtle hint that you could hurt her if things did not go your way. Do not ever try that again.” He nods at Anthony and leaves.

I’ve never seen anybody push Amy around like that. If I didn’t hate her guts, I’d probably feel sorry for her. As it is, I just hope that she keeps her promise about ending my semen addiction. That and not take her anger out on me.

“Well, I’m glad that’s over” says Anthony. “Honey, you can go back to work. Thanks for your help.” I glance at Amy. She’s just sitting there, chin in her hand, thinking. Guess I better start preparing for the evening shift.

“You’re welcome, Sir.”

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

How could things have gone so badly? Everything was under control until Bob James showed up. Honey was completely demoralized, jumping at her own shadow. Anthony was spending his time tormenting her and doing exactly what I told him to do. Now Honey is practically the spokes person for good mental health and Anthony is sitting at his desk across from me, grinning, after Bob forced me to apologize. I need some time to figure out where it all went wrong and how I can correct the mistake. Anthony starts to softly laugh. That is just too much.

“Would you please explain what you find so funny?”

“It’s not funny Doc, just interesting. Bob is a dangerous, crazy fucker, but I think I like him more now than ever. You’ve got to admit, the man has style.”

“Is that what you call it? Style? I call it irrational behavior. How else can you explain his overreaction to my simple request to prove that he is what he says he is?”

Anthony shakes his head. “Wait a minute. Do you mean that you still doubt him after all that?”

“Well ... I’ll admit that he is clearly not your average person. He’s certainly had some experience in black bag type operations and has government contacts but ...”

“Doc, you are out of your mind to even bring this up. If by some remote chance he isn’t a killer, he is damn well capable of it and willing to if necessary. That guy is not afraid of anything or anybody. You’re lucky that he hasn’t tried to take over your clinic and all your discoveries. He’s an eight hundred pound gorilla that is just playing with us instead of pounding us to a pulp.”

“You certainly sound as if you are afraid of him.”

“Fucking damn straight I’m afraid of him. You’d be afraid too if you had any experience with his type. I don’t plan on crossing him until I can figure out his Code.”

“What do you mean ’his Code’?”

“Everybody has a Code, the rules they live by. For most people, it’s the same. You know, like the Ten Commandments, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t fuck your neighbor’s wife, shit like that. There are lots of religions but they all have pretty much the same Code, so 90% of people have pretty much the same Code. It’s the people like you and me who go off the reservation that you have to figure out.” His use of slang often leaves me confused.

“Off the reservation?”

“You know, rule breakers, criminals, the scum of society. People like most of my customers, like me, like you. And, of course, Bob James.”

“How dare you compare me to a criminal! I’ve won the Nobel Prize!”

“Come on Doc, face it. There is no way what you did to Josh Thomas was legal.”

“He raped me! What I did was justice, not a crime!”

“You just proved my point Doc. I didn’t say that you weren’t justified in what you did. I said it wasn’t legal. Once you decided to go your own way and violate the law, you came up with your own set of rules that justified what you did to him. I’m not judging you. I’ve done the same thing about my various enterprises. What I’ve done with Honey is hardly legal, but it fits within my own Code. Every single crook, bum and jerk out there that doesn’t follow society’s rules has their own set of rules. The trick in dealing with someone like that is figuring out what those rules are.”

“Why does that even matter?”

“Because if you know someone’s Code, then you can predict what they’re gonna do. If you know their Code … it’s like you’ve read their Owner’s Manual.”

“So, if you know someone’s ‘Code’, you can control them?”

“Depends on the Code. Sometimes it’s possible, but usually it just means that you can make a pretty good guess as to how they’ll react to a particular situation. With some of the crazies out there, that’s the difference between making a profit and keeping your intestines inside your body.”

“So, do you know my Code?”

He smiles slightly. “No, not completely but we have been dealing with each other a long time so I’ve got some of it worked out.”

“More importantly, what is Bob James’ Code?” The smile disappears.

“No idea. I first thought he was about protecting the helpless, but then he willingly dropped Honey back into my hands. Then I thought it might involve stopping you from hurting Honey any more, but then he goes giving you good advice about avoiding getting caught. I haven’t spent much time with him and, frankly, I’m pretty sure that I don’t want to. You may not believe that he’s a killer but my gut says that he is, or maybe worse. I am sure of one thing.”

“What is that?”

Anthony leans towards me. “Whatever his Code, he will stick with it come hell or high water. Some guys are driven by their stomachs, some by their cocks; he’s driven by his will. God help anybody who gets in his way.”

* * ** * ** * ** * *

Anthony may not be a mental giant, but he does have a survivor’s instinct. He’s prospered in a dangerous profession, so his advice should not be ignored. That doesn’t mean that I accept all that nonsense about ‘Codes’, but there is a certain amount of truth in what he said. Everyone has a belief system that drives them and that system can vary from person to person. I understood what drove Josh Thomas and used it to control him until it was too late and Honey was born. He was such a simple, predictable person, it was easy.

Of course, no one could do that to me.

I still have not determined exactly what Bob’s game is, nor Anthony’s part in it but I have decided to bide my time. I can take away Honey’s semen addiction and restore it if necessary. The homing device will likely be an acceptable temporary replacement. Once everything has settled down, I can begin sorting out truth from fiction. If anyone is trying to take Honey away from me, there will be hell to pay.

It’s time to call Bob and get the ball rolling. I pick up my office phone and dial Bob’s home number. He picks up on the third ring.

“Good morning, Dr. Hanson.”

“Good morning, Mr. James. I have decided to proceed with your suggestion concerning Honey’s semen addiction and your tracking device. When can you have one available?”

“I have one in my possession as we speak. I understand that Honey is due for her six month tune up in a few weeks. Exactly when is that scheduled?”

“I usually do it around the end of the year, the last week in December. There is no fixed date.” I want her fresh and tight for the Wrangler’s Super Bowl victory party. The players are always very happy to see her.

“I suggest that you move it up and do everything at one time. She will be out of commission for approximately four to five days after the surgery to implant the tracker. Your tune up treatments would likely shorten the recovery time, returning her to Anthony quicker than would otherwise be possible and avoiding two separate periods where she is not available for work. How quickly can you be ready to make the changes to Honey’s biochemistry?”

“The changes are not simple. I can have everything ready in about a week.”

“Today is November third. Could we do it on November twelfth?” I check my schedule.
“The twelfth is not good but the eleventh will work. How long does the surgery take?”

“I have seen it done in as little as thirty minutes. Are you qualified?” Of course I am qualified and he likely knows it.

“You know that I am. It would be useful to have a written procedure to follow to avoid complications and surprises.”

“I have all that along with a DVD showing several successful procedures. I can get them to you today.”

“That will be fine. Plan on the eleventh unless you hear from me otherwise. Is there anything else?”

“Yes, do you have the necessary equipment at your clinic or will we need to find an operating theater at a local hospital?”

“My clinic is fully equipped. Any other questions?”

“No Doctor, nothing else.”

“Good bye, Mr. James.”

I need to get busy. I haven’t operated in years and I certainly do not want to make any mistakes now. Some practice is in order.

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