The continuing sequel to "Team Spirit" by Janice the Dreamer. Honey and her new friends attend a memorable exclusive party. Chapters 35 through 39 of 48. Next posting 11/17/10. Rating and Elements apply to entire story.

TEAM SPIRIT: THE SECOND HALF
By Meps98

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

We loaded the bags in Bob’s car and climbed in.

“We have to make one more stop before heading home Honey. You will need to get some equipment before we can move on to ‘Phase Three’.”

“I think I’ve spent more than enough of your money today. What ‘equipment’ are you talking about?”

Bob has a broad grin. “You should be able to figure that out fairly quickly when we get to the store. Buckle up.” I pull my seat belt tight and we are off. He asks me several questions about the girls, what I think of them and about the guys. He also asks about my plans for the party and what precautions I intend to take. I lay out my game plan, after which he makes a couple of good suggestions. Our conversation is so interesting that I don’t notice where we are. He pulls the car into a parking lot and I look around to see the name of the store ... Big D Adult Video & Novelties.

“Uuuhh Bob, what exactly is ‘Phase Three’?” He parks the car near the front door and kills the engine.

“I believe that it is euphemistically called ‘self love’.” He manages to say that with a straight face.

“You mean masturbation, don’t you?”

“Yes, if you want to use a crass term.”

“Oh, I can think of a lot of terms more crass than ‘masturbation’. I don’t need any special equipment to do that.”

“Don’t be so sure Honey. There are a number of devices that have proven quite useful in helping a woman achieve orgasm. You used a vibrator for an extended period of time for sexual release. I assume that you no longer have it.”

“No, I do, but haven’t used it in a while.”

“You have not needed to because of your supercharged sexual responsiveness. Now you are a normal woman, with a normal woman’s sensitivities and responses. Statistically speaking, over half of women need manual stimulation to achieve orgasm, with a large percentage of them unable to climax during intercourse, often masturbating after their partner has finished. We do not have enough time this weekend to explore all possibilities but we can make a start now.”

The smirk is back, “Let’s go shopping.”

“You’re crazy. I can’t go in there dressed like this. I’m a pervert’s wet dream, the innocent teen age whore.”

“I do not see any other practical choice. We could have done this online but there is not enough time, even with overnight delivery. You are the one who needs to choose what you want because you must be comfortable with it, if it is to be effective. Don’t worry, I will be there the entire time.” He opens his door, gets out, comes around to my door, opens it and extends his hand to me. “Come on Honey, you will be fine. The sooner in, the sooner out, right?”

I sigh and take his hand. “Right, but if you try any funny business, I will never forgive you.” I let him help me out of the car, keeping a firm grip on his hand. We walk to the front door. Bob pushes it open and we step in.

I was expecting a dingy, dirty place with guys in trench coats lurking in corners. Instead, it’s bright, clean and mostly empty. Guess they didn’t put an ad in yesterday’s paper with their “stuff your turkey” specials. The clerk is a woman, in her late 50’s. She looks like a grandmother. It seems like they have more videos than ‘novelties’ but they have a wide variety of stuff. I stay close to Bob, holding his hand, as we walk through the aisles.

“OK.’ I whisper, “Let’s get what I need and get out of here.” Bob nods in agreement.

“The first consideration, I believe, is will Anthony let you keep anything you buy?”

“Anthony’s probably not the problem, Amy is. But since she gave me the original vibrator, I guess she won’t object to anything we buy here.”

“That is logical. The next question is power sources, batteries or 110? Battery powered devices are smaller, less expensive and more flexible. The ones that use household current are more powerful, larger, usually better built but harder to handle due to their size. What are the odds of you being able to get replacement batteries?”

“Not very good. You can be sure Anthony won’t pop for them. I might be able to scavenge some from around the club, swapping good batteries for bad.”

“You are very resourceful Honey but likely correct about Anthony. So, your best choice would seem to be household current. That type often comes with a main power unit with assorted attachments. I suggest that we look for a fully featured set and then supplement it with any battery powered items you find interesting. Now, not everything is powered. Dildos and butt plugs, for example, do not need them.”

“Hold it right there. You know that I’m not fond of anal stuff.”

”Clearly that is up to you Honey. I would just say that the cost of a few anal items is very minimal and you might find them enjoyable in the right circumstances. If you decide not to use them, the loss is small. Let’s see what we can find.”

“Fine … but it’s my choice.”

“Completely your choice. However, when it comes to your pleasure, money is not a concern.”

Great, I’m going to walk out of here with a thousand dollars of sex toys.

We check out all the aisles, Bob’s nothing if not thorough. I end up picking a flashlight sized wand type 110 power unit with about twenty assorted attachments, 8 and 10 inch realistic silicone battery powered vibrators, and, at Bob’s insistence, a set of three assorted sized butt plugs. It’s all in a basket we picked up when we came in the store. As we approach the checkout, the clerk puts down the book she was reading and smiles at us.

“Hello dears. Did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yes, I believe so,” answers Bob. “You have a wide range of products. Very impressive.”

“Why, thank you dear. Only the best from the Far East. We try to buy American but you just can’t find domestically produced sex toys anymore.”

I shake my head. “What is this country coming to?”

“You’ve got that right dear. Why aren’t you just the loveliest girl. It’s a good thing you are here with your ... ”

“Boyfriend” I volunteer.

“… boyfriend. If you were here by yourself, the men would be all over you.” I look around the store. We are the only people shopping.

“Yes, it is certainly a good thing my boyfriend came with me.”

“Do you need any batteries, lubricants or lotions? We have a special on Anal-eze this week.” I look to Bob and mouth “help me”.

“No thank you, we have all the consumables we need.”

“How about condoms?”

“Yes, plenty of condoms.”

I nudge him in the ribs, smiling. “Oh Baby, you sure we have enough condoms?”

“For what I have planned, yes.” The clerk totals and bags the toys. Bob pays cash and we leave. I manage to avoid laughing until we get in the car. After a minute or two of uncontrolled giggles, I calm down.

“That’s going on my top ten list of weird experiences.”

“For you Honey, that is saying something.” He starts the car and drives off while I inspect the new toys. I remember the pleasures of my old vibrator. Looking at all the new options, I start to get aroused. Bob may be on to something.

In ten minutes, we are home. Bob parks the car in the garage and we both carry the new purchases into the house, dropping them on the kitchen table. I check the clock.

“It’s almost 5:30. We can eat and then you get your fashion show or the show can be first. What do you want to do?”

“I would prefer to eat first but the fashion show is not necessary Honey.”

I put on my pouty face. “You don’t want to see my new outfits?”

“No, no. I would be happy to see them, I just did not want you to think that you were obligated in any way.” I wiggle over to him, put my arms around his neck and grind my crotch against his.

“It would be my pleasure,” I purr “to show you what you bought for me today. But first, how about I heat you up ... some leftovers.”

He chuckles at that. “Yes, do that Honey. There is nothing I like more than getting hot ... leftovers.” We both laugh at the corny lines. Bob picks up the bags. “You start the microwave and I will put these in your room.”

“Fine, but no peeking. I want to surprise you as much as possible.”

“Honey, you are a constant surprise.”

“The pleasant kind I hope.”

“Most of the time.” He leaves the kitchen with the bags. I watch him go.

I am not sure if he is kidding or not. I honestly would be upset if I disappointed him in any way. I’m a little surprised to realize this. Why does his opinion of me matter so much? I think about it while fixing supper.

I don’t really know that much about him. He could be a mass murderer for all I know. In fact, he probably is a killer of some kind, given what he’s told us. However, he has never been anything but kind to me, or at least he had a good reason when he wasn’t kind. Plus, there was the mind-blowing sex, which is, unfortunately, in the past. Could I really be in love with him? Is that even possible? Could I actually love another guy? That assumes that I’m still a guy. It’s clear that my body is completely female. My brain is female, my hormones are female, my thoughts are female. Well ... maybe all I can say for sure is that they aren’t the same thoughts I had as a man. I get turned on by hot looking guys or even average guys in Bob’s case, and when I do get turned on, I think of a big cock in my tight pussy. When I see a hot woman, I know she’s hot and I know why, but I end up comparing myself to her and I usually win. I don’t lust after her, don’t need her. If she wanted to have sex with me, that’s cool, but I wouldn’t chase her. Except for Candi, of course, but she’s a friend.

What is left of Josh Thomas? Nothing but memories, and a lot of those aren’t nice. Spending time with Brit, Sarah and Piper today showed me a little of normal life as a girl. I mistreated a lot of them when I was in school, and none of them deserved it, not even Amy Hanson. When I became a pro, I continued to do the same thing; the girls were just older … most of the time. I lived for the present, no plan for my life after football. In the end, I was alone and friendless, with no real future. That was one of the reasons it was so easy for Amy to trap me, no one gave a damn what happened to me. Sure, I was famous but Billy Joe Coleson replaced me in less than a month. “Josh Thomas” became the answer to a trivia question.

“What five time Super Bowl winning quarterback disappeared without a trace while facing drug possession charges?”

Not much of a legacy after thirty nine years of living large. I had already reached my peak by that time. It was the early years of a long fight against the inevitable decline of my looks, skills, health and cash. I had managed to save some money but needed to play at least two more years with big paychecks to set up a nest egg to last me in retirement, assuming I cut back my wild lifestyle, which I probably would have failed to do. God, I was an idiot! Screwing every woman I could seduce, treating them like dirt. Not as bad as I’ve been treated the last three and a half years, but not far off.

The only person who has shown any real concern or interest in my feelings as a human being in the last twenty five years is Bob. Before him, I was just a meal ticket for the women I dated or a piece of meat for the team or for Anthony to rent out to the scum of Dallas. Bob had an ulterior motive at the start, but he was upfront about it. Now, he doesn’t need a nurse, yet he still helps me whenever he can.

Hell, he won’t even fuck me anymore. He may have some hidden reason for acting the way he does, but I’ll be damned if I can figure it out. Maybe he just likes me. Maybe it’s a little bit more than “likes”. I shake my head. There are just too many possibilities for me to decide what is right, how I honestly feel.

If I had a second chance, things would be a lot different. Unfortunately, you don’t get second chances in life. Shit! I almost burned the potatoes! Better watch what I’m doing.

“Bob!” I shout. “I’ve got supper ready. The table will be set in a minute and then I’ll be done.” Bob calls back from his bedroom.

“I will be right there to help.” Bob’s in the kitchen in a few seconds and starts setting out plates, glasses and silverware. The table is ready just as I turn off the stove. I dish out the food and we sit down to eat. We start out eating in silence.

“Honey, you are less talkative than usual. Are you OK?”

“I’ve just been thinking about some stuff.”

“Your party tomorrow?”

“No, other things.” I take several bites. “Do you believe in second chances?” Bob continues to chew his food, then swallows.

“Do you mean an opportunity to relive a part of your life and make changes?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Not exactly. You rarely get the chance to replay the exact set of circumstances. I do, however believe in redemption, the chance to make up for past mistakes. I have to. My past mistakes are so numerous, if I can't balance the scales; my soul is doomed to hell.”

I think he is serious. “I didn’t know you were religious.”

“No particular religion, I'm too cynical.” He takes another bite and swallows. “It is more an eastern philosophy of balance, yin and yang. I do believe in an afterlife. Don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess, never thought much about it. I know that I was a lousy excuse for a human being when I was a man and haven’t done much better as a woman.”

“I am inclined to disagree with you Honey. It is true that Josh Thomas was an egotistical, self centered, womanizing party hound but he was not actively evil, just willfully clueless.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I feel so much better.”

“You should Honey. I have seen true evil and Josh Thomas was not evil. His thoughtlessness did create a wide swath of damage wherever he went but I have met much worse. Now Honey Sweet-Lay is another matter entirely.”

“In what way?”

“The jury is still out on Ms. Sweet-Lay. She has not had a real chance to exercise her free will, to make enough choices to determine what kind of person she is. My experience with her is that she is unfailingly kind and generous when given the opportunity.”

“That’s crazy! I am Josh Thomas.”

“Do you look like Josh Thomas?”

“Of course not!”

“Do you feel like Josh Thomas?”

“No.”

“Do you act like Josh Thomas?”

“Not like he did ... before ... you know.”

“Do you think like Josh Thomas?”

“Not anymore.”

“If you do not look, feel, act or think like Josh Thomas, why do you say that you are Josh Thomas?”

“Because I remember all the shitty things he did and feel like I have to make up for them.”

“Then you are well on your way to redemption Honey. I envy you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I look at him quizzically. I don’t know if I believe him, but I do feel better.

“Now, let’s finish this fine meal. I think you owe me a fashion show.”

“Are you sure? After all this religious talk, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for another black mark on your soul.”

“Sensuality and sex are as much of a balanced life as religion, they are not mutually exclusive. Sexual acts that are willingly given and willingly received can be a religious experience.”

Don’t I know. “If you insist.” I eat the last bits of turkey on my plate. “I’m done. I’ll start the pots and pans, you clear the table.”

We have the kitchen spic and span in fifteen minutes. I’m looking forward to putting on a show for Bob, it may be more than he is expecting. I take his hand and lead him to the living room.

“You have a seat and I will be right out.”

Bob sits on the couch, a big grin on his face. “Don’t be too long.”

I decide to start with the more conservative stuff and go from there. I have a few pairs of heels still here, so I can mix the shoes up, not only the boots. The first outfit is the gray scoop neck sweater dress with the boots, keeping the red demi bra and matching thong panty. I stride out into the middle living room, do a quick turn and pose, hands on hips. Bob twirls his finger in a circle so I do a slow turn.

“Very nice Honey, very nice. My compliments to you and your friends.” I turn on my heels and return to my bedroom. The next outfit is the black V-neck mini-dress. I keep the boots and lingerie. This time, my turn is right in front of Bob and when I stop, I bend forward at the waist a little, giving him a good look at my cleavage.

“Another good choice. I may not know fashion, but I know what I like. It certainly highlights some of your more attractive features.”

“What features are those?” I innocently ask.

“Stop fishing for compliments. You know that you have a magnificent ass, spectacular breasts and stunning legs. Let’s have the next outfit.”

“What, you don’t like my arms?”

He laughs. “Next outfit please.”

This time, it’s the red wrap sweater, black mini skirt with black pumps. I walk back and forth in front of him a couple of times before the twirl. He applauds. I walk back to my bedroom, swinging the hips. I change back into the white button front hoodie and denim skirt. After I finish the twirl in front of Bob, he points out that he has already seen this combination.

“True, but you haven’t seen these.” I slowly unbutton the top, shrug it off my shoulders, drop it on the couch next to him, unzip the skirt, let it fall to my feet, step out of it, then bend over to pick it up, giving Bob a good view of my demi bra and thong, and drop it on top of the sweater. I give him another slow twirl and strut back to the bedroom. Now, I change lingerie with each new outfit and strip at the end of every trip, leaving a pile of discarded clothes on the couch next to Bob.

The last outfit is the black turtleneck cropped top, black mini skirt, black shelf bra and thong with black four inch pumps. This time, after stripping down to the lingerie, I step over Bob’s leg and straddle his lap, facing him, my arms resting around his neck. I can tell that he really enjoyed the show. He puts his hands on my hips. I lean forward and kiss him.

“Show’s over. What’s next?” He slides his hands up my sides until he reaches my bra, then traces the straps back to the clasp, which he unhooks in one, quick move. Hhmmm, he’s had practice at that. He gently pulls the bra forward as a drop my arms from his neck, letting the bra fall into my lap, freeing my tits. I give them a jiggle, lightly bouncing them with my hands, then return my arms to his neck while his go back to my hips, hooking his thumbs around the waistband of my thong.

“Phase Three is next Honey, if you are willing.”

I smile at him. “I can hardly wait.” Slipping off his lap, I stand up while he keeps a grip on my thong, pulling it down my legs, leaving me naked in his living room. I twirl in front of him, just as I did when modeling the clothes.

“I’ve noticed that all of these Phases end up with me naked and you dressed.” I step close to him, taking his hands in mine. “Is that going to change any time soon?”

He looks down at me. “You mean with me naked and you dressed?” I press my boobs against his chest.

“More like both of us naked at the same time …” I let go of his hand and stroke his bulging crotch with my right hand “… in the same place.” He reaches around and pats my ass.

“We will see. Come in to my bedroom and we can start.” We walk to his bedroom, holding hands. He has it set up like mine was when we did the massage, candles, incense and low lights. There’s a silk sheet on his bed with several large pillows.

“Climb up there and get comfortable. Make sure that you have easy access to your crotch.”

I give him a mock salute. “Yes, Sir. Whatever you say, Sir.” I crawl up on to the bed and turn over when I reach the headboard. I love the feeling of the silk on my skin, cool, soft and smooth. I shift around a couple of times, rearranging the pillows until I’m sort of reclining on the bed, my back and head elevated but supported, my legs spread.

“Comfortable?”

“Oh yeah, this is great! Why don’t I have these silk sheets on my bed?”

“Do you want to be responsible for washing them regularly?”

“Good point.” I make a small waving motion with my hand. “Proceed.”

Bob chortles. “Certainly, Madam.” He walks into the bathroom and returns with a tray. All of our purchases from the sex shop are lined up on it.

“I have carefully cleaned each item and installed batteries where necessary.” He picks up the 10 inch silicone cock and twist its’ base. It springs to life with a gentle hum, which increases as he twists the base further. I squirm a little in anticipation. He turns it off and puts it back on the tray. “It is important to keep these clean, particularly if any are used for anal play. Never go from anal to vaginal without a thorough cleaning, if not disinfecting.”

I giggle at his seriousness. “You make this sound like surgery, Doctor.”

“It is quite possible that Amy’s treatments have made you more resistant to infection than the average person. It is my understanding that you have not been sick since your transformation.”

You know, he’s right. Not even a cold.

“But there is no reason to take any chances. We are starting with strictly manual stimulation and then adding whatever mechanical devices you are comfortable with, if any. We will not have enough time for you to try everything tonight. I hope that you will be too tired to continue after two or three hours.”

Two or three hours? This could be interesting. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get started.”

“We will shortly. Remember, the reason we are doing all these exercises is that you have become slower in your sexual responses. You are used to a quick climax, which is not happening anymore. Take things slowly, enjoy the pre-orgasmic sensations, let it build to a climax, maybe stop short of climax just to emphasize that orgasms are not the end all and be all.”

“You’re joking, right? Why wouldn’t I get my rocks off if I can?”

“I understand that it is a difficult concept to grasp, but it is another type of sexual experience.”

“Have you ever passed on an orgasm when it was staring you in the face?”

“Uh ... actually, no.”

“I rest my case.”

“I am just offering options Honey, the choices are yours and shall remain yours. This is all about empowering you, giving you control over your sexuality.”

I settle back in the bed. “Enough touchy feely, let’s get to the good stuff.”

He sighs and shakes his head. “Fine. I will demonstrate a technique and, if you find it enjoyable, you duplicate it, making whatever adjustments you think appropriate. Lay back, relax, close your eyes to start.” I wiggle my hips and shoulders, settling in amongst the pillows. I feel Bob’s hands spreading my legs slightly more than they are already. I feel one or two fingers caressing my pussy lips, up and down, side to side, pushing deeper at the top, rubbing my clit. He certainly has the touch. He does this for several minutes.

“Open your eyes Honey.” I look down and watch his hand as it stokes my cunt. Very sexy, very hot, definitely tingly. “How does that feel?”

“Nice” I murmur. He reaches over with his free hand, picks up my right hand and places it on top of his. I follow along for a while.

“All right Honey, take over.” He slips his hand away and I pick up where he left off, long, deep, slow strokes, finishing off with pressure on my clit. I close my eyes, concentrating on the feelings spreading through my body.

“Open your eyes Honey.” I look up at Bob. “Stop for a moment.” I lift my hand as he reaches in, spreading my pussy lips.

“Look there. Your clitoris has swollen and become erect.” I look where he is pointing. He’s right, it’s sticking up like a tiny cock. He gently takes it between his thumb and index finger and starts rolling it between them. I suck my breath in. Damn! Oh Damn! It’s a few seconds before I can breath again and even then, it comes in short gasps between surges of pleasure as he rolls, tugs and pinches my clit.

“Like that?”

“Oh ... Yesss.”

“Take over then.” He lets go and I quickly replace his hand with mine. Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. I bring in my left hand to keep my pussy lips spread while I stroke my clit, like I was jacking off a cock. My breathing has smoothed out but it is still quick and shallow.

“Breath Honey. Take deeper breaths. No hyperventilating, at least not yet.” I consciously slow my breathing, taking deeper breaths. My eyes are closed again, mouth partially open, as I keep stroking.

“That is good Honey … very good. Now, try this.”

I feel his hand on mine and I momentarily resist when he tries to lift it from my clit, but reluctantly give in. He starts to make rapid circles with a couple of finger tips right on top of my clit. I bite my lip to keep from shouting, my hands grabbing my hair and pulling down. “That is soooo gooood.”

He alternates small circles with big circles, fast with slow, light pressure with hard. I reach down with my right hand, and push his out of the way, taking control. I think I saw him smile, but I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to him. This is what I want, what I need. I’m breathing hard and fast, moaning and squirming. I can feel the orgasm building, getting closer all the time. I arch my hips, jerking in rhythm with my rubbing. I’m almost there.

I think Bob is saying something,

“....op Honey, stop, not yet, not yet.” He grabs my hand. I try to jerk it away but he holds tight. I switch to my left hand but he grabs that one too.

“NO! NO BOB! I’m almost there! Let go! Please let go!” I struggle with him for a moment but he is far too strong.

“Don’t worry Honey. You will get your orgasm and it will be amazing but not quite yet. Let me show you something else. It will only take a moment.

Here ...” He lets go of my hands. I start to go back to my cunt but his hand is already there. He takes his index and last two fingers and spreads my pussy lips far apart, then diddles my exposed, engorged clit with his middle finger. I jump at his touch but he keeps contact, keeps working my clit.

“This takes a little more work Honey but it has advantages. It keeps one hand free for things like this.” His left hand gently pinches my swollen right nipple.

“OOOHHHHhhhhhh Yeeesssss. GODDD UUuuuummmmmm.” He switches over to the right nipple, same wonderful feeling. Bob keeps working my tits, switching back and forth, while still stimulating my clit. I can feel the climax quickly building again.

“You ready to take over Honey?”

“Uuuhhhh... yeah... yeah.” He takes my right hand and puts it on my cunt, helping to arrange my fingers to mimic his. My hand isn’t as big so it takes a moment to get it in place. I’m also not as good as he is using my middle finger but I get into a groove within a minute or two. What I lack in technique, I make up for in knowing exactly what feels best for me. He takes his hand off my boobs and I take over for him. Soon, I’m moaning and squirming again, driving for the finish line. I can hear and feel Bob moving around next to me.

“You are a natural Honey … very impressive. Now here is something else you can do with that free hand.” I hear the buzz before the vibrator touches my clit. My body locks up when it does. The vibrator sets my clit on fire, which rapidly spreads through my body, triggering my orgasm. It is wonderful, powerful, like a dam breaking and washing me away in a flood of warm euphoria. I float along in that flood until it begins to fade.

The first thing I’m aware of is Bob, talking to me again. “Don’t quit now Honey, you have that orgasm on the run. Keep working your clit.” When the orgasm hit, I stopped massaging my clit and breasts but Bob kept up the stimulation. He takes my right hand and guides it to making the circles on top of my clit. In seconds, I pick up the action and do it myself. As the feeling of the first orgasm trails off, the second starts to build up. I pull the folds of my pussy lips apart and massage my clit hard. The orgasm comes quicker this time, almost as fast as the old days. When it hits, my pussy muscles pulse and throb. I think that I’m laughing. I don’t lose total control this time, so I keep rubbing my cunt, slower now but ready to pick up the speed and pressure when complete awareness returns.

“That’s right Honey, keep contact, keep stroking. You have at least one more in you, I know you do.” He sounds like my old strength coach, urging me to do one more bench press. I guess that my competitive streak is still alive because I take it as a challenge. I own that orgasm, it’s mine and I want it. Bob hands me the vibrator and I immediately touch it to my clit.

“OH Shit! Uuuuggghhh mmmmm that’s great! Reeeeaaallyy grreeatt! Ooohhhhhh damnn.” I keep rubbing my clit and the surrounding pussy with the vibrator. Suddenly, the speed increases, Bob has turned it up. That’s all I needed. My toes curl as the third climax in ... how many minutes ... happens. The bedroom spins around me and the vibrator falls from my hand. My legs tremble and twitch. I don’t pass out but feel like I’m in a kind of trance, everything moving slowly for a few moments. When reality returns, Bob is stroking my clit again, trying to give me one more orgasm. It is too sensitive, his touch is mildly painful. I reach down and touch his hand.

“No Bob, no more. I need a break.”

“Are you sure?”

I smile weakly at him. “Yes, I’m sure. Thank you ... for everything.” He smiles back.

“You are welcome Honey. I just pointed the way, you did all the work.”

“Like Hell.” I pat the bed next to me. ”Come on up here.” Bob begins to crawl up to me. “Not yet, get naked.” He laughs but takes off his shirt. Once he’s stripped, he climbs next to me and I pull him close. He wraps his arms around me as I rest my head on his chest, stroking his arm. “How long where we at that?” He checks his watch.

“One hour and thirty eight minutes.”

“No way! How much of that was orgasm?”

“Hard to say for certain, maybe forty minutes, counting all the time between just before the first and after the last.” I’m astonished. A forty minute multiple orgasm. I’ve never heard of such a thing. No wonder I’m so tired, still basking in the glow of that last climax.

“I’ve got to know, how did you learn so damn much about a woman’s orgasms? I thought you didn’t ‘date’ much.”

Bob gently pinches my left nipple. It tickles. My clit may be too sensitive to touch but my boobs are feelin’ fine. “It is partially experience, partially training, partially research.” He reaches back, opens the drawer of his nightstand and pulls out a small paperback book, which he hands to me. It’s “Tickle Your Fancy: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Self-Pleasure” by Sadie Allison. “I think you will find this very informative. Everything you did tonight was in this book, along with a lot we never got to. None of your orgasms involved any kind of penetration, so there is much more you can try later, unless you have recovered and are ready to try again tonight.”

“No, please. Not tonight, I have a clitache.”

Bob laughs so hard, I think he may pass out. His eyes start to water. “Honey,” he wipes his eyes “you are a rare jewel. I have a difficult time contemplating my future life without you.”

I roll to face him, sliding up his body until we are looking into each other’s eyes. “I don’t think I have a life without you Bob.” I kiss him with all the passion I can muster. He kisses me back just as hard. He finally breaks away after a minute or two.

“That’s just the orgasms talking, Honey. You do not need me to live. You will be fine without me, particularly now that you have made a good start towards solving your climaxing problems.”

I reach up and touch his cheek with the palm of my hand. “You may be right, I probably could live without you, I could find sex tolerable without you, but living isn’t a life. I need you to have a life. I’m not a child, despite appearances and it isn’t just the orgasms because I’ve been thinking about this for some time. I know it’s weird, I know it’s unnatural, I know it’s impossible, but I also know that I love you Bob James, with all my heart, soul and being.”

I’ve never seen Bob so stunned in the months we’ve known each other. “Honey, I am ... I don’t know ... I never planned on .... you hardly know anything about ... you need to understand ....” I move my hand from his cheek and touch my index finger to his lips.

“Ssshhhhhh. I understand. It surprised me too. I hadn’t thought about saying anything until just this second … it just came out, but I have been thinking about it for weeks. You think about it and we’ll talk later. OK?” He looks relieved when I say that.

“Thank you Honey, I will think about it. You are tired. Let’s go to bed.” We get up, push the pillows aside, blow out the candles, remove the silk sheet, fold down the bed cover and sheet, and then climb in. We briefly kiss then spoon against one another, Bob holding me around my waist from behind.

“Good night Honey.”

“Good night Bob.” I snuggle back against him. “Strange day, huh?”

“Very.”

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

It is taking me longer to get my presentation ready than I thought it would.

Being asked to be a member of the panel for the seminar on “Evolving Medical Ethics in the Age of Modern Biotechnology” as part of the Nobel program is certainly an honor, one that I deserve of course, but my preparation is not going well. Perhaps it is the time pressure. I really should have started this several weeks ago, however I have been so busy with the Wrangler’s demands, my own research, and creating new punishment protocols for Honey, that the seminar slipped to the bottom of my “to do” list. That is why I find myself sitting in my study at 11:00 p.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, jittery from my fifth cup of coffee, staring writer’s block square in the face. This should be easy for me but, for whatever reason, it just is not working tonight.

The seminar is not until December eighth but I need to get my contribution to Dr. Zimmer by the fifth, a week from today. I know that I will be able to finish this; I just need to take a break and clear my head ... and no more coffee! My eyes are drawn to the receiver for Honey’s tracker sitting on my desk.

That thing has become addictive. Bob mapped Anthony’s club and loaded it in the memory. I can check where she is within one to two feet. She can be dancing, hustling drinks or on her back being screwed by some drunk, odious, loathsome Neanderthal and I know it, any time I want. I have been checking more than twenty times a day since implanting the tracker in her. At first, it was just to make sure the device was still working, but I was soon hooked, like I was getting live updates of her degradation. It was so bad that it started interfering with my work. Luckily, I have a strong will and have been able to go cold turkey for almost three days.

What the heck, I deserve a little treat and it will help lift my mood. I reach out, pick it up and turn it on. It takes a few seconds to warm up and acquire the signal. That’s odd, she does not appear to be at the club. Where else would she be at this time of day? I zoom in on the blinking icon. She is ... at Bob’s! Why the hell is she at Bob’s?! The one place she finds comfort and support, the one place I would like to wipe off the face of the earth! How could Anthony let her go to Bob’s?

I pick up my cell and dial his number. It may be late but he has a lot to answer for.

“The customer you have called is not currently within the service area. Please call again at a later time. Thank you.” DAMN!

I would like to drive over to Bob’s right now and drag Honey back to the club but confronting him at his house is just too dangerous. He might do nothing but I cannot take the risk, at least not before talking with Anthony ... where ever the hell he is. I will just have to bide my time until there is more information. So much for lifting my spirits. It is going to be a long night.

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

What a great night! It’s been thirty years since I’ve had such a restful sleep. I reach out with my arm, feeling around for Bob, but he’s already up. The clock reads 9:12 a.m. I don’t want to get up, but if Bob isn’t in bed with me, there’s no reason to stay. I roll to the edge of the bed and sit up, running my fingers through my hair, then fluffing it. I hear the shower, think I’ll go check Bob out. I’m still naked from last night and it is surprisingly comfortable, like I’m more aware of my body, feeling everything as I walk across the bedroom to the bathroom, each toe in the carpet as I step, each bounce of my boobs, the air as it passes my skin, my hair as it swings against my shoulders and back, everything sensual and bright.

Steam pours from the bathroom door when I open it, must be a hot shower today, better than a cold one with what I have planned. I step in the room and slide the shower door open.

“Hey handsome, want some company?” Bob jumps slightly and turns my way. I don’t think I’ve ever startled him before.

“Honey ... aahhh ... good morning ... no ... thank you anyway, but I think that I would prefer to go solo this morning.” I step up to the opening, just barely into the shower.

“Are you sure?” I purr. “I could get all those hard to reach places like your back.... and your shoulders ... and your studly ass ... and your perfect cock.” Bob looks very uncomfortable.

“No, no, I am sure, at least for this morning.”

I giggle. “You may not want to share your shower but I think he does.” I point to his rapidly rising cock, which is rock hard in seconds. “You want to share with me, don’t you boy?”

“Honey, would you please put something on.”

“But I was planning on spending all day naked, it feels wonderful today.”

“I am glad you are feeling well, but humor me.”

I switch into pout mode. “Fine, but you aren’t any fun this morning.” I turn and walk back to my room. I think about putting on black stockings, garter belt and pumps but decide that I’ve pushed the joke as far as I should, for now. I slip on one of his T-shirts and skip back to his bathroom. The steam is gone; he’s switched to a cold shower.

“How’s this?”

“That will do for now. You can have this shower once I am done. It should only be a few more seconds.” I discreetly check him out. The erection is gone. Oh well, there will be other chances.

“No thanks, I need to take a bath anyway. Got to shave to get ready for the party tonight.” He turns off the water, grabs a towel, wraps it around his waist and steps out. “Unless you can think of something better we can do tonight.” Bob picks up a second towel and starts to dry off.

“It is a little late to change your mind. You have made a commitment to some nice young women and you need to keep it.”

“I was kidding. I know that I need to go, I’m just not looking forward to it.”

“Don’t you want to see your friends again?”

“Of course I do. The girls are great. I’d just rather have them here or go out dancing at a club. It’s not them, it’s this party. I’ve got a bad feeling about it.” Bob drapes the towel over his shoulders.

“You take your bath and we can war game the situation after breakfast.”

“What is ‘war game’?”

“That is were you try to determine all likely scenarios that might occur and the appropriate responses to each one. I find that the better prepared you are for whatever may happen, the more relaxed you are. Once you determine what is going on, you can immediately take the correct action. This gives you a tremendous advantage over your opponent.” He reaches out and tweaks my nose. “I just revealed one of the most important secrets of my success to you. Do not abuse it.” He walks back into his bedroom.

That was interesting. He is actually opening up to me. It isn’t much, but I’ll take what I can get. I go back to my bathroom and start my bath, making it extra hot, then adding some bath salts and bath oil. I strip off the T-shirt and climb in, slowly settling in as my body adjusts to the temperature. This is soothing. I can never get the water this hot at the club and you can forget about bath oil and salts. I lift my leg straight up and bring it towards my head. I am amazingly flexible on an average day, it’s one of my claims to fame, but I feel like rubber today. I run my hands along the length of my right leg. There really isn’t that much hair to remove. Amy gave me a fairly low maintenance body. My pussy is practically bald and I could get away with shaving my legs and arm pits every two weeks but I normally do it every other day because Anthony likes me very clean and smooth. It’s not a big deal any more and only takes a few minutes. What hair I lack on my body, I make up for with what is on my head. It often takes me over half an hour to comb and fix my hair and that’s if I’m not doing anything fancy. I finish shaving but hang around in the bath until the water starts to cool.

After drying off, I put on the black bra and g-string panty, jeans, gray turtleneck sweater and cross trainers. Bob already has the table set and we just have cereal, fruit and toast. He doesn’t have anything in particular planned because there are a number of good college conference championship games on television today, starting at noon and running until like 12:30 at night. I’ll miss the late game due to the party, another reason I’d rather stay here with Bob, but we’ll get to watch a couple together.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we settle in for the pre-game shows, Bob at the end of the couch and I’m snuggled up against him, legs stretched out on the couch. His left arm is around my shoulder, hand gently resting on my breast. We watch for awhile but the talking heads just keep repeating the same points over and over. Then they start the up-close-and-personal fluff pieces. I start to get restless. Bob notices it.

“What has you most worried about tonight Honey?”

I have to think about it for a few seconds. “I think it is all the people. With that many teenagers, and the booze, just about anything could happen. I feel responsible for the girls’ safety. Sarah seems like a smart, sensible kid and Piper is likely tougher than she looks. It’s Brittany that gives me the willies. She says she’ll follow the rules, but my gut says she’d promise anything to get to this party.”

“Is that maternal instinct?”

I elbow him in the stomach. He doesn’t flinch. “Don’t be silly. I just know a lying kid when I see one. She may even believe she’ll behave but I think she’s desperate to fit in, and that’s trouble.”

“How do you propose to deal with her?”

“I don’t know ... try to watch her?”

“Is that realistic with a large crowd and the interest you are likely to attract?”

“What interest?”

“Honey, this is not meant as flattery but you will likely be the most attractive woman in the room. Remember the reaction you got at the Burger King with three boys? Assuming a 50/50 division at the party, you will have approximately one hundred boys doing the same thing. You will spend most of your time defending yourself, leaving little time to keep watch over Brittany.”

“There is one difference. At the Burger King, I was going after the guys. I plan to be as inconspicuous as possible at the party.”

“You are as inconspicuous as an elephant in a phone booth Honey, no offense.”

“None taken.” Another shot to the stomach, same effect.

“Your decision to attempt to fly under the radar will likely reduce some of the pressure on you. In addition, a percentage of the boys will have girlfriends there, limiting their opportunity to chase after you. Realistically, you could be looking at twenty five to forty potential suitors.”

“Suitors? You mean guys trying to get into my panties.”

“Cruder, but more accurate. Most will either take their shot and fall back if not encouraged by you or be intimidated by the number of boys crowding around you and move on for an easier target. Either way, the onslaught should fade quickly, even more so if there is a dominant male around who will scare the others off.”

“There might be. Jerry Pitman could be a big enough man on campus to put every one else off. If that’s true, I may only have to handle him.”

“Which will not be easy to do and keep track of Brittany.”

“Maybe not, I will just have to see.”

Bob shakes his head. “You did not listen to what I said. We need to make alternate plans now, to look at the situation from all angles and make a series of contingency plans. If plan A fails, move to plan B quickly. You never fly by the seat of your pants if you can avoid it.”

“And if you can’t avoid it?”

“Then all the planning you did before gives you information about what did not work, directing you towards what might work. Advance planning will never hurt you.”

“Then what is Plan B?”

Bob reaches behind a couch cushion and pulls out a legal pad and pencil. “Glad you asked.”

Where does he get that stuff? It’s never there when I clean.

We start running through the entire list of concerns and problems, playing “what if”, with Bob taking notes. He keeps asking questions and we work until we have answers. It’s exhausting but engrossing, a lot like coming up with a game plan for a football game but much more complex because there are so many more variables. The more we talk, the more worried I become that I won’t be able to protect my friends from harm.

“This is impossible. I should just pack a gun.”

“Honey, have you ever fired a handgun?”

“Yeah, at a range about ten years ago.”

“Ever carried one?”

“No.”

“Then now is not the time to start.”

“What if I need something? I’m only one person.”

“There will likely be security at the door, metal detectors and searches of purses. You would not be able to get a weapon in the room...” he pauses, cocking his head slightly to the left “...however, I have something a little unusual that might escape attention. Excuse me.” He gets up off the couch, goes into the garage and comes back in a couple of minutes, holding a small package in his hand.

“What is that?”

“A self-defense device. I have not used it in years so it likely needs new batteries but it should still work. I will clean it up and give you a demonstration later. Properly disguised, it should get past a standard security search, particularly if they are just looking for guns and knives. It is the type of device that could give you a short term edge but should not be abused.”

“Now you’ve got me all curious. What does it do?”

“I will show you later and you can practice with it. On a different subject, what do you plan to wear tonight?”

“Something nice, of course. Brittany suggested the black dress and her fashion sense is better than mine.”

“Is it comfortable?”

“I guess. As comfortable as a deep V mini dress can be. Why? Worried that I might find a new boyfriend?”

“That is always a worry, but my primary concern is that you wear something that does not restrict your mobility should you need to take action. Much of women’s fashion is attractive but impractical.”

“Well, whose fault is that? We didn’t ask for sky high heels or skirts that barely cover our asses. You know that I’d rather dress like this, jeans and a top. It’s you men who decide what’s in fashion and, big surprise, we end up in short dresses, perched on heels that force our asses back and our boobs forward.”

“And yet you bought what you did at the mall yesterday.”

“You know that was to keep Anthony happy. I’m all about the comfort.”

“I did not mean to criticize your choices, they were all very attractive and reasonably practical. My comment was just intended to make sure that you also consider the mobility issue in making your decision.”

I give this a moment’s thought. “Then I’ll wear the black dress and my new boots. The heels aren’t bad and I’d get good ankle support should I need to run.”

He nods his head in agreement. “That sounds like a good compromise Honey. Now, let’s review my notes. You will not be able to take these with you so it will be important that you know them by heart.”

“Sure thing Coach, fire away.”

“Coach?”

“Private joke, go on, Plan A is......” I went through everything without too many mistakes. I’ve always been a quick study, particularly when I understand the logic behind the scheme. A couple of more reviews and I’ve got it down cold. Bob is grinning.

“I can see why you were such a successful quarterback Honey, very impressive grasp of your options. I have one more thing for you.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bag about the size of an apple. It has a pull-cord opening. He hands it to me and I open it. It’s a cell phone and charger. “It is a disposable phone. I keep a few around the house. You never know when you will need an anonymous phone number. The number is on the sticker on the back. Keep this with you tonight and call me when you get to the party and call me when you leave. If you have any problems, call me and I will get there quickly.”

“Thanks. This really helps my peace of mind. I’ll make sure to give it back after tonight.”

“You keep it. Find a place to hide it either in your room or the club. There is a good chance that you may feel the need to talk to someone in the future, when you are feeling down. You can call me, if you think it will help.” He is sooo sweet! I hug him around the neck as he hugs my waist.

“Thank you Bob.” I whisper into his ear. “Thank you for everything this weekend. You have no idea what it has meant for me.”

Bob pats my back. “You are very welcome Honey. I always enjoy our time together, which raises my last point.”

I pull back and look him in the eyes. “Which is?”

“I invited you here to try to give you a break from Amy and the club, from the troubles in your life. You managed to find new troubles with this party. How do you feel about the party now?”

“Much better. We have a good plan to cover most likely problems, so I’m feeling pretty positive.”

“Good. Then I suggest you go out and have some fun. Be aware, be vigilant but do not forget to enjoy yourself. Most of the people at this event are just looking to party, with no desire to cause any harm. Hang with those people and you will be fine. Do not be paranoid.”

I lean in and give him a quick kiss. “You got it Boss. I’ll party like its 1999.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Damned if I know, but it was a hell of a song. Hey, they’re getting ready for the kickoff on the first game.”

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

“I don’t care what Anthony told you, I want the phone number where he can be reached and I want it NOW!” Anthony left one of his idiot dancers in charge of the club. Apparently he is on vacation and left instructions that he is not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency.

“I just don’t know, it doesn’t seem like an emergency. I really don’t want to piss him off, you know how he gets.” Damn bimbo!

“Look, Tiffany, ... it is Tiffany isn’t it?”

“Yeah, Tiffany” she giggles. Why do these people always have stereotypical names? Why can’t there be a Bernice or Matilda or Millicent?

“Tiffany, I am a doctor. My patient is Honey Sweet-Lay, one of the dancers at the club. Do you know Honey?”

“Oh yeah, I know Honey. She’s a nice girl, a little unhappy recently though.”

“Yes, my point exactly. I think that Honey may have some problems that must be dealt with immediately and she is not at the club and I can’t find her. I need to speak with Anthony to see if he knows where she is at.”

“But Honey isn’t here, no one knows where she is, which is strange ‘cause she is almost always here. Do you know why that is?”

Oh. My. GOD!

“I know she is not there, that is why I need to speak with Anthony. Just give me the phone number where he can be reached.”

“Anthony was very clear that he didn’t want me to call him unless it was an emergency, like a fire, or a flood or a robbery.”

“Tiffany, this is an emergency.”

“But it’s not a fire or a flood or a robbery.”

“I am sure that the list he gave you was not meant to be limited to those problems, it was just illustrative of the type of events that could be classified as emergencies but it was not intended to be restricted to those few potential occurrences.”

“Huh?”

If her tubes are not already tied, I will do it myself. She cannot be permitted to procreate.

“There are other emergencies beyond fires, floods and robberies, and this is one of them. Now give me his contact number!”

“What if he gets mad? He can be really mean when he gets mad. There was this one time when Bambi spilled a drink and...”

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT BAMBI AND THE SPILLED DRINK!”

“Well you don’t have to be so shitty about it! It’s not my fault you can’t find Honey and it’s not my problem either.”

“Just give me the phone number. I guarantee that Anthony will not punish you in any way He and I are friends. He will want to help me if he can.”

“Well, if you’re sure he won’t mind I guess I can give you the number. I’ve got to go get it, it’s in the office and he put it ...” She goes on like this for another minute.

“Yes, yes extremely interesting Tiffany, clearly Anthony holds you in high esteem and respects your management skills. Now, if you could get me that number.”

“What number?” She could not possibly be this idiotic, it must be an act.

“The phone number where Anthony can be reached.”

“Oh right! Hang on.” I pray that she doesn’t get lost on the way to his office.

“Hey Doctor, this is Tiffany, I’m back, here’s the number.” She gives it to me. ”Now, if Anthony is angry with me, you’ll make sure ...” I hang up and dial Anthony’s contact number. It rings several times before another breathless airhead answers.

“Hello?”

“This is Dr. Amy Hanson. I would like to speak with Anthony.”

“Is this an emergency?”

I am not going through this again. “Yes it is. Someone is coming to kill him. Now put him on.” I can hear in the background that she passes on my message and Anthony is immediately on the line.

“Who is coming to kill me?”

“I am if you ever leave town again without giving me a contact number. I spent fifteen minutes with your Rhodes Scholar Tiffany trying to get this number.”

“Doc, I’m on vacation. If this is important, get to it, if not, call me at the club on Monday.”

“Of course it is important. Why is Honey at Bob’s instead of the club?”

“She’s there because we thought that it was dangerous to leave her by herself over the holiday weekend because she was depressed.”

“And who is ‘we’?”

“Bob and I.” I wonder when they became a “we”.

“And who decided that she would stay with Bob?”

“It was my idea but he agreed to do it, he didn’t have any other plans. She’ll be back at the club late Monday morning.” Oh he had plans all right, just not any that Anthony could recognize. Bob is a master manipulator. This is all his doing.

“Did it ever occur to you that I wanted her depressed?”

“A depressed dancer is bad for business, the same for a depressed whore. Her performance was slumping. I need her at least faking happiness and she wasn’t able to even do that.”

“Which is all good news from my standpoint.”

“Yeah, but not from mine.”

“We both know that my interests trumps yours Anthony.”

“Well, it would be nice if you kept me in the loop as to what the hell is going on. How was I to know that you wanted her depressed and suicidal? Up to now, you just wanted her fucked regularly and occasionally beat up by her johns, video taped for your library. I can live with that but I’ve also got a business to run. I’m going to do what I think is best for my business unless you can give me a good reason why not. So next time, tell me exactly what you want. Since I’m not in town right now and can’t do anything about it, call me when I get back in town on Monday.” He hangs up on me.

That ungrateful, bastard! I redial the number but it’s busy. He’s either calling Bob or just left it off the hook. My guess is that he simply left it off the hook. Bob is not in any immediate danger from me and Anthony has gone out of his way to be left alone so leaving the line open makes the most sense. It does not matter. He will be back Monday, as will Honey. I will deal with both of them then.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

Bob checks his watch. “It is almost 5:00. Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

“They’re going to call Sarah between 5:30 and 6:00 and she’ll call me. I’m supposed to be at her house by 8:00 so I’ve got more than two hours.”

“It took you almost all day to get ready for our dinner date.”

“This is completely different. Then I was dressing to impress, this time I’m dressing to disappear. I put on the dress, slip on the boots, comb my hair, a little lipstick and eye shadow. Voila, I’m ready to go, twenty minutes.”

“Are you sure? I would not want you to embarrass your friends.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. They’ll be better dressed than I am but my natural assets will make up the difference. I will be ...” I strike a pose “... understated elegance. Besides, I don’t have that many options and it was your suggestion that I wear something comfortable. I’m going to fix a quick dinner.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“How about a tailgate theme, brats, baked beans, slaw and chips?”

“Sounds fattening and delicious. Can I help?”

“Sure, you can chop the cabbage. You’re good with a knife aren’t you?”

“An expert actually.”

Thought so. We go into the kitchen and it takes only about ten minutes to prep and another fifteen for the beans to bake. There is supposed to be food at the party but I don’t want the distraction of eating. A little snacking will help me blend in but won’t prevent me from keeping track of “my targets”, as Bob calls Brit, Sarah and Piper. The phone rings just as we finish eating. Bob answers, then hands it to me.

“It is for you.” I take the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey Honey, it’s Sarah. I just got the text. Here’s the address.” She gives me the address for the party; it’s in the industrial part of town.

“Got it. What’s your address?” She gives me hers too. “Look, we agreed that I’d pick you up at 8:00 but I need to talk with you before we get Brit and Piper. Can I come at 7:30?”

“Sure, I may not be ready but we can talk. See ya later.”

Bob Googles the party address, both the map and Google Earth, to check it out. The address is a warehouse, pretty good sized, with a big parking lot, all fenced. There appears to be two entrances. Bob points to one of them.

“My guess is that this will be the open entrance, given the address provided. The second one might be open but that will depend on their staffing levels. I would park in this area.” He points to a section of the lot. “It is fairly close to the presumed entrance but out of the natural traffic flow of the entrance.” He pauses for a few seconds. “I just thought of something. You should put a change of clothes in the car, jeans, shirt, sweatshirt, hat and athletic shoes. If things go really bad, you can change clothes to hide your identity or to let you be more properly dressed for action.”

That’s him, always planning. “Have you been doing this all along?”

“Doing what?”

“All this planning, what if this happens, what if that happens. Have you been doing all this since we first met?”

“I was doing it before we met. Needless to say, those plans have been significantly adjusted to take into account certain unforeseeable facts.”

“Where do all these plans end up? What is the final act?” He looks both sad and uncomfortable.

“I would prefer not to discuss that. You still have Amy questioning you regularly about my objectives and it would be best if you are not forced to lie to her. She is very persistent. I trust you but I do not trust her. I hope that the time comes that I can be more open with you but now is not that time. I am sorry Honey.”

I really didn’t expect much more from him, though a girl can hope. We finish cleaning up and I go to pack a bag with casual clothes. I don’t have a hat but Bob has several. They are big on me but that gives me room to stuff my hair up in to it. I decide to go with the Wrangler hat, you see them everywhere, probably why he has it. He comes into my room to check my choices.

“Very good Honey, you have good instincts.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice trying to blend into the background at the club. Not making waves and not being seen helped keep me from getting my ass kicked.”

“Hiding must have been difficult while dancing on a stage.”

“Blending may be a better word. Go along, get along that was my motto.”

“A reasonable choice, given your options.” Yeah, reasonable, that’s me. Don’t fight back, don’t take chances.

“Would you have accepted it Bob? If you were in my place, would you have made the same choices I did?”

“That is not a fair question Honey. Our life experiences are completely different, as are our skill sets. I would have had options that you did not have.”

“So the answer is ‘no’.”

He hesitates. “There is no reason to rehash past choices Honey. You can learn lessons for the future but you cannot change the past. I believe your future has a party in it. Go, enjoy and take care of your friends.” He hugs my shoulder again and leaves me to get ready.

It takes me less time than I thought, just about fifteen minutes. I’m going for the young, fresh look. I figure that the rest of the girls will try for sexy and sophisticated and more power to them. They can have all the boys chasing them. If we can get in and out without trouble, it will be a successful party from my standpoint. I grab my purse and step out into the living room.

“How do I look?”

“Lovely Honey, simply lovely. You have a sense of style second to none. My only suggestion is to accessorize a bit.” He hands me the diamond jewelry from our night out.

“Are you sure? This is going to be wilder than our date. I wouldn’t want to lose them.”

“I am sure you will take the necessary precautions, but if you are uncomfortable, do not wear them.”

“I didn’t say that exactly.”

The silver and diamonds will go nicely with the black dress. The studs and necklace are simple and clean but the other set of earrings would be too much. So would the ring. Bob fastens the chain around my neck; I adjust the pendant’s position and check out the results in the mirror. He was right; the jewelry is the perfect addition.

“I guess I’m ready. Wish me luck.”

“You make your own luck, Honey. Do you have everything?” I double-check my purse.

“Yep. I’ll call you when we get there and call when we leave.”

“And call if there is trouble. My cell number is already stored on the phone.”

“If we have any trouble, you’ll be my first call.”

“Then go and enjoy yourself. Keep alert, but don’t be paranoid.”

I kiss his cheek. “Talk to you later.” I pick up the keys and walk to the garage.

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

Sarah’s house was easy to find, the house number was right above the door. I rang the bell and an older woman answered. She looked to be in her forties and was fashionably dressed.

“Can I help you?”

“Hello, is this the Watson residence?”

“Yes it is. You must be Honey, Sarah has told us all about you.” All about me? Not likely. “Please come in.”

“Thank you.” I step through the door into the foyer. It looks like a nice house, bright and homey. An older man walks in from the kitchen, probably Sarah’s father. He sees me and stops short, mouth slightly open, eyes large, a stunned expression on his face. I get that a lot. To his credit, he recovers quickly. I don’t think his wife even noticed it.

“Henry, this is Sarah’s friend Honey.” I hold out my hand and he shakes it, his palm a little sweaty.

“Nice to meet you Honey.” He keeps hold of my hand just a little bit longer than necessary ... but not too long.

“Nice to meet both of you Mr. Watson. Is Sarah ready to go?” He seems nice enough but I don’t want him to get in trouble with his wife. The longer I stay, the better the chance he’ll get caught starring at me.

“Have a seat and I’ll check.” We walk into the living room and then he continues down the hall to the bedrooms. I sit on the couch, making sure to smooth my dress and keep my knees together as I sit.

“Sarah, your friend Honey is here. You ready to go?” I hear Sarah reply, her voice muffled.

“Not yet. Go ahead and let her come back here, we need to talk, OK?”

“Your mother and I can keep her company in the living room until you’re ready.” I hear a door open, Sarah’s voice is louder.

“I really need her back here Dad. I want her help with my dress.” The door shuts. Mr. Watson walks back into the living room.

“Apparently your help is needed. It’s the third door on the left.” I stand, thank him, walk back to Sarah’s room and knock on the door.

“Come in Honey.”

I open the door a bit and stick my head in. It looks like a clothes bomb went off. There was stuff everywhere. Skirts, tops, pants, bras, panties, dresses, on the bed, chair, floor, hanging from doorknobs. Sarah is sitting at her desk, dressed in bra and panties, working on her makeup. She turns and waves me in. “Hurry up and close the door.” I shuffle in, pushing clothes aside with my boots.

“What happened in here?”

“Huh?”

I pick up a handful of clothes from the bed. “All this?”

“Oh, it’s always like this. My mom hates it so I try to keep it this way as much as possible. Every once and awhile I get an urge to clean it up but I lay down and it goes away.”

I drop the clothes back on the bed. “Next time, don’t lie down. What do you need help with?”

“Just a sec, let me finish.” She’s curling her eyelashes. I shuffle closer to her and sit on the edge of her bed, pushing clothes away to clear a place to sit. After curling, she carefully applies mascara. She’s better at it than I am. She jumps up off her chair.

“OK.” She rummages around in her closet, grabbing a short white skirt, then picking up a yellow tunic top. She holds them both up in front of her. “Look and remember.” She keeps them there for about ten seconds, then drops them and picks up a black surplice dress with a beaded belt, holding up against her. “Which one?”

“The black one. It’s kind of retro, which is hot right now.” At least that’s what “Cosmo” says.

“That’s what I thought but my mom liked it too. Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t reverse psychology. What did you want to talk with me about?”

“I’ve been talking with my dad about tonight. He’s kind of a problem solver, pretty good at it too. I told him that I was worried about what may happen at the party and he had some ideas.”

“What are you worried about? Everyone agreed to follow your rules. We should be fine.”

“I don’t mean to insult anyone but I got the feeling that Brittany wasn’t exactly on board with my plan.”

“Well, she’s not really happy about it. We talked after you left yesterday. She’ll probably stick to it.”

“Probably? Probably isn’t good enough. I need to be sure. That’s why my dad suggested the buddy system.”

“Which is?”

“We alternate watching out for each other. I keep an eye on you and you do the same for me. We don’t have to be attached at the hip but we keep track of each other between dances or drinks or snacks or whatever. We alternate so it’s you and I, then you and Piper, me and Brittany then you and Brittany, me and Piper, and so on, each of us doing the same thing, except we’re really doing it to keep track of Brittany.”

“So you and I aren’t actually buddies?”

“We are but keeping watch on Brittany is the main objective. We all have buddies so she doesn’t think we’re picking on her. Do you think that everyone will agree to that?”

“Are we telling Piper the truth?”

“No, just you and I know the real deal.”

“Why did you pick me?”

“Because you were straight with me in the bathroom at Burger King. I knew I could trust you. I’m not saying I don’t trust Piper or Brittany ... ”

“It sure sounds like you don’t trust Brit.”

“Do you? Completely?”

“I trust her not to do anything to hurt her friends.”

“But do you trust her not to do something to hurt herself, even if she doesn’t realize it?” Sarah doesn’t answer me right away. “Sarah?”

“You could be right.”

“I know I may be paranoid, but I would just die if anything happened to one of you girls.”

“You know, you sound just like my mother.”

“Don’t hold it against me.” She smiles. “I’ve had some experience with parties like this, mostly good but some bad. I want this to be a good time for all of you. Are you with me?”

“What if I’m not?”

“We all go to the party, but I’ll spend the entire time watching Brit like a hawk.” Sarah slips the dress over her head, pulling it down until it settles on her hips. She looks pretty hot.

“Zip me.” I stand and zip up the back of her dress. “Yeah, I’m in. Let me get my shoes and we can go pick them up. Who takes the first shift on Brit?”

“You should. I figure that I’ll be mobbed pretty heavily early until I can shoot them down to thin the numbers.” Sarah looks upset.

“Ego much?”

I spread my arms. “Puh-leaze”

She looks me up and down, then shrugs. “Yeah, you’re right. Just remember to send some of your rejects my way. I’ll help mend their broken hearts.”

I giggle. “You nasty girl!”

“Damn skippy! You got the second Brit shift. Let’s go.” She picks up a sports bag.

“What’s that for?”

“You remember, for after the party.”

“What?”

“When we go to Brittany’s house to spend the night.”

“Why didn’t anybody tell me?”

“What do you mean? We talked about it after you left and I called you ... OH MY GOD! Oh Honey, I’m so sorry! I was supposed to call you and completely spaced it! Damn! I am such a spaz!”

“Calm down it’s OK. Don’t worry about it.”

“But we decided to spend Saturday night together at Brit’s and I was supposed to call you to let you know and I screwed it up. Can you call your dad and ask him if you can?”

“Well, I just happen to have a change of clothes in the car and I’m sure he won’t object. It’s cool.”

“Thank God! I’d never hear the end of it if Piper and Brit knew that I forgot to call you.”

“It’ll be our little secret ... until you piss me off.”

She swats my arm. “Shut up!”

We walk out into the living room. Sarah’s mom stands up.

“Oh don’t you girls look beautiful! Henry, get the camera.”

Sarah looks exasperated. “We can’t wait for pictures mother. We have to go!”

Her dad is already up. “I’ll just be a second. A couple of pictures won’t take long.” He’s back very quickly with a digital camera and we pose in front of the fireplace. He takes several shots with us side by side, then with us standing at a 45 degree angle, then 45 degrees facing each other, then several with Sarah alone and then with me alone. About the tenth picture of me alone, Sarah spoke up.

“OK, that’s enough. Time for us to go.” Her dad had a look in his eyes I had seen before in other men. Mrs. Watson was going to get it good and hard tonight. I was happy to leave. He’s probably not a perv, just a normal man who’s near an attractive young woman with a great rack. We hustle to the car and head for Piper’s house. She’s waiting at the front door when we pull up. She leans back into the house, shouts something to somebody, closes the door and hurries to the car. She opens the back door, throws her bag onto the seat, says “Hey guys” and jumps in. I pull away from the curb and turn the car towards Brittany’s house. Piper is practically bouncing in the seat.

“You ready to party tonight?”

“All night baby!” shouts Sarah. I miss that youthful enthusiasm. Tapping Sarah’s leg, I whisper “buddy system.” She nods at me. “Listen Piper, Honey and I have been talking and we came up with an idea.” She tells Piper all about the plan, leaving out my concerns about Brittany. “What do you think?”

“It sounds OK to me, though I still don’t know what the big deal is. It’s just a party and just a bunch of regular kids, what could go wrong?” I shudder at the thought of what could go wrong.

“You could be right Piper” I say. “You’re probably right. I hope you’re right. I just want to be careful. It’s an unfamiliar place, full of strangers. Anybody can hang with whoever they want, just be alert about your buddy.”

“No problem. Who’s my buddy?”

“Honey, to start with” says Sarah “but she’ll be easy to keep track of. Just follow the trail of stunned guys. Oh, I’ve already claimed dibs on her rejects.”

“Shit! I was going to do that! You can’t handle all of them. How about you get the first five and I get the second five?”

“Twenty.”

“Eight.”

They go back and forth, finally settling on ten guys each. I shake my head. If I had known teenage girls were like this when I was a boy, my life may have been different. I think I’m near Brittany’s house.

“Is that Brit’s house?” I point to a two story Colonial. Piper leans forward between Sarah and I.

“Yes, park in the driveway, on the right. Be careful, they have a dog that craps like a horse.”

“Eeeeewwwww. Thank God I’m wearing boots instead of sandals.”

After parking and cautiously walking to her front porch, Sarah rings the bell. We wait almost a minute before Brittany answers.

“Come on in, oh, wipe your feet.”

“Don’t worry, I warned them. No one found a land mine.”

“They yell at him all the time, but my stuuupid brother won’t clean up after his dumb dog!” We walk in and I look around. Brittany’s house is also nice. Very upper middle class. She steps back and does a slow turn.

“What do you think?” She’s wearing a black halter type dress with an exposed back down to her waist. There is a large link metal chain running from the neck, down her back to the waist of the dress. She’s showing a lot of cleavage. We look like three witches, all in black. Piper is the only one with any color. She’s wearing a bright yellow corset style tank top, red miniskirt, red shrug with three quarter sleeves and red patent leather heels. All in all, we’re a pretty good looking group.

“Is that the dress you bought yesterday after I left? It’s really beautiful.”

“Yup, thanks to your dad’s generosity. You want to drop your bags off in the basement now or wait till after the party?”

Sarah reaches for the door. “Later. We need to get going. We’re wasting precious party minutes.”

Brittany picks up her purse. “I like how you think girlfriend.” She walks back to an open doorway. “Mom! Dad! We’re leaving now” she shouts. Someone in the house shouts back.

“That’s fine Brit. Be careful and be back home by 1:00 a.m. And don’t be late.”

“I won’t!” She grimaces but the rest of us giggle at her discomfort. “Let’s get out now while we can.”

Another careful trip back to the car and we are finally off to the party. I give Sarah the Google map and she navigates until we reach the warehouse. On the way, Piper tells Brittany about our buddy system. She doesn’t object but thinks it is overkill. I don’t care if they think I’m a bitch, worry wart, or killjoy, just as long as we get home safely.

Once we find the warehouse, I circle it one time, checking out the fence. There is a second entrance but it’s chained shut with a lock. We swing back around to the open entrance and get behind three cars waiting in line. There is a guy there with a clipboard, checking people in. He’s older, like thirty something, so probably hired security. I don’t see a gun anywhere.

The girls talk excitedly while we wait but I scan the area, looking for things Bob told me to watch for. There is no other visible security but he has a radio on his hip, so there are other people around somewhere. There is a set of video cameras, one high and one low. The whole entrance is well lit, but the parking lot behind it isn’t. There are light poles, but they aren’t turned on. Maybe they don’t want to draw attention to the party. I’d be happier with lights.

I let the car creep forward until the guard raises his hand to stop me. I roll down my window. He bends down to look in.

“Good evening ladies ...” His eyes are boring holes in my breasts. I give him about ten seconds and then let the car jump forward a few inches. He blinks and picks up where he left off.

“... names please.”

“Honey James” I pray that he won’t ask to see my license. He scans his list and checks me off. I exhale quietly.

“You’re good. Next.” The rest of the girls give their names one at a time and are all checked off. He steps back to my window.

“Go ahead and park. There is a metal detector and purse inspection at the door. Leave any weapons or questionable items in the car.” The spiel was for all of us but his eyes never left my boobs. We thanked him and drove in.

“Can you believe that guy?” fumed Brittany. “What a perv! He just stared at Honey’s breasts, didn’t even try to hide it! You should have punched him in the nose!”

I sigh. “It’s no big deal, happens all the time. I saw it but what can I do? If I hit every guy I caught staring at my boobs, I’d be in jail for, like a hundred years. It’s a man’s world. I could dress like an Islamic woman, you know, in one of those burkha things, but then I’d be hiding from them. I’m just gonna be me and screw em’!”

Sarah chuckles. “I hope you don’t mean that literally because you would be a very busy girl if that got out.” I guess that it was literal, not that I would ever admit it to them. “Besides, I catch myself staring at them every once and awhile.”

“Me too” adds Piper.

“Jeez,” cries Brittany, “when did you all turn lezbo? I thought I knew you guys.” I turn the car into the area Bob and I picked out and turn it off.

“Don’t worry Brit. They’ll go back to normal after I leave town. It’s just one the powers of my boobs.”

“What are the other powers?”

“They make strong men weak, cure impotence for any man under ninety seven years old, make women hate me and they have their own gravitational field.” The last one has them all laughing. We are still giggling when we get to the door. There is a line of about twenty people waiting. I lean over to Sarah.

“Do you know any of these people?” I whisper.

“Nope, not a one. That will probably be the story for the whole night. That’s cool though, we expected that. We are going where no unpopular girls have ever gone before.”

“You’re guys are not unpopular.”

“Yeah, but we’re not popular either.”

“Who the fuck cares about being popular? They’re just a bunch of stuck up, self proclaimed, ‘cool’ people who will disappear into the woodwork after high school or, if they are lucky, college. They got two years, six years tops, of ‘popularity’, then they’re done, they’ve peaked. Who would want that?”

“Honey, it’s hard to take the long view when you’re in the middle of high school.” I hug her hip.

“I know, just enjoy yourself and be smart. We came together, we leave together, every one safe and happy.” We all fall in line. There are two guys at the door. One is using a hand metal detector to scan everyone, the other is checking purses. When I get to the front, the guy with the wand scans me while the other rummages through my purse. Both check me out but they are more subtle than the guy at the gate. The guy with my purse reaches in and pulls out a pack of cigarettes.

“Sorry Miss, this is a no smoking area. I’ll have to take these.”

“Please Sir.” I reach out and touch his hand. “That’s my last pack. I promise that I won’t smoke while here.” I hit him with the innocent school girl look. He never had a chance. He puts the pack back in my purse and hands it to me.

“Alright Miss, but I better not get any reports about you smoking ... well at least not any more smoking than you already are.” I giggle at his lame compliment, thank him and run my hand along his arm as I walk in. The rest of the girls get in without any trouble. We gather together just inside the door.

“OK. The first thing we do is take a tour of the room, get the lay of the land. After that, we decide what to do.”

Brit touches my shoulder. “Honey, I didn’t know you smoked.”

“I don’t.”

“Then what’s with the cigarettes?”

“It’s a family superstition.”

“Huh?”

“Call it my security blanket.”

“How does a pack of cigarettes give you security?”

“I really don’t want to get into it right now. Let’s check the place out.”

We start at the entrance and circle to the right. It appears to be one big room, the stage at one end with the band already playing, the bar at the other with a buffet in the middle up against the far wall. There are a lot of tables and chairs up towards the bar. There doesn’t appear to be many places to hide, which is good. Hard to lose someone in here except for the crowd. It looks like about eighty to ninety people, but it’s early. I take my cell phone from my purse and take a few pictures of the warehouse and send them to Bob, then call him. It rings a couple of times.

“Hello Honey.”

“Hello Daddy. Did you get the pictures?”

“Yes. No surprises. Any trouble?”

“No. There is a back entrance but it’s chained and padlocked. I almost lost my security blanket at the door. It’s non smoking.”

“And yet they have an open bar for minors.”

“I know, go figure.”

“How did you keep from losing your cigarettes?”

“You know how.”

He laughs. “I hope you let him down easily.”

“Easy enough. Any suggestions?”

“No, just stick with the plan and call if there are problems.”

“OK. Talk with you later. I love you.”

“Ahh ... Good Bye Honey.” Probably shouldn’t have brought that up. I flip the phone closed.

“What was that all about?” asked Piper.

“I promised to call my dad when I got here. He just wanted to make sure I found the place.”

“And the pictures?”

“Family photo album.”

“You’re weird, you know that?”

“Oh yeah, I know it. Do you want to grab a table and set up camp?” We pick a big table closer to the dance floor, seating ten. The girls are here to meet people so we might as well make it easy for people to join us. We all sit down and check out the other guests. They are all high school kids, just children actually. No adults in sight, except for the help.

“Looks like there are more girls than guys here” observes Piper. “Guess that means guys decided who got invited.” We all nod in agreement. Every one is dressed to make a good impression. I may be a little too casual for the room.

“Lots of expensive clothes out there. I may be under dressed for the occasion.”

“You’re crazy Honey “says Brit. “That dress is perfect for you, particularly with that jewelry.” She leans in closer. “Those are really good fake diamonds. I’m not an expert but they would fool me. Besides, everyone else had a big closet full of clothes to choose from, you just had a suit case and no notice.”

“She’s right Honey. You look great, we all look great! Tonight we’re steppin’ up, steppin’ out and taking no shit from anybody! Am I right?” declares Sarah. We all shout in agreement.

“Hell YES!”

“Damn straight!”

“Kick ass!”

That last outburst brought a few stares our way. I realize that I’m thirsty and a little hungry, despite my early supper. I stand up.

“I’m going to get something to drink. Anybody want anything, my treat.”

“It’s an open bar Honey.”

“Yeah, but I’m going to get it for you, so my treat.” Brit orders a Coke, Sarah and Piper want Diet Cokes. I work my way through the tables and people and get in line at the bar. There are four bartenders so service is pretty quick. Most kids are ordering beers or mixed drinks. There is a lot of alcohol being handed out. I can see things getting ugly in about two to three hours. I catch the eye of one of the cuter bartenders. He smiles at me and comes over.

“What do you want beautiful?” Oh brother.

“How often have you used that line tonight?”

He raises his right hand. “Hand to God, that was the first time. Tonight.” That may be true. I give him a smile for his possible honesty.

“I’d like a Coke, two Diet Cokes and a Sprite, in cans please.”

“What, no beers?”

“Not tonight, thank you.” He reaches into a big tub of ice, pulls out the cans, wipes them off, puts them in a cardboard holder and hands it to me.

“Smart girl. I’ve worked these parties before. Sober is the best way to go, believe me.”

“Things get a little wild?”

“That’s a nice way to put it. Try out of control. If there hasn’t been a fight by midnight, consider it a miracle.”

I take the holder from him. “Thanks for the info, I’ll keep an eye peeled.”

“No problem. When you need replacements, ask for Phil.” He winks at me. He is cute. I turn to head back to the table and almost run into the guy standing behind me.

“You sure you don’t want something a little stronger, my treat.” It’s Jerry Pitman.

“Sorry, that’s my line.”

“Huh?”

“I told the girls these were my treat” I raise the holder slightly. “They reminded me it’s an open bar.”

“Yeah, a bar. Why drink pop?” He’s got a beer in his hand.

“We decided to stick with soft drinks for tonight, never know what may happen. Doesn’t that beer violate team rules?” He takes a long drink.

“Sure, but no one cares as long as we don’t get caught.”

“How can you not be caught? There are almost a hundred twenty people here.”

“I mean caught in public. This is a private party. Can I carry those for you?” He wants to sit with us. Better the devil you know. I hand the tray to him.

“Thanks, follow me.”

“Happy to.”

I walk back to the table, as normally as possible. I don’t want to tease or lead him on in any way. I worked him and his friends over pretty hard at the Burger King but now isn’t the time or place. I can still feel his eyes on my ass though.

“Look who I found at the bar.” They all say hello to Jerry as he sits down across from me and passes out the cans.

“I hear you all are on the wagon tonight.”

Brit is looking at his beer. “That’s Honey’s idea.”

“And mine” says Sarah.

“Well it wasn’t my idea, that’s for sure.” Brit isn’t going to let this go. Jerry jiggles his beer.

“You sure I can’t tempt any of you lovely ladies to have a beer or something stronger, rum and Coke maybe?”

I don’t need him working against me. “Could I talk with you over here for a minute?”

“Sure.” I stand and walk out on the dance floor about twenty feet from the table. Jerry follows me, smiling.

“We’ve got a deal, no alcohol tonight. Everyone’s agreed but some of them aren’t happy about it. If they hadn’t agreed, my dad wouldn’t have let me come. If any of them do drink, I’ll have to leave.” The smile disappears. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t push any of them to drink.”

“How about you, can I push you to drink?” He’s got a sly look on his face. Better nip this right now.

“Not a chance in hell.”

“You some kind of Mormon or something?”

“No, I’ve had plenty of booze in the past, just not tonight.”

He steps closer to me. “What your dad doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”

“True, but there isn’t anything he doesn’t know and it won’t hurt him, just whoever violated his trust.” He thinks about this for a couple of seconds.

“OK, I’ll go along on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“That you agree to dance with me tonight.” He looks like a big puppy dog, bright eyed and hopeful. He’s a dog alright, but keeping him around could make my life easier tonight.

“You’ve got a deal.”

“Great! How many?”

“Let’s see how the evening goes, OK?”

“Sure! Great! You got it.” We walk back to the table. There have been some additions since we left. Tony and Ken are there, along with a third guy. He introduces himself, Tommy Whitlock, a friend of the guys. They’ve rearranged the seating, its boy/girl all around, leaving Jerry and I sitting next to each other. Once we sit down, Tony raps on the table with a big ring on his hand.

“I don’t know about you but I’m ready for some food.” Everyone agrees, so we all get up and head for the buffet. I pull Jerry aside as we walk across the room.

“I’d appreciate it if you would tell the guys about my deal with the girls on booze.”

“You don’t expect them to not drink do you?”

“No, it would be nice, but no. Just let them know what the deal is and ask them not to flaunt it or push the girls to drink. Remember, if they do, we all go home, which puts an end to our dancing.”

I want to make sure he realizes it’s in his own self-interest to help me enforce my deal with the girls. He got the message. While we move along the buffet line, Jerry quietly passes the word to each of the guys. It’s interesting to watch their reactions, most of them laugh like they don’t believe it but Tony seems pissed. Why should he care?

It’s a nice buffet with salads, fruit, soup, seafood, pasta, bread, hot dishes, even a carving station. The food should slow down some of the drinking and also slow down how quickly some people get drunk, all in all, a pretty bright idea. I take more than I should. The guys have their plates fully loaded. We make our way back to our table, sit down and dig in. Everyone talks about things teenagers usually talk about, music, movies, school and parents. Unfortunately, I’m not exactly current on the first two, haven’t been in school for over twenty years and my parents are long dead, so I mostly listen, which is probably the safest thing. I catch Jerry starring at me. I smile at him.

“What?” He turns away, embarrassed at being caught, then turns back towards me. “You haven’t said much tonight.”

“There’s not much to say.”

“But I don’t know anything about you. I heard that your parents are divorced and you’re here for the holiday visiting your dad. Where do you live?” I really don’t want to answer a bunch of question, mainly because I have a hard time keeping my lies straight. The best defense is a good offense. I cock my head to the side and toss my hair.

“I don’t know much about you either Jerry. The girls say you are the best football player in town. Is that true?” Guys love to talk about themselves, particularly if they think it will impress a girl.

“I’m good but it’s hard to say who’s the best.” Huh, modesty. Could be false modesty.

“But you haven’t lost a game in two years, right?”

“The team hasn’t lost a game in two years. I’m the quarterback but there are lots of players. See, there are eleven guys on offense and eleven guys on defense ...” He proceeds to give me a primer on the game and the positions. It takes every bit of my control to keep from laughing. “... so when the ball is snapped, I can hand it to one of the backs, run it myself or throw it to one of the receivers.”

“So, you run a West Coast offense that emphasizes a short controlled passing game and screens to backs slipping out in the flat.”

He leans back, blinking rapidly. “What?”

I put both elbows on the table, link my fingers and rest my chin on the back of my hands. “Well, I thought you were describing the classic West Coast offense, but I could be wrong. Do you run a Spread offense? Or is it a form of the Option? The Wishbone? You don’t use the Wildcat do you? The Wildcat is just a gimmick you know, a Single Wing throwback. Give me a couple of days and I’ll shut down any team that relies on the Wildcat for more than thirty percent of their total yards, assuming my middle linebacker can move at all and isn’t an idiot.” I give him an innocent smile and bat my eyes. He stares at me for a few seconds.

“Why did you let me go on and on like that? I must have sounded like a moron.”

“Yes, but a very sincere moron.”

“How do you know so much about football?”

“It’s my favorite sport, I grew up with it.”

“Your dad a coach or something?”

No, I played for over twenty nine years from Pee-wee to pros. “Something like that.”

“Who’s your favorite team?”

“Don’t have one. I’m a fan of the game.”

“OK, then who’s your favorite player.”

“Weellll...it was Josh Thomas.”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember him. He was very good. Whatever happened to him?” Good question kid.

“No one knows.” Or at least very few. “Here one day, gone the next, replaced by Billy Joe Coleson and the Wranglers go merrily on without a hitch.”

“That’s not exactly right, you know.”

“Why not?”

“About the time that Thomas disappeared is the same time the Wranglers started their insane streak of good luck on injuries. Not a single starter has missed more than two games in the last three years. That just doesn’t happen. They also have old guys having career best years out of nowhere, not just one or two but every player they sign. Coleson has had a lot of help that Thomas never had.”

What a nice boy. “You’re probably right Jerry. I’m going to find the bathroom and then you can have your first dance.”

“First?”

“First.” I stand. “Does anyone know where the bathrooms are?” Tony raises his hand and points to a door to the left of the bar.

“You go out that door. The bathrooms are just outside, a portable trailer. Don’t worry, they’re lots better than a port-a-john. Flush toilets, running hot water even piped in music.”

Sarah and Brit also stand up. “We’ll go with you. Piper?”

“Sure, hang on.” She quickly finishes her salad and joins us.

There’s a line at the trailer but it isn’t bad, only about a five minute wait. It gives us a chance to talk.

“So Honey” says Brit, “You and Jerry seem to be getting along.”

“He’s OK.” They all giggle as I blush. “Fine, he’s very nice. You and Tony seem to be hitting it off too.”

“He’s ‘OK’”. We all giggle again. “Have you stopped worrying about the party yet?”

“No, it’s too soon and one of the bartenders gave me a heads up on past parties. We aren’t out of the woods yet.”

“You mean you still won’t let us drink?” Brit whines. Sarah steps up.

“It’s not just Honey. We all agreed and we were right. Everything seems cool now but it’s early. It’s also time to switch buddies. I’ll take Piper and Brit has Honey. Keep her safe Brit. We don’t want Jerry Pitman sweeping her off her feet and onto her back.” They all laugh at that one. Sarah is a smart girl. She defused that potential problem before it ever started. I might as well go with the flow.

“Hell, there’s no place to do it even if I wanted to.” More laughter.

“There’s always the parking lot” says Piper.

“Please, why don’t I just put up a big sign that says “Take my picture with your phone and post it on You Tube? No thank you.” We’ve worked our way to the head of the line. Tony was right, it’s the nicest portable toilet I’ve ever seen. We all do our respective business, then crowd around the only mirror to touch up our make up. I borrow Piper’s lipstick, it matches my skin tone better than mine does. When we get back to our table, the guys are done eating and gotten fresh drinks. Jerry is drinking a Coke. I sit down and lean in close to him.

“What, no beer?”

He shrugs. “Never know what may happen.” Either he is very sweet or very good. Time to live up to my part of the bargain. I take his hand, stand and pull him up.

“Let’s see if you can dance as well as you can pass.”

We walk to the dance floor, which is basically concrete that has been scrubbed reasonably clean. The band is playing a song I’ve heard before but I can’t remember where. Doesn’t matter, it has a good beat and I feel like moving. Jerry is not that good a dancer. He’s not terrible, he just dances like an eighteen old kid without a lot of practice. I keep my moves simple and G-rated, no use drawing attention to myself. Everybody else has joined us out on the floor. Brit’s with Tony, Sarah’s with Ken and Piper’s with Tommy. None of them are good dancers but they all seem to be enjoying themselves. We stay out for four songs and the others switch partners a couple of times but Jerry and I stay together. The band takes a break so we head back to the table.

I fetch more drinks for the girls because we left our old drinks unattended. I walk around, passing them out. Sarah offers me a tip. I smack her hand. After sitting down, Jerry and I pick up where we left off talking about football. It’s a safe subject, though admittedly odd for a girl and a guy. I can keep the conversation going but not reveal much about myself. I notice a lot of guys walking around our table, just checking me out. There are more guys here than any other area, except for the bar of course. I think that means that Jerry is the top dog around here. Or at least one of them. If he wasn’t here, they would be all over me. A couple of guys come up to talk with him and they are introduced to me. It’s mostly about the party and how things are going. Jerry seems to be one of the organizers. As long as I’m with him, not a lot of guys will bother me. That doesn’t mean that they won’t come around to get a look. I see more than a few cell phone cameras, a minor version of what happened at the Adolphus Hotel. Since this is an exclusive private party, those pictures are less likely to end up on the internet.

The band starts playing so we all head to the dance floor again. This time I switch partners a couple of times, twice with Tony and once with Ken. Other than that I spend all my time with Jerry. I keep an eye out for Brit. She spends about an equal time dancing with all three guys, plus a couple I don’t recognize. She sits out some songs and seems to be following the rules, no booze, no open drinks.

The band takes another break and the buffet has added desert items. The girls crowd around the chocolate dishes. They have this rich chocolate brownie infused with fudge sauce topped with ice cream. It should be Phase Four of Bob’s sensuality program. I have three big helpings. The only reason I don’t have a fourth is that they ran out. Jerry offers to have them get me some more but I tell him not to worry about it.

All three of the girls have spent the last three plus hours laughing, dancing and eating. Does it get any better than that for a teenage girl? Particularly when sex and booze are off the menu. By now, we have switched buddies again. I’ve got Sarah and Piper has Brit. There is a certain amount of risk in that but the night has gone well so far and Brit seems to have accepted her limitations and is enjoying herself anyway. I’m tempted to sneak a beer myself but can’t risk getting caught. I can have one when I get home if I still want it. The band takes the stage for a third time and starts with a ripping song. Everyone floods the floor and soon the entire group is dancing full tilt. Jerry is better now than he was at the beginning of the evening, he’s a quick study. I decide to loosen the restraints a bit and shift up to R-rated moves. Jerry certainly perks up, as do most of the guys around me. He moves in close and shouts over the music.

“Where did you learn to dance like that?”

“Here and there.” I shout back, smiling.

As the rocking song ends, the band smoothly shifts to a slow song. Lots of people head back to their tables and I start to also but Jerry reaches out, gently touches my elbow and pulls me back towards him. I could say no if I want to but he has been a perfect gentleman all night so I decide to give it a chance. He takes me in his arms, reaching around my waist and I move my hands up to his shoulders, near his neck. We sway slowly to the music, looking into each others eyes. I look around occasionally, checking out Sarah. She’s sitting at a smaller table with Ken, smiling. I don’t see Brit or Piper but we are closer to the band and have a bad angle for the rest of the room. He presses his hips up against mine and I can feel his erection. I’d noticed it earlier but there is no ignoring it now. He doesn’t grind it against me, it’s just there. His smile grows slightly wider and I blush a little. He leans down towards me. He’s going to kiss me. I’d tried to avoid this all evening but now, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. What’s the harm? As his lips near mine, I move up to make contact, a soft, gentle kiss, lasting a few seconds. We break it off, both of us grinning at each other.

I can’t help but compare him to Bob. It was interesting, fun, enjoyable but there was no spark, no fire. If we had the time, maybe we could get to know each other, have a romantic relationship. He’s certainly a nice enough guy and all the parts are in the right place and in great shape. If he’s willing to learn, I could probably teach him to be an exceptional lover. There’s just no way it can happen though. The song comes to an end and the band starts an up tempo song. He takes my hand and leads me back to our table. We are the only ones there. We sit down, him still holding my right hand with both of his.

“Honey, I know we haven’t known each other for very long and this may seem sudden and everything ... you don’t live around here so it wouldn’t be easy ... but you’re such a wonderful person ... I’d really like to see you again, you know, if you want to ...” I put my free hand on top of his hands.

“Can we go outside? We won’t have to shout over the band.”

“Yeah, sure. Follow me.” He lets go of my hand and stands up, I get up, grab my purse and then take his right hand in mine. He heads for the front door and we step through into the parking lot, then walk around the corner. Neither of us says anything for a few moments. It’s my move, I guess.

“Jerry, I was afraid this might happen.”

“Afraid of what?”

“That I would meet someone that I liked.”

He smiles widely. “What could be wrong with that? I like you too, a lot. You’re smart, amazingly beautiful, a football expert, the perfect girl.”

“What’s wrong is that we can never see each other.” He’s stunned.

“Why not? Look, just because you don’t live here doesn’t mean we can’t see each other. There’s holidays, fall break, spring break, the summer. I’ll graduate in like six months and I don’t have to go to college right away ...”

“Jerry, listen to yourself. We’ve only known each other for like four total hours and you’re already putting your football career on hold. But that’s not the point. It’s impossible for me to date you.”

“Why can’t you date me? Is it some kind of rule your parents made up? We can talk with them, show them we’re serious ...”

“I’ll tell you why. You have met my dad right?” He flexes his right hand slightly.

“Oh yeah, I remember.”

“I’m going to give you two reasons why we can’t date. The first one is for you to tell your friends when they ask.”

“Why two reasons?”

“You’ll understand why when I’m done. The first reason is I live with my mother and she is being transferred to Europe by her company, she’s a pharmaceutical rep. We’ll be based in Switzerland but travel a lot. The assignment is for four years, at least, and I won’t be coming back to the U.S. until she’s done. I can’t live with my dad because he also travels for his job and no one is home three quarters of the year.” He looks defeated.

“Wow, that’s terrible, but my dad is fairly well off. He might be willing to pay for a few trips to Switzerland ...”

“No Jerry, that’s not the real reason we can’t date. That’s the one you tell your friends when they ask. I am going to tell you the truth, but you can’t tell anyone else. Not your family, your friends, my friends, anyone. This is really important. If my dad knew I was telling you this ... well, I don’t know what he would do. Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

“OK, I promise.”

“Really, really promise? I’m putting my life in your hands here.” His eyes are as big as saucers when he hears that.

“No shit? Your life?” I nod my head. “Alright, yeah. I really, really promise.” I look left and right, making sure no one else can hear us.

“Here it is” I whisper. Jerry leans down closer to me.

“Witness ... Protection ... Program.” He sucks in his breath.

“NO WAY!”

I wave my hands to shush him. “Quiet! Yes, way.”

“What happened, is he a mob guy? Did he ...”

“Jerry, I have told you all that I can. Dating someone as famous as you puts my life at risk, my family’s lives ... and your life.” The light bulb turns on above his head.

“Oh my God! That’s right! Damn Honey, ... that sucks big time. Shit.”

I take his hand in mine. “Let’s go back in. It’s been a wonderful evening. However, if you don’t want to finish it with me, I’ll understand.”

“Hey, don’t say that. Uuuhh, ... since you can’t date me and we do have the rest of the night, maybe we could ...” He had to try; I don’t know if I could respect him if he didn’t try.

“Jerry, remember that handshake?”

“Yeah?”

“Imagine that grip on your balls.” He shudders.

“How would he even know?” he asks weakly.

“Trust me, he’d know.” Another shudder.

“Honey, I’ve never had a better time but I think it’s best if we say good bye.”

I nod in agreement. “Good bye Jerry. I’ll look for your name in the sports pages.”

“Good bye Honey. It could have been great.” We hug. He might be right. We walk back in together but separate once inside the door, sharing lingering looks as we walk away from each other. I scan the room. Sarah is sitting by herself at one of the smaller tables. I walk over and sit down.

“Hey.”

“Hey, where’s Jerry?”

“He’s moving on.”

“OH Honey! You guys made such a cute couple! What’s the problem?”

“Religious differences.”

“Say what?”

“I’m joking. It was never going to work. He’s a great guy, but long distance relationships are iffy at best. We’ve only known each other for like four hours.”

“Sometimes that’s long enough Honey.”

“Only in romance novels and chick flicks Sarah. I was just looking for a fun evening and that’s what I got. How about you? Weren’t you and Ken spending most of the evening together?”

“More or less. He’s nice enough, a bit of an egomaniac though.”

“He’s a wide receiver, what did you expect?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s a football thing.”

“Whatever. Anyway, he’s sort of got a girlfriend who’s out of town.”

“Did you know this?”

“Oh yeah, he mentioned it right away. No big deal, I was just looking for a fun evening too.”

“Well, let’s go get a drink and toast our success.” We stand, grab our purses and start towards the bar but just then, Brit runs up to us, breathing hard.

“Oh thank God! Have either of you seen Piper, you know, in the last five minutes?” Sarah grabs her arm.

“Piper? Are you sure? Piper’s too smart to go anywhere. How could you lose Piper?”

“Calm down both of you” I say. “Have you called her cell?”

“Yes, but it’s in her purse.” She holds out her hand, which is holding Piper’s purse. Damn!

“How about the bathroom?”

“I was heading that way when I saw you two.”

“You go check it out. Sarah and I will search this room.” I look at my watch, its 11:23. “Everyone meets back here in four minutes, got that?”

“Four minutes, got it.” Brit hurried off. I turn to Sarah, she looks frightened.

“Oh God Honey! You were right! What happened to ...”

“Take it easy. Brit could have just missed her. It’s probably nothing. You go down the right side and I’ll take the left. When you get to the end, come back through the middle of the dance floor. Don’t run, but make it quick. And look at everything.” We split up and start our search.

Thankfully there really isn’t anywhere to hide; it’s just a big warehouse with tables, chairs, a stage and caterer’s equipment. Piper could have stepped outside for some air. She’s likely in the bathroom and all of this is a false alarm. So why am I struggling to keep from panicking? I’m moving too fast, not paying attention. I slow up, take a deep breath and let it out. It helps clear my head. I scan to my right as I work down the left wall. Thank God Piper is wearing the yellow tank and red skirt. Practically three quarters of the girls are wearing black or dark colors and guys almost always wear dark stuff.

She should stand out like a flare.

Which means Brit shouldn’t have missed her. Fear starts to creep back into my heart. I get to the end of the room just as Sarah does. She raises her hands, palms up and shakes her head “No”. I point to the dance area and we dive in.

The crowd is not that bad, people have been dancing for some time and a lot of them have dropped out. Still, it’s harder to push through than walking in the open and our progress is slower. I pop out of the throng near the tables and chairs. Sarah is just a couple of seconds behind me.

“Nothing. I looked everywhere, even behind the band. Nothing. She’s not here Honey.”

“I know. “ I see Brit at our meeting spot. She’s alone and looking worried. This ain’t good. Sarah and I head towards her and Brit runs towards us.

“She wasn’t in the bathroom. Did you guys find her?”

“Do you see her with us?” Sarah snaps. “How could you lose track of her? It was so simple, just look around every few minutes and find her. How ...”

“Quiet!” I shout, a little too loudly. “We can talk about this later. Right now, we find her. If she’s not here or the bathroom then she’s outside. Let’s go.” I run off, leaving Sarah and Brit behind. They quickly follow but my boots let me run harder than their heels let them. I hit the entrance and stop, looking around. There are lots of cars out there and no lights. Luckily, it’s a full moon, skies clear and chilly. The girls catch up to me.

“Slow down Honey! Sarah and I can’t run that fast. Damn shoes!”

“No time to waste Brit. You take the nearest rows of cars and I’ll take the back rows. Don’t spend too much time looking in the car. If she’s in there with someone, it’ll be foggy.”

“Why would the windows be foggy?” Sarah and I look at Brit and say nothing. She finally gets it.

“Oh right. Yeah. Duh.”

I start to run off but shout back to Sarah “You take the sides of the warehouse. If we don’t find anything, then we’ll go around the back.” I take the back rows because I can move faster. Thank you Bob for the wardrobe suggestions. Moving along the rows of cars, there’s no sign of anybody. All nice, expensive, empty cars. I can see Brit searching the cars nearer the warehouse, both of us working towards the middle of the parking area. We get within two rows of each other when I hear Sarah shouting.

“Honey! Honey! Brittany! Over here! Hey, over here guys!” She’s jumping and waiving at the right corner of the warehouse. Brit starts to run towards her.

“Brit! Stop!” She stops and turns my way. “Finish that last row and I’ll finish mine, then we’ll go. Hurry!” she turns back to the cars and we quickly check them out, then take off for where Sarah is waiting.

“Did you find her?”

“Not exactly. Follow me.”

She turns and runs around the corner. We follow. Sarah runs about fifty feet and turns another corner, Brit and I on her tail. There, hidden among some big dumpsters, are four RVs. Shit! I didn’t see them when we drove around the fence because of the dumpsters. Brit grabs my shoulder.

“What are they for?”

“My guess is sex.”

“What?!”

“If one of the owners got ‘lucky’, they could use them for privacy. There’s no place available in the warehouse and these people are too high class to fuck in the back seat of a car.”

“Honey!” Sarah is shocked.

“Sorry, but it’s true. Let’s go check them out.”

“Do you think Piper is in one of those things?”

“She isn’t anywhere else, so yeah, she probably is.” I start to walk towards the RVs but Brit won’t let go of my shoulder.

“What if she doesn’t want to be found?”

“That’s her tough luck. She should have told one of us where she was going.” Sarah and Brit seem undecided. “Look, if we interrupt something she asked for, we apologize. If she didn’t ask for it ...” Brit’s grip on my shoulder tightens.

“Then what?”

“Then I’ll take care of him. Now let’s go find our friend.”

We quickly walk to the nearest RV, trying to be quiet but hurry at the same time. The curtains are drawn but light is leaking out around them. We sneak around the outside, looking for a gap in the shades. Sarah finds one.

“Over here.” She says softly. We scurry to her side. She’s gazing in the gap. “Holy CRAP!”

“Is it Piper?”

“I can’t tell yet.”

“Let me see.” She steps back, her face flush. I put my eye to the gap.

Two guys are double teaming a naked girl on a bed. She’s on her knees, one guy pumping away at her cunt from behind while the girl enthusiastically sucks the other guy’s cock. Now wonder Sarah was blushing. No one seems to be forcing the girl at all. It’s a bad angle though, I can’t see much of the girl’s face. She is the right size and build, it could be Piper. Suddenly they shift positions, the guy fucking her pussy rolls onto his back and the girl straddles him facing forward. The other guy gets behind the girl and slowly pushes his cock up her ass. I’ve been double penetrated a few times and only enjoyed it twice, both times with a couple of brothers who showed some interest in my needs. I can see the girl’s face now and it isn’t Piper. Brit is pushing at me.

“Let me see.” I step back.

“It isn’t Piper.”

“I want to see anyway.”

“No, business first. Let’s check the next one.” Sarah and I walk away but Brit lingers, peeping into the gap.

“What are they ... SSHHHIIITTT!”

“Brittany, NOW!” I hiss.

She scoots away from the window and follows us. We circle the second RV. There are no lights on that we can see. The shades are drawn but there are big gaps so it’s obvious that no one is home. We move on to the third one. The lights are on and shades pulled down. This one is almost a double decker, the back windows are too high for us to look in. There are some openings in the shades if we could get up there. I look around but there is nothing to stand on.

“Sarah, how much do you weigh?”

“Uuuhh about one twenty five.”

Brit snorts. “Try one thirty five.” Sarah gives her the death stare.

“I think I can lift you up high enough for you to look in the window but I can’t keep you up there for long. Don’t touch anything, we don’t want to make any noise. Don’t say anything until you’re back down.” I get set below the window, my back to the RV. Sarah stands facing me. I grab her hips.

“On three, you jump and I’ll boost you up. Look quick. Ready?” She looks nervous but nods her head.

“Yes, ready.”

“OK one ... two … three.” She squats and jumps as hard as she can. I catch up to her as she peaks and manage to get my arms straight up, elbows locked, lifting her head up to the window.

“She’s there Honey” Brit whispers. “Hold on.”

If I was still Josh Thomas, I could hold her like this for minutes on end. Now, my muscles begin to shake after a few seconds. I keep holding Sarah, my arms starting to ache. I grit my teeth and keep my arms extended. I hear Sarah gasp. Times up. I bring her back down, barely avoiding dropping her on her ass.

“Well” I gasp, trying to catch my breath. ”Is she in there?”

Her eyes are wide in shock. “Yes.”

“What’s going on?” asks Brit.

“She’s lying on the bed, naked.”

“NO!”

“Yes.”

I’m rubbing my arms, trying to get feeling back. “Was she awake?”

“What?”

“Was she awake, alert, did she seem like she knew what was going on?”

“No, she looked drunk. Her eyes were barely open and she was just laying there on her back.”

“Then she’s been drugged.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because Brit lost track of her like what, fifteen, twenty minutes ago? You can’t get shit face drunk in twenty minutes. Who was in there with her?”

“Tony King!” Sarah was disgusted.

“Only Tony?”

“Isn’t that bad enough?”

“Sure, but I need to know how many guys I have to take out.”

“TAKE OUT?! He’s enormous! Two hundred forty pounds at least. You’re what, one hundred twenty five?”

“Hey! One ten! I’ve got it covered, trust me. Did it look like he had done anything to her yet?”

“I can’t be sure. He wasn’t wearing pants or underwear but still had his shirt and socks on.”

“We don’t have time to waste then, come on.”

“What are you talking about?” said Brittany. “Let’s go get one of those security guys. We can’t handle this by ourselves.”

“Those security guys were hired by Tony King.” I replied. “Who do you think they’re interested in protecting? You? Me? Piper? Even if they might help us, it will take too long for them to get here. It’s up to us to help Piper and we’ve got to do it now. I can do this, I’ve got a plan. Are you guys with me?”

Sarah looks at Brit. “She’s right, it’s Piper, we can’t wait.”

Brit grimaces. “Crap ... I’m in.”

I smile at them. Wish I had friends like this. “Let’s go team.” I take off, the girls right behind me.

I run around to the door, reach into my purse, pull out the pack of cigarettes, and strip off the wrapper. It’s Bob’s little black box.

“You guys get up against the side. Don’t move until I tell you.” They stand with their backs to the side of the RV, away from the door. I palm the box in my right hand and put it behind my back.

“What’s that?” Brit whispered.

“My security blanket. You guys stay tight and frosty, don’t let him see you and go when I say so. Don’t hesitate. Ready?” They nod yes.

I pound on the door with my left hand several times.

“Go away!” shouts Tony. I pound the door again.

“I said GO AWAY!” He sounds closer to the door. I pound it a third time.

He throws the door open, filing the doorway, standing there just as Sarah described. “Are you deaf? Get the HELL OUT OF ...” He sees me, hands behind my back, tits thrust forward.

“Hey Baby, I hear that you like to party. Can I join you?”

He just stands there, mouth agape. It takes a few seconds for his brain to restart. It feels like an eternity. A big grin spreads across his face.

“Oh yeah Honey, I love to party! You sure you want in on this? I party hard you know.”

I take a step closer. “You mean like fucking a girl’s brains out?”

His grin couldn’t get any bigger. “Shit yes!”

“Well lead on then.”

He turns around. I let him take two steps into the RV before I whip my right hand around and give the box a squeeze. Two barbs on hair-thin wires shoot out and stick in his ass.

“Oooww, what the....” That’s all he gets out before I squeeze the box again, hitting him with 1,250,000 volts. His body locks up, arms and legs convulsing, head thrown back, eyes and mouth wide open. He’d be screaming if his lungs could move. I keep my finger on the trigger a few seconds longer than I should. When I release it, he collapses on the floor, twitching. I squeeze again just to be sure. There is little reaction. He’s out.

“Come on guys, get in! Don’t worry about him, step on him if you need to.” They both make a point of stepping on his back as they hustle in. I follow them and pull the door shut, locking it.

“Sarah, help me pull him away from the door. Brit, you check on Piper.” She runs to the back of the RV while Sarah and I each grab an arm and drag Tony back to the bedroom. When we get there, Brit is cradling Piper’s head in her hands, trying to wake her up.

“Is she breathing OK?”

“Yes, but she won’t wake up Honey.”

“She probably won’t for awhile. You guys find her clothes and get her dressed. I’ll find something to tie him up with. If he starts to wake up, push this box right here.” I put the box down.

“For how long?” ask Sarah.

“As long as you want.”

I go to the kitchen and find a dish towel and a knife. I cut the towel into five strips. When I get back to the bedroom, they have Piper dressed except for her shoes and top. She’s semi-conscious, flopping like a rag doll

“Don’t worry about the shoes, she’s not walking for awhile. Did he wake up at all?”

Sarah answers. “No, but I pushed the button once anyway.”

“Sarah, you nasty girl you.”

“Sue me.”

They get Piper’s top pulled over her head.

“What now?” asked Brit.

“Put her in that chair. Then we put Tony on the bed.” It took all three of us to get him up on the bed and flipped over on his back. We use the cut up dish towel to tie him spread eagled on the bed. There’s a half full cup on a table next to the bed. I go back to the front of the RV, pick up my purse, dig through it and remove a pack of matches. I tear a match out and hand it to Sarah.

“Drop this in that cup and tell me if it changes color.”

She drops it in the cup and peers in. “Yep, the match turned red. What does that mean?”

“It means that Piper was likely drugged with Roofies.”

“That son of a bitch!”

“You said it. You guys get Piper up near the door, then Brit ... “ I reach into my purse, pullout my keys and toss them to her “… you go get my car and bring it around but park on the other side of the dumpsters so no one in the RVs can see it.” They lift Piper up and carry/drag her to the front, dropping her in the driver’s seat. Tony is starting to regain consciousness so we need to hurry. I pull a curtain across the opening to the bedroom so that you can’t see into the rest of the RV. Picking up the cup, I grab Tony’s nose and start slowly pouring the drink down his throat. He gags and chokes, spitting some of it up but I manage to get him to swallow most of it. I then wad up his underwear, stuff them in his mouth and wrap the fifth dish towel strip around his head and across his mouth, gagging him. I tie it in a bow just below his nose. By now, he is almost awake. Brit comes back in. I slip past the curtain.

“Can you guys get Piper to the car without my help?”

“I think so” says Sarah.

“Take her and then wait for me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Make a call to my dad and then have a little talk with Tony.”

“You sure about that?”

“Very. Try to keep from being seen, if at all possible.”

“You be careful Honey.”

“You too.” They leave and I get my purse, retrieve my cell phone and call Bob.

“Hello Honey. Isn’t it a little early to be calling it a night? It is only 11:48.”

“We’ve had a little trouble.”

“Serious trouble?”

“Hard to say, we’re still in the middle of it.”

“Can I help?”

“No, you’re too far away. Piper was drugged and nearly raped. We got to her in time but I’ve got the bastard tied to a bed and gagged. I had to use your zapper on him.”

“Did it work?’

“Like a charm.”

“What do you plan to do now?”

“Put Piper in the car, have a short talk with Tony to show him the error of his ways and get the hell out of Dodge.”

“Is that Tony King, one of the boys from the Mall?”

“One and the same.”

“Do not do any permanent damage. There could be repercussions.”

“What could they do to me? They don’t have my real name, my address or even what town I supposedly live in.”

“Yes but he obviously could identify Piper and link her to Sarah and Brittany. They might pay the price for your actions.” Good advice, as usual. “How long before you leave?”

“No more than five minutes.”

“Leave by the back entrance then. There is no video coverage.”

“We can’t. It’s chained and padlocked.”

“It won’t be by the time you get there.”

“How is that possible?”

“I am parked in a rental car just two blocks away. Thought you might need some backup.”

“You know, I really do love you.”

“We will talk about that later. Be thoughtful and careful.” He hung up. I sighed, what a man.

When I get back to Tony, he is completely conscious, twisting and squirming, trying to free himself. His eyes blaze with anger when he sees me. I trail my hand lightly up his right leg.

“Hey lover, we sure had some fun didn’t we? Hate to leave you like this but it’s time for me to go. Still ...” I reach up and stoke his inner thigh “... I’d like to leave you something to remember me by.” I start to fondle his balls with my right hand and stroke his soft cock with my left. Despite himself, he has an erection in seconds. It’s not very impressive, well below average if I’m any judge of cocks ... which I am. No wonder he uses Roofies. He is starting to moan into his gag. I keep stroking him, looking him straight in the eyes. Licking my lips, I open my mouth, turn it towards his crotch, and lower it within two inches from the tip of his cock, flicking my tongue out to just a fraction of an inch from its tip. I pull my tongue back into my mouth and slowly turn my head back towards him.

“This is what I want you to remember Tony.”

I squeeze his balls, slowly increasing the pressure. The erection doesn’t last long and he is soon shouting into his gag, begging me to stop.

“You drugged my friend and would have raped her if I hadn’t stopped you. You’ve got a pretty nice setup here, so my guess is that Piper wouldn’t have been your first.” I release his balls, his eyes reflecting the relief he feels. “If I ever hear of you doing something like this again, this is what will happen.” I jam the zapper into his balls and press the trigger. His entire body seizes, stiff as a board, while he screams. I’d dialed the power back to half strength, not enough to knock him out but more than enough to cause excruciating pain. Tears are streaming from his eyes. I release the trigger.

“And, if I ever hear even the slightest rumor that you are causing trouble for Piper or Sarah or Brittany” I wave the zapper in his face and slowly bring it to his balls. He is vigorously shaking his head “No“ and likely begging me to not hit him again. I do it anyway. He flails and flops until I release the trigger. He is breathing rapidly through his nose, eyes puffy and watery.

“And, if I catch the slightest whiff of you trying to find me.” His eyes are wide with terror. I reach down and flick his sensitized balls with my index finger, causing his body to jump off the bed. “I will come back here, cut these tiny balls off your poor excuse for a cock and wear them for earrings. If you don’t think I mean it,” I lean into his face “just ... try ... me.” I put the zapper back into my purse, walk past the curtain and out the door, locking it behind me. Checking to see if there is anybody around, I don’t see anyone, so I sprint to the car and jump in.

Sarah is in the front, breathing hard, Brit and Piper in the back. Piper is slumped against the door but they managed to belt her in.

“You guys have any trouble?”

“No.” Brit replies, glancing at Sarah. I start the car and head for the back entrance.

“Honey, we can’t go that way, it’s locked, remember?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got people”

True to his word, the gate is wide open when we get there and zoom out onto the street. There is no sign of Bob, but I notice a car smoothly pulling out from the curb after I pass it, following us home at a discrete distance the entire way. Bob has got my back, which is a very secure, comfortable feeling. We swing into the driveway and I park the car in the garage, don’t want the neighbors to see us take a limp teenage girl inside. Bob shows up about thirty seconds later, parks next to us and closes the garage door. Brit starts to panic.

“Oh God Honey, it’s your dad! What are we going to tell him?”

“Don’t worry, it’s cool. He already knows.”

“But what if he tells our parents? How do we explain this?”

“I said don’t worry. You guys will be fine. He’s not your average dad.”

“What about Piper? She’s not getting any better.”

“We’ll take care of it Brit. The first thing is to get Piper in bed.”

Bob opens the door next to Piper. “Hello ladies, are you all OK?” Sarah and Piper nod their heads, not sure what to say. They don’t trust him.

“We’re fine Daddy, a little shook up but fine, except for Piper. The test strip was red, that’s roofies right?”

“Correct Honey. I will carry her to your room. One of you can undress her and put her in some comfortable clothes. The best thing for her is sleep.” He reaches in the car, unbuckles her and picks her up, cradling her in his arms. “Sarah, if you would get the door please.” Sarah hurries to the door and opens it. Bob carries Piper into the house, straight to my bedroom and gently lays her on the bed. “Which of you wants to change her clothes?” Brit steps up.

“I will, she was my responsibility, it’s all my fault.”

I reach out and rub her shoulder. “No Brit, it wasn’t your fault. We were supposed to look out for each other. We’re all responsible. We’ll all take care of her.”

“Very well. Once you are done, I would like to talk with the three of you.” He turns and leaves the room. Brit and I start to strip Piper, but Sarah just stands next to the bed.

“Honey, is your dad pissed at us?”

“It’s hard to tell with him but probably not. Even if he is, I’ll handle it.”

“Honey ... all the stuff you did tonight ... the equipment you had ... where ...”

“Sarah, let’s get Piper taken care of, we’ve got all night to talk about what happened.”

“Tonight...SHIT! We’re all supposed to go to Brit’s house tonight! How are we going to explain this to her parents? We have to ...” I raise my hand.

“One problem at a time. Piper first, the overnight problem after that.”

“OK.” Sarah gives us a hand with Piper. “Do you have anything for her to wear?”

“Doesn’t she have a bag in the car?”

Brit slaps her forehead. “Of course! She’s probably got pajamas or something. I’ll get it.”

“Why don’t you go help her Sarah? Might as well bring all the bags in.”

“OK, we’ll be back in a jiff.”

Sarah and Brit hurry off. I wanted just a few seconds alone with Piper, to check and see if there was any evidence of rape. I don’t think Tony had enough time but I want to make sure. She’s already stripped down to her bra and panties so I finish the job. I spread her legs slightly to get a good look. No redness or swelling, no scrapes, no blood. I breathe a sigh of relief, pretty sure we made it in time. The girls come back with the bags and we look through Piper’s. She did have a pair of shorty pajamas so we dress her and tuck her in. Brit sits at the end of the bed.

“Aaahh Honey, what do we tell your dad about all this?”

“The truth, what else?”

“Whoa” says Sarah “you can’t tell him what we did tonight. He’ll tell all our parents, we’ll be grounded for life.”

“We didn’t do anything wrong. None of us drank, no drugs, except for what that bastard Tony did to Piper, no sex. We are all innocent victims.”

“How about what you did to Tony?”

I pause and look at Sarah. She shrinks away from me slightly.

“And what did I do to Tony?” She looks unsure of what to say. “You were in the car, weren’t you ... Sarah?”

“No, I wasn’t ... I didn’t want to leave you alone with him. I was afraid for you. After Piper was safe in the car, I came back to the RV to make sure you were OK ... I saw what you did to Tony ... I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it. Hell, I shocked him myself ... but gawd Honey, that was practically torture.”

“Wait, what did she do?” asks Brit.

“No Sarah, it was torture, and he’s lucky I didn’t have more time or it would have been worse.”

“Would someone tell me what you did?” Brit demands.

“I forced the spiked drink down his throat, then zapped him in the balls twice.”

“After she almost popped them like grapes with her bare hands” added Sarah.

Brit looks shocked. “Way to go Honey! I’d have kicked him in the nuts myself if I had the guts. You gonna tell your dad you did all that?”

“Why not, he’s the one who taught me how to do it. That’s nothing compared to what he would have done to Tony if he had drugged me instead of Piper. Besides, if I don’t tell him the complete truth, he’ll know it.”

“Is he psychic or something?” I smile at that.

“No, but sometimes I wonder. Piper looks OK for now, let’s go talk to him.” I walk out into the living room, the girls slowly following me. Bob calls out.

“I am in the kitchen Honey. All of you may come in and have something to drink.” We walk in together. Bob is sitting at the table. “Have a seat. Get something from the fridge if you want it.”

None of us wanted anything so we sat down. Bob had a glass of water, which he sipped.

“From your conversation, I gather that you were all going to spend the night at one of your houses. Whose house?”

Brit raises her hand. “Mine” she says quietly.

“When were you supposed to be home?”

“1:00 a.m. at the latest.” I look at the clock, its 12:25 p.m. It seems much later. I realize that I feel very tired. The adrenaline from our adventure must be wearing off. Bob thinks for a few seconds.

“The first thing is to inform your parents of the change in plans. I suggest that Sarah and Brittany call home and ask if it would be acceptable for the overnight to be moved to our home. The reason would be that Honey had promised to fix everyone a big breakfast so you all decided to do the overnight here, if the parents approve. I can speak with them to assuage any concerns they may have.” I raise my hand.

“What about Piper? She can’t make the call?”

“Good point Honey. I can make the call, apologize that we did not call sooner, give her parents the same basic story. If they ask to talk with her, I will say that you all are watching a movie and that she had fallen asleep, then offer either Brittany or Sarah to speak with them to confirm my story. Which of you would be the better choice?”

“I guess that would be me “said Brit. “I spend a lot of time over there and her mom likes me.”

“Good. If anyone asks why you left the party early, you tell them that Honey insisted. I will handle that question. Are you ready to start?”

Sarah called her parents first and it was just as Bob planned it. After explaining the change in plans, she gave the phone to Bob.

“Hello Mr. Watson, this is Bob James…. It is no problem at all, they are fine girls.... Honey is quite the cook. I always gain ten pounds when she visits.... That is my fault. I told Honey to come straight home if the party looked like it might get out of hand.... I agree completely, you cannot be too careful in this day and age.... I think the same time as originally planned I imagine, the only change I am aware of is the location.... It has been nice to talk with you too, Good night.” I can see that Sarah and Brit are very impressed. Bob is as slick as snot when he wants to be.

Brit’s call was just about the same, though it was her mother instead of her father. Piper’s mother didn’t even ask to talk with her, Bob was that smooth. Sarah leaned over to me as he was wrapping up the last call.

“He’s really good at this. What does he do?”

“Daddy is a bit of a jack of all trades.”

“I bet. And he taught you what you did to Tony?”

“Not the specifics, just the general techniques.”

“You lead an interesting life Honey.” You have no idea Sarah. Bob hangs up the phone.

“That resolves the overnight problem. Now you need to tell me all about the party. I want you to tell me everything you all can remember. My objective is to determine if there are any loose ends that need to be tied up. Honey, you can start and you other girls can add any details you think she may have missed.” He walked over to the fridge and picked up some notepads and pencils from the top, then handed them out to all three of us. “You can use these to make notes so you do not forget any point you want to make.” He sat back down, picked up his notepad and pencil. “Go ahead Honey.”

I started with when we arrived and told him everything I could remember that happened all evening. Brit and Sarah didn’t say anything at first, but when I got to my dancing with Jerry, they just had to add details I really didn’t want Bob to know. He could see that I was holding back. He reached out and touched my hand.

“You went to this party to have a good time Honey. I supported that decision. Do not worry about telling me embarrassing details from the evening. Nobody here has done anything wrong to my knowledge. Just tell your father the complete truth and it will be fine.” I take a deep breath and continue with my story, including the more embarrassing facts. It’s still not good enough for the girls, they don’t let me keep anything secret. They seem to be enjoying it. I get to the part where we discover Piper was missing. Bob stops me.

“I want to go back in the timeline a bit. You girls were all together for most of the evening but not all. Sarah, I need to know what you did when you were not with Honey.”

Sarah was reluctant to say a whole lot but Brit helped fill in the blanks, they were buddies for an hour or so after all. Then Bob asked Brit for the same information and Sarah was more than happy to spill Brit’s secrets. There was no doubt in my mind that Bob knew exactly what he was doing, playing one girl off the other. He took a few notes then put his pencil down.

“I think I have a good idea of what happened during the party. Honey, pick it up where you left off, the discovery that Piper was missing.” I gave him the rest of the story, including what I did to Tony. Sarah didn’t add anything to that part. Bob made some more notes.

“Did you say anything to Tony while you were ... dealing with him?”

“I told him that if I ever heard of him drugging girls again, or bother Sarah, Piper or Brit or try to find me that I’d come back, cut off his balls and wear them as earrings.” I hadn’t told Brit that. She was shocked again.

“DAMN HONEY! ... Oh, pardon me Mr. James.”

Bob chuckles softly. “No problem Brittany. That was my exact reaction.” Sarah and Brit giggle together. I think he’s won them over. He sets his notepad aside. “I think it is very clear that you three did an outstanding job dealing with a dangerous situation. Piper owes you all a debt of gratitude. She may not remember everything that happened to her and what you did for her, which in the long run may be for the best, but I want to congratulate you on your calm, cool reactions and bravery. I also want to thank you for making sure Honey came home safe and sound.”

“It wasn’t us” said Sarah. “It was Honey Mr. James. She took charge and knew exactly what to do. Brit and I just followed orders. If Honey hadn’t been there, I don’t know what we would have done.”

“That’s right, Mr. James” added Brittany. “Honey deserves all the credit. She was totally awesome tonight, like a commando or something. I was scared to death but she just jumped in and kicked ass ... sorry.”

“Either way, I am proud of all of you. To be successful, each of you had to keep calm, do your jobs and not panic. It was a team effort. I am sure that your parents would also be proud of you, though I can understand why you might not want them to know about everything that happened tonight. You will need to tell them something. I suggest you just stick with the facts up until Piper disappeared and say that a couple of guys got into a fight and Honey decided to leave. That leaves us with Piper’s likely memory problems.”

“I don’t understand Mr. James” said Brit. “Why should Piper not remember what happened?”

“The test strip indicated that the drink next to Piper was spiked with Flunitrazepam, the trade name being Rohypnol, colloquially known as Roofies. It is not licensed for sale in the US but that doesn’t keep it from being readily available. Its primary effects are a muscle relaxant, a sedative and amnesia, an excellent rape drug. The victim becomes easy to control and their memory becomes jumbled at worst and wiped clean at best. Combined with alcohol, the effects become stronger. It takes effect fifteen to twenty minutes after consumption and has a half life of eighteen to twenty six hours. Depending on how much she consumed, Piper may not recall much of tonight, including what happened before she was drugged. You may need to jog her memory a bit, maybe even create a few.” Sarah raised her hand slightly.

“What will happen to Tony? Honey poured some of that stuff down his throat.”

“That may be a break for us. He was drinking alcohol before consuming the drugs, likely quite a lot. The effects on him could be even stronger. He may not remember much at all, despite Honey’s efforts.” He dips his head towards me, smiling. I smile back at him. “Any other questions?”

“Yeah, what do we do about Piper?” asks Sarah. “Don’t we need to get her to a hospital or something?”

“There really is not a specific treatment for Rohypnol. It leaves the system through her kidneys. An overdose can lead to breathing problems. So far, her breathing is normal. If we could get her to drink some water, that would be a good thing. I will stay up with her tonight to make sure she is alright.”

“We can stay up too” said Sarah. “She’s our friend, we should take care of her.”

“There is no reason for all three of you to stay up all night. I will agree for you to take shifts along with me, three hours apiece. Is that acceptable?” I won’t be able to sleep until I know Piper is OK but I could use some rest.

“That’s fine by me. What about you guys?” They both agree. Brit goes first, me second and Sarah last. Sarah had one final question.

“Where did all that stuff come from, that electric zapper thing and those matches?”

“Those are mine” answered Bob, “souvenirs from prior assignments. After Honey told me about her fears concerning the party, I decided to dust them off and let her borrow them, just in case.”

“Lucky for us she had them.” Luck had nothing to do with it, credit Bob’s careful planning.

We decide to go to bed. Sarah and I take Bob’s bed, Brit and Bob set up in my bedroom to watch Piper. Brit doesn’t have a change of clothes with her, but we put together something for her from my clothes and Sarah’s bag. I set the alarm for three hours and try to get some sleep.

It’s impossible. Thoughts keep swirling in my head. What would I have done if I found Tony actual raping Piper? I know that I would have wanted to kill him, but would I have done it? What if we had been caught? We aren’t out of trouble yet but there’s no real evidence of our actions and Tony should be either too scared to say anything or may not actually remember much if we’re lucky. But what if some one had seen us and called security? We’d all be in big trouble and it would have been my fault. I got them into that party, I didn’t keep track of Piper. I lost control and attacked that prick Tony. I drug the girls with me through all this. Obviously, things didn’t work out very well tonight but it could have been far worse.

“Honey, are you asleep?” It’s Sarah.

“No, I can’t.”

“Me neither. Can we talk?”

“Sure ... look, I’m really sorry about everything. If I hadn’t brought you guys to that party, none of this would have happened. I promised to keep everybody safe and I screwed up. I know Piper will never forgive me, but I hope you and Brit know that I did my best and won’t hate me.”

“Honey, are you nuts? I practically twisted your arm to make you go so we could come with you. We all wanted to go to this party. The buddy system was your idea. We don’t know what happened to Piper but it wasn’t your fault, it was Tony’s. If it wasn’t for you ... God knows what he would have done to her. I’ve never seen someone jump in and take over like you did. We all owe you big time. Well ... you and your dad.”

“Thanks Sarah. I still feel shitty about it though. Piper’s in bed next door and we don’t know how the roofies will affect her.”

“I know. The more I think about it, the more I think Tony got off easy. I really wish you had more time to work him over. You should have cut his balls off right then!”

“Sarah!”

“You should have! He deserved it, they all deserve it!”

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“Boys!”

“What, all boys?”

“Yes, every last rotten one of them!”

“Hey, only Tony ...”

“Yeah, but he seemed so nice. I danced with him too, you know. I sat right next to him. It could just as easily been me naked on that bed ... how do you know who to trust? They all seem OK and then... how do you know Honey?” She’s sobbing into her pillow. I reach over and rub her back.

“It’s OK Sarah. They aren’t all bad.” Of course, you’d have a hard time proving it by me. Most of the guys I see are barely above the scum of the earth. The rest of them are the scum of the earth. “There are some good guys out there. Very few are out there drugging us.”

“Yeah, that’s true but I saw a lot of guys getting their dates drunk at the party. Always getting them drinks, the girls trying to match the guys drink for drink. A guy handles booze better than a girl and they know it. The only difference between them and Tony is patience. They’re willing to wait for the booze to do its’ work, Tony couldn’t wait. Thanks for keeping us away from it tonight.”

Shit! I hadn’t thought about it, but she had something there. I had been a bastard when I was a guy, but I never drugged anybody, I never raped anybody. Amy says I raped her but I sure as hell didn’t intend to. I wasn’t one of those guys. But sitting on this side of the bed, listening to Sarah sob, I wasn’t so sure anymore. I’d partied with a lot of women who had too much to drink, which I paid for. I didn’t pour it down their throats or put a gun to their heads, but I didn’t try to stop them either. A drunk chick is a lot easier to get into bed and I had fucked a lot of drunk chicks in my time. I never hung around long enough for them to truly sober up. Either I left or I paid the cabbie to take them home. I never saw the consequences the day after. Had I left a trail of women like Sarah in my wake? And Sarah hadn’t even been abused, at least directly. She just had empathy for Piper, hell I did too. How was Piper going to react? Bob may be right, it would be better if she can’t remember much of tonight. Had I been just a slightly more civil version of Tony King? Sarah’s still crying, though not as bad as she was.

“Come on Sarah, it’s not that bad. All guys aren’t creeps and rapists. Do you think my dad would do something like that?’

“Of course not! He’s a nice person ... for a parent.”

“Would your dad get a woman drunk and fuck her?”

“Please Honey! He would never do that!”

“How about Brit’s dad or Piper’s dad?”

“OK, I get your point.” She’s just sniffing now, no more tears. “They aren’t all bad, but your dad and mine are adults. What about guys our age?”

“You’re right, they’re more likely to be idiots and jerks. It’s the testosterone. All they think about is sex. They grow out of it eventually.” At least most of them do. Josh Thomas sure as hell didn’t. “Even now though, most of them wouldn’t drug a girl to rape her or plan on getting them drunk for easy sex. Think of all the guys you know, how many of them do you think would do that?”

“Not many, but I didn’t think Tony would do that either. How do you know who the bastards are?”

“You don’t. It takes time. Start off with your guard up and be careful. Get to know a guy before you start a relationship. If he’s looking for a quick fuck, he won’t wait around, he’ll be off looking for an easier target. And watch the booze. If you’re just looking for a hookup, there are hundreds of guys to choose from at any big bar in town and your odds of picking a jerk go way up. If you want a keeper, take your time.”

“You sound like a mother ... a cool mother maybe. Do you take your own advice?”

“Sometimes.”

“I guess guys aren’t the only ones who are stupid at our age.”

“Sarah, the best we can hope for is to not screw up too bad before we get old enough to know better.”

“And how old is that?”

“I don’t know, fifty?”

She starts to laugh then stifles herself, giggling. “That’s crazy, I’d be an old lady by then.”

“We all make mistakes until the day we die Sarah, just try to avoid the really bad ones.”

“Like tonight?”

“Most of tonight wasn’t a mistake. You guys enjoyed yourselves, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, and so did you.” She pokes me in the ribs. “It’s a shame about you and Jerry. He might have been a keeper.”

“About that ... you may hear some crazy stories about me and my dad.”

“What kind of ‘crazy stories’?”

“You’ll know it if you hear them. If you don’t, then Jerry could have been a keeper.” I glance at the clock radio near the bed. I’ve got two hours before I have to get up. “Let’s try to get some sleep, I’m sitting with Piper in two hours.”

“OK. I hope she’s alright.”

“I’m sure she is. Good night Sarah.”

“Night Honey.” She rolls over onto her side and is quietly snoring in a few minutes. I still can’t sleep because I’m reviewing all my relationships for the past twenty five years, at least those I can remember, for evidence of “Tony King”-like behavior. The closer I look, the worse it gets.

There were always girls around and they wanted to be with me but I took whatever I could get, whenever I could get it. When the girls became women, it didn’t change. Maybe the sex was truly consensual, maybe it was just not objected to, maybe they were too drunk to know what was happening. Didn’t matter to me, so long as I got mine. How many did I hurt like Piper is going to hurt? How many did I hurt who were their friends, like Sarah and Brit? Must have been hundreds. What kind of person was I ... am I ... whatever. Other guys on the team were as bad as I was ... well, maybe not as bad but pretty bad.

There were also guys who loved their wives and kids and didn’t screw around. It wasn’t being a jock, it wasn’t the lifestyle, it was me. No one and nothing to blame but me.

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

The alarm woke me up. I hit the off button before Sarah woke up too. Rubbing my eyes, I sat up. Guess I did get some sleep, though it wasn’t peaceful. I vaguely recall some dreams about all the girls and women I have had sex with, screaming and shouting at me, then zapping me like I did Tony, except it was my cunt and tits. I was Honey Sweet-Lay, not Josh Thomas. That was some weird shit. Come to think of it, I’ve been “Honey” in my dreams for some time now, no matter if it was a good dream or a nightmare. Wonder what that means. I quietly walk to my room and slowly push the door open.

Piper is asleep in my bed. Brit is slumped in a chair, snoring. Bob is sitting in a second chair, cup of coffee in hand, reading a book with one of those battery operated book lights attached. He looks up as the door opens and smiles at me, his face bathed in the light reflected from the white pages.

“Come in Honey. I believe that she is going to be fine.” I sneak over to Brit and gently shake her. She keeps snoring for a few seconds, then stretches her arms and legs and opens her eyes.

“Piper’s OK Honey. She woke up and I got her to drink some water.”

Bob puts down his book and pats her on the arm. “It was a good thing Brittany was here. Piper was understandably confused when she awoke. Brittany was able to calm her and get her to drink something. Piper was not fully aware, the drugs are still in her system but she should be back to nearly normal by morning.”

“That’s great!” I whisper. “You can go to bed Brit. I’ve got it for now.”

She nods and stands up, flexing her shoulders. “Good night Honey, Mr. James. It was nice talking with you.”

“I also enjoyed our conversation Brittany. See you in the morning.” Brit shuffled out, closing the door softly behind her. I sit down in her chair and snuggle deep into it, still warm from her body heat.

“What did you guys talk about?”

“Quite a number of things, she is very outgoing. I can see why you are friends, there are several similarities. We mostly talked about how guilty she felt about Piper’s situation. Brittany was under the mistaken impression that this was all her fault.”

“You straightened her out, didn’t you?”

“Certainly.”

“Glad to hear it, since it was all my fault.”

“Not you too? I do not understand why you girls cannot see the truth staring you in the face. You had every right to attend that party, took every reasonable precaution, avoided alcohol, and reacted efficiently and effectively when you discovered the attack, likely within ten to fifteen minutes of Piper first ingesting the drugged drink. There were just four of you in a group of over two hundred people. If I had been in charge of a surveillance team in a similar environment, I would have insisted on at least nine trained professionals.”

“Really, nine?”

“At a minimum. To protect four scattered targets from an unknown threat in an open, unscouted environment, any less than nine would be unconscionable. You all did a remarkable job. If Brittany is to be believed, you deserve most of the credit for that.” I blush, though Bob can’t see it.

“I’m sure she exaggerated a lot. We all did it together. We wouldn’t have had to though it if I hadn’t taken them to that party. I should have stayed home with you.”

“Piper could have been attacked at any one of at least thirty five teenage parties taking place this weekend. There is some kind of risk no matter what you do. The victim is not to be blamed for what the perpetrator did. Just because you choose to drive does not make the drunk driver who hits you innocent. The rapist cannot blame the sexy clothes of the woman he attacks. Piper and, to a lesser degree, all of you are the victims here. The criminal is Tony King. He, and his possible accomplices, are at fault.”

“’Accomplices’? You mean Tony had help?”

“Not necessarily, but the possibility cannot be excluded. We will know more when Piper recovers fully. Her memories, even if they are incomplete, will be vital information in reconstructing the crime.”

“Does it even matter? We got out alive and no one came after us. We couldn’t prove anything in court and the cops would never investigate. The odds are they would come after me for what I did to Tony.”

“Are you willing to let him get away with this?”

“Tony didn’t exactly get out of this without a scratch, you know. I’d like to have done more to him but there wasn’t enough time. Besides, it’s not up to me, its Piper’s call.”

“I admire your willingness to let this go Honey. You are certainly a bigger person than I would be if I were in your shoes.”

“You mean heels don’t you?”

“Yes, heels, certainly.” It’s too dark to see his face clearly but I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Is there anymore coffee?”

“Yes, but I made it a little strong.”

I stand up. “That’s fine by me. You want a refill?”

“Yes, please.” He hands me his cup. I leave my bedroom and look in on Brit and Sarah. I think they’re asleep, can’t hear anything but breathing. Continuing on to the kitchen, I first smell then see the pot of coffee. I pour a cup and take a small sip. Whoa! He wasn’t shitting me! I better drink this quick or it will dissolve the cup. I top off Bob’s cup and carefully return to the bedroom. I hand Bob his cup.

“Thank you Honey.” He takes a quick slurp. “I hope it is not too strong for your taste.”

I settle back down into the chair. “It’ll do the job. I’d say it that it’ll put hair on my chest but we both know that isn’t going to happen.”

“I have found that strong coffee is a good companion on long nights when you need to stay awake.”

“I don’t want to nod off tonight.”

“You could safely do so. I am confident that Piper is past the dangerous part of her recovery. It is not necessary for you to be here.”

“Are you staying up?”

“Yes, just to be safe.”

“Then I’m here too, just to be safe. Besides, if I’m awake, I’m not dreaming.”

“Did you have some disturbing dreams about tonight’s events? That does not need to be a bad thing. Dreaming can provide a certain amount of psychological relief.”

“They were disturbing alright.” Should I tell him about them? I’d hate for Bob to know what a horrible person I really am ... or was. The whole thing is so confusing. Yet, if he is what he says he is, he might be a good person to understand about regrets for past bad behavior. I pull my knees up to my chin and wrap my arms around my legs. “Sarah and I were talking, we both couldn’t sleep. It was the same thing you and Brit were talking about, whose fault all this was. I said it was mine and she thought it was Tony’s.”

“Clearly an intelligent girl.”

“Yeah, you’d think so. Problem was that she blamed all guys, not just Tony.”

“Do you mean for tonight?”

“No, tonight was just an example of how all guys behave. I tried to show her that they aren’t all like Tony and I think convinced her. Unfortunately, she made some good points. It forced me to look closer at how I had treated women throughout my life. It wasn’t pretty Bob. You already know that I had been a jerk most my life, treated just about everyone like shit. But seeing how much Sarah was hurting gave me a new perspective, like a new pair of eyes. When I looked at my life with that new pair of eyes, things were clearer. And a lot worse. I am... such a horrible person. There is no excuse for what I did to so many girls like Sarah, Brit and Piper. Tony was a total bastard and deserved what he got but I am hardly any better ... I don’t know if I can live with myself anymore.”

He puts down his coffee cup. “I assume that you are referring to things Josh Thomas did?”

“That I did Bob. I am Josh Thomas. The crap that Amy did to me doesn’t change that. My body may be changed, my brain may be changed, my memories haven’t changed. Being Honey Sweet-Lay doesn’t get me off the hook.”

“You certainly have a dilemma Honey.”

“A dilemma? Is that the best you’ve got? I hoped you had some pithy bit of advice for me, a solution. Surely you’ve had some kind of experience in this area.”

“Are you referring to my prior employment?”

“Of course, what else?”

Bob rubs his chin. “I certainly have learned to live with the consequences of the deaths of many people, some innocent, at my hands.” He picks up his cup and takes a long drink.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“How have you learned to live with it?”

He takes another drink. “One day at a time Honey.”

“That’s it?”

“Afraid so. There is no magic bullet, no drug, no treatment program. We have talked about this before. Until someone invents a time machine, you will not be able to go back into the past and change what happened. You can only control what you do in the future, can only try to move forward and live a better life, to help others. If you could find the women you abused, you could apologize, though in your case, that would be an extremely interesting conversation.”

“This isn’t funny, Bob!”

“I agree, I said it would be interesting, unprecedented in fact. Given the restrictions on your movements, there is only one victim you are likely to meet.” He can’t be serious.

“Amy? You expect me to apologize to her after what she did to me?”

“Haven’t you already apologized?”

“Yeah sure, when I was trying to stop her from raping me.”

“So you have never given her a heartfelt apology?”

“Why should I? After all she has put me through, she doesn’t deserve it.”

“You don’t do it for her sake Honey; you do it for your sake, if you are truly sorry. If you are not, apologizing is a waste of breath. I will raise one more point. Before I do so, I want you to understand that I am not doing so to insult you or cause you additional grief but I feel it necessary to make sure you are fully aware of the implications of your behavior. Do you understand that?”

“I guess. What is it?”

“Your treatment of Tony has similarities with Amy’s treatment of you.”

“WHAT!” Piper stirs in the bed Shit! I lower my voice. “What are you talking about? How can you compare what ...” Bob raises his hand.

“Just hear me out. She believes that you intentionally raped her. You believe that Tony would have raped Piper.”

“He had his pants off and stripped her naked after drugging her! They weren’t going to play Mahjong!”

“Please let me finish Honey. Neither of you reported it to the police because each thought that the police would have sided with the man because he was more famous or well connected.” OK, he’s probably right there. “Each of you decided to take the law into your own hands and punish the perpetrator as you saw fit.”

Yeah, that’s technically right but it is also comparing apples to oranges. “Are you finished? Can I say something?”

“Certainly, go on.”

“Alright, I can see your point, there are some similarities, but what she did is way beyond what I did to Tony.”

“So you are saying it is a matter of degree.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Honey, all of life is a matter of degree.”

“Huh?”

“If you get angry at someone, whether you push them or shoot them in the face with a shotgun is a matter of degree. I could give you a hundred other examples. Society has drawn lines. On one side of that line, certain behavior is legal. Similar behavior that is more extreme crosses that line and becomes illegal. You could make the same arguments about moral verses immoral behavior, though lines are not as clearly drawn in that area and it is much more subjective. My point is that both you and Amy faced similar situations, had similar reactions, experienced similar feelings and came up with similar answers.

“What are you saying?”

“That due to your unique situation, you have been both the perpetrator and victim, of sorts, of rape. I am not counting the vengeance rape by Amy, which was just pure spite on her part. My question to you is, having experienced what you have with Piper, do you have some understanding of what Amy felt and why she did what she did? You do not have to agree with her choices, but can you see where she is coming from?”

Damn him, why does Bob have to be so logical all the time? One thing I am sure of is that I am not Amy Hanson. “Look, I can see what you’re saying but you haven’t lived with that bitch like I have. She has put me through hell, day in and day out, for years. Tony deserved what he got, it wasn’t vengeance, it was justice. No one else was going to do anything so I did. And I’d do it again. What Amy did to me is way worse than what I did to her. You and I both know she’s crazy.”

“Agreed, but was she crazy before you raped her or after?”

“Don’t lay that on me! We had sex, but I don’t remember the details, only what she told me about it. She might have screwed up the facts in that whacked out head of hers. Believe me; I’ve wracked my brain trying to remember exactly what happened that night.”

“It sounds like you are trying to rationalize some behavior. You can apparently accept responsibility for what you did to other girls, but not what you did to Amy. You are probably correct, her anger is so extreme that it is likely based on something other than the rape, but the rape could have been the triggering event and you became the focus of her rage. Honey, I am not an expert, other than through experience. You asked for my opinion so here it is in a nutshell. You will never be able to move on with your life until you come to terms with your past bad acts. One of the steps towards that goal is being truly sorry for all that you did, regardless of the victim. You will eventually need to face Amy and honestly apologize.”

“Will I have to apologize to Tony too?”

“Not at all, he deserved everything he got. You were just trying to protect Brittany, Sarah and Piper from further harm.”

“See, that’s why Amy and I are different. I was doing it to help others and she was just punishing me.”

“Be honest Honey, there was an element of punishment in your treatment of Tony, wasn’t there?”

I can’t see them but I can feel his eyes starring me down, forcing the truth from me. “Alright, yes there was.”

“A matter of degree Honey. Would you like some more coffee?”

“Yes, please.” I hand him my cup. “Could you add a little milk to take the edge off it?”

“Be happy to.” He gets up and heads for the kitchen. I hear him opening the fridge for the milk.

“Honey?”

It’s Piper. She’s awake! I get up and kneel next to her.

“Yes Piper, it’s me. How do you feel?”

“I don’t know. Where are we?”

“My house. I’ll turn on a light, watch your eyes.” I reach out to partially shield her eyes as I turn on the lamp next to the bed. She grimaces as the light hits her face, eyes shut tight. She blinks, then slowly opens them about half way.”

“Why are we at your house? We should be at Brit’s. Where are Brit and Sarah?”

“They’re in the bedroom next door, asleep I hope.”

She starts to get out of bed. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Wait, I’ll help you.” I lift the covers off her and grab her around the shoulder as she stands up. She’s a little wobbly. I keep a good grip on her as she slowly walks to the bathroom.

“Do you feel sick? Are you gonna throw up?”

“No, I just need to take a pee.” Ooookay. We step into the bathroom and I turn her around.

“Will you be OK by yourself in here?”

She reaches out and puts a hand on the sink, steadying herself. “I think so.” She seems just a little disoriented.

“You sure?”

She takes a deep breath and exhales. “Yeah.”

I start to shut the door behind me as I leave. “I’ll just be outside. Call if you need anything.” She nods “yes” and I close the door.

Bob comes back into the room. “Piper in the bathroom?”

“Yes, though she seems a bit out of it.”

“Sounds like she is better. Last time she woke up, she could barely sit up.”

“She was able to walk but needed some help.”

“Once she is done, get her to drink some more water, as much as she is comfortable with. It will help her kidneys remove the Rohypnol from her system. I’ll leave you two alone. She might be concerned about my presence.” He sets my cup down and leaves the room.

I wait outside the bathroom for a minute or two, but I don’t hear anything happening. I knock on the door.

“Piper, are you OK?” The toilet flushes and then the faucet is turned on. She opens the door and steps out, looking like hell. Her eyes are red and puffy, a vacant stare. “What took you so long?”

“I feel asleep on the toilet.”

“Here, have some water, don’t want you to get dehydrated.” I get her to drink two glasses and then help her back to bed.

“Honey, what happened?” Should I tell her? Probably wouldn’t understand it right now.

“Just a little food poisoning we think. Go back to sleep and you’ll feel a lot better in the morning.”

She crawls back into bed and I pull the covers back up, tuck her in and sit back down. I’ve got one and a half hours left on my shift. Hope Bob’s coffee holds out.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

Bob came back into the room about ten minutes later. He brought me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It really hit the spot. We kept talking but just small talk, he dropped the serious stuff. Small talk with Bob is still more interesting than talking with practically anybody else; you just never know what he’s going to say. We plan the ‘big breakfast’ that I’m fixing in the morning. The less the girls have to lie, the less likely they are to get caught. I don’t know how good any of them are at lying. Bob may be able to give them a few more tips before they leave.

When Sarah comes in to relieve me, it’s just after 6:00 a.m. I stayed with her and Bob went out to get donuts. I gave her an update report on Piper, who was still asleep but not restless. She was relieved to hear that Piper seemed to be out of the woods. The next problem was what to tell her about the attempted rape. Assuming that she didn’t remember much, should we give her all the gory details or tell her just enough to explain her problems. I’d already punted on the subject when I told her she had food poisoning, but I was just trying to get her back in bed without a scene.

Sarah wanted to tell her the whole truth, everything we saw and did.

“How is she going to learn from this if we hide the truth from her?” I think that Sarah is a little pissed at Piper and wants to make her suffer a bit for ruining a nice evening.

“Sure, that sounds good but she could have some serious psychological problems if she gets too many details.”

“We can’t tell her just part of the story. If someone tried to do that to me, I’d keep asking questions and pushing it until I had the entire truth, and Piper’s probably more pigheaded than I am. If we tell her anything, she’ll want it all.”

“And then she freaks out, needs to see a shrink, her parents find out the truth, then your parents get the truth and all hell breaks loose. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. My dad already knows the truth and I’ll be long gone when the shit hits the fan. I’m just worried about you guys. I didn’t take you to that party for you to get in trouble at home.”

Sarah is quiet, thinking about what I said. “If we don’t tell her and then she found out we either lied to her or didn’t tell her the whole truth, it would destroy our friendship. We’ve known each other since grade school.”

“How would she find out?”

“Tony says something to somebody. Someone we don’t know about saw something and asks her about it, or worse, spreads stories about how drunk she was. There’s an investigation into what we did to Tony and questions are asked. And don’t forget Brit, she can’t keep a secret to save her life.”

“Really?”

“If you want the world to know something, tell Brittany Wells.”

“Even something this big?”

“Oh she’ll try, but eventually she’ll either crack or slip up. I love her like a sister but she’s a blabber mouth.”

“Dad always says that if two people know a secret, it isn’t a secret.” I sigh in frustration. “Guess there’s no choice, we’ll have to tell her, assuming she doesn’t remember on her own. How the hell do we do it?”

Sarah stretches her arms and yawns.
“I’ve got no idea. Hope your dad has some kind of plan. He seems good at that sort of thing.”

“Good isn’t even close.” I hear the garage door opening. “Speak of the devil.”

“Honey!”

“Don’t worry, he’d consider it high praise. I’ll go see what he got.” By the time I get to the kitchen, Bob has brought the donuts and pastries in and is arranging them on a platter.

“These look pretty good.” I pick up an apple fritter and take a big bite.

“Honey, save them for the guests.”

“Aren’t I a guest?’

“Not this morning. You are one of the hosts, at least for now. I will go take your spot with Piper and you can start your quiche.” We had decided on Crab Quiche for breakfast. It is fairly easy to make and I can fix it now, bake it later after everyone is up. Better get started.

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

Everything is ready by 7:45 a.m. I also ate another fritter. I went back to my bedroom. Piper was still asleep and Sarah and Bob were quietly talking.

“What’s up?” I whisper.

“Your father has a plan.”

“Big surprise.”

“There are no guarantees here” said Bob. “It relies more on Piper’s strength than anything else. Sarah assures me that Piper is a particularly strong willed and mature young woman. I believe that if all three of you tell her exactly what happened, it would limit the damage. She needs your unconditional support. Even if you discover that she made an error in judgment that gave Tony his opening, she should not be criticized. All of you seem to insist that each of you alone is responsible for last night’s events. I hope that I have convinced you otherwise.” He looks at Sarah.

“Yes, Sir” she said.

“Good. We do not want Piper to make the same mistake. I will leave you all alone but be nearby should I be needed. If she starts to have trouble, you should take a break to let her compose herself before continuing.”

“What if she can’t compose herself?” I ask.

“That is when you call me. I have access to some pharmaceuticals which I would prefer not to use, last resort type of thing. It is my hope that she will be able to handle the full truth because your quick action prevented the worst from happening. I would like for her to have eaten some food before we start. If she has not awakened on her own by 9:00, get her up and have her take a shower.”

“She was kinda wobbly the last time she was up, what if she isn’t any better?”

“One of you could shower with her.” Sarah and I look at each other. I open my mouth but Sarah beats me to the punch.

“Not it.” Crap! Piper better be rock steady when she gets up. Bob is trying to keep from laughing.

“Fine, but if I’m helping her, someone will need to finish breakfast.”

“Just give me directions Honey and I will take care of it. I suggest that Sarah go back to my room, shower and get dressed, Brittany also, if she is awake. If not, we can wake her up at around 8:30 so everyone is ready for Piper. That is my plan. Do either of you have other ideas or any objections?”

I’d already said what I wanted to. Sarah didn’t say anything so she didn’t have any problem or was intimidated by Bob. He does that to people once they get to know him.

“I’m going to put the oven on timer. If I have to help Piper, you’ll just need to put the quiche in when the beeper goes off.”

“Quiche?’ asks Sarah. “I love quiche.”

“It’s a crab quiche.”

“Oooohh, I’ve never had that, it sounds scrumptious. I’ll go shower and get dressed, then get Brit in gear. Thanks Mr. James, you’ve helped a lot.” Sarah stood up and left. I noticed Bob was smiling.

“What are you so happy about?”

“Just glad to see you taking responsibility for the welfare of your friends.”

“Bull shit. You were thinking about me and Piper in the shower together.”

“I really wasn’t, but now that you mention it ...”

“You just forget about it right now mister. She’s only seventeen. Don’t be a perv.”

“Well, how old are you?”

“Legally, biologically or actually?”

“Good point. You take care of the kitchen and I will wait here. Hurry back. It would be best that she see a familiar face should she wake up.”

I hustle to the kitchen and set the oven timer for pre-heat and cooking times. Piper is still asleep when I get back. We can hear the shower in Bob’s room, it’s probably Sarah. The noise, or something else, causes Piper to roll over onto her side. I freeze until she settles down, then sit in the chair.

“I didn’t tell you how well the Witness Protection story worked. I think Jerry bought it. We won’t know for sure for awhile, but he seemed to believe me.”

“Even if he does not honor your request to keep it to himself, he likely accepts it as true. The advantage of giving him two stories is that he should keep the second to himself and not be looking for you. By placing your ‘life into his hands’, you gave him a reason to feel special and trusted. That should reduce the chance of him telling someone else. Unfortunately, he may also feel the need to prove to his friends how special you thought he was by revealing the story to them.”

“I got the feeling he was mature enough not to do that.”

“That would be nice but you will be protected either way, at least as well as possible. With you working where you do, there is always the chance he or one of his friends will show up at the club.”

“Probably not for a couple of years. Anthony may not pay attention to many laws but he does card religiously. Underage customers in a place like that can bring down a lot of heat from parents and the authorities. Besides, it’s a pretty rough crowd and most young kids are looking for a tamer place for their first stripper experience.”

“I will defer to your judgment on that issue Honey.” There’s a quiet knock at the door. It’s Sarah.

“I’m done and Brit is getting dressed. Should we wake Piper now?” I check the time, its 8: 45.

“There is nothing sacred about 9:00” Bob said. “I would wait until Brittany is present. All three of you can wake her. That should allay any fears she may have about waking in a strange place.” We both agreed with that. Sarah sat on the floor and we waited, watching Piper sleep. Brit knocked about ten minutes later. She came in as Bob left. We gathered around the bed. Sarah was just about to shake her when I remembered something.

“She woke earlier and I told her she had food poisoning. We might as well stick with that for now, OK?” Neither of them had a better idea. Sarah started to gently shake her.

“Piper? Piper? Come on, wake up Piper.” She kept jostling her until her eyes opened. They were not as red and puffy as before. Piper slowly sat up.

“Uhhhgg, I feel like shit.” She stretches her arms. “What day is it?” Brit answers that one.

“Day? It’s Sunday, November thirtieth ... two thousand eight.”

Piper stares at her. “Jeez, of course it’s two thousand eight. How long do you think I’ve been asleep?” She looks around. “Where are we?”

“You’re at my house” I said. “You weren’t feeling well so we decided to stay here, it was the closest, plus you’d get a bed instead of sleeping on the floor.”

“Oh yeah, food poisoning. Did any of you guys get sick?”

“No” said Sarah.

I shook my head “Nope.”

“What did I eat that you didn’t?” Sarah, Brit and I look at each other.

“We don’t know” said Sarah. “It may have been a combination of things. How do you feel?”

“OK I guess. My head hurts and I feel weak, but my stomach is fine ... I may actually be hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

“I’ve made some breakfast. We can eat after you get dressed. Do you want to take a shower?”

“That’s a good idea. Where’s my bag?” Brit holds it up.

“Right here.” Piper slides out of bed and stands up while we hover around her. She seems like she has her balance.

“Give me some room, I’m fine.”

“You sure?” asks Sarah.

“Yeah, yeah, no problems.”

“You don’t need any help?” Piper looks at all of us.

“Of course not. The only thing I need is some food. What’s going on here?”

“Well,” I said “You woke up a little earlier and seemed kinda out of it. We just want to be sure you don’t fall down or something.”

“I’m fine, just get me a towel, I’ll shower and we can have breakfast or lunch or brunch or ... what time is it anyway?”

“A little after 9:00.”

“Good, it’s breakfast.” She yawns. “I hate to miss a meal. I’ll be ready in ten minutes” She picks up her bag, shuffles into the bathroom and closes the door. We hear the shower start in a few seconds.

“She seems OK. You guys stay here until she gets out. I’ll go finish breakfast. Call me or my dad if there’s a problem.”

“OK Honey” said Brit. “I take my coffee black with three sugars.”

“You can add your own sugar.”

I walk back to the kitchen. Bob is setting the table.

“How is Piper?”

“So far so good. She didn’t need any help in the shower, so too bad for your fantasy scene.”

He grins at me. “I have many more fantasies to keep me warm at night Honey.”

I move close to him. “Any you would care to share?”

He looks around. “Not with company here. We might have a hard time explaining that kind of father-daughter conversation. Are the other two keeping watch over Piper?”

“Yes, I came out to finish the quiche.”

“The buzzer went off so I put it in the oven about five minutes ago.”

“Good, it should be done in the next twenty minutes. If everyone gets here sooner, they can have donuts, juice or milk. Do we have juice?”

“Frozen apple and orange.”

“I’ll fix both, give them a choice.” I get one of each from the freezer, dump them in pitchers, add water and stir, then put the pitchers in the fridge, Sarah sticks her head in the kitchen.

“No trouble yet, though she’s taking longer in the shower than usual.”

“Sure she’s OK?”

“Yes, I can hear her moving around.”

“I won’t be ready for at least ten more minutes so she can take as much time as she needs.”

“It is best to let her go at her pace” added Bob. “We want her as comfortable as possible.”

“You got it.” Sarah ducks back out. I double check everything but it is all ready, except for the quiche. Bob pulls out a chair for me.

“Have a seat Honey, if there is nothing to do, sit down and rest.” I reluctantly sit.

“I’m kinda nervous, it’s hard to sit.” He reaches over and pats my hand.

“We’ve done all we can. I believe it will be fine.” I put my other hand on top of his.

“I hope you’re right. I don’t know what I’ll do if Piper has any problems.”

“No matter what happens, just remember that you have done nothing wrong and have made every effort to clean up someone else’s mess.”

“Thanks Bob, I appreciate that.”

I’d tell him again that I love him but he hasn’t responded very well to that in the past. Usually, when you tell someone that you love them and they don’t tell you that they love you too, that’s a pretty good sign that they don’t. I shouldn’t have said anything to him, just kept my mouth shut. Our situation is so weird; I don’t know what I thought he would say. I hoped that the feelings would be mutual, but it’s pretty clear that they aren’t. The timer goes off on the oven.

I get up and check the quiche. It looks done. I open the door and stick a knife in the center. It comes out clean so I remove the quiche from the oven and set it on a trivet to cool. Brit comes in.

“They’re coming!” she whispers. Piper is just seconds behind her, quickly followed by Sarah. Bob stands up to great them.

“Good morning ladies! Come in and have a seat. Honey promised you an outstanding breakfast and I believe she has delivered. We have milk, coffee, apple juice and orange juice. What would you like?” Everyone places their orders, Bob pours and serves.

I pass the donut platter. “The quiche needs to cool a few minutes so you can start with donuts, if you want.” They all take something, even Piper, and start to eat. There is silence at the table, we are all too nervous to say anything. Bob starts asking questions.

“Sarah, did you see many people at the party that you knew?”

“No, just us and the boys that invited us.”

“That was Jerry Pitman, Ken Wallace and Tony King?” Sarah flinches at the mention of Tony’s name. I steal a look at Piper; she doesn’t have any reaction, just keeps eating.

“Yeah, that’s them.”

“Did you make any new friends?”

“No, I didn’t, it wasn’t that kind of party, too noisy.”

“That’s a shame. How about you Piper, did you meet anyone new?”

“Just a friend of the guys, Tommy Whitlock.” She remembers something at least.

“Oh yeah” said Sarah “I forgot about him.”

“A nice boy?”

“Nice enough” said Piper.

“Did you meet any one new Brittany?”

Bob kept this up the entire breakfast, fairly gentle questions to all of us, including me, going back and forth through the evening, jumping around in time. He already knew most of the answers, it was all a show for Piper. I had gotten up after a few minutes and served the quiche. They all seemed to like it, they ate it at least. Bob had been avoiding the later part of the party, when we assumed that Tony or someone had drugged Piper. She seemed comfortable answering his questions.

“Did any of you girls take advantage of the generous open bar to try something more exotic than a soft drink?” Bob looks at me, our eyes meet and he quickly nods his head slightly.

He wants me to say that I had a beer or something, to see if Piper will admit to having drunk more than pop. There’s safety in numbers.

“I know that we agreed to no alcohol daddy but I did have a rum and Coke, just one though.”

“Honey! How could you?” cried Sarah. “It was your rule!”

“It was late, I was getting tired and I thought that one wouldn’t hurt, help me keep awake. It wasn’t that big a deal. I bet you had something too Sarah.”

“What?” She’s starring at me with narrowed, angry eyes. I subtly nod at her and then Piper. Her eyes suddenly widen. She got it.

“Come on, admit it Sarah, you had a drink didn’t you?”

“Not a big drink.”

Brit is astonished. “Both of you said no booze and then you go and break the rules! Why did we even bother?”

“I bet you had at least one too Brit” urged Sarah. She was trying to get her attention just as I did but Brit wasn’t catching on.

“I certainly did not! If I make a promise, I keep it.” We would be better off if Brit joined us but Piper my still say something.

Bob picked up where we left off. “I assumed that there would be some alcohol consumption, it is only natural. I just wanted to make sure that no one had too much. And you Piper, did you try something new?”

She hesitates, thinking. “Weeellll ... I did.” Come on Piper, say it. “Tony told me about something called a ‘Screaming Orgasm’; he said it was really good.”

“Did you have one?” He asked that so casually, like it didn’t matter what the answer was.

“I ... I … think so. I remember going to the bar with him and he ordered one ... he handed it to me ... I drank some of it.”

“Was it any good?”

“Not really.”

“What happened next?” We were all leaning forward, holding our breath. All except Bob, who was leaning back in his chair. Luckily, Piper was concentrating on him.

“I ... can’t remember. Maybe it was that drink that made me sick.”

“You cannot remember a single thing?”

“Some things but it’s all jumbled up.”

“What do you remember?”

“Being outside of the warehouse. I was hot and then cold ... I was carried a couple of times ... I think I was on a bed ... there was a car ride in there somewhere ... that’s about it. I might be able to remember more. Is it important?”

Bob stands up. “I will leave you ladies alone for awhile. Call me if you need help.” He walks over to Piper and touches her shoulder. “You have three very good friends here Piper. They just want to help you.” Bob leaves the kitchen and we all scoot our chairs closer to Piper, who looks concerned.

“OK guys, what’s going on?” I take her hand in both of mine.

“Piper … it wasn’t food poisoning.”

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

She took it better than I thought she would; better than I would have if I had been in her place. Piper was more interested in what didn’t happen instead of what could have happened. Her memory came back a little as we filled in the blanks. We never could figure out if Tony spiked the drink or if the bartender did it on his instruction. It doesn’t really matter, though it would be nice to catch the bartender if we could prove it, keep some other girls from being victims in the future.

As we told her the story, Piper was first shocked, then impressed at all that we did in such a short time. I have to admit, I was kinda impressed myself. It all went back to the planning Bob did with me, running through all the things that could go wrong and what to do about it. We didn’t think of the exact situation that developed but there were similar ones and the principles were the same, except what I did to Tony, that was all my audible. I couldn’t tell the girls about all that prep work, how could I explain it? None of us had really talked to each other about what we did until now, we told Bob but had not rehashed it with each other, reliving it and savoring the results. You could almost see Sarah and Brit become more confident with each passing minute. I also began to feel more capable, like the old days. Just as Bob predicted, Piper blamed herself for what happened. She still wanted to kick Tony in the nuts but said none of this would have happened if she hadn’t broken the rules, which was true. We told her that people make mistakes and all you can do is learn from them and move forward, though if the unlikely chance presented itself, a kick in the balls for old times sake would be OK. We were actually able to laugh a little because Piper was so strong and accepting. When Bob came back in, we were giggling about what we saw in the first RV and Piper was pissed we hadn’t taken the time to shoot some video with a cell phone.

“It seems that all of you are feeling better. How are you Piper?” Bob asked as he sat down.

“OK, I guess. Nothing really bad happened, it could have but it didn’t, thanks to these guys. I’ll never let someone else handle my drink ever again, you can be sure of that. Thanks for letting Honey borrow your old equipment. They would have had a hard time dealing with Tony King without it.”

“Your welcome, but I think that they would have come up with an answer to that problem without my help.” Fat chance. We may have been able take Tony down, if all three of us worked together, but it would have taken time we didn’t have and probably brought security down on us. We know which side the security guards would have taken. “My only advice is that you not be afraid to seek professional help should you start to suffer any ill effects from the experience. We know someone who would have been better off if she had sought help instead of planning her vengeance, don’t we Honey?” He means Amy.

“Yes, we do.” What would my life be like if Amy had gotten counseling instead of plotting for years to pay me back?

“You don’t need to worry about that Mr. James. Our school has some good counselors, I’ve used them before on other stuff. Plus, I don’t need to worry about vengeance, Honey already took care of that for me.” She pats my hand. That’s me, the Enforcer.

The girls insisted on cleaning up, so Bob and I went to the living room and sat down next to each other. I sandwich his right hand between mine.

“Do you think she’ll be good Bob?” He puts his free hand on top of mine.

“Hard to say Honey. She seems to have a fine attitude now, but it may be an act or temporary. As long as Sarah and Brittany continue to look out for her, it should work out for the best.”

“I feel like I’m abandoning them.”

“What choice do you have? You have to return to the club tomorrow morning. You have done the best that you could for them.”

“We did the best. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more credit in there. You know that I’d never have been able to do any of that without your help. Just knowing that you were nearby took a lot of pressure off me. When we drove through that gate and you pulled out to follow us, I felt like I was already safe at home.”

“Thank you, Honey. This weekend has been much more eventful than we had planned. Still, a lot of lessons have been learned by everyone, including me.”

“You?! What lessons did you learn?”

“We will talk about it later today, I think the girls are done in the kitchen.” Sarah, Piper and Brit file out of the kitchen and stand in front of us. Sarah steps forward just a little.

“We’ve talked and wanted to tell you both something. This has been a screwed up couple of days, with some bad stuff happening but there has been a lot of good stuff too. We have decided that there’s more good stuff than bad and want to thank you both for all you have done for us. We got to go to a fun party and kick a bastard’s ass. I don’t know if we could stand many more weekends like this, but we are going to miss you Honey. You may be many things, but boring ain’t one of them. Brave, smart and loyal are. We hope that you’ll come see your friends next time your in town.” I can’t keep from crying.

“You guys are the BEST!” I stand up and we fall into a group hug, everybody crying. What would it be like to stay here, go back to school with Piper, Sarah and Brit? Right now, I think I’d sell my soul to try it. I look back at Bob and see what may be a tear in his eye. I’ve never seen him cry or even get a little misty eyed. Wow, this is getting to him too. He rubs his left eye.

“I appreciate your thanks ladies. Unfortunately, it is time for me to take you all home. Do you feel well enough to travel Piper?”

“Yes” she said, wiping her eyes. “I’m still a bit woozy, but I can fake it.”

“I told your mother that you were asleep when I called to explain the change of address for the overnight. Everyone was watching a movie after the party. Is there a particularly long movie you all have seen before and could answer questions if quizzed?” They think for a moment.

“How about ‘Lord of the Rings, Extended Edition’? That’s like three and a half hours” suggests Brit. They’ve all seen it.

“Alright, here is the story. You stick to the truth on the party until the time when Piper disappears. At that point, you left because Honey insisted on it due to a fight breaking out between two guys. None of you saw the fight, only Honey did, she was leaving and she was your ride. The change in your overnight occurred because Honey offered to fix a special breakfast. When you came back here, you watched ‘Lord of the Rings, Extended Edition’ and either watched the whole thing or fell asleep, your call. Stick with the truth starting with this morning. That should get you through most questions by your parents. Any questions?”

No one had any so the girls went to pack their bags. Brit was going to keep the clothes she borrowed from me and Bob come up with a suit bag for her dress and stuff. We loaded the car, climbed in and left to take the girls home. Bob accompanied each one to their door and told whichever parent that answered what a nice, polite, responsible person their daughter was and how much we enjoyed their visit. They were suitably impressed. Bob can sell it so well, it’s scary sometimes. Sarah was the last one to be dropped off. We were both sitting in the back seat.

“Honey, if we never see each other again, I won’t ever forget you.”

“Me neither Sarah. If Tony causes problems for any of you, contact my dad.”

“What can he do about it?”

“You’d be surprised.” We hug each other. “Take care Sarah.”

“You too Honey. See ya later.” She grabs her bag, opens the door and heads for her front door, Bob walking right next to her. He gives the same speech to her mother when she opens the door. Mrs. Watson invites us in but Bob begs off, telling her that we must get home to prepare for my return to my “mother”. Bob walks back to the car, gets in and we drive away, Sarah and I waving to each other until we lose sight of her house. I sit back in the seat, sniffing away my tears.

“I’m never going to see any of them ever again, am I?”

“That is hard to say Honey. There are always the Christmas holidays.”

“Don’t sugar coat it Bob. We both know it won’t happen. They’re going back to school and I’m going back to Hell.”

“We still have the most of a day left. Is there something you want to do or see?”

“Nope, let’s go home. The games should start soon. We can have some beers and snacks while we watch. You do have beer don’t you?”

“I bought a twelve pack of your favorite when I learned you would be visiting.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

“I wanted to save it for a surprise when you were feeling down. Also, we had underage company.”

“Thanks. It won’t make all the pain go away but it’ll help.”

“I did not get the beer for you to use it for self-medication Honey, it is just a little treat.”

“How many are you letting me drink ... Daddy.”

“I will leave that to your discretion and I would appreciate you not calling me ‘Daddy’ unless necessary. It brings up a number of uncomfortable issues for me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know.”

“There is no way you could.” We drive on in silence, the mood a little frosty.

When we get back to his house, Bob quickly walks in, leaving me sitting in the car. He may be pissed at me, that ain’t good. I slowly walk in, looking around.

“Bob? ... Where are you? ... Bob?” I hear him in the kitchen. “Are you OK?” He’s in there, pouring potato chips into a bowl.

“You can go and start watching the pre-game Honey, I will take care of the snacks.”

“You sure?”

“I can handle it.”

Ooookaaaay. Probably best to do what he says. I have a seat on the couch and turn on the TV. After a few minutes, I hear the popcorn popper, then smell it. There is nothing as good as the smell of fresh popcorn, especially that unhealthy stuff at the movie theaters. About five minutes later, Bob walks out of the kitchen carrying a large tray with chips, pretzels and popcorn. He sets it down on the coffee table in front of the couch and walks back to the kitchen, returning right away with two beers. Actually two Guinness Stouts. He hands one to me and sits down on the couch, saying nothing. We sit there, sipping our drinks, until I can’t stand it anymore.

“I’m sorry if I upset you Bob. I don’t know what I said, but I’m sorry.”

“I am not upset with you, I am just thinking about some things. My social graces tend to degrade when my attention is elsewhere.”

“What are you thinking about?”

He sighs. “How to respond to your belief that you love me.”

Crap! Why did he have to bring that up? “Look, just forget I said it. You didn’t say anything at the time and we both know what that means. I’m sorry I even brought it up. I don’t want to screw up what we do have and you could probably never actually love someone like me so ...” I would have kept babbling if Bob had not reached up and touched my lips with his index finger.

“I refuse to sit here and let you denigrate yourself due to my shortcomings. You are a perfectly lovable woman Honey. It is my deficiencies that are the problem.”

“Wait ... are you saying that it isn’t me but that it’s you?”

“Putting it simply, yes.”

“OH COME ON! Don’t give me that old ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ line! I’ve used that for years! You don’t love me, I get that, but at least tell me the truth. I deserve at least that!” I shouldn’t be so mad at him. Neither of us had ever promised the other much of anything. I shouldn’t be as pissed as I am ... but I am fucking pissed! How dare he blow me off with a cliché like that?

“I am willing to explain, if you want to hear it.”

“You bet I want to hear it!” I turn around on the couch and plant myself right next to him, staring daggers. “Go on, I’m waiting.” He takes a deep breath and starts.

“I have been very reluctant to reveal much about myself ...”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” I’m being bitchy. I know it but don’t care. He goes on like he doesn’t recognize it too.

“That is mostly because I am a private person but also because knowledge is power. The less others know about me, the more difficult it is to deal with me, to prepare for my actions. I try to take advantage of this whenever possible.”

“What does this have to do with you not loving me?”

“Patience Honey, please. I will get to that. It takes a different kind of person to do what I did for the government. There are a whole range of physical skills to be mastered but that is not enough. You must be psychologically suited for the job also. It is fairly easy to teach most any one the physical skills, but they have had very little success in adjusting a person’s psyche to make him or her a successful assassin. That means the government recruits those who show the proper mental aptitude and then teach the required physical skills. It is that mental state that made me an extraordinary assassin and very poor boyfriend material.”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“The diagnosis is ‘Borderline Sociopathic Personality’.”

Oh. My. God.

“Would you like me to explain what that means Honey?”

I swallow hard, trying to keep from freaking out. “Sure ...Yes ... I would like that.”

“Please remain calm Honey. If I was going to harm you in any way, I would have done it by now, don’t you think?”

Yeah, that’s right. I relax a little.

“OK. Sorry about that. You can’t blame me though. I mean you’re talking, like, serial killer here, right?”

“There are many similarities but, as my doctor said, it is the ‘Borderline’ part of the diagnosis that is the difference between walking the streets verses a padded cell.” He smiles at that point but, somehow, I don’t see the humor. He continues.

“There are several similar psychoses; psychopathic, sociopathic, antisocial, dissocial, with a lot of gray areas between them. There are no bright lines, so you tend to land on a point along a continuum. A Borderline Sociopathic Personality tends to be more dissocial than antisocial, much less impulsive than a psychopathic personality but still has a lack of concern for others, lacks empathy with an inability to experience guilt. It is that lack of empathy and inability to experience guilt that made me a good recruit from the government’s standpoint.”

I don’t know what to think about this. I had some psych classes in college but rarely showed up so the words are familiar but I can’t remember, if I ever knew, what they mean.

“Luckily, psychopathy does not necessarily lead inexorably to criminal or violent behavior. A psychopath or sociopath with high social cognition may be able redirect their dissocial behaviors into more positive directions.”

I’m beginning to feel safe enough to ask some questions. “What is ‘high social cognition’?”

“Social cognition is how people process social information, especially its’ encoding, storage, retrieval and application to social situations. I have some problems with that and have made a point of studying how people act and react in various situations. I may not be able to understand it, but I can mimic it quite well. Unfortunately, not perfectly.”

This explains so much about his behavior. One minute a caring tender lover, the next like you’re feelings don’t matter at all. Claiming he wants to help, then suggesting a tracking device be implanted in me.

“What kind of ‘positive directions’ are you talking about? You were a killer. That seems pretty violent to me.”

“You are correct, but it was controlled violence, directed at the ‘enemies’ of the United States, though, in retrospect, I am not sure if they were all enemies of the United States or if some were just the enemies of my superiors. That is one of the reasons I was not upset when the MS forced my early retirement. That and their general incompetence. I am a ‘high function’ Borderline Sociopathic Personality, if you will.”

“How did this happen to you? Isn’t there some kind of treatment?”

“Just as with my MS, the cause is unknown and the condition cannot be cured. It cannot even be treated, unlike the MS.”

“Could they be connected? The same thing causes the MS and the Borderline Sociowhatever?”

“I cannot say it is impossible, but there is no statistical correlation between the two conditions. They are both relatively rare, the psychosis more so.”

“So you hit the lottery twice.”

“It would seem so.”

“So you don’t love me because ...”

“Because I could not truly love you or anybody else.”

“You have no feelings of any kind?”

“Not quite true, I have feelings, emotions; they are just not as strong as they are in the normal person, at least that is what I have been told. My test scores are well below the norm. Unfortunately, the negative emotions tend to be stronger than the positive ones, again an advantage in my prior profession but less useful in normal life.”

“So, there is no hope for us as a couple?”

“In addition to my emotional limitations, we still have the original problem of Amy Hanson and her plans for you. You are correct, there is not much hope for us.” He said “not much”, not “no”. Maybe I’m making too much out of a slip of the tongue.

“You said ‘not much hope’ Bob. Why?”

He reaches out and takes my hands, caressing them gently. “That is exactly what I have been thinking about. Something has been happening to me which I do not understand. I have been experiencing emotions in the last few weeks differently than ever before. They have become sharper, brighter, stronger, more frequent and harder to control.”

“I saw you almost cry when I hugged all the girls just before we left.”

“Good example. A month ago, that would not have happened. I have no explanation for this change; however the end result is that I find that I have strong feelings for you ... at least strong for me.” I slid closer to him, our knees touching.

“What kind of feelings?” I quietly ask.

He seems a little embarrassed. “I look forward to seeing your face each morning ... I wonder about what you are doing when we are not together ... I worry about if you are happy when we are together ... I am more sexually attracted to you than ever before, if that is possible ... I plan things for us to do when we see each other again ... I hate the idea of you returning to the club … that sort of thing.” My heart beats faster with each new example.

“Bob, that sounds a lot like love to me.”

“Are you sure that it is not just infatuation?” he asks, a hopeful tone in his voice.

“Probably not, I’m pretty sure that you love me ... Sorry.”

“I was afraid that was the case. Love is a complication I had hoped to avoid.” He sighs. “What do we do now?”

“You mean you didn't plan for this?”

“No, it was not supposed to be possible. I just underestimated the power of Honey Sweet-Lay I guess.”

I turn my body and move up onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. He puts his hands around my waist. I nuzzle his neck, then nibble his ear.

“Could we be any more screwed up Bob?”

“You mean an ex-pro football player who is now an extremely beautiful, sexy, young woman and a crippled, semi-psychotic, ex-assassin who is now physically cured and in love with that extremely beautiful, sexy, young woman?”

“Uh-huh, though you left out that the extremely beautiful, sexy, young woman is also in love with the semi-psychotic ex-assassin.”

“No, we could not be anymore screwed up.”

“Any idea what we are going to do about it?”

“No idea what so ever Honey, at least for now. Let’s watch the game and I will consider our options.”

I stay on his lap as the game begins. It is reasonably entertaining but I’d rather be doing something else. From the erection I feel pressing against my ass, I think Bob would too. I go back to licking and nibbling his ear. He lets me do it for a minute or two then pulls back.

“Please Honey, stop. You know that we cannot do anything. You are likely protected from your ‘client’s’ diseases and I may be also but I really do not want to take that chance.”

“That’s why God made condoms, silly. Amy’s implant prevents pregnancy and a condom should protect you from any infections.” I pull his face close to mine and kiss him. “Let’s put all that training to the test, call it ‘Phase Four’.”

“I am not sure that is a good idea Honey. Given our situation and the feelings we have for each other, sex would likely make things worse.”

“How could things be worse? We love each other but can’t be together, I’m a cheap whore in a fourth rate strip club and will be there until the day I die, which could be a very, very, long time. Explain to me how a night of great sex isn’t an improvement on that.”

“Because it is only temporary, a brief respite from reality. We might enjoy it but it does not change anything.”

“So what if it’s temporary, that it doesn’t change anything? I’ll take what I can get Bob. I just want to feel good, feel loved, for as long as I can. If that is only for an hour or two or an evening or a day, I don’t care.” I slip off his lap and stand up, holding his hands in mine. “Please, don’t make me beg. I need you.”

“It is not that I do not want to Honey. Believe me, I would like nothing more than spending the rest of the day in bed with you. I just feel that it is not in your best interest.”

“I’ll take that chance.” I tug on his hands. “Come on, I’ll make it worth your while. Please ...” He lets me pull him off the couch.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks.

“Very” I purr.

“Well, if we are, let’s do it right. “

He reaches out, grabs me around the waist, pulls me tight against his body and kisses me passionately. It takes my breath away. No tongue, just his lips, but it is as if he was charged with some kind of powerful sexual energy which he was passing to me. I feel as if I am melting in his arms, his strength washing over and passing through me. It takes a few seconds for me to respond. I throw my left arm around his neck and grab the back of his head with my right hand. I press my breasts into his chest and try to crush his lips with mine. Our tongues touch, then swirl against each other. His hands slid up from my waist to my back. We are pressed so tightly together, I start to feel light headed. I don’t know if it is from a lack of air or the sexual bliss. I break our kiss, gasping.

“God ... Bob ... where did ... you learn ... that?”

“Like it?”

I’m still breathing deeply, trying to catch my breath. “It was amazing! I was this close to passing out … have you been practicing?”

“No Honey, that’s just how I feel about you.” He bends down and quickly scoops me up, cradling me in his arms.

“WHOA ... careful there!”

“You ready for this Honey?”

“Probably not” I giggle as I put my arms around his neck. “Let’s do it any way.”

He carries me to the bedroom, gently setting my feet on the floor in front of him. My arms are still around his neck as he kisses the nape of my neck, working his way down to my tits, his fingers unbuttoning my hoodie just ahead of his lips. He runs his hands up my back, unhooks my bra and pushes it and the hoodie off my shoulders. I let go of his neck to slide my arms free of the clothes, which fall to the carpet. I return the favor, removing his shirt, then unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. He kicks off of his shoes, slides his pants and underwear down, and steps out of them. He’s already sporting a big erection.

It looks absolutely yummy. I lick my lips and shimmy out of my jeans and panties. We stand there, smiling at each other. He steps up to me, grabbing my waist. I take his cock in my hand and start gently stroking it. His hands slide around and down to my ass, squeezing both cheeks with his hands.

“Have I ever told you that you have the most perfect ass I have ever seen?”

“No” I giggle “have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful cock I have ever seen?”

“No, but most men would likely object to having their penis described as ‘beautiful’. Awesome, yes; overwhelming, stupendous, breathtaking, astounding, yes; but not beautiful.” I add fondling his balls to stroking his cock.

“Hey, I’m a woman. We think ‘beautiful’ is a compliment. Leave it to a man to complain that I didn’t use a manly enough word.”

He smiles. “I did not say I objected, just that most men would. I do not care how you describe it, just as long as you like it.”

“Oh I do, I do, but I looove what you do with it, so let’s get started.”

“Absolutely, but first I need a condom. Do you have any?” I release his cock, walk around the bed and pick up my purse.

“What self-respecting working girl doesn’t have some condoms.” I open it and pull out a strip. “I’ve got four.”

“That should be just about right.”

“Oooohhhhh, that sounds nice!”

I settle onto the bed and slowly crawl across it, my ass swaying. When I reach the edge, I signal with my finger for Bob to come closer. He walks towards me, his dick bobbing in front of him. I take the tip in my mouth and suckle on it. He quickly inhales and holds his breath. I lay on my tits, reach around to grab his ass and pull him towards me as I let his cock slide down my throat. Anthony always said I was the best cock sucker he had ever known. I swallow and gulp until my nose is buried in his pubic hairs. I breathe through my nose, inhaling his musky scent, as I massage his cock with the muscles of my throat, then I start bobbing my head up and down the shaft. Bob actually moans.

“That is wonderful Honey! Oh yes ... very ... nice.” His breath is coming in short gasps, his hips twitching forward, driving his cock deeper in my throat but he lets me control it, not trying to fuck my face. I can breathe and enjoy what I’m doing to him. His cock is getting stiffer and swelling a bit more. I don’t want him to blow his wad yet so I slow the pace, then let his cock slip out of my throat, swirling my tongue around it as it leaves my mouth. I quickly unroll the condom down the saliva covered shaft.

“There, all ready for action. Now what?”

Bob looks down at me, blinking several times. “That is quite a performance just to put on a condom Honey.”

I grin up at him and wink. “I’m full of tricks, you’ve only gotten a taste of what I can do.”

“It must be my turn then. If we are going to call this as ‘Phase Four’, then I will have to treat you like one of your regular customers, which means I will be concentrating on my pleasure, not yours. You will have to take care of your own needs. I do not plan on actually hurting you so you can relax and concentrate on the erotic sensations. Remember to masturbate if you need to. We can wait until you are ready, if you want.”

I roll over onto my back, spin around so that my legs are spread, each one on the outside of Bob’s, my pussy fully exposed. I reach down and finger my moist cunt.
“I’ve been ready for some time Bob.”

He leans forward and grabs my legs behind the knees. “I think you are correct Honey. If I cause you any pain or discomfort, stop me immediately.” He looks me square in the eyes. “Ready?”

I take a deep breath. “Yes.”

“Good.” He pulls me towards him, wrapping my legs around his hips. I lock my ankles behind him. He rubs his dick up and down my pussy until the condom is coated with my juices. He then puts the tip of his dick at the opening of my pussy and drives it in all the way in one smooth motion. It is an electric sensation. He reaches down and grabs my wrists. I grab his wrists, locking our arms together. He pulls back, our arms straight, as he begins to slowly pump in and out of my cunt. I tighten my legs around his waist, trying to pull him deeper into me. My breathing becomes quicker and shallower as he increases his pace. He’s not even looking at me, just staring out into space. As his speed increases, so does the force, each thrust harder than the last, forcing little, high pitched ‘yips’ from me. The sexual tension is building, like a spring winding tighter.

Bob releases my arms and grabs my hips, giving him more control over me. With my hands now free, I reach down and start rubbing and stroking my clit, the tension increasing. Bob’s eyes are almost closed, barely slits. He’s breathing through his mouth and nose, his lips curled away from his teeth. The look on his face frightens me a little, almost like he is an animal of some kind, pounding away at his bitch’s cunt. I squirm as he continues to thrust wildly into me, squeezing his cock with my pussy. By now, my ‘yips’ have become full moans.

“OOOHHH GOD YES! Fuck me! Fuck ... me … Bob. Harder ... Yeah ... harder. OOhh please fuck me!” Bob doesn’t say anything but pushes even deeper with each thrust. I’m madly rubbing my clit with three fingers in small, circular motions. My eyes are closed so I can concentrate on the waves of pleasure rushing through my body and the rapidly building pressure. Suddenly, he stops and pulls out. I gasp at the loss.

“NO! Don’t stop! I was ...” He picks me up, my legs falling away from his waist and tosses me on the bed, face first. He grabs my hips and lifts my ass up. I push my self up in the doggy position. Bob climbs up on the bed behind me, standing up, straddling my legs. He spreads my legs slightly and I arch my back so that he can get a better angle on my cunt. He rubs my wet pussy lips with his hand then plunges his dick into the sopping wet tunnel. He starts hammering away with his cock, driving it as deep as he can. The pace is slower than before but it is increasing. My big tits are swaying in rhythm with his fucking, smacking me in the face whenever I hang my head down. I drop to my elbows, the engorged nipples rubbing on the bed beneath me as I reach back and return to rubbing my clit. I quickly reach the same level of sexual tension I had before the position change, then shoot past it. I’m breathing so hard now; I can’t form words, just guttural moans and grunts. I can feel Bob’s sweaty legs pressing on my thighs and his heavy balls slapping against my ass. My eyes are closed again and I am lost in all the sensations assaulting me.

He smacks my ass. I jump a little, more startled by the sound than the pain. In fact, there was very little pain. I’m used to the johns smacking me during sex, usually followed by them calling me a bitch or whore or filthy cunt or worse. This time, Bob says nothing, though I can hear his breathing, deep and hard. He smacks my ass several more times, not too hard, but it adds to all the other sensations, my pussy, my clit, my nipples on the bed. The tension has built almost to the breaking point. I grab my engorged clit and pull it. The tension breaks and the orgasm rushes through me, muscles trembling and clenching. I start to slip down but Bob isn’t done yet. He grabs my hips and keeps me upright, still fucking me for all he is worth. I feel his cock swelling, ready to shoot. I’ve got enough control to clench my pussy muscles one last time. Bob drives his cock deep into my cunt and keeps it there. The surge of cum travels the length of his dick but I don’t get that satisfying splash into the depths of my pussy. I’m limp from my orgasm as Bob pulls his cock out and gently drops me back down on the bed. I roll over on to my right side and he lays down facing me, his right hand on my hip. I drop my hand behind his head and give him a long, gentle kiss.

“I assume that means you enjoyed yourself Honey.”

“Oh yes, I did. It was a change of pace for you though. Why did you go with the slaps?”

“I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“No, not at the time,” I rub my ass. “Though it is a little tender now.”

“Sorry about that. I was just adding a new sensation.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not new to me. Johns and Anthony slapping me around happens more than I would like.”

“That kind of treatment is a matter of timing. If you strike when the endorphin level is high, there is little pain and the mind interprets the sensation as sensual instead of painful. Also, you must not strike too hard.”

“It was fine, I’ll recover. You are right though, it was more enjoyable than painful. It was all wonderful. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me Honey. We did it, you and I, together. It proved you can still get sexual release from your daily ... activities.”

“You mean my whoring?”

Bob looked pained when I said that. I regretted it almost immediately. “Yes.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, you were correct to do so. You are handling the reality of our situation better than I am.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m also not sure tonight proves anything.”

“Why not?”

“Well, it was you fucking me, wasn’t it?”

“I did it in the same style as your regular clients didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but I knew it was you. Sex with someone you love is completely different than sex with a stranger, no matter what the technique. I enjoyed it because it was you. You were great, as usual, but even if a stranger was just as good, it wouldn’t be the same.”

“So all this has been a waste of time?”

“No, not at all! I’ve learned so much from you in the last couple of days. You have done all you could possibly do to help. It’s up to me now.” I kiss him again, then dangle the strip of condoms in front of him. “You said something about four being just about right. There are three left.”

He laughs. “You are insatiable! I guess that my mouth should not write checks that my cock cannot cash. Let me go to the bathroom, get a drink, then I will see about starting a payment plan.”

He cashed those checks, with interest. The second time, he was his usual tender, inventive self. I had several orgasms as he fucked my brains out. The third time I took charge, showing him some of my best tricks, fucking his brains out.

The fourth time was the best of all. We did everything together, both giving and taking, neither one in charge. We were making love, the sex was almost secondary. It was true intimacy, the most wonderful thing I had experienced in the past twenty plus years.

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