A Death, Baked Bob, and the... Ch. 03

My fingers ran over bumps on her skin, odd ones that I couldn't think of any easy explanation for. But I didn't really care. I felt something, something that didn't want me to stop what was happening, even for a moment. I pulled away from the kiss and started placing little kisses on her cheeks and on her forehead. Jess took a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth. I started kissing along her jaw line and down her neck. My hands could feel the muscles in Jess' torso tense up as I kissed down her chest. I brought my hands down and started to bring up her blouse.

Suddenly Jess' hands were on my wrists, stopping me. Her eyes locked with mine, and she shook her head.

"It's okay," I said softly.

The look on her face had changed, and I saw fear in her eyes. "No," she said, her voice barely audible. "I don't want you to see."

"Trust me."

The look on her face was that of a scared little girl. I was about to repeat my last statement when her hands let go of my wrists and fell to her sides. I changed strategies and started unbuttoning her blouse. Jess swallowed hard and closed her eyes. When I reached the last button I paused, and then started to pull open the blouse. Jess made a whimpering sound and I stopped.

"It's okay," I repeated. Then I opened her blouse.

There were scars, at least a dozen of them, maybe more. Red and raised skin, crisscrossed along her sides and some coming into her chest and stomach areas. They were long and thin, like they had been made by a whip or thin belt. I started kissing her belly, trying to let her know I wasn't bothered by what I saw. There was a tribal tattoo around Jess' belly button, which was also pierced at the top and had a jewel on a metal bar that hung into the deep hole. I licked up and down, over the tattoo and then over one of the scars. I placed little kisses everywhere along her belly. My tongue played with the metal in her belly button, then I licked along one of the scars.

I started working my way up to her bra, a simple white one with a clasp in the front. Jess moaned as I went to unhook the clasp. It wasn't a moan of pleasure, more like a moan of dread. When I opened the bra I could see why. There were large, circular scars on her breasts, just outside of each nipple. It took me a moment to realize they were burn marks. I also noticed both her nipples were pierced with medium gauge silver rings. Tattooed on her left breast was a little red heart and the words "Sweet Heart".

I kissed all over her breasts, including the scars, and then centered in on her nipples. I ran my tongue over her right one a few times. Jess' eyes were squeezed shut like she was waiting for something painful. I put my hand to the side of her face and rubbed my thumb along her cheek. "Relax," I said.

She relaxed her face but kept her eyes shut. I started licking her nipple again, running my tongue over it and around it, hooking the nipple ring and pulling up slightly. Jess made an audible exhale. I moved over to the other nipple, doing the same while my fingers kept the other one excited. She made a gasp and then a moan when I used my teeth lightly. Her eyes opened. I got up on my knees and took off my top and my bra, so that when I laid back down our skin was touching. Our faces inches apart, Jess leaned up and kissed me. This time there was no hesitation. Now she was hungry for it.

Her hands glided along my back, stopping to rub here and there. I could feel the metal of the nipple rings against my breasts. As I kissed her, I realized how different this felt from the sex I'd been having over at Renee's lately. There I was just having fun, letting loose and trying to forget what I'd just been through. And maybe being used a little bit, but I accepted that because you rarely get something for nothing. But being with Jess felt different. From the moment I'd seen her the night before, I had a desire to be with her, an overwhelming urge to somehow exist in her world. I didn't understand it then, which is why I let Andy's warning almost lead me out of there, but I knew I felt something. She was special somehow.

The kiss ended and I got back on my knees. Her face started dropping again when she realized what I wanted, but she didn't tell me to stop. I undid the button and then the zipper of her skirt. Looking up at her face, I gave her a warm smile, trying to ease her tension. It was going to take more than my smile. I slid the skirt down her legs and past her feet, noticing the small leopard she had tattooed on the outside of her right ankle and the sliver toe rings she had on each index toe. Jess wore a pair of standard white panties and I could see more scars peeking around the edges. Instead of acknowledging them I brought her left foot to my mouth and started to lick it, along the instep and then the bottom. It tickled her a little and she made a sharp noise as she pulled away a little. The corners of her mouth were up slightly.

I said, "Well, it's good to see you almost smiled."

Jess' face brightened a little. I brought her foot back to my mouth and started to suck on her toes. My tongue rolled around the toe ring and then I played with it with my fingers. Looking Jess in the eye I said, "I love these things. They look so sexy on a girl." Her face showed little reaction to that, so I picked up the other foot and gave it the same treatment. When I licked the area with the tattoo, I paused to tell her how impressive the artwork looked. She gave me a shy smile. Soon I lowered her foot and put my fingers into the waistband of her panties. Jess bit on her lower lip.

When I pulled them down I had to work hard not to react. So far, what I had seen could easily have been parental abuse. But looking at what her panties covered, I realized that Jess had been outright tortured. There were easily twice as many scars in her crotch area as there were over the rest of her body. She was shaved, which made it all more visible. But what was really disturbing were the burn marks. There were two of them, on either side of her mons, in the shape of crosses. Then I realized they weren't just burn marks. They were brands.

I heard a sniffle and looked up at her face. "It's horrible, isn't it?" she whispered.

There was no point in denying it. "Yes, it is," I said, and ran my hand along the area. Looking her straight in the eye I added, "But you're not."

Jess' lip twitched and I wasn't sure how she took my statement. I leaned down and kissed along her pubic bone and then along one of the scars. My tongue came out and licked the area. I noticed there were two words tattooed in a half-arch over her mons – "Never Again".

Taking a deep breath I used my fingers to spread her open. It was what I expected. There were several scars, which looked worse since the skin down there is thinner. I closed my eyes and started licking, going by feel more than anything. Making sure to lick all over and skip nothing, I felt all the bumps of every scar on my tongue. Jess started reacting, beginning with several small moans and working up to loud cries as I started working on her clit, which was pierced with the same size silver ring as her breasts. I rubbed my fingers around her slit, getting them coated in some juice before I slid a finger inside her. She let loose with a long, sing-songy moan that almost made me laugh. I started fucking her slowly as my tongue licked her clit, flicking it and rubbing my tongue against it. I hooked the ring in my tongue and pulled back a little and that caused her to yell, "Oh!"

Spurned on by her cry, I pulled a few more times, increasing the volume of her moans. Then I went back to licking and sucking on her clit. My finger pumped fast, and soon I added a second one. Jess was moaning with every breath now, and when I looked up I was surprised with what I saw. Her thumbs were hooked into her nipple rings and pulling them up sharply, causing her breasts to elongate. Most people would immediately worry about how painful that was, but my first thought was wondering how much pleasure it caused. Monica always joked that I'd try anything to see if it caused an orgasm or a heightened sexual reaction. After Baked Bob and Asian Andy dragged us to the movie 'Jackass', she was worried that I would stick a firecracker in my cunt just to see if it made me orgasm. I assured her I would never do anything that stupid. But it did get me wondering.

I increased the speed of my fingers as I licked and sucked on Jess' clit. The taste of her honey drove me to work harder, and she let out a long moan as she shuddered to a climax. I leaned my head on the inside of her leg, trying not to look at the scars. Suddenly, I felt her hands on my head and heard her say something.

"What?" I asked.

"Thank you." A tear ran down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

When I woke up again it was nine thirty. Jess was leaned up against my body and we were holding each other. I could hear her snoring lightly. Careful not to wake her, I slid from out of her arms and crawled out of the bed. Lately I'd become very successful at slipping out of beds without waking people. Maybe I should consider a career in burglary.

I went to the kitchen and put some water in the teapot. Then I tried to find some stuff in the fridge to serve, but since my diet recently consisted of little white pills and takeout I had kind of let things slide.

There was a rustling noise, and when I walked out of the kitchen Jess was sitting on the couch with her coat on. She stood when she saw me.

"I...just wanted to say thank you, before I left. And I hope I wasn't too rude to you last night. It's just –"

I held up my hands. "I don't think either of us is responsible for how we acted last night."

Jess nodded. We stood there for a moment in silence. It seemed like she wanted to leave, but something was making her hesitate. I wondered if she was working up the courage to say something. Holding my arm towards the couch, I said, "Would you mind sitting for a minute? I want to ask you something."

Her face brightened a little at my first sentence, but sank when I mentioned a question. She sat down and I sat next to her. There was a long, uncomfortable silence while I figured out how to ask the question, and decided whether or not I really wanted to know the answer. Jess played with the sleeve of her coat, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her. It occurred to me that she knew what I wanted to ask.

Jess spoke first. "Trust me, you don't really want to know."

I sat there and stared at her for a moment. She was trying to control her emotions, but Jess' face gave away the struggle going on inside her head.

I said, "You know, it might help if you talk about it."

Jess looked at me and then looked away. "You already think I'm some kind of freak. Having all these tattoos and piercings when I already have all that...you know."

"I think I understand," I said. "You're just trying to reclaim your body. Make it yours again."

I must have surprised her, because Jess stared at me like I'd just told her the Earth was flat. After a long pause she said, "You sure you want to know?"

"I'm not just trying to be nice."

Jess took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out the same way. She spoke in a slow and deliberate manner. "When I was fifteen, and I started to figure things out, about me, I used my dad's computer to do some research. Websites, gay community stuff, support groups. Of course, there were none in my area." Jess paused before a sly smile grew on her mouth. "And then I found sex stories. So I printed off a bunch and hid them in my closet." She took in air again, but this time Jess held it for a few seconds before she exhaled. "My mom had been looking for stuff to give to Goodwill when she found them." Jess shook her head slightly as the memory replayed itself behind her eyes. "The way she looked at me, like I was from another world. She told my dad and..." Jess looked at me. " You have to understand, my parents are extremely religious people."

"Extremely?" I said.

"I used to joke that they made evangelicals look like atheists."

"Holy shit."

Jess nodded. "They said my soul was at stake, that they'd do anything to save me. I got so angry. I told them the only people I needed saving from was them. My mom pleaded with me, told me I had to repent before the devil claimed me. I tried telling her the devil had nothing to do with it, but that was like telling a fish not to swim."

I chuckled. Jess gave me a serious look. "Sorry," I said.

"That night I couldn't sleep. I was scared and pissed off, but mostly I was worried. I realized that what happened earlier was going to be the norm for a while...started to wonder if I was going to have to leave home before college. I could hear my parents were still awake downstairs. Figured they were going to put in an all-nighter, trying to figure out how to save their daughter." Jess swallowed hard. "Then the door opened and the light came on. Before I could see what was happening my mom was holding me down and my dad used some of his belts to tie me to the bed."

I felt something turn in the pit of my stomach. Jess' lower lip was trembling and her hands were balled into tight fists. "They kept me strapped to that bed for three months, and they...they...it...um..."

I put my hand on Jess' forearm to let her know she didn't have to say anything else. She was on the verge of crying, but her face was tight like she was fighting it off. In a minute her face softened and she took another breath. It made me realize I needed to breathe too.

Without looking at me, Jess said, "I'm sorry. I need to go."

And she did. We didn't exchange phone numbers or anything, somehow it just didn't seem appropriate. Besides, after Andy's premonition I wasn't jumping to have a blonde in my life. What I did want was to follow through on my castration plan for Bob, but I felt like I could sleep for another eight hours. I went to my bedroom and did just that. Didn't really matter. I knew where he'd be that night.

AUTHOR'S NOTE - Unfortunately, we are about to have another change in point of view. Bob wanted the scene where he sees Keisha for the first time after the date to be from his perspective. He was so sure it was going to be such a great moment. And it was. (PS- I went for the mother load this time. Six bottles of Captain Morgan's Private Stock, an ounce of weed, DVD copies of 'Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle', 'But I'm A Cheerleader!,' the second season of 'Farscape', and a VHS copy of 'Beyond The Valley of the Dolls'. I'm getting to like bribery.)

Hey, Baked Bob again. I can't believe how well the whole setup with Keisha worked out. At first I thought she wasn't going to go for it, but then she did and I got so excited that I forgot to tell her all the things Jessica told me about herself. Ah, well, I'm sure they got along just fine. Keisha's a smart girl, and this Jessica seemed like the no-nonsense type Keisha likes.

I was standing on a side street against the outside wall of The Stoned Tongue, along with Trilly, Sam and Asian Andy. Trilly had just handed me a joint, and said, "Try this and tell me it's not really good shit."

I took a hit. It had a good smell, and after another hit I started feeling the effect. "Not bad," I said.

I was about to hand off the joint when Andy turned to me. "Bob, you might want to cover your –"

Suddenly Keisha came around the corner. I was so excited to see her and find out how the date went. "Hey! There's my girl! How'd it go?"

Keisha slapped me hard on the face. I didn't understand the negative reaction, but I was too busy being impressed to worry about it. "Holy shit, I didn't even feel that!" I turned to Trilly and held up the joint. "This is really good shit!"

I'd barely turned back around before Keisha kicked me in the nuts. Pain shot through my entire body and I crumpled to the ground. I watched Keisha's feet as she stormed away. It was simply great instincts that kept the hand holding the joint from crushing it under my body.

Trilly took the joint from my hand as I moaned in pain. He said, "Sorry man, it ain't that good."

AUTHROR'S NOTE: We now return to our regularly scheduled first person.

Sending Bob's nuts to his throat felt better than it should have. Afterwards I went to Renee's just to hang out. Renee was on the phone in her office. I found Zhi watching television in the bedroom.

"Where's Duscha?" I asked her.

"Took money to Tyler."

No one had told me outright, but over time I'd surmised that Duscha was the one who delivered Tyler his cut of the drug business. At the same time, everyone assumed that I'd figured this out and talked freely about it around me. I'd also learned that Duscha had come to Renee by way of Tyler, which is why she was trusted with this duty. Duscha liked to party, and Tyler had lots to party with, so whenever she delivered the money it usually meant she was out for the night.

I sat next to Zhi on the bed. She was watching some reality show. Indicating the television, she asked, "Why do they let this be done to them?"

I shook my head. "Stupidity, mostly."

Zhi looked up at me. I realized she wanted more of an answer.

"For some people, it's better to be famous for doing something stupid than it is not to be famous at all."

Zhi looked at the screen and was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Duscha."

I immediately understood what she meant and laughed. Zhi started laughing too, and I realized it was the first time I'd heard her do so. As our laughing slowed she looked at me with a mischievous grin and said, "Do you wish to see something?"

I nodded and Zhi scrambled off the bed and opened the closet. She dug around until she pulled out a large box that she brought to the bed and put down between us. There were pictures inside, dozens of them, mostly black and white. I picked up a handful and started looking. They were family pictures, and at first I didn't know what was so special about them. A man, woman, and three children, mostly around a house in what looked like an upscale suburban neighborhood. Based on the items and hairstyles in the pictures, the time period looked to be mid to late 1960's. I still didn't get it. But as I kept going and the youngest daughter got older, I started to recognize something familiar in the face.

"Oh my God," I finally said. "Is this Renee?"

Zhi nodded enthusiastically. I kept going through the pictures. Renee was originally a red head, and her skin was as pale as could be. Her skin color now was most likely a salon job. I started to laugh.

Zhi reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out a large book. "Best part," she said as she handed it to me.

It was a yearbook for a high school in Durbin, Michigan, class of 1982. Zhi opened the book for me and flipped the pages until we got to a picture of a teenage Renee in the senior class. Zhi pointed at the name under the picture. I laughed out loud. Renee's real name was Rachel Horowitz.

We put everything back in the box and Zhi returned it to the closet. I could see the tattoo on her ass and remembered about wanting to ask her what it meant. To be honest, there were many things about Zhi that I wanted to know. Her English was very good at times and then very spotty at others, making me curious about when she came to this country and why. I also wondered how she came to be with Renee. After what she just showed me, I realized this might be a good time to ask, and decided to do it as she sat down next to me.

But before I could say anything we looked at each other and started laughing again. It felt good to laugh. I felt like I hadn't had a good laugh in forever. When the laughter died down, Zhi and I looked at each other and I saw the sadness in her eyes again. But this time there was something else there as well. She leaned in and I did the same and our lips met. We were hesitant at first, almost like both of us felt the need for caution. The kisses were slow and sensual and soft. I could feel the warm breath coming from her nostrils. Our tongues got involved and she put her hands to my face. My hands went to her sides, stroking up and down her bare flesh.