Courtship by Proxy

"Let me ask you something," Kyle said.

"Okay Kyle."

Kyle considered how he wanted to phrase his question. "In your effort to make me recognize my love for you through the use of women such as Cammy, aren't you concerned that I might fall for one of them instead? I have to tell you, my time with Cammy today rocked my world in a way I never would have imagined, and I would be a fool to not want to spend more time with her if she ever gave me the chance."

"Kyle, nothing would make me happier than for you to fall hopelessly in love with every one of the women I send to you – well with the exception of one of them. I know that probably confuses the hell out of you, but as Cammy told you today, they are me and I am them. When you held hands with Cammy, you were holding my hand. The kiss you gave Cammy in the airport curled my toes so much that I still can't get my shoes off. Enjoy your time with them all Kyle, because I will treasure their time with you."

"So what's next in your plan?" asked Kyle.

"Go back to watching your baseball game Kyle. I'm working on your weekend now. I love you Kyle Mason."

Kyle was preparing to ask for clarification when he heard her hang up.

As frustrating as this day had been for him, Kyle had been more stimulated, entranced and intrigued by a woman than he could ever remember happening to him before. Who was she? He supposedly knew her, but in what capacity? He had been racking his brain on and off all day trying to think of who she might be. Now, with her revelation about knowing so much about him, he started considering women he knew who might have access to the information she had mentioned on the phone. Who did he know who had a security clearance level high enough to review his entire military record? Did she work for Brandt Consulting? That was a place to start focusing his thoughts.

"His mind is probably racing down all the wrong avenues right now," she thought. Good. The further off-track she kept him the better her plans would work.

Kyle Mason had always been so transparent to her, and while knowing how he felt about her had once caused her anguish, now it was bringing her pure joy. She couldn't enjoy her advantage so much that it might make her complacent or careless. Her final objective required her to use Kyle's feelings to her benefit, not to simply revel in them.

Well, the hook was now firmly in the fish's mouth. This weekend she would provide the slight tug which would set it for good. It would be so rewarding to land this big boy onto dry land where she could finally give him what he deserved from her.

When Kyle walked into the bar area of the Newport Rib Company Friday night, he was disappointed to see that his favorite seat at the bar was occupied. He preferred the seat at the far right end of the bar because it was directly under the TV so he could watch the Angel game without people walking in front of him, and the station for the waiters and waitresses to pick up drinks for their tables was at the opposite end of the bar so there was far less activity to distract him.

"No worries," he thought as he took another seat. Most people only sat at the bar while waiting for someone to join them or for their table in the restaurant to become ready. As soon as the lady in his seat left, he would move over and claim it.

Jason, the bartender placed a Margarita on the bar in front of Kyle.

"What's this?" Kyle asked.

"It's the drink that the lady at the end of the bar ordered for you when she ordered hers more than a half hour ago. She told me to serve you as soon as you arrived. If you two know each other, why aren't you sitting together?" Jason asked.

Kyle turned and looked at the woman. She was smiling at him and motioning him to her with her finger. Kyle took his drink and moved to the seat next to hers.

"Hello Kyle Mason. My name is Tara Greene and I'll be your companion for this weekend."

Chapter Three – Tara (Part 1)

"I know that this is your favorite seat, so I've been saving it for you. Let's switch."

As Tara stood, Kyle got his first good look at the woman. She was "eye candy" personified - tall and slender, with short, spiky black hair and light brown eyes. She was wearing a short tank top that did little to hide what appeared to be a tattoo of a snake that started low on her neck and seemed to wind its way down her upper arm. She had her left eyebrow pierced, as well as her left nostril. Glancing down, Kyle also noticed that her navel was pierced, and trying not to be too obvious about it, he stole a glance at her breasts to see if the thin material of her top would reveal other piercings that he suspected.

Tara noticed Kyle's examination of her body and moved into his. Placing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek she told him, "Don't worry Kyle, you'll see everything by the time the weekend is over."

Kyle blushed and took in her scent. It was familiar to him and it only took a second for him to remember why. "Jean Naté, right?" he asked. Karen Mayes used to wear the same scent.

Tara smiled and nodded as she moved around to allow him to sit in his favorite seat.

He changed seats with Tara and then spoke to her, "I'm pleased to meet you Tara. You and Bubbles obviously know my routine quite well for you to be here waiting for me."

She smiled and said, "Oh, just a lucky guess. Friday night with the Angels playing on the road, where else would a hunk such as you be eating dinner?"

"I am a creature of habit," Kyle chuckled. "Will you join me for dinner?"

"Of course, silly boy. I'm your companion until Monday morning and I wouldn't want to go hungry for that whole time."

Kyle smiled, "Well Tara, if you're anything like Cammy, this will be an interesting weekend."

"Kyle, I am nothing like Cammy, and this is definitely going to be a very interesting weekend – for both of us." She leaned over and nibbled on his ear lobe. "But 'interesting' will have its limits."

"Can I see your sorority pin?" asked Kyle.

Tara swung around in her chair and placed her sandal-clad left foot on Kyle's seat, right between his legs. He saw the Porpoise tattoo in exactly the same location it had been on Cammy.

"Do you know the story of Bubble's nickname?" asked Kyle. "Cammy said it originated before her time."

Tara removed her foot and placed it back onto the rungs of her own chair. "I do know," she said, "but unfortunately, your security clearance level isn't high enough for me to share it with you."

Kyle recognized the inference to his conversation with Bubbles from the other night and just smiled. He was enjoying the banter with Tara.

"What do you do with yourself when you're not emulating one of your Sisters?" he asked her.

She took a sip from her drink and answered, "If you mean for work, I am a registered nurse and certified physical therapist. I have my own agency dealing mostly with traumatic injury rehabilitation and therapy programs, usually once a person has been sent home from the hospital, but I do have contracts for in-patient care at a few smaller facilities."

"It sounds like you have some diversity in your job. That must be rewarding."

"Change can be very nice," Tara agreed. "What would you recommend for dinner?"

Kyle thought for a minute, and then answered, "I had a very nice experience for the first time with Cammy, and I'm wondering if you would like to repeat it with me tonight."

"I would love to share meals with you Kyle. I am honored you would offer. Do you want me to pick the entrée, the salad like Cammy did, dessert, or something else?"

"Actually," said Kyle, "I would like to get to know you, and thus by extension Bubbles by letting you order everything we will share. Would you mind?"

Tara stared at him for a moment, then leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "In case I forget to mention it later, I had a really great time tonight."

Kyle laughed, "Well, I'm no Richard Gere, but I am very happy to have you, 'Pretty Woman' with me tonight. In fact, I am going to see about getting us a table."

"Why?" she asked. "I thought you wanted to watch the Angel game on TV while we ate."

"The Angels have more than 50 games left to play. I only have three nights with you."

Tara gasped at his response and a tear came to her eye as Kyle went to the hostess podium to request a table for them.

"Are you going to enlighten me on what you being my companion for the weekend will entail?" Kyle asked. They had just finished sharing a dish of orange sorbet as their dessert and he had already signed the credit card receipt paying for their dinner.

Tara licked her lips and said, "I have a limited agenda of things I would like to accomplish, mostly related to your body, but other than that, we can do almost anything you want."

"Almost?" said Kyle with a grin.

Tara returned his grin and added a wink when she replied, "Almost. You'll see."

"Are you staying close by and do you need a ride back to your place?" he asked.

"I am staying as close as I can to you all weekend, Kyle. My bags were delivered to your apartment while we have been here, and unless you want me to take a taxi, I would appreciate a ride home in your car."

"I was hoping that would be the case," said Kyle. "Are you ready to go?"

Tara nodded, so Kyle came around the table and pulled her chair out for her to rise. As she took his hand in hers Kyle could have sworn he was holding Cammy's hand again. The same sense of natural comfort and fit that he had experienced with her was matched by Tara's hand in his.

She raised his hand to her lips, kissed it and then said, "I know. It only gets better Kyle."

Taking his hand and wrapping it around so that it rested on her waist, she then snuggled against him and slipped her hand into the back pocket of his pants. Kyle welcomed her body next to his and was not surprised by how they moved in total unison as they walked out to his car. Had Kyle chosen, he could have walked from his apartment to the restaurant. On one hand he was glad he drove, because he would be able to get home with Tara quicker, but on the other hand, it would be a beautiful night to be walking with her against him as she was now.

When they reached his car, Kyle held the door for Tara as she slid into the front passenger seat. He then went around and got into his own seat and started the car. Tara had placed her left hand on his right thigh and was casually caressing his leg with her fingernails as he drove. He had to maintain his focus on the road and traffic around them, but every opportunity that he had to glance at Tara found her watching him with a look of genuine affection.

Upon entering his apartment and deactivating his alarm system, Kyle saw that Tara's bag was prominently placed so that it wouldn't be missed.

"Bubbles definitely intrigues me with her resourcefulness," he said.

Tara laughed, "I'm glad that you are intrigued, but sometimes keeping things simple is the best resource. Just so you know, one of our Sisters is married to someone who you gave a key and your alarm code to."

Kyle slapped his forehead and moaned, "I knew I had seen that Porpoise tattoo someplace before meeting Cammy. Linda has the same one. So is Linda in on this too? Does she know who Bubbles is?"

"I really don't know what Linda's involvement is," Tara said as she picked up her bag and headed towards the bedroom. "Follow me and we can keep talking as I unpack."

Kyle took the bag from her hand, put his arm around her and led her to his room. He placed the bag on his bed and proceeded to clear out a couple of drawers in his dresser for her to use.

"Do you need hangers for anything?" he asked.

"If you could spare a couple that would be very nice. Thank you."

Tara unzipped the bag as Kyle went to his closet, pushed the clothes hanging in it aside to make a space, and then retrieved a couple of empty hangers and presented them to Tara. She accepted the hangers, kissed him on the cheek as thanks, and then continued to unpack. She pulled a wrapped gift out and handed it to Kyle.

"This is for you. Bubbles wanted me to make sure you had it for our first night together."

"What is it?" Kyle asked as he shook the package.

"I have no idea," said Tara. "Bubbles got it for you and just asked me to deliver it. Open it and let's see."

Kyle removed the ribbon and bow, and then started tearing off the wrapping paper. There was a white gift box inside. Kyle slipped the top off the box, pushed the folded tissue paper aside, pulled out a pair of black satin boxer shorts and held them up for inspection.

"Oh those are perfect!" squealed Tara. "Look."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a black satin nightgown and held it next to the boxer shorts in Kyle's hand.

"Let me finish getting unpacked and then we can both change," she said. "I can't wait to feel us together in these. In fact, I won't wait."

Tara dropped the nightgown onto the bed and turned to face Kyle. Looking into his eyes, she unbuttoned the one button on his polo shirt, reached for the bottom of the shirt, and proceeded to pull it over his head. She then pushed him until he was sitting on the bed, slipped his shoes off, followed by his socks. Pulling him to his feet, she unbuckled his belt before releasing the five buttons holding his jeans closed.

"Uh, Tara," Kyle stammered, "I'm going commando."

"Good," she said as she knelt in front of him slid his pants down his legs. "That makes things easier for both of us. Step out."

He did as she directed and was standing naked in front of her. After gazing at him from his feet to his head, she held out her hand to him and he passed her the boxer shorts. He raised one leg at a time as Tara inserted one foot and then another into the shorts before she slowly pulled them up his legs and into place around his hips.

"Perfect fit," she said as she circled around him admiring the gift from all angles. "Now my turn."

Tara stood in front of Kyle, looked him in the eyes, and raised her arms above her head. Kyle took the hint and pulled her tank top over her head and off. Kyle knew that she wasn't wearing a bra, and the sight of her bare breasts were an answer to his earlier question. Perfectly shaped and sized for her frame, he could see that her nipples had not been pierced. In fact her nipples and the rest of her breasts were perfection. He wondered for a moment if there existed a category of model dedicated just to women's breasts, like there were for hands and other body parts. If so, Tara could definitely make a living as one.

Regaining focus on his task, Kyle released the snap on her shorts, took her by the shoulders and turned her so that she could sit on the bed. He had her sit while he removed her sandals, and then helped her back to her feet. He knelt before her as he lowered her shorts and she raised one foot at a time to allow him to remove them entirely. Glancing briefly at her panties, Kyle looked up to Tara and saw her smile and nod back at him. Slipping his fingers under the waistband, he slid her panties down her legs to her feet, where she stepped out of them and stood before him as naked as he had been for her. She reached over to the bed, picked up the nightgown and handed it to Kyle who was mesmerized by her neatly trimmed pubic hair. It was lighter than the hair on her head, but Kyle knew this wasn't unusual. He rose to his feet as she raised her arms above her head once again. Kyle slipped the nightgown down over her arms, lining up the spaghetti straps so that they would rest on her shoulders, and then let the garment fall into place by itself.

"My mouth is so dry that I can't believe I can speak," said Tara, "but that has got to be the most sensuous experience of my life. God this weekend is going to be wondrous torture."

Kyle just nodded in agreement as Tara moved against him, placed her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. With his eyes closed, he could easily imagine that this was Cammy he was kissing. From the comfortable, confident way that Tara's lips met his, to the feel of her lips on his, to the passionate way her body joined her lips in kissing him, the experience was virtually identical to what he had with Cammy. Had someone created a bunch of women clones just for him? He placed his hands on the small of her back and couldn't help sliding them up and down the fabric of her nightgown. Her moans at his caresses pleased him. He wanted to please her.

When they broke apart from their kiss, Tara was visibly shaking. She rested her head against Kyle's chest and whispered, "Holy Mother of God."

Kyle didn't reveal his shock over her words. He turned them both around and helped Tara to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'll go get us some water. I know I could use something to drink."

She just stared at him with wide eyes, trying to settle her shaking body and said, "Thanks Kyle."

Walking into his kitchen, Kyle pondered his confusion. Tara was stirring memories on many fronts. Her touch and her kisses reminded him of his time with Cammy, yet her scent and now her phrase "Holy Mother of God" reminded him of Karen Mayes. Although, Karen had never used those words in the same context as Tara just had, especially where Kyle was ever concerned. Other than the few times that their roles required them to dance together, Karen had diligently avoided any type of physical contact with him, and they had never kissed.

Kyle retrieved a large bottle of chilled water from the refrigerator, took two glasses from the cupboard and returned to his bedroom. Tara had regained enough composure to have resumed unpacking her bag. She was placing the last of her items into the dresser drawer when she turned and smiled at Kyle as he came back into the room. He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

After taking a drink of water Tara said, "Cammy should have warned me about you. Nothing has ever affected me like that kiss did Kyle."

"You want my opinion?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said with a cautious look on her face, "do I"?"

Kyle smiled at her and said, "It's nothing bad. In fact, taking nothing away from Cammy, I thought it was the best kiss I have ever experienced. Consider however that the kiss was the culmination of us both undressing each other and then experiencing the sensuality of our bodies joining so intimately for the first time during the period of the kiss. While I would hope that every future kiss would be just as earth-shattering, I have to be realistic and consider that the exact same circumstances may not always precede your lips meeting mine."

Tara smiled at his assessment and said, "I don't know Kyle. I suspect that we could both be dressed in football pads and helmets, but if our lips could somehow meet, every kiss from you would affect me like none before."

She picked up a sundress from the bed, placed it onto one of the hangers and hung it in Kyle's closet. She did the same with a sleeveless blouse, and then she put her bag on the floor of the closet and closed the door. She carried her toiletry bag into the bathroom and hung it on a hook behind the door. Returning to the bedroom she watched Kyle taking a drink of water.

Lowering the glass from his mouth he asked, "All done?"

"All done," she said as she walked up to stand in front of him.

"What would you like to do now?" he asked.

"I would like to crawl in your bed beside you and see how many different ways we can find for our bodies to meld together, but Kyle, I do have limits."

Kyle sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Tara onto his lap. "Maybe you should explain," he told her.