Erika Blossoms Ch. 18-21

I looked at him and smiled. "Who better than me?"

"Can you walk with me a minute?" He asked.

I checked the time. "Yes, I can walk with you."

So we walked as he talked and I listened.

"When I'm honest with myself, this is what I find. I'm not attracted at all to men. I adore women. But the kind of women I am attracted to also have dicks. Jana had it right. That's what I want. I want a tall, beautiful, woman with a dick. I would do anything she wanted. Anything. I would happily be her slave in the bedroom."

"I don't want to be treated like that in public, but in the bedroom, I crave it. I want to be dominated and humiliated and treated like a dirty fuck toy. I loved what you guys did to me last weekend."

"I have no idea where it comes from. I wasn't abused as a kid. I don't have anything in my past that would explain it. I was born this way I guess."

"I have lived in fear of it for so long, always ashamed and always hiding it. It has made me the most boring person on the planet because I'm so afraid of revealing myself -- afraid it might slip out or show somehow, that people will discover my secret."

"When you came into the bedroom last weekend wearing those pantyhose, I thought I would die. I knew immediately that you had discovered it somehow, and thought that you were OK with it and that we were going to find a way to make it all work out. That's why I bought that harness deal. In my mind, you and I were going to have my little kink and keep it a secret forever."

"But it didn't work out that way and now the genie is out of the bottle and she's not going back in. So I have to find a way to make it work out by myself now, because you've moved on. And I'm scared and lonely and I don't know what to do."

He had stopped walking and was staring straight ahead. His eyes were dry.

I stopped and turned to face him, forcing him to look at me.

"I don't have any of those answers for you or even any practical advice on how to go about finding them. I have enough on my hands trying to figure some things out for me. But I'd like to be friends while you figure it out."

"It's just so damned hard." He said.

"No, that is the fear talking. Being honest is easy." I said.

He looked into my eyes. "Is it? Because I'm always so scared."

"It is if you accept it, truly accept it and deal with it honestly."

He reached out and hugged me very tight.

"You promise you'll still be my friend?"

I pulled back and looked at him. "I promise. As long as you're being honest with yourself, and being kind to yourself. You deserve to be happy and loved for who you really are, and someone out there is waiting for you to come into their life. I was told earlier this week, and I believe it to be true, that there are times in our lives when we have to close one door before another one will open."

"I think that's where you are. I think you have to find a way to close the door on your fear before the next door will open, a door that will lead to an honest way of life for you."

"I don't think that the opposite of fear is courage, I think its opposite is honesty, and that it takes courage to be honest, especially in the face of fear. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, in a loopy way, it does."

I hugged him this time. Tight.

"I have to get back..."

"I do too." He said.

"You can call me. Anytime." I told him.

"Ok. Thank you." He looked weary.

"And Jason, I owe you a 'thank you' as well."

He smiled.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're welcome."

CHAPTER TWENTY -- Friday Afternoon

Back at my desk, I couldn't resist checking my email to see if Jana had seen my note and reply to Keith.

She had.

***

Killed the presentation. Killed it. But furious at Rob. (I knew Rob to be an asshole co-worker of hers) I'll fill you in on that tonight.

Here is the shorter version of those two emails you forwarded:

Erika, sorry I came so quick and didn't give you an orgasm. I hope you let me have a do-over soon. Keith

Keith, I was so excited over your ginormous black cock that I didn't notice. Please fuck me with it soon. Erika

***

I laughed and hit reply.

***

LOL! That's pretty accurate. Do you (we) have plans for tonight? Ended up having lunch with Jason. I'll fill you in on that tonight.

***

I hit send and turned my attention to my work. Or tried to anyway. Mr. Jackson still hadn't made it into the office.

After I caught up with my to-do list for today and even part of Monday's, I turned to my laptop and did a google search for "Keith Wilcox".

A surprisingly large number of hits return. I start scrolling through them, occasionally clicking a link if something catches my eye.

"#1 Overall Pick!" screamed one headline. I clicked it and quickly scanned the article. It praised his 'high revving motor' and his work ethic. It talked about a very large, long-term guaranteed contract. "Sure Fire Game Changer!" another headline read. He had made the cover of Sports Illustrated. There were several articles about his mother's death.

There were a large number of articles about his company, its phenomenal growth, its potential for franchising and perhaps an IPO at some point in the future. They were all positive, and painted him as some kind of entrepreneurial whiz kid.

I also noted a surprising number of articles about a charitable foundation he had set up for at-risk inner city kids.

I clicked over to google images. Lots of photos of him as a player, with an occasional photo of him at a podium, some with him hugging kids and just a few with a woman on his arm at some social event. It was always the same woman.

I clicked on one of them, and an article came up about gala event his foundation had thrown last year -- a fundraiser for his foundation. The Martha Wilcox Foundation. Named after his mother.

I looked closely at the photo. She was a gorgeous woman in an elegant evening gown. The caption below the photo named her "Keith Wilcox and fiancé Shawna Blackwell".

Oh dear Lord, he can't be married, I thought.

I googled her name. Daughter of a record company executive. Grew up in Detroit. Socialite. Lots of articles about her on the gossip sites, with a large percentage of them devoted to her engagement with Keith. "Shawna's Dream Wedding Plans" one headline stated breathlessly. The date for the wedding being listed for June of this year -- a couple of months away. Goddamit. That bastard I thought. He's a 'playa' after all. A charming, handsome, smooth-talking asshole just looking to get his dick wet.

I was suddenly relieved that he didn't ask me twice to go to his room last night, but still felt like a fool.

I resisted the urge to copy the link and email it to him.

I looked at the time, ten minutes until five. Time to call it a week. I wondered why I hadn't seen Mr. Jackson all day.

I tidied my desk, gathered my things and walked down to my car. As soon as I sat down, I saw the white spot on the console again and made a note to stop by the store and get something to scrub it off with.

"I'm done with you, you lying, cheating bastard." I said to the white spot. And I meant it.

I knew as soon as I walked in the door that Jana wasn't home yet, but the boxes from my apartment were sitting in the front hall area.

I went and changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, poured myself a glass of wine and went out on the balcony to sit and think.

It's not like I made a date with him myself, I thought. Jana set it up. It was a blind date and I had no way of knowing before hand that he was engaged. If I had known, what happened in the car last night would not have happened. One of my college boyfriends had cheated on me, and I know what that feels like. I wouldn't do that to another woman.

I wondered if I should try to get in touch with her, and quickly decided that probably wasn't the best idea, but made a mental note to discuss it with Jana.

I thought about Jana and my Dad, and I thought about Mr. Jackson and June. I thought about the old boyfriend who cheated on me.

I sipped my wine and pondered all these things on a gorgeous early spring afternoon, sitting on the balcony of the home I shared with the woman I love. Maybe, I thought, maybe I already have what I'm looking for.

I picked up my phone and called my Dad's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Daddy."

"Hello Ladybug."

We exchanged the usual pleasantries. I could hear the busy shop in the background, which meant that he wasn't in what passes for his office.

"I have some news."

"Let's hear it."

"I broke up with Jason, I'm going to law school and I've moved in with Jana." I wondered how I was going to explain about the new car.

"Well..." He paused, "that is all news all right. Tell me about Jason."

"I'm going to go ahead and blame that on you, Daddy." I teased.

"On me? What did I do?"

"Do you remember our talk Sunday, when you said that guys like him have some weird secret?"

"Uh huh."

"You were right."

"I see."

"I'm just going to leave it at that. Honestly though, it was time, secret or not."

"I agree. Are you OK?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, I'm fine. I really am. Better than fine actually."

"OK. If you need to talk..."

I pressed forward.

"My firm has a program where they will pay tuition for law students that work there. It's too good an offer to pass up, so I'm looking at starting in the fall and working part-time."

"That makes me very happy sweetheart. You deciding to go back to school and the tuition thing."

"And moving in with Jana just seemed like the smart thing to do. I'll save money, it's a really nice place, closer to work and school and well, she's my best friend. She's been really helpful with the breakup and----"

"You don't have to explain it honey, I think it makes a lot of sense. I've wondered why y'all didn't do that after you both graduated."

"I was too stubborn I guess. I wanted to prove I could make it on my own."

"Ladybug, we all need other people in our lives to support us and help us and if that's what you and Jana have together, I think it's a great idea."

The way he said 'what you and Jana have together' made me wonder if he'd guessed more than he had been told. He's pretty perceptive.

"And you know how I feel about Jana. She's a good one."

I know how you feel now you old horn dog. I thought with a little smile.

I heard something crash in the background and heard Daddy cover the phone with his hand, "Stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW dumbass!" he bellowed.

"I gotta go Ladybug, they are trying to tear the place down."

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you, Ladybug. Give my best to Jana."

"I will."

Right on cue, Jana walks in, looking a little beat. She walks out to the balcony and plopped down beside me, kicking her shoes off as she did.

"You look like you've had a long day."

She sighed. "Yeah, it was. Mostly because I was up so late," She leaned over and gave me a little kiss, "but also because of the stress of the presentation. And then Rob was such a dick and I let him get under my skin."

"I'll get you a glass of wine."

I went in to the kitchen and poured her a glass, and returned to the balcony.

"What can I get for you? Draw you a bath? Back and neck massage? Orgasm?"

She smiled. "All of it. Later. I just want to sit here for a few and unwind."

"Do you have plans for the night?" I asked.

"I hoped we could stay in. Maybe get a pizza and watch a movie."

"That's what I was hoping for too. Instead of pizza, how about I cook dinner. I'm feeling domestic."

"That sounds lovely."

"What happened with Rob today?"

She cut her eyes over to me. "That rat-bastard. After my presentation, he got up and said 'Isn't she lovely gentleman? She's going to make someone a fine trophy-wife some day'."

"No way!"

"Way." Her eyes narrowed as she looked out across the evening skyline over the top of her wine glass.

"What was the reaction?"

"Stunned silence for the most part. I saw one old guy give a nervous little cough."

"Did you kill him afterwards?"

"No, our boss got to him first. Dan tore him a new one for 'undercutting the firm's legitimacy' and 'being incredibly insensitive to a collegue', blah, blah, blah. Dan made him come and apologize to me."

"The only reason he works there in the first place is because we handle his family's fortune. He's one of those punk-ass pricks born wealthy who thinks he's done something with his life."

"He's had it in for me for a long time. When I first started working there he was always hitting on me. Real relentless. I was very polite and kept turning him down. He cornered me in the copy room one morning and tried to snatch a kiss and cop a feel. That's when I removed his balls and handed them back to him. He's hated me ever since."

"And I'll be honest, I got the job there because of my family's money, I know that. The difference is that I'm actually good at my job."

She took another sip of wine.

"Dan came into my office later and said 'Don't let him bother you. He's threatened by your talent and your work ethic. He knows you'll be his boss some day soon'. So, that was nice to hear. Dan is a sharp one."

I reached over and took her hand. "Sorry you had a shitty day."

"Ahh, it's all right. I'm better now that I'm here with you." She smiled and turned her plump lips toward me.

My heart leapt into my throat as I leaned over and kissed her passionately.

"I'm going to walk down to the corner and pick up a few things for dinner. You sit and enjoy your wine and when I get back, I'll draw a bath for you to soak in while I cook." I said.

"Sounds heavenly."

I grabbed my purse and walked down to the corner market. I found some fresh scallops, picked out a loaf of French bread and some other little tidbits for our meal.

Walking back, my mind drifted back to Keith. I realized that I had cooled off quite a bit. It was just one date, and it was an arranged one. I was grateful that the petting in the car didn't get more involved.

When I returned, Jana was still on the balcony. The late afternoon sky was dramatic, with clouds coming in from the southwest. I went to Jana's bathroom and started a bath. Once it was drawn and piping hot, I went to the balcony door and said "Your bath is ready."

Jana disappeared into her room and I busied myself with supper.

Once everything was in hand, I took two glasses of wine back to the bathroom. Jana had sank up to her chin in the chamomile scented water. I sat down on the edge of the tub and handed the glass of wine to Jana.

"Keith is engaged."

"WHAT!?" Jana sat up suddenly, spilling a good bit of wine into the tub.

"June wedding."

Jana sat open mouthed, unable to speak.

"I could show you about a six dozen stories on-line about it. BIG event planned. Some Detroit socialite. She's gorgeous."

Jana sank back into the tub.

"Well, fuck."

"Yeah."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"Don't be silly."

"No, it is. I never even thought to look for myself. If it was someone I was interested in, it would have been the first thing I'd have done." She reached out and touched my hand. "You must be crushed."

"It's not your fault. And I'm ok, really."

Jana looked grumpy again.

"Look at me," I said. "This shouldn't surprise either of us. We know how they are. Let's just be glad it didn't go any farther, and lesson learned. The part I'm upset with is that I let myself get carried away last night against everything I believe about men and dating and sex and all that."

"That rat-bastard!" she spat out again.

"And the other thing I'm disappointed with is, that I nearly threw away any chance I have with Mr. Jackson -- however small that is."

"I think it's better than you think."

"We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" I smiled down at Jana. "I better go check on dinner. It will be just a few minutes, so you can come on out anytime."

"Hand me a towel before you go."

I handed Jana a towel and watched as she stood and the water ran down her curves. Every time I see her naked, it takes my breath away.

I went out to the kitchen and put the final touches on dinner. Jana came out wearing loose pajama shorts and a short pajama top, her hair up in a ponytail. She looked like a teenage dream.

"Smells delicious, what can I do to help?"

"You could set the table."

She did and soon we were eating together at the table of the home we shared.

A simple spinach salad, pasta with a light cream sauce and seared scallops. It came together very nicely and I was happy and content to stay home with the woman I love.

We cleaned the table and kitchen together. When we were finished, we walked to the living room. We were both confronted with a couple of dozen boxes from my old apartment. And my mother's rocking chair.

Jana crossed one arm under her breast, rested the other elbow on her wrist and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"So, what's in those boxes anyway?"

"Books mostly. Some winter clothes. Keepsakes. I'm surprised it is so many boxes."

"Your mother's rocking chair is lovely. Do you have a spot picked out for it?"

"No, I haven't really thought about it."

"It's so nice, it would go in any room, but I think it might look best in my room." She looked over at me. "We could move that little ottoman into the other room..." she trailed off.

I pulled her close and hugged her. She turned her face up to me and we kissed. I felt my heart thumping in my chest. I was on the verge of tears.

"Jana..."

"Erika."

"I'm happy."

"I know. Me too."

"No. I mean it. I'm happy." My eyes, full of tears.

"Ladybug, you have no idea. This is exactly how I always had it pictured in my mind. You, me, the rocking chair..." She smiled big.

It was just the perfect thing to say to keep me from becoming a weepy mess.

I kissed her again, a huge smile between our lips.

And then she did it.

"Maybe someday we'll have a baby to rock in that chair."

I took her face into my hands and pushed my lips into hers with every ounce of passion I had. Tears streaming down my face.

It was the Best. Kiss. Ever.

Again.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE -- Friday Evening.

When it was over, Jana said "Movie?"

"Yes. Find something you'd like and I'm going to start in on unpacking some of those boxes."

I lugged some of the boxes over and sat down in front of the couch while Jana scanned for something to watch.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"Something light."

She finally found some romantic comedy with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey. I began sorting the books into a keep pile and a Goodwill pile. The Goodwill pile grew much faster than the keep pile.

I had made my way through quite a few of the boxes and the movie was about halfway finished. I wasn't really paying that close attention to it. We chatted a little in the slow spots.

Jana, suddenly, "That rat bastard!" she spat out. I looked up at the movie and then at Jana.

"What?"

"Keith!"

"Oh, that rat bastard. I thought you were talking about Steve Carrell and it surprised me because he seems so sweet."

"I talked to him half a dozen times setting that date up. The more I think about it, the angrier I get."

"I'm already over it." I said.

"I know it's not right, but I want revenge. He used me to get to you. He lied by omission to do it."

"Let it go. I have."

"I thought he was going to be the one for you. The he'd be the one who finally showed you what it's like to get fucked like a whore and made to like it."

"Jana! I'm not a whore!"

"Of course you're not. You just need to get fucked like one."

"Honestly!" I turned back to my book sorting.

Jana turned and grabbed my by the shoulders and pushed me down onto my back. She was astride me. She leaned down and kissed me ferociously. Her hands suddenly all over me, grinding her pussy against mine.