The Fantasies X - Bertie's Girl

The moonlight follows my every step, in the distance screams and laughter, together as one, nothing special. Going deep into the Platinum Quarter tonight. A certain dining establishment up by the docks beckons to me. Used to be a frigate back in the day, but those days have long since passed. Place is called the Rusted Swordfish and on a rare occasion one might even spot an aristocrat dining here. Tonight probably isn't such an occasion, but I'd be fine if they all just jumped off the pier instead.

A string quartet plays a haunting melody of the sea on the aft upper deck, where the helm is, while couples dance in circles around the base of the mast below. On the forward upper deck are the outdoor dining tables, positioned for the best possible view of the ocean. Above them is a tarp which has been positioned much higher at the aft end to ensure that any rain that might come runs into the water instead of on the patrons.

The few times I've been here the place has been packed. Tonight, however, it seems rather empty. A lovely hostess named Beth greets me at the quarterdeck, smiling from ear to ear. I remember her when she was just a classy whore who used to get top dollar at a brothel nearby, could be she still does. Never had the pleasure myself, paying for it was never my way, then again, I guess we all pay for it in one way or another. Beth is a lovely blond, sporting long curly locks like royalty. The cleavage her specially tailored sailor outfit reveals doesn't leave much to the imagination nor does her short skirt do much to hide those luscious-looking tan legs of hers. She starts bouncing up and down with glee when I come into view.

"Bertie! Fancy seeing you here. And you look so dashing tonight-" she says.

"Thanks love, point me to the kitchen, got a delivery."

She makes a gesture toward the stairs that lead below decks, then winks at me and I tip my hat. I step aside in time to avoid a woman being twirled around with reckless abandon on the dance floor and make my way down a set of very steep stairs. There's a private dining area here, with more people than I saw topside. Lots of noise coming from the level below, shouting and singing, but the kitchen is in the forward-most room.

When I walk through the door a pungent aroma of garlic and onions hits the nostrils. My eyes water a little and the steam circulating through the kitchen does little to clear it up. The cook is a skinny little fellow with glazed eyes and lots of stubble. His chef hat seems to be on inside out. He squints at me and stands with his mouth hanging open and his tongue pressed into his lower lip. I have half a mind to smack him.

"Where's Cassandra?" I say.

"Unnh." he groans in my direction.

"The fuck did you say?"

His eyes get a little wider and his head wobbles, but little else changes.

"Wha-chu-want?" he mutters.

"Cassandra, you twat, where is she? I've got her order." I say.

He smacks his lips, cocks his head to the side, starts licking the air, and then grumbles. "Dems-da-steaks, inn'dey? Jus-put-em-on-da-counta-dere."

I take a few steps towards him and get a whiff of a different aroma. My head starts to spin and I see a colorful smoke rising from the incense burning behind him. The first few breaths of it make me cough, then I laugh a bit and the cook laughs with me like it's all a big inside joke we share. Nice fellow really.

I pause for a few moments to look at the concoction he's stirring in his pot; it seems to be mostly water with one finely diced carrot in it. Why did I come here anyway? I stare at the cook and he just stares right back at me. So I look away, blink a few times, start squinting through the steam and the haze in the room. Then I look back; why's this fuck still staring at me?

"Y'want-summin-else-mate?" he says.

"Yeah," I say.

The light is refracting through the haze of the room and the blue cabinets above that counter the incense is burning on start to look pink then yellow then green. Everything slows down and I stare back at the cook and we start to laugh and shake our heads. It all makes sense. Nothing makes sense. I begin to stare at a fly on the wall, it seems to radiate with energy. The cook pokes me in the chest.

"Hnnnh," I say.

"D'you-need-summin-else?" he says.

I laugh and stare at him with my eyes wide. The smile he returns reveals the only three teeth he has left. Then he holds out a bottle of liquid that's bright yellow. All I can see on it is a horned skull and a bunch of X's.

"Take-a-swig-a-dis-mate." he says.

When the liquid hits the back of my throat I almost puke. It's like pure alcohol, but it seems really salty with other weird shit in it too. I start wheezing and gagging after swallowing it. Feels like I want to cough up my insides at first. My brain is on fire and I start to tingle; then I'm overwhelmed by an intense lingering frustration. It's like ants are eating my face.

"Wh- the fuck is this?" I say.

"S'devil-piss-mate." he laughs.

"Fuck me stupid." I say.

My head pounds and I let out a shout of rage and I pick the skinny little cook up off of his feet by his shirt and shake him. He screams then laughs then screams again and I do the same.

"Wha-d'you-want-fucko." he says.

"Huh- Cass- yeah, Cass- *gag*, where is she?" I say.

He laughs so loud and I start to laugh with him but stop myself and give him an assertive glare.

"Cassandra," I say.

"Down-inna-bar-mate." he says.

He points toward the door out of the kitchen. I nod and drop him to the floor. He howls with laughter, flat on his back. I stumble through the dining area to the stairs down to the bar and bump a table on my way and the man and woman sitting at it stare at me and scoot their chairs away. One of the serving girls has to jump out of my way to avoid a collision. Then I reach the stairs and when I get about halfway down I just fall.

I roll onto the floor in the bar taking out one man who falls on his back. Another man moves to avoid me and collides into a cluster of people who either stumble into the wall or fall down themselves. I feel a large hand yank me to my feet. I'm seeing red and I glare at a very large bald man who looks like he has a tattoo of a bird on his face. He dangles me in front of him.

"Look fellow, you need to get the fuck out of here before you get hurt." he says.

I laugh and he slaps me and I scream with rage. My left fist connects sharply with his side and I hear a groan then I unleash my right elbow to his chin, such a nice popping sound his jaw makes. He drops me and moans and I start to laugh again and barely duck his right hook then I follow it up with a very quick leaping headbutt that floors him and when I land on my feet I shout and start to do a little dance.

A couple of people are clapping somewhere, but the room is so crowded, I can't pinpoint them. I grab the man nearest to me by the shirt and shout in his face as loud as I can and laugh when he falls on his ass and mutters something about shitting his pants. Then I shout for the cluster of people in front of me to get the fuck out of my way and stumble through them, throwing elbows when they hardly move.

One of the drunks close to me just screams when I get near him and I slap him in the mouth, hard, again and again and he runs for the stairs but trips and falls and the cracking sound of his face hitting the wooden floor can be heard even over the crowd. Some people start darting for the stairs but most of the crowd just stands there and mind their own business.

Then I see her, that long red hair, those amazing curves which are accentuated by her long short-sleeve dress which clings tightly to her gorgeous body. Her cleavage is covered by a black blouse and even though I long to see it I can't help but approve. Some big fat oaf has his hand on her. He pins her against the wall and begins to stammer. I start to foam at the mouth.

"Ca- *hiccup* Cassie, a good- *hiccup* woman like you needs a good- *hiccup* man." he says.

"Well, let me know when you find one." she says.

He chuckles quietly and gets closer.

"Listen honey-"

I grab the arm he has on her and twist, hard. He moves, helpless in my grip, and almost willingly lets me slam his fat head into the nearby wall. When he starts to stumble to his feet I give him my best haymaker and hear a loud crunch when I connect with his nose. He begins to scream and the pool of blood that forms under him on the floor is growing. I take his shirt with both hands and laugh wildly and I drink in the look of bewilderment on his face. When I release him he collapses to the ground and curls up into a ball on the floor and shakes.

"Bertie! What are you doing?!" she squeals.

My heart beats faster and I wipe my brow with my arm and just stare at her. She's radiant; it's like she has an aura of innocence around her; oh, to be that young again. I look into her eyes and am mesmerized. The shock on her face, beautiful, it looks just like it did that night. I breathe deeply and get closer to inhale her scent.

"You smell fucking divine, love. What's that you're wearing?" I say.

"Uh, Bertie- I'm not wearing anything; some guy spilled a glass of rum on me earlier. Are you okay?"

I squint into the dim light of the bar and my eyes flicker. She slaps my cheek. My jaw drops open and I stare at her. I start to tingle, the irritation washes over my skin in several waves and I groan. A cold splash of water on my face, a deep breath, she sets the glass down on the bar next to her.

"Woah," I say.

"Bertie, you're acting like a fucking nut." she says.

I laugh and spin around in a circle a couple of times, staring at the ceiling.

"Oh yeah!" I shout.

She puts both hands on my face and gazes into my eyes. Those eyes, like emeralds they are, magnificent. Those plump little lips of hers, they need me. I move to kiss them but end up with her nose in my mouth, licking one of her nostrils.

"Bertie!" she shouts.

She takes a whiff of me and winces, I give her a puzzled look, and my eyes flicker a bit. A man wearing a Captain's hat with a full gray beard appears at our side.

"Cassie! What's going on? I heard there was some fucking lunatic down here. This him?" he says.

"Lloyd uh- I think Bob's at it again in the kitchen. Bertie must have dropped off those steaks you wanted, before he came down here." she says.

"Oh fuck, not again, I hope he hasn't poisoned anyone this time."

"Maybe I should take Bertie for a walk, let him clear his head for a while." she says.

"Yes, yes, please! Get this maniac out of here."

"I'll be back as soon as I can." she says.

"Look Cass, take the rest of the night off, just keep him away."

She yanks on my arm and we fight our way through the crowd to the stairs. So steep, she's got to push me a bit to keep me climbing. Voices in the kitchen, sounds like Lloyd and Bob. Lloyd keeps saying, "Bob, what the fuck?!" over and over again and Bob keeps shouting "Ha-yeah-mate!" as loud as he can.

The dank, rancid ocean air strikes the nostrils, so unforgiving, I need it bad. A sudden cool breeze takes some of the fire from my head. I feel my energy being drained away and I lean on sweet Cassandra to keep from falling. People coming up to the quarterdeck whisper, "someone had a good time."

"Goodnight Bertie! Come back and see me." Beth says.

I lift my free hand in the air and give a half-hearted wave on my way to the pier. Not at all how I intended for this night to go. But it's nice to have precious Cassandra so close. To think, a week ago I didn't even know she existed. Though, coming across a woman getting raped in an alley isn't exactly how one of those happily-ever-after stories usually starts. What the fuck am I thinking anyway?

"Stop here, love. I'm fucking dying." I say.

I sit on the ground near a rusted old mooring cleat and my head slumps into my arms. Cassandra sits down beside me, a nice gesture considering she probably can't afford to replace that fine dress she's wearing. There's a tear rolling down her cheek, and when her face presses to mine, a bit of it wets my skin. Gods I feel like shit now.

"I'm sorry baby; I didn't mean to act like such a shit-fuck in there." I say.

She giggles a little and holds me tighter; her body feels so good against mine. I take a deep breath and listen to the tide crashing against the wall below us. The stars can be seen so clearly tonight, if only I could pull one from the sky, to give to her as a gift, perhaps it would make up for my lewd behavior. I look at her priceless face again; she's got her head resting against my shoulder. That gorgeous red hair, got it done up awfully nice and I can't help but run my fingers through it.

"I feel so safe when I'm holding you. Didn't think I'd ever get the chance again." she whispers.

"Yeah, sorry the last time had to be under such circumstances." I say.

She cries hard, buries her head in my shoulder, and squeezes me so tightly.

"Shouldn't have said that." I say.

"You know, other people saw them, but you were the only one that helped me." she cries.

I start to say something about how those fuckers deserved worse, but instead I just hold her close. Such a fucking hypocrite. If she'd seen what I'd been up to for the last couple of days or for that matter the last fifteen years, she'd probably hate me. Don't live in the past. Fuck it let her believe whatever she likes.

"Well, thanks for helping me too. I appreciate having someone to lean on."

She kisses my cheek and I catch a sparkle in her eye. Looks so young and I wonder, but maybe it's best not to ask.

"Can I walk you home?" I say.

"That would be great." she says with a smile.

She takes my hand and I feel my heart pounding faster for a minute, then it goes back to normal. We take it slow down the main road, trying to avoid any so-called shortcuts that often lead to groups of thugs, waiting for an easy target. But they try anyway. They pose as beggars, but when the right people come along they strike. One of them calls to Cassandra from a nearby alley. I pick up a rock and chunk it at his head. Feels good to connect with something. A couple of his pals poke their head around the corner. When they see me I shout for them to start fucking running and they take off in the other direction. The man that got hit stumbles away and collapses out of sight.

"Bertie?! I can't believe you did that." she says.

"Got to give 'em a reason not to bother decent people."

"Don't know what drives people to do things like that." she says.

"Same thing that drives them to piss in the street, I guess."

She laughs, but she's giving me the look. Searching for something, got to be smooth, or she might find it.

"I'm sorry, you know- when you came by the shop the other day. I hope it didn't seem like I was trying to get rid of you or anything. Just had a lot to deal with is all." I say, like a girl chained up in a box.

"I really wanted to see you again. Lloyd wanted those steaks and I sort of volunteered. Went to three or four butcher shops before I found you. I- I just wanted you to know- I- I'm so grateful to you."

Cassandra, my dear, such a sweet voice, so sad; calling to something inside of me that I'm better off ignoring, but it feels so good. She stops suddenly, clings to me tightly, and buries her head in my chest. Crying again, much harder this time, I put my arms around her to console her. Pat her on the back, stroke her hair; try to fight back my erection. Her ample breasts press against me through that very tasteful-yet-provocative dress of hers. Looks up at me, through those sweet tearful green eyes, but smiles anyway. My arms wrap around her slender waist and my hands rest just above that nice round bottom of hers. Do I dare move them just an inch lower?

She rises up to kiss me and I lower my head to meet her. When our lips connect, my hands slip down slightly, but I neither hear nor feel a complaint. Definitely worth the risk. Better not get carried away though. Kissing me over and over. Our lips lock and I touch her tongue with mine and squeeze her waist firmly. Her hand goes under my shirt and feels around on my lower back, touches a large nasty old scar of mine. She takes a deep breath and gives a mild whimper when our lips separate. There's a longing in her eyes, but I'm sure mine is stronger.

"That was so nice." she says.

"You're so nice." I say.

I press my kisses onto her lips with more feeling and find my way to her neck and she moans more and more the lower I get. Don't press your luck, go back to those lips, stay there a while, get a good taste, let her make a move or you'll ruin everything. Her hand moves to my stomach, such a soft hand, those little fingernails move gently down my front. Then she starts- crying again, crouching down on the ground, her head in her arms. I put my arms around her. She rests her head on my shoulder, but the tears keep coming. Then she looks at me, those pretty green eyes, begging for something.

"Oh Bertie! I think there's something wrong with me."

"What do you mean? Are you sick?"

"No- yes- maybe I am. Remember that night, those awful men-"

She bursts into tears again. I stroke her hair and hold her close.

"You think one of them had something?" I say.

She looks at me with horror. "No! I don't think- not sick like that. Bertie, do you think I could have put up more of a fight? Do you think I- enjoyed it?"

"What?! Look baby, I've met some dirty whores in my life, that were into some pretty sick shit and I don't think any of them would have enjoyed that."

I wince and my hand goes to my forehead.

"Oh no-" she says.

"Didn't mean it like that! Look, everyone wonders if they could have done things differently. I was there, you couldn't have fought off all those fellows, they may have killed you but you did the best you could. And all those fucks got what they deserved in the end."

She gives me the look again, still searching. Stares at me for the longest time. "Bertie, do you still want me?"

"Baby, I want you bad." I say.

Cassandra's smile is amazing when she sits in my lap, facing me, we embrace in another kiss. She's on me so strong, and showers me with her lips and I fight to return her kisses as fast as I can. The erection in my pants is rubbing the fabric of her undergarment between her legs and I can't help but enhance our contact a little. There's a damp sensation on my crotch, which is a little disturbing at first, until I realize it isn't me. Relax; savor the moment, after all, could any man want more than to hold this beautiful creature in his arms?

I slip my hand under her dress and into her undergarment and I give her bottom a squeeze. She makes a playful whine and I move my fingers between her cheeks and rub it along her asshole on my way to her cunt; it is wet. I'm starting to breathe heavily when I bury my face in her breasts and she moans. Then I pull away from them, remove my hand and start to laugh.

"You know we're practically in the fucking street." I say with a grin.

She rises to her feet quickly and looks around. No one around except for an old drunk stumbling around occasionally taking a swig from the bottle in his hand. Suddenly, Cassandra gives me a wide-eyed look.

"Gran, she'll be so worried!"

Damn, well I walk with her closely; her grandmother's home isn't that far from my shop, actually. A thought occurs to me that I become quite attached to. We embrace at the door and I steal one last kiss from sweet Cassandra for the night.

"Can I come by tomorrow night? I'd like to take you out."

"Bertie, uh, I don't think I can." she says.

"Why not?!" I say, maybe a little too loud.

A sudden look of shock on her face. "I have to work the bar all evening."

"Alright, well when's your day off?"

"Bertie, nights like tonight don't happen very often for me. I don't really have a day off."