The Sterling

The cab pulled up to an old hotel in the center of town, dropping Doris off under a carport. The shiny brass and glass doors opened automatically, allowing easy access to the newly restored first floor lobby. Signs pointed out the locations of the restaurant, the beauty salon, and the prominent front desk. There was a sign by the elevator that claimed there was an Olympic pool and a new fitness center in the basement. Another sign pointed upstairs to several large banquet rooms and a mezzanine bar. The buttons inside the elevator indicated that the hotel had only six floors of guestrooms. The hotel’s upper floors had been recently renovated; the odor of fresh paint permeated the hallways.

Doris slid her plastic key into the new high-tech security lock on the door to Room 419. She slowly opened the door into her darkened room and felt the wall for the light switch. The small room was clean and the Oriental rug covering the hardwood floor was new, but according to the hotel’s remodeling info flyer, the room still contained the original art deco furniture, which were now valuable antiques. The flyer went on to inform her that the electrical wiring had been upgraded, the phone lines were modernized and a computer system had been installed. Doris lay her suitcase and computer bag down on the bed and looked out the window at the buildings across the street, and then she closed the drapes and set up her computer at the small desk nearby.

Doris had traveled halfway across the country to meet with a man that she had fallen in love with over the Internet. He had promised to meet her when she arrived in town, but hadn’t shown up at the airport. She knew that he lived downtown somewhere and had checked in at the only available hotel to spend the night. She hooked up her notebook computer to the phone and dialed the local number for her ISP. She found Louis flirting with another woman in the chatroom and angrily demanded to know why he had not met her at the airport.

“Was that today?” he typed in.

“Yes, it was today!” she typed back.

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Where are you staying?”

“At the Hotel Sterling, downtown.”

“I know where that is. I’ll meet you for lunch tomorrow.”

Doris spent a few moments chatting with Louis about her flight and cab trip while checking her email. There were only a few pieces of spam, which she deleted before shutting off her computer for the night. Doris opened her suitcase and unpacked her toothbrush and nightgown before wandering into the bathroom to get ready for bed. She stopped at the door to set the lock on security and peered out the peephole into the empty hall before entering the bathroom.

Doris stared at herself in the mirror. Looking back at her was the face of too many lonely years and too few men. She was not a young woman, but she had managed to keep from looking old. She scrubbed off the day’s makeup and brushed her teeth. She brushed her strawberry blond hair and tied it back with an elastic band before she left the bathroom to dress for bed. Doris unzipped her dress and let it drop to the floor. Wearing only her slip, she examined the rest of herself in the mirror. Her stomach was bulging a little from age, but it was still basically flat. Doris pulled her slip off over her head and freed her pert breasts from her designer bra; her nipples stiffened from the sudden exposure to the coolness of the air-conditioned room. She slipped off her matching panties and lay down on the rug to perform her nightly stomach crunches.

Once or twice she stopped to look around the room. She could swear that she felt hands on her breasts and stomach, but it must have just been her imagination. She had wanted to meet Louis for a long time and, tomorrow, she was going to have lunch with him. “It must just be nerves,” she thought as she resumed her exercise. She finished her fortieth crunch and then stood up to get dressed. She felt a hand swat her behind and turned around to face an empty room. Blinking through the window was a large neon sign from the bar across the street and she realized that the drapes were open. She quickly sat down on the floor and pulled on her nightshirt. She hurried over to the window and snapped shut the drapes while wondering if she had been seen from outside. “That must have been it,” she thought, “It was my mind telling me that I had forgotten to close the drapes.” Doris turned out the lights, crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her chest.

Doris thought back to her first encounter with Louis. She was feeling very much alone that day when she ventured into the SexyTalk chat room. There were only a few people there, mostly women chatting about their lovers and a young couple having cybersex.

“Is there something wrong, MsEnnui?” the very straightforward Louis asked.

“Why would you think that?” Doris responded,

“People usually come here to chat,” he pointedly stated.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Everyone has something to say, and I am a good listener and a warm shoulder to lean on.”

Doris typed in, “Are you a shrink?”

“No, I’m a lover,” was his brief reply.

Doris laughed, “LOL, I could use one of those.”

“Loneliness can be a cold partner at night, perhaps we can see if we can replace your partner.”

Doris stared blankly at the screen, “Is it that obvious?”

“We might have thousands of miles between us but I can see it as clearly as being in the same room. There is no reason to be lonely. Perhaps I can listen to your troubles and offer an opinion. Sometimes a warm heart and a good ear are all we need.”

Doris snapped, “No reason to be lonely? All my friends are married and I can’t get a date!”

“You feel left out because all your friends are married?”

“I feel left behind.” Doris poured her heart out all night to this perfect stranger, but she fell asleep that night feeling better about herself.

Doris drifted off to sleep, reliving that same warmth. She began to dream about her lunch date with Louis. She was sitting at the bar sipping a Black Russian and staring into the mirror. She tensed as a rumpled, middle-aged man sat down beside her and ordered a Martini.

He smiled at her and said, “you look beautiful.”

“I’m waiting for someone,” Doris stated coldly.

Leaning into her ear, he whispered, “You are waiting for me, Doris.”

“You’re Louis?” She turned to face him; “you don’t look at all like you described yourself.”

“Would you have come if I had told the truth?”

“Yes, but you didn’t.” Doris huffed, “At least, I didn’t lie to you about how I looked.”

“But you did lie.” Louis reached for her chin and turned her face toward his, “ you didn’t tell me that you were so beautiful.”

Doris blushed and took another look at the man sitting next to her. He seemed less rumpled and much younger, a handsome man dressed in a loose-fitting suit, and his eyes twinkled at her as he spoke, “I can’t imagine you having trouble getting a date. You have the most beautiful smile that I have ever seen; your skin, your lips, and your eyes are perfection. Dare I kiss you?”

Doris smiled and nodded “yes” and closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers. Louis escorted her downstairs to the restaurant for lunch and they spent the hour talking before he returned to his job.

When Doris awoke in the morning she wondered about the vividness of the dream. As she hurriedly showered and dressed for breakfast, she thought back on how detailed it seemed, as though they had actually eaten lunch. All during breakfast, she stared up at the mezzanine bar. She was stunned at how accurate her dream had been about the multitude of mirrors and the myriad of glass that allowed a clear view of the service bar.

When she returned to her room, she went online to make sure that Louis would be there for lunch. Louis had sent an email apologizing for missing their lunch date, “unavoidably detained with business”, but promised her that she would be treated to dinner. The table had been reserved for dinner at eight o’clock in the name of Louis Scott, “Meet me there.” Louis insisted that Doris should wear her sexiest dress and highest heels as he had plans to show her off to his dearest friend after dinner. Doris had only brought casual clothes with her and the extra time she had been given would allow her to shop for something “to die for”. Doris searched online for places to shop near the hotel and hurriedly wrote the addresses on hotel stationery.

Doris walked three blocks downtown for lunch at a local sandwich shop and then shopped her way back to the hotel. She carefully sorted through the racks in the boutique until she found several low cut dresses with possibilities. She tried on the slinky black number first, but it was too tight around her waist. The red sequined dress didn’t show enough cleavage and the green velvet dress fell to mid-calf, but the royal blue silk dress showed off her legs as well as it emphasized her cleavage.

At the shoe store she found a pair of black patent stiletto pumps and a pair of high-heeled black sandals in her size that were on sale, so she took both of them. She also bought a small patent leather evening purse before leaving the shoe store. On the way back to her room, Doris stopped and splurged on a makeover at the hotel’s small beauty salon. Not wanting to ruin her hair and makeup, Doris skipped her usual shower and took a bath. She carefully slipped into her new dress and zipped it up, and then she looked herself over in the mirror. She pulled on the stiletto heels and grabbed her new evening bag before leaving the room.

Doris rode the elevator down with a smile on her face, winking at the surveillance camera as she pulled up her skirt and flashed them before exiting to the lobby. Doris was elated when she approached the hostess and introduced herself as Mr. Louis Scott’s guest. She was escorted to a table in the center of the dining room, where she was in full view of patrons in the mezzanine bar. She sat down and smiled at the gentlemen who were staring at her. To her surprise, dinner had already been ordered for her and the waiter relayed a message from Louis that she was to eat the food when it came.

She took her time eating, savoring each bite while patiently waiting for Louis. Doris continued to draw stares from male diners throughout the meal. As she was served desert, the waiter presented her with a note instructing her to return to her room. She lingered over desert, turning each spoonful of mousse into an erotic encounter between the spoon and her supple tongue. Doris sauntered up the stairs to the bar, mindful of the stares of the men below. She allowed the men who had been ogling her during dinner to grope her thigh or squeeze her breast as she wended her way toward the elevator through the crowded bar.

Doris thought she heard laughter coming from her room, but when she opened the door it was empty. She entered the room and dropped her purse on the dresser. There was a piece of paper taped to the mirror. “What’s this?” Doris pulled off the piece of paper and examined it. “Enjoy your after dinner cocktail, compliments of the concierge.” There was a Black Russian waiting for her on the tray on the dresser and the radio next to the bed was playing oldies. “That must have been where the laughter came from”, she mused.

Doris began to dance to the music, swaying her hips to the beat, while she slowly sipped at her drink. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, amused by the way her breasts bounced beneath her dress. She partially unzipped her dress and slipped the bodice off her shoulders, then she leaned forward and shook both breasts at her reflection. Doris giggled and sipped more of her drink and began to tease her nipples while wondering whether her date would show. She cradled her breasts in her hands and gently squeezed them. Grabbing one with both hands, Doris pulled it upward and stretched out her tongue to lick the nipple. Pleased with the results, she treated the other nipple to the same pleasure. Doris finished her drink, staggered to the bed, and collapsed unconscious on the comforter.

A handsome man in his early forties pulled Doris to her feet and hustled her toward the door.

“C’mon, darling, we are going to be late,” he chastised.

“Late for what?” Doris grabbed for her purse as she passed the dresser.

“Leave it,” he ordered, “you won’t need it.”

Doris blinked at the flickering hall lights as they hurried to the elevator. The elevator man nodded to them as they entered and closed the gate behind them. Doris could laughter coming from the mezzanine bar. “Must be a party,” Doris mumbled to herself as they walked through the open doorway. Standing at the bar was a handsome young man in his late thirties who smiled and gestured for them to join him. Doris grabbed her companion’s arm and dutifully followed. As she sauntered over in her black patent stiletto heels and royal blue pleated dress, Doris was mindful of her breasts bouncing with every step. She blushed as Louis twirled her around in front of the stranger then grabbed her around the waist and held her tightly before he introduced her to his “closest personal friend”.

“Well, what do you think of her, Gerald?” he asked gleefully.

“She is stunning, Louis. Every bit the knockout you said she’d be!”

“We’ll have to take her for a spin,” Louis said with a wink.

Gerald winked at Doris, “Are you up for a test drive?”

“We share everything, Doris,’’ Louis whispered as he guided her to her seat at the bar, “and I do mean everything!”

While Louis ordered a martini, Gerald leaned toward her, cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her passionately, while slipping his hand down to her breast and fondling it, leaving her breathless.

Embarrassed by all the public attention, Doris giggled as Gerald kissed her neck. She noticed the growing bulge in Gerald’s pants and his obvious fascination with her ample breasts. Louis slid his hand up her thigh and under her skirt where he gently fingered her clit while whispering in her ear, “I am going to have you very soon.” She pretended not to notice although she was having difficulty sitting still. Doris was unaware of Gerald having unbuttoned her dress until he slid the shoulders down her arms.

Before Doris could protest, Gerald grabbed an ice cube from her drink and began to tease her nipples with it, occasionally passing it over her lips while Louis continued to massage her clit. Doris peered into the bar mirror, wondering if anyone had noticed the two men openly fondling her. She saw that she had the attentions of most of the men in the room, some nodded and smiled when she met their gaze. Louis and Gerald turned her around so that she was facing the room. The room grew silent as Louis spread her legs apart and fingered her clit while Gerald stood behind her hungrily kissing her while fondling her breasts and pinching her nipples. Doris moaned loudly when Louis inserted his fingers deep within her. She bit her lip while Louis slipped his manhood between her legs.

Doris looked up at the mirrored ceiling and watched the gathering crowd, while Louis teased her hole with the tip of his long hard cock. Behind her Gerald watched while Louis drove his organ deep into her sex. Doris could hear the guests’ laughter when she cried out from surprise. Gerald gripped her firmly by her breasts while his friend held her legs at his waist, using them to drive each thrust deeply into her. As his pace quickened, she no longer cared that Louis was having sex with her in full view of the partygoers. She could feel Gerald’s hands massaging her breasts and his breath hot upon her neck as Louis matched the rhythm of the music playing in the background. Doris could feel her hips swaying to the same beat, in perfect rhythm with her lover. She cried out as he parried his final thrust deep within her before succumbing to violent convulsions of pleasure.

When her head cleared, Doris found herself lying on the bar. Louis stood alongside her watching while Gerald covered her mouth with a kiss as he slowly forced his large cock into her dripping sex. His strokes were long and slow as he performed his rhythmic dance inside her. Soon Doris could feel nothing but his organ, which seemed to grow larger with each thrust. She did not notice when he shared her breasts with Louis, nor did she care when Gerald’s passionate thrusts began to quicken. Doris lay open for any guest who desired a taste of her milk and Louis invited then all, aware that she was oblivious to the attention that she was receiving from the other male guests.

“She’s the best one yet,” Gerald crooned as she cried out in pain from a sudden violent thrust that sent her into convulsions. Her loud moans and intense orgasms had made her the desire of every man there, and Louis offered her body to any man willing to climb the bar.

Doris awoke suddenly; her heart was pounding with excitement. She checked the clock, it was three in the morning, and there was no sign of Louis. She forced her shoes off her feet as she hobbled towards the bathroom door. She tossed her clothes haphazardly into her suitcase and dressed for bed, skipping her usual nightly ritual. She crawled into bed and pulled the sheet up over her head as she tried to fall asleep again. Doris closed her eyes and waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

She slept fitfully, frightened by the events in her dream, or more truthfully, longing for them. She spent a great deal of time thinking about the party in the bar. She had actually enjoyed being taken in public. But she also yearned for her handsome Louis to take her in private, just once before she had to leave. She parted the drapes and looked out the window. The bar’s sign was out and the city was dark and quiet. Solemnly she wandered back to her bed and tucked herself in for the night, hoping for some sleep before her morning flight home.