Chapter 41: Saturday, Sept. 22

I woke up about 7 with Marie sprawled half on me. It took a bit to realize my thigh was damp where her crotch rubbed against me. I was pretty sure she hadn’t pissed the bed based on the lack of smell and I knew she wasn’t leaking my come.

Then it hit me what else she might be leaking down there.

I wiped a finger across the spot. It came away with a red, sticky smear.

Telling myself it was just a part of life for a woman of child-bearing age, fighting down bile as I did so, I disentangled myself from the little waif, causing her to rouse as I did so.

“G’mornin,’ Daddy,” she mumbled. “Did you get enough sleep?”

“I’m wide awake,” I said. “We have a little problem.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting up with an anxious expression.

“We forgot to get you ready for bed last night,” I said, receiving a questioning look. “You leaked.”

“Oh, God,” Marie gasped, rolling out of bed.

“Oh, God!” she repeated a little more shrilly. “These sheets are ruined! If it soaked through to the mattress...”

“I don’t think it’s that bad,” I said. “There’s just a few smears. No puddle or anything.”

“Move,” she ordered, forcing me to get out of bed as she began stripping the sheets. “I need to get these on to soak. Maybe I can get most of it out. I am so sorry. I should have put a tampon in before we went to bed.”

“Well, we were a little preoccupied,” I grinned.

“You’re no help,” Marie huffed, giving me one of those looks. “Go shower. We both need one.”

The good news was there was a mattress pad. While it had a few small spots, there wasn’t enough to have soaked through to the mattress.

I followed my orders, heading for the bathroom as Marie took the bundled bedding down to the laundry. All she wore was the little black choker and its pendant.

By the time I’d wiped off most of the blood on my thigh, hit the toilet and got the shower started, the little waif had returned without the choker, still visibly upset.

“I can’t believe I did that,” she moped as I helped her into the shower. “You’d think I was some 12-year-old just starting.”

“Get over it,” I said a little sternly. “It happened, you’ve taken care of it. We’ll just have to be more careful in the future.”

I grabbed the body wash and a scrubber and began soaping Marie’s body. I paid particular attention to her crotch and thighs, which were smeared with blood.

“It wouldn’t be a problem if I was pregnant,” she grumped as I turned her around and began working my way up the back of her legs.

“All in due time,” I said, scrubbing between her buttocks and making her shiver. “It’ll happen when it happens.”

“My gynecologist said I probably did get pregnant back in July, but the egg didn’t attach to the uterine wall,” she said, giving me information I hadn’t had. “I had a really heavy flow that month.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, wrapping her in a hug and kissing her on the neck. “I know you wanted it to happen.”

“She said it’s not that unusual,” Marie said, sagging back against me. “She said the percentage of fertilized eggs that actually implant is only about 25 percent and it’s even lower for the ones that result in a live birth. It’s not like I had as miscarriage in the third month, but it still took some time to deal with it. My therapist has been a big help there.”

If the odds were that low for someone like Marie, who presumably had no physical issues preventing pregnancy, they must have been practically zero for Arlene.

Marie handed me her shampoo and I gave yet another lover a scalp massage as I worked the suds through her hair.

“Mrs. Jenson said you were good at this,” she sighed contentedly. “And Mrs. Metzger. And the other girls.”

“I don’t think I’ve done this for Staci,” I said as I worked.

“You will,” Marie moaned. “And a lot of other things you haven’t yet.”

“Such as?” I asked.

“Anal,” Marie said. “She’s asked about it, but she wants to wait until after football season just in case it affects her cheerleading routines.”

“Now where would she get an idea like that?” I mused as I rinsed the suds out. “I’ve never tried anything like that with her.”

“Apparently the head cheerleader mentioned it’s a great way to keep control over a guy,” the little waif said. “But I don’t think Staci’s looking to control you. She just wants to give you what the other girls are.”

I’d had about enough of Kelli Thornton’s “advice” to my girlfriends, even if it did help me when it came to getting laid. I figured things would go better if my girls did things that brought them satisfaction instead of trying to use sex as some kind of bargaining chip.

“The head cheerleader is the one who’s pretty much invited herself to the apartment tonight,” I said as I rinsed Marie clean. “I’d like to have some of your toys ready just in case I have to teach her a lesson.”

“I have some things in my room I could set up before you get there,” my submissive bitch offered helpfully.

“That ought to work,” I said. “I don’t know what I’ll do if she expects to drive herself there. I won’t be able to give her a ride if I have to take Sherry home and I really don’t want Kelli knowing where the apartment is.”

“I’ll work on that,” Marie said. “I’ll be home while you’re at the dance, so I’ll be able to get things ready for you. What are you going to do if both Kelli and Sherry expect to come over?”

“Run and hide,” I grinned. “Though I suppose I should take my date home first.”

Once I had Marie squeaky clean and sent her on her way, I rushed to soap, scrub and rinse myself. We weren’t going to have much time if we wanted to grab breakfast on the way to the agency.

Marie was almost dressed when I exited the bathroom. She was wearing the tennis shorts and pink Prairie Star polo she’d picked up the first time I’d taken her to the club. With a pair of sneakers, she could have passed for one of the cheerleaders who helped as cabana attendants during the summer.

“Would you help me with this?” she asked, handing me the choker.

“You somehow managed without me yesterday,” I teased as I pulled the ribbon snug.

“But you’re here now,” the little waif replied. “It just feels better when my Daddy puts it on me. It reminds me I’m your little bitch.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to feel unappreciated,” I said with a bit of a grin, making sure the fastening was secure. “You do a lot to take care of me. I should take care of you, too.”

“You do, Daddy,” she said, turning to give me a little peck. “Now get dressed. We have to hurry. You go straight to the agency. I’ll bring you some breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said and began following my orders.

It didn’t take long to get dressed, just shorts, a shirt and sneakers. I was down the stairs, stowing my bag in the trunk of the Beemer, and on my way in just a few minutes.

There seemed to be a little tension in the air when I walked into the studio, but It didn’t concern me so I ignored it. I’d just finished with hair and makeup and was making my way to wardrobe when a little bundle of energy slammed into me and wrapped me in a fierce hug.

“Gary!” Jenny Smith squealed. “I was hoping you’d be here!”

“Hey, sweetcakes,” I said, returning the hug. “Good to see you again. How’s school going?”

What followed was a longwinded recitation of events from the little girl’s first few weeks of the new school year as her mother smiled indulgently from nearby. From the sound of things, fourth grade was a lot different than it had been for me. Had it really been eight years ago?

“And then we went to a petting zoo and I got to hold a bunny,” Jenny said enthusiastically.

“Sounds like fun,” I said. “All I get to hold is a football so someone else can kick it.”

At Jenny’s puzzled look, I explained myself.

“I’m playing football,” I said. “I’m the guy who holds the ball for extra points after we score a touchdown.”

“Have you scored a touchdown?” Jenny asked all wide-eyed in wonder.

“One, but I wasn’t supposed to,” I said. “My coach actually griped at me for not following his instructions.”

“How’d you manage that?” Mrs. Smith asked.

“I ran a fake when we were supposed to be kicking a field goal,” I said “I kind of didn’t tell anyone that I was going to do it.”

“Will you score a touchdown for me?” Jenny begged.

“I’ll do my best, sweetie, but I’m not one of the guys they give the ball to in those situations,” I said. “We’ll just have to see.”

Yeah, I had been the targeted receiver in a couple of goal-line plays, but hadn’t been able to make the catch either time thanks to contact initiated by defenders. At least Chuck had gotten his fat-boy touchdown on one of those plays.

We were interrupted by Marie, who held a bag with what I took to be my breakfast.

“Here,” my handler said, handing me the sack. “You’ve still got a little time to eat before you have to get dressed. We wouldn’t want you getting crumbs on the clothes you’re modeling.”

“Thank you, Miss Benson,” I said as I took the bag.

A peek inside showed two big kolaches and a cinnamon roll that looked like it could be used as a catcher’s mitt.

“Care to join me?” I asked Jenny. “It may be awhile until our lunch break, if we get one.”

Despite Mrs. Smith’s protestations that her daughter had already had breakfast, Jenny eagerly accepted my offer. It wasn’t lost on me that she ate most of the cinnamon roll, permitting me a couple of bites that didn’t have sufficient glazed sugar. I was, however, allowed to eat all but one bite of the kolaches after Jenny determined they were too spicy for her.

We were almost finished when Marie came up with a bottled drink.

“This is the smallest I could find, but you missed yesterday,” she said. “Mrs. Jenson would be upset if you didn’t keep up with your men’s health routine.”

I took the bottle. It was 16 ounces of pineapple juice.

“Thank you, Miss Benson,” I said.

I guzzled the sweet juice down as Jenny looked on curiously.

“Is that medicine?” she asked innocently.

“No, just a dietary supplement,” I said. “But it’s supposed to be good for me.”

“What does it do?” the little girl asked.

“I really don’t know,” I fibbed. “We’d better get ready to go to work.”

Any thoughts of avoiding Jenny and her questions were dashed when Armand came up to us.

“We really should have done this Thursday, but Jenny wasn’t available until today,” he said. “Those Christmas placards are getting rave reviews. The store wants some for Easter with the two of you.”

“I’m ready if you are,” I said, standing to brush the crumbs off my shirt.

What followed was an hour or so of creating more scenes with Jenny planting a kiss on my cheek while I sported a suitably goofy grin. This time, we were in a vast array of pastel-colored outfits.

Of course, there were props like Easter baskets full of eggs and candy, a goodly portion of which Jenny consumed when she thought her mother wasn’t looking. One shot had Jenny leaving a chocolate lip print on my cheek. My favorite one was when they made us both don fuzzy white rabbit ears. I think I know what my Easter cards are going to be this year.

Once Armand was satisfied, I was shunted off to get ready for the next setup while Mrs. Smith was left to deal with Jenny’s sugar rush. Maybe I shouldn’t have let her have so much of the cinnamon roll.

My next assignment was a series of graduation shots. In addition to the black cap and gown, I was given a variety of dress shirts and ties to wear underneath. I’d have to make sure Mom didn’t see any of these shots. It was my fervent hope to get through my own graduation without having to wear a tie.

There really wasn’t a lunch break, at least for me, but I was able to graze at the snack table during the early afternoon. It was during one of my trips to the table that the source of the tension in the air was revealed to me.

“I can’t believe Armand threatened to throw us off the shoot,” I heard from behind me, the voice sounding vaguely familiar. “It’s not like he’s never had a little fun while working.”

“What got me was he said it’s going to be part of the standard contract going forward,” Zander said. “Like we’re going to corrupt a minor or something.”

Which was exactly what he’d been hoping to do with me, even if he hadn’t known my age. I could only imagine the uproar if one of the kids like Jenny Smith caught a glimpse of two other models so engaged.

I grabbed a handful of snacks and exited the area before Zander and his buddy tried to ask me out again. At least they weren’t claiming it was my fault they got busted.

Shortly after, Armand called me and several 20-something models of both genders together. Our afternoon was to be spent shooting a television spot for formalwear that would hit the air in the spring just before prom season.

The work wasn’t that difficult — we didn’t even have any lines to recite — but Zander somehow managed to screw up repeated takes, almost spitefully, as if he was getting back at Armand for being reprimanded.

We’d spent nearly two hours on something that should have taken less than one. It was getting close to 4 p.m., time for me to get ready to go pick up Sherry for our date, when he crossed the line with me.

“I just don’t understand what my motivation’s supposed to be,” he whined after another flub.

“It ought to be your damn paycheck,” I growled, causing several of the others to snicker. “It’s not like we’re performing Shakespeare.”

“What do you know?” he snapped.

“I know that if you don’t pull your head out of your ass and get this right, you’re going to have my foot right up there next to your face,” I said with a little heat. “I’ve got somewhere to be pretty soon and I’m not going to be late just because you’re a chronic fuckup!”

Armand quickly inserted himself into the situation before Zander gave me a reason to make good on my threat.

“Calm down,” he ordered. “I am not about to have that kind of behavior on my set. Zander, you’ve already been warned. Gary, consider this your warning.”

“Yes, sir,” I said as I continued to glare at Zander, who looked like he was afraid I really would put my foot up his ass.

“Now let’s do it again,” Armand commanded. “Places, everyone!”

Somewhat miraculously, we got it done to Armand’s satisfaction in just a couple more takes. Marie was waiting off to the side with my clothes for the evening — khakis and a blue Oxford cloth, freshly pressed and starched — when we were dismissed.

“He needs to quit it with the butch act,” Zander sniffed as I walked past.

“It’s not an act,” Marie told him coldly. “He really would put a foot up your ass if you kept misbehaving. He spanked me in public when I misbehaved.”

Zander just stared disbelievingly as she handed me my clothes and gave me a kiss.

“Here you go, Daddy,” she chirped. “Hurry and get showered. The stylist has agreed to do your hair before you leave.”

“Thank you, baby,” I said, trying to suppress a grin.

Marie had to get in one last shot before I was too far away to hear.

“His cock felt so good in my ass last night,” she sneered at Zander. “It’s so big, it felt like he was using his foot. I’m still sore.”

I hurried through my shower and dressed. As I was making my way to the hair stylist, Armand pulled me aside.

“I want to talk to you about your little incident with Zander,” he said. “You understand that we can’t tolerate belligerent behavior in the studio. If it happens again, I’ll have to terminate your contract.”

“Understood,” I said. “Sometimes you’ve got to accept the consequences of your actions to send a message. I was fed up with his prima donna act. I got the feeling he was messing up intentionally after you got on to him and his friend about yesterday.”

“Marie said you witnessed their little assignation,” he said. “That would be grounds for termination — lewd and lascivious conduct in front of a minor.”

“I didn’t see anything except feet,” I said. “I heard what could be interpreted as a sexual encounter, but that’s all. I got out of their as fast as I could.”

“Just so you know, the only reason Zander was on this shoot was because the client requested him,” Armand said. “I’m trying to clean up the agency’s reputation after Julia’s antics and he’s been told he’s on thin ice. I’d hate to have to get rid of too many of you guys if I can avoid it. This market is rather light on good male models.”

“Well, I’m pretty much doing this because of Arlene Jenson,” I said. “She really went out of her way to hook me up with Julia. And my mother thought it’d be a way for me to pay for college, but that’s not as big a factor now.”

“How so?”

“George Patterson hooked me up with a couple of investments,” I said. “I’ll be set for a long time if they perform to his expectations. Modeling’s just something to do, just like playing football. I don’t expect either to be a long-term pursuit.”

“Well, behave yourself when you’re here,” Armand said. “And I’m stealing your line about the paycheck being sufficient motivation. That was priceless!”

“Yes, sir,” I said, finally heading for my hair appointment.

Marie was waiting for me when I was finished. She still looked like she wanted to tear a strip off Zander, who apparently made a hasty exit after her attack.

“Are you still under contract?” she asked, taking the time to make sure my sleeves were properly rolled up my forearms.

“Yes, but I’ve officially been warned,” I said. “I think Armand had to show he wasn’t playing favorites. How are you doing?”

“Better, but that bitch better learn to keep his mouth shut about my Daddy,” she said. “He ruined my plans for the afternoon by taking so long on the TV ad.”

“And what did you have planned?” I asked with a grin.

“To use one of the condoms we have left,” she blushed. “We should have had more than an hour before you had to leave, but he kept wasting time. I was so glad you called him on it. Armand should have long before it got to that point.”

“Well, we might be able to do something tonight after the dance,” I said, giving her ass a quick grope. “You are heading back to the apartment, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Daddy, but take these condoms with you,” she said, slipping a hand into a hip pocket and getting in a grope of her own. “I’ve got a feeling you’re going to need them. Now go pick up your date.”

I texted Sherry that I was on my way as soon as I had everything loaded. With luck, I should be able to get to her house before 6 p.m.

Threatening skies caused me to leave the top up. There had been scattered thunderstorms the last couple of nights and it looked like things were building up for another round this evening. The humidity was almost oppressive, but the AC helped keep me from sweating through my shirt before I even picked up my date.

The drive out from the city wasn’t too bad. It was metro traffic on a Saturday, meaning as much incoming as outgoing. Apparently, there was a big concert at the downtown arena that housed the NBA and NHL franchises. I had no idea what would have people heading out to the ‘burbs.

I pulled up to the Parkers’ house about 10 ‘til, having caught all the lights after I left the freeway. Sherry, of course, wasn’t quite ready — not that I would have expected her to be, even if I hadn’t been a few minutes early. The situation gave Mr. Parker an opportunity to grill me about my intentions toward his daughter.

“Thanks for driving Sherry to school this week,” he said after leading me to his study. “Her frame of mind’s been the best it’s been since all this started.”

“Thank you for allowing me the privilege, sir,” I said. “It was a good way for me to spend a little time with her before we go out. Our school schedules make seeing each other during the day difficult.”

“But you’ve somehow managed,” he said sardonically. “I’ve heard Sherry’s been rather affectionate with you when she thinks no one’s looking. I don’t want you trying to take advantage of the situation.”

“Understood, sir,” I said calmly. “I’ve already told several people, including Sherry, I’m not going to do anything to upset you and Mrs. Parker. I’ve already got a girlfriend and I sure don’t want to get on her bad side, either.”

“George Patterson said you were a smooth talker,” Mr. Parker said. “But if he approves of you seeing Staci, you must have checked out with him. And speaking of you and George, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the contributions to Sherry’s medical fund.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” I said. “I wish it hadn’t been necessary, but it was too good an idea to pass up. I wasn’t going to accept that money from the school district in any case. I don’t want people thinking I profited off that situation. I wasn’t even aware a settlement was in the works until it was offered.”

“You really do sound too good to be true,” he chuckled. “So, what are your plans for the evening?”

“Dinner at Familia Benavidez, then the dance,” I said. “You and Mrs. Parker are welcome to join us for dinner. I know you’ll be at the dance. I need to make sure when you expect me to have Sherry home. The dance ends at 11 and I’ve got a midnight curfew myself.”

“Somewhere in that range will be fine,” he said. “I think we’ll let the two of you eat in peace, then we’ll see how things go. Sherry still tires easily. We’ll be able to bring her home if she feels the need to leave the dance early.”

“Whatever y’all decide will be fine with me,” I said. “I just want Sherry to have an enjoyable evening.”

“As long as it’s not too enjoyable,” my date’s father said.

I took a deep breath and voiced my biggest concern.

“The one thing that scares me about this is what to do if Sherry has some kind of health episode or medical emergency,” I said. “I keep thinking what I could possibly say to you and Mrs. Parker if something happened while we were doing something we shouldn’t. God forbid it happen because we were doing something like that.”

Mr. Parker just looked at me with a thoughtful expression.

“At least you understand the gravity of the situation,” he finally said. “I think I can live with that. And if something does happen, call me.”

“I should make sure I have your number then,” I said, pulling out my phone.

It was while we were exchanging contact info that Sherry made her entrance, clad in a bright blue wraparound dress that had a neckline that plunged just enough to still be acceptable for a high school dance. All I could think was it allowed easy access should we have sufficient privacy. Her low pumps and knit cap matched almost exactly.

“Has Daddy been giving you the third degree?” she asked. “You don’t look like you’ve suffered too much.”

“I think we’re on the same page,” I said. “Ready to go?”

Sherry took my arm, we bade her parents farewell and headed for the door. I let her set the pace down the walk and handed her to her seat once I opened the passenger door. The neckline of her dress offered an enticing view as she ducked under the roofline.

We pulled into a mostly full parking lot at Familia Benavidez about 6:15. It looked like the place was gearing up for an extremely busy Saturday. I got Sherry’s door and escorted her inside to find the dining room more than half full, but there was only one party of six in the waiting area. Prima Antonia scowled at me as I asked for a table for two. I don’t know if she was keeping count, but she obviously disapproved of me escorting yet another pretty girl to the establishment.

It took just a few minutes for tables to be prepared. Antonia escorted the larger party to its seats before returning to take us to a little two-top against the wall. I don’t know what the hostess thought as I held Sherry’s chair, but my date smiled appreciatively as she took her seat.

Antonia explained the evening’s specials as she handed us our menus and told us our server would be with us shortly. Sherry and I were discussing which items were best when Melinda Hernandez hustled over.

“¡Mijo!” our waitress squealed. “It’s good to see you again. What did you do to your hair?”

I explained about the photo shoot I’d been part of and that the modeling agency’s stylists had done their best with what there was to work with. My hair was still too short to hold a part without the loads of goop they’d applied.

Melinda greeted Sherry — they’d worked a few shifts together when the cheerleaders had helped at the club this summer — and offered some advice.

“The enchiladas or tamales will be the fastest if you want to make the start of the dance,” Melinda said. “That kind of stuff is already cooked and just needs to be put on a plate with beans and rice.”

Sherry elected to go with the sour cream and green chili chicken enchiladas, while I opted for beef enchiladas with salsa rojo. My date was agreeable to some guacamole to go with our chips and Melinda scurried back to the kitchen to place our orders and get our drinks.

I had to fill Sherry in on the photo shoot, leaving out the bits with Zander Caufield, but made sure to mention Jenny Smith.

“Here’s a shot we did back in July for a Christmas display,” I said, calling up the shot of Jenny with the mistletoe on my phone. “We did something similar for Easter.”

“She’s a cutie,” Sherry said as she looked at the photo. “When are you taking her out?”

“Not before she’s 21,” I said, thinking of half your age plus seven. “She’s in fourth grade now. She’ll have her pick of guys long before she’s old enough for me to be on her radar.”

“Don’t bet on it,” my date grinned. “She’ll probably be calling you for her first Sadie Hawkins Dance.”

“I somehow doubt her mother would let her take a college boy to a junior high dance,” I snorted.

Melinda delivered our chips, guac and drinks, telling us our entrées would be out in a minute.

Sherry went to town on the guac, taking about a fourth of the serving on her first chip. Well, it was her date and I wanted her to have a good time. I made do with the salsa.

Melinda swung by to refill our drinks, informing us she’d have our plates on the next trip, and scurried off.

“How many girls are you going to dance with tonight?” Sherry asked as we waited for our meals.

“I’m just planning to dance with one,” I said. “Anything more is up to you.”

“Well,” she said, beginning to tick off on her fingers, “there’s all of our cheerleaders and the girls from Cedar Springs, the drill team, the volleyball girls and a good chunk of the freshman class. Figure four minutes per song over four hours, that’d be... 60 songs unless the DJ takes a break.”

“I’m not sure I could make it through that many,” I said.

“But Kelli’s already...” Sherry started.

“Kelli’s not my date for the evening,” I stated flatly. “You are. I intend to focus my attention on you. Any other girls will just have to wait.”

Sherry blushed prettily at that. I was saved from any further discussion on the topic when Melinda arrived with our food.

“This is good,” Sherry said after taking a bite.

“I have yet to try anything here that wasn’t,” I said. “And I’ve had something different every time I’ve eaten here.”

We quickly consumed our meals with little more conversation. Sherry excused herself to visit the ladies room while I settled the check with Melinda, making sure to include a good tip.

“I told Antonia what’s going on,” the waitress said. “She thinks you’re just doing this to make yourself look good.”

“I can’t help what Antonia thinks,” I said, handing over the cash. “She doesn’t seem to approve of me because I’ve brought something like six different dates here in less than three months. It’s not my fault that I know a lot of girls who appreciate good food.”

“I’ll be sure to tell her that,” Melinda grinned. “It’s really all our fault and you’re just being taken advantage of by all those girls.”

Sherry returned shortly and we made our way out of the rapidly filling restaurant. The waiting area was overflowing and it looked like the line would soon extend out the door.

I helped my date to the passenger seat and we were quickly on our way. I pulled into my spot in the senior lot a few minutes before 7 and escorted her to the old gym, which was echoing with dance music.

Sherry had to chat with several cheerleaders working the event while I paid our admission, but we were inside before we missed too many songs. The dance area was basically the south end of the court with tables and chairs set up on the rest of the floor. Attendees were also allowed to sit in a couple of sections of bleachers that had been pulled out on either side. Those areas were mostly populated by the younger students, freshmen and sophomores, and were heavily patrolled by chaperones lest someone become a little too amorous in the top rows.

I scanned the setup, finally seeing several of my teammates and their dates at a couple of tables near the dance floor. Jed was with Keri and Erin Bennett, Hunter Reynolds was with Callie Dawson and Chuck was with a cute sophomore JV cheerleader who looked a tad overwhelmed at being in such company.