Chapter 8: Protocol Two

P: 42 M: 45 S: 32

--Day Eleven: Monday, 31^st May, 1999--

I couldn’t tell you much about the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday; I was lost in Debbie. Figuratively and literally. We had a ton of sex, talked, laughed, ate and drank together, all while never leaving the apartment. The more time I spent with her, the more I liked her. She was bubbly and fun most of the time, and generally just a happy person, but underneath was a very clever mind, something I quickly picked up on.

Debbie was studying, tackling a business degree while working part-time at Papa Joe’s. Her family – mother, father and brother – lived in another state, though she stayed in regular contact with them all. She dreamed of owning her own business one day, something she could start herself and grow from the ground up. Her eyes gleamed when she talked about it, and I found her enthusiasm infectious. I’d never had much in the way of aspirations, and hearing Debbie was getting me thinking about what I planned to do with my own life.

Keep working for The Company, for now, I told myself at one point. Maybe save up and see where you’re at in a while. Maybe I’ll buy a business, too. If they ever let me leave...

All too soon, it was Monday morning, and I was kissing Debbie goodbye at the front door, for she had to get to classes. “When will I see you again?” I asked when our lips parted.

“Tomorrow, hopefully,” she told me in a smoky voice as her fingers brushed the semi-hardness in my shorts.

“Jesus.” I chuckled, glancing down at where she was touching me. “Haven’t you had enough yet? I’m surprised you can walk at all.” Not that I wanted her to have had enough; I’d want Debbie even if I was seconds from death, but we’d had so much sex in the last twenty-four hours it was a miracle we were both standing.

Her sandy-blonde hair swung as she shook her head. “I can never get enough of little Jake.”

“Little, huh?” I retorted before pulling her in for another deep kiss. My hands found her full bottom and squeezed hard through her skirt. Unsatisfied, I pulled the material up and palmed the smooth cheeks directly.

“Well,” she began with a giggle when the kiss ended. “I am a little sore, I suppose, but it’s a good sore, and every time I think of it, it will remind me of you, so that’s a good thing.” Her mocha eyes were deep as she looked up at me.

“I’ll be thinking of you, too,” I said earnestly, wanting her to know how I felt about her.

“I know,” she replied, kissing me again briefly before pulling away. “I really need to go, babe, but I’ll call, okay?”

I nodded and let her go, watching her bounce down the hall in that way of walking she had, like there were little springs beneath her heels. It made her hair sway behind her like a cute pendulum, and her butt jiggle in a way that tightened my throat. She blew me one last kiss before getting into the lift, and then she was gone.

Sighing, both happily for the time together and sadly because it was over for now, I went back inside and fell more than sat on the plush leather cushions of the sofa. The shit-eating grin that crept across my face was inexorable as I leaned back and stared at the ceiling, my fingers laced on top of my head. I had a girlfriend! And she was amazing! That alone was a huge achievement for me, but when you added it to the paid apartment, the cleaner, the limo service and the weekly stipend of five hundred bucks, it was more than I could believe. I felt my confidence swelling, buoyed by my recent experiences. Only eleven days since Dianne first appeared, and what a ride it had been thus far.

“Lucky bastard,” I murmured at the ceiling. The thought led me to a question: What should I do with my day? My eyes fell on Dianne, sitting there patiently in her cabinet beneath the TV. I would put some time in with her later, but for now I had another idea. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I made two calls. The first was to the bank to check my balance, which was a little over three hundred. The second was to Gloria, whom I asked to come and pick me up; it was time for a little trip to the mall.

“Hello, Gloria,” I said cheerfully as I exited the lobby a few minutes later. My attractive driver was standing by the open passenger door in her usual attire: tight grey pantsuit, chauffer’s cap, aviator glasses and white driving gloves. Also as usual, some robust, olive-skinned cleavage was visible at the top of her jacket, making it appear as if she wore nothing beneath it. The thought had entered my brain many times before now.

“Good morning, Mr. London,” she replied smoothly in her polished English accent as she stepped aside to let me enter the car. “Where would you like to go?”

“Westside Mall, please.” I settled in as she closed the door and rounded the car.

“Some shopping in mind today, sir?” she enquired politely as she got behind the wheel.

“I think so,” I replied brightly. Feeling a little bold, I added, “Would you care to join me?”

I couldn’t quite see her face properly in the rear vision mirror, but I thought her lips curved a little. “Your offer is most generous, Mr. London, but sadly I must decline.” She was so polite I almost didn’t feel the sting of rejection. Not that I wanted to start anything up with Gloria now that I was with Debbie.

But Debbie likes girls, too... a small voice in my head said. It wasn’t Cloud or Indy this time, just me wanting my cake and eating it too. Would Debbie like Gloria? My brain began toying with the idea, and I grew a little excited as my overactive imagination spun out scenarios of the two of them in bed with me.

I reined myself in, however, not wanting to get too carried away. For all I knew, I had no shot with Gloria to start with, though I was sure those small almost-smiles meant something. You’re getting a big head, mate, I warned myself. Not every woman you meet wants you. This isn’t virtual reality.

Twenty minutes later I strolled through the sliding glass doors of the Westside Mall, a wide, long corridor lined with shops. There was a second level above with more shops and a food court. Thinking of food made me feel hungry – not a real surprise anymore, and I’d been especially ravenous since using the ILP the other day – so I hit the escalator just inside the doors and made my way to the food court. I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings except to notice the sheer number of attractive women around, but then there were always hot women at malls.

Mostly, my thoughts were on Debbie. I still felt like I was walking on air since we’d gotten together. I couldn’t wait to see her again. Her smile was pretty, her face stunning, her body ... Reaching the food court, I absently approached a burger joint and ordered something that would sate my appetite for the next couple of hours. It wasn’t until I received my tray that I realised I’d ordered three burgers, a large fries and a thick shake. I blinked as I looked down at the tray, and the kid behind the counter asked me if everything was okay. Shrugging, I assured him I’d find room for it all and took the tray away to a nearby table. I sat and ate alone, still thinking about Debbie.

Careful, kid, Indy chimed in at one point. Don’t lose your head.

I frowned. What do you mean?

She’s a good girl, but you start acting like a lovesick puppy, she’s not gonna like it. They never do.

Lovesick puppy? I retorted. She’s my girlfriend! I’m allowed to want to see her, to be around her. Isn’t that kind of the point?

Well, yes, he replied. But try and remember who you are, too, kid.

He seemed to think that explained everything, but I had no idea what the hell he was on about. Shaking my head, I went on with my meal, making an appreciative noise as I bit into a fried chicken burger. This place was good! I’d come here once before, about a year ago, and I made a mental note to come back as often as I could.

Done eating, I headed back down the nearest escalator and made a beeline for DP Games. I wanted to expand my collection and explore some new options for Dianne. Still slurping on my thick shake, I entered the store and immediately noticed Melinda behind the counter. She hadn’t noticed me yet; she was bent forward, scribbling something on some paper. There was nobody else in the shop.

I browsed the shelves for a bit, looking for something interesting. A game on the PlayStation stand caught my eye: Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. I’d been wanting to give this a try for a while, and now that I had Dianne ... What would it be like to have the skills of a ninja? Picking up the case, I continued my perusal until Melinda noticed me.

“Jake, is that you?” She peered at me through her rectangular glasses as if unsure.

Turning from the shelf I’d been browsing, I smiled. “Have you forgotten what I look like already?”

“No!” she said hurriedly. “Not at all, it’s just that ... Well, you look different.”

Playing dumb, I looked down at myself. “What do you mean?”

Her pale cheeks reddened a little. “Nothing. Never mind. It’s probably just the light in here or something.” She went to her computer and began typing something on the keyboard. “How are you?” she asked casually, as if she didn’t care either way.

“I’m alright, I suppose,” I replied carefully, remembering the last conversation she and I had had. Melinda had started out her usual bitchy self, but when I challenged her, she’d folded and apologised. “Things are going pretty well for me, really. How about you?” I approached the counter and put the game down, letting her know I wanted to buy it.

“That’s good,” she said, ignoring my question and not taking her eyes off the screen. She was being almost cool, now, maybe to cover her awkwardness a moment ago. “Just the one game today?”

“Uh, yeah,” I replied. “Didn’t really see much else I liked.” Why did her mouth suddenly tighten when I said that? Had I angered her?

Snatching up the game, she turned to the series of drawers behind her and bent to search one for the disc. My eyes immediately went to her butt, clad in tight black pants. It was a nice one, full and round. She found what she was looking for quickly enough, and I averted my eyes before she could see where I’d been looking. Oddly, her expression was now almost as hard as it used to be. Looks like the bitch is back, I thought sourly as she slapped the game down on the counter and started punching numbers into the computer.

You didn’t call her, stupid, Cloud piped up suddenly. You said you were going to, but you didn’t. That was a week ago.

Shit, you’re right! I replied.

That’s like a month in woman time, Indy added sagely.

But I’m with Debbie now! I wailed. What do I tell her? Banishing them both, I tried to make things right. “I haven’t called you,” I said to Melinda, stating the obvious. “But I did mean to. Really.” No response, just more irritated typing. I decided to tell the truth. “I’m not sure how to say this, but I kind of have a girlfriend now.”

The typing paused, and her eyes found mine. “That will be seventy-nine dollars.”

I stared back blankly for a moment. That was it? She gives me her number, I don’t call, and then tell her I have a girlfriend, and all she says is that? Aloud, I mumbled something acquiescent and pulled out my wallet. “Here,” I said as I offered her my bankcard. She took it without a word and swiped it. I chanced a question. “Are you okay?”

She took a deep breath as if summoning patience, then exhaled loudly. “I wasn’t trying to pick you up, Jake,” she explained as if I was stupid. “I just thought it might be nice to try and make a friend. I don’t have many, and...” She trailed off, unwilling to follow that line of thought. “Just take your game and go.”

I nodded in understanding, suddenly seeing her point. “Okay. Thank you.” I picked up the game, but before I turned away, I said, “I know better than most people what it’s like to be lonely, and I’m sorry I misread your intentions.”

Her face softened a little. “It’s alright. No harm done, I guess.”

I fiddled with the game in my hands, not sure how to do this next bit. “I was thinking that, you know, seeing as you just wanna be friends, maybe we should get a coffee sometime.” That should work okay. Debbie won’t care if I just meet a friend for coffee.

Melinda looked uncertain. “Are you sure? I don’t want to give your girlfriend the wrong idea.”

I waved the suggestion away. “Nah, she’s cool. She’ll understand. I’ll call soon to set up a time, okay?” In my mind, Indy chuckled darkly. I wanted to ask why, but I was focused on Melinda.

She visibly brightened. She was really quite pretty when she smiled. “Okay. But don’t keep me waiting too long. Friends or not, no girl likes to be kept waiting.” She held out a playfully admonishing finger.

I grinned and offered my assurances before saying goodbye. I breathed a sigh of relief as I headed for the mall’s exit. That had worked out much better than I thought it would.

That’s what you think, kid. Indy said suddenly.

What now? I snapped. Every time I think something is going well, you tell me it isn’t!

I didn’t say that, kid, he replied patiently. But you need to tread carefully, here. Women are far more difficult to navigate than any catacomb, ruin or tomb I’ve ever explored. And scarier, too.

Yeah, whatever, I grumbled.

Alright, play it how you see it, kid, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Outside the mall, Gloria was waiting beside the limo in a parking bay near the entrance. A few heads turned to watch as she opened the door for me. No doubt they were wondering who I was to be so young and riding around in a limo. I thanked Gloria and settled in for the ride home, wondering what Indy had meant by ‘tread carefully.’ My thoughts were interrupted by my phone beeping. A text from Debbie awaited me when I opened it.

Missing you already. Xx.

Smiling, I sent back my reply. I know the feeling. Shame you can’t visit tonight.

A moment later: I know! Don’t worry, tomorrow night will be worth the wait. Xx. The message was chased by a picture of her in a toilet stall in skimpy black underwear. She must have taken that at uni! I bit my lip as hot desire flashed in me.

You look good enough to eat, I sent back.

I’ll hold you to that! See you tomorrow, big boy. Xx.

I didn’t care what Indy said; this girl was into me and that was that. I was into her, too. In a big way. I looked at the photo a few more times, drinking in the sight of her short but lush frame, at least until I started getting hard. I made myself stop at that point; I didn’t want to try hiding an erection from Gloria. Would she even care? She had to know what Debbie, Jessica and I had done the other night, here in the back of the car. But then, with the privacy screen up, perhaps she hadn’t seen anything.

Gloria dropped me off home at around midday, by which time I was ready for some cold beer and Dianne. Back up in my apartment, I quickly disrobed before fetching a towel and a drink. I found I quite liked getting around my house naked. What was the point of wearing clothes when it was just me here? Before I settled in, I thought carefully about how I wanted to play out my afternoon. I had a new game to try in Tenchu, but I also had unfinished business in Tekken Three.

What was it Dianne had said about completing titles? Something about getting better synchronisation rates or something. Pursing my lips, I chose to try Tekken again. Perhaps I’d learned enough in the last few days to hold my own. A minute later I was reclining back on the couch and fitting the headpiece on, ready for victory, or another thrashing...

“Welcome back, Jake,” Dianne said as I appeared in the MAP. “How may I be of service?” As she spoke, the wide display against one wall came alive, monochrome lettering on a black background reading my stats. Physical, Mental and Social were now increased, at forty-four, forty-eight and thirty-five respectively. My social stat was lagging a little, while my mental stat was on the rise. Even though I had made improvements, my readings were still nothing to write home about. By my reckonings, I was approaching what you might call ‘average.’

“Let’s give Tekken another shot,” I told Dianne. I felt a flutter of uncertainty about how this was going to go, but I was confident in my new abilities. Worst case scenario: I take another beating, but I was getting good at that anyway.

“Very well, Jake,” Dianne replied smoothly. A moment later, everything went dark. After a few seconds, I was once again standing in an endless black void. The only discernible matter other than myself was the ring of circular podiums around me, standing starkly against the blackness. The fighters of Tekken 3 occupied those podiums, eyeing me with hard stares as they had before. Again, they were all naked except for the men, who wore black lycra shorts to spare me the discomfort of looking at their junk; Dianne had obviously remembered my earlier request about that.

The women, however, were bare for my greedy eyes, though they hardly appeared happy about it. I strolled around the ring slowly, taking my time. I stopped at Nina, the leggy blonde standing proudly with her arms folded beneath generous breasts, one hip slightly cocked. Had she not been a deadly assassin, she would have made a perfect fashion model.

“I’ll kick those eyes out of your head,” she sneered in a thick Irish accent, “If you do not avert them.”

Having no doubt in my mind she could do just that, I swallowed and moved on, stopping in front of Ling Xiaoyu, a diminutive woman, but the Chinese warrior was no less beautiful for it. She was sitting cross-legged, hands on knees and eyes closed. She opened her eyes to regard me as I stopped, apparently unconcerned with the view her seated position was offering me of her most intimate parts. She unleashed a string of Chinese, none of which I understood, but if her tonality was anything to go by, she was issuing a challenge.

“Make up your mind, boy!” A man’s rough voice said from behind me. Spinning, I saw Paul Phoenix glaring daggers as he smacked his fist into his palm.

“You are wasting our time!” This from Heihachi Mishima, the buffest old man I’d ever seen. He stood imperiously; feet planted wide, and arms folded across a brawny chest. One by one, the others all began expressing their discontent. Forest Law, Hwoarang, Yoshimitsu, Brian Fury, Anna Williams, Julia Chang and the rest, all throwing challenges. Some polite, some downright rude, but all intended to get me in the ring.

I guess that’s the point, I observed as I spun in a bewildered circle, feeling a little overwhelmed. Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth. “ALRIGHT!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. The haranguing ceased at once. I flung a finger at Julia. “You and I have a score to settle.” The pretty native-American nodded eagerly. “But this time I fight as myself.” I heard no objection from Dianne about that.

“Your funeral,” she muttered as the other characters faded away, leaving us alone in the blackness until the void was filled with light and colour in the form of a verdant Japanese forest. Julia glanced around at the clearing we stood in. “This will do,” she said in satisfied tones. “The grass is soft here, so it won’t hurt so bad whenever you hit it.”

“Whatever you say,” I replied evenly as I flexed my neck from side to side. “Perhaps it will be you that hits the grass, today.” I admired her body as she stretched, taut, hard muscle beneath softer feminine curvature.

A resounding voice spoke suddenly. “ROUND ONE! FIGHT!” With no preamble, Julia came at me at a dead run, reaching me in four long strides and aiming a spinning kick to my gut, as she’d done before. This time, however, I saw her coming. I caught her foot and twisted it, forcing her to leap into a spin to save her ankle from snapping. Her other foot came over the top to find my head. It was a solid strike, but not enough to knock me down. Releasing her foot, I flowed back smoothly to reset.

She came after me again, this time with a series of quick strikes, hands and feet blurring. I deflected them, concentrating hard, and even managed to land a counter, a sharp elbow to her ribs which caught her by surprise. Her brown eyes widened momentarily before narrowing in determination. I met her next attack head-on as she aimed a nasty kick at my head, but I went low, sweeping her leg out and taking her balance. She fell, and before she was able to roll clear, I was on top of her, pinning her to the grass face-down.

She struggled to get free, but I held her tight. The intimacy of the hold was not lost on me, especially the way my cock was pressed into the crack of her arse. My incorrigible organ began to inflate rapidly. Julia froze suddenly, her eyes going wide again. “What are you doing?” she asked, her cheeks darkening.

“Winning,” I said into her ear. Only a moment more did she remain still. Next thing I knew she was somehow free and had me on my back, her body holding me down in a full mount, my wrists pinned above my head. I felt the fight go out of me as I looked down at her body, lush and ripe, strong but soft. Defeated by my lust again, I moaned internally as I readied myself for the finishing blow she was no doubt about to deliver, but it never came. When my eyes found her face, she was grinning.

“How about now?” she crowed as she resisted my attempts to wriggle free. In fact, my movement put my cock in direct contact with her pussy, which made her draw in a sharp breath. Seeing an opportunity, I lifted my hips as far as they would go, and by some stroke of luck, the angle was just right. The head of my prick slipped just inside her wet folds, enough to bathe the sensitive skin in delicious wet warmth, enough to make me want more.

“Shit,” she murmured, her eyes half-closing at the sensation. “This isn’t ... We aren’t supposed to...” She shook her head as if to clear it, then gave me a hard stare. “What are you doing? We are supposed to be fighting!”

I smiled up at her. “This is more fun, isn’t it?”

Whatever she said in return was lost as the booming voice called the end of round one a draw, and then we were back on our feet, facing off again.

“Round Two! Fight!”

“No more tricks!” Julia called as she came forward, hands raised.

“What do you mean?” I replied as we began trading blows again. Something had gotten to her; I wasn’t having to focus as much to deflect her attacks, now.

“You did something to me!” she accused as she aimed a chop at my neck. I stepped forward instead of away, the chop bouncing harmlessly off my shoulder. She followed with a kick, but I shot an arm between her thighs and folded her body over my shoulders, lifting her from the ground. Her smooth pussy was hot in the crook of my arm for a split second before I turned us both over, flipping her onto her back. I landed on top of her, driving her into the soft grass firmly, but not hard enough to hurt her.

“Like what?” I demanded as I scrambled around to mount her, preventing her from getting to her feet. To my delight, I ended up settled between her thighs. Strangely, I got the feeling she wanted me to pin her like this. She certainly offered no real resistance.

“Like this!” she exclaimed, her cheeks now on fire. She nodded downward, between our bodies. My cock was resting on her bald mound, only an inch away from the pink folds of her pussy. All I had to do was move my hips back slightly... “It’s like my body doesn’t want to fight you!”

I shrugged. “Maybe it wants something else.” To my delight, she shivered and drew a ragged breath. Delight faded when resolve replaced desire on her pretty face.

“No!” she barked, twisting a hand free and punching me hard in the ribs. She got free and rolled away, springing to her feet. “This isn’t right! Let’s end this the right way!” She dashed forward.

I sighed. “Very well.” Forgetting about my greedy sex drive for the moment, I flowed toward her, my newly acquired kung fu instincts taking over. Julia fought with all the grace and fury of a true warrior, refusing to give in to her desire. How had that happened, anyway? What had I done to create this effect in her? Dianne had said before that this was a combat game and it worked differently to others. There was more here I didn’t yet understand.

She pressed me hard for the remainder of the round, neither of us gaining any real advantage. At the end of the round, we were separated again by an unseen force and returned to our starting positions. We were breathing hard, our skin shining with sweat, our eyes locked across the forest clearing. I felt a flutter of excitement beyond my usual lusty ardour; I was actually enjoying the competition. Julia’s eyes glimmered with a similar intensity, and I knew she was not going to let me win this easily.

“Last round!” she called confidently. “Get ready to go down!”

I shook my head. “No chance.” I was almost ready to ask Dianne to put clothes on us, just so I could concentrate more. Taking a tiger stance, I breathed deeply and awaited the signal to start. No sooner had the words thundered in the air than we were rushing in, both seeking a quick, overwhelming win. Almost faster than my eyes could follow, we exchanged a flurry of strikes and parries, our arms and hands slapping together with sharp cracks.

Somehow, I lost my footing and began to fall. Quicker than thought, Julia’s thighs were around my head, squeezing my cheeks as her knees bent and her ankles locked together down near my waist. My right arm was pulled tight, hard enough to make me think it might pop out of my shoulder. By the time I hit the ground, she had me in a perfect arm bar, my arm held hard against her body, resting between her breasts.

I hurriedly assessed my situation, but she had me good. Every time I tried something she pulled harder, threatening to break my arm.

“Give up!” she taunted.

I tried not to focus on how smooth the skin of her inner thighs was. The back of my head was resting on her pubic mound. If only she had have got me the other way round... “Never!” I said aloud, some stubborn streak in me refusing to yield. She’s gonna break my arm...

“I’ll let you fuck me,” Julia cooed. Her words made me freeze. “Really?” I asked thickly, my lips distorted by the pressure on my face.

“Sure,” she replied casually. “It’s how we do things around here, sometimes.”

I considered her offer. Lose and fuck her or win and don’t fuck her. This is a no-brainer. My palm slapping the grass told her I’d made my decision.

“Julia wins!” the announcing voice boomed. I waited for the clearing to disappear, but nothing happened.

“Good boy,” Julia purred as she released me. I rested my head on the grass gratefully, catching my breath. “What do you say we get right to it?” she suggested as she flipped up onto her hands and then over, landing gently on top of me. “Winner goes on top!” She sat astride my hips straight-backed and proud, smiling down at me. I watched entranced as she lifted her hips to let my cock stand up straight, then lowered them again. It seemed to take forever for that delicious cleft between her thighs to touch my aching crown, and even longer for it to swallow me up, pulling me into warm, wet delight.

“Ah!” she sighed as she reached the bottom. She wiggled her hips a little, settling herself. “I never get to do it this way.”

“What do you mean?” I asked in a tight voice as she began to undulate. My hands went to her hips and held them tightly. Jesus, she felt good.

“The others always want to be on top, mostly,” she said breathily, her hands resting atop mine. Her modestly plump breasts moved hypnotically on her chest. “You know, we’re all so competitive.”

“Others?” I sounded strained, but only because of the way she was riding me, smooth and steady. My hands took hold of her breasts, which made her sigh.

“The other fighters,” she explained as if it were completely normal. Her breath hitched as my cock hit a sweet spot.

“Oh,” I said absently. I was getting close to my peak already, only half-hearing what she was saying. I came to my senses, however, when she came to a stop, eyeing me critically.

“You aren’t going to pop yet, are you? I’m not done.”

I tried bucking my hips to keep the motion going, but she rested heavily on me, not letting me move much. “I am,” I admitted, “But I can keep going regardless. You’ll see.”

“Huh,” Julia grunted, her expression saying she didn’t believe me. “I guess we will. If you let me down, though, I’ll never let you touch me again.”

I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not, but I wasn’t sure I cared either way. I had an almost infinite number of sexual partners available to me, thanks to Dianne. Would the loss of one really matter? An uncomfortable notion flickered to life in the back of my mind. What would Debbie think of this? It blew away like a puff of smoke as quickly as it formed. “Deal,” I growled, springing forward and putting a hand around her back before flipping her beneath me. “Now let me demonstrate.”