Chapter 10: “He’s BAAAACCCKKKK!”

September 23, 1995, San Diego, California

I had, once again, managed to get myself into one of those situations, and it was purely my fault. I KNEW it would happen when I agreed to play chess with her, and yet I had still invited Meredith back to the hotel, or, rather, accepted her invitation to come to the hotel. Bethany would tell me that subconsciously I WANTED to play ‘strip chess’ with Meredith, complete with the rewards for winning, and I was pretty sure Bethany would be right.

Of course, even if I agreed to play, there was the issue of a recent STD test, but past history had said SOMETHING would have caused Meredith to have had one, and she’d have had it recently. We were well past the inflection point, which had been when she asked me to play chess with her. I’d known it, too, because I’d pushed back and had responded coldly. Once I’d said ‘yes’ to playing chess, I put us on the path that led directly to me sitting here debating with myself what I was going to do.

And actually, the more I thought about it, the inflection point had REALLY been when I’d first told her about ‘strip chess’ on the flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo. There had been no reason to tell her about ‘strip chess’, and I could easily have avoided mentioning it. I could also have easily avoided telling her the rules. When I’d done those two things, and hadn’t rebuffed her flirting, I’d created the conditions in which I now found myself.

My debate with myself was silly, really. Once I’d agreed to play chess with her, I’d made it clear what I wanted. I was also very sure about what she wanted. And while I certainly didn’t believe I owed her sex, I’d put it on the table by the way I’d interacted with her during our flight. I’d even observed, when I first saw her, that she was a pretty, tanned, bespectacled brunette, about 5’7” tall, wearing a sundress which showed off what Elyse would have called her ‘Steve type’ figure.

And THAT meant my mind had gone there from the first moment, and I was absolutely sure I’d given off the ‘vibes’ that made my intentions clear, even if they were subconscious on my part. Clearly, a lot had happened since then, but I’d set the table, and with my agreement to play chess with her, I’d sat down to eat.

It had been A LONG time since I’d had a dalliance, or as Birgit was calling them, ‘dall-yances’. The last one had been the twins. I was still skittish because of that situation, and frankly, it was silly. I could put a stop to this now, if I chose, but I realized I didn’t want to. Subconscious or not, I wanted Meredith, and the internal debate was solely because of my meltdown after the twins. But that was MY problem, not Meredith’s, and she’d rightly called me out on my behavior.

I’d invited her here for exactly one purpose. She knew it. I knew it. But I wanted to make sure.

“You do realize where that leads, right?”

Meredith laughed, hard, “Because I don’t understand that going to a guy’s hotel room means there’s a good chance we’ll have sex?”

“Never mind,” I chuckled. “But there’s an issue of STD tests. They’re mandatory.”

“I had one as part of my physical just before school started three weeks ago. And I haven’t been with anyone since the test. I assume you’ve had yours?”

“Yes, and I have a card which verifies that. Make your move, Miss Caldwell!”

I captured her pawn on move seven, and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“You call THAT a kiss?” she protested.

“Do you serve the main course first, or the appetizer?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

“True. Are there seconds on the main course?”

“If you like it enough, sure. And thirds and fourths if you’re still hungry!”

“I suppose it depends on the portion sizes,” she smirked. “And how long it takes to finish.”

“Just play!” I chuckled.

“We could just cut to the chase, you know! It’s obvious where this is leading.”

“Patience, young Grasshopper! The journey is almost as much fun as the destination!”

“Uh-huh.”

We continued the game, and we were about evenly matched, though I felt she was a bit better. Because I had the black pieces, I did my best to play what we called ‘exact’ - making careful moves, checking to make sure I left no weaknesses. Such play was likely to result in a draw, but I was determined not to lose.

“What happens if we draw?” she asked.

“The prizes are for winning, not drawing!” I grinned.

We did draw, and I was down to my undershorts and t-shirt, while Meredith had her bra and panties.

“So now what?” she asked.

“We play another round.”

“You know, I should have asked about birth control,” she said.

“I had a vasectomy, but the hotel room comes stocked with a wide selection of condoms if you don’t trust me.”

“I’ve never done it without a condom, and I want to!”

“Then let’s play!”

The kisses during this game were more intense, though there were only two before we exchanged pieces, which cost me my t-shirt and Meredith her bra. I admired her small, firm breasts, topped with bright pink erect nipples. I whistled in appreciation, and Meredith winked and licked her lips.

The next kiss was much more interesting, with her nipples pressing into my chest as we exchanged a deep French kiss. When Meredith ran her hand over my butt, I did the same to her, enjoying the feel of the taut muscles through the thin cotton panties.

“You’re in REALLY good shape,” she said when we broke the kiss.

“So are you!”

“Small boobs come in handy for volleyball, but not much else.”

“They’re perfect,” I breathed.

“The only possible safe thing you could say!”

“Which also happens to be true. You’re what my friend Elyse calls a ‘Steve type’. I noticed that on the plane!”

“She’s mother to two of your kids, right?”

“Matthew and Michael.”

We sat back down to continue the game, and I managed a slight advantage by being up a pawn, and carefully marshaled that advantage to fork Meredith’s black bishop and a rook. She moved the rook, and when I took the bishop, she stood and removed her panties, revealing closely trimmed brown pubic hair.

“You know, I just thought about it - my glasses should count as clothing!”

“So they can come off next,” I grinned.

“No way! I can’t see worth a damn without them and when I take a piece, I want to see clearly!”

“That’s a heck of an assumption on your part!” I grinned.

“If I lose, they come off anyway,” she laughed. “Otherwise you can’t collect your prize!”

“Maybe we’ll turn off all the lights first!” I teased.

“I don’t THINK so!”

“It’s your move!”

Meredith moved her knight, but her position had been weakened by the loss of her bishop, and I pressed the attack. Three moves later I captured her other bishop, and I was certain I’d win. I played carefully, and a few moves later, saw a winning line which would require exchanging two pieces each. With the first exchange, I removed my briefs, and with the second, Meredith saw the clear path I had to victory and toppled her king.

She jumped up from her chair, moved quickly to my side of the table and knelt between my legs. I shifted the chair to give her better access, and after a wink, she lowered her head and kissed my glans, then ran her tongue around it. Physiology quickly took over, and blood flowed as it should as Meredith took my glans in her mouth and sucked gently while flicking her tongue against the tip of my dick.

That heavenly feeling was replaced by the feeling of her lips along my shaft as she took me deep into her mouth. Just as her lips touched my pubic hair, her hand went to my sack and she squeezed gently. She slowly released me, and once again sucked gently on my glans while flicking the tip of it with her tongue. Meredith was GOOD! If this was a preview of coming attractions, it was going to be a VERY fun night.

Meredith continued the slow, sensual blowjob for several minutes before grasping my shaft and stroking me while she lashed my glans with her tongue, resulting in an explosive orgasm. She continued sucking and swirling her tongue until I was spent, then slowly took me deep in her mouth before releasing me. I reached down and guided her into my lap, and we exchanged a deep, passionate French kiss.

“Wow!” I said when we broke the kiss.

“I gave my first blowjob when I was thirteen. My boyfriend, who was fourteen, wanted to go all the way, but I wasn’t ready, so I offered that as an alternative. Seven years of practice!”

“Makes perfect!” I grinned.

“I wasn’t ready to actually have sex until I was seventeen, but none of the boys I dated seriously ever objected, so I got LOTS of practice! Do I have to beat you at chess to get the same thing?”

I chuckled, “I could be mean that way, but I like doing that far too much! Chair, couch, floor, or bed?”

“All four?” she smirked. “And the Jacuzzi.”

“I didn’t bring my SCUBA gear!”

“I figured after the first time, you wouldn’t do that if we don’t use rubbers.”

“Wrong! I just kissed you, didn’t I?”

“True!” she laughed. “I didn’t even think about that! Only one other guy ever did that. My first, because I told him if he wanted to cum in my mouth, he’d have to be willing to kiss me goodnight!”

I chuckled, “Similar to what my first lover told me when I was fourteen.”

“How old was she?”

“Twenty-three!”

“Your own personal Mrs. Robinson?”

“Something like that,” I chuckled. “Shall we find out how good you taste?”

“You’re going to kiss me after you have your tongue there?”

“Damn straight!” I chuckled.

“I don’t mind, especially if you’re good at it.”

“Please, allow me to demonstrate!”

She got up from my lap and I led her to the couch. I knelt between her splayed legs and planted a kiss on her engorged labia, then gently pressed my tongue between them. She tasted of spice and copper, and her labia and tunnel were snug around my tongue, promising the glorious feeling I’d expected to follow a fantastic blowjob.

I nipped her button and Meredith squeaked and jumped, but I returned to probing as deeply as my tongue could reach. I alternated between swirls and probes, and very occasionally nips, enjoying the journey. Meredith clearly enjoyed it as well, as her breathing and pulse both quickened as I brought her closer and closer to release. When it came, she groaned loudly, shuddered, and squeezed her thighs tightly against my cheeks, trapping me as the ripples of her orgasm massaged my tongue.

When the ripples ceased, Meredith relaxed and sighed very deeply.

“Damn that was good!”

“Another?” I grinned.

“Oh yeah,” she breathed. “And then I want you in me!”

I moved so we could exchange a soft French kiss, then lowered my head to her left breast, and sucked hard on her nipple while running my tongue around it. I did the same for her right breast before kissing my way down to her pubic hair. I nuzzled my nose in it, something I always enjoyed, then slowly pressed my tongue into her dripping tunnel. A few minutes later she shuddered and moaned as another orgasm overtook her.

I quickly moved to position my rock-hard erection against her opening, and slowly pressed in. Meredith smiled, and looked down, watching my dick disappear into her, inch by inch, until I was fully embedded. I immediately pulled back and began thrusting gently into her, slowly building up a good rhythm. Meredith continued watching, flexing her muscles to tighten an already snug fit.

“God that feels good, and it’s so sexy to watch,” she sighed.

Every dozen strokes or so, I stayed deeply embedded and ground my pubic bone against hers, eliciting a soft groan each time. After about five minutes, I started sucking gently on her nipples while I ground against her, which caused her to have a small orgasm each time. I was patient, and it wasn’t until she’d had her sixth small orgasm that I picked up the pace of my thrusts and brought her right to the edge. I ground against her and bit gently on her nipple, which elicited a loud groan, strong shudders, and serious contractions of her walls around my shaft.

“Oh God,” she gasped when the orgasm passed. “Another? Please?!”

I kissed her and worked her to the edge again, and allowing my own pleasure to build. I got the timing right, and when her second orgasm crashed over her, I pushed as deeply into her as I could and filled her with jets of cum. When the last pulse finished, I slowly pulled out, lowered my mouth to her pussy, and brought her off one last time.

“Jesus, Steve,” she sighed when I moved to sit next to her on the couch.

“That was pretty damned good,” I agreed.

“And not using the rubber made it even more amazing! Your cum felt awesome spraying inside me! I never knew what I was missing!”

“How much sleep do you want to get?” I asked with a smirk.

“None! I take it this thing is good for multiple uses?” she grinned, running her forefinger along my flaccid shaft.

“Absolutely!”

September 24, 1995, San Diego, California

Meredith stretched and yawned when the alarm went off at 7:00am on Sunday morning. We’d ended up falling asleep around 3:30am, and I was grateful for the few hours of sleep after an extremely enjoyable night which had seen us use the chair, floor, Jacuzzi, and bed before deciding we should get a bit of sleep.

“Sex for breakfast,” she smirked.

“The shower is big enough for two,” I replied with a grin. “And we didn’t do it in there!”

She scrambled from bed and headed to the bathroom, with me following close. After adjusting the shower as warm as she could stand, I took her from behind, pounding as hard as I could, and fingering her clit to bring her to two good orgasms before I had my own release. We uncoupled, quickly showered, dried, and dressed.

“By the way, I want to point out I’m doing what you insisted I had to do,” Meredith said impishly.

“What’s that?”

“Leaving after we played chess!”

“Technically,” I chuckled.

I packed my things and we went downstairs so I could check out. Once I’d done that, we walked out to our cars. Meredith headed home to change, and I headed to the university for the Sunday morning session. Meredith was very circumspect in how she acted once she arrived, doing nothing to give away the fact that we’d been together the previous night.

“This morning, I want to discuss ‘meaning’,” I said. “One of my friends in Chicago insists that life, and in fact, the entire universe, is simply a series of electro-chemical processes which have no ultimate meaning. And as such, there is no absolute right or wrong.”

That kicked off an excellent discussion which led to another topic near and dear to my heart.

“And that last comment, from Ken, about decision-making leads right to something I’ve thought a lot about - mindfulness and inflection points. Fundamentally, we set ourselves on courses of action, and reach points where our options are limited, sometimes to where it comes down to a choice between the lesser of two evils, as it were. And often, we don’t realize we’ve reached those inflection points until afterwards.”

For the next hour, we discussed and debated how to make decisions, mostly focusing on how to understand our own selves.

“And that’s the point I want to conclude on,” I said. “If you do not know yourself, you can’t truly know anyone else. And knowing yourself is a lifelong journey of discovery.”

“Are you available to talk sometime?” Misty asked.

“I’m certainly happy to do so, within the time I have available. I’ll leave my phone number, as well as my email address. Email is probably best because I can respond when I have the time. If you do call, I may have to ask you to let me call you back.”

“Are you coming back?” Ken asked.

“The plan was once a year,” I said.

“Bummer. Would you consider once a semester?”

“That’s up to Doctor Barkley first and foremost, and then I need to clear it with my bosses!”

“You’re self-employed!” Alice protested.

“And I report to a Board of Directors, as well as the rest of my senior staff! Not to mention Jessica and Kara. Well, and the true boss of my life, my seven-year-old daughter Birgit!”

Everyone laughed.

“Anyone who has a daughter knows THAT,” Doctor Franks added. “And I have four!”

“What deity did YOU piss off, Doctor Franks?” Ken asked with a smirk.

“Let’s just say that living in a house with five females, I know who ISN’T God!”

“You!” I chuckled. “And I know the feeling!”

“And here I thought all professors thought they were gods,” Alice teased.

“Do I have one of your papers to grade?” Doctor Franks asked menacingly, but then smiled.

“When you have children,” I said, “you’ll discover just how powerless you truly are. A smile, a hug, a kiss on the cheek, a frown, or a tear, are more powerful than any hydrogen bomb.”

“And on that prescient comment, I think we need to wrap up,” Doctor Barkley announced. “I’ll see if we can work something out to schedule a session in the Spring.”

I shook hands with nearly everyone, though a few of the girls opted for chaste hugs, and Misty gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks so much for doing this,” she said quietly. “I learned more in the last day and a half than in years of school!”

“You’re welcome!”

“Me, too,” Meredith whispered as she gave me a quick, chaste hug. “Call me!”

I nodded and then joined Doctor Barkley, Doctor Franks, and Phil Edwards for lunch at a nearby diner. We had a good ‘post mortem’ talk, and when we finished, I headed for the airport and my flight back to Chicago.

September 24, 1995, Chicago, Illinois

I arrived home just after 9:30pm, happy that I’d napped for a short time on the plane. As we’d agreed, Birgit was waiting up for me.

“Dad!” she squealed when I walked into the great room.

‘Dad’, not ‘Daddy’. My little girl was growing up. To be expected, but bittersweet nonetheless.

“Hi, Pumpkin!”

She rushed over and I dropped my bag and swept her up in my arms for a hug. She kissed my cheek and I kissed her forehead, then walked over to where Jessica, Kara, and Michelle were sitting.

“How was your trip?” Jessica asked.

“Good. Let me put this young lady to bed and then Kara and I can walk you to work.”

I kissed all three women, then took Birgit, who was already in her sleep shirt, up to her room and tucked her in with another kiss on the forehead.

“Sleep tight, Pumpkin!” I said quietly so as not to disturb her sisters. “See you in the morning!”

“For cuddles!” she whispered.

I nodded, then left the dimly lit room and returned downstairs where Jessica and Kara were waiting. We left the house by the front door and began walking south on Woodlawn towards the hospital.

“How’d it go?” Kara asked.

“Really well, actually,” I said. “The professors did a good job of selecting students, though there was one wildcard.”

“Phil Edwards, right?” Kara asked.

“He’s a professor, remember?”