Chapter 2

Conversation happened and came easy when Joe and Lindy called each other, usually late since Joe was super busy pulling the game together, making it the most complete and best the partners had done, for a week and a half before sending it off, with him mostly calling her and her calling him a couple times, the two times she called him Lindy slaked her horniness, and with at least a couple drinks always beforehand. Her abrupt leaving in the morning always followed.

When the product got sent off, the partners wanted to celebrate, Stuart less than the other two. And it wasn’t just completing it, but renegotiations had been set up, part of it was to give Dave full copyright of his music, his sample he sent made it clear of its quality, and a new contract would be created after the company got full view of the product giving Joe and his partners a couple points from gross sales of future releases and final approval of the finished product, including the one just sent to the company. There were other, larger video game companies out there which the company which bought and distributed Joe’s games preferred he not approach. This and the proven quality were Joe’s and his partner’s bargaining chips. Though worth celebrating, to Joe completing the game was more worthy because in the back of his mind, not really shared by Dave who would actually get more points because of the music, including the new game, nor by Stuart who was averse to any confrontation even it might mean more independence and even more money, he wanted complete control of their product, from software to packaging to advertising with only the manufacturing and distribution being done by others. Unfortunately the last of those things, distribution, made it still a pipe dream if Joe wanted a hard package available worldwide. And even buying online would be problematic what with the little guy independents pushed way down the list on Google or Amazon or whatever, not even appearing on lists of similar items unless proven to be a popular commodity, a sort of catch 22.

Joe put those concerns aside, concerns he hadn’t shared much with his partners since selling the first game, instead enjoying his and Dave’s decision to give a complete makeover to Stuart, including a visit to a fancy hair salon for all three of them, the only one Dave found which offered straight razor shaving, and shopping for clothes that actually fit Stuart properly and looked good on him. The prize being, Joe finally giving over to Dave’s request to meet Lindy’s friends, her promise to bring along someone who she described as the perfect girl for Stuart, a fellow nerd. It didn’t hurt that she promised a cute blonde for Dave.

Dave reserved a private room in a somewhat upscale bar and grill in downtown Minneapolis which had a small stage and a scrim behind it on which they could project the new game, with a couple controllers to play it. The partners paid for a few plates of appetizers for the twenty or so guests. If they wanted sandwiches or burgers or salads, they’d have to order it from a waiter, and though sodas had been provided by the partners, the service bar needed cash. People understood the restraint of a small partnership and not some larger corporate entity or any of the three being rich.

At some point early on, Dave took the stage with another man in an occasional gigging band they called Duel, a classic set up since the seventies of one person providing the electronic synthetic music, in Duet’s case Dave on laptop and sampling keyboards, and the other up front singing and being the more visually dynamic, although Ray, the singer, could play multiple acoustic instruments as well, from violin to tenor sax to mandolin or acoustic guitar. And Dave often added a second backing voice. Though talented and entertaining, they lacked the illusory quality of a band that could be successful beyond the local whether it be a lack of hooks or memorable lyrics or poppiness, but they were okay with that.

After the concert and a brief acknowledgement of the creators of the new game, including Lindy, the game became available to play for whoever wished to sample it, several by the end of the evening, the large screen and the speakers giving the audience a promotional experience of it.

Already by the time the creators mounted the stage, Lindy had become more than tipsy, a brief stumble when getting to the stage, a loud giggle after the stumble, a goofy smile while on stage and the beginning blush of inebriation apparent. Within an hour she’d become completely soused, embarrassingly for Joe, worse when she plopped onto his friend’s lap, and friend could only be used loosely, the one who made local ads whom Joe had hopes of working with with Lindy.

“Sorry,” he said to his friend, Henry, extracting Lindy from his friend’s lap.

“Quite the handful,” Henry laughed, seemingly a bit drunk himself and perhaps something else, his forehead a bit shiny with a glaze of sweat, his eyes a bit intense, his dark lanky hair a bit greasy, Joe guessed cocaine.

An arm across her back, Joe coaxed Lindy away. “Let’s head out, okay?” he asked.

“One more drink?” she mumbled drunkenly.

“A nightcap at home?” he tempted.

“And then bed?” she giggled, giving his groin a thankfully gentle tap.

Joe felt the couple drinks he had wouldn’t affect his driving. He knew he had to keep his head for the party, as much business as pleasure, and definitely couldn’t trade drink for drink with Lindy. Saying goodbye to his partners, each he was pleased to see getting along with Lindy’s friends, the pretty petite blonde for Dave and the pleasant looking big boned brunette for Stuart, Lindy barely acknowledging her friends, Joe led his drunken lover out of the private room and restaurant. Thankfully Dave would be signing off on the final bill.

Once in the car, Joe deciding to drive Lindy to her mother’s house, Lindy announced, “Look what your friend Henry gave me!” and pulled out Henry’s business card. “He wants me to audition!”

“When?” Joe asked.

“I don’t know. I guess he’ll tell me when I call.”

“You may have to remind him who you are.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because he seemed a bit wasted.”

“He seemed charming to me!”

“Okay,” Joe let it go.

She shifted in her seat facing him, her hand moving to between his legs. “You’re jealous!” she smirked.

“Maybe a little bit,” Joe admitted.

“That’s so cute,” she purred and worked on the tab of his zipper.

“Uhm, I’m driving Lindy.”

“I’m horny!” she whined and managed to unzip him and reach in.

“Please Lindy!” He as gently as possible pushed her hand away.

“Please Joe,” she muttered, moving her hand back.

Less gently he pushed her away again. “You’re drunk,” he told her. “Just ... be patient, okay?”

“Whatever,” she pouted, but sat back.

When he parked in front of her house, she finally realized where she was. “What is this Joe!” she exclaimed. “You promised me!”

“You need to sleep it off,” he said.

“Don’t you want me?” she asked in a baby voice and reached for his zipper again.

With a sigh he let her unzip him again and even undid his belt and button and pulled his pants and underpants low enough for her to grasp his half hard cock. She started leaning down but the seat restraints restrained her. He unbuckled his and then unbuckled hers. Fortunately the suburban street had no cars passing nor pedestrians there to witness her bringing her mouth to his lap.

She had worn a nice dress which he unzipped, seeing as he suspected she had worn no bra. His hand reached down and moved the dress up above her ass and slid his hand beneath the elastic at the back of her panties, bringing his fingers to her damp pussy. His other hand moved from breast to breast, fingers pulling on her nipples. A couple fingers fucked her, moving to the front of her pussy, letting his knuckles rub against her g spot. Working her clit became problematic which he solved by pushing his thumb into her and rubbing that textured spot behind her pubic bone, the fingers that fucked her before had her clit squeezed between them giving it friction.

Breathing becoming ever heavier, her mouth would lift up, a hand fisting his cock, before returning to its task. She had gotten him fully hard, though her sloppy, drunken efforts hadn’t brought forth the familiar tingles of approaching orgasm. He was okay with that, of course her efforts provided pleasure, but his intention was for her to slake her horniness more than for her to succeed. Unfortunately drunkenness slowed that from happening, and she was particularly drunk.

Her impatience and her growing pleasure moved her atop him, removing her panties first, somehow managing to guide him into her. He quickly pulled the lever lowering his seat. His hands went to her ass, pulling and pushing her to the fastest speed while her fingers strummed her clit. His mouth nipped and sucked her nipples.

She growled her pleasure, her orgasm finally achieved, her mound crushing against his pubic bone, an intense rubbing. When she finally relaxed, she ended up passing out.

“Lindy?” he repeated.

“I’m going to be sick,” she finally said.

He quickly opened his door and managed to shift her head outside letting her vomit on the street, his hands holding her hair away. When the last of her heaves brought nothing out, he found a roll of paper towel stashed behind the passenger seat, pulling off a couple sheets and cleaning her mouth.

She began crying. “I’m sorry Joe,” she murmured.

“Ssh,” Joe responded. “It’s okay.”

After closing the door, he zipped up her dress before she moved off him, his penis emerging damp and soft.

Her blurry, scattered vision managed to notice. “Did you... ?” she started.

“No,” he replied.

“I could... , “ she began.

“That’s okay.”

“Okay.” She opened the passenger door and struggled to stand.

“Need help?” he asked.

She straightened up. Shaking her head caused a moan. She turned and stumbled away, ambling to the door at the back of the house. He watched her disappear, then carefully negotiating the vomit, he made sure she got in her house, which she had.

She called the next day. “I don’t remember exactly,” she said carefully, “but we did something in your car. And I don’t recall a condom.”

“I didn’t cum,” Joe told her.

“Oh. Okay. Good.”

“Are you on the pill?” he asked.

“I tried but I can be forgetful, so I stopped taking them.”

Joe thought it might have been an unexpected pregnancy that had made that decision but didn’t ask.

She ended up answering his unasked question anyway. “I’ve always felt awkward and ugly, especially around boys. There haven’t been many. In fact I can count them on one hand with two fingers to spare. When I’ve partied its always been with men who aren’t interested, not because of how I look, but because they’re gay. Other times I’m with my friends, and especially Mary tends to keep watch over me.” Mary had been the nerd who had been matched with Stuart. “That first night with you she was really worried, but I told her we hadn’t gone all the way, at least then,” she giggled. “I noticed the wheel with the pills showed I’d missed a couple days, so I decided not to continue.”

“I think you’re beautiful and graceful,” Joe told her.

“No you don’t.”

“I do, honestly. Is that why you always leave so quickly in the morning?”

“I’m not so brave in the morning,” she answered.

“Liquid courage,” Joe couldn’t stop himself from saying.

“I don’t worry about me getting in the way of myself when I drink,” she confirmed.

Joe thought about the two faces of Lindy, the quiet introspective one to whom he found comfort even without words and the brassy and horny party girl, unrestrained and fun, both in and out of bed and couldn’t decide which he preferred or even if that was the point. He enjoyed the party girl, again both in and out of bed, but he felt something different, something deeper with the sober one, something more akin to love.

“Would you like to come over?” he asked.

“I need to rest Joe, have some time to myself if that’s okay.”

“Of course.”

“I just wanted to make sure...”

That he hadn’t made her pregnant, he finished in his mind. “Of course,” he repeated.

“We’ll talk soon,” she informed him.

“I look forward to it,” he returned.

“Me too,” she replied unevenly and ended the call.

He had to wait three days to hear from her again.

Henry didn’t remember Lindy right away when she called, finally recalling the tall girl with the impressive body and the horse face, one he thought cruelly for the face hiding paper bag to whom he had flirted as he often did with the ladies with occasional success. He recalled her sitting in his lap, his flirting somewhat successful, except for the fact that his old friend Joe had pulled her from it. Joe had introduced them, letting him know she had talent as an actress and if there might be a role in a commercial or any film he might be working on, that both wouldn’t mind auditioning. Having worked with Joe on his early films, he knew Joe had talent, and if not a face the camera loved, an interesting enough one. And he had heard Lindy’s voice work for the new game Joe and his friends had created and had to agree at least her voice showed talent.