Chapter 20

The new adventure I was testing on Friday Nights for Steve Jackson was proceeding wonderfully. Sue was making a great lead reporter, and this time it was in the 1960s, and involved shipments of heroin being brought into the US. The Police had already arrested the kingpin that had been selling the horse, but the drugs were still coming in, and he would not say how they were smuggled into the country.

We had just wrapped it up for the night after Sue had a packet dropped on her desk, and she noticed it had a strong chemical smell and had a kilo of pure heroin inside. After everybody left she was just like Becky and trying to get me to give her more information. “Sorry, this is different in that it really is a mystery. And one I am going to sell, so I need an authentic playing so I can judge if it is working as I hope. But tell you what, I have an encyclopedia in my office. I will bring it in here, and you are more than welcome to look through it for clues. Just remember, it is 1967, and you are in Delaware.”

She asked me about next week, and I said there was no game that night, as I had to be at the convention at LAX. “Don’t forget, you have tickets for the presentation on Sunday, Saturday is the same thing, just there. I am not about to run a game Friday, then two presentations two days in a row. I will already be so tired that it might be rough getting home after that.”

“Well, if you need a ride home, I can always do that.” She smiled, but I politely turned her down. Sue had been growing increasingly flirtatious, and I realized it was time to just end that.

“Thank you, Sue, and I do appreciate it. But one rule I made long ago, I do not do anything more than things like this with those I work with. It’s a professionalism thing, nothing to do with you.” She smiled and said she understood, but it seemed like she was maybe a little hurt. I walked her to her car, and then locked up and went into the office.

I poured myself a drink and thought it was a kind of a shame. She was cute as hell, but only 20. And getting involved with an employee was in the words of the characters from “Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids”, it was just “bad news”. Besides, if there was an employee I would get involved with, it would be Julie. I had another drink, then pulled out the bed and stripped down and climbed in. Thankfully, this was the last of three nights in the shop, a broken water main in front of the house had made it that I had no water, and would have to walk a block to get home. But it should be fixed the next day.

But I laid there, and soon realized I had an erection. So I pushed off my underwear and stroking slowly imagined Julie. How even after Becky left and I rescinded policy about skirts and dresses, she continued to wear them. However, in the last several months they had become just a tad less professional, and a bit more revealing. And how her large D cup breasts pushed out the front of her dress that day, and the lovely cleavage they had shown that in her scoop-necked top. How I would have loved to stick my cock between them and feel her pushing them around my shaft as I ran my fingers through her blonde hair.

And how they were even large in High School, a very full C when I first saw her in a bikini when we all went to the beach once. I stroked myself faster, remembering how she got out of the ocean in that bikini. The fabric hiding much of her breasts, but unable to conceal the large bumps in the front. Her large nipples, hard from the cold and turning me on, even though Linda had been right next to me.

And how Julie was wrong when she talked to Becky’s lawyer. I had ogled her, even back then. Just discreetly. Her firm breasts, and even though I had never seen them I knew they were capped with nipples that got hard and long by what I saw through that bikini top. Picturing them in my mind, the same shade of her lips. I was trying to picture how large her areola might be, and her lovely heart-shaped ass. An ass a few days ago I had looked at while she had knelt down onto her knees and spent several minutes going through the bottom drawer in the filing cabinet to find an invoice I had needed. I was appreciating in my mind how that ass had looked, her still slim waist flaring out towards her hips, the perfect angle for my hands to grasp if I had lifted her skirt and wanted to thrust my cock into her in that position. I was imagining how it would feel to be fully embedded inside of her in that position when I felt it starting and quickly grabbed my shirt from the floor. I felt my orgasm wash over me as I squirted my cum into the shirt, finally feeling a sense of release.

“Fuck, I need to get laid,” I said to myself as I wiped myself up. Throwing the shirt into the corner and sliding back into my underwear, then rolling over so I could fall asleep.

The presentation at the convention was mostly good, but they choose to leave the child with the dead parents. Thankfully a possibility I had already planned on. And the goblins thanked them, but then chastised them for their cruelty. They said they were moving back east, and quickly sent fast warriors to try and save the child before it died. “But it’s another two day at the soonest, even for my fastest runners. I am afraid of what they will find since the child would have been alone for over a week by then. But we will save him if we can. But leave us now, we will be gone in 3 days. We thank you, but never want to see you again.”

Sharla had played a perfect melancholy tune at this, and I saw more than a few crying. They got the reduced reward. And after it was over I took some questions from the audience.

“Mr. Culver, what would have happened if they had rescued the child?”

“Pete, please. As for that, let’s just say that is included in the adventure, and if you want to see for yourselves you will have to play it. But yes, there are multiple endings. Even for one if they bring the child back with them, and if there is a half-orc in the party where they decide to raise the child themselves or bring him to their own family.”

I then had one ask why I had made so many endings. “Simple, I hate the entire trope of ‘Rescue the princess or village, everybody lives happily ever after’. I like to include things like this, that give the choices the party makes have real meaning. Your decisions do not only affect you, they affect all of those around you.”

One asked me what if the party had just attacked the goblins. “Well, then that would have been a very short adventure.” There was a lot of laughter, the Geek’s struck up a silly tune. “No, seriously, I had that planned out also, you will need to get it to discover what that would have been.”

I finally thanked them all for coming, and went to the room set aside for autographs. Thankfully Mandy was there with her boyfriend, and after a hug we were both signing away. This guy was a bit older and seemed completely out of place here. He was in a button-down shirt, and was rather stiff and stodgy. He was not a jackass like her last ones had been, but he still did not seem right. Soon it was all done, and we said goodbye as I headed for the parking lot.

After once too often wanting to get things that did not fit in the Toyota and were too small for the box truck, I had finally decided to trade it in. I threw my backpack into the back of my Isuzu Trooper and headed on home. I got up early the next morning, and threw my suit bag into the back of the truck and drove to Wilshire. This was another old theater that had fallen on hard times, but on the outside, the Art Deco architecture in green looked impressive. And once I was in I could already hear the band practicing in the Orchestra Pit. And this time there really was one, not just an area blocked off for them to play from in front of the seats.

Once again Gloria soon had me jumping through hoops, doing sound checks and walking from one area of the stage to the other, making marks on the stage where appropriate. And we gave rehearsals of our speeches. Brad, then mine, then Mandy when I brought her up. We were just finishing lunch when Fred showed up, and of course, right away he asked me why he was there.

I confirmed he had gotten the tickets, and he nodded. “Almost 1,000, spread among the bases in the area. But why am I here now Pete?”

I laughed and explained that I was now retired, so it was no longer appropriate for me to call the room to attention. “So what I need Captain, is for somebody in uniform to do that for me. I had already told Brad and Gloria both that if that was not done, I was not going to do this. So I am asking you to do it for me.” He smiled and said it would be an honor.

We then got up and practiced that a few times, and when Gloria was happy we moved on with the program. I saw she was now using a computer to present the slides and could replace one image with another in seconds. I asked about her camera rig, and she said they already had one, but this was too large of an area to use it in. “I will send you a tape we did using it though, it is still rough but getting better. We hope to have it on the market in the next year or so.”

I went into my dressing room and got dressed. The dark blue suit Becky had bought me, and the miniatures of my medals on the lapel, right below a small EGA and US flag. And it seems Brad had made similar arrangements as before. At 4:30 Julie came in and hugged me, and said it was time to get in the limo. She grinned and took my arm. I smiled, then asked her why she was there and said she was not going to let me walk in by myself. “Pete, this is your show, it would not be appropriate for you to walk in from that limo all alone.” She had a lovely purple dress on, and with her hand on my arm, we went out the back and got in the limo for the drive around the block.

And once again, the sidewalk was crowded with spectators, many in uniform. And this time almost every guy had a lady on his arm. But this time Brad had planned ahead and decided to avoid the issues of last time. He made donations to several local Modeling Schools, and it was their students on their arms, not just random escorts. And even the gals in uniform all seemed to be on the arm of a male model. So everybody had a companion, unless they decided to be single.

Half the table was military, and half civilian this time. And the music was even better than last time. Having done it just the night before, they had a better idea of what to play when. And this time it was a perfect playthrough, the party bringing the boy back with them. There was a lot of applause at the end, and after closing remarks I handed Brad my keys as did Julie, and we hopped in a limo that took us to a hotel not far away for the party. I hugged Mandy again once we arrived as well as Holly, and they said that they keep getting better.

Becky came up and kissed my cheek, and introduced me to Art. He was a nice enough guy, and after the buffet dinner, a DJ actually started playing music. I was standing there when I was surprised to see Becky walk up to me. “Peter, can we dance please?” I smiled and held out my arm and we moved onto the floor. “You know, we never did make it to the Ball, I guess this is the closest we will have.”

I nodded and said it would have to do. “You’re not still mad at me, are you?” she softly asked. and I looked into her eyes, her small petite frames on her face this time. Of every girl I ever dated or knew well, Becky was the only one that had four pairs of glasses, each in a frame to create a look she wanted to project.

“Becky, I told you already, I was never mad. Still a bit hurt, but what’s done is done. I do hope you are happy, and I wish you all the best. Honestly, I learned long ago to not hold grudges. Life can be too short, and I just see no reason to have hate for those I love, just because they hurt me.”

“Yes, I guess not. And I’m not surprised, I guess. I know you are a kind man. But I was surprised to see you show up with Julie.”

I laughed, and we did a small spin that had her giggle. “Just as a companion, nothing more. She and Brad decided I should not arrive alone, it would ruin my reputation. I have always arrived with a lovely lady on my arm if not a posse, they decided it had to be that way again tonight.”

“So you and she are not...?”

“Nope. She has never even more than hinted, although I finally had to let Sue know that I never date employees.”

“No way, really? Sue? She’s more of a geek than I ever was!”

“Yea, and like six years younger than I am. It’s flattering, but you know I am not really one for casual relationships. If I was the kind to just do a girl and move on, I would consider that. But that’s just not me. And I would risk not only possibly losing an outstanding employee, but also possibly getting sued.”

“I know, that’s why I fell in love with you. You could have done that to me, but you did not. You know, like the song playing now, I now realize I have regrets.” I listened, and it indeed was the Elvis rendition of a Frank Sinatra song.

I reached up and lightly caressed her cheek with my thumb. “Don’t. More than a few times, we had problems with communication. I had told you before I had been talking with Cliff into buying his shop, maybe in the next year or so. And yes, this is what I had been planning on for a while now. If I had told you that, or you had asked, things might have been different. But I am happy with the shop, and I hope you are happy with your shop.”

“I am, and the next one will be in the Santa Monica area I think. I already have an agent looking down there. And I have to apologize. In anger and hurt, I called your shop ‘junky’. It was never that, and now it looks too good for that area. I was shocked when I came for the opening, I could hardly believe it when I saw it.”

“I kind of sensed that. Then the regret set in.” She looked into my eyes and nodded. “Rebecca Madlonado, know this. I love you, I always will love you. But you had a path set in your mind, and it moved to where I was no longer in it. I say this out of love, Becky, not to hurt you in any way. Once I moved out of that path you set, I think it was doomed between us. You were not willing to settle down with me anymore, and I had a different goal I had to follow. You could no more settle with a man you thought did not live up to his potential than I could with a gal that did not respect my goals.”

She pulled me close and we finished the dance. The music started to speed up, and she gave me a long soft kiss, then took my arm as I walked her back to Art. He quickly grabbed her hand and took her out to dance as Holly came next to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. She rested her head on my shoulder and squeezed. “That seemed surprisingly civil.”

“Holly, we more drifted apart than broke up. And to be honest, I am almost afraid that if I asked her to come back, she would. But I can’t do that. I guess she kind of lost respect for me when I would not ‘move up’ as she said, and I can not be with a gal that does not respect me and my goals. I even saw it in her face at the opening. When she realized that she had been wrong. It was keeping faith with Cliff that held me back, but I was not about to break that.” I could feel her head nod on my shoulder as I said that.

“You know, you really are a lucky guy. I can’t think of anybody I know that can remain friends with past lovers the way you can. And I have met all of them but Kim and Deb. But her, me, Mandy, Jackie, Frannie, we would almost all do anything for you if you asked.”

“Well, and I would for all of you also. And hell, I want nothing to do with Linda. But if I was to get a call saying she needed $10,000 for rehab, or for surgery to save her I would not hesitate to write a check. I can’t help who I am, it’s just how I was made.”

“And Julie? You know she has a thing for you, right?”

I chuckled and had her take my arm and we walked over to Dan. “Dan, I’m gonna borrow your girlfriend for an hour or so. Is that OK?”

“Hey, go for it Pete,” he said jovially. He then leaned in, kissed her cheek, and whispered so only we three could hear “But wear a condom please, I hate sloppy seconds.” I fought to keep back a laugh as Holly slapped him, then kissed him. She then stuck her tongue out at him and said “Just for saying that, I may just decide that is what we need to do! But Pete is good for much more than an hour.” She then took my arm as we walked outside.

“You always did like to walk when things were on your mind.”

“Yep, kind of like long-distance pacing I guess. But yes, about Julie. Becky and I had her at the house a few times, and the first time she had more than a bit to drink. She told me that Linda had offered me to her, but the condition was that she had to be open for Linda also. She even told us that she turned her down because she has absolutely no interest in ever being with another girl. But she was tempted because she wanted to try it with me. And to be honest, if not for the fact I am her boss I also am tempted. She is as lovely now as a woman as she was cute as a girl when I first met her.”

“Yes, that could be a real problem. She is basically your caretaker, now that Becky and Dee are not in your life anymore. And you always seem lost without a strong woman in your life. You know, you could probably bed her with little problem at any time. I have known since she was still in Junior High that she thought you were hot. But what happens then?”

“Yep, pretty much. Holly, I even masturbated while thinking of her a week or so back. That is so unlike me.”

“What, you never masturbate? Sorry, sorry, I know what you mean. When I did that whenever I was single it was normally of just some ‘random almost faceless guy’. But when I was with somebody, only then was it really about somebody specific. Normally them. Oh, sometimes when I was single it might be specific. You were in many of them I admit, and even your dad once or twice.” I stopped, and she yanked my arm so I would keep walking. “Pete, that was after Keith, before we knew about Dee. Your dad is kind, very gentle, and a lot like an older version of you. A lot of girls have fantasies about an older man teaching them. Often it’s teachers, with me a couple of times it was your dad. But never once after we knew he was with Dee.”

“Yeah, kinda the same. It might be some actress or singer, sometimes somebody in the past. But rarely like that night.”

“Well, she is hot I admit. If I can make a suggestion? Get with Skip, see if you can run a game there at his shop. You are starting to become a hermit, you need to get out more, meet more people. Skating is dead or all kids, or I would suggest that.” I laughed and told her about going to Valencia the month before.

“Hey Pete, check into Moonlight, they have adult nights there. But it’s long enough, you need to start at least dating again. As for Julie, I think you are right. Keep things like they are, even though you probably fantasize about fucking her big titties.” I looked over at her, and she laughed and wrapped her arm around my waist. “Oh Peter, don’t forget, I was your lover also. I know you. I have seen you fucking Linda’s tits when she barely had any to fuck. We never did, but I’m sure that was only because we only had a few nights together.”

I laughed and nodded, and asked what I should do. “Well, that’s obvious. Get out, date, get laid. Have some casual flings, even a one night stand or two. You can always call Frannie down for a weekend.”

“Can’t, she’s with Nate now. Lisa is taken, you are taken, Mandy is taken, Kim is taken. The only two gals that have seemed to show any interest in me the last few months have been my employees. Hell, if nothing else I could always grab the LA Express and arrange for Holly Wood to meet me in a hotel.”

“Oh Pete, that’s not even funny. Even though I am having to fight not to laugh. I know you would never do that. But I bet if you did she would knock on the door, and when you opened it she would shit and run away screaming.”

We hugged for a few minutes when we hit the end of that block, then turned around and started heading back. And curse me for having a smart best friend. “Employees, as in plural. I have never met your new one, Eva?”

“Eve, and no, not her. Sue, actually. The last month or so she has been flirting with me more and more. But just like Julie, she is cute, and very attractive to me. But she’s just 20, and I am her boss.”

“I can see that being an issue. Even Linda seemed a bit young at two years younger, she is six. She was entering Junior High as you entered the Marines. If she was not your employee, I would say have a fun weekend with her. But then you might lose her at the shop, so keep it in your pants.”

Holly then softly sighed, and pulled me closer as she told me she was still sad about Becky. She had really thought she was “the one”. I admitted I had too. “In fact, I had already bought an engagement ring, and was only looking for the right time to propose to her. She gasped, and stopped and hugged me again. “Were you, really Pete? Were you ready for that again, finally?”

I nodded, and said I planned on giving it to her in July. “I was going to arrange for us to go to maybe Santa Barbara for a weekend, and I would propose there. But she ended it before I could decide where to go, so that was all for nothing. I will never tell her though, she already seems to be hurting a bit. I’m still torn a bit also, to be honest. Part of me is just content to move on, but part of me still wants to try and get back with her again. But I am also afraid that she would just do this again sometime in the future if I was not moving fast enough for her.”

“I get that. Once you told me what happened, I realize that she has this idea of her perfect life. And once you fell out of that, she decided to leave and find a guy that is moving up the way she wants to see. But it probably is a bit of sour wine now, seeing you exceed what she thought you would do. How long until you pass her in business also?”

“Oh Holly, she has yet to even catch me. Oh, she grosses more than I do, but my net is way higher. She is getting maybe 10-20% markup in most things, higher on her publishing business. Me? I probably make double or more off of everything I sell. As in 100-150% markup. Sometimes 500% markup or more. Her gross is higher, my net after expenses is a lot higher. And that is the amount since we ended it. Since then I have expanded the business even more, and am doing at least four times what I did in a month last year. And I know she has somebody else doing her computers now. I did them for her at cost. I have no idea what she is paying now.”

“She even cut you out of that?”

“Yes, all business connections completely severed. I think this is the third time we have met since then. You may not have noticed, she was not even with the Geek Crusaders tonight. She was not there last night either. We remain civil, but I have not even requested reprints of the adventures she used to print. Those are almost gone, and when they sell out, that is it I guess. I know Mandy is still doing art for her, and Mike is her assistant manager now. And both know my stance. I will ask how she is, and they can tell her how I am doing. And after the game last week I talked with Mike, he said he was happy to do so because he thinks we are both honest when we ask. And we both do seem happy if we hear the other is doing good. But if they ever think she needs me for anything, do not dare even hesitate to give me a call. No matter what time it is or where I am.”

“Pete, you are a hell of a guy. It took me a year to finally forgive Keith. If you had told me he was on fire a few months after we caught him, I would have drunk a bottle of gasoline so I could piss it on him. Now, it is more like with you and her. I like him now, and he and Jan are great together. I could not imagine being like you so soon.”

“Well, what can I say. It ended fast in my eyes, but not hard. We had been growing apart, we just did not know it at the time. Both busy with our own stores. I just did not see how much my moving up meant to her. And she did not understand what my staying where I was meant to me. Not staying where I was in the business, but the location. And I could not save Cliff, but I like to think I made his last time better after I found him. Because I really did try to save him.”

“And you are keeping his business alive. That’s something also.” We were back at the front and we kissed again, then went inside. I brought her back to Dan, and he smiled and kissed Holly, and asked her how it was. She laughed, and a few minutes later Mandy was dragging me to the dance floor. Some of what I told Holly was repeated to her, and she sighed and shook her head. “It surprised me also. Are you sure it’s OK for me to work for her?”

“Mandy, please do. I’m hurt, but not really mad at her. I wish her all the best, and when it comes to what you do, you are the best. A great artist, and a great friend. You can be her friend also, I do not play those stupid games where if you are my friend you can’t be her friend. I hope in Art she finds what she is looking for.”

“Oh, she might have. He is dull, but moving up as a banker. Assistant branch manager, he talks about getting his own branch in a year or so. He also thinks he is an investment guy, and Becky has reorganized her portfolio under his direction.” I shook my head and said I hoped that would not bite her in the ass later.

“Me, I got my stuff invested in bonds, stable Blue Chip stocks, even some money market funds. Slow growth, but stable and safe. I literally could lose everything tomorrow, and still live the rest of my life and never work again. I like that stability, to be honest. I just keep some available in case I get a wild hair up my ass and decide to buy something crazy.”

“Like sell your sports car and but another 4-wheel drive truck?” I smiled and told her exactly. “So tell me, are you and Julie a thing now?”

“Why is it you all ask if we are an item? Becky asked, Holly asked, and now you asked. And as I told them, I will not date my employees, ever.”

“Well, you don’t have to date her to screw her.”

“Amanda Carol, I am shocked at you! Hearing such language!” She stuck her tongue out at me, and I grinned and licked it. “Don’t stick that thing out at me missy, unless you plan on using it.”

She giggled, and I asked her how things were with her boyfriend. He apparently worked in purchasing, and while co-workers, they did not work in the same department. He was a few years older and divorced. We finished one more dance, then she hugged me and after a soft kiss, she returned to her boyfriend.

I had returned to the table and had a drink, and of course, Sue came up to me and smiled. “I looked through the encyclopedia. And I found some interesting things in it about a place called Dover Air Force Base. Does that have anything to do with the story?” I just smiled and told her to check with me during the game on Friday. Julie then asked me to dance, so we went out and she took a turn with me also.

She commented on what she heard me tell Sue, and I told her the same thing, not to pump me for information on a game I was going to try and publish. She laughed and nodded, and asked if I was going to dance with Sue also. I looked at her, and she smiled. “Pete, she has a crush on you. She has for a while now.”

“Julie, as I said already, I will not date people that work for me. As much as I would love to ask you out, that will likely never happen. You are my right hand there, and without you running things for me I would be lost. I know I can ask you to do anything, and you will get it done. If we dated and it ended, you would probably quit. Then I would really be screwed because nobody can replace you.”

“Oh, Eve can do it, she is picking it up fast already. But Pete, you are doing it again. Think about it, you run a store in a male-dominated field, and three of your four employees are all gals. And don’t confuse dating somebody with screwing them. You could probably throw her a screw or two, and she would be happy and move on.”

“What is it with you women?” I laughed softly. “First Holly, and now you. Saying I should go out and get laid. Even with one of my coworkers, then just move on.”

Julie cocked her head at that. “Coworkers, hmm? I’m an airhead Pete, but not an idiot. Holly has never met Eve as far as I know. Which means unless she was implying Abe, she had to mean me since it was plural.”

“Fifth Amendment,” I said.

“Pete, the thing is, I have thought of that. We have known each other what, seven years now? Eight? Let me explain to you about me and girls like me. You have experienced Linda. She just loves sex, if she can get a boyfriend that gives her stuff she will try to keep him, but it is the sex she wants. Then you have Becky, Holly, and Mandy. They want a lover, and eventually a husband. They will have sex with a boyfriend, even if they know it will likely never be a long-term relationship, but it has to at least be in a relationship.” I nodded, and both understood and agreed with her description of all four women she described.

“Me, I am somewhere in the middle. I also want a boyfriend, and someday a real lover and husband. However, I like sex, and if I am in the mood and the guy seems right I will just go for it. Enjoy a night or two of wild fucking, then leave each other with happy memories. But I will only behave like that if I am single. I think most guys are like me, others are like Linda. But you, you are more like Becky or Holly.”