Chapter 46

Selena lay in bed listening to the purr of Joe's light snore. She felt empty and alone. Although Joe said her admission made no difference, they went to bed without making love or the usual affections. They both downed their wine and Joe took her hand and led her to the bedroom. She undid her robe and Joe took it and laid it across the foot of the bed. He patted her bare butt and she crawled into the bed with Joe following her. She played coy and rolled away from him hoping he would spoon her, but he settled in and was asleep in minutes.

Her thoughts turned paranoid asking herself, "Is this the beginning of the end? Has he grown tired of some of my little girl antics? Are our worlds really that different?"

She tried to tell herself that he was just tired, but he was always randy for her. Now he had another woman, more his own age, to compare his future possibilities with. He said Shelley would always be his friend and he would always love her in some special way. Maybe he could say that about her!

Her mind was a blender full of negative ideas as her thoughts spiraled her into an inconsolable tearful bawl that she turned into the pillow so as not to wake him. But her tears and mournful cry was enough to wake anyone in the room, let alone the bed.

"Selena, what on earth is the matter?" He said as he shot up quickly thinking she might be in grave distress.

"We're through aren't we?" she said through sup-sucking watery bawls.

"Where in God's name did you get that idea? I just told you that all was well with us and nothing had changed." He said somewhat sympathetically, but with an angry edge.

"You want to go back to your other girlfriend who's more mature, don't you?" She slobbered out as before.

"GOD-DAMMIT SELENA! Right now there are kindergartners more mature than you. What part of my word don't you understand? What part of my love forever don't you understand? Didn't I tell you I accepted your explanation of the story. Yes I was disappointed with HOW it happened and how cavalierly you sought to hide it from me, but I love you so much that I can look past those misguided actions that you took. I NEVER THOUGHT YOU MEANT TO HURT ME! Now STOP THIS CRYING!! You've let your mind mix things out of control." Joe said in a raised tone, pissed off that she sometimes fails to understand the depth of his love, even though she preaches the same to him.

She continued to blubber on about not being able to live without him, she couldn't handle the job and the city without him, seeming to not hear his former pleas for her to stop. The hour of the night, the fact he had been asleep and the fact she accepted his words earlier without reserve drew his ire to a bright pitch. He knew what she hated, and he would resort to it again.

He peeled back the covers to expose her pretty bottom and he quickly got to his knees and wielding his right hand for a loud stinging slap across her bare butt. He followed that with 3 more spanks that left hand prints on her perfect ass before she could move. Then she pulled her hands away from their defensive posture.

"That's it! Spank me to make me pay for my unfaithfulness. Beat my ass until you think I've learned my lesson! Give it to me hard!" She said burying her face in her hands.

"JESUS CHRIST Selena! Have you lost all semblance of clear thinking? I slapped your ass because I know you hate it and I was trying to get you to your senses. I can't and won't make you pay. I love you for God's sake." Joe told her, not willing to comply with her wish.

Selena reached back and rubbed her reddened bottom and suddenly stopped crying.

"Joe, you really beat my ass, you know I hate spankings!"

"Precisely why I did it, and it appears it worked."

"Ohhh my ass hurts so much!"

"Are you though talking stupid and letting your emotions roller coaster?"

"Yes, I know I was out of control. Don't hate me for being unable to accept losing you." She said, sorry for her choice of words already.

"How can I hate someone who I love so much? This calls for a drastic move that I hoped I wouldn't have to make." Joe said as he got up and went to his writing press next to his dressing mirror.

He opened a drawer and took out a small package and brought it to the side of the bed and he knelt.

"Selena, look this way. I have some thing I want to say to you."

Selena was afraid of what he might say and slowly turned her head toward him.

"Selena Hanson, would you make me the happiest man on earth by saying that taking this ring you will agree to marry me and be the mother of our children with a promise from me that I will make you the happiest woman in the world as we live out our lives as one?"

Selena's eyes bugged out and sat back a moment from her elbow rest on the pillow. She looked at the ring, and then at Joe, her face running the gamut of fear, confusion, joy and ecstasy.

"Wha... ? You... you're... asking?" Selena stammered out in confused words.

"Yes, I'm asking you right now. I was going to wait for the top of The Empire State Building, but apparently you need some assurance from me that I love you as much now as I ever have. I love you more each minute and you seem to doubt that. I just treated you like a little girl, and you piss me off to make me lose my temper. I HATE to hurt you in any way and I only spank you as a wake up call because it reminds you that you've been an immature little girl. I've promised not to do it again, I know. However, your little girl actions and tantrum pushed me over. You lost the sexy place to get your ring and big question, but you still get it. Selena, how could you ever doubt my love for one second? Now you're letting me ramble on here and I still don't have your answer."

"Ohhhh... Joey! You know there's only one answer. I love you and want to be with you forever. The ring, it's so beautiful, it's the one I showed you in Jamaica. How did you get it? Oh God, I'm dizzy here with so many things happening. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you. NO NO, I never really doubted you, I just put words and scenarios in my mind. God, I better shut up and say yes and kiss you huh?"

"If that's what your heart tells you."

"Oh Joe it does!" She said before sitting up and leaning over to kiss Joe deeply.

"Selena, if there's one thing I wish would happen with you it would be to lose that immaturity that flares up from time to time. I'm hoping by taking my ring you'll stop letting your paranoia get the best of you. You are all I want in the world." Joe said hugging her close.

"I'm not mad at you for spanking me, I'm mad at myself. You're right to spank me when I act like that, because I know I've disappointed you by being a big baby. I'll try my hardest to make sure you never have reason to do it again, but if there is a next time, just warn me OK?" She said as she rubbed her bottom.

"Maybe I should kiss it for you?"

"Oooo, I would like that, but only if I can kiss something of yours."

"Stay where you are, but you have to put the ring on first." He said as he slipped the ring on her finger. He kissed her lips and then immediately down her back until her got to her lovely bottom. The halves sat perfectly shaped and slightly reddened before him as his lips covered it with kisses while he knelt up on the bed. He kissed big circles on both cheeks while she giggled and squirmed, his smooching obviously tickling her. He put his hands on the backs of her knees and parted her legs a bit while he dove deep between her legs to give her pussy a kiss. He whipped his tongue over her slit before coming straight back up and ran his tongue along her crack while one hand slipped up and pulled her open so he could tickle her asshole with his tongue. Selena jumped at the intrusion and twisted a bit, but Joe held her fast as both hands now held her pretty cheeks open for him to feast on her private sensitive spot. As he drilled with his tongue she giggled and whooped before her breath started hard in her throat.

"No Joey, I don't know if my little hiney can take you again so soon." She whined.

"Don't worry I'm just trying to make your hiney feel good after smacking it so hard. I know what I'm going to have tonight." He told her between licks.

"Well, stop then before I beg you to fill me up back there!" She laughed.

Joe stopped his anal-oral tease and knelt up straight on the bed, looking over her. She scooted around quickly to kneel up in front of him, his cock at her mouth level. She snaked her tongue out to tease him as he caressed her back. Once she pushed her mouth over him he threw his head back and sighed.

"Promise me you'll never get tired of doing that. Your mouth is as sweet as your pussy." He moaned aloud.

She pulled her head up quickly and said "Don't worry; I love to make love to you with my mouth. Just let me get on the floor while you sit on the bed. I can watch you better then."

Joe moved aside and let her get to the floor on her knees as he twisted around with his legs on either side of her.

She never hesitated a moment in driving her mouth over him. He gasped from the sudden warm velvet envelope that sheathed him. She bobbed her head a few times before wrapping her hand around him and stroking him a few times while she looked up at him.

"You make my little asshole feel so hot and so good. You are the sexiest man. Please cum for me, I want you so bad." She said breathlessly as she went right back to her mouth fucking of him.

She worked hard with her eyes closed sucking and stroking him until she detected the flavor of his pre-cum. She looked up at him in anticipation. Looking down and seeing her eyes locked onto him in devotion was a great catalyst. He thought he would last a long time under her mouth, but he was wrong. He felt his balls churning already.

"Oh baby, you're going to get my load soon. You're so good to me! I love you!" He yelled out as he began to raise his hips to her bobbing head.

The words hardly left his mouth before he began to shoot into her mouth as she quickly swallowed and ran her tongue over and over the head of his cock as she squeezed every drop from him. Soon Joe became over sensitive and began to move away from her mouth as she fell back onto her haunches and smiled up at him.

"That was awesome, especially knowing you just gave me the ring. I love you and like to make you happy. Any time we have sex makes me happy and complete, but using our mouths is always special, tasting each other, controlling each others pleasure. I love to taste your seed and I know it brings you pleasure. I'll wear your ring so proudly."

"You want to start wearing it now, telling people?"

"Oh, please Joe, I want everyone to know."

"I have another surprise for you. On the third of March I'm having my reversal surgery. Dr. Nikko doesn't think I should wait any longer. He's reviewed all my tests and pictures and thinks doing it once the real cold is gone and before the heat gets here will leave me at my best option for success. I'm at the start of the least successful age bracket. But he's confidant; he says that outside temperatures and outside activity in temperature extremes play a part in it all. So maybe we shouldn't wait so long to get married."

"Joey, what's gotten into you, the ring, moving up our plans?"

"You knew you were going to get a ring, but with the moving up, if I have successful surgery there's always a chance for you to get pregnant, and we don't want that without being married."

"Mmmm, when you get fixed, are you going to taste different?"

"You are impossible! Let's get to sleep my sweet, sweet Selena."

Selena knew that she had a thousand questions for Joe about the surgery, how he got the ring, but she also knew it was getting very late and Friday was always a day to be sharp at WSGG. She couldn't wait to go to sleep so she could wake up and put on her ring for all to see. She cuddled up to Joe and the two of them were asleep in no time.

Selena woke up 5 minutes before the alarm and quickly reached for her new ring, her engagement ring on the bed stand. She lay back into her pillow as Joe lightly snored and she admired the ring. Any ring would do, but this is one she singled out in the case of a custom jeweler. When Joe asked about it he was told that it was a special order that was designed by the buyer. She remembered that Joe had told the artisan that although it had been designed by another, the final product was a work of art that mirrored the fine talent of the maker. The young man had blushed at Joe's comments and spent a lot of time with both of them showing them other jewelry. Joe ended up buying earrings and a necklace for her. She knew the jeweler would not have made another copy of the original work, nor would Joe have asked him.

She wanted to smother Joe with a kiss barrage to wake him so she could thank him again, but he was sleeping so soundly she decided to let him wake at his own pace, and if he woke before she left, GOOD!

She got up and switched off the alarm in the last possible minute to save Joe's sleep. She put the ring back on the stand and went to shower. As she showered and washed her body she was reminded of their love-making from the night before. Her pussy still felt good from the plowing he had given her on the barstool after she turned around to get it from behind. He was close to cumming and seemed longer and fatter than ever when he plowed into her. She giggled to herself as she washed her tender pussy thinking about the load he shot an hour or so later into her mouth. It wasn't as sweet as some, but after the ring it was satisfying as any. Joe usually ate "flavor-friendly" foods, especially pineapple and parsley, and stayed away from dairy products, cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus after lunch time. Her sexy thoughts added a bounce to her demeanor as she dried and dressed smiling at herself in the mirror. After drying her hair she opened the door to the bedroom and Joe was still out, his snore in the same cadence as before. She put on her coat and went downstairs to get a quick breakfast before her walk to work.

As she floated across the lobby Joseph came up to her.

"Good morning Miss Hanson. Why don't you let me arrange a ride to work for you today? There's a light frozen mist on the sidewalks from a foggy night and it might be hazardous." He warned.

"OK, give me, ummm... 25 minutes. I'll take my time with coffee and maybe a bite. Uhhhh, how do you like this?" She said as she flashed her new ring, its center diamond so prominent.

"Good Lord, Miss Hanson, are you engaged?"

"Why yes, Joseph, I am." She said brightly before saying under her breath "(The four of us will have to have a drink on it. Have Shanna call me)"

After accepting his congratulations she was off to the coffee shop for her morning brew and a croissant. As she sat and glanced through her Wall Street she kept noticing a woman sitting across the room, who looked dreadfully out of place in New York, with her deep tan in the middle of December. When the woman got up to go to the Ladies Room she couldn't help but notice her large breasts and full figure. She was quite pretty, her tan face framed with bouncy blond tresses.

Suddenly it hit her that this might be Shelley. Was she staking out The Four Seasons waiting for Joe? Was this a coincidence of circumstances or was she being paranoid again? She looked down at her ring and decided that she needed to get her act together.

When the woman returned she had a newspaper under her arm, The Wall Street Journal. She hadn't gone to the Ladies Room, she went to get a paper. Selena decided to face her demons and get up to approach her.

"Excuse me and Good Morning," She greeted her, "If I may be so forward, but is your name Shelley?"

"Why, yes it is. Who is asking?"

"Hi, I'm Selena Hanson, Joe Johnson's fiance."

"I must say that you are just as pretty as Joe told me, and he must have given you a pretty good description of me." She said, blushing deeply. "I suppose it doesn't look good, my being here in his hotel, but my intentions are on the square."

"Let's not get off on the wrong foot. I didn't confront you to accuse you of anything; it was just after his description, seeing you here intrigued me. I knew it had to be you." Selena offered.

"I have a trust and it's all pretty well invested, but I need to liquidate some of it and have funds transferred to make the final payment on a home I'm purchasing upstate." Shelley explained.

"It's not always wise to pay off a property and lose the benefits of owing."

"I was going to improve it right away and get a home equity loan. Siding, and paint with a kitchen upgrade will double or triple what I'm buying it for. The property is a distressed bank asset I stumbled on. I don't have a broker, per se, but Chase holds the trust and I was going to talk with them."

"Are you currently a WSG member?"

"I'm not sure, it may have run out. I let it go for a few years, and got back into it a year or so ago, when I knew I wanted to leave my husband and all."

"Do you remember the last weekly you got?"

Shelley fished into her purse and pulled out a seven week old tattered issue that contained the quarterly trends. Selena took it from her and checked the label.

"You're good until the end of the year. Why don't you come to work with me? I can give you a private consult on your portfolio if you like. We don't do it as a practice, but it's not unheard of. You have special circumstances and I wouldn't like to see you swayed the wrong way. You may have to wait about 30 or 40 minutes for me to run through the morning numbers, but if you have all the details of your portfolio I can guide you." Selena offered.

"Are... are you sure it would be OK?"

"I'm sure. I just have to call the executive assistant so you can get in."

"I have a cell phone, do you want to use that?"

"OK, I'm trying to avoid having to get one. I don't like the disruption it provides." Selena said while dialing.

"Good Morning Deneigh. Listen, when I come in I'll be bringing in a client for a short consult. She'll have to wait for me to get my run through. Any problems?"

"I just need a name to bring up her profile."

Selena looked at Shelley. "Shelley McLelligott?" She said remembering the name from Joe's ramblings.

"Oh no, that's my maiden name, I belong as Shelley Shadeow, S-h-a-d-e-o-w."

Deneigh entered her name in to the data base, overhearing the spelling.

"From San Diego?" Selena relayed as Shelley nodded.

"All set Selena, how do I charge off your time."

"Bill it back to me, it will be gratis."

Selena looked at her watch and knew that Joseph was always on time.

"Come on Shelley, we can make some small talk on the way, my ride should be here." She said as she gathered her things and hustled towards the front door.

Joseph saw Selena coming and motioned her over.

"Hurry, they need the Airport shuttle for nine, we can just make it." He said as he opened the doors of the mini van for them.

"Joseph, this is Shelley, and old friend of Joe's, and Shelley this is Joseph also an old friend of Joe's." Selena said making quick introductions as Joseph sped down the side street to get to WSG and back as soon as he could.

Morning traffic in the area wasn't bad and Joseph made the drop and return without a problem for them. Selena quickly introduced Shelley to Deneigh and showed her where she could wait until Selena was ready for her.

The after-hours and overseas markets were quiet and the Dow hadn't moved out of a 20 point block for days. The Holidays were settling in and the market was doing its usual Holiday stagnation. Selena checked a few leads she had on futures trading and returned a call to Slim Beepo who told her there might be a rush on vanilla. Vanilla was actually a fruit from a tropical orchid. Vanilla beans are grown primarily in Madagascar, Indonesia, Tahiti, and Mexico, all of which had damage from a wild hurricane season. However from the maturity of the bean, it took almost 3 months to get the extract. It could be in short supply by January and it was actually the most used flavoring in ice cream, puddings, cakes, chocolates, baked goods, syrups, candies, liqueurs, tobacco, soft drinks and Vanilla tincture is used in perfumes. She planned an article for the weekly newsletter based on Slims information.

By 9:35 Selena was ready for Shelley and she called for her. Deneigh showed her in and Shelley sat across from Selena and showed her the portfolio and what she planned on liquidating from the trust. Selena went into one of her thinking modes and began to throw numbers into her calculator, stopping occasionally to page through some tables on her computer and then referencing other figures from her live feed from the world networks.

"You know, we might want to rethink the ADM and GSK stocks. Yes, they have been slow to improve, but they are stalwarts. I just heard that vanilla will be in short supply at the start of the year and ADM can only benefit from that. I don't see big growth there, but certainly not a weakening. GSK will be a big player in the ED boom we expect to see by the end of next year. The government has already approved ads for Erectile Dysfunction medications and they plan to start with the Super Bowl ad blitz. You might have to change your thinking about winners like these. Steady and strong is better than risky with weak bottoms that could fall out. Let me show you some examples of how stocks in retail ventures look good but can fail fast." Selena explained to her with a small retracting pointer as she held up the papers.

The two conferred for another 10 minutes with Selena showing her better choices for liquidation that might even cut future losses. She had her selling a large portion of her GM stock, reinvesting part in other strong commodities and then still paying off most of her mortgage. Shelley was impressed by her quick knowledge and apparent savvy of the market and the "easy funds" she owned.

Just when Selena wanted to turn the conversation to a personal side there was a knock on the door. Trace Fountain peeked his head inside.

"I understand we have a bona-fide personal investment customer in the house. Am I interrupting?" He asked with his Ralph Bellamy type of charm.

"No please Mr. Fountain, come in. This is Shelley Shadeow. Shelley this is J Trace Fountain, one of the founders of the Group and think tank."

"Oh my God, I'm so pleased to meet you. I've read your columns for years and seen your face so often on TV and well now of course I see Selena but... "

Oh my," He chuckled. "They did consumer testing and found Miss Hanson much for attractive than me." He joked.

"Mr. Fountain, Ms Shadeow has a trust she manages and she wanted to liquidate part to buy a home. She's recently separated and wanting to get a new start."

"Well, investing in a home is always a good investment in the long run. I think you'll see a boom in ownership within the next few years as interest rates continue to tumble. Is it a new home?" Trace asked.

"No, it's sort of a re-po. The bank had it on the market for a time and I got a tip to make an offer for what they had in it. Good timing on my part, I guess. It's in a modest middle class area of homes in the 150 and above range, and I got it for under 85. I don't think it will take more than 15 or 20 to improve it back to new. Then if interest rates get right, I'll take the equity out and catch back up with the trust." Shelley explained.

"Are you the sole heir to the trust?"

"Yes I am. My parents left it to me and my sister, but she passed away. She had CP and was the reason for the trust, so I could take care of her. Long story... "

"My sympathies. So, this is actually your portfolio and no longer a trust, so to speak, yes?"

"Yes, that would be correct. I just hate to think of it that way. I didn't want a prize for my sister dying."

"Ms. Shadeow, life deals blows to all of us, and pays dividends to all of us, but all at different stages. When our hand plays no part in neither it is up to us to accept both the smooth and prickly sides. I'm sure everyone involved would want you to do as you see fit with this, but mostly it should be to make you live a happy, comfortable life." He said to her in a somewhat fatherly way.

He looked over the portfolio and saw the stocks she had marked for dissolution.

"Miss Hanson, do you concur with her decisions?"

"No, I thought she was too heavy into GM. Although GM is considered safe and as trusty as Big Blue or some others, I thought knowing what we know, GM is the easy sell. ADM and GSK may have their best growth years ever... " She began to explain before Trace held up a hand.

"Miss Hanson, this wasn't a quiz for you. Ms. Shadeow pays good money to know what we know, and now she does. I just came into meet a customer and I know you wouldn't give her bad advice." He said with a little chuckle as he moved towards the door.

"Ms. Shadeow, it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope your fortunes turn to the better and you get a good start again. Godspeed. Oh, and Miss Hanson, please tell Miss Myerson to comp her time to my account." He said glad to help someone down on her luck that had the means to turn it around and enough sense to seek professional advice.

"I've already comped her to mine." Selena said.

"Well, she can change that. You're still in school, keep your money." He said with a wry smile as he closed the door behind him.

"Wow, J. Trace Fountain in the flesh. Is he really as cool as that? I'm so flattered he took the time, and was so sincere." Shelley said in awe.

"I work with an incredible group of really smart people. I pinch myself every time I walk in here." Selena said, in a little awe herself.

"Well, we've taken care of the business we came here for, but there's a little personal business we should take care of." Shelley said with a sigh. "I never thought I would ever see Joe again. I didn't come to New York looking for him. I don't want you to think I would ever do anything to jeopardize anything you've built. I had my chance with Joe and I threw it away. You are so lucky to have him and I can see that he is very lucky to have you. I wish only the best for both of you. If I caused any undo feelings between the two of you, I'm real sorry. Our meeting yesterday was pure chance. I was going to call Joe this morning to go to Chase with me; I knew you two were living there. You've been so nice to me, so kind, and Joe was as sweet as ever yesterday. He and I weren't together long, but it might have been the most eventful time of my entire life. I found what real love felt like, and then I lost my sister and I had a very hard time with that. I'm glad the two of you have found such joy together."

Both women had misty eyes at the end of her spiel.

"Joe is very special and I can't blame you for loving him when you did. He and I feel like the most perfect match ever. Our differences have been over my immaturity and insecurities. He is my first real love and sometimes I show my physical age. But, he understands so well, about everything." Selena tells her, wiping tears away.

The two compose themselves finally and beam smiles to each other, both probably remembering the great nights they spent with the man they both love.

"If I may be so bold Shelley, would you be open to, when you're ready, to meeting a friend of ours?" Selena asked.

"A friend of you and Joe's?"

"Yes, we both had the same thought at once last night, it seemed."

"What made you think I might be interested in him?"

"He's coming off a bad relationship, you're coming off a bad relationship, I know he's a smart man with a big heart, and Joe knows you to be a smart woman also with a big caring heart. It's funny, I only know him over the phone, but he is the sweetest guy. He has quite a reputation in the financial investment world. He currently lives in Japan, but wants to come to the States. He's known as Slim, he's of Dutch descent, but was adopted by a couple from India in England. They moved to the US where he went to high school, and then he went back to England where he finished his schooling. He works the floor at the Nikkei Exchange, sort of doing what we do here at WSGG. There's a very good chance he'll have the next seat here." She explained.

"Does he have to wait for someone to die or retire?" Shelley asked with an unpleasant look, like she smelled something bad.

Selena smiled broadly.

"No, no it's not like that, although it was at one time. I am the sixth member and they plan to add at least one more, maybe two over the next few years. The market is getting more and more diverse. Anyway, he wants to settle here in the States and will probably move here as soon as he can. He was in a long term, long distance relationship. They were engaged, but she ended up pregnant, and he hadn't physically seen here in months. She's a correspondent for Newsweek and lives in Boston." Selena said, surprised Shelley was so interested.

"Well, right now I'm still married, but he sounds interesting. We both have a lot of baggage, it sounds. Right now I'd only need a man for one thing and my running around days are over. (She blushed deeply) Seeing Joe yesterday reminded me how sweet some men can be. I miss not having one around, if you know what I mean, but I can get by." Shelley said, embarrassed at her admission.