Chapter 1

He was sitting alone at the sushi bar. It was a small place and almost deserted on a Monday night. He had ordered Hamachi-Kama and was sipping on a Kirin while waiting. The TV was showing whatever ESPN was broadcasting and he'd occasionally glance at it, but mostly he was just killing time. Another sip of beer, glance around the empty bar, and look at the TV.

That's when the two women walked in and sat down at the sushi bar. Since the place was so small there was only one empty chair between him and the first woman. She was petite, wearing a tight low-cut, sleeveless summer top. Her arm closest to him was up on the polished granite and it gave him a peek at the swell of her breast modeled by her tight top. It caught his attention fully. She was looking away, back at the other woman. As they sat, he discreetly eyed them. 'Damn, ' he thought. 'I like the look of that.'

The waitress came over and took the ladies' drink order. He still hadn't seen a face. Finally, the farther woman turned towards her companion. She was attractive, mid-thirties, nice body, and as she held up a hand he saw... no wedding ring. 'Good, ' he thought. The closer woman grabbed her drink and he could see no wedding ring. 'Two single ladies out on the town. Things are looking up, ' he thought. Now he had to make contact.

He caught the woman's eye and smiled his best friendly, non-threatening smile. Her eyes widened for a moment, then she returned the smile. This caused the closer woman to turn around to see what she was smiling at. 'Uh oh, ' he thought. The woman looked to be about sixteen. He had misjudged this whole thing. "Hi," he said in a neutral voice to the girl.

She gave him the teen death stare, then said, "Hi."

The older woman also said, "Hi," but in a much friendlier tone.

That was a good sign. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," he said.

The girl's face let him know he was intruding. The woman responded, "Don't worry about it. One of the nice things about these places is you can talk to people. Too many people wrap themselves into cocoons and never meet anyone."

"I'm Mike," he introduced himself. "Do you two work together?"

The older woman gave him a look that indicated she saw through his attempt, but also was complimented by it. "I'm Kathy and this is my daughter, Caitlyn."

"Hello, Caitlyn," he said to the girl.

She summoned up her manners and responded, "Hello."

He subsided to let the women look at their menus. He glanced over several times and saw that Kathy was glancing his way as well. After the women ordered, Kathy caught his eye and held it.

He knew an invitation when he saw one. "This sounds tired, but do you come here often?"

Kathy laughed and Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "No, this is a treat for Caitlyn's birthday."

Mike smiled, "Congratulations." He tactfully didn't ask her age. Women always seem to feel they are too young until the moment when they are too old. There was no happy medium and Mike felt his best policy was to say nothing about years.

"Do you come here often?" Kathy asked.

He smiled, "Too often. It's a lot easier than fixing my own meals. Cooking for one is just no fun." Kathy's eyes dilated. It was a very subtle signal but Mike didn't miss it. He was experienced in the scene and knew when he had a live one. Kathy was as good as in the sack. Oh, not this night, no. Not on her daughter's birthday, but soon. What intrigued Mike was the daughter. He shifted his attention to the girl, so fresh, so unpolished, so well, virginal though not likely a virgin. She had a cute face with sparkling eyes, dark hair, and pale ivory skin. The tight top she was wearing revealed her ample physical charms as well.

"Are you planning to go to college?" he asked her as an opening gambit. She looked down at her napkin. Mike took the opportunity to wink at Kathy, conveying that he was really interested in her but he was trying to keep her daughter amused.

Caitlyn shrugged, "I don't know. It depends on the money."

'So honest, ' Mike thought. He saw Kathy tense up. She wouldn't want him to think her a gold digger, though most women were, down deep, so discussions of money so early were forbidden by 'the rules.' "Caitlyn," he waited for her to look up. "Where there's a will, there's a way. You can always find money for education." He saw her start to protest, then subside. "Really," he continued. "My family was dirt poor but I went on to get an MBA and work on Wall Street. Next week I'm going to fly to New York to bid on a Maxfield Parrish painting. It's supposed to sell for 1.2 to 1.8 million." He watched Caitlyn's eyes get wide. "Yes, it is possible. Like Edison said, it's 99% perspiration. Work hard and you can have your dreams." Mike believed in the American Dream since he had lived it and was passionate that everyone had the same opportunity. Nothing made him madder than a person who didn't work to achieve everything he or she could. It had just come tumbling out. He realized too late he had said just a little too much when he caught Kathy's rapid breathing and wide eyes.

What Mike didn't know was how vulnerable Kathy was to a man who could talk about flying to New York to buy a million dollar painting. Kathy was trying to raise two daughters on a secretary's salary. She had married young to an older man who was already rising in the business world. She had never worked, except babysitting and similar jobs. Her husband had started traveling and their relationship had drifted, then disintegrated. Kathy had filed for divorce, and egged on by her mother, had hired an attorney known as a pit bull in lipstick. Her attorney had gone for everything and had gotten it. Her husband had been beaten by the time of the trial, worn down by the pit bull. Kathy had gotten their large house, he got the payments, Kathy got the car, and he got the bills. Kathy had gotten the bank account, surprisingly small since their liquid assets had been tied up in the too large house that they expected to grow into as he rose in the corporate hierarchy, he got the CD collection, and those weren't financial instruments.

Two months after the divorce, Kathy got the letter. It was a long letter and much of it Kathy already knew. Her former husband seemed to be on a talking jag when he wrote it. Maybe he'd had a few too many Jaegermeisters. Her father-in-law had been an Army lifer and had married a German woman which made Kathy's former husband a German citizen. His father had spent much of his career in Germany, for his wife's benefit. The German mother had made Kathy's husband attend German schools, 'because they were better.' He spoke German like a native and had actually graduated from a German high school. In fact, his career had been with a company which did most of its business in Germany. One source of friction in the marriage had been his frequent travel to Germany and her having to remain behind with first one, then two daughters. The people he met in Germany often couldn't believe he wasn't German, thinking because of his accent, he had to be from Swabia. The letter Kathy received was postmarked from Germany. Her now former husband had moved to Germany and was working for a German company and had reestablished his German citizenship. It seemed Kathy's lawyer had pushed too much. Kathy was left with a house she couldn't afford, a car she couldn't pay for, and two daughters. He was beyond the reach of her pit bull, er, lawyer.

Kathy was vulnerable because she could no longer do for her children. Her husband had made a good living and Kathy was used to being able to provide for her daughters anything they needed, or even just wanted. Then they had to move away from their gated community and into the city. She found a clerk's job for the county and had managed to work her way up to secretary. She was lucky because at least she had benefits. But her daughters didn't have much and it hurt Kathy to see the look in their eyes when their friends got new fashions and she couldn't afford them. 'Life wasn't fair, ' she screamed in her mind. It wasn't her fault she married too young because he had such a good job and prospects. It wasn't her fault she had to divorce. It wasn't her fault her lawyer emasculated her former husband. It wasn't her fault... If only... If only... Kathy looked down the sushi bar. He was good looking though not young any more. He had to be wealthy. He seemed to like Caitlyn and that was important. He was trying to engage Caitlyn in the conversation. A new husband would have to like her daughters. Kathy was already seeing this new fellow through money-green colored glasses that filtered so much she could have seen.

The waitress brought his first order. He saw the women look at his order. "What's that?" Caitlyn asked.

"Hamachi-Kama," he said. Caitlyn looked puzzled. "Never had it?" he asked. She shook her head. He pushed it over. "Try it."

Caitlyn looked to Kathy, who looked at Mike first to see him nod. "He's offering," she told Caitlyn. Caitlyn took a small bite in her chopsticks.

"Try the dipping sauce too," Mike said.

"This is good," Caitlyn sounded a bit surprised.

Mike motioned to Kathy to try it. "Well, just a little," Kathy said. After her bite she said, "Yes, that is good. Thank you for sharing."

"I don't mind sharing," he said holding Kathy's eye. Again, Mike had no idea the powerful effect he was creating. He just wanted a little action. He was going to get more than he imagined. In any case, he had broken the ice. The conversation flowed freely after that.

At one point, Mike pulled out the auction catalog for the sale he was planning to attend. He showed the painting to the women. "I've seen that painting," gushed Caitlyn.

"It's an icon all right," Mike said. He glanced up and saw Kathy looking very intensely at him. Yep, she was as good as in the sack.

Caitlyn paged through the catalog just abuzz with excitement that she had read of so many of these painters. "And you get to see these?"

"Of course. Registered bidders can examine them as closely as they want. After all, you want to know what it is you are buying," he said. Mike could tell Caitlyn was being more than polite. She really was interested in these paintings. "Have you been to New York?"

Caitlyn looked abashed. "No. I've never really been anywhere."

It was on the spur of the moment that Mike said, "Well hell. It's summer. Why don't you come with me?"

"I couldn't..."

"Yes, you could. I can use some of my free miles to get you a ticket. Won't cost a penny. And it doesn't look like you'll eat me out of house and home," He said pointing to their plates. Neither woman had eaten all that much since they were perpetually dieting.

Caitlyn turned to her mother, a pleading look suffusing her face. "I don't know," Kathy started to say. Then she thought of all the things she couldn't give her daughters. But this was crazy. She didn't even know this man. But, but, but...

"I know, 'you don't even know me.' Listen. Why don't you come over to my house tomorrow and we can discuss it?" he asked her.

Kathy looked at her daughter, the pleading more open now. It was an easy acceptance since it was exactly what she wanted anyway, to get to know him. "Okay."

Caitlyn threw her arms around Kathy's neck, "Thank you."

"Whoa, I am going to discuss it. I didn't say yes," she said gently. She saw the beginning of tears in her daughter's eyes, which Caitlyn fought back. It was a moment her mother couldn't forget.

Mike had always been a good cook and he pulled out the stops. Kathy was impressed. After dinner, they adjourned to the front room with port. Already mellow from wine, a few sips of port, and her colored perceptions and hopes left Kathy open. Mike saw the look in her eye and bent forward for their first kiss. It started gently, questing, then became more physical as they pressed together, finally became passionate as their lips parted. Mike broke the kiss and saw in Kathy's eyes her desire. Without a word he extended his hand and led her to his bed.

Beside his bed, the linen freshly changed as a good host should, he swept her into his arms, kissing her passionately. His hands roamed over her body, gently, awakening her body to the pleasures of touch. Without breaking the kiss, he pulled the zipper down her back. Kathy shrugged and her dress pooled at her feet. Kathy started undoing the buttons on his shirt as he reached behind to unsnap her. He shrugged and his shirt joined her dress. Faster, the clothes piled at their feet until there was nothing between them. Hot skin brushed hot skin. His cock was erect and pressed against her. She spread her legs to allow it to rub along her pussy, wet with arousal. Mike was so carried away with the lust of the moment that he considered taking her right then, standing beside his bed. More rational thoughts and experience prevailed. Kathy stood before him, long hair trailing down over her shoulders just brushing the tops of her breasts, drawing his eye down to her hard nipples, then lower across her flat belly to her trimmed bush before he followed her long legs down. Mike was amazed how young she looked standing nude before him. He laid her on his bed, sinking between her legs. She had shaved the black hair into a small triangle pointing towards his goal. He followed the arrow and kissed her there. Mike ran his tongue over her labia, teasing her. Kathy hunched up, ready for greater pressure and pleasure. Mike took his time, making her wait and build to an even more intense readiness. By the time he spread her and laved his tongue from bottom to top, Kathy was trembling in anticipation. The burst of pleasure nearly sent her over the top right then. Her pussy was flushed, swollen, and sopping with her arousal. She was ready. Mike mounted her, sliding deeply into her while he brought his lips to hers for a grinding kiss. Kathy moaned as she felt herself filled with a man for the first time in years. 'Oh God, I've missed this, ' her mind exulted. 'This time, ' she thought, 'I'll not let sex get in the way. He can have all of the sex he wants.' Kathy was ready to do anything to keep Mike in her life, to make a better life for her daughters, and for her.

"Yessssssss," she moaned as he bottomed out mashing against her clitoris. Mike liked hearing a woman enjoy sex. He got as much pleasure from bringing a woman to orgasm as his own. Well, maybe not exactly as much, but he felt a connection with his partner and shared her pleasure. He began slowly making love to Kathy, using the ancient shallow alternating with deep strokes of the Orient. The shallow strokes teased the woman making her want more which heightened the pleasure from the deep strokes which followed. Kathy was rapidly scaling the heights. The teasing shallow penetrations were driving her crazy. She wanted more, deeper... Her legs wrapped around his ass, pulling him against her, harder. Mike felt Kathy's need and he started stroking into her hard and fast. "Oh, God," she started to chant, as her own climax washed over her. Mike felt it and released his orgasm, as gob after gob of his cum burst into her grasping pussy. Kathy moaned as she again felt a man filling her with his seed. It had been so long.