Chapter 14

'How come you spend so much time lookin' outa that dam' window?' Jeez, what a dumb question.

My comfort zone, Annie. Guess it's where I do my thinkin'. You gotta go already?' She was dressed, hair still damp from the shower, looked exactly like a well-fucked woman. Fact is, she looked almost exactly like the first time I saw her. Older, sure, but she was handling it pretty good. Still gave the best BJ's in the fuckin' universe too. I was kinda glad ol' Ray was mostly out of her system.

'You're getting' too set in your ways, Doug. You wanna come eat with us? Kids been askin' about you some.' Women don't always appreciate I like being set in my goddam ways. I shrugged and wriggled my toes in the rug.

I kinda enjoy lookin' out the window, kid. You know that already. Spring's on the way, and it's always sorta pretty this time of year. What's the plan?' She snorted.

'Girls in spring clothes are sorta pretty, I guess you mean. What we'll do is pick up the kids from Maria's, hit the mini mart for beer, seein' as you're visitin', start cookin', thank God it's Sunday.' Sounded real dull to me

'How about pick the kids up, eat at Daisy's Diner, catch their early bird special? Easier for you, more fun for the kids.' She looked at me and grinned.

'And you won't be stuck waitin' for me to finish cookin'. Right?' Busted. I nodded and grinned back.

'That too. Use the truck, bring y'all back here after?'

'Jeez, Doug, I'm still kinda excited havin' a car and you won't even let me drive ya round town. Your way, I guess, less you're worried 'bout lookin' too much like a regular family.' Good point, but a good cause.

'Guess I'll risk it this time.' She looked sorta pleased when I said that, followed me out to the truck without any more moaning. I fired it up and we rolled. She was sitting quiet, looking pretty happy, and I gotta say she had reason. Three months since the shop opened and she reckoned she was gonna be showing a profit by six. That made me feel pretty good too. Smug as well, you want me to be totally honest. Entrepreneur Doug.

Fact is, entrepreneur ain't quite the word. Venture capitalist is nearer the mark, you wanna be picky. Any college town has a fixed proportion of hippy wannabes, and this one's no different. And Annie sure knew how to sell bongs and stuff so the kids thought they were getting advice from the horse's mouth. Which they were, come to think of it: woman was a goddam expert when it came to smoking out. Seemed like I'd done myself a real good turn too. I mean, I was gonna get my money back, plus some tax breaks, plus someone one hundred ten percent on my side, no questions; always useful. Guess I made that point already, but it sure is an important one. Sex was OK too. Regular occasional, getting better every time; I wasn't pushing any: making warm and sensitive, biding my time is all. You lose your husband in a real unpleasant way, you gotta right to a little space. Guess I'd called it right this time. Found that out the first evening I went round to the new shop. She'd smiled when I walked in.

'You know Kirsty came round, told me she was splittin' for a coupla weeks?' I'd nodded.

'Told her right at the beginnin' it was friends with privileges, no more no less. Might even have said it a little firm.' Snort from Annie.

'She still thinks the sun shines out of your selfish goddam ass. I kinda like her though. Awful young, but she's been real good with the kids, and she thinks stuff through some. I kinda admire her for that. Told me how she and you got together too. Thought I was gonna shit tryin' not to laugh.' I let that one slide.

'You give her any good advice?' She shrugged.

'What I told her before. You're red hot in the sack, you're a helluva lot of fun, and you're cold as fuckin' ice when you want something bad. Let her talk about you a little, told her she was smart enough to handle it. She's still hopin', but she ain't gonna collapse when she realizes it ain't gonna happen.' One of the things Annie does real good, she knows how women think.

'Cold as fuckin' ice? That's kinda hard, ain't it?' She'd smiled then.

'This is Annie, Doug. Knew you when you were a smartass freshman, and all that's happened since then is you got smarter. But when you're coverin' your smart ass, you're cold enough for fuckin' Frostbite City.' Mebbe she had a point.

'So what's next?' She'd faced me, grabbed my ears and hauled my face down to hers,

'Kids are asleep, I've finished here and it's about time we said 'hi' properly. Reckon you can do that stuff with your tongue if I crank you up first? That big ol' bed you bought needs christening.' Way to go.

That had been prime time. Felt to me like there was some gratitude hiding behind the enthusiasm, but hell, her mouth was God's gift to a hungry man and I didn't call her on it. Since then she'd gotten more relaxed, happier to be persuaded, and the times she wasn't, well, like I said, pushing a widow is kinda impolite. Worth hanging on for the times she was up for it, and that's for sure. Delayed gratification Doug, and I ain't kidding.

We pulled up outside Maria's, and two minutes later the cab of the truck was invaded by flying arms and legs. Goddam kids were all over me like white on rice and it took a while to clear them away, get 'em settled. Turned out tickling them was the best way, and it wasn't till that was finished, I noticed Annie standing watching, looking kinda dreamy. Hmmph.

'You wanna eat, you better hop in. Daisy's meatloaf is callin' me.' She shooed the kids into the back, checked their seatbelts, we headed off for food, me thinking hard that there was gonna be a balancing act for a while till she settled down, realized she was first among equals and not an inch more. I caught her glancing sideways at me.

'Stop lookin' worried, Doug. What you gotta do is remember who I fuckin' am. Don't want all of you: not any more. Look at it this way: you know about computers an' stuff right?' What's that got to do with anything?'

'Annie, you're gonna have to explain that.' She chuckled and dug me in the ribs.

'Think default setting. Shit, we both know you're never gonna settle, and I sure ain't lookin' to get hitched again. You said it in the kitchen the first morning after that Kirsty came back, right before you went and screwed her with the door open so's I could hear ya. You remember?' Jesus, what did I say four months ago?

'Uh, mebbe you better remind me.' She closed her eyes and recited.

'You said, "We're gonna fix it so you got somewhere to call home, and stuff to keep you busy, and then you can think what else you want. Me, I'll settle for what we had before. Now cook the goddam breakfast while I shower. Bacon too, OK?" You remember sayin' that?' It's hard to shrug while you're driving so I didn't.

'You say so, Annie, I guess I did. Whaddabout it?'

'Jeez, Doug, you're kinda slow today. I got a place to live, I'm busier than I wanna be, what we had before is comin' along nicely, so why are you so fuckin' worried? I been crazy in like with you for fuckin' years, what's to fix? You like the young stuff too, but that don't bother me. I kinda like the idea of bein' there for you when they split. Like I said, default setting. Only other thing you gotta do is paddle the kids when they get too big for me to do it. You good with that?' A surge of relief washed through me. Skinny little hippies got their good points I guess.

'Long as you promise not to leave town without permission.' She reached over and stroked my crotch, squeezed gently.

'Wouldn't fuckin' dream of it.' After that, supper was kinda fun. Daisy's meatloaf filled the gaps that an afternoon in bed can create, the kids behaved, were up for some more tickling after; Annie scooped them up after a while, gave me a kiss, took them home. I poured myself a cognac: kinda unusual, me being a Scotch drinker, but it seemed right for the occasion. Took it into the bay window and relaxed, sipping and feeling pretty dam' good. It ain't often you meet the perfect woman. Forget all that deaf, dumb, owns a bar crap. A perfect woman knows when to get the hell outa the way, knows when it's OK to say she's back. Now Chrissie, for instance, was close to perfect, except she arrived when she wanted. Hell, she always gave me some lead time, but that ain't the point. Candice and Ellen, different story, seeing as they were on site, so to speak, and wrapped up in each other too. Kirsty was still trying to handle a bunch of new stuff, and I was gonna be kinda glum if she couldn't hack it. Smart and innocent is a pretty nice combo. Annie though, she knew all about the real world, who I was, where I was coming from, plus, like I said, best BJs on the planet. I wriggled my toes in the sheepskin and thought about the only other one who ever came close. Trouble was, she'd started needing instead of liking, and that ain't ever a paying proposition. Think about her sometimes though, wonder whether I blew it when I made her choose. It had sure been a while ago though. Second year I had the house.

'Come on, Mr. Stud, decision time. You have three choices. Emma's throwing a party, just her and Wayne, three other couples, nothing raucous; next up is a movie, and no chick flicks, I promise; or we go have a quiet meal somewhere and look deep into each other's eyes. Take your pick.' I rolled over and looked at her. Her face was flushed, drops of dried cum in her hair from when she'd choked and had to pull back, but still cuter than a June bug. I thought about the options and wondered what to say. Partying with Emma and dumbshit Wayne plain didn't appeal, and movies, hell I go see a movie mebbe twice a year. Dinner? Tell the truth, looking deep into their eyes is for before, not after, far as I'm concerned. But she was being real thoughtful and I didn't want to offend.

'Jeez, Rachel, you got me spoiled for choice. Gonna have to think about that some, I guess. You mind if I snack a little, help me concentrate?' She made panting noises and let her thighs part some, eyes looking expectant. I headed south slowly, wondering what I was gonna say.

Rachel Curzon. Forty million dollars of trust fund on the hoof, and dam' near totally unspoiled. When I'd realized she was Donald Curzon's kid, I couldn't scarcely believe it. No-one expects to have the daughter of the richest guy in the state living in their house. Real unusual girl, smart as a whip too. Turned out she got royally pissed off if people sucked ass, didn't flash the cash hardly at all, refused every sorority offer point blank, had told her dam' trustees she'd just take a reasonable allowance, let the rest sit. Soon as I found that out I knew what it was gonna take to drill her. Psychologist Doug. I'd been right too: country boy with brains, unimpressed by money, was exactly what got her panties soaking. The lure of the unknown, I guess. Helped that she was kinda cute: little pixie face, tight body, small enough to control with one hand if you had to. She reckoned her ass was too big, but hell, so do half the women on the planet, and all but a few of them are plain wrong.

Shit, what I wanted to do was stay in, call for pizza, have a coupla beers, read a little: simple stuff like that. Didn't much care if she stayed or went, tell the truth. What I didn't want was to come across like some asshole who just wanted to fuck and run. One thing I learnt, women sure get upset if they think you're only there for the sex. Course, a lot of the time the only reason anyone's there is for the sex, but it's like I said: honesty don't always work.

I'd reached the pleasure zone while I was thinking, and the only idea I'd had was to fuck her senseless, hope she'd be too tired to want to go out. Shower, share the pizza, goodnight pop, back up to her room to do her dam' homework, feeling grateful. Decision made. I slipped round so she was positioned right, started straight in on the party trick. She was still kinda warm from before, seeing as I'd dealt with her needs pretty thoroughly during the first bout, so she blasted off like a goddam rocket the minute my nose rubbed along her clit, and when the tongue homed in too, that was it: outa control. Don't like the taste of my own cum much, but sometimes you got no choice. Makes a woman feel kinda special too, and I never gone wrong helping them think that. Being a small girl her G spot was real easy to reach, and I was able to pull back some on the pressure, keep her hanging just over the edge, like a hog caught on an electric fence, but a whole lot prettier. Made the same kinda noises though. Me, I kept right on playing, and it was ten minutes easy before she gave in, reached down and rammed my head deep into her crotch, let everything go. Course, eating pussy always gets me hard so I moved up and slipped straight into her. Kinda tricky, her thrashing about, shaking like a plate of girl flavored Gell-O, but once I was there I sorta established a brisk rhythm, and kept right on going. Wipe out, and when I came too, pumping into her hard, number three washed over her and she collapsed under me, her whole body slack as taffy. I felt kinda pleased she'd had a nice time being corrected.

'Does this mean there's a fourth choice?' she gasped after a coupla minutes, wriggling some to let me know I was crushing her.

'Jeez, Rachel, you're way ahead of me. I'd hardly finished thinkin', tell the truth. Seem to have got a mite distracted.' I rolled over and she came with me, ended up balanced on my chest, her nose almost touching mine.

'You don't want to go anywhere, do you?' she said accusingly. Smiled as she said it though. Like I said, smart girl.

'Bein' with you is kinda what I'd been plannin' on, Rachel. Bring a book down, you want to, I'll let you share the couch.' She shook her head.

'You don't take instruction worth a damn, and you don't give a shit about what anyone else wants either. Most people think twice before they take a chance on making me pissed. Do you have any notion how refreshing that is?' Course not, dummy.

'Shit, Rachel, don't get philosophical with me, and don't be confusin' me with talk about your goddam money. I worked for a rich guy once, and his life weren't no more fun than mine; decided a long time ago, if I got everything I need and most of what I want, well hell, that's plenty. Wanted you the minute I saw you, and here you dam' well are, so I reckon I'm battin' pretty good. You want me to wash your back before I call for pizza?' Big hug, mumbling about natural goodness and stuff; total crap, but real pleasing, touching even, so I held her for a bit, let her carry on. My kinda evening. Wasn't till after the pizza, one more BJ, I started thinking. Seemed like she'd plain dropped all her plans the minute I hinted no. That ain't normal in any woman, and for a rich girl it's real rare. Dam' near perfect reaction. I put the thought aside for further consideration.

I have to say, that fall and spring were pretty damn sweet. Rachel was a walking dream: there when I wanted, gone when I hinted I was busy, ready for anything that two people can do with each other. Annie was still in town then, her and ol' Ray not hitched yet, so I had the best of both fuckin' worlds. Two sets of pussy, two types of fun, guys at the gym crapping hot rivets, frat rats the same, pure jealousy, both of them: I was happy as a pig in shit. Even had a good time when her family tried to horn in on the act.

It was Christmas break when a big Lincoln pulled up outside. House was empty: all the kids, Rachel too, gone back home to get spoiled by their dam' families. I was sipping beer, reading Grant's memoirs, planning to go see Annie later, mebbe take her out for dinner. Tall distinguished looking guy climbed out of the town car, started up towards the front door. I let him wait a little when he rang, then went to open.

'C'mon in, Mr. Curzon. I kinda guessed you'd be along eventually.' He looked like he wanted to be surprised but was too cultured to show it.

'You're Douglas Taylor?'

'Guilty as charged, Mr. Curzon. There's a lot of heat escapin' right now, and I'm gonna close the door real soon, so turn around or step in.' He looked surprised then: jumped through the doorway trying for casual, not quite making it. I gestured towards my apartment.

'Straight through, Mr. Curzon. Whyntcha take the armchair there. Couch is reserved for me mostly. What can I get you? Scotch, cognac, beer if you'd rather; I've got an Oregon red needs opening if you're a wine guy.' Shit, he was way off balance by now.

'I'll take a Scotch, young man.' I went to find it, came back with the bottle and two glasses, found him looking at the bookcase that covers my entire back wall. Seemed a mite puzzled. He looked surprised all over again when he saw the name on the bottle, but didn't say nothing. I poured him a shot, one for myself, sat down opposite him.

'What can I do for you Mr. Curzon? I guess you're feeling kinda indignant, so take a sip of Johnny Blue, two deep breaths, remember you're in my home, tell me what's on your mind.' Shit, I was enjoying myself. He remembered why he was there, looked at me kinda hard. Trouble is, old money ain't as hard as new. I been looked at hard by William McCarthy, and Donald Curzon didn't even come close.

'Mr. Taylor, you're all but cohabiting with my daughter, if she is to be believed, and I have not found her to be a liar. What have you to say?' Too easy.

'That would be your daughter Rachel who's over eighteen and controls her own money, I guess.' He looked like he'd swallowed a lemon so I carried on. 'Coupla things, Mr. Curzon. One, I ain't gonna talk about your daughter in the third person, not to you nor to the goddam pope, come to that. Two, she know you're here?' He colored a tad.

'Rachel is a young woman of high intelligence but limited experience. The fact that she chose to attend this college attests to that, but that is not my point. I have had you investigated, Mr. Taylor, and while you are not a criminal, you certainly have no moral values, and there is no doubt that you have taken advantage of her. I am here to persuade you that it would be in Rachel's best interests and yours if you were to terminate your relationship with her; any objective study of the situation should convince you of the fact that you are not helping her to fulfill her true potential. You would of course be adequately compensated for the... ' I interrupted him there. Tell the truth, I felt kinda insulted.

'If you had me investigated, Mr. Curzon, then you know I ain't hurtin' for money. Got taught about investment by William McCarthy, God rest his soul, and I'm a quick study. Don't mind you worryin' about your daughter either, hell, that's a father's job, but you suggest one more time that I want bucks from her or you or any other fuckin' person, I'll push your teeth down your goddam throat and then run your gold-plated ass outa my home. You got that? Now tell me if your daughter knows you're here. You want me to phone her, make this a conference call?' Righteous Doug. I took a sip of scotch and waited. I was probably gonna get another beautifully constructed goddam speech. Jeez, the man spoke in entire paragraphs: could have won a Pulitzer. He was trying hard, but I guess I shook him some. Most rich guys think money buys them everything.

'Rachel knows full well that her mother and I are not happy about the direction her life is currently taking... ' I cut in again. Candy from goddam babies.

'That don't answer my question, Mr. Curzon. You gotta understand, one, I don't wanna listen to you cryin' about your problems, two, I still ain't gonna talk about Rachel when she ain't around, and three, five will get you ten, she knew you were down here tryin' to buy me off, she'd go fuckin' ape all over you.' Bullseye. He actually blushed.

'You aren't as I'd imagined.' I should fuckin' hope not.

'Dam' good thing for both of us. Drink your scotch, Mr. Curzon, and go on home. College is for experiments and new experiences. Tell your wife Rachel's guy ain't got no jailhouse tattoos, reads a lotta serious stuff, ain't got designs on anything except her body, and for sure ain't stupid. Point out her grades are right up where they oughta be, she's pretty happy, everyone oughta be real pleased she ain't hangin' out with genuine lowlife. You do that, I'll manage to leave this discussion outa my sewing circle gossip. You good with that?'

Well, shit. He went round and around some, tryin' for a lever, and I sat tight, said nothing, and in the end he gave up and drove away. Me, I ditched the scotch, opened another beer, picked up my book, feeling kinda proud of myself. Hadn't even asked how much he was willing to spend keeping his daughter out of my goddam clutches. Don't be telling me I got no principles. Took Annie out that evening, had a real nice time.

Course, Rachel found out about her dad's visit. Guess he must have blabbed, or her mom, or someone. Hell, she could have had their bedroom bugged, all I know. Sure enough, she went ballistic, jumped in the car, arrived ten-thirty the next evening. Goodbye early night. You get a double handful of warm girl all over you an hour before Christmas, it's present time.

'Hey, Rachel, thought my gift'd be comin' down the chimney, not through the goddam front door. Whaddya doin' here?' She quit chewing on my neck.

'What did you say to my dad? He's really pissed and I'm really pissed with him.' Oh ho.

'Nothin' interestin', kid. Told him no way I was gonna talk about you like you were a fuckin' trophy is all. Rest of the conversation was kinda borin'. Guess that's why he left.' She tried and wriggled and squirmed some, but I held firm. 'Didn't talk to him about you, ain't gonna talk to you about him, Rachel. Truth is, I need your goddam family dynamics like I need an extra asshole. You come down to say Happy Christmas or to grill me?' Her arms were still round my neck and she leaned back and looked at me.

'You are so not what you seem. Happy Christmas, and you'd better have enough energy to say it back for a long time.'

'Wanna play in the shower some first, recharge my batteries?' She was up for that.

'Don't stop.' Her voice was kinda hoarse and her thighs were trembling. We were hunkered down on the bed, head to tail, and I was running my tongue and lips idly round the target. Seemed to suit her; she was doing the same to me and it sure felt excellent.

'Ain't gonna stop till you surrender, kid. That crack about energy riled me some.' Her body quivered as she stifled a giggle and her lips brushed my cock gently.

'Why do I feel like I want to devote everything to pleasing you? I mean, I just want you to be happy, and that's weird. But why?' Because I ring your bells, dummy. What else is there?

'Shit, girl, it's a gift. I guess I'm just goddam irresistible when I put my mind to it.' Her mouth slithered the length of my shaft.

'Of course you are. But that's what, not why. You don't love me, do you?' Certainly fuckin' not.

'Got burned real bad doin' that, long time ago. Crazy in like with you though, you wanna know.' Thanks for the line, Annie. Works a dream with smart girls. Her tongue danced slowly over the head of my cock, and I knew she was thinking.

'I don't love you either, yet, but it'd be easy to take the plunge.' Easy and dumb, like a lot of stuff.

'You oughta try to avoid that, Rachel. I'm real good at fun, excellent at like, fuckin' ace at friends, but love ain't on the menu. Pavlovian reaction, kid, and that's a fact.' Jeez, girl, settle for what you've got, will you. Sure didn't want the problem of finding a replacement, plus trying to let her room, middle of the fuckin' school year. Didn't much want to watch her hurting either. I let my tongue get a tad closer to the action, distract her some. Good move: her thighs clamped over my ears and her mouth snapped back to my cock, drew me into her in one smooth rush. I nuzzled her hard little clit happily, went right on doing what I like doing best, only a tiny part of me worrying about devotion.