Chapter 20: Another Employment Benefit (Doubled)

Having a shitload of work to do distracted Joe over the weekend. However, the pain of separation and not knowing when or if it would conclude anytime soon caused the work to suffer.

Joe usually shut the world out and concentrated exclusively on the task, enabling a thoroughness and brilliant conciseness few if any associates could match. Thoughts of Marta, words of anger exchanged repeated a hundred times, lengthened the work and lowered its concision. Like he had in school, his genius could have allowed him to sleep walk though his work and created above par results, but he chose to put every effort possible into whatever he did. He had never given less than 100 percent. It made him uncomfortable. For the first time he felt like giving up but couldn't. His career depended on the weekend's work. He battled through his inadequate concentration and produced excellent work, far above par, but not the usual exceptional work he expected of himself.

Several times he thought his cell buzzed, but found it to be phantom sensations like an amputee feeling pain in his absent hand. He thought about calling Marta or even Mary or Marianne to find out how she responded to the separation. He forced himself not to. It may have been stupid to label her a whore or whatever he accused her of, but the feeling existed and he'd communicated it and left her to decide if he didn't deserve her. Problem was he wasn't sure he did.

The law library closed at five on Saturday leaving him cast out onto the breezy autumn streets. Every bar he passed walking or on the bus beckoned him. He resisted. He still needed more time for research on the internet and to pull things together.

He could have procrastinated some, throwing things together Sunday night, but he wanted Sunday to be free of any need to work. He'd worry around noon that the plan might have backfired endangering Marta as well as Mary and Marianne and Margie and even L, women new to his life yet as important to him as his parents or Roger. Not being there would only make it worse. He couldn't help them nor could he know what happened until sometime afterward. The thought made his tummy burn a little on Saturday, and would only get worse Sunday, another new sensation.

This love thing definitely had its downside. He'd go through any hell confronting him as a result of meeting his love. He only regretted not being perfect and letting her ignoble past bother him.

Ironically he admired her toughness and her worldly awareness, things she'd gleaned from becoming a dancer and a prostitute. He loved her because of it along with her tenderness and inner and of course outer beauty. He loved all of her.

There would be things he found grating, though few if any had appeared yet. Even her flirty dancing he found cute and charming and sexy. And she would find irritants in him as well. Being in love meant accepting and communicating and living with these anomalies and not letting them grow to cleave their love.

He hoped they'd struggle through this first major rift and love each other somehow stronger. Unfortunately he had to wait for her.

Glancing at the corner of his laptop screen, he noticed the time. He had put the finishing touches on his presentation and felt it complete. The digital numbers read 9:00 PM. The night before at that exact hour Marta honked the distinctive horn of their Mustang letting him know to rush out and slide into the passenger seat Margie had been gracious enough to vacate and head to Roger's Chicago debut.

He wondered if Marta would spend another night there and would she be alone. He realized she and Margie had bonded. The way they shared smiles revealed it. If she went, and strangely Joe hoped she did, Margie would be company. He wanted her to go because she had fun and would again. She loved to dance and to flirt and to let go inhibitions. She looked fantastic doing it. She glowed even more than usual.

If she encountered some guy? To Joe it meant they weren't meant to be no matter how it hurt. And if it was some one night drunken sex fest? He had been with four other women since they met, five if he added L who he never really touched. Sure Marta had been with guys as well, but exclusively in professional, non loving situations.

Except for Marcie, although by the end the businesslike fuck seemed to soften as did her heart, the women shared a love with him. And with Marta too he realized. She loved sharing love with him and the women they loved. His heart nearly burst with the thought.

"Fuck it," he mumbled to himself. He grabbed his leather jacket, put it on over his casual outfit of slacks and heavy cotton shirt he'd worn all day to keep warm and headed to the bar restaurant four blocks away where he and Marta had met.

The usual professional workers' meat market, mostly lawyers like him both male and female along with secretaries and receptionists looking for a step up or a rich fuck stood two deep around the bar. Being Saturday night, the place reverberated with conversation.

The juke box, a colorful CD playing Wurlitzer with an interesting variety of music dating from his teenage years back to the twenties, a selling point for Joe, played loud over the loud conversations making them louder. Joe fed a couple dollars worth into the machine waiting for a table to clear so he could eat. Most of the focus for customers had become the bar, dinner having been eaten an hour or two before, so the wait wasn't long. He found himself directed to the same table in which the disastrous blind date had turned into the turning point of his life. He smiled sadly at it and the hostess.

"Is this okay?" she shouted.

"Perfect!" he responded.

He ordered the shepherd's pie, not nearly as good as at the Irish pub, Marta's favorite restaurant and becoming Joe's. It also conspired against the Long Island Ice Teas he ordered, being stick to the ribs food. But after two teas, the third did the trick.

The tumultuous world around him became hazier, his consciousness thickened, the world becoming a slightly wobbling place subtly trembling like Jello. He felt like one of the more sour berries immersed in it.

And after an hour of not noticing the women at the bar and being aware of his lack of interest in imagining them naked--his lover would overmatch any of them--his unsteady eyes began taking that tack.

The third woman he studied studied him back. It turned out they knew each other. The pretty albeit slightly chunky secretary from the firm met his eyes and smiled. She tapped the shoulder of another woman, the receptionist, a lithe blonde beauty, statuesque, small boned, subtly curved and with a model's eye catching face, and pointed Joe out. The blonde waved and returned to chatting with a well dressed and handsome man probably an inch shorter than her. Feeling like a third wheel, Debra, the brunette, headed to Joe's table.

Joe didn't mind. Even the receptionist who had been at the firm a lot longer than Joe did her job as well as any receptionist anywhere. The firm knew to hire quality. Debra may have been secretary for a junior partner, but only experience kept her from working for a partner lawyer, and if she wanted to she'd probably be hired at a higher level at most firms. Intelligent conversation wouldn't be a problem.

"Hey Joe, I've never seen you here before," said Debra excitedly as she plopped down at his table.

"Last time someone said that I had a clever retort. Unfortunately it's useful no more."

"What did you say?"

"It's because I haven't been here before."

"It needs work," said Debra smiling.

"Probably. I'm not good at bar conversation."

"I'd give you lessons, but I'm feeling a little inadequate myself."

"I noticed."

"She tends to take attention from me."

"So why..."

"We're best friends Joe. We're roommates."

"I didn't know."

"We have fun. We're as different as we look and somehow that works great. We fascinate each other with our different perspectives."

"But..."

Debra laughed. "She's jealous of me."

"Why?"

"These," she said, lifting her breasts covered by her deep blue silk shirt. Even hidden they looked buoyant and unrestrained. "It's too loud for secrets here."

"I'm ... unavailable."

"I thought so. I used to catch you watching me. You're very discrete. Not lately though. It's serious hunh? So what are you doing here?"

"Good question. Maybe I..."

"Don't leave please. She's not here."

"No she's not."

"So?"

"Look Debra, I know you're a nice girl. I like you. I'm sure if ... I'm not the type to start anything, to pursue a girl I'm attracted to. I've stumbled into relationships. A couple turned serious, and ... you grow out of it. This one though, it's..."

"You're in love Joe and it hurts. I was hurt more than once. I lost trust. Laura probably has the right attitude: fuck 'em and forget 'em. Not that she's a tramp. I am more than her, I'd say. I'm hornier. I'm getting to that age you know."

"No."

"Late twenties. The desire begins to ramp. She's young and I guess it's easy for her to say no because it's available."

"You're kidding. You're a lovely woman and you move ... sensuously. And you look barely drinking age."

"It's the fleshiness. I could lose a pound or two, but like they say in those escort ads: curves in all the right places."

"I noticed."

"I know." She winked. "But the extra padding keeps me looking young. As far as getting men to notice, it's the crowd. Laura's got the classy look, looks good with gentlemen, you know. I attract ... men who know what to look for ... I mean sexually. That's why it never works. They like variety and know how to get it. Of course I thought giving them everything they want would keep them interested. Not the type I meet and fall on love with."

"You should meet my brother."

"No I shouldn't. If he's anything like you and a predator, I'd be lost. I check you out too, Joe. Why else would I notice you're roving eye? So where is she?"

"I don't know. I guess I insulted her."

"Is she beautiful?"

"Yes. Very."

"That's a problem."

"I trust her. I mean maybe some guy might fuck her, maybe tonight. She's ... Let me show you."

Joe extracted his cell phone and showed Debra Marta.

"Wow. She looks ... fun."

"She was having fun. A minute later she ran out the door."

"She looks stoned and well fucked and stunning."

Joe blushed. "You're ... very observant."

"And very horny. I want to look like that; I mean the well fucked part. Although looking that beautiful wouldn't hurt."

"I can't believe how blunt you're being."

"Me neither. I've had a few. Speaking of which..." The waitress approached. "Two more of those please."

"I ... okay," stuttered Joe.

"Good."

"Are you driving?"

"I live near by," she said suggestively.

Joe laughed. "Me too. And about being blunt, I like it."

"Really?"

"I'd be lost without it, though I'm not looking..."

"We'll see," Debra smiled. It turned into a frown when Laura appeared.

"Hey Joe."

"Hi Laura. Grab a seat."

"No room," suggested Debra.

Laura found a chair and sat. "I heard Mr. Phillips put you on the Stiles case. That's fantastic."

"Really? I heard that's a major coup for the firm!" Debra exclaimed.

"I know, and Joe's the youngest lawyer. Impressive."

"Very."

"I work hard. It seems to be paying off."

"In droves, Joe," said Debra. "John's jealous. He's accusing you of all sorts of things, and I know the boss ain't gay."

They laughed. "I don't mean to step on any toes."

"Fuck that. We're all ambitious at the firm except for Miss Receptionist here."

"Hey, I like my job. I'll have one of those," Laura told the waitress.

"You like being leered at by old rich men."

"Old rich married men. A couple of the younger men treat me like a bimbo, like your boss John for instance, but most of them give me respect. They know my importance. I know how to cheer people up early in the morning and not with some saccharine smile. Clients get an eye full, but I put them at ease. They flirt and I flirt back. It's fun and it works."

"I haven't met many, but you're the best receptionist I ever saw."

"Thanks Joe. You can keep going."

"Why? You know how beautiful you are."

"It doesn't hurt to be reminded."

"Yes it does. What happened with the stud at the bar?"

"He knows he's handsome and successful and the greatest whatever he is alive."

"You didn't catch his profession?" asked Joe.

"Lawyer," both women spoke in unison, laughing.

"Sometimes I'd rather talk to a janitor. At least I might impress him beyond the looks."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," suggested Joe. The women thought that amusing. "But isn't confidence sexy? I mean I'm confused. First of all I'm not feeling confidant or happy or sociable, and this lovely sexy vision comes to me and sits with me and flirts shamelessly with me. And then the other vision joins her. I thought if a man isn't confidant and cocky, the girl doesn't look twice."

"You are confident, Joe," explained Debra. Laura nodded. "Maybe not cocky or aggressive or rude like most of the assholes here, but you're completely aware of your brilliance. You know you're smarter than the rest of us."

"But..."

"Yes you do," said Laura. "And you are. But it's not a mean sort of confidence. In fact it's a so fucking what if I'm smarter, I'm just one of the guys so fuck you if it intimidates you sort of thing. Obviously you're ambitious or you wouldn't have picked us. But your ambition involves proving your worth, not stabbing people in the back like John. You don't need to move up by pushing people aside. Although I guess you probably have."

"I don't think so," said Debra. "If anyone in the firm or anywhere is as smart as Joe, it's Mr. Phillips. He knew who he hired. He needed Joe to grow the firm, to gain more prestige and clients and money. Joe's on a fast track."

"I hope I can keep up."

"See. It's sexy. True modesty is sexy," hummed Laura. "Of course you can."

"Indeed," murmured Debra. "Uhm ... Your place or mine?"

"I have a bigger bed I bet," Joe proclaimed, the alcohol lubing his tongue and his libido.

"A big man deserves a big bed," Debra intoned.

"I make a mean omelet too."

"Goddamnit!" spouted Laura.

"What?" asked Joe.

"You're perfect! Tall and handsome and smart and you can cook!"

Everyone laughed. Joe settled the bill with generous if unsolicited assistance from the two women. "I only paid for one drink tonight," reasoned Laura. He ended up leaving a hefty tip.

The three staggered humorously through the cold windy night the four blocks to Joe's apartment.

"An impressive bed," remarked Debra bouncing on it. She'd removed her jacket and shoes and started unbuttoning her blouse before realizing it wasn't time yet. "Oops," she giggled, leaving it half unbuttoned and exposing her ample and firm cleavage.

"Show off," spat her roommate.

"Regular or decaf?" asked Joe.

"Neither. A big glass of water. Do you have any aspirin?" asked Debra.

"Good idea," Joe agreed. He fetched a bottle.

"That's what I was talking about Joe," Debra began. "Laura's gorgeous, but God put all his efforts on her face and forgot the rest, and left her a very tall stick. At least that's her opinion."

"She's right Joe. Even my legs are too skinny and as endless as they are they should have been my second best part."

Joe struggled putting together the omelets. "Maybe I could use some coffee."

"No. Caffeine will impinge on the night," Debra spouted mysteriously. "Make some toast. It'll help sober you."

"Let me," said Laura, standing in the kitchen area looking for something to do. She leaned against Joe. "You're the perfect height," she cooed.

"Bagels in the keeper," Joe informed her, pressing against her briefly before pointing to a large drawer. He handed her a bread knife. She managed not slicing herself slicing them and popped them in the toaster oven.

"That's the cruel joke of us Joe," Debra continued. "She's got the face and I've got the body. She advertises and I'm the item to sell, except they get her."

"I think you're both beautiful," said Joe.

"Of course you do. Most don't. Let's show him what they're missing Laura."

"Okay."

They undressed. "Uh..."

"You don't mind?" asked Laura.

"I guess I don't." The women laughed. Neither wore bras. Neither needed them for two different reasons. Laura had little to hold and Debra's C cup breasts stood proud and strong. Her nipples elongated upwards in a sweeping arc. Laura's pointed straight ahead with more length and half the areolas of Debra. Her breasts dropped softly but formed a nice petite hemisphere at the bottoms. The softness matched her soft pale flesh, thin but not emaciated like the poor starving waif Marta had rescued recently.

Like her breasts, Debra's flesh appeared firm and strong with more color. She had a pronounced tummy but it didn't appear to be flabby in the least. Robust best described it and it suited her full shape when she removed her jeans and showed her strong healthy ass, a perfect counterpart to her breasts.

Both women wore tiny bikini panties stretched across Debra's sexy ass and looser on Laura. Again Laura's ass resembled her breasts, petite, a little loose but resilient at the base.