Chapter 9: Confrontation

It had been a year since I took Jenny up on her indecent proposal of sex for rent. For me, it was a year of hell. The devastating pain in my heart threatened to consume me. Nothing I did could make it go away. It never lessened. It never ebbed. It was always there. Constant, unyielding.

You know that saying, "Time heals all wounds"? It's a lie.

If it wasn't the pain of Jenny's absence from my life, it was the guilt. The guilt of knowing what I had done, of knowing the pain that I caused her. That I made her live out the childhood trauma of her sick, disgusting upbringing. The fact that I brought even a glimpse of that into the life of her sweet, innocent daughter. I was real human scum and the knowledge of that tore at me every day.

Deep in my own thoughts, my own self-loathing, I didn't pay attention to where I was or who I was with. That's why as I sat in that diner I was shocked, absolutely shocked to find that it wasn't just any diner. It was Jenny's.

I stared at her as she smiled down at me, pouring my coffee. She was the same, and yet, somehow, more beautiful than I had ever seen her before. Her hair tied up in a pony tail, her smile reaching from ear to ear, she looked at me with those beautiful eyes I had come to love. The very sight of her filled me with joy and pain simultaneously. But I knew it wasn't right. I knew I shouldn't be here.

"I'm sorry, Jenny," I said. "I didn't know where I was. I ... I should go..."

"And deprive me of the chance to serve my favorite landlord?" she said cheerily. "Don't you dare! You sit right down and order something."

"I ... I really don't think that would be appropriate, Jenny," I said. "Please, I'll just leave."

She put her hand on my shoulder. Her very touch sent a shockwave of emotional pain through my heart. Did she know the kind of power she had over me?

"Please stay," was all she said. I obeyed. "Now, what can I get you?"

"I ... I don't know," I said. I just wanted this to end. "Just get me anything. You decide."

"Coming right up!" she said with a smile and a wink.

I honestly don't remember what Jenny ordered for me. I barely remember eating it. I just shoved food in mouth and felt it slowly slake my hunger. I might as well have been eating cardboard. I was oblivious to it all. I just wanted to get out of there.

Slowly, the customer's began to leave. One table after another. I finished my coffee and got up.

"I'm ready for my bill, Jenny," I called to her.

"What? Already? You haven't even had desert!" she protested.

"I'm really full," I said. "Please, can I just have my bill."

"Nonsense!" she said. "Have a piece of pie."

I forced down a slice of pie. Then another cup of coffee. When she insisted on another cup, I finally asserted myself and asked for the bill again.

"Don't worry about the bill," she said. "It's on me!"

"Fine," I said. I was tired of arguing with her. "Then, I'll just go."

"Wait!" she called out. There was a hint of panic in her voice. "Wait ... uh, it's so dark out. I uh ... I don't want to walk home. Would you ... give me a ride?"

I still couldn't resist those eyes. Every time she batted them at me and asked for something, I just melted. I waited for Jenny to finish her closing duties of filling salt shakers and ketchup bottles.

She tried to start up conversation in the car, asking me how I'd been, complimenting me on my beard. I felt so awkward around her, I finally just asked her if we could skip the conversation. We rode in silence.

I dropped her off at her apartment, the apartment I had been forbidden to visit.

"Won't you come inside?" she asked me nervously.

"Jenny," I started. "You know that's not a good idea."

"Please," she said. "Just for a minute. I ... I really want to talk to you."

I relented ... again.

My heart skipped a beat as we entered the building. I hadn't been here since Jenny kicked me out. The memories of my weekly visits came flooding back. I remembered how I would knock on that door with such anticipation. I felt my emotions welling up inside me as we entered together.

A young woman greeted us. "Katie's fast asleep," she assured Jenny. "She did her homework then played a little more of her game. She was perfect as usual."

She was obviously the babysitter. Jenny gave her some money (all in $1 bills, the travail of being a waitress). The babysitter looked at me funny.

"Oh! It's okay," Jenny said. "He's just the landlord."

That seemed to reassure the young lady and she smiled at me with a look of relief on her face and left.

"Please, sit," Jenny said. She took off her coat and sat on the very chair that she had scolded me from nearly a year ago.

"I ... I've been doing a lot of thinking," she started, shyly. Her eyes were to the floor, she wouldn't look at me. "I've been thinking about you ... a lot."

I was surprised by this confession and eager to hear more.

"I was hard on you, that time, you know ... and I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have been such a bitch."

"Oh, Jenny," I said. I got up. I wanted to hug her.

"Wait!" She stopped me. "Wait, there's more I want to say.

"Growing up, I always had this idea of what I wanted my life to be like. What normal was like. I pictured what my boyfriend would be like. What he would look like, what he would wear. He was tall, handsome, with long strands of hair that dangled in front of his eyes. He was strong, muscular ... He would hold me in my arms and love me. We would go on long romantic dates, walks in the park, horse and carriage rides. He would buy me flowers and pretty jewelry and take me to fancy restaurants for dinner.

"I always thought that someday ... someday I would meet him.

"I met a lot of guys. Some of them even looked just how imagined they should, but they were all assholes. All of them. They all treated me like dirt and none of them cared about Katie. None of them showed any concern for me, only for themselves.

"That day ... that day you came to try to break it off with me, when you said you wanted me to paint the building. You didn't do it because of my mom, did you? I remember what you said. You wanted me to do honest work, to be a good mom.You wanted Katie to be proud of me.

"You care about me, don't you?" she said. She was on the brink of tears.

"Yes, Jenny," I said. "Oh yes!"

It was me who started the crying. We embraced and held each other tightly. I squeezed her so hard I was afraid she couldn't breathe, but she never complained. She held me just as tightly and cried over my shoulder.

Then, she pulled her head away from me and looked at me. Tears were streaming down her face, but she was smiling. That's when it happened. She kissed me. She kissed me long and full on the lips and I kissed her back. My dear, sweet, wonderful Jenny!

Our kiss seemed to go on forever. I didn't want it to end, but it finally did. She whispered into my ear, "I've been saving that ... for my boyfriend."

"Jenny," I said as my heart dropped. "Jenny, do you mean it?"

"Yes!" she said happily. "Yes, I mean it!"

We kissed again, more passionately than I had ever kissed in my life. I felt the sensation of genuine arousal cascade throughout my body. Jenny felt it, too. Her hand reached down and she rubbed my cock.

"Shall we?" she asked, still smiling.

"What about," I paused. I looked at the bedroom door down the hall. "What about Katie?"

"We'll be quiet," she said naughtily. We smiled.

We entered the bedroom together and closed the door. I had been here so many times before, but this time, this time was different. I wasn't here for sex. I wasn't here for my own gratification. I was here for Jenny.

I held her close to me and kissed her long and full. I followed it with little tender kisses on her chin, her cheek, her ear. She started to unbutton her waitress uniform when I stopped her.

"Let me do that," I said. I wanted to savor every piece of her. I unbuttoned the top and peeled back the sleeves revealing her shoulders. I kissed each of them. I kissed her throat, then the top of her rib cage. As I peeled the uniform down, I kissed her between her breasts, on her stomach, her ribs. I knelt down and let the garment drop to the floor. I nuzzled her womanhood through her panties. I inhaled her sweet fragrance. My body tingled and my cock jumped as the aroma of her desire for me wafted through my nostrils.

I stood up and Jenny took her turn undressing me. She unbuttoned my shirt and gave me tender caresses and gentle kisses. She pulled down my pants and massaged my cock through my boxers. She pressed against the shaft with the heel of her hand. She pulled the boxers down and gave me a gentle kiss right on the head of my cock. Then another and another.

I sat on the bed and she took me in her mouth. She lovingly caressed my cock with her tongue. She rubbed against her face and smiled, as she cuddled it in her hands. She took me again in her mouth, taking it all, letting it disappear beyond those beautiful red lips.

I crawled back on the bed and Jenny maneuvered herself in the sixty-nine position. I pulled off her panties kissed her clitoris. I took it into my mouth and suckled it. I let my tongue dart inside her and I lapped the sweetness of her wet desire.

Jenny's body began to shudder and shake. I took her clit into my mouth and gently grasped it between my teeth. I teased it with my tongue as I held it gently. She began to to moan as I continued to pleasure her with my tongue. Soon, she was bucking in orgasm.