Chapter 12

As Sonia strutted towards me, I examined her face and body posture. I knew she was mad with me, because when was she ever NOT mad at me? But I was trying to figure out just how much, so I’d have a clue how to respond.

Surprisingly, she looked mad, but not “spitting nails mad.” Her eyes were narrowed dangerously and she wore a scowl, but at least her hands weren’t clenched into fists ... yet.

I also noticed that she was no longer wearing one of the waitress uniforms. She was dressed smartly and professionally, with a black skirt down to her knees, a black blouse, and a dark blue blazer. I don’t know why she favored black so much, especially since she had to know that would play right into her “Bat” nickname, but she did.

Despite the danger growing by the second with her striding towards me, I had to take a moment to appreciate the fact that she looked good in dark colors. She looked damn good, period.

She came right up to my booth and put her hands on her hips. “Okay, Daniel Cooper, it’s time we sort out once and for all why you come here every day, and how I can get rid of you!”

I had already begun shutting down my laptop. I closed the lid and looked up at her. My heart started racing wildly, which seemed to happen lately most any time I was close to her. However, outwardly I kept my cool. “It’s nice to see you too. By the way, I want to apologize for what I said earlier.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right! You? Apologize?! That’s like getting an apology from Osama bin Laden!” She pretended to quote the al-Qaeda leader. “‘Oh, my bad. Sorry about that whole 9/11 thing. We were only trying to kill the soldiers and the Jews. Next time, we’ll try not to kill so many innocent Muslims too.’”

I stood up, outraged at the comparison. “What?! What the hell are you talking about?! To compare me to a mass murderer terrorist because I had a little hanky panky in your restaurant?! Surely you know that’s ridiculous! I demand an apology!”

She leaned in with an angry sneer on her face. Her voice was getting louder and louder as her passions rose too. “HA! Fat chance! Why should I ever apologize to a mental rapist?! As far as I’m concerned, you can burn in...”

No doubt, she was about to yell about me burning in Hell. However, at the last second she realized that she and I were standing near the front of her restaurant. And while it was almost three o’clock and thus the middle of the lull between lunch and dinner, there still were a few customers. In fact, there was a young couple sitting just one booth away from mine.

Sonia looked at them and noticed that they were staring with dismay back at her. She turned towards them and tried to do some damage control by blatantly lying. “Sorry. My apologies. This man here is an old friend of mine, and we get into very heated arguments, but it doesn’t mean anything. Please pay us no mind.”

That seemed to mollify the couple. They nodded and went back to eating. But clearly we’d been brought to their attention and they were going to keep an eye on us.

Sonia realized that. She looked around and sighed. Then she spoke to me in a much quieter voice. “Sorry for calling you a ‘mental rapist.’ I promised your wife yesterday not to do that, but I can’t seem to help myself. You seem to bring out the worst in me, for some reason.”

I was still pissed, but I was trying hard to take a more diplomatic approach. “That’s okay. I understand. For some reason, you seem to bring out the worst in me too, and I end up saying things I don’t mean to say.”

Clearly, she was trying hard to control herself, especially with other customers around. She took her hands off her hips and struck a less aggressively hostile pose. “Sorry, too, for comparing you to bin Laden, of all people. You’re right, that was out of line. But we do need to sort out why you’re here and how to make you go away. Just knowing you’re in my restaurant is like fingers on a chalkboard for me, the whole time you’re here. I can’t stand it!”

She looked all around again. “Look. I’m loathe to do this, but I’ve got a feeling that we’re likely to yell and throw insults before we’re all said and done, and I don’t want to scare off the other customers. Why don’t we go back to my office and sort things out in private, once and for all?”

“Okay, fine. Just let me get my things.”

She waited silently and impatiently, with her hands back on her hips, while I put my laptop into its bag and gathered up my things. Then she spun around and started striding away. “Come with me.”

I followed behind her. For some reason, I felt very nervous, as if she was going to take me to a private place where she could stab me to death. I realized such feelings were completely irrational, and I fought hard to keep my cool. I had to be on my toes and stay mentally sharp. This could be my one big chance to change her opinion of me.

I had been very curious about the back of her restaurant. I had developed a strong emotional attachment to Mama Mia’s, so I was interested in all aspects of it. The bathrooms were up near the front, so there was no excuse for me to go poking around in back. Now, I’d get to go through the “employees only” door and see what lay beyond.

We went through that door and into a hallway. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see anything except more closed doors. Sonia quickly unlocked one of the doors and led me into what was obviously her private office.

It looked much like I’d expected. It was a typical messy office, with bulletin boards and even a big dry erase board on the wall, and filing cabinets, storage cabinets, boxes, and so on. There wasn’t much free space or blank wall space. The focus of the room was her desk, which had a computer on it, as well as lots of papers, files, and general clutter. One thing that did surprise me was a series of monitors on the wall above her desk. At the moment they were all turned off, but I surmised she had some surveillance cameras hidden here and there in her restaurant and the capability to spy on her employees and customers, although probably only in a limited manner.

She looked around and realized there was just the one office chair. There was a sofa, but it could only fit two people and it would be awkward to have to face each other like that. She turned to face me and said, “I would offer you a seat, but as you can see there’s only the one chair. I almost never allow anyone else in here. If it’s all the same to you, let’s just stand. Hopefully this will be short and to the point anyway.”

“Fine,” I said.

My heart was racing even faster and my palms were starting to sweat. I couldn’t understand why I was getting so worked up. Perhaps it was because I’d never had any enemies since at least high school, and we had become enemies. I didn’t know how to deal with that.

She looked me over carefully, and let out a heavy sigh. “Look. I’ll admit that you’re not the devil reincarnated. Probably not, anyway. But you just make me feel ... AAARGH!” She clutched her hands in the air in frustration.

I couldn’t resist looking her over too. There was something about her that was incredibly sexy, even by my very high standards. Maybe it was her exotic eyes. I had to remember how much we hated each other.

After an awkward pause she was going to say more, but I decided to cut in. “I know what you mean, because I feel the same. So I say we try to clear the air and start over on a new foot.”

She bristled, “Or better, don’t! Clear the air, fine, but not start over. I want you gone!”

I held my hands out defensively. “Before you say that, just listen to me, okay?”

She reluctantly nodded.

I steeled my resolve. I noticed that she seemed curiously nervous too, even jittery, which meant I wasn’t the only one. I reminded myself that I had treated her badly, especially by having sex in her restaurant, and even though she’d been acting like a bitch, it was on me to rise above all the petty bickering.

I put on my best diplomatic and charming face, and said, “For starters, I still haven’t properly apologized for my behavior earlier.”

She huffed, “Which ‘earlier?’ Because every time you see me there’s fresh reasons for more apologies!” She gave me another nasty look (or maybe I should call it a nastier than usual look).

I ignored that and said, “I’m talking about when I briefly talked to you this morning. First off, I saw you in a waitress outfit, and I said, ‘By the way, nice look. Very sexy!’ And even though that was objectively true, it wasn’t polite for me to say it out loud like that.”

She put her hands on her hips and gave me another narrow, suspicious glare. “What do you mean, ‘objectively true?’”

I waved a hand in her general direction. “Anyone can see you’re a very beautiful woman. I would call that a fact, not an opinion. And, truth be told, the old waitress outfits looked terrible. But if someone with your figure wears one of the new ones, of course you’re going to look sexy. That’s an undeniable fact too.”

She huffed, “You’re so pathetic! As if I can’t see what you’re doing. You’re trying to flatter me. You think I’ll suddenly melt just because you throw me a few compliments about my looks?! I’m sorry, but you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool me ever! Try again with your so-called ‘apology!’”

She was right, I was trying to butter her up a little bit. After all, who doesn’t like a compliment or two? I figured I was on solid ground, because she was gorgeous by any measure and she had to know that on some level, so she couldn’t accuse me of lying. But clearly it wasn’t working. I responded, “Hey, I understand where you’re coming from. You’re so dead-set against me that anything I say is going to sound bad to you. Trust me, I’m not trying to seduce you or bamboozle you with flattery.”

She stiffened up and even leaned towards me threateningly. “You damn well better not be trying to seduce me!” She poked at my chest. “I know your kind! Just because you’re handsome, charming, and unfairly well-endowed, you think you can have your way with any woman. You’ve even turned poor, innocent Sue Ellen into some kind of fucking SEX SLAVE, for crying out loud” She gesticulated in agitation.

Then she resumed poking at me. “But I see right through you. You’re just another disgusting PIG of a man! You make me SICK!” She gesticulated wildly even more, since she was getting quite emotional.

I held my hands up defensively. “I think you completely misunderstand me. I’m not this evil demon you think I am. I don’t think men are better than women. In fact, women have it a lot harder in this society. Look at you. I admire you. From what I understand, this restaurant fell into your lap unexpectedly. You had no experience with running a restaurant or even running a business, period. But you’re risen to the challenge and single-handedly kept the place going. That’s pretty impressive.”

She folded her arms under her breasts, and huffed, “You’re still trying to ‘bamboozle me with flattery.’ It’s not working!”

I nodded. But in fact, I did sense it was working, at least a little bit. Complimenting her looks didn’t help, but complimenting her business success did.

I continued, “Call it what you will, but it’s the truth. Sure, I know it won’t hurt if I say nice things about you, but what you managed to accomplish with this place is undeniable. That’s a big reason why I was giving you my two cents about the organic menu and the like. I’m really rooting for this place to succeed.”

She glared at me, ready to bristle, but since I hadn’t given her anything to argue against, she held her tongue.

I went on, “I don’t understand why we’ve gotten along so badly. I know we started off on the wrong foot, and that’s my fault, but I don’t have horns on my head. This may get me in hot water with you, but I suspect that you aren’t so much angry at me as you are at men in general.”

She cut in with renewed righteous anger. “You couldn’t be more wrong! I am very much specifically angry at YOU!” She unfolded her arms to poke towards me aggressively yet again.

I bravely went on, despite my racing heart. “I’m sure there’s some of that, and rightly so. But you do know you’re called ‘The Bat, ‘ don’t you? Everyone who works here knows you’ve got a big chip on your shoulder. And the long-time waitresses say you changed with your divorce, big time. It looks like your ex really screwed you over. It’s only natural if you feel bitter towards other men too. But I’m not him!”

She seemed curiously thoughtful, but then she snapped back to angry and glared at me, “No, but you sure as hell are a lot like him! He’s a cocky asshole too. A snake in the grass. Thinks he can fuck anything that moves!”

I thought, A-ha! My guess there did hit home. Probably he’s never around for her to vent her anger on, but I make a good substitute. I don’t think that’s all of it, but that’s gotta be a big part of it.

I spoke from the heart. Yes, I was still trying to flatter her, but I meant every word. “It’s sad you think of me like that, because you don’t know me. Ask anyone who DOES know me: I’m not an asshole! People think I’m a nice guy.”

She growled with even more venom. “The worst kind of assholes come across as nice guys! That’s what makes them so dangerous!”

I sighed. “How can I argue with that? No matter what I do or say, you’re going to call me guilty. I wish that you and I, well, maybe we can’t be friends, but at least we shouldn’t be enemies.”

She crossed her arms again and gave me the evil eye. “Don’t hold your breath! That’s never going to happen!”

“Why not?! You really are an extraordinary woman with a wealth of outstanding qualities. The least of which is that you are, actually, really beautiful when you’re angry. As an author, I find that inspiring. People think you’re a bitch, but I think you’re passionate and determined to succeed. You’re a complete woman, with a fire-filled spirit!”

She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She looked down at her feet and complained, “Would you shut up already?!” Then she resumed eye contact with her intense stare. “I demand to know if you think giving me these compliments will really make me think any better of you?! Do you take me for a FOOL?! Especially complimenting my appearance. For fuck’s sake! Am I that vain? That easily manipulated?!”

For some inexplicable reason, I felt myself growing even more nervous and worked up. I was on a roll, letting my true feelings out, and it felt good. Even though I kind of hated her, I also admired and liked her at the same time. And I couldn’t deny that her gorgeous looks had an effect on me too. What was the harm of letting her know all that?

I replied, “Look into my eyes. Tell me I’m lying! I’m not! Yes, I hate you in a way, but I like you in another way. And I don’t see what’s so bad about complimenting you, even about your looks, so long as I’m sincere and I’m telling you the honest truth. You ARE a remarkably beautiful woman, and you must know in your heart that’s true! Why can’t you take a compliment?! I’m not trying to seduce you; I’m just speaking from the heart. I wish we could stop being enemies and come to some kind of understanding, some kind of truce or something.”

She put her hands on her hips and gave me a disdainful look. “Humrph! In your dreams!”

To my surprise, she stepped forward into my personal space.

For some reason, that was really intimidating and made me VERY aware of her presence, not to mention her fragrant perfume. (I was surprised she was wearing perfume at all, since it didn’t seem like something a work-obsessed “bat” would do.)

I would have stepped backward, except that I’d never gone far into her office and the door I’d come in was right behind me.

Her face was full of anger and passion as she said, “You talk big with all kinds of compliments, but the truth is, you’re nothing but a bullshit artist! And an asshole! And a mental rapist! I’m convinced of that even more than before, because you’re fucking with my mind right now!”

“I am not!” I’d moved back slightly, putting my back against the door.

But she stepped forward again, putting her face only a few inches from mine. “Oh yeah?!

If you really think I’m so fucking beautiful, then prove it!”

With that, her face moved even closer and before I knew what was happening, her lips met mine!

To call me shocked and surprised would have been the understatement of a lifetime! I literally couldn’t believe what was happening, so I just stood there with my mouth partly open.

The next thing I knew, not only was she actively kissing me, but she raised a hand behind my head and kissed me as if she was letting out years of sexual frustration. It was the exact opposite of a soft or sweet kiss. She aggressively explored my mouth with her tongue, powerfully channeling her passion into me. She was so demanding and dominating that it almost felt like a hostile physical attack!

I didn’t think. I couldn’t. Somehow, my body acted on its own. The only way to defend myself against this “assault” was to fight back! I just been standing there frozen in amazement, not kissing back at all. But I suddenly put a hand behind her head too, and started to return the kiss with all the aggressiveness and pent up passion I could muster.

At first, I was operating purely on some kind of “the best defense is a good offense” instinct. However, within seconds, we were locking lips so intensely and passionately that it literally took my breath away! My head was spinning and my heart seemed to be trying to thump its way right out of my chest! My brain simply couldn’t register the fact that I was making out with Sonia Bossi, the Bat, my one and only dreaded enemy! It didn’t make any sense, especially since she’d started it.

That was shocking enough. But what rocked me to the core was when I realized how very lusty and passionate I was for her. It was like some switch had been flipped. Or, at least, that’s what I thought at first. But then I was hit by an epiphany: I’d been lusting for her all along, but I’d been in deep denial about it. She was forbidden and off limits for a variety of reasons, but most especially because she hated my guts. So I’d buried those feelings deep down. But now they were pouring out of me almost uncontrollably.

I didn’t understand it. How lusty could I be, considering that I already had five wonderful lovers in my life? Five! And each one was more loving, sexy, and amazing than the next. But there’s something about the thin line between hate and lust, and my feeling were going haywire.

Something similar must have been happening to Sonia at the exact same time. She’d shown no attraction or interest in me whatsoever, but now she was kissing my lips like her life depended on it! The only logical explanation was that she also had deeply repressed desires that were suddenly pouring out like a torrent of water rushing through a broken dam.

I would have had all sorts of thoughts about this literally shocking development (our bodily contact felt like an electric shock!) except that I was so swept away by lust that I still could hardly think at all. In less than a minute, I had de-evolved from civilized human to some kind of primal, feral animal. Lust was in total control, for both of us!

At first, it was like the intersection of her lips to my lips was my entire world. I didn’t know if my penis was erect, where my hands were, or what the rest of my body was doing. But by and by I became more away what was happening away from my mouth. I realized that I still had one hand on the back of her head, but my other hand had migrated to the inside of her blazer, and had even slipped inside her blouse! I was running my fingers against her bare tummy, and it felt as firm yet soft as I could have hoped.

As for my penis, it was most definitely erect, almost painfully so. Because our bodies were pressed closely together, there was no way she could not be aware of the hardness I was pushing against her. How could I not be that aroused, when she looked, smelled, and felt fantastic!

While I was doing that, she was busy too. She kept a hand on the back of my head too, because our combined focus remained on the explosive kissing. Her other hand slid around my back some, until it made a sudden move down to my ass and she wound up firmly squeezing one of my ass cheeks through my pants!

This produced a reciprocal action from me. I slid my hand around her waist and down onto her skirt to squeeze one of her ass cheeks in return. (As usual, I couldn’t break the habit of doing that while kissing, even if I was kissing a “bat!”) When she didn’t pull away or shake my hand off, I discovered that her butt was deliciously squeezable. Somehow, my touching her ass like that made her even hotter and more ferocious in her kissing.

Our necking went on for a while, but it was impossible for me to say how long, since I was basically out of my mind with lusty madness for this gorgeous and passionate woman. But eventually we broke our lip-lock, if only to regain our breaths and recover a little bit.

As her head tilted back slightly from mine, I could see her facial expression change from a kind of erotic daze to a look of utter bewilderment and even horror. Clearly, she had no idea why she was behaving like that.

I still wasn’t thinking clearly, just operating on pure animal instinct. Some part of me must have felt I had to say something fast before she got cold feet. So I spoke my mind. “Spirit AND passion! Impressive!” Then I leaned in to kiss her again.

She let me do it, but it was different than the start of our first kiss, which was almost a physical attack from mouth to mouth. This was gentle and sweet.

At least, that’s how it started. But we were still so hot for each other, full of pent-up desire, that it didn’t stay that way for long. After about a minute, Sonia went from reluctant to being the aggressor again. She kissed me hungrily and frantically.

I had to increase the intensity of my efforts just to keep up!

Then she hooked one leg around mine, opening up her crotch so that she can rub her pussy mound against my throbbing erection. We were both fully clothed, or things could have spun totally out of control.

Actually, we were out of control by this point anyway. She moaned loudly into my mouth as she all but dry humped me. That must have sent her desire spiraling sky high, because she suddenly broke the kiss again. Except there was no regret or confusion in her eyes this time. Instead, she grabbed my shirt with both hands and tried to rip the buttons off! But, funnily enough, my shirt was well made and the buttons refused to rip.

She groaned in frustration so loudly that it was almost a scream. Then she hopped up onto me and wrapped both of her legs around my waist. Once she was repositioned, she got even more intent about exploring the inside of my mouth with her tongue.

Normally, it would have been troublesome to hold someone off the ground. I consider myself fit and muscular, but I’m far from a weight lifter. However, I was still close to the door, with only a few inches of empty space behind me. I simply tilted back until my back and ass were resting against the door. That supported much of her weight.

We continued to kiss like that, which somehow increased the crazy passion of the moment even more. She got to work on unbuttoning my shirt instead. Again, it was a miracle the buttons didn’t just fly off, since she was pulling the shirt open like a wild woman as much as working the buttons. Occasionally, she broke our lip-lock to loudly grunt and groan with frustration, because she was too excited to fully control her hands.

While that was going on, I wanted to explore more of her body, but I was frustrated by the business jacket or blazer she was still wearing. There was only one “soft spot” for me to easily access, and that was the front gap between her jacket. I’d already made some progress getting a hand inside her blouse there, but I’d had to move my hands back to her ass to help keep her up in the air. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy the ass grab this time, since I had to simply firmly grasp her there to support her weight.