Death Baked Bob and Personal Ad

A DEATH, BAKED BOB, AND THE PERSONAL AD By Rogue Writer

(F/F, oral, anal, exhibitionism, jewelry, drugs, tattoos, piercings, food, bad accents)

DISCLAIMER -- This is a fictional story to be read and enjoyed. If you can't read, stop reading. If you can't enjoy, stop reading. If you don't like any of the story codes mentioned above, stop reading. If you can't stop, it's not my problem.

Part 4 -- Somebody's Gonna Get Shot

The next morning I woke up in Renee's bed. I looked at her hair and felt a growing tightness in my stomach. What did this mean? Was Andy's vision bound to come true no matter who I kicked out of my life? How could I stop someone else from dying?

I slid out from the covers and slipped out the door. Walking naked through the big, empty, cavernous house made me think of myself as a streaker without an audience. I went down the stairs and into the parlor to put on my clothes.

Just as I finished getting dressed, the door opened and Zhi slipped in. "You are leaving?"

"Yes, for good." I said. "And you should to come with me."

She shook her head. "I cannot."

As Zhi stood there I remembered how I couldn't guess her age the first time I'd met her. Looking at her now I realized she was at the younger end of that spectrum.

"It's dangerous here," I said as I stood up and walked over to her. "Renee is screwing over Tyler and he knows it."

She shook her head vigorously. "Not anymore. Duscha was..." Zhi took in a breath and let it out. "She betrayed Renee. There is woman who comes to the parties, owns model agency. She has friend who deals drugs, and he wanted some of Renee's clients. The woman made deal with Duscha, if she got some of Renee client names, woman would help Duscha get modeling career. But woman lied, and after Duscha got her names she didn't do anything."

"But Renee found out."

Zhi snorted. "Not found out. Duscha told Renee what happened. She wanted revenge on modeling woman and thought Renee would go after her. But she took out her anger on Duscha instead. Renee told Tyler that Duscha was one stealing, when she transport money. So now Tyler thinks Renee didn't do anything wrong."

I shook my head. "Maybe Renee believes that, but I don't. Tyler didn't just kill Duscha...he tortured her. Probably wanted to know if she still had any of his money. You can bet your ass she told him everything."

"Then why is he not here now?"

"Because he wants Renee to think her plan worked, give her time to let her guard down."

Zhi gave me a cynical look. "How do you know all this?"

I gave a slight chuckle. "Too many detective novels." Then I turned serious and said, "It really is dangerous around here. Why not leave?"

Zhi sighed, and then looked straight into my eyes. "I had very little in my country, job that barely gave me place to live and food to eat. Like so many, I wanted more. Then man offered me passage to America. I came in one of those..." she struggled with the words, "cargo containers. Many of us packed together. None knew what expected of us when we arrived. Not until they separate women from men." I swallowed hard as she continued. "But I was lucky. Renee did not want, how do you say it?"

"Damaged goods," I guessed.

"Yes. She was able to look at girls early. She picked me. Now I live in this house and want for nothing."

"What about freedom?"

Zhi's eyes went to the floor. "Sometimes you have to give up something to get what you want."

In that moment, I suddenly understood the sadness I'd seen in Zhi's eyes. She had come here with high hopes for the chance of more in her life, but in the process she had lost something -- her innocence.

Before I could think anything further, Zhi was speaking again. "Renee has given me so much. I cannot just leave her after that."

I nodded and put my hand on her shoulder. "Remember," I said, "what she did to Duscha. Just because you have loyalty to someone doesn't always mean they deserve it."

When I got to my car I looked back and saw Zhi standing at the door. She smiled and waved. I realized I didn't get the chance to ask her what the tattoo on her ass meant. It didn't really matter. Driving away from the house that day was the last I ever saw of her.

I found myself cruising around with no direct destination in mind. I didn't want to go home and I wasn't scheduled to work at the store until later. What Zhi said about giving up something to get what you want was stuck in my head, that and Jess. It reminded me of something, something that happened with Monica.

We were still up at the cabin. Monica told me she wanted to fulfill one of my fantasies and do a nude hike. We'd still wear boots and backpacks, but other than that we were naked in the wilderness. It felt strange walking outside for so long in my birthday suit, but it also felt liberating. Being out in nature, surrounded by trees and dirt and rocks and sunshine, I realized this is how our ancestors lived, and I started questioning if it was such a good idea to stray so far from our origins. Maybe my body was getting too much oxygen.

When we reached a peak on this one hill I knew it was time to take out my surprise. The peak overlooked the horizon and gave a beautiful view of the valley. I said we should rest for a while and take off our backpacks and boots. Up to that moment I wasn't sure if Monica had a slight suspicion of what I was planning, but when she gasped as I got down on one knee I knew she had no idea.

"Mon, I love you. I can't imagine life without you, so I wanted to ask for your hand in marriage. Please be mine, forever." They were haunting words now that I remember them.

"But...I thought with what happened with your parents, and how I'm like your mom...I thought marriage scared you."

I smiled. "A beautiful woman once told me that something worth having should scare you a little."

Tears ran down her face as she said, "Yes."

I tried to look confused and said, "Is that yes, you said that, or yes, you'll marry me?"

Monica smiled through the tears and kneeled down to kiss me.

The next night we had our batchelorette party. I had planned the whole thing, including bringing booze and some pot. We built a small fire near the cabin and danced around it, the portable stereo belting out our favorite CD's. Eventually our lips found each other and we kissed for a long time. The CD changed and the sounds of Daft Punk came through the speakers. Monica broke away from the kiss and pushed me back.

"I've got a surprise for you now," she said. Monica led me over to a rock and told me to sit. "Close your eyes."

I did so and then I heard a rustling sound. She had brought a small duffel bag and refused to tell me what was in it. The sound of tinkling bells confused me.

"Am I supposed to salivate now?" I asked.

"Ha ha," she said. "I thought this was going to be the big surprise of the trip, but you outdid me."

"Ha ha," I responded.

"Actually, this kind of works with it. You know how I was telling you I was going to exercise classes on Wednesday nights?"

"Telling me as in lying to me?"

"It's still a form of exercise."

Then the music stopped. I heard her changing CD's. The next thing I heard was some kind of Arabic music.

"Open up," Monica said.

I did and then gasped. Monica was wearing a belly dancer's outfit, with a bikini top that had beads hanging around the edge and a long skirt with a paisley pattern. She wore a waist chain and anklets around each foot, and all three were the kind that had little bells on it. Around her head was some kind of head necklace that had an amulet resting on her forehead, and there were bracelets on her wrists with chains attached to rings on her fingers.

Monica started moving to the music as she approached, her hips swaying in a seductive rhythm. When she stopped in front of me her belly was inches from my face. It started rolling, making the bells ring and looking like it was calling me to it. Monica's hands moved over my head and down around the sides of my face, around front and up again. She never made physical contact with me, but I was as turned on as I would have been if she were eating my pussy. Okay, maybe not that turned on, but I was on my way there.

Monica must have sensed this, because she looked down at me and said, "Play with yourself."

She didn't have to say it twice. My fingers went between my legs while my other hand started playing with a nipple. Monica stepped back and danced with her hips, while her upper body and legs were almost still, making her hips look like they were a separate entity from the rest of her body. She moved in close again while she did this. The skirt hung very low on her waist and her belly was practically calling to me. I moved my head close and went to lick it, but Monica grabbed my head in her hands and pushed it back. The way she did it was graceful, almost like it was an actual move of the dance.

She turned suddenly and danced away from me, shaking her rear in the most enticing way. I leaned back on the rock and slid a finger inside of me. Swinging around again, Monica moved wildly as the tempo of the music picked up. Her arms flailed around as her torso gyrated to the beat. Then in a flash her hand moved and suddenly the skirt was unclasped and she whipped it around over her head. But what really interested me was further down. Monica wore a low-slung G-string with beads hanging off every inch of it.

I added another finger inside my pussy. Monica tossed the skirt away and started dancing toward me again, her arms above her head and her hips moving back and forth. By the time she got to me I had both fingers fucking my pussy hard. Monica let her legs straddle the rock so that she was able to bring her belly close to my face again. The way she moved made the beads of her underwear shake, and made me want what was underneath even more. I leaned in and this time she didn't stop me when I stuck out my tongue and licked her belly. Dragging my tongue all over made Monica moan a little. I got slapped in the face by the bells of the waist chain, but it was worth the punishment. I stopped licking and continued to finger myself as Monica shook her body hard, the music reaching a crescendo and then ending. Suddenly I felt my hand being pulled away from my pussy and Monica's tongue going to work. It didn't take much, and I soon yelled, "Oh God, oh my fucking...Monica!" It was one of the most earth shattering orgasms I'd ever had. She continued to lick and added her fingers and suddenly I was going again until there was another climax. Moncia climbed on top of me and kissed me on the lips. I could taste my honey, and opened my mouth as I pulled her tight to me. I could feel the sweat on both our bodies and feel my heart beating out of my chest. I could swear I felt hers too.

After the kiss Monica looked at me and smiled. "Oh my God," she said. "That class was worth every fucking penny."

Still trying to catch my breath, I said, "Uh huh. We should write a letter of endorsement."

The evening after that was our wedding. We did it at sunset on that same peak where I proposed to her. I had brought a veil for each of us and we found some wild flowers that day to use as bouquets. I'd also brought white anklets and waist chains that had little wedding bells on them. That morning we trimmed our pubic hairs in the shape of hearts (hers looked better than mine, I've never been an artist with shears). After exchanging rings, we made love there on the peak, bringing each other to numerous orgasms. It was one of those moments that defined my life, and I thought it would give me nothing but wonderful memories. Never did I imagine those memories would one day hurt.

I was still trying to sort out all my thoughts and feelings when I arrived at the video store. It was obvious that Jess and I had something very special between us, and I knew it would be stupid of me to let that go. But after losing Monica and hearing Andy's premonition, the very thought of going through all of that again made my body feel cold and hollow. Still, could I trust Andy's premonition? Should I? I kept telling myself I didn't believe in those things, kept thinking about what my dad would say about it, but my brain was plagued with one question -- "What if?" My thought process was interrupted when Jiminy Cricket came in. He grabbed a porno and I checked him out without a word. I didn't want to upset him any more than I already had.

He started for the door, stopped and came back to the counter. In a raised voice he said, "Yeah, I'm worried about my wife catching me renting pornos. She fucking hates pornos. But goddammit, I do it anyway." He pointed a finger at me. "'Cause nobody is going to tell me how to live my life. Not her, not you, not anybody!" He walked out at a normal pace, with his head held high and proud.

And that was the moment I knew I was going to put Jess in my life.

When my shift was over I went to the mall and bought a few things. Then I rushed over to Jess' place. She wasn't there. I sat in the parking lot and waited, fighting the urge to take a pill. I wanted one really bad. My nerves were on end over how this would go, since Jess got angry and slammed a door in my face the last time we talked. But I was even more nervous that she'd notice my state if I took a pill, because then our conversation would become about things I didn't want to deal with.

It must have been a night for her classes, because two hours went by without Jess showing up. Then I started to wonder if she was out on a date. Wonder turned to worry, and I found myself reaching for my stash. But I hesitated when a city bus pulled up at the stop across the street. When it drove away Jess was standing there, holding some books. She spotted my car before she crossed the street and stood there for a moment, staring. I got out of the car. She walked over and stopped a few feet in front of me. The look on her face was guarded.

I said, "I want to give us a shot."

Her look went from guarded to disbelief. "Yesterday you were certain you didn't."

"Believe it or not, a lot's happened since yesterday."

"Were you high yesterday?"

I sighed. "Not when I talked to you."

"Are you high now?"

"No. Look, I haven't exactly been behaving normal lately. Ever since Monica died...I don't know what the right decisions are anymore. I mean, when you're in a relationship with someone, you get used to having them be your safety net. When I got confused or overwhelmed by something, Monica always helped me figure it out. And she did it by reminding me what I believed, not just what she thought. She used to say that creative people like me could come up with great ideas but couldn't organize them for shit."

"So what are you saying?" Jess asked. "That you couldn't organize what you felt about me?"

"I know how I feel about you," I said. "It's the only thing I've felt certain about since I lost Monica. But I wasn't sure if I was rushing into things for the wrong reasons. I don't want you in my life because I miss what I had with Monica. I want you in my life because I want you."

Jess didn't respond and we stood there silently. I curled my hands into fists and felt the sweat on my palms. Then Jess took a few steps forward until she was right in front of me.

"So how do I know you won't change your mind again?" she asked.

"You don't," I said, "but if this is something you want, you need to go for it anyway."

I leaned in and kissed Jess. She didn't resist, and soon we were embraced in a full-blown passionate kiss. The tongue stud caught me by surprise again. As the kiss ended I could hear both of us breathing hard, like we'd just run a marathon. "Let's go upstairs," she said.

The apartment was a single room with a double bed, dresser, a table with two chairs and a TV on a small stand. It was basically a motel room, with the bathroom opposite the front door. A laptop sat on the table and when I looked I noticed her computer desktop was a picture of me, the one Bob must have sent. I realized that Monica had been in the picture and that he had somehow taken her out. I tried not to think of the symbolism.

Jess turned and noticed that I was looking at the computer. Embarrassed, she folded down the screen. "I, um...don't think I'm some obsessive nut or anything."

"Why? Is that a bad thing?"

We smiled at each other. Then I held up the bag in my hand. "Something for you," I said.

Jess was a little hesitant as she took the bag. "Uh, thanks." She opened it, looked at me and then down into the bag. "I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate this, but these aren't really my style."

"Style is one thing, how you feel about yourself is another. Why don't you try them on?"

Jess looked up at me, her face filled with worry. "I'm not going to look good in these."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that. C'mon, do a little modeling show for me."

I hopped on the bed while Jess grudgingly went into the bathroom. There was a magazine on her nightstand and I flipped through it as I waited. A minute later she came out, still wearing her T-shirt and jeans.

"I can't do it," she said.

"Why not?"

"I told you, I know I'm not going to look good in them."

"So you didn't even try them on?" I said. "Not even to look at them for yourself? Is this the same girl that gave me a speech about courage and then slammed a door in my face?"

Jess stood there for a moment, then sighed and slumped her shoulders as she went back into the bathroom. I went back to reading the magazine, which was about computers. It was real tech-head stuff, and after a few minutes I gave up trying to decipher it. Just as I put it down the bathroom door opened, and several seconds went by before she slowly stepped out. I could feel the smile grow on my face. She had put on the red thong and matching lacy red bra. The whip marks were visible, as were the edges of the crosses on her crotch and the round burns on her breasts. But her tattoos and belly button piercing were also visible.

"Turn around," I said.

When she did I could see all the whip marks on her back. But there was also a large blue dragon tattoo on her upper back where there were no marks, and she had a tattoo of a sun on her left butt cheek and a moon on her right.

"You're beautiful," I said.

Jess looked over her shoulder. "I look like a model for an S&M magazine," she said.

I laughed out loud. Jess cut it off with a serious look. "Oh come on!" I said. "I can't help it. You keep saying funny things, that's not fair."

Her hand came around to her back and pulled at the thong. "I never liked these. Feels like dental floss up my ass."

"Well I happen to think they're sexy," I said. "Now go try on the other one."

Jess shook her head. "I think that one's going to be worse."

"You never know until you try," I said as she shut the door. I picked up another magazine from her nightstand, this one about tattoos. There were pictures of people with large tattoos and some with tons of small ones. I thought some of those small ones might look good on me, and started thinking about where I might get one when the door opened again. This time Jess strode out and stopped in a pose with a hand on her hip.

"Wow!" I said. "That looks great on you."

She was wearing a black bra with sheer cups, making her nipple rings visible, and a black V-string with a white bow on the front. She turned around to show me the back. "It's kind of weird," she said, and ran a finger along the string in her crack, "but I actually like this one better."

"Wait a second," I said. "A thong feels like dental floss in your ass, but the V-string is better?"

"Less material up there to bother me," she said.

I shrugged. "Okay," I said as I slid off the bed and guided her to the mirror. Standing behind Jess as she looked at herself, I put my lips in her ear and said, "You look really sexy."

Jess closed her eyes, took a breath and opened them. "Listen, I really appreciate what you're trying to do here. But it's going to take more than a few pairs of sexy underwear to make me feel better about the fact that I look like I lost a fight with a paper shredder."

I bit my lip. Suddenly, Jess gave a smile. "It's okay," she said. You can laugh at that one."

I let go and Jess laughed too. I hugged her and started stroking her body. "I was kind of hoping," I said, "that you would wear these on our second date."

Jess chuckled. "Is this your way of asking me out on a second date?"

"I figured if you were willing to try on underwear for me, that a date wouldn't be that a big deal."

"When's this date going to happen?"

"You free tomorrow night?"

"Yep. Can I decide where we go?"

"Sure."

We stood there quietly for a few minutes. I was still hugging her from behind with my head on her shoulder, and Jess was looking at herself in the mirror.

"Do me a favor?" she asked. I looked into her eyes in the mirror and gave a small nod. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Sure," I said.

Jess went to the bathroom to change while I stripped down to my thong and bra and climbed onto the bed. When Jess came out of the bathroom she wore a long nightshirt with Snoopy on it. She kneeled at the side of the bed.

"This'll only take a minute."

I nodded and went back to reading the tattoo magazine. A minute later Jess climbed onto the bed and lay next to me. I looked at her and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, I'm a natural blonde," she said, and smiled.

I smiled back. "Not that, stupid." Then I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked, "Why do you still pray?"

Jess' brow furrowed. "Because that's how I was raised."

"That's not..." I stopped and thought about how to better phrase my question. "I just figured religious was the last thing you'd be, after what your parents did to you."

Jess shook her head in a way that told me she'd been asked this before. "But my parents are the one's that did it to me, not religion. There are plenty of people out there who are religious and handle having a gay kid better than my folks did. Besides, I'm not going to go back on what I believe just because they had a fucked up view of it."

We were quiet for a few moments while I digested her point of view. Then she said, "So I guess you're not very religious."

"Not really, unless you consider music a denomination. My father taught me that people worry too much about what they can't see and not enough about what's right in front of their faces."

"That's one way of looking at it," Jess said as she cocked her head to the side. "So, are we going to have a deep discussion all night, or are you going to let me ravish you?"

I held up a finger. "One ravishing, please."

Jess laughed, and then leaned towards me so our foreheads and noses touched.

She stayed there for a moment before moving in and kissing my lips. The soft touch of her skin actually made me feel warm inside, and reminded me of what I'd felt when I kissed her that morning after the first date. The kiss became more intimate (I was ready for the tongue stud this time) and our hands started exploring each other's bodies. Jess rolled me onto my back and climbed on top while continuing the kiss. Then she started kissing down the side of my face until she reached my neck, which she sucked on with her lips while her teeth pressed lightly against it. That drove me wild and I started moaning loudly. I could feel the wetness between my legs as I pressed them together.

After doing the same to the other side of my neck, Jess kissed her way down to my chest. She pressed her nose against a cup of my bra, moving it in slow circles. Then she put her mouth on the material and used her teeth to lightly graze the area. I could feel my nipple harden, and when Jess' teeth found it she gave it a few soft bites. The feeling of her doing this through the material was getting me good and worked up. Jess used her hands to slide the straps of my bra off my shoulders and slid it down. Then one of her hands moved between my legs and stated pressing against my sex while the tip of her tongue started licking around my nipple in slow circles, moving in until it flicked the hard nub of sensitive flesh. A low moan escaped me as she started teasing it, and I finally let go with a gasp when she sucked with her lips. While Jess gave the other one the same treatment she looked up at me, and our eyes met. I noticed the pain I'd seen there when we first met didn't seem as present. A mixture of desire and animal lust had replaced it, and suddenly I felt like I'd accomplished something that night.

Jess stopped toying with my nipple and sat up on her knees while her hands rubbed up and down on my stomach and sides. I had the urge to reach over and pull her nightshirt off, but I realized she might not be comfortable with me doing that. I reminded myself to take it slow, that her putting on the lingerie was a big step already. Jess' fingers were getting me excited, her light touch created a great feeling of anticipation of what was to come.

She traced the edge of my belly button with her finger, then leaned down and traced it with her tongue.

I felt even more anticipation when I realized she'd soon be doing that to my pussy. My wait wasn't long as Jess crawled down and pulled my thong off. I lifted my legs to make it easier for her, but before I could bring them down she grabbed my ankles. Jess started with my left foot, licking and sucking on my toes and then the underside. She did the same to my right foot, her hand playing with the metal-link anklet I wore. Jess put my foot down and moved between my legs, her eyes intent on my cunt as she ran her hands on my crotch and slid her fingers over my lips. I spread my legs wide to give her better access.

"Oh yeah," I moaned. Jess looked up at me and smiled. That made me happy, but she never seemed to give a wide smile, teeth and everything. I'd have to work on that.

Her head went down and I felt her fingers spread me open. When Jess' tongue made contact I felt the softness I expected and a little hardness that I didn't. Then I remembered her tongue stud. The damn thing surprised me again. It was close to the tip of her tongue, and every time she licked I could feel it, which was great because the thing really added something. But Jess' style was sloppy, her tongue was all over the place, and it occurred to me she might be a little inexperienced. I wasn't going to complain though, because for me, feelings are more essential than sexual prowess. Knowing you're with someone you care about is more important at the beginning, while learning how to please each other in bed comes over time. Unless, of course, you're having a one-night stand.

But just because Jess was sloppy didn't mean she was failing at bringing me to orgasm. I was on my way up the ladder, and when she pushed a finger inside me I grabbed my legs behind my knees and pulled myself wide open. Her tongue licked faster as her finger moved in and out of my hole. I kept moaning and occasionally yelling words of encouragement. Jess brought me to the edge three times before finally sending me over. When that happened I called out her name once, and then dropped my legs.

Jess crawled up to me and started kissing my face. I brought my lips to hers and tasted myself as we shared little lingering kisses. Finally our mouths opened and our tongues met in a warm, wet embrace. The kiss continued as we rolled onto our sides, our bodies pressed together and our hands roaming. I moved one of mine under the edge of her nightshirt and massaged her butt. That made her moan, and she grabbed at my ass and squeezed. Jess wasn't wearing any underwear, so I moved into her crack and slid my fingers up and down.

When I started feeling around for her rosebud, Jess suddenly broke the kiss.

"What are you doing?"

"I was...looking for your butt hole. Are you not into that?"

She just stared at me.

I said, "I'm sorry. The way you reacted when I touched your butt...I assumed, and I shouldn't have done that."

Jess stared at me for a moment longer. "It's okay," she said. "I've never really...tried that." She didn't sound upset, and I wondered if she was curious about it. But I decided not to push the subject.

"Well, if you ever want to try it, let me know. I've had some experience."

She nodded. We got under the covers before kissing some more and finally falling asleep.

I was woken up the next morning by the sound of a slamming door. There were sounds of people talking and walking past the window. As they faded I looked to the other side and was surprised to see Jess already awake, leaning on her arm and staring at me.

"Morning," she said.

I rubbed my eyes. "Is it that already?"

"Unfortunately. I have to get to work."

I looked at the clock. "Me too."

Out of the blue, Jess asked, "Did you enjoy what I did last night?"

"Yeah," I said. I didn't feel like getting into criticism right then.

Jess smiled. "Good. I was worried."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, I, um, haven't exactly had much...experience." Jess sighed and said, "Truth is I've only been in two relationships before. But one of them taught me a lot, and I read how-to books and sex stories. I know that doesn't make up for actual experience, but..." She shrugged.

I was about to tell her that she shouldn't feel self-conscious about that kind of thing, but then I realized sexual abilities were important to her because she thought they could make up for how she looked physically. I stroked her arm and said, "Really? I couldn't tell."

It was one of those little lies you sometimes say at the start of a relationship, either to spare fragile feelings or keep sour notes from screwing things up too early. You tell yourself that if things go far enough you'll be able to tell the truth later, and if they really care about you they'll understand and be forgiving. Sometimes you eventually bring it up, sometimes you don't, and sometimes you find more subtle ways of getting the message across. I had a feeling that with Jess, on this particular subject, subtle was the way to go.

"Sorry I don't have anything to eat," she said.

I rolled on top of her. "Oh yes you do."

Jess gave me her muted smile again. "Don't even start, we don't have the time."

I kissed her on the lips. "You're denying me my recommended daily allowance?"

"Of what, vitamin P?"

I laughed. "How about we take a shower together? Do two things at once."

In the bathroom Jess hesitated before taking off her nightshirt. I made sure to smile at her while looking at her body, running my hands up and down her sides. Once we got in the shower, the only two things we managed to do at the same time was each other, using our fingers until we both came. After we washed each other's hair I ran my hands down her back and over her butt.

"How does it feel?" she asked. "Back there."

"It's different," I said. "At first I wasn't jumping at the thought of it, but when I finally experienced the sensations I really liked it. The important thing is you've got to start out slow, too many people get turned off by not easing into things.""

Jess nodded. Then she said, "I think I'd be willing to try it, if you'd be willing to show me."

I gave her a sly smile. "Depends. You need to pay the fee first"

"What's the fee?"

"A kiss."

Jess leaned in and took my lower lip between both of hers, played with it a little, and then moved into a slow, smoldering kiss that literally made my knees weak. The girl may need some lessons in eating pussy, but she really knows how to kiss. When it was over she asked, "Does that get me the lessons?"

"Baby," I said, "that buys you the school." I grabbed a bottle of liquid soap and poured some onto the tips of my fingers and rubbed it over her rosebud. Then I squeezed some more onto my pinkie finger.

I said, "If you start to feel uncomfortable, let me know." She nodded and I positioned my finger and started rubbing it around her asshole. Jess closed her eyes. After a few moments I pressed against her hole lightly, went back to rubbing for a few seconds and then pressed again. I repeated the process twice more before it relaxed enough to let me in. Jess gave a sharp intake of breath and I stopped. When she didn't say anything for a few moments I continued pressing in until I reached my first knuckle. Then I let it sit there for a few moments before I wiggled the finger around a little. Jess took in a sharp breath again, but let it out slow, and then she let out a low moan. I moved my finger in and out slowly, gradually making it in to the second knuckle. I wiggled it around again and Jess moaned again. Moving closer to her, I started kissing and licking her neck. Jess made a mewing sound and I slowly moved my finger in and out, never going past the second knuckle. I loved feeling her body pressed up against mine, our skin touching, and me giving her pleasure.

Finally I slid my finger out. "That's all for now. Did you like it?"

"Mmmm. More than I thought I would," she said. "I think I'm looking forward to the next lesson."

I kissed her and said, "Me too."

I dropped her off at work and went to the video store in a daze. I was elated and satisfied and nervous all at once, and for the rest of the day I had butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't sit still, and kept straightening up everything two and three times. It was that kind of anticipation that comes when you're excited about something new in your life. I was so up that I didn't notice I hadn't taken a pill for eighteen hours, at least until lunchtime, when I looked in my bag and saw my stash. I knew I couldn't last all day and night without one, so I tossed a little white pill down my throat. Just to maintain.

Bob came out of his office at one point to get something behind the counter.

Suddenly he stopped and looked at me.

"You're wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday."

"Yep."

He dropped the binder he was holding. "You sold your wardrobe for pills?"

"Nope."

Bob stared at me for a moment. Then he came near me and started sniffing. Suddenly his eyes widened. "You got laid last night."

"Bob, there is no way in hell you can smell that on me."

"Yep, you got laid." Bob picked up the binder and walked to his office. "You can thank me later," he said before shutting the door.

"Asshole," I said to myself.

The day didn't move fast enough for me. Every time I looked at the clock it seemed to tick slower. Then we had a rush and suddenly I looked up and it was time to go. I dashed home, showered, and narrowed my choices down to outfits three, four and eight. Four won for reasons I can't explain, but mostly because I ran out of time. I shot over to Jess' and picked her up. She was wearing a black skirt, red blouse and combat boots. Before she got in the car she turned around, lifted the skirt and flashed me her bare ass, thanks to my gift. She got in and we kissed and I didn't want it to end. The only reason she stopped it was because we had reservations. She directed me to this Thai restaurant that I'd heard about but never went to because it was very popular and hard to get a table. I asked her how she got one.

"The dentist I work for. He does the owner's teeth."

We sat at our table and I told her I loved Thai food.

"I know, you told me in your email. Well, I guess Bob told me."

We made very small talk until our waiter came to take our drink orders and give us menus. It was strange, she knew everything about me already thanks to Bob, and I was hesitant to bring up her past. Looking at the menus and talking about our dinner options gave us something else to focus on for a while. Once we ordered we talked about little things, I mostly found out about her current life and tastes and she listened to me talk about Monica some, which Bob hadn't mentioned. By the time dinner came, I was worried we'd exhausted all our conversation options except her past. But then she started talking about music and that sustained us for the entire meal.

Afterwards the check came quickly. We fought over it, and finally agreed to split it. Returning to my car, Jess directed me to a local art gallery with night hours. We had tons of fun admiring, mocking, and contemplating some of the work. After that we went to this dessert bar, found out we both love coconut and split a piece of coconut cake. Right after we were finished I remembered about Ronald and told her what happened.

"My super wants to buy you dinner," I said.

"Free of charge," she said. "I hate racists. Not to mention homophobes and sexists, and people who can't stand it if you don't think like they do."

I smirked. "Anybody else?"

"Cold callers. I'd kick all their asses if I could."

I realized that as much as I didn't want to upset Jess by asking her about her past, my urge to know the truth was too strong. This seemed like an opportunity to ease into the subject. "From what I saw, you could do that easy. Where'd you learn to do it?"

The hurt look returned to her eyes, and I suddenly regretted my choice. But before I could say anything, Jess started talking. "Couple years after my parents...I managed to save up enough money and walked into this karate school. Just took lessons and kept practicing, day in and day out. The sensei said I was the most dedicated student he ever saw. He had no idea what was motivating me. I wasn't going to let anyone ever overpower me again."

"That's why the tattoo? Never again?"

"Yeah. It's a reminder that I have control over my life, and I'm never going to let that happen to me again."

We were quiet after that. I considered letting the subject go for the night, but looking in her eyes I realized the damage was done. Best to get it over all at once. "So, um, you said your parents did that for three months?"

Jess swallowed. "They kept me tied to the bed for three months. The whipping and burning lasted over a year."

"Did you ever go to anyone about what was happening?"

She shook her head. "No, but one of my teachers noticed my burns and got the truth out of me. After that the police and the social workers got involved, they took me away from my folks and I went into a foster home." Her eyes looked away from me. "I don't know why I didn't tell anyone sooner. I guess I didn't have the courage."

"It's not about that."

Jess' eyes came back to me, and she waited. I swallowed and said, "When I was in college, I got into a relationship with my creative design professor.

She was intelligent and attractive and had a great artistic sensibility." I smirked. "Not that artistic sensibility is a requirement for me."

Jess smiled. I smiled back, but it dropped as I continued, "The first time she hit me, I...I didn't know what to think of it. We were having this little disagreement, not some big argument. But she was known for having a quick temper, especially in the classroom, and I just, excused it in my head by figuring she couldn't control her anger that time." I sighed. "But it wasn't just that time. And whenever it happened I came up with an excuse. She was angry with her other students and took it out on me, she was bitter because she was teaching people things she wanted to go out and do herself, et cetera, et cetera. It was like I needed a justifiable reason why someone I looked up to could be like this. There was a part of me that said it was wrong, the part of me that had heard about abusive relationships and always said, `I'd never put up with that.' But I learned there's a long distance between looking at something from the outside and being on the inside with an emotional stake."

"So what happened?"

"A friend of mine saw it happen once. She hit me right in front of him without even thinking about it. Later my friend took me aside and talked to me, reminded me to have some self-respect. So I broke up with my professor, and I started seeing a therapist at the campus free clinic."

Jess nodded and then chewed on her lip. I put my hand on hers and said, "Sometimes you get involved in a bad situation and you don't know how to handle it. That happens, and it's easy to blame yourself. And when people you care about or look up to are doing wrong things, it makes coming up with a solution a lot harder."

"The therapist tell you that?" she asked. I nodded. Jess looked in my eyes and asked, "You still in therapy?"

"No," I said. "You don't always have to go for your whole life. Sometimes when something bad happens you can go for a little while until you're better."

"Funny you should mention that," she said. Jess took something out of her bag and slid it across the table. It was a brochure. I picked it up and looked at it. "The Sunnydale Clinic?"

"It's a rehab program," Jess said. The nervousness in her voice wasn't hard to detect. She started to say something, then stopped, got that faraway look again, and finally looked me directly in the eye. "If you want to be with me, you have to be clean first." She swallowed hard and continued. "No in-between. And don't tell me you can kick it all by your lonesome. Smoking you can give up on your own, with this stuff you need help."

I put the brochure on the table. "I don't think I can afford this."

"I talked to Baked Bob. Between him, me and some of your friends we're going to pay for it."

That surprised me. "How did you get in touch with Bob?"

"I realized that email address I was talking to must have been his. He wants you to do this." Jess leaned across the table. "And I need you to do this. After what happened with my parents...I need to be able to trust the people in my life."

Jess wore an expectant look on her face. I took in a deep breath and let it out. "Okay. I'll do it."

Jess gave a small smile and her hands took hold of mine and squeezed tight. "I know you can do this."

I smiled and squeezed back. "What I need to do right now is go to the bathroom." I got up, hoping she wouldn't notice anything funny about me bringing my bag with me.

I made sure the other two stalls were empty and went into the last one. Out of my bag came my stash. Maybe I would go into that program, but first I was going to get my head straight. Who the hell does she think she is, blackmailing me into that? And fucking Bob, once again meddling in my life, something I'll have to put an end to.

I stood in the stall looking at the pills. Part of my brain was saying, "Just put one in your mouth!" But something kept me from doing it. And then I realized that part of my brain wasn't talking so loudly anymore. There was another part, speaking over that other part. It was saying, "Jess is sitting out there. She cares about you and isn't that important to you?"

I stood there feeling almost numb as the two parts of my brain silently worked all this out. I felt like an observer in all this. And that's when I realized why I was standing there frozen -- I wasn't an observer. Both parts were making their arguments, but I had to make the decision. With that realization I moved my hand and dumped the pills into the toilet.

"Welcome to oblivion," I said as I pressed down the lever and watched the water spin, carrying the drugs to some unknown place. A little laugh escaped me as I thought of sewer rats getting high.

When I came back from the bathroom my cell phone started ringing. I shook my head and told Jess this would only take a minute. Then I spoke into the phone. "What is it?"

"My buddy the cop called. They're over at Renee's place. She's dead."

I felt my stomach turn. "What happened?"

"They're not sure yet. They caught three guys just as they were leaving her place. Someone called in a tip." Bob was silent for a moment and then spoke trying to hold in his breath at the same time. "They said...Renee was...shot. Several...times." Bob exhaled.

"They didn't find anyone else? An Asian girl?"

"No," he said. "Just Renee."

I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Zhi had taken my advice and left. Or maybe she knew enough to be nervous, saw Tyler and his men coming and ran to call the cops.

In a sincere voice, Bob said, "I'm glad you weren't there."

"I wasn't going back anyway."

"Good," he said. "I hope you learned something from all this." His voice took on this stern, fatherly tone when he said it. Suddenly I was fuming.

"Yeah, that I shouldn't trust you. You're the one who sent me to her. What the hell were you thinking?"

That caught him off guard. "I was...I was just..."

"Let me guess, you were looking out for me. Well maybe Monica was right; people like you are trouble. Goodbye Bob." I hung up the phone. Jess looked at me. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Something a long time coming," I said.

When we got back to my car I grabbed Jess and kissed her. Looking into her eyes I asked, "Do you have to be anywhere tomorrow?"

"Nope."

"You want to come back to my place?"

She smiled. "Depends. Do I get another lesson?"

"If I get another kiss."

"Oh! I thought I'd bought the school already."

I smiled. "You still have to pay the staff."

She shook her head. "You've got a dirty mind."

On the ride back we joked and laughed. I realized getting Jess to talk about her past had been a good thing. She seemed more relaxed and open, and I got the feeling she felt comfortable around me. That feeling turned out to be true as we arrived at the front of my building. We had been walking silently, holding hands, when Jess suddenly turned and said, "Do you have a strap-on?"

I grinned. "Now who's got a dirty mind?"

"It's all that religious repression I grew up with."

We laughed, and that's when it happened. Jess was looking at me and she smiled wide, teeth showing. Then she had to look down to see the steps as we walked up to my front door, but the smile was still on her face. There was a feeling of great elation inside me, and it felt so good that when I looked up it took me a moment to realize what I was seeing. Tim was standing there at the top of the stairs, a gun in his hand. It was aimed at Jess, but he didn't shoot when I saw him. I realized he was waiting for Jess to look up, wanting her to know who ended her life.

It was in the moment he waited that so much flashed through my mind. The day I was so overjoyed about my promotion and the moment I walked through the door and realized something was wrong, those agonizing months watching Monica slowly die and not being able to do anything about it. Seeing her coffin being lowered down at the grave. Coming home and being overwhelmed by memories. Silencing those memories with drugs. Washing myself with guilt because I couldn't do anything to save her. Wallowing in self-pity because I was left here to live life without her. Hating myself for not being able to do more. And then, just two words drowned out all those thoughts.

Never again.

Just as Jess looked up I threw my body in front of hers. There was a loud pop and suddenly an explosion of white-hot pain in my chest. My brain kept fighting consciousness. I heard screaming. The next thing I knew Jess was kneeling over me, crying. Telling me she loved me.

And then there was nothing.

I woke up screaming. My body was covered in sweat and I sat up in the bed.

I heard, "Keisha! Baby!"

I felt a hand on my back, its touch bringing me back to reality and soothing my nerves. I stopped screaming but I was moaning loudly, my body rocking back and forth as I tried to calm down.

"It's okay," Monica said. She put her arms around me and in a calm and soothing tone said, "It's okay. You're safe. It's okay."

I was still shaking, but my breathing slowed and I managed to speak. "It was horrible. Fucking horrible."

"It's okay now, you're safe."

I took in deep gulps of air as Monica's hand rubbed my shoulder. "I had this nightmare," I said. "You died, and I fell apart, and got addicted to drugs...and there was something about being naked in this big house. And then Bob, he set me up on this blind date, and Andy said I was going to lose someone again...and, oh I don't fucking know."

"Shhhhh," Monica said. "Don't worry, it's over now. Relax. It's just scary sleeping in a strange place, that's all."

I looked around. Her uncle's cabin was very cozy and relaxing, but she was right, this place wasn't home. Monica guided me back down and we fell asleep hugging each other.

The next morning I woke up in the bed alone. I walked out onto the porch and enjoyed the feeling of being naked outside. The sun was shining bright and there were only a few clouds in the sky.

Monica came walking around the side of the cabin holding flowers, which she handed to me. "Picked these up for you. Luckily they were cheap."

"Thanks," I said. We went inside and made breakfast and fed it to each other. Then we went down to the lake and walked around to the other side, where we sat under a tree and enjoyed the setting around us. Suddenly Monica jumped up and slapped my shoulder.

"Tag, you're it!" she said and ran away. I got up and chased after her. Monica ran into the forest and I ran in after her. There were lots of trees and no path and I realized I'd lost her. I kept looking around the trees, thinking she was hiding behind one. Suddenly I felt something hit me in the head, so I looked up.

Monica was sitting on a large branch in the tree. She picked off pieces of bark and tossed them at me and giggled.

"Stop that!" I yelled.

Monica climbed down, and when she reached the base of the tree I pushed her up against it. "Gotcha," I said.

"Mmm, suppose you deserve a reward for that."

Monica was facing the tree. I brought my hand between us and slipped it between her legs. She was wet, and when I made contact with her pussy she moaned that sweet moan of hers that tells me how happy I make her. I pressed my body against hers as I started fingering her. Monica pressed back against me and I brought my other hand around front to caress her breast and pinch her nipple. She started panting and I kissed her shoulder, savoring the feel of her skin. I brought my hand down from her breast to her pussy, both hands now working either end of it. Monica called out as I worked on her faster, then slowing down to keep her on edge for as long as possible. As I brought her up again I slid the hand between us back to find her rosebud and worked my finger into her. My other hand worked on her clit, and between the two sensations Monica was screaming. Her hands pressed against the tree as if she were holding it up, and finally she let out a yelp as she came, slumping against the tree and breathing heavily.

Soon she turned around and we shared a long, passionate kiss, during which she guided us around so my back was against the tree. Then she started to lick down my body, taking the time to suck on my nipples and rim my belly button before she kneeled between my legs. Her tongue licked and sucked at my pussy while her fingers caressed along my slit, waiting for the right moment. Soon I felt Monica's finger enter me, a part of her coming inside my body and taking control, manipulating my pleasure and showing her love for me all at once. She was like a violinist playing her favorite instrument, knowing from years of practice and performance what reaction each movement will cause, taking care to be gentle while manipulating it to her will. I reached my arms up over my head and grabbed the trunk of the tree, feeling the impeding force of nature exploding within me. When she looked up at me from between my legs, all felt right with the world.

She got up and we leaned against each other. Time stood still, and nothing outside of us mattered. If a tree fell right now, neither of us would hear it.

Suddenly I slapped her on the arm. "You're it!" I ran off and didn't look behind me to see if she was keeping up. I hid behind a tree and peeked around. Monica was nowhere to be seen. I tried controlling my breath; afraid the sound would give me away.

Then it happened. A flash. There were lights and beeping sounds and people yelling. Someone standing over me with a small knife, and suddenly there was lots of movement. And then it was gone. I leaned against the tree, not sure if what just happened was real. Then suddenly I heard, "Keish!"

I ran towards her voice. She called again and I came out of the woods. Monica was standing in front of a chair that sat on the edge of a cliff side overlooking the valley. "Look at this," she said.

That's when I noticed the chair was carved out of stone. "Wow. That is weird."

She looked at me with a mischievous grin and said, "Sit in it."

I looked at it for a moment to make sure nothing was sticking out of the seat, and then planted myself in it. The cool stone against my skin was an odd feeling. Looking out over the valley, I said, "They must have made this to sit here and watch the sunset, or the sunrise. Which way is east?"

"I think that way," she said, pointing in the direction the chair was facing.

"So this is to watch the sunrise. Do you think your uncle did this?"

"I doubt it."

I stood up, and suddenly something occurred to me.

"I don't remember this," I said. I looked at Monica, but she was looking at the sky. I shook my head. "I don't remember finding this chair. Do you?"

All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my chest. But I couldn't get my mind off of what I'd just realized. "I...don't remember this part. Monica, why don't...I remember this?"

Monica turned and looked at me. She smiled, but it was a sad smile.

I started crying. "Why...why don't I remember this? Why...I don't..." And then something hit me. Something big. "Why remember?" I said. "Why do I think I should be remembering? If I'm here right now...I shouldn't..."

Suddenly, the pain in my body turned to weakness and I fell into the chair. I couldn't move my legs, or my arms. Monica walked over and kneeled in front of me and put her hand on my face.

In a trembling voice, I said, "Mon, I'm scared."

"Don't be baby." She smiled, and this time there was warmth in it. "You're going to be fine."

Suddenly everything got blurry. Looking at her face, I concentrated hard and kept trying to focus, but it wasn't working. Just before I blacked out, I could swear I heard Monica say something about moving on.

And then I woke up for real.

The room was dark, but the light on the side of my bed was on. A curtain was drawn next to the bed. I was in a hospital. I felt something up both my nostrils, and when I went to reach for it something pulled on my arm. An IV tube. My chest felt like there was a thousand pound weight on it, but somehow I didn't have trouble breathing. I noticed a chair across from the bed, and in that chair someone was sleeping. Someone with blonde hair. I wanted to say her name, but I didn't have the strength. I passed out.

I woke up again and Jess was standing over me. She was crying and I reached out for her. Jess took my hand and I said something like, "Sadness really doesn't suit you." Then I passed out again.

Within a week I was doing better. I slept a lot, which was nice, but sometimes when I woke up there were people in my room and that surprised me.

One such time when I woke up there was sunlight coming from the window on the left side of my bed. It was bothering my eyes so I turned to the right side and there was Baked Bob standing over me.

"You look like shit," he said.

"So do you," I replied, and he did. Bob's hair was matted down and his clothes look like he'd slept in them, yet his eyes looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"I'd better go," he said and turned to leave. I reached out and grabbed his coat.

"No," I said. "Stay."

Bob turned and looked at me. Then he sat down in the chair next to my bed. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I don't hate you," I said finally. "I'm just angry. I know you've been trying to be a good friend. But you didn't really need to say or do anything, just be there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to listen when I felt like ranting. I didn't need someone trying to orchestrate things."

"But I had to."

I sighed, prepared myself for one of Bob's opinions, and asked, "Why?"

"Because Monica asked me to."

It certainly was not the answer I expected. I stared at Bob, lost in shock, until he continued.

"It was towards the end, when she was in the hospital. Monica called and asked me to come over while you were at work." Bob half-smiled to himself and looked at the wall. "I had an idea of what she was going to ask even before I got here. She said I had to be your guardian angel, to look out for you after she was gone." Bob frowned and turned his gaze back at me. "You'd been working so hard to put on a strong front that she was scared you were going to self-destruct. Monica told me I needed to make sure you moved on after she died."

I couldn't believe what Bob was telling me.

Bob sighed. "I still understand if you're angry with me. I know I don't always do things in the most logical way. My dad would probably say it was my mom's fault, `cause she was always smoking pot around me." He shrugged. "Guess I screwed up."

I shook my head. "No. You just reminded me to have some self-respect. Again."

Bob smiled. "That's right. Am I going to have to keep doing that? Cause if I do, I'm going to need a raise."

I smiled. "And use of the company car."

A few days later Asian Andy came to see me. I had a little more strength by then, enough to get a smug smile on my face.

"So," I said. "I guess you were wrong about what was going to happen."

Andy just shrugged and said, "It was bound to happen sometime."

Jess was at the hospital every day. The nurses told me that she wouldn't leave my bedside for the first forty-eight hours I was there. Something had changed with her, and I didn't see that sadness in her eyes as much. We talked about life and our future. I didn't tell her about what Asian Andy had predicted, that conversation was defiantly going to be sometime later. At one point the police came to talk to me. They had arrested Tim and I would have to testify at his trial.

On the day I was released Jess and I were at the curb in front of the hospital, me sitting in a wheelchair, waiting for Baked Bob to pick us up. Jess turned to me and said, "Do you think he forgot?"

"To pick us up? No. Where the hospital is? Probably. The key to being friends with Bob is knowing that he'll always be there for you when you need him, as long as you have patience and can deal with all the weird turns."

Jess chuckled. Then she said, "You know, I didn't think anything was going to top that first date. Then we go out on a second date and you get shot saving my life."

"How about this, for the third date we just go to my place and watch a movie. That should be safe enough."

"With our luck," Jess said, "there'll probably be an alien invasion that night."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a strange coincidence, the people of planet Teionis 6 were planning to invade the Earth on the night Keisha and Jess went on their third date. Luckily they were thwarted, due to the efforts of Baked Bob and Asian Andy. But that's another story...

THE END

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