Part 14 (1/2)

”So why not me? Why did it take this cloak and dagger trade-off to get you into bed?”

I took a deep breath, couldn't look at her as I said, ”Intimidation. Like I could ever please a woman like you. I get rattled.”

She grinned, top teeth ever so slightly rubbing her bottom lip. ”Don't worry about any of that. Believe me. I'll give you directions. Hope I can teach you a few things. It would be nice to be immortalized in one of your poems.”

With that that, she dropped her arms, crossed them and grabbed the hem of her dress. She lifted it up and off in one practiced motion. Standing there naked with her small b.r.e.a.s.t.s, straight hips, and landing strip p.u.s.s.y. She eased her shoes off. Hands right back onto her hips.

I took it in. Like I said, p.o.r.n appeal. Hard to not get hard. Even to pretend to not get hard. I held the wine bottle aloft one more time. ”Are you sure?”

She took it from me, set it aside, and that's when my well-honed plans turned to s.h.i.+t.

SIXTEEN.

Look, I'm not stupid. It wasn't a complete tragedy. Had it gone the way I originally conceived, she would've pa.s.sed out before we even got to the s.e.x, thus making it all that much easier.

What we had really wanted was Alice out of the way for a while. Otherwise, as soon as we were done, she would have made a few calls and sliced right through all of our preciously-tied yarn that made sense out of a ridiculously confused tapestry. Carl would then know I wasn't really interested in taking his deal, but instead wanted to expose his secret Roman orgy to the light of day. It wasn't the perfect solution. It meant also illuminating Frances, Stephanie, Ashton, and plenty of other poor souls who only wanted to broaden their horizons in what they thought was a sympathetic and nurturing group of like-minded colleagues.

I reminded myself, The Greater Good.

The whole time I was f.u.c.king Alice, The Greater Good.

She was good, indeed. Too rough. Too demanding, often sounding petulant if I wasn't doing something right-licking her c.l.i.t from the wrong angle, not keeping up a steady rhythm, using the wrong finger in her a.s.s, not crouching enough so that doggystyle felt better for her. But I'd gladly make corrections and keep going. She was a grunter. Liked to say ”f.u.c.k me” a lot. Liked to say ”Push that c.o.c.k.” Liked to say ”Spank my c.u.n.t.”

She spread her legs wider than I'd seen anyone else. When she was on top, she kept on her feet and bounced hard, sliding up and down my entire c.o.c.k.

It. Felt. Good.

It. Chaffed.

The Greater Good Reminded me of Maggie Estep: I love that kind of pointless intellectualism/

so do it again and/ f.u.c.k ME.

”Jeeeeeeeeeeesus, I'm f.u.c.king c.u.mming, Mick, oh G.o.d, f.u.c.k my c.u.n.t. Hard hard hard I SAID f.u.c.kING HARD, YES, Yeeeeeeeeees.” And then she squealed.

She came and then came again and then looked up with this not-quite a smile. It was ferocious, like her eyes were about to burst into flames, and it was me doing it to her. I didn't last much longer after that. Maybe a good ten seconds. And then I tightened up all over and felt my c.o.c.k pulse inside her, over and over, and I was holding my breath. I finally let it out and rested my cheek against her breast. Another long moment of catching my breath, feeling the tightness and pulsing ebb away, before she patted me on the back like I was a good boy and said, ”Move it, big guy. I've got to clean up.”

I rolled off and she got up, stayed naked, and padded nice and slow to the bathroom. I'd never seen someone so comfortable in her own skin like that.

Soon as she closed the door, I grabbed wildly for the cell phone, fumbled it, dropped it, and had to lean off the bed and pick it up from the floor.

The bathroom door opened again, and I dropped the phone, spun back around.

She stood there, still naked, holding a towel. ”What are you doing?”

”I'm thirsty.”

Alice shrugged, tossed me the towel. ”Thought you could use this.”

She turned back into the bathroom.

Got the cell phone again, opened and dialed Jennings. By that time, he should've been outside in Octavia's Escalade.

”Mick?”

I had to whisper. ”She didn't want to drink it.”

”I can't...h.e.l.lo?”

”She didn't drink it. I had to go through with it. What do I do now?”

”You've got to make her take the pills, Mick. It's got to be subtle. Did you bring tequila? Women like tequila.”

”She wouldn't drink anything. Just wanted to f.u.c.k and run.”

I heard her singing in the bathroom, not really loud but it was a thin-walled hotel. ”I'm comin' up...I want the...world. To. Know...” Grunting between words, not a good sign.

I wondered-she's on the pill right? Oh G.o.d. How many men had she been with? Oh G.o.d. ”We have to change our plans.”

”It's all we've got, Mick.”

”Then...s.h.i.+t. G.o.dd.a.m.n it. What do I do?”

Then the toilet flushed and she ran the tap, humming now.

”Mick, listen-”

”I've got to go.” I hung up and went for the wine, pouring a couple of sloppy, half-full cups and setting down the bottle just in time to meet her at the foot of the bed and hold a cup out to her.

She took it, still fizzing from the pills I'd dropped in, and set it on the TV. ”Sorry, I already told you.”

”One sip. A toast.”

Alice laughed. ”For a job well-done? Fis.h.i.+ng for compliments. Okay, I admit, you were good.” She looked down at my shrinking p.e.n.i.s. ”How long until he can go again? Because I know a few tricks to recharge him.”

That was enough. I opened my arms. She headed into them for a hug, but I turned her so that her back was against my chest, wrapped my arms around and entangled our fingers. I nuzzled her neck. Reached for the wine cup. Pinned her arms to her side.

”Wait, what-”

She squirmed but I held on, brought the wine to her lips. ”Just a little. I went to a lot of trouble.”

”No! Mick, what the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?”