The Talented Mr. Maxwell

by Julia Harlow

  Then he’d died in a horrific crash on the racetrack. Carly Ann was seven years old.

  Her mother was a dancer in a topless bar. Carly Ann had gotten her strawberry-blond hair, green eyes, and trim figure from her. Amanda wasn’t a bad person; she just wasn’t meant to be a mother. So her young daughter had been dragged to bars and clubs along her with Barbie dolls and coloring books. Carly Ann could still smell the stale beer and cigarette smoke as if it were yesterday.

  Since Amanda couldn’t afford to keep the nice, clean apartment, they moved into a trailer with two other dancers. The walls were stained and it always smelled musty. Carly Ann had gotten hysterical when she’d found out her mother had thrown her bedspread and curtains in a dumpster. It was the only time her mother had ever slapped her. Later, Carly Ann would wonder if her mother had thrown them out because she was jealous of the love and attention Tad had shown to his only child.

  By the time she was fifteen, Carly Ann looked seventeen and lied on her application to work at an upscale restaurant in Pine Bluff, Kentucky, the largest nearby town. She made sure her little black skirt was short and her little white blouse was tight so that she drew the attention of every wealthy man who came in the Fox & Crow. She noticed the ones who might fit the bill and did her research, finding out where they worked and where they lived.

  The most promising prospect had been Dwayne Wright, Jr. He owned a residential construction company he’d inherited from his father, was married with two sons, and lived in the biggest house in Pine Bluff: a pillared white colonial Carly Ann thought looked like the White House. He always wore tailored suits and ties that she imagined were fairly expensive.

  Whenever he came into the Fox & Crow, he sat in Carly Ann’s station and couldn’t keep his eyes or hands off her. He especially liked to squeeze her bottom when she passed by his table. Even though she cringed inside, she always gave him a flirty little smile ripe with the promise of what might be. He always gave her outrageous tips, one time leaving a hundred dollar bill he’d peeled off the fat wad he carried.

  After several months of teasing and flirting, Dwayne finally cornered her at the back of the Fox & Crow one evening just as her shift was ending. He’d had enough bourbon for three men but had no trouble holding his liquor. Planting one hand over her head, he trapped her against the wall.

  “Finally got you where I want you, Miss Carly Ann Applegate.” The alcohol on his breath almost sent her into a stupor. He was a big, strong man, but way too old to appeal to her. At least thirty.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice rising to a squeak. His aftershave smelled spicy but had been applied with a heavy hand.

  “It’s pretty clear what I’m doing, sweetheart.” He pressed himself against her, and she felt something hard. His fingers dallied with the V of her blouse, pulling it out enough so that he could see the edge of her white cotton bra. When he leaned his head down to kiss her, she turned away. He caught her chin. “What’s this? You’re not shy are you, honey?” He trailed his hand down to her bottom and pulled her against his erection.

  “Are you trying to get me in trouble, Mr. Wright? The owners wouldn’t be happy seeing one of their servers with a customer like this.” He immediately pulled back.

  “I’m sorry, honey. You know I’d never get you into trouble. I like seeing you here too much. Why don’t we take a drive when you get off work? My new Caddy’s right outside.”

  “Exams are coming up and I need to study.”

  He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Oh, Jesus, tell me you’re not still in high school.” She wasn’t. She’d dropped out the year before, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “Yes, Mr. Wright. I’m a senior this year and trying really hard to earn enough for my first semester of college. But the pay here isn’t that good.” Carly Ann hung her head for effect.

  “Well, I always tip you good, don’t I, sweetheart?” He moved close to her again.

  “Sure, you tip me better than anyone else, except maybe for Mr. Newport.” She peered up at him through her lashes to confirm she’d hit her mark. Dwayne detested Skip Newport. The two had been rivals in everything from high school football to the local building market. Skip’s construction company had just last month edged ahead of Dwayne’s in sales.

  “Mr. Newport asked me to take a ride with him, too.”

  Dwayne’s big palm slapped the wall over her head.

  “You stay away from Skip Newport. He’s not a nice guy.” He spat the words through gritted teeth.

  “Are you a nice guy, Mr. Wright?” She conjured up all the false innocence she could manage.

  “Call me Dwayne, honey. You know I’m as nice as they come.” He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Let me show you how nice I can be. Take a ride with me.”

  “Maybe sometime, but I can’t tonight.” She patted his big shoulder and walked away, but not before she heard an exasperated curse.

  The next month proved to be the biggest game of cat and mouse that Carly Ann could ever have conceived. Dwayne was increasingly ardent in his pursuit, and she led him on just enough. When she finally admitted that she was a virgin, she thought he’d have a heart attack. He told her that he was so hot for her he could barely function until he had her sweet, young little body under him. He also admitted that his wife had started asking him why he spent so much time at the Fox & Crow, but he didn’t care.

  One night in late May, Dwayne gave her an ultimatum. “You’ve got to come with me tonight, Carly Ann. I can’t take it anymore. We’ll go to a motel outside of Pine Bluff. If you don’t come with me tonight, I swear I’ll stop coming into the Fox & Crow.” She took in his rumpled hair and dark stubble as they stood outside the restaurant after closing and knew she’d pushed him to the brink. He’d never appeared unkempt before. His jacket was so wrinkled it looked as though he’d balled it up with his fists. She almost felt sorry for him.

  This was the big moment, but she didn’t hesitate for one second. “Skip asked me to go to a motel with him, too. He said he’d help me with my college tuition if I did.” She struggled to keep her voice matter-of-fact, but the way Dwayne’s head shot up and his eyes narrowed she thought for sure she’d blown it.

  “You call that motherfucker ‘Skip’ now, do you? I can’t believe you’d rather be with that low-life scumbag than me!”

  Carly Ann breathed a sigh of relief. “I wouldn’t, Dwayne. You’re the one I dream about. It’s just that I really need help with my tuition.”

  “How much did he say he’d give you?”

  She swallowed the dry knot in her throat. This was it. “Five thousand dollars.”

  “I’ll give you seventy-five hundred. Cash. Tonight.”

  ~~~

  Carly Ann prayed it wasn’t going to hurt too much as she clutched her fake-leather purse that held the precious seventy-five hundred dollars. That was the one truth she’d told: she was a virgin. Dwayne had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and turned onto a two-lane highway. She knew this was wrong, and she knew how ashamed her father would be of her. But he’d left her, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to end up a stripper like her mother. This was a lot of money for a fifteen-year-old to earn. Maybe her dad would be just a little bit proud of her.

  It took thirty minutes to get to the motel, including the stop at Dwayne’s construction company office for him to get the money out of his safe. The faded and chipped letters on the wooden sign read “Sleepy Hollow Motel. Free Cable TV.” She waited while Dwayne went into the small office. When he came around to open the passenger door with a room key dangling from his fingers, Carly Ann felt as if she were glued to the seat, unable to move. “Come on, sweetheart. It’s okay.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the car and toward the room. She breathed in the fresh evening air right before Dwayne closed and locked the door behind her.

  The double bed was covered in a pale green chenille bedspread. One nightstand held a molded glass lamp with a yellowed lampshade.


  Dwayne stretched his big body out on the bed and hooked his fingers behind his head; his eyes fixed on her where she stood rooted near the door. She felt a trickle of perspiration slide down between her breasts. What was she doing here? Was it too late to back out now?

  “Okay, Carly Ann, honey, let me see you slip out of those clothes now.”

  As she took him in lying on the bed, Carly Ann realized she’d underestimated how big he was. She knew little about a man’s body, but she’d overheard her mom and her friends talking about the size of men’s private parts. Until now, she hadn’t considered the physical aspects involved in having sex. She’d never had to.

  “Don’t make me get up off this bed, sweetheart.”

  Her shaky fingers fumbled with the hook on the back of her skirt.

  “Move over here where I can see you better.” He pointed a finger beside the bed.

  She shuffled over closer to the foot of the bed. The zipper on the skirt caught on some loose threads, and she had to force it. When it finally gave, the skirt rustled to the floor.

  “That’s it, baby. Now your top.” Carly Ann thought his voice sounded weird, sort of raspy, and what was underneath the zippered section of his trousers was sticking up. Barely able to make her fingers work, she eventually got all the buttons undone and shrugged out of her blouse, tilting her head to watch it flutter to the worn olive carpeting.

  In her little cotton panties and bra, she stood frozen while Dwayne just stared at her, his mouth open and breathing fast.

  “Now take off your bra and panties,” he commanded, his voice so strained he barely recognized it.

  Fumbling around to unclasp her bra, Carly Ann struggled with the knot in her throat. She wouldn’t cry, no matter what. She heard Dwayne groan as her bra and panties joined her other clothes on the floor.

  “Come here, baby.” She forced herself to move close to the bed. He sat up and took her hand, urging her to lie next to him. As soon as she did, he bent to kiss her. It wasn’t too bad at first, not until he forced his tongue in her mouth. Carly Ann wanted him to stop, but her attention was drawn to what he was doing with his hand. He dragged his big palm over her breasts and squeezed her tender flesh and then her nipples. It hurt, but before she could squirm away, his hand was between her thighs, pushing them apart while his tongue continued to thrust in her mouth. All the while his big length rocked into her thigh. It was still in his slacks but felt huge and rock hard. When he worked his fingers into her soft folds, she whimpered.

  “Feels good, huh?” Dwayne rubbed her for a few seconds before sticking a finger inside her and groaning deep in his chest. Carly Ann struggled to close her legs, but his big hand held one of her thighs open, and his knee pinned her other thigh. He continued to drive his finger into her, and when she squirmed, he must have mistaken her discomfort for something else.

  “That’s right, baby. Let big Dwayne make you feel real good. It’s lucky you’re with me for your first time instead of one of those puny boys from high school. Big Dwayne has a real big dick that’s gonna sink into that sweet little pussy of yours.” He unbuttoned his shirt with one hand, whipped it off and then dragged his T-shirt over his head. His chest was hairy and wet with sweat; Carly Ann noticed the beginnings of a beer belly edging over the waistband of his trousers.

  With a flick of his wrist, he whipped his zipper down and freed himself. She refused to look. He rolled on a condom then mounted her and had barely settled his considerable weight between her thighs when she felt the intrusion, like a baseball bat forcing itself into her most private spot.

  “Oh, stop! It really hurts!” she cried out, her eyes wet with tears of pain.

  Dwayne huffed and puffed as his big body ravaged hers. “It’s okay, baby. You’ll get used to it in a minute.” But she didn’t. Every thrust felt as if it were tearing her tender insides like grapefruit in the blades of a blender, and she clenched tighter, unaware she was only making the pain more intense. His big hands squeezed her tender breasts while his tongue continued to thrust in her mouth.

  After one final agonizing jab, he sagged on top of her, and sticky sweat pressed into her flesh. He buried his face in her neck and kissed her, in between whispering soft words “the best lay of my life . . . didn’t mean to hurt you . . . that tight little pussy of yours . . . I’m sorry, baby . . . so sorry.”

  Finally, he lifted himself off of her. She watched like an automaton as he peeled off the blood-streaked condom and dropped it on the carpet. He sat on the side of the bed and propped his elbows on his knees, still sucking in air.

  “Why don’t you get cleaned up in the bathroom, and I’ll go get us something to drink.” He took his time buttoning his shirt, leaving the T-shirt where he’d flung it on the edge of the bed.

  Carly Ann remained curled in a ball on her side, waiting until she heard the metal clang of the door closing. It was going to hurt to stand up, to move at all, but she forced herself and cringed at the burning pain between her legs. Once in the bathroom, she filled the tub with the hottest water she could tolerate and stepped in. She had to scrub away the shame. If only it were that easy.

  At the sound of the door opening, Carly Ann’s eyes opened wide. The hot water had soothed her jangled nerves and the soreness between her legs, but when Dwayne opened the door to the bathroom and strode in carrying a bottle of beer, she didn’t think she could stand it. Why wouldn’t he just go away? He’d gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he?

  “Don’t look at me like that, Carly Ann. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that I’d waited so long for you I could barely see straight.” He sat on the edge of the tub and lifted the delicate hand that dangled there, covering it with his own. “Come on. Let me help you out of there. A nice, cold beer’s got your name on it.”

  He set his beer on the vanity top, grabbed a towel off the rack, and held her around the waist, steadying her as she stepped out of the tub. She watched as his eyes flickered over every inch of her body before he wrapped the towel around her. He led her out of the bathroom and to the only chair in the room: a tattered club chair in the corner.

  Pulling her onto his lap, he rocked her gently while he rubbed her back. “You smell so good, honey, like strawberry shortcake.” She let herself relax, resting her head on his chest, until she felt him harden beneath her hip. She couldn’t do that again. She wouldn’t.

  Dwayne loosened the towel and dropped it on the floor. He took a deep breath and then spoke softly. “You know your skin is flawless, honey, as smooth and fresh as a Georgia peach. And your breasts are far more perfect than they were the thousands of times I’d imagined them.” He cupped them and let his thumbs circle the rosy nubs, as his eyes wandered down her belly to the silky reddish-blond curls. “Do you forgive me, baby?”

  She sighed. “Yes, Dwayne. But I don’t want to do that again.”

  “Okay. I’ve got something else in mind.” When she turned her green-eyed gaze up at him, he grinned. “This won’t hurt, I promise. Now, be a good girl and unzip me.” Her eyes widened and he added, “Look at it like part of your education.”

  She reluctantly dropped her hand to the turgid mound at his zipper and felt around for the tab. Dwayne’s breathing had picked up, and she decided maybe she did have some things to learn. Instead of unzipping him, she let her fingers explore his thick length. Purely out of curiosity, she wanted to see how it looked and felt, so she slowly unzipped him.

  “Oh, Christ, sweetheart, you’re killing me here.”

  After unzipping his trousers, she spread the fabric apart and pulled his white boxers down, watching in bewilderment as his florid penis sprang up almost straight. It was so huge; Carly Ann couldn’t believe that had been inside her. It was sort of strange-looking, standing up like that with the rounded top and a small slit at the tip.

  “Touch me.” The words were a husky, strangled plea. When her fingers brushed the tip, the thing jerked, and she pulled her hand back.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  �
�No, sweetheart, it felt really, really good. But what I want you to do now is put that sweet mouth of yours on me.” Her eyes widened as she leaned away from him, knitting her brows together. “Go ahead. Just try it. You don’t have to blow me all the way. I just want to feel your mouth sucking me a little bit.” Cupping the back of her head, he guided her to his dick.

  Still in his lap, Carly Ann was bent in an uncomfortable position, so she slipped to the floor on her knees in front of him. His slacks were in the way, so she pulled them down along with his boxers. If she were going to do this, she might as well do it right.

  His muscles felt hard, and the prickly hair tickled her palms as she placed them on his thighs. She was squeamish about putting that in her mouth, no doubt about it, but she figured if she ever found a man to love he might want her to do this bizarre thing to him, so she probably should learn how.

  As she bent her head forward, she poked her tongue out and tentatively licked the tip. Dwayne convulsed, his hands white-knuckled on the arms of the chair. That wasn’t so bad. He tasted kind of salty. So she pulled the tip in her mouth and swirled it with her tongue.

  “Oh, yeah, honey, like that. Keep doing that.” His words stuttered out in between pants. “But take more of me in that sweet mouth of yours and then suck it.”

  She peered up at him with her brows raised. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. Just suck me, baby.” His head sagged against the back of the chair.

  With her mouth open, she leaned over to take in more of his big dick and kept her eyes on him to watch and learn. As her lips closed around him and she took that first tentative suck, he threw his head back and groaned. A good reaction. She moved her lips up and down him, sucking harder.

  “Fuuuck! That feels so fucking good. Don’t stop.”

  Rubbing her hands up and down his thighs, she kept up the sucking and licking. Then he cupped her head and pushed himself so far into her mouth that she gagged. She moved away, leaving his wet dick sticking up, looking maroon now with thick veins bulging all over it.