Doppelbanger

by Heather M. Orgeron

  Is it sad that I consider it for a moment? It would be hilarious, but I can’t. Tonight has to be special. “I see where you’re going with this, but I really wanna impress her.”

  Jerome nods. “Okay, then definitely do not put your little smokie on display. I forgot she’s already seen the black love torpedo. There ain’t nothin’ impressive about your shit anymore.” He’s bent over, laughing his ass off when I let him have it. A swift jab to the jaw.

  “Aw, come on, man,” he says, still laughing as he rubs out the sting. “I’m just messin’ around. You have a pretty nice pecker for a white boy.” He takes off down the hall before calling out, “I’d hit it.”

  Closing my eyes, I shake my head. “Stay in your room tonight and keep your fucking dick in your pants,” I warn.

  “Best behavior,” he swears, crossing himself before disappearing into his room for the night. I hope.

  §

  I’m fastening the last button on my royal blue button down when the doorbell chimes. I cuff the sleeves then run my hands through my damp hair one more time, giving it that messy, just fucked look that Valerie seems to like so much. I’m halfway down the hall when the doorbell sounds again. “Coming!” I shout, grimacing as I pass the spread laid out on the kitchen table. It’ll have to do.

  “Hey, pre—” I’m struck speechless at the sight of her. She’s in a little black dress to put all others to shame. Or maybe it’s just the figure beneath the fabric because there is nothing left to the imagination. It’s strapless, held up by the curve of her breasts alone, and skintight. Like a sausage casing, it hugs her form to perfection. And those heels. Dear God in heaven. They are what wet dreams are made of.

  She giggles. “Hey, butcher. You gonna invite me in or what?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I say, shaking my head as I move to the side and wave her in. “You look...” I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “You look amazing.”

  As she walks past me into the living room, I get a glimpse of her ass in that dress and the music stops. Like a jack in the box, Johnson springs up, and I groan.

  “You okay?” she asks, looking at me funny as I adjust myself, tucking my dick behind the band of my jeans.

  “Mmmhmm,” I mutter. “I’m perfect.”

  “Jeez, Pete. You act like you’ve never seen a girl in a dress before.” Val rolls her eyes, but I can tell that she’s flattered. Her cheeks have a rosy blush, and her lips are turned up in a shy smile.

  “That’s not just any dress...and, baby, you are not just any girl.” I reach for her hand, pulling her body to mine. Her heart races against my chest as I reach around and trace my hands down her back, resting them on the curves of her ass.

  “Is that so?”

  Tucking the finger of one hand beneath her chin, I turn her face up to mine and cup the hair at the nape of her neck with the other, massaging her scalp gently. Val moans at the touch, rolling her shoulders and neck like a kitten.

  “It is,” I whisper into her warm mouth before licking the seam of her lips.

  Instinctively, she opens to me and her velvety tongue darts out, tangling with mine in a slow, sensual rhythm. Val fists her hands into my hair, tugging as she deepens the kiss. My head is swimming in a sea of lust, and I drown in her touch. Her taste. Her scent. Before I know it, I’ve got her on her back. Spread out on the brown leather couch. The top of her dress is pulled down. The nipple of her left breast pebbles as I suck it into my mouth, nipping gently.

  Valerie rolls her hips, rubbing her pussy against the steel rod in my pants, desperate for the friction.

  I wrap my hand around her thigh, gently squeezing the sensitive flesh as I climb my way up, and just as the tip of my finger skims between her wet folds, Val shoves me off of her, jumping up from the couch in a hurry.

  Her hair is a tangled mess, her skin red and splotchy from the scruff on my face as she tucks her breasts back into her dress. “What’s for dinner?” she asks, breathing heavily as she pulls the bottom of her dress back down.

  Is she serious?

  “Uh?” I look around the room, still a little disoriented and hella confused as to how we just went from almost fucking to this. Jerome is nowhere in sight. There’s no smoke. No fire. No one holding a gun to her head.

  Val runs her hands through her hair, trying to straighten it out. “You invited me over for dinner, Pete...remember? Please say you didn’t forget because I’m starving.”

  Okay...I guess she’s serious. “Yes, ma’am. I sure did. But there is nothing wrong with starting the night out with a little dessert.” I wink, hoping she’ll take the bait.

  “We can have dessert after. I’m famished.” Her smile is wicked. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

  “Lead the way.” I dip my eyes toward the kitchen and trail a few steps behind her.

  “Peter...” She’s trying so hard to hide her smile as she takes in my poor attempt at dinner. “Are those SpaghettiOs?” She bites her lips, looking over to me for confirmation.

  Clearing my throat, I puff up my chest and decide to own this shit. “They are,” I answer with a confident smile. “And over here we have baby carrots with ranch dressing. I wasn’t sure whether that was vegan or not, so I mixed up some vinegar and water with salt and pepper as an alternative.”

  She nods, her grip on those trembling lips becoming weaker by the second.

  “We also have Ramen in case you are not a fan of tomato sauce. Crinkle cut French fries.” I look up at her and wink. “Only the best for my girl.”

  “Of course.” She puts her hand over her mouth, covering a grin.

  “For dessert, we have this fancy movie theater butter popcorn, a bowl of Starbursts, and Sour Patch Kids.”

  Her eyes are watering from trying so hard not to laugh.

  “How’d I do?” I ask, rocking back and forth on my heels.

  And then it comes. A loud snort followed by deep belly laughs. “I can’t...” she spits out between guffaws as she pulls out a chair. “I have to sit down.”

  It’s so hard to restrain my laughter as I wait for her to calm down and respond, but as I said before, I’m owning this shit.

  “Woo,” she says, fanning herself. “You got me, butcher. Now, where’s our real dinner?”

  I take a seat in the chair across from Val and grab her plate from in front of her. “What’s it gonna be, babe? SpaghettiOs or Ramen?”

  Her eyes jump around the room, searching for...I don’t know what. Ashton Kutcher to jump out and yell “Punked!” maybe? “Oh, you’re serious.”

  “I’m partial to the SphaghettiOs myself. That Chef Boyardee knows his shit.”

  She nods. “So fancy, a world-renowned chef. I’m impressed.”

  “I aim to please.”

  “I’ll have the SpaghettiOs with a side of fries...lots of ketchup, please. I’m not a big fan of carrots but thank you. Pink and red Starbursts and red and blue Sour Patch Kids for dessert.”

  After serving her plate, I fill my own, and we get to know each other a little better over our barely edible dinner. I could never do this vegan shit. It’s no wonder she’s so tiny.

  I learn that Val’s dad left when she was just six years old. Her mother has raised her on her own, paying the bills by stripping at a club a few towns over four nights a week. She tells me this with absolutely no embarrassment and it makes me fall for her just a little more.

  Our upbringings couldn’t have been more different. My parents are still very much in love, and as a child—hell...even now at twenty-two—I’ve never wanted for anything.

  “That was...an interesting dinner, Mr. Johnson. Thank you,” she says, carrying our half-eaten plates over to the sink.

  “Second dessert will make up for it, I swear.” Wrapping my arms around her waist, I bury my face in the crook of Valerie’s neck, feathering kisses up and back down as she rinses the dishes. I watch as goose bumps form on her skin. Listen to the sound of her breaths quickening. Her responsiveness to my touch turns me on. I feel
hot all over.

  Spinning around in my arms to face me, she pats her flat stomach. “I’m so full. I couldn’t eat another bite.” She cocks her brow, letting me know she’s just being a tease.

  I play along. “That’s quite all right, pal, because I’m the one who’ll be doing all the eating.”

  “Oh,” she says, fluttering her lashes. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “Your pussy,” I answer, looking her straight in the eyes, never one to beat around the bush.

  “Well, by all means,” she says, hopping up onto the counter behind her. “Dig in.” She uncrosses her ankles and leans back, bracing her weight on her hands with her legs slightly parted.

  My cock pulses, growing uncomfortably tight in my jeans as I drink in the sight of Valerie Cooter offering herself up to me so brazenly. My tongue salivates, filling my mouth at the anticipation of tasting her sweet peach.

  I take two slow steps forward, my eyes staring deep into hers until her knees are brushing the front of my shirt. I wrap my fingers loosely around her delicate ankles, trailing them up the sides of her calves slowly. Her body trembles. She hisses out a sharp breath when I grab ahold of her knees and wrench her legs apart, flipping her to her back.

  Valerie squeals with surprise as she falls backward, her head dangling off the other end of the counter. Gripping her thighs, I let out a growl, pulling her toward me ’til her ass rests right at the edge of the granite. ’Til I can see her pretty pink pussy glistening with arousal. A feeling of possessiveness comes over me. This is mine.

  Lifting her right knee to my lips, I place soft kisses down her thigh as I trail my nose along her skin. I tease her cunt, running the tip along her slit, breathing in the sweet, citrusy scent that is uniquely her. “You smell delicious,” I say, flicking my tongue over her swollen clit once. Twice.

  “Pete!” Valerie moans my name as her ass jerks up from the counter and she begins to undulate her hips. Grabbing two fistfuls of my hair, she pulls, attempting to guide my face back down to her sex.

  “Shhh,” I whisper at her whimpered protests as I move to the other leg, peppering kisses, allowing the anticipation to build. “Slow down, pretty girl,” I husk, draping her legs over my shoulders. With the first two fingers of one hand, I spread her lips and run my tongue along the length of her pussy. Her body convulses, overcome by the sensation.

  I bask in the feeling of her body writhing against me. Get off on the sheer desperation in her voice and her frantic movements. Her loss of control. There is nothing more sexually gratifying for me than watching a woman come completely unglued at the touch of my hands, the flick of my tongue.

  “Please,” she whines. “I need you.”

  “Put your hands on your breasts,” I instruct, rolling my tongue over her tight bud. Reaching up, I yank the top of her dress down, and her hands are there instantly, cupping and kneading the beautiful mounds of flesh. “Like that,” I encourage, running my tongue through her folds. “Play with your nipples for me, baby.” God, I love watching her pleasure herself.

  “Oh,” she moans, her thighs squeezing my head, her heels digging into my back, as I suck her clit into my mouth, gently at first then harder and faster, taking cues from her reactions.

  “You like that, pretty girl?” I ask, slipping a finger into her pussy, arching it back and forth in a come-hither motion.

  “Yes,” she screams, her body vibrating with pleasure. Quaking with need. “Don’t stop,” she begs. I can hear the tremor in her voice, feel her warm walls contracting. Adrenaline surges through my veins.

  “Never,” I promise, adding a second finger. Increasing the pace, I fuck her pussy with my hand while feasting on her sweet nectar. I can feel it dripping down my chin, and it fucking turns me on to know that I’m covered in her essence. The urge to fist my cock and relieve the building pressure is so strong. But I want to give her this. To make this moment all about her.

  “I’m so close...Oh God.” Her body quakes and her legs clamp around my head. She’s squeezing so tight that I can hardly breathe, but I’d rather die than ruin this moment. Garbled sounds flow from her lips, and her hands are once again in my hair as she rides out her climax, exploding in my mouth. I lick her dry, until her body is no longer shuddering. Until she’s boneless and completely sated.

  “You are so beautiful when you come,” I tell her, wiping sweat soaked hair from her forehead. With her dress still bunched around her waist, I lift her into my arms. She curls into me, nipping on the base of my neck as I carry her down the hall to my room, depositing her in the center of my king size bed.

  Her beauty steals my breath as I watch her drifting off to sleep. It feels right. Her being here.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “OH MY GOD, butcher, I don’t know how much more of her shit I can take!” Val drops her lunch onto the table and jerks her chair from under the table to take a seat. The sound of iron scraping pavement makes me cringe.

  Rising from my seat, I lean over the table to kiss her flushed cheek. It’s barely sixty degrees out, but her skin is radiating with suppressed anger. “What’s going on, pretty girl? Do I need to go over there and knock Cruella down a peg or two?”

  Valerie huffs out a long and frustrated breath. “She cut my fucking hours. Hired some new girl, Violet, yesterday and gave her half of my shifts. She didn’t even touch Vickie’s schedule.” She’s all animated, her hands moving a mile a minute. I try not to stare at her heaving breasts as she stews. Focus, Pete!

  Vanessa has been on Valerie’s case since she found out that we’re dating. She’s threatened her job if I step foot back in the bagel shop. She even went as far as to have cameras installed in the kitchen so she could check to make sure that I’m not being let in when she’s not around. Thank God those weren’t there before. It is because of this that Val and I have been meeting up for our lunch and dinner breaks in the common area near the fountain.

  “She’s trying to make you quit, babe...” As much as I don’t want her there anymore, it makes my fucking blood boil that the reason she’s being treated this way is because of me. Val hasn’t done anything wrong. Her customers adore her, and she’s really good at her job.

  Valerie dips her fork into the plastic container of dressing, swirling it around before stabbing it into a cherry tomato. It weirds me out that she doesn’t pour it over her salad like a normal person. She’s got so many odd habits and mannerisms, and I want to learn them all. To learn everything there is to know about Valerie Cooter.

  “You have no idea how bad that I wish I could just leave...the way she talks about you and Jerome...” She growls under her breath. Irritated, Val shakes her head, pops the tomato into her mouth, and bites down. Juice trickles out from the corner of her mouth, and I reach out my hand, wiping it with my thumb then sucking it off.

  A groan rumbles from deep within Valerie’s throat, bringing a knowing smile to my face. Her eyes widen as if she is shocked by the sound. Then she looks around to make sure that none of the customers seated at the surrounding tables heard the erotic noise she just made. She’s insatiable, my girl, and I love being the one who gets to quench her thirst.

  “So leave and come work for me. There’s no way you’re gonna make your car note and pay for school with only half of your hours anyway.” I want her to say yes. I want her in my shop with me where I can take care of her. Where we can take care of each other. Multiple times a day...

  “I’m not working in that slaughter house.” Her lip curls in disgust. “Vegan...remember?” Val waves her hand, Vanna White style, over the rabbit food before her.

  “They say the best way to quit...” I muse, grabbing a slice of turkey from my club sandwich and flinging it in her direction, “is cold turkey,” I finish just as it slaps against her bare chest.

  Val shrieks, shooting up from her chair like her ass is on fire. You could swear I’ve just thrown a spider at her and not a piece of lunchmeat.

  “Ugh!” She sits back in her seat once the tur
key has fallen to the ground, her angry eyes narrowed in my direction. Looking down at her lap, she hides her flaming red face from curious onlookers behind a curtain of strawberry blond hair. “You’re such an ass,” she mutters.

  “You’re such a girl.” I kick back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest, waiting for her to get over her humiliation and finally look up at me. When her amber irises lock with mine, I sit up and take her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles to soothe her. My girl’s shoulders drop, and she instantly relaxes.

  Val’s skin is freezing. Her hands are always so cold, and I love that I know details like this about her. It makes what we have feel real. I’ve never paid enough attention to any other girl to notice those unique characteristics that set her apart from the rest. That make her more than just a pretty face. More than perky tits and a nice ass. More than just another hole to stick my dick in.

  “We’ll find you another job.”

  She huffs. “I’ve been looking. The only places hiring are fast food restaurants...This vegan thing was kinda perfect for me.” Tears pool in her eyes, causing my chest to tighten.

  “I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t want to get your hopes up, but Jerome and I met the guy that runs the produce stand the other day.”

  “You did?” she asks, all wide-eyed and eager.

  “Yup. Name’s Jesse Miller. Anyway, Jerome ran into him again yesterday and said he mentioned needing to replace his front counter girl, so I sent him a message a little while ago to give me a call when he gets a free minute.”

  My girl’s face lights up and her grip tightens on my hand. “Ohh, that would be perfect, Pete.” She’s practically bouncing in her seat. I sure hope it works out. I’d love nothing more than to be the one responsible for keeping that smile on her gorgeous face.

  “He might’ve already found someone, so just try not to get too excited, okay?”

  §

  “What are you doing here?” Val hisses, peeking her head through the glass door. “Are you trying to get me fired?” I suck in my lips to keep from laughing at how ridiculous she is, whispering when there isn’t a soul around to hear us.