Choices

by Galia Ryan

She waited, unsure where the conversation would lead. She hoped he didn’t intend to dominate her. Not here, in a nightclub full of lovers.

  “Do you like jazz?”

  She smiled happily. “I do if it’s not too complicated. I think I prefer the blues though.”

  “Ah. Billie Holliday perhaps?”

  “Uh-huh. But what makes you pick her? Why not John Lee Hooker?”

  His eyebrows went up. “You definitely are full of surprises.”

  “Isn’t that what keeps a man coming back?” she parried.

  “And is that what you want? A man who keeps coming back?”

  “As opposed to a man who never leaves, you mean?”

  “Surely that’s the description of a husband?”

  “I suppose it is.”

  Adam took her back to his place and in the taxi kissed her hungrily, his tongue forcing its way between her lips to mesh with hers. Aware that the dynamics between them had changed once again, she made no protest when his hands roamed over her body, one minute roughly tormenting her breasts, the next thrusting between her thighs to finger her clit. She couldn’t believe how eagerly she responded to his callous treatment. She meant nothing to him, after all, and didn’t deserve to be treated any other way. This was all he wanted, a cunt to fuck at the end of the night.

  She clung to him, pleading with him to take full advantage of her.

  He yanked her dress down to her waist, exposing the silken slip she had so lovingly chosen earlier. Even before he touched it, she knew what he intended. The ripping of the fabric was loud, loud enough to cause the taxi driver to swivel round in concern.

  Adam looked into her eyes. She didn’t flinch as he grasped her naked tit and offered it to the man. Anna was proud to be displayed for the cabbie’s approval but the man looked away in embarrassment and disgust. Hearing him volubly expressing his feelings in his native tongue, she smiled happily. She was Adam’s whore. And that was all that mattered.

  Adam forced her mouth down onto his cock, and as he leaned back to give her room to carry out her task he demeaned her as cheap, a whore, and told her exactly what he was going to do with her that night in the most explicit and degrading language.

  Anna didn’t care that the driver could hear all of it. She was in a world of her own. A world of delicious want and need.

  Chapter 21.

  The alert pinged on her mobile phone. She had a text message.

  Anna had been half-heartedly browsing through racks of new season styles in an up-market department store. She read the message and, somewhat confused, called the sender back.

  “Jake?”

  “Hey, great to hear from you. Did you get my message or is that a silly question?”

  “I got your message, but how did you get my number?”

  “Your friend was in the pub last night. I told her I’d lost it.” He sounded sheepish.

  Leah or Sabine. Which one, she wondered. Whichever one it was, she’d kill her.

  “So,” he continued, obviously hoping not to lose momentum, “which appeals more? Meeting up for a drink one evening, or getting together for an early morning jog? I thought I’d hedge my bets just in case one appealed more than the other. Or we can do both.”

  She sighed. What would it take to convince this guy she was not interested, even though her friends thought she should be? She could imagine the conversation that had taken place between him and whoever had given him the number.

  “Look, maybe this is not a good idea.”

  “How do you know if you won’t give it a try?”

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Not until the fat lady sings.”

  “I’ve never been asked out for an early morning jog,” she said with a smile.

  “So you’ll come?”

  “Where were you thinking?” Common sense still told her the whole thing was crazy.

  “I’ve been running round the port lately and ending up in the park. It’s a good couple of miles. I could meet you Friday morning at the corner of Quay and West. How does six-thirty sound?”

  “Early!”

  “Yes, but it would give you time to get to work afterwards. I take it you do have to go to work like the rest of us poor souls?”

  “Of course,” she said quickly. “Okay, then. I’ll meet you there, but remember I’m not as fit as you.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be happy to slow down to your pace.”

  “On the other hand I might surprise you,” she added.

  “You already have.”

  Anna cursed inwardly. What on earth was she doing encouraging him? It could only complicate matters, and then what?

  Jake was leaning against the wall of Starbucks when she arrived. Anna thought it was a shame the place was closed. The idea of coffee appealed; she had not been up this early for months.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d show up or not.”

  “Well, here I am. Shall we go?” Anna asked, tying her hair up into a ponytail and removing her stylish tracksuit top to knot it around her waist. Only her conscience had prevented her from letting him down.

  They set off at an undemanding trot, and it wasn’t long before she found a comfortable pace. Conscious of his presence beside her and of his measured breathing, she concentrated on her own rhythm. She didn’t look at him; instead she kept her eyes on the road ahead. At that early hour the port area was busy—the continuous beeping of moving cranes warning of unseen loads being lifted from vast container ships. Farther away trawlermen were hosing decks, their catch already unloaded and waiting in auction sheds. A family-sized cruiser headed out past the blinking lights of the bar, and a police launch nosed carefully between wharfs, no doubt looking for anything unusual.

  They ran past restaurants, trendy wine bars and the odd inebriated partygoer who had elected, consciously or otherwise, to spend the night in the open. By the time they reached the park she knew that—regardless of the hours spent in the gym—she was nowhere near as fit as she thought.

  Breathing heavily, she slowed to a walk, her hands on her hips.

  “I must have been mad to agree to this,” she managed.

  “But do you feel good?” Jake asked. He was in front of her running backwards to give her his attention.

  “I’ll let you know when I’ve recovered.”

  “If it’s any help I think you did really well.”

  “Do not patronise me.” She drew the words out, still trying to catch her breath.

  “I’m not. Before we started I actually thought you’d give up halfway.”

  “Really?” Her tone should have alerted him.

  “Yes,” he went on blithely, “I didn’t expect you to keep up. I’ve been running for a while so I’m used to it. I’d already guessed you’re weren’t.”

  “Oh.” She straightened up. “So what were you expecting? That you would have to carry this poor little flower home?”

  “It would have been the gentlemanly thing to do.”

  Suddenly Anna realised he was trying not to laugh. She did not know whether to be furious or join in.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “No, I am. Truly.”

  He didn’t look it, she thought. In fact his eyes were definitely not showing any remorse.

  “Let me make it up to you. There’s a juice bar not far from here,” he said.

  “So what do you do for a living?” she asked as they waited for their drinks to arrive.

  “Fire Department.”

  “You’re a fireman?”

  “For my sins.” He made a mock bow.

  “Very noble. Have you rescued many little old ladies from burning buildings?”

  “I’ve rescued more cats from up trees, if that does it for you.”

  “A life is a life,” she said solemnly.

  “It is, I so agree.”

  “You’re doing it again.”

  “You make it too easy.”

  “You’re not very endearing.”

  “My mother thinks
I’m wonderful.”

  “Mother’s do. It’s expected. Sadly the rest of society might not feel the same about you.”

  “Does this mean you don’t want to see me again?”

  Anna opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  “So you do then,” he continued happily. “Okay, let’s think about it. You have a choice. Monday, six-thirty again, for another work-out, or tomorrow evening for a drink. I’m good for either.”

  She couldn’t believe his nerve.

  “I’ll take the work-out.”

  “We could do both.”

  “I don’t think I could cope with both.”

  Chapter 22.

  Autumn turned into winter and storefronts were lit up for Christmas. Having been warned by the other girls that demand for escorts slowed over the holiday period Anna couldn’t decide how she would spend the time. Part of her knew she should at least see her father on Christmas Day, but if the few other occasions she had returned home were any indication, their time together would be strained, to say the least. The problem was his recently acquired lady friend—as he coyly put it—a woman more than willing to fill the emptiness left by the death of Anna’s mother.

  “You know I’ll never stop loving your mother,” he had told her when they last spoke, “but life goes on and I’m lonely.”

  In addition she had been seeing Jake on and off for the past month or so, trying to keep him at arm’s length in the hope that the relationship would not become too serious. He, too, had dropped hints about Christmas. Sometimes life was just too complicated, she thought.

  He had not been kidding when he had warned her he didn’t give up easily. For the first couple of weeks all she would give him was an hour or so in the morning, telling herself that it was time she resumed an exercise programme. And what was wrong with jogging? A little later she reluctantly agreed to go for a drink with him.

  He was good company and made no demands on her, walking her home that first night and leaving her at the entrance to the apartment block without so much as a chaste peck on the cheek. When he attempted to do the same after their second date she was the one who had risen up on her toes and kissed him.

  “Does this mean I’m in with chance?” He’d grinned.

  “No. It means I felt sorry for you.”

  “And so you should.” He had held her tight and kissed her again. She had felt a little dizzy when he let her go. She had enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her, the urgency of his kiss and the forcefulness of his lips.

  The day came, as she knew it would, when he had asked how she afforded her apartment. She told him she had a small inheritance from her mother. When the conversation touched on her work, she lied again, explaining she was a freelance mobile mortgage manager working on commission. If nothing else it explained her unsociable hours and she knew enough about the position to make the lie sound convincing. She justified her lies by telling herself that she and Jake were simply passing time together. In no way did they have a future, so what she did for a living was no business of his.

  Eventually she slept with him. It was only fair, given the length of time they had been seeing each other.

  They had been out to a club and if she was honest with herself she had had far too much to drink. Jake had brought her home and she had pulled him onto the balcony to admire the reflection of the city lights on the dark water. That time when he kissed her she hadn’t wanted him to stop.

  Feeling his hands exploring her body felt strange at first, his weight on top of her even more so. In an alcoholic fog she had no idea how to respond, although a dint of awareness told her that she needed to play down how expert she was at such matters. She had tried to shut everything else out of her mind and concentrate only on being a good girl. The effort involved worried her, and afterwards he wondered aloud if she had enjoyed it.

  “I did,” she protested, lying in the crook of his arm. She would have to do better next time.

  “Hi, it’s Maddie. Listen hun, I’ve got a client who would like to book you and Sabine together. What do you say?”

  “For when?”

  “This afternoon. I know it’s not usually your thing, but the money’s good.”

  “Give me a minute.”

  Anna held the phone away, thinking fast. Thankfully Jake was on a forty-eight hour shift, so there was no chance of him wanting to see her.

  “Have you got any more information on the client?”

  “His name is Simon. He’s used us before, and it’s always the same. Two girls: one blonde, one not.”

  “When and where?”

  She jotted down the name of the hotel and room number.

  “Okay. But do me a favour. Ask Sabine to meet me first?”

  “Sure.”

  They met not too far from the hotel in a café warm and snug with Christmas shoppers and tinsel.

  “How can you eat that and stay so thin?” Sabine spooned the thin froth from her soy latte into her mouth and gazed longingly at Anna’s hot fudge sundae.

  “I burn most of it up in the gym.”

  “Hmm. Not my thing I’m afraid. But, speaking of the gym, how is the gorgeous Jake?” Sabine asked.

  “He’s good.”

  “So why the long face?”

  “I don’t know,” Anna sighed. “I think I want it to work, but it really doesn’t stand a chance as long as I’m doing this.”

  “You still haven’t told him?”

  Anna shook her head.

  “You know you’re not being fair to him?”

  “I know. But what are my options? Tell him and lose him, or keep quiet and see what happens.”

  “But you’ve got qualifications. You could easily get a normal job.”

  “Maybe, but how do you go back to a nine to five after this?”

  “You mean the money?”

  “Not only that.” Anna was thinking of Adam and the world he had opened up to her. “I’m different now. You can’t turn the clock back and expect to pick up where you left off, even though that’s exactly what I expected at the beginning. I even had it all planned out. A couple of months, three at the outside, and then forget I ever had to do this.

  “It isn’t easy, is it?” Sabine picked up her cup. “What about marriage, kids?”

  “I still want to be married. I want it all—the roses round the door, half a dozen kids ... Just not now.”

  “And is that what Jake wants?”

  “I don’t know. I think he’s a bit like me, not ready to settle down yet.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “I hate lying to him.”

  Sabine shrugged and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. “Sorry, but I haven’t got the answer for you.”

  “Let’s forget about my problems. Fill me in on this afternoon. How does it work?”

  “It’s easy, really. Like synchronised swimming. Just copy what I do, and don’t be surprised if he wants us to touch each other as well.”

  Anna pulled a face.

  “And if I kiss you,” Sabine added mischievously, “kiss me back with feeling.”

  “Well, another first, I suppose.”

  “You’ve never been with a woman before?”

  “No.” Anna thought of that time with Stephanie. Did that count?

  “Ohhhhh.”

  “Don’t look at me like that.” Anna laughed.

  Anna couldn’t help it; Sabine’s body fascinated her. Her skin was so soft and smooth, and so unlike a man’s. They were kneeling on the bed and Simon was lying to one side, watching intently as she followed her friend’s lead and stroked her breast. He might as well not have been there for all the attention she was giving him. Why had she never tried this before?

  The nipple felt hard against her palm, and she gently rolled it between her fingers. Sabine groaned, and Anna felt a frisson of excitement, knowing exactly what her friend was feeling. She bent down and took it between her lips, flicking her tongue over it, amazed at how it was both hard and p
liable at the same time. When she sucked on it, Sabine groaned again, and Anna knew it wasn’t an act. She was curious to see if her friend was wet and boldly slipped a hand between her legs. Sabine’s cunt was swollen and very moist. Anna let her fingers play until they were coated in juice.

  Simon eased across to get a better view. He was, Anna judged, somewhere in his early thirties but already showed signs of going to seed. The evidence of what would one day become a substantial pot belly did little to improve his chances.

  “More champagne, ladies? We don’t want to rush things, do we?”

  Sabine took Anna’s hand and licked the tips of her fingers. “We don’t,” she said softly, looking directly at her.

  Sabine crawled to their client and combed her fingers through the mat of hair on his chest.

  “Were you feeling left out?” she teased.

  “Not at all, but now you’re here …” He took her hand and placed it on his cock.

  “If she gets that, why don’t you have one of these?” Anna positioned herself so that her breasts were within his reach.

  “So, who gets first fuck?” Sabine asked, her voice husky.

  “Why don’t you start while I play with your friend here?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Sabine knelt over him and expertly rolled on a condom. Holding his cock steady, she lowered herself onto it.

  “Oh, yes,” he breathed, removing his hand from between Anna’s legs, where he had been casually rubbing her clit. “Get behind her and play with her tits.”

  Anna happily did as instructed.

  “That’s right. I want to see her cum,” Simon grunted.

  Anna wasn’t sure how to do that, but she knew what turned her on and hoped the same thing would do it for her friend. Taking her in her arms, she reached around and cupped Sabine’s tits. They were smaller than hers but her nipples were definitely longer. She took them firmly between her thumbs and forefingers, and Sabine’s movements became frantic. Her head was bouncing back onto Anna’s shoulder, forcing her to tighten her grip in order to maintain her hold. Anna was in her own heaven as she fondled Sabine’s breasts, caressing one minute and twisting and pulling the next until her friend crashed down with a shudder onto Simon’s cock.