The Harem

by Paul Preston

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sheremy, I don’t think it’s appropriate to—”

  He stepped closer to me and I smelled his intoxicating cologne. Was it French? His eyes were so dark and romantic; I knew I could get lost in them if I didn’t keep my professional distance.

  “Could you say my name again? I love the way it sounds when you say it, with the soft J and how you accent the third syllable.”

  “Are you making fun of my French accent, like every other American I’ve met?”

  “No, Chantelle. Not at all. I just love your accent. Say it once more and I promise I’ll leave you alone.”

  “Do you promise?”

  “I do. I promise, Chantelle.”

  “OK… Sheremy…”

  “Mmmm…”

  Suddenly a police car pulled into the parking lot, recklessly fishtailing and stopping just a few feet away from us. It startled both of us. It was Butch. He had Jeremy and I pinned between the two vehicles. Butch got out and stood stiffly by his car door. He had that mean look in his eyes like he’d been drinking again.

  “Is there a problem here, Chantelle?” Butch blurted out.

  “Butch, how did you know I was here? Are you following me? I ask you, please leave me alone!” I said.

  “Who the fuck is this guy, Chantelle? Is he bothering you?” Butch said.

  “Ah, Butch. I’ve heard so much about you. Your ex-girlfriend and I were about to go to a coffee shop and discuss what a jerk you’ve been to her,” Jeremy said.

  “What did you just say to me?” Butch said, gritting his teeth.

  I tried to stop Jeremy, knowing Butch’s temper, especially when he’s drinking.

  “Sheremy, please don’t—”

  “Officer, why don’t you get back into your cop car, go back to DC, give out a few bogus tickets on the way and stop acting like such a fucking asshole,” Jeremy said calmly.

  I was astounded by what he said. I assumed everyone in the US was afraid of the police. Butch’s eyes turned vicious.

  “Did you just call me a fucking asshole? Get up against the car, hands on the hood! NOW!”

  “I think not.”

  As Butch removed the handcuffs from his belt, Jeremy jabbed him once very hard in his windpipe. Butch dropped the cuffs and reached for his throat. Jeremy nonchalantly picked up the cuffs, threaded them through the car door handle and snapped them onto Butch’s wrists, all before he had a chance to react. Butch tried to speak, but couldn’t form the words.

  “I’m not the only one around here that’s good with a pair of handcuffs,” Jeremy said, looking over his shoulder at me rather flirtatiously and winking again.

  I couldn’t believe how easily he had incapacitated and restrained Butch, without even putting a crease in his pants. I’d been so afraid of him up until now and Jeremy had made him look foolish, cuffed him to his own squad car. Butch finally found his voice.

  “You… you assaulted a police officer! That’s classified as a felony in Maryland! You’re looking at up to twenty five years in state prison! Your life is over!”

  “Officer McAdams, listen, calm down,” Jeremy said.

  “Fuck you, mother-fucker. If I hadn’t been drinking, you never would’ve gotten away with this shit. You just caught me by surprise. Let me go, you son of a bitch! LET ME GO!”

  “Officer McAdams, if you listen without interrupting me for one moment, I’m going to release you and we’re all going to get back into our cars and pretend this never happened. Take a deep breath and calm down, OK? Now look, I know exactly where you’re coming from. I got obsessed about a particular woman in the past. I bet you’re a lonely guy, depressed and divorced, just like me. I know you’re crazy about Chantelle. Look at her. Who wouldn’t be? She’s exotic, smart, gorgeous, sexy, and a physician for Christ’s Sake. No wonder she’s driven you mad. You had your time with her, but now she doesn’t want to see you anymore. You need to accept that and let her go, Butch.”

  “Our relationship is none of your fucking business. You can kiss my ass, you—”

  “That’s just it, Officer McAdams. Listen carefully. You don’t have a relationship any more with Chantelle. Now, we’ve already contacted my lawyer and Chantelle is planning a civil suit and against the DC police department. They thought we had a pretty good case before, based on camera footage of you stalking her, but now, after tonight, I’m sure there’ll be a six figure settlement against the city. At the very least, you’ll lose your badge and pension and you’ll be lucky to work a security job somewhere. First, while on duty and in uniform, you used company time and tax-payer dollars to hit on a woman you found attractive. You used intimidation and fear to keep her in a relationship with you. When Chantelle had the courage to end it, you physically assaulted her. You’re stalking her, which I believe is a form of sexual harassment. Now we have you outside of your jurisdiction on the church’s outdoor video camera, driving a police car recklessly and endangering private citizens. We will both testify we smelled alcohol on your breath, but that’s not even necessary because you admitted to drinking tonight while driving a squad car, which I’ve recorded on my cell phone. Either way, you’re fucked, Butch. It’s not me that’ll serve time. It’s you, my friend. So, I’ll make a deal with you, Officer McAdams. You go home, sober up and don’t trouble this beautiful woman again and we’ll make the lawsuit go away. Or we press charges and you become the joke of your precinct, trying to explain how an unarmed man was able to handcuff you to your own squad car. Your career as well as your freedom will be over. It’s up to you, how do you want play this out, Officer?”

  “OK. Let me go. I’ll leave her alone.”

  “No more stalking, Butch?”

  The officer nodded.

  “Are you going to play nice when I release the cuffs?”

  “Yeah.”

  “One last thing. Chantelle has my cell phone and email. If she sees you even driving by her apartment again, we will be back in touch with my lawyer… Would you like to apologize to Chantelle, Officer McAdams?”

  “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “Look her in the eyes Butch. Say it like you mean it. You’ve really upset this woman. No means no, Butch.”

  “OK, OK.”

  Butch looked at me and with slumped shoulders.

  “Sorry, Chantelle.”

  “See that wasn’t so hard. Now, after I unlock the cuffs, I need you to remove the tracking devise from her car and allow me to photograph you doing it, in case we need it as future evidence against you. I think that was illegal too. Does Chantelle look like a terrorist to you?”

  Butch told Jeremy which key to use and Jeremy released the cuffs. Without a word, Butch pulled out this small devise out from under my back bumper and Jeremy photographed him doing it with his cell phone. I took the tracking devise, walked over to a dumpster, smashed it against the metal top, and tossed it in. Butch got into his squad car and drove off.

  “Well, that’s the last you’ve seen of that guy, I hope. Here’s my card though. If he keeps bothering you, and you want my help, give me a call,” Jeremy said.

  “Thank you so much, Sheremy. Perhaps, I can get a good night’s sleep now,” I said.

  “I hope so, Chantelle,” he said.

  I used the key remote to unlock my door and Jeremy opened it for me.

  “Thank you again, Sheremy.”

  “Drive safely and have a good life Chantelle.”

  As I drove off, I saw him in the rear view mirror standing in the parking lot, still watching me. I wish we could have met under different circumstances. As I said, he was an extraordinary man. I wonder if I’ll ever see him again…

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jeremy

  As I watched Chantelle drive off, something clutched in my chest, a strange pain, as I knew I would probably never see her again. Her soothing voice, her French accent, her exotic beauty, her long thick dark brown hair, the soft curves of her delicate body… I would never get a chance to be near her again, to touch her, to kiss
her. I felt sad suddenly. I thought about going to the Co-Dependents meeting next Monday, but then decided against it. All Chantelle needed was another stalker to worry about. Luckily, I have the ladies of the ashram to console me now. At least I was able to do something to help her, by getting the asshole cop to leave her alone. Goodbye, Chantelle. Perhaps we will meet again in another life.

  After I stopped off at home for a quiet dinner, I decided to shower, shave and go meet Eve at TGIF to surprise her after her shift ended. When I walked into the restaurant, I saw her in the reflection of the mirror, sitting at the bar, surrounded by men. She smoked a cigarette, laughed and drank with her suitors. She appeared to be having a wonderful time as the center of attention, with several men vying for her. I walked out of the restaurant without Eve seeing me and waited in my car. I decided if Eve left alone, I would approach her. If she left with a guy, I would give her the same freedom she had given me.

  About forty five minutes later, Eve came out of TGIF laughing, pulling an inebriated man by his tie. I should have just let her go, but something compelled me to follow them in my car. Eve drove into the underground parking garage of her condominium and the gentleman pulled into the visitor parking area. He got out, walked to the front gate, punched in a code and Eve buzzed him in.

  I started to drive back home, but then impulsively bought a bouquet of flowers at a store that I knew would be open late on Rockville Pike. I drove back to the condo, parked and rode the elevator up to the 25th floor. I quietly opened the front door and walked to the door of her bedroom, pushing it open softly. On the floor I saw trail of clothes leading to the bed. I looked up and saw…

  Chapter Sixteen

  Evelyn

  Oh my God, a little eye shadow, shiny red lip stick, no bra under my TGIF uniform and I doubled my tips! I never broke $100 on a Monday night, never even came close. The hostess kept sending parties of four my way all night. All the other waitresses were so jealous of me, but I didn’t care. Let the guys look, at least I didn’t get stiffed on my tips and I was able to give the busboy a little extra. I’ve got to do something if I have any hope of paying back my hunky benefactor, Master Jeremy.

  After the shift I didn’t feel like going back to an empty apartment alone, and I didn’t want to bug Jeremy, so I hung out at the bar. I let guys buy me drinks and flirted with them. I see now how difficult it is for men. They have these strong sexual desires and nine out of ten women are so prissy and repressed they don’t give the poor guys the time of day. Now I see they need to be released and I don’t mind helping them with that. A couple of guys were fighting over me, which was fun. I hate to say it, but I liked all the sexual attention I was getting. I kept drinking soda, but the guys were drinking the strong stuff. I never liked the taste of hard liquor. One of them gave me a cigarette and I tried it, filling my mouth with smoke and blowing it out. If only Mom and Dad could see me now! The guys kept teasing me about the hickeys on the side of my neck, asking me how I got them, if I was married, if I currently had a boyfriend. By the end of the night I was teasing them pretty badly and there were about three of them that wanted to leave with me. I told them to toss a coin and whoever wins the best of five coin flips, I’d leave the bar with that guy and show them the new condo I just rented up the street. The game drove them crazy and I left with the winner. I think his name was Roger. He said he worked in a bank. I pulled him out of TGIF by his tie. He was a little wasted.

  There was, of course, another reason why I picked up a guy. I’ve become very attached to Jeremy and I’m afraid if I let my true feelings out, it might push him away. All I want is to be his exclusive girlfriend, Harem girl, sex slave, submissive, really whatever he wants me to be. I know that’s not possible and I have to share him with two and possibly more women. I thought if I had a fling with another guy, I might calm down about Jeremy and not lose him or let my jealousy for the other girls at the Harem get the best of me. So since I was now the cute sexy girl at the bar everyone wanted to go home with, why not have a little fling to take my mind off him? What could it hurt? Gosh, one night removed from losing my virginity and now I’m a sex fiend. Since Jeremy wasn’t there, I guess I’ll settle for the guy named Roger.

  As soon as we came in the door we started making out, which was nice, though his breath seemed like booze.

  We started taking our clothes off as we stumbled across the room to the bed. I got his short shirt off as he fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. As soon as my shirt was off he grabbed my tits and fell on top of me on the bed. He kissed and squeezed my breasts roughly, grunting and groaning like a pig. It’s funny that men go right for a girl’s boobs. I guess touching a new pair is like finding the Promised Land for them. Like most men, I suppose he just needed to come. He was on top of me, struggling to get his pants and underwear off while he kept grinding his erection into me.

  Right as Roger peeled the rest of his clothes off, I saw Jeremy standing silently in the bedroom doorway, holding a bouquet of flowers. At first I was quite startled. I didn’t hear him come in and had no idea how long he’d been standing there. He didn’t seem angry or even upset by seeing me naked, with another man on top of me. He just stood there, as still as a stone, with a downcast look in his eyes. I tapped Roger once on the shoulder and he looked up at me with my new Victoria Secret panties in his hands. I gestured with my chin toward the doorway and Roger looked over his shoulder. As soon as he saw the intimidatingly large man standing in the doorway, Roger freaked out.

  “Oh My God! What the fuck? Who’s he? You didn’t tell me you were married!”

  Roger rolled off my body, quickly gathering up his clothes, stumbling around the room, dropping a sock and picking it back up, searching under the bed for his shoes.

  “I’m sorry, man, she told me she wasn’t married, I didn’t touch her, I swear to you, we didn’t really do anything, I promise. Oh shit, I feel sick.”

  Roger quickly went into the bathroom and I heard him retching into the toilet. When he finished, I heard him flush and run water in the sink. He came out fully dressed, squeezed around Jeremy in the doorway and left.

  I stood up and approached Jeremy.

  “Jeremy… I didn’t know you were free tonight. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve met you after work. I’m sorry you came when I… had a visitor. I feel terrible about it.”

  It was odd how he just stood there without moving a muscle, looking lost, and not making eye contact with me.

  “Jeremy, look at me. Please. You’re upsetting me. I’m so sorry about… what you just saw. You must be so angry at me. Are you mad at me, Jeremy? Please say something… I’m sorry. That guy meant nothing to me. He was just this drunk man I met at the bar a couple of hours ago. I don’t know what I was thinking, bringing him back here. I was just bored and horny, I guess. I made a tremendous mistake. You’re the one I love Jeremy. I can’t express how much I feel for you and now I’ve messed everything up.”

  “No, you haven’t, Eve. Everything is OK. Please believe me. Everything is fine between us.”

  “No it isn’t. I know I’ve disappointed you. I should’ve just come home after work. Are you mad at me?”

  Tears started dripping down my cheeks.

  “No. I’m not mad at you at all, Eve. Not at all. Please stop crying.”

  “Are you sure? Because if I hurt you in any way, I don’t know what I’m going to do, I don’t think I can go on living without you.”

  “Don’t say that. You mustn’t talk like that, Eve. People won’t understand, if they hear you say those things. I’m fine. I was just lost in thought. It’s my fault, really. I’m the one that should be apologizing. I had no right barging in on you like this. Here. I bought you some flowers…”

  “That’s very sweet of you, Jeremy. Thank you. They’re very pretty. Are you sure you’re not mad?”

  “How could I be mad at someone as lovely as you, Eve?”

  “Then… do you forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgi
ve.”

  Jeremy embraced me. I finally felt like everything would be alright again. He didn’t seem mad at all for my indiscretion. I took the bouquet out of his hand and set it on the bedside table, next to my little black bag. We sat on the edge of the bed together.

  “I want you to be free to explore other relationships, Eve. You did nothing wrong at all. The truth is… I was wrong to come here. I’m becoming attached to you, obsessed with you, after you lost your virginity with me yesterday. I drove over to your job and saw you at the bar. I waited for you outside and followed you to your apartment with the gentleman. I have a master set of keys and I let myself in. I’m not sure why I did it. I see now that I invaded your privacy. Do you want me to leave?”

  “Absolutely not! You’re spending the night with me, even if I have to tie you to the bed this time.”

  Finally, he made eye contact with me and I saw a small smile crease his lips. I took his hand.

  “Why did you follow me here, Jeremy? Did you… want to see me with another man?”

  “No… I think… you remind me of my ex-wife. Seeing you with someone else made me jealous, but I didn’t lose my temper this time, like I did when I walked in on Debbie having sex with that actor.”

  “But it was different with Debbie, wasn’t it? You were married. You were in a committed relationship. It must’ve been a tremendous shock… to see her with that other man.”

  “I keep thinking about it. Perhaps she wasn’t happy being with just me. Maybe if I allowed her… more freedom, maybe we never would’ve gone through a divorce.”

  “Why get married then? Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I believe that once you get married you should be committed to the other person. With us, it’s different. I would love to be your girlfriend, and be in an exclusive relationship with you. I’d love to have sex with you every day and sleep with you every night, but you’re already involved with two other women. That’s why I took the guy home with me, so I don’t ruin everything between us with my jealousy.”