by Risa Peris
“Send her up.”
Campbell checked his image in the hall mirror. He was wearing white button down, brown tweed trousers and brown Italian leather shoes.
“Be cool, Campbell. Be cool.” His image in the mirror was immaculate and unwavering.
The doorbell rang. Campbell opened the door. Stella stood in front of him looking fearful. She was wide eyed and sweet looking. Almost like a doll. But then he saw her round, heavy breasts straining against the light fabric of her dress and he felt an instant jolt of unlikely desire. Not a doll, he thought. A woman.
“Hi.” Stella’s voice was small.
“Come in. Come in.”
Stella walked in. The lighting was once again muted and there was the soft lilt of jazz music in the background. The condo was warm and impeccably stylish.
“Let me get your coat.” Campbell reached for Stella’s coat and his finger brushed the nape of her neck. Stella turned around quickly and stared at Campbell openly.
“Thank you for inviting me,” said Stella.
“Thank you for accepting my invitation.”
Stella and Campbell stood staring at each other. Neither seemed sure of what to say or do. Anxiety was destroying Stella’s composure.
“I...I...” Stella couldn’t seem to articulate any words.
Campbell moved closer to Stella. She raised her hands and pushed on his chest.
“Keep your distance.”
Campbell grabbed hold of Stella’s hands and kissed the palms.
“You’re impossible,” whispered Stella. She leaned forward and let her lips hover near his mouth.
“You smell wonderful.” She breathed in his scent. Stella took her left hand from Campbell’s grasp and gently stroked his cheek and chin.
“I’m flawed,” said Stella. She pulled back from him. She kicked off her flats and unzipped her dress. Campbell stood and watched her. Stella stood before him in her panties and bra. “I’m flawed.” She then unhooked her bra. Her nipples hardened under his gaze. “I’m flawed,” Stella said again.
Campbell looked at her appraisingly. “You’re beautiful.”
He knelt before Stella and pulled her close. His fresh stubble scraped her stomach. He reached his hands up and cupped her breasts. “Let me show you how beautiful you are.”
Campbell’s hand slipped between her thighs. His fingers sought that brilliant, sensitive spot that made her shiver in ecstasy. Stella instinctively spread her legs wider. Campbell’s finger traced a circle around her clit, but then with silky slowness he let his finger slide inside her. Stella moaned. Campbell then licked her stomach, kissed her pubic hair and then lowered his head even further until his tongue was lapping at her spot. Stella felt her knees become weak.
“I’m going to pass out.”
Campbell groaned and continued lapping while his finger jutted rhythmically inside her.
Stella let her hands brace against Campbell’s shoulders.
“You have to stop.” Stella was out of breath and so near the edge of something she had never experienced before.
Campbell responded by lapping quicker and harder and Stella felt an intense heat
spreading through her body that she screamed out and then with a profound swiftness she felt her groin contract and screamed even louder, once again, and then she shuddered and fell into Campbell’s arms. Her knees buckled and she felt her body become a mass of quivering jelly. Campbell cupped her shoulders and eased her back against the Oriental carpet.
“I’m done.” Stella smiled.
Campbell lay on top of her. “We’re just getting started.” He smiled and kissed her
neck. “But the night is still so very young. I’m famished. Let’s eat.”
“Oh, but it’s so nice and cozy in here.”
“We aren’t leaving. I ordered in. Just needs to be heated. The bathroom is down the hall and to the right and there is a fluffy, blue robe begging for your body.”
“Really? Begging?”
“Really.” Campbell stood up and then reached down and pulled Stella up by her arms. He kissed her on her lips and headed to what she assumed was the kitchen. Stella padded down the hall to the black and white bathroom. On a hook by the towel rack was a blue robe that was wonderfully soft. She slipped it on, ran the water in the sink and looked at her image in the mirror. Her eyeliner was smudged and her blonde hair was mussed.
“I look like I have just had a sexual encounter.” Stella smiled. She found she couldn’t stop smiling.
She found Campbell in the kitchen. He was plating chicken marsala, pasta and bruschetta, and whistling. He looked boyish and excited.
Campbell looked up. “There you are. Just in time.”
Stella took a seat at the kitchen table. He poured her a glass of red wine and then placed a plate in front of her.
She was hungry. She jabbed a fork into the pasta and chewed. “It’s delicious.”
“Why thank you. It’s amazing what magical things dialing fingers can bring forth.”
“And typing fingers. I put in an order for groceries and they appear at my door.”
“Ah, how magical.” Stella and Campbell laughed.
They began eating in the silence induced by hunger.
“This evening didn’t start out like I had imagined.”
“How did you imagine it?” Campbell looked serious, but his eyes were dancing.
“More subtle. Dinner, conversation and then...”
“Then?” Campbell had a large smile on his face.
“Then a kiss.” Stella smiled wistfully.
“I could kiss you now.” Campbell leaned in and kissed her on her lips. She looked at him expectantly.
“Too chaste?” He leaned in again and pulled her face toward him. His next kiss was long, tongue imbued and sloppy. She felt heavenly. Like she was floating.
“Now, that’s a kiss,” uttered Stella.
Campbell untied her robe and delicately grazed her nipples while his tongue battled with hers. She sighed and leaned back in the chair.
“Unbelievable,” whispered Stella. She felt warm and tingly. It was as if an electric current were zipping through her.
Campbell stood. His cock was jutting in front of Stella’s face. His cock was thick and throbbing and Stella instinctively took it into her mouth.
“You’re so hard,” she whispered before plunging his cock deep into her mouth. Campbell groaned, deep and loud. Stella pulled back and licked the top of his cock. She grazed her teeth over the bulging head. She felt bold, sexy and brave.
“Fuck me,” she said. Stella didn’t know where those words came from. She wasn’t sure about the source of her boldness. Campbell took her hand and pulled her toward him.
“The bedroom.”
“No. Here. Take me here, Campbell.”
He pulled off her robe. He pushed her onto the floor, roughly. She gasped and lay on the floor with her legs open.
“Do you want me Stella?”
“I want you Campbell.” She wanted him so badly. He slid up her body and wound his hand around her hair. He pulled her neck back and then, with no hesitation, plunged deep inside her. Stella gasped.
“Oh my god,” uttered Campbell. He wasn’t expecting the drowning pleasure that greeted him. He bucked wildly and was wholly conscious of her moans and screams. He rammed into her. He wanted all of her. He was still aware of her pleasure and sensing that she was drowning enjoyably in sensation he kept thrusting. Thrusting until he heard a strangled cry from her.
“Campbell,” she exhaled.
He wanted to comfort her, but instead felt the piercing stab of an orgasm overtake him. He collapsed onto Stella and they gripped each other, like old lovers satiated by pleasure.
He took her hands and led her to the bed. They lay down and clung to each other.
“Thank you,” whispered Campbell.
“For what?” asked Stella.
“For being wonderful.” He smiled and kissed her forehead.
“Why?” Stella sat up. “Why me?”
“What?” Campbell smoothed her blonde hair.
“Why did you choose me? You could have any woman.”
“I want you. You’ve cracked me like an egg. Oozing and gushing.”
“I’m not beautiful.” She pulled the sheet around her.
“You are though. Maybe not classically beautiful. Maybe not a model. But I want you.”
“Not classically beautiful? Not a model? I knew it. I was a fuck. A roll in the hay. You’ll be dating a model by tomorrow.” Stella got out of bed and covered herself with the bed sheet.
“Wait. What are you talking about?”
“You’re an ass.”
“What? Stella...I think you are pretty. I desire you. What more do you want?”
She stared at him through the haze of fresh tears. “I want to be the most beautiful woman in your eyes. That's what every woman wants.”
Campbell said nothing and lay back onto the bed. After retrieving her clothes, Stella left the condo and headed into the bright Manhattan night.
Chapter 8
Campbell swallowed the bourbon. He didn’t like bourbon, but he hated sobriety more with Krissie standing four feet from him. She was dressed in a slinky, silky black dress. Her raven tresses were cascading in soft curls down her back and around her face. She looked impossibly pretty and feline like. She was leaning on the arm of Devin Roberts and playing the role of ‘billionaire’s girlfriend’ well. Krissie hadn’t acknowledged him yet, though Devin had waved at Campbell. Devin had invited a select few of Razor Edge management to his Manhattan townhouse for cocktails. Campbell had accepted eagerly. The chance to meet directly with Devin was critical to his future with Razor Edge Financial. It was just unfortunate that Krissie was draping herself over his arm like a charm bracelet.
Campbell headed to the fully equipped, marble bar and spotted Belvedere vodka on the counter. Campbell poured vodka into his glass and squeezed a lemon wedge into the clear liquid. He downed the drink and breathed deeply. He stared at the tall bottle and thought of Stella. Campbell had moped after she abruptly left on Saturday. It was a new experience for him - moping. Dejected moods were unusual for him. He didn’t dwell on failures or sadness. He moved on.
I just move on, thought Campbell. He wondered why he was still thinking about Stella and bristling every time he saw Krissie paw at Devin’s back.
“I must be getting old,” Campbell said softly to the vodka bottle. He poured another drink and swallowed.
“Ah, Campbell. Pleased you came.”
Campbell turned around. It was Devin. “I wouldn’t miss it.” Devin straightened his back and set down his glass.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” Devin smoothed his bright blue silk Hermes tie.
“I’m available now.”
“Let’s go to the library.”
Campbell followed Devin down a long hall and into a room lined with mahogany bookshelves crowded with antique looking books. The room looked unused and picture ready.
“Campbell. I wanted to speak with you. I should have done so sooner.”
“You wanted to discuss my career with Razor Edge.”
"What? I do appreciate your work. I hear you are a good trader. But actually I wanted to talk about Krissie.”
Campbell slid his hands into his pockets. “Krissie?”
“I understand you two were an item. I just wanted to let you know I wasn’t aware of that until...well, we became an item. Hopefully, no hard feelings. No plans on hiring a hitman?”
Campbell took his hands out of his pocket and adjusted his watch. He was fuming but didn’t want to betray his feelings to Devin. “No hitman, Devin. Krissie and I weren’t really an item. It was purely physical. No hard feelings. Enjoy her. I would keep track of your credit cards, though.”
Devin stared at Campbell like a man studying an enemy. “Well, good.”
“Devin?”
“Yes?”
“I wasn’t invited here to this soiree because of my trading record was I?”
Devin pursed his lips. “No. I appreciate your work. You are good at what you do. But you aren’t part of the upper echelon. Not yet.” Devin smiled. “Maybe someday, Campbell. Shall we go back to the party? You’re welcome to stay, of course.”
“Devin.”
Devin turned from the door he was about to open. He had an impatient and unpleasant look on his face. “Yes?”
“I quit.”
“Think carefully about that Campbell. You have the potential to climb high in this organization. You don’t want to walk away from millions.”
“I can make millions elsewhere. I’m sure any number of Razor Edge competitors would hire me. Or maybe I’m done making millions.”
“There is nothing romantic about poverty.”
“There is nothing romantic about materialism.”
Devin shrugged. “Think it over. If you still want to leave, submit your resignation letter tomorrow.” He turned and left the room while Campbell stared out the window wondering why he wasn’t happy with his life or his future.
Campbell headed down the hall to leave and stopped short when Krissie walked out of one of the rooms.
“Oh...” Krissie’s voice sounded high. She puffed out her chest and fluffed her hair. “I thought you had left.”
“I’m about to.” He walked past her.
“Cammie...”
Campbell turned. “Don’t call me that.”
“Don’t be so sore.” Krissie walked toward him and placed her hands lightly on his chest. “I still prefer you. We were hot together.” She leaned in closely to him. He could feel her hot breath on his chin. Campbell grasped her hands.
“Krissie...”
“Hmmm...” she closed her eyes and tilted her head back for a kiss.
“You’re a silly vain little girl.”
Krissie blinked like a china doll being discarded.
“I’m done with Razor and I’m done with you.”
Campbell left the townhouse. He walked down the street with a smile on his face. He wasn’t sure why he was smiling, but he was certain he was making progress.
Chapter 9
Stella was staring at Ben as her law firm colleagues, clustered at a six chair table, sipped gin and tonics and Cosmopolitans and nibbled tuna tartare. She was at the storied Carlyle for the law firm event. Ben was mingling with the other lawyers and partners. He occasionally glanced in her direction and smiled. Stella waved in return. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to pour her heart out to him. She wanted to make love to him. But for now she was stuck at a table with people she rarely spoke to and who seemed jarring to her. Their laughter and sexy comments annoyed her. She had been in a deep funk since Saturday. Jane said she was depressed. Stella did feel sad but she was mostly angry. She was still furious with Campbell who weighed down nearly every thought she had. Even as she sat in the glamorous Carlyle and eyed Ben, she was thinking about Campbell. He had brought her so much pleasure - a pleasure she wasn’t sure was possible. Thinking of his mouth, tongue and hands made her blush and excited.
When she got home on Saturday night she ate ice cream, drank wine and cried. She wondered why sex and relationships were so easy for some people and so difficult for others. Stella hung a shawl over her large oval mirror. She didn’t want to look at herself. She fell asleep for a few hours and then woke up feeling less raw and hurt. She opened up her laptop and clicked on the file The Sweet Edge - her romance book in progress. After writing fifty pages of her novel she had whittled it down to just ten pages, yet again. Her editing pen was harsh. But was it too harsh? Stella re-read what she had written and decided it wasn’t awful. It was actually engaging. She wrote while thinking of Campbell. Sometimes she blurred him with Ben, but mostly she thought of the intensity and prowess of Campbell. She typed quickly and full of the heat of sex she had had earlier in the evening. When she looked up it was dawn. The sunlight was poking through the blinds. She had written tw
enty new, fresh pages. The story finally seemed to be going where she wanted it to. She fell asleep for a few hours and then wrote ten more pages. Each day since that night she had written several pages and was so happy with what she was writing that she sent the story to Jane and then, in a fit of optimism, joined a writing group that was going to meet in a week at the Alphabet City Community Center.