3rd World Products, Book 16

by Ed Howdershelt

  Sipping my own, I asked, “How’s this occasion going?”

  Grinning, Tanya chuckled, “Oh, pretty well, actually. Better than I expected. How about you?”

  “The same, milady. Pretty well. What made you call a halt to things in there?”

  She froze in mid-sip and her eyes peered over the top of her glass at me. Finishing the sip and lowering the glass, Tanya seemed to gather her thoughts, then said, “I may as well say it like it is… I chickened out.”

  Taking a seat at the table, she said, “At first, the idea of doing it without a rubber was almost shockingly exciting. I think it even helped me come a few times. But suddenly it stopped being exciting and became scary. I… I guess I sort of lost faith that a PFM — something I’ve never even seen — could really protect me.”

  “No problem.”

  Calling up a screen, I displayed standard info about PFMs from 3rd World’s website, highlighted a section, and turned the screen to face her. She read the data, then looked up at me and nodded. “I just had to be sure.”

  Chuckling, “Yeah, I know that feeling pretty well,” I sat down on her right and sipped my drink.

  Her eyebrow lifted. “What does that mean?”

  “Just that my life’s been full of times when I’ve had to wonder whether my info was valid. Someone once said to ‘trust, but verify’. That’s good advice for anyone in any situation where his or her future’s on the line.”

  Tanya nodded. “I’ve heard that before. ‘Trust, but verify’. Mom used to say it sometimes.” She sipped and asked, “Why didn’t you and mom get along?”

  Hm. A question I’d expected sooner, but I still didn’t have a ready answer for her.

  “We clashed a lot. Over small stuff mostly, but almost all the time. It was all bullshit, and it went on for months. There was no real excuse for much of it; we all knew what we’d need for pretty much any mission. Linda blamed it on mutual attraction and denial. That sounded about right to me. One evening we were setting up for a run and I moved a suitcase so I could put some stuff in a car. When I picked up the case to put it back, your mom snatched it out of my hands. She said it was personal stuff, which made no sense to me. We didn’t take personal stuff on runs.”

  Sipping again, I said, “I wasn’t in the mood to deal with another round of her bitching, so I just turned to leave. She yelled something about not walking away while she was talking and slugged my shoulder. Hard. I turned and just looked at her and waited. If she came at me, I was gonna try to deck her. Will came running over and tried to get between us. I told him to get back and let her either take another swing at me or shut the fuck up for good.”

  For a moment, that scene was vivid in my mind. When I didn’t speak for a time, Tanya prompted, “Then what?”

  “Marie stood there shaking with rage for a little while. She didn’t say anything. I could see she really wanted to come at me, but we both knew what would happen. Disciplinary crap and Linda would zap us both into other outfits instantly. Gone, replaced, forgotten. After a little while, Connie came closer and said something to her. Marie glared daggers at me briefly, then took her bag inside the building. I followed her in, but I went to Linda’s office and told her I’d never work with Marie again. Marie had seen me and followed me to Linda’s office. She was by the door when I said that. Linda called her in and put us on different teams right then.”

  Tanya and I sipped in silence for a time, then she said, “You said you’d ‘try’ to deck her.”

  “Yup. I said ‘try’. Once upon a time I saw your mom take down three guys and one or two girls in about ten seconds. We’d just returned from a run and we went into downtown Wiesbaden for a few drinks. Some guy said something ugly about Americans. We left, but they followed us outside and surrounded us. Four of us, seven of them, plus their ratty-looking girlfriends. Push. Shove. Words. Someone tried to punch Will and Will put him down hard. The rest of them jumped in. Street thugs versus training, teamwork, and experience. No contest. We took a few bruises, but they had broken bones.”

  Tanya stated, “So it wasn’t a matter of not respecting her.”

  “Oh, hell, no. Strictly personal. Same with her and Mike, but he put up with it a couple of months longer than I did.”

  “He left the team, too?”

  “Yup. Transferred out. Gave the same reason.”

  I sipped and said, “It’s like this, Tanya; the people who run jobs like that know the kind of people who get into jobs like that have lots of confidence. That means they also have egos to match. You can mix some of them together and they’ll manage to settle into a smooth working relationship, if nothing else. A few usually can’t or won’t settle in, so you shuffle the mismatches until you find places for them.”

  “You were a… a mismatch?”

  “No, I was actually there first, but Marie was an update. She had the latest versions of training and ROE. One of us would have had to move on soon anyway, ‘cuz we tried to maintain four-person teams and cross-train.”

  “ROE?”

  “Rules of Engagement. All levels of government operations have them, whether it’s how to deal with the public or the enemy. And sometimes they can’t tell the two apart.”

  Sipping the last of her drink, Tanya ventured, “So you sort of voted yourself off the island.”

  “Close enough. One of the old hands was gonna be moved and I didn’t get along at all with the new guy. Logical choice.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Setting her empty glass down, Tanya said, “I’ve had enough gin. I don’t want to feel it tomorrow.”

  When I finished mine and set it down, she gathered the glasses and bottle and went to the sink. She stretched rather gloriously to put the bottle back on its upper shelf in the cabinet, then took a moment to wash and rinse the glasses.

  I watched that show from behind, aware that she was aware of my watching. From time to time I saw her grinning at me in her reflection from the window.

  Abruptly turning around and crossing her arms and legs as she leaned against the sink, Tanya said, “Tell me something and be completely honest, Ed. How much of what you’ve been doing with me is what you actually wanted to do with my mom and couldn’t?”

  “Oh, hell, all of it, of course. I’m a man. Why would you think it would be any other way, Tanya? You sort of look like her and sound a lot like her and she was a real hottie back when I knew her. Of course I wanted her. But if you’re thinking this is some kind of a surrogate thing, you’re wrong.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I didn’t get along with her. No way in hell will I get tied up with a woman I can’t stand to be with. You, I get along with fine and you aren’t her in more ways than you are her. Does that make any sense to you?”

  “Of course it does, but… well, I just want to know you aren’t using me to make up for not having her.”

  “That’s a self-generated issue, so you’ll have to convince yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t call you by her name.”

  She gave me a droll expression and a roll of her eyes. “That’s not quite what I meant.”

  “Oh, yes, milady. As you say, milady.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “You don’t believe you. I could hear it. Why not just trust me a little when I say I was definitely licking you, not her? Are you ready for a shower?”

  Tanya gave me a highbrow, then sniffed her shoulder and made a wrinkly face. “Yes. I’m ready for a shower.”

  “Hope you don’t run out of hot water. I’m very thorough.”

  She grinned and said, “I think we’ll have enough,” then she gave me a little ‘come along’ gesture and grabbed her towel as she headed for the bathroom. I got up and followed with reasonable alacrity and my own towel.

  Tanya almost purred with contentment when I took my time about washing her hair. She also very much enjoyed being soaped and rubbed thoroughly.

  As I was washing her back, she put her hands against the far shower wall and
arched into my gentle scrubbing. That put the head of my dick in contact with her pussy and I took the opportunity, quickly reaching down to adjust the angle a bit and move to install myself.

  Tanya chuckled, “That was sneaky.”

  Posting gently into her, I replied, “So was the way you just happened to put yourself in range, ma’am.”

  She chuckled again and said, “Ed… Let me know just before you come.”

  “Oh, I think you’ll know when it’s time.”

  “I think so too, but tell me anyway.”

  “Yes’m. Will do.”

  “You promise?”

  “You think I’d dare not promise at this point? You might take the candy jar away.”

  She laughed softly and rode along with my motions for a time, then I both heard and felt her approach a pinnacle. I shifted the angle a bit so I could put extra pressure on a spot within her and her breath caught, then released in a gasp. In only moments she leaned a bit farther and began shoving herself back onto me harder. I matched her intensity and she came hard, almost slipping against the wall.

  Reaching a climax seemed to take quite a while. With roaming hands and a happily posting dick, I didn’t mind at all. I tickled her magic button now and then and Tanya obliged me by offering up another few orgasms.

  But all good things must eventually end. A tingling began in my heels and raced up my legs. Tanya’s head came up as she became aware of a tiny bit of extra length and stiffness within her. Craning her neck to look at me, her mouth was open and her eyes were wide.

  I said, “It’s time, Tanya. If you’re still insecure about it, now’s definitely the time to tell me to pull out.”

  She just stared at me for a moment, then closed her mouth and shook her head slightly. Facing forward again, she put her head down and leaned back against me firmly. I pounded into her with quick strokes until an almost painful tingling signaled my release, then I rammed myself deeply into her and began bucking and spurting.

  Tanya let out a small “Haaahhh!” that quieted to a groan as she froze in place against me, then she seemed to have a few strong contractions deep within herself. Her knees folded and we wound up kneeling on the shower floor, still locked together.

  Leaning to plant a series of kisses on her back made Tanya reach to rub my thighs. She reached a bit higher with one hand to touch our connection, then tickled me just below it. I obligingly bucked and spurted a last few drops for her, which made her giggle.

  She snorted a laugh. “Why hasn’t it gone down?”

  “I think it likes you. A lot.”

  “Well, thank it for me and take it out anyway. My knees are starting to hurt a little.”

  Posting a few times to jar any leftover spurts loose, I took it out of her slowly and sat back on my heels. Tanya eased herself around and into a sitting position, where she caught some of the shower’s spray in her mouth.

  Wiping water from her face, she said, “This is thirsty work. Why’s that thing still up? It went off, didn’t it?”

  Leaning forward, I said, “You inspire me, ma’am,” and kissed her.

  Tanya chuckled and reached for it. Getting a grip on it, she said, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to keep this a while.”

  “Suits me just fine. It really seems to like you and I’d hate to make either of you unhappy.”

  She sat gazing at my dick and stroking it for a time, then asked softly, “How are we going to break this to mom?”

  “I think I’d need a helluva good reason for doing that.”

  Looking up from my dick, Tanya said, “I don’t want to have to sneak around to see you.”

  “Then I’d say just tell her. When the time seems right. Not before we get her fixed, though.”

  “No, of course not before then. She’s going to think I traded myself for your help, you know.”

  “Well, you almost did. That was your original plan, as I recall. Doesn’t that count?”

  Slapping my thigh, Tanya grinningly yelped, “No, it doesn’t, you jerk! You agreed to help anyway and I found other reasons to fuck you!”

  “Ah. Okay, in that case, I’ll let you tell her.”

  Still messing around with my dick, Tanya asked, “How do you think she’ll take it?”

  “About the same as Linda would if I diddled her niece who’s your age. No, wait. She’s about four years younger, I think. In any case, probably not too well.”

  “You’ve known that all along, haven’t you?”

  “Sure. So did you. But here we are, and it was fun.” I shrugged. “We’re adults enjoying each other while it lasts. Nobody’s getting hurt or pregnant.”

  “While it lasts?”

  “Nothing lasts forever. I’m sixty-two. You’re still a young hottie. Sooner or later a guy your own age will come along. You want kids? They won’t happen with me. I can only be your friend and sex toy, ma’am.”

  With a dismissive little gesture, Tanya levered herself up from the shower floor and let the spray play over her head and face. I didn’t bother to get up; I had a grand, close-up view of her legs.

  When my hands slid up her thighs, Tanya squeaked, but continued washing. I gathered little rivulets of soap and slicked her legs, making them shine a bit. Nice effect.

  Tanya asked, “You really like legs, huh?”

  “Yes, but yours seem especially fine, milady.”

  “Well, I’m glad you think so, but are you going to stay down there forever?”

  “I thought about it. Probably not, though. There’s so much other stuff to see and do in your playground.”

  She chuckled, “I’m a playground?”

  “Oh, you bet, ma’am. Did you think I was working down here?”

  “No, but other parts of me could also use some attention, I think.”

  Just what I wanted to hear. It meant she was far enough beyond her initial reservations to be more than simply passively accepting.

  I got to my feet and took a minute to rinse, then turned to face her with, “Hi, there. You said something about other parts needing attention? Could you be just a bit more specific, ma’am?”

  Giving me a highbrow, she gestured to encompass herself from the waist up and asked, “You don’t know what I meant? There’s more of me than just my legs.”

  “I just wanna see if you’re any good at giving directions. Where would you like me to begin, milady? You just touch a spot and I’ll get right on it for you.”

  She seemed to give that some thought, then put her index finger to her lips and said, “Here, first. A girl likes a little romance, you know.”

  After kissing her for some moments, I asked, “And the next spot?”

  Tanya drew a finger from her lips to her ear, then down to her shoulder and grinningly said, “Just follow the invisible line.”

  I did so, trailing my lips over her silky skin. Planting a kiss on her shoulder to mark the spot, I asked, “And now, ma’am?”

  She snickered softly and let her finger descend to her left nipple. I didn’t think it could swell any farther, but when my lips released it, the nipple resembled a tiny castle turret. Tanya laughed softly and moved her fingertip to her right nipple.

  “Good thinking,” I said, “Can’t let ‘em be off-balance.”

  That game went on for a few moments, then Tanya asked, “It just occurred to me… Both times tonight, you… took me… from behind. Is that your preferred position?”

  “No, those were just opportunities I couldn’t pass up, ma’am. I actually prefer to lie back and have the woman on top.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m lazy, of course. If she wants laid, let her do all the hard work.”

  Tanya giggled and lightly smacked my ribs. “Why, really?”

  “Well, she has more control of the stick, she looks damned good while she’s working it, and I’m not looking down at her.”

  She gave that some thought, then asked, “Looking down at a woman bothers you?”

  “I’m actually concerned about it
bothering her.”

  That seemed to require a bit more thought, then she said, “I don’t get it. Sorry, I guess you’ll have to explain.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t already know. When you get older, what happens to your face? Why do people have plastic surgery? Now add a push-up position and some strenuous activity. That can make seniors look like monsters. Hell, it’s the main reason I don’t chase women over fifty, ma’am. I can’t make ‘em get on top.”

  Tanya snorted a sharp laugh that became a series of chuckles, then asked, “Can’t you even once be half-serious?!”

  “I was. I once re-framed an antique mirror for a friend. She didn’t like the way the silver backing was peeling at the edges. I grooved the frame to set the edges further inside. I was sixty then. While I was leaning over that damned mirror I looked about eighty-five.”

  She stopped chuckling and studied my face for a moment, then shook her head and said, “No. I can’t believe it’s that bad. I think you’re exaggerating — a lot — but I can see your point. One of mom’s friends was going to get a face lift, but she wouldn’t talk about it. Maybe now I know why.”

  I first thought she stepped forward and embraced me for a kiss, but her face slid beside mine and I heard the hollow sound of spray water collecting in her mouth. Tanya swallowed twice, then pulled her head back enough to kiss me.

  When the kiss ended, she grinningly patted my face and said, “Okay. Just for you, I’ll get on top during sex.” Holding up a hand, she showed me her fingers and said, “But right now I’m getting all pruney, so let’s get out of here.”

  I turned off the water and followed her out of the shower. She’d already half-dried herself, so I didn’t offer that service. As she toweled her legs, Tanya said, “I feel like a snack.”

  Drying my back, I replied, “And you look like one to me, ma’am.”

  Rolling her eyes, she said, “I mean I’m hungry. Are you?”

  Shrugging, I said, “Sure. A little.”

  “I have some leftover angel food cake in the fridge. There was a small office party Friday when Leon sold an old listing.”