by Jamie Knight
“Where’s the host?” I asked, expecting Russ’s seat to be pulled out like mine had been.
“Haven’t seen him,” Russ said, seating himself.
“Odd, I thought he saw all.”
“I have a habit of sneaking in,” he said, taking up the other menu.
I had hoped Russ might make some comment on my dress. He clearly liked the look of me in it, but after his lengthy eye contact with my breasts, he barely looked at me. Focusing first on the menu and then on his phone after we actually ordered.
Even so, I could feel my pussy getting tight again. I couldn’t help but wonder about Russ. If he was getting hard like he had when we met in the conference room. Not a perfect situation but I could already tell that he was really big. It was all I could do at the time to keep myself from imagining him pounding me in the pussy.
I did my best to ignore my thoughts and remind myself that this wasn’t meant to be a real relationship. I needed to adjust my expectations.
We had never actually agreed exactly what Russ would do for the engagement pictures. I didn’t mind that much, it made it feel more real when it finally happened. Before our meals came, Russ slid down on one knee and took the ring box I had given him out of his pocket, leaving it closed for the time being.
“Ann Howell,” he said, eyes full of what looked like sincerity, “you have made me so happy, and I am wondering if you would add further to my joy by agreeing to become my wife.”
He opened the box, revealing my great-grandmother’s wedding ring, bequeathed to me on the off chance I should get married. I think it was partly meant to be a twisted form of encouragement.
“Yes!” I nearly shouted, the tears in my eyes very much real.
Russ took the diamond ring from the box, gently slipping it onto my finger, looking seductively into my eyes. We got one of the waiters to take some pictures on my phone so there would be photographic evidence, and a lot of the other patrons broke into applause. I really loved the attention, and Russ looked so good next to me.
The spell was shattered when his phone went off, and of course, he checked it.
“Sorry, have to go,” Russ said, standing up pocketing the phone as he did so.
“W-what?” I asked, the shock not yet having set in.
“Emergency, you understand,” he said, putting on his coat.
“I - uh - of course,” I stammered, still taken aback by the suddenness.
Before I could say anything, Russ was gone like he had never been there before. As though we had planned it, this was the precise moment that the waiter came back with the food.
“Will you be eating alone, madam?” the waiter asked, as unflappable as one might expect.
“No,” I said, bravely fighting off the tears.
I refused to admit defeat. It was crushing, yes, but I refused to let it get to me. Instead, I paid the bill.
“Wrap it up,” I said, giving the waiter a sizeable tip.
“Right away, madam!” he said, rushing off.
It was the first time in a long time I was actually able to wrangle a babysitter — a feat almost akin to herding cats. I was determined not to go home. Not yet, at least. There was only one other place I could think of where I would be comfortable.
Chapter Seven
Ann
Managing to get the surprisingly large to-go bags up the five flights of stairs, I settled into my chair. Most of the food was still warm, so I didn’t have to use the microwave in the staff room. Pasta and steak wasn’t a combination I had ever thought of before, but they actually went together pretty well. I wished I’d ordered some wine which would have topped it off perfectly.
Remembering the bottle of Crown Royal in my safe, I crossed the room. Retrieving the oddly shaped decanter, I poured out a finger and brought it back over to the desk. The burn of the alcohol was lovely as it ran down my throat. Though it didn’t stop there.
A distinctly warm sensation started up in my pussy as I remembered the bulge I had seen in Russ’s pants. His huge, heavy cock had been yearning to break free. I licked my lips, thinking about it.
Daydreaming, I thought about what it might be like to have Russ in my office like he had already been, his hard, aching cock in front of me, desperate for my loving touch. My hand found its way up my bare thigh as I imagined wrapping my hand around the bulk of his shaft —my fingers barely fitting around it — slowly stroking him and focusing on the sensitive tip.
I imagined my breath quickening as I slowly lowered my head, planting soft, wet kisses on his cock as I slipped my hand into my panties. Softly working my pussy lips, I imaged licking and sucking his balls as I continued to stroke Russ’s shaft. He let out a soft moan of pleasure. One that only got more intense when I ran my tongue back off his shaft and dropped my hot little mouth over the end of his hard, throbbing cock and started sucking. Gently at first, then slowly gaining in speed and depth.
I slid two fingers into my wet pussy as I imagined pumping his cock in and out of my mouth, getting a little more than halfway down his magnificent member before the head started to brush the back of my throat. Asserting myself, I got him in even further, deep throating until his balls were nearly at my lips.
Clamping his hand masterfully on the back of my head, I imagined Russ unloading into my mouth, making me swallow it all down, which I did with gusto. After helping me clean up, he then pulled me to my feet and ripped open both my blouse and my bra — buttons flying everywhere.
With his hands firmly on my shoulders, holding me still, he dove into my chest, licking and sucking the soft flesh and working his way down to my rock-hard nipples. Taking one into his mouth, Russ sucked hard, spiraling his tongue around it as he did so. I ran my fingers through his hair to urge him on, nearly coming from the sensation.
Running his hands along my arms, I imagined the hottie moving down my body, softly kissing my skin along the way, between my tits and down over my belly, ever down towards my pussy. He unzipped the back of my dark skirt as he went, making it fall down around my ankles.
Slowly pulling down my panties, Russ kissed his way down my pelvis, gently running his tongue up the length of my lower lips. He did this again and again until he was lapping at my tender pink lips with a steady rate, coaxing a deep rapturous moan from inside me as I clamped both hands onto the back of his head. He buried his tongue deep into my pussy, making me tremble with an orgasm.
After I came, I imagined Russ kissing his way back up my body, then kissing me passionately, our tongues softly dancing in the most delightful way.
Working two fingers deep inside my desperate pussy, I imagined Russ taking me by the shoulders and turning me around, making me bend at the waist over the desk, fully exposing my ass and pussy to him.
Pressing one hand on the small of my back, he stroked the hot end of his huge cock against my pussy, first making me gasp, then making me moan. Moans, which nearly turned to screams as he pushed all the way inside me in one go. It felt so good, I could hardly contain myself.
Giving me a moment to get used to the size of him, Russ took me firmly by my waist, taking full control of my body and started to move in me. After slow, gentle thrusts, he built up to a hard, rhythmic pounding. His thick cock slammed inside me, hitting my clit and G-spot at the same time, making me absolutely convulse with orgasm. As I squirmed, Russ took me firmly by both wrists to keep me from breaking anything — his cock still deep inside me.
I carefully pulled my fingers from inside me and cleaned up then took a long drink of Crown Royal, finishing off the rest of the tumbler. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I started to think about the real-life version of Russ, and what might be going on with him.
Things were going so well before that phone call. Awful as it was, he at least had a reason for leaving like that. It might have even been a good one like his dog was sick or something. Perfectly understandable, really.
Finishing off the New York cheesecake that had come with Russ’s order, I picked up my
phone and dialed. Situations like this needed another viewpoint.
“Allo, allo?” Vicky said, sounding chipper even this late at night.
“Hey,” I said.
“What did he do?”
“How —”
“I’m psychic,” Vicky said matter-of-factly.
“Ah, right, I forgot.” I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that she couldn’t see. “I think something is going on with Russ.”
“What makes you say that?” Vicky asked.
“Well, we were out at The Blue Room doing some photos of him proposing to show my grandparents and —”
“He got a call and had to leave suddenly?” Vicky asked, sounding eerily certain.
“Exactly, it was like it was a game, but it seemed as if he had other things distracting him. I wouldn’t mind so much if I hadn’t put so much effort into arranging it.”
“Not to mention the money,” Vicky added.
“Yeah, though it's not even that, really. It just sort of hurt that he would bail like that.”
She hummed for a second. “That sounds a bit paranoid. He probably actually had an emergency call. Such things do happen,” Vicky pointed out, “or he was just a bit spooked by being out with someone so beautiful and smart. You can be a bit intimidating to mere mortals.”
“Thanks,” I said, unable to keep from laughing.
I was glad I had Vicky to cheer me up. Even if Russ wasn’t reliable, my sister-in-law was.
Chapter Eight
Russ
I knew it was a dick move — not only going by Ann’s expression, which I did my best not to look at as I got ready to leave. I already felt bad enough. It might have been selfish, but it really was an emergency, and I honestly did hope that she would understand. I wasn’t trying to hurt her and knew I might be putting my job at risk, but I really did have other, more important priorities.
“What happened?” I asked, coming in the door breathless.
“I got called in for an extra shift,” Kimberly said.
“You should take it, I said,” catching my breath and leaning on the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, I know, I did,” Kimberly said, putting on her jacket over her scrubs.
“You always were the smart one,” I teased, reaching out and rustling her hair.
“Who was it who graduated high school at seventeen?” my little sister asked, rhetorically.
“Daddy!” Carly cried, coming in from the living room of the small apartment we all currently shared.
I barely had time to catch Carley as she leaped into my arms. She was pretty exuberant even for a three-year-old.
“I’ll be back in the morning,” Kimberly said as she closed the front door behind her.
Kimberly had managed to wrangle Carly into her pajamas, so all that was needed at that point was to tuck her into bed. I noticed, not for the first time, how much Carly looked like her mother. Same nose, same dark hair, and high cheekbones. She didn’t have freckles yet, but those could still be coming. It shouldn’t have had the emotional impact that it did.
That night was just supposed to be a one-night stand, back when I did that sort of thing but, as I would soon discover, things rarely went as planned. I had offered to support her mother in any way I could, which she accepted, and we actually became pretty good friends over the ninth months. We were never going to be madly in love, but we were going to be parents and decided that was more important.
I don’t know what I did to anger the fates, but they decided to turn the screw by having Carly’s mother die in childbirth. Something I had never been convinced really happened anymore, at least not in the west.
Alone and a new father, I had to greatly readjust my priorities. The private practice fell apart after that. Newborns and eighty-hour weeks did not go together. By the time Carly was three, we were struggling. The job offer from Howell and Howell really was a godsend.
I felt a bit bad imposing on Kimberly as I looked for my own place, but she really didn’t seem to mind. She actually said she liked it better than living alone, which I could understand. Also, considering the fees at Carly’s private pre-school, which I could barely afford on a lawyer’s pay, this was for the best.
Carly yawned as I put her to bed, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before she would drift off. I couldn’t stop myself from stroking her curly black hair as she talked in excited but yawning tones about her day.
“And then we had juice, and then we got to pick a cozy chair and read any book we wanted, they have so many books! Some of the kids weren’t able to read yet, but that was okay cuz the ones who could read, like me, read to them,” Carly said with barely a breath between sentences. I made a mental note to better monitor her sugar intake.
“That was nice,” I said.
“I like to help!” Carly enthused.
“Of course, you do, sweetheart,” I said, leaning over and kissing her small forehead.
She giggled. “Then it was outdoor time. The field was huge, daddy, absolutely huge, like big enough for a horsy to run around in,” Carly said, in a way that greatly implied she wouldn’t mind having a horsey of her own.
“A horse?” I asked.
“Yeah, a big horse!” Carly confirmed.
“Wow!” I said, playing along.
“Yeah! And I made a friend!” Carly nearly shouted, waving her arms wide.
“Really?” I asked, trying to sound more enthusiastic than surprised.
“Yeah! His name is Drew. He can read almost as good as me and really likes stories. We read to each other,” she said.
“Did he like the story?” I asked.
“Yeah! He likes all the same stories I do!” Carly said. “He likes the fairy tales — like the pigs and the big bad wolf.”
It never ceased to amaze me how sweet and smart my little girl was. I really wasn’t surprised that she was making friends. Most of the adults she knew already loved her. I had no idea what the future might hold for her, what parent ever does, but was convinced it was something important — like a surgeon or one of the few good politicians. She might want to be a lawyer like me, but it wasn’t something I was going to actively encourage. Whatever it was, I was determined to make sure it was her choice, and she would only be limited by her abilities, which really didn’t seem like it was going to be a problem.
I was so happy she was happy at her new school. I knew why I wanted her to go there but I couldn’t expect her to understand this, no matter how bright she was. She was only three, and I had control over every aspect of her life. Even so, it was very important to me that she was happy. Even if I did have a completely illogical suspicion of this Drew kid. It wasn’t a big part and certainly not a member of my logical side, but there was a part of me that wasn’t ready to share my little angel with anyone yet. Not yet.
Chapter Nine
Ann
I didn’t really like taking days off. My name was one the building, at least in a manner of speaking, and I considered it my duty to be there. It probably also had a lot to do with the fact that work was one of the few things that made me feel really good. As such, it had become the focus of my life outside of Drew. Which could explain why it had been years since I actually lost a case. However, this morning meeting was about Drew, though, so I decided to make an exception.
The school rose into view over the crest of a hill. All red brick and battlements, with an impressively large lawn at the front. I had heard that the building had originally been the home of a billionaire who wanted a castle — under the impression that it was the sort of thing that all truly rich people were supposed to have. He was something of a traditionalist.
Pulling up to the security gate, I rolled down my window and waited for the voice to come on the intercom.
“Name?” the com crackled.
“Ann Howell,” I said, doing my best to speak clearly.
There was a pause followed by a loud buzzing, and the gates began to slowly part, opening inwards toward the building, revealing
the visitor parking lot. The neo-gothic theme continued in the school’s echoing corridors, the old-world mystery and charm practically oozing out of every brick.
Miss Gloria was waiting for me when I got to the preschool classroom, dutifully doing paperwork at her desk. Not wanting to interrupt, I went in quietly and sat down in the chair across from her desk.
Drew was there too, sitting quietly in a much smaller chair beside mine. He held out his hand, and I took it. The rest of the class was apparently at recess at the time.
“Oh, hello, I didn’t see you there,” Miss Gloria said, looking up from her papers and adjusting her thick glasses. With curly brown hair and a round face, she was everything one would expect of a preschool teacher.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly.
The teacher straightened her papers and set them to the side before giving me a big smile. “Let me say first that Drew is absolutely excelling, particularly in reading. He is near the top of the class,” Miss Gloria explained.
“That’s amazing,” I said, meaning it and squeezing my son’s hand lightly.
I had known Drew was clever, but I hadn’t expected him to be near the top of the class, particularly at a private school like that.
“The problem is,” Miss Gloria continued with a glance at Drew, “he seems to be a bit shy.”
My heart sunk down to my knees. I had always been shy as a child and really wasn’t a social butterfly as an adult, though I really hoped that the same wouldn’t happen with Drew.
“Oh, I —”
“He does seem to be improving,” Miss Gloria added quickly, no doubt noticing my distress.
“Oh, good,” I said, looking over at him, his nose in a book as usual.
After a second, the teacher continued. “He had befriended the new girl, Carly. She is very social, and hopefully, this will help Drew get over his shyness. Other than that, he’s doing great.”