Vive La Difference

-The Bench

Carl was waiting for his hair to dry. As was his habit after his usual Saturday workout at the gym, he would relax on his favorite bench in a small neighborhood park. On nice days like this one, it only took a few minutes for his short hair to be dry enough so he would feel comfortable donning his motorcycle helmet. A small nondescript car slowed and stopped close by his bench.

The door flung open and a young black girl jumped out. "I'll call you if I need a ride," she said as she was closing the door.

"Okay dear," was the reply. "Have fun on your birthday!"

"Thanks Mom," the girl shouted gaily as the door slammed shut and the car pulled away.

Carl only got a glimpse of the woman driving away, but that glimpse was enough to to catch his interest. She had flowing black hair, a beautiful smile, a trim shapely figure, and carried an air of grace and self confidence.

When the car was out of sight, he turned his attention to the girl. She was short, barely 5 feet, if that. She had on a light simple yellow patterned summer dress that came down past her knees. Her black hair was short, dense, and curly. Her face had a cute impish look to it as she stood and looked around the park. Her gaze finally found Carl and after a moment's hesitation, she walked toward him. Her steps didn't have the grace he assumed her mother had, but she had an air of self confidence. As she approached, he noticed she had a developed figure and he revised his initial estimate from "kid" to "young teen."

"Hi," she said when she got within conversation range. "Have you seen a group of kids about my age around here?" He felt that she was more interested in accessing him than she was interested about the others she was asking about.

Disconcerted by that thought, he glanced around the park. "No, but I only have been here a few minutes."

"I guess I'll have to wait," she said. But she didn't look around for anyone approaching. Instead she looked straight at him. He still had the feeling that she was appraising him. She had a pixie face, sparkling brown eyes, and a crooked closed-mouth smile. She was really cute... the kind of cute that made you want to hug.

When her gaze finally shifted to scan the park, Carl's attention dropped to the cut and style of her dress. At first glance, it looked innocent but the way it wrapped tightly around her waist, it accented the bust... the kind of bust that made you want to hug. He was checking out the delightful "accent" when he realized she was again looking at him. He flushed at being caught staring. Her pixie smile looked a bit smug. Carl felt that she liked knowing she was alluring. Because of her age, he felt a bit guilty when his mind and body responded to her allure.

She looked directly at him. "Say, I know you!" she said suddenly.

"I don't think so," he replied. "I think I would have remembered you."

"Yeah," she said. "You wouldn't recognize me. It was six years ago... exactly... on my 12th birthday!" She paused, then added, "I was little then."

Carl blinked. That was ages ago... just before he went into the army. He looked at her quizzically. "That makes you eighteen," he said with mild disbelief. "And you're still little," he continued, appraising her again in a new light. She looked way younger than 18. "You better have a good ID if you want to get into a R rated movie."

She giggled. "So Carl, when are you going to ask me to join you on your bench?"

Carl blinked. "It's not my bench. Of course you may sit on it."

She gave him a kind of sideways look with her impish smile. "I wasn't asking permission." She shrugged and turned away, scanning the empty park.

He couldn't shake feeling guilty being attracted to her. Except for her figure, she looked closer to 12 than 18... and there are some developed 12 year-olds that would claim adulthood. He suppressed his misgivings. "Would you join me on the bench?" giving her the invitation she wanted.

She turned around displaying a sparkling smile. "Thank you," she said. "I think I will." To Carl's disappointment, she sat on the far end rather than next to him. As she sat down, she looked sideways at him with a closed-mouth grin. The grin conveyed an amused smugness and coupled with the sidelong look from her eyes, the expression was a mixture of coy and flirtatious. Carl could do little but stare for a moment. He was to find out later that smile... that look... was her trademark and it was devastating. She was so dang cute!

He looked around in an attempt to regain his composure. "What about the kids you're waiting for? Are they going to celebrate your birthday?"

"They're late, so maybe not." She shrugged slightly and gave no indication of disappointment.

"I still don't remember you from 12 years ago," he said.

She laughed. "It was 6 years ago when I was twelve. You're not paying attention." Then she smirked a bit. "You're not paying attention... to the conversation, that is." She knew the effect she was having on him and was taunting him.

He felt himself start to flush. "I still don't remember you from 6 years ago."

She laughed lightly and shimmied slightly... so slight it seemed innocent, yet it was effective. "As a matter of fact, I was in a swimsuit then." She laughed as she watched him glance again at her figure. A hint of a smirk crossed her lips and she brazenly gazed down at his crotch. Carl felt relieved that since he was sitting, there was no embarrassing bulge for her to see. However, the fact that she was expecting to get an anatomic reaction from him was a turn-on in itself and he shifted to assure that his reaction would not be noticeable. "She's messing with me," he thought to himself bemused by the realization that he enjoyed it.

"Sorry. Six years is a long time. I still don't remember," he finally responded.

"My brothers and I were swimming at the Miller Resort. You were lifeguard."

"Oh yeah. That little girl was you?" As he asked the question, he remembered the incident...

He was lifeguard at Miller's Luxury Resort. He remembered them as it had a predominately white clientele and she and her three brothers were the only blacks in the pool. A group of teens took it upon themselves to torment them, splashing, bumping into them, etc. The leader happened to be the son of a good friend of Carl's boss, and he felt rules didn't apply to him. Regardless, Carl kicked them out of the pool area. He then went over to the young girl and told her to call him if anyone bothered her or her brothers again...

"Yes," she replied shaking him out of his remembrance. "I was that girl. I remember hating you at the time."

Carl blinked. "What? Why? What did I do?"

"Oh nothing really," she replied. "I just felt you were so condescending and haughty with your big lifeguard position. I felt indebted to you and that made me even more resentful." She paused for a long moment. "In fact, I was just beginning to notice boys and I thought you were hot... um well... I had a crush on you. Until you kicked those guys out, you just ignored me. Then when you came over, your attitude implied that I was just another kid. I had fantasized that we had something special. I know it wasn't logical, but I did hate you. It was several days later when my brother finally convinced me that you weren't the jerk I thought you were."

"I guess I'm indebted to your brother for that." He straightened a bit at the revelation that she had thought of him as being hot. "So you thought I was hot?"

She grinned at him. "You're fishing for a compliment. I was twelve, you know."

"Well, you're hard to ignore now," he responded.

"That's because I'm pushy."

"And other reasons..."

She wiggled a bit (and again did that little shimmy thing). "What other reasons?"

"Now who's fishing?" he replied with a grin. Then after a pause, "Now that I remember, you were awfully cute at twelve. Frankly, I thought you were ten or younger. Even though you were gangly and um... far from womanhood, I was surprisingly attracted to you... so much so that I felt like a pervert. Frankly, you were right, I was ignoring you but it wasn't because I was disinterested; just the opposite."

She smiled at the complement to her younger self then looked straight at him. "So Carl, when are you going to ask me to join you for a burger?" she asked as she nodded in the direction of a burger joint in walking distance.

She smiled at Carl's perplexed look. "I thought you were waiting for friends," he blurted out.

"They won't be coming," she said. "Are you looking for an excuse not to ask me?"

Carl found himself completely off balance. "I would love to have lunch with you. I just wasn't expecting... I thought you... how do you know your friends aren't coming? Hey, I don't even know your name."

"Do you always ramble on so? The name's Mika."

"Glad to meet you Mika," he replied automatically.

"So Carl, when are you going to offer me a burger... and fries... and a milkshake?"

Chuckling at her audacity, Carl stood up and bent way over in an exaggerated bow. "Mika, would you do me the honor of accepting my humble offer to join me for burger, fries, and milkshake? "

Smiling and her eyes twinkling, she stood up. "Well since you asked so nicely, I'll consider it."

For the first time, Carl became acutely aware of their height difference. His 6' 2" height towered over her by well over a foot, maybe a foot and a half. He thought that if they were to embrace, her head would rest on his pecs and her breasts would press against his abs. He resisted the impulse to reach out for an empirical confirmation of his thought. He realized with a start that he had stopped thinking of her as a little kid.

"Please consider positively," he said. "I really do like your company."

"Then catch me if you can," she laughed gaily as she darted toward the burger joint. Carl dashed after her and was surprised at her speed. He had to sprint full speed to chase her down. Just as she reached the edge of the park he grabbed her around the waist. She relaxed and sank back against him. His grip softened and he slid his hands across her stomach letting his arms encircle her. She did not fight the encirclement. She dropped her arms and reached back so her hands could reach the back of his thighs. The effect was not lost on Carl. His thighs tingled from her touch and with her arms stretched behind her, her breasts were essentially on display despite the modest design of her sundress. With his hands on her stomach and their height difference, those breasts rested on his forearms. It was a major test of will for him to keep his hands still and not rotate his wrists to cup them. Regardless, Carl's male personal anatomy responded. He wondered if she could feel his reaction against her back. If he could have seen the triumphant smile on her face, he would have not have wondered. He had chased her until she caught him.

-The Burger Joint

All too soon, Mika peeled his arms away and she stepped away. She held his hand as she led the way to the burger joint. At the order counter, Mika stepped up and ordered. "Two cheeseburger platters with fries and two chocolate shakes, please." She looked over at Carl as the cashier was entering the order. "Okay?"

Carl blinked. He was used to girls waiting for him to initiate such interactions. "Um, sounds good," was all he could think to say.

"Good. I'll get the condiments while you pay the cashier," Mika said as she headed for the condiments.

By the time Carl paid, Mika was seated at a table with the napkins and condiments piled in the middle. Carl walked on over to the table and started to sit across from her. "Sit here," she said as she indicated the seat beside her. Without hesitation, Carl went to the seat and sat down. She tugged on his arm and he slid closer beside her. He was aware of their arms now lightly touching, brushing with every movement. The slight sensations were magnified by his imagination and he felt like a school boy on his first date. Every touch was electric. He could feel her looking at him and he was afraid to turn to return her gaze. As his emotions (and arousal... yeah, he was aroused) surfaced, he fought to keep them from becoming obvious.

An old man was seated looking at them. He smiled a large grin as he made eye contact with them. "Pardon me for looking," he said in a friendly chatty manner. "I just enjoy seeing a happy couple enjoying life."

"Oh, no. We're not a coup...," Carl blurted out reflexively. "Um, I mean we just met... We don't know each very well... I mean she's just a kid... What I mean is..."

Carl felt Mika's hand cover his mouth mid-sentence. Her eyes twinkled and with her impish but confident grin she said calmly and firmly, "We're a couple."

Carl's jaw dropped at her declaration. Yes, he was intrigued. Yes, he was subconsciously thinking about seeing her again. Yes, he thought she was pretty. Yes, he was turned on by her every action. Yes, he wanted her to accept him. Now he learned she did accept him. Additionally, she confidently assumed he was hers and was not shy about it. A half hour or so at opposite ends of a park bench should not constitute "a couple," but felt his spirits soared at the thought.

Watching the two of them, the old man broke out into full laughter. "You two are priceless," he said as his laughter subsided. "Don't get me wrong. I think it's delightful. If opposites attract, you two are going to be inseparable." He sat back, his warm beaming smile lighting up his whole face. "Talk about opposites, look at you: one black, one white; one tall, one short; one masculine, one feminine; one half the age of the other; and... one dominant, one submissive."

Carl sputtered. "Oh no. She's older than she looks. It's far from half... more like three quarters. Further, I wouldn't classify her as being submissive just because she's a small female."

The old man looked at Carl and grinned. "You're quicker with numbers than you are with self-evaluation, son." He chuckled quietly. "I wasn't assuming

she

was the submissive one."

Carl flushed brightly at the implication (or revelation). At that moment their order was called. "Pick up a couple of spoons for the milkshakes when you get the order, Carl," Mika said in an authoritative voice. He flushed even more when he heard the man laughing good-naturedly as he jumped to do her bidding. Carl was relieved that the man had departed before he came back with the burgers-and the spoons.

"Crazy old guy," he said nervously when he sat down beside her. "You know I'm not a submissive guy," he said without much conviction.

Mika grinned as she nibbled a fry. "After serving in the army, I wouldn't think so." She smiled a devilish grin at him. "You're probably just used to catering to the wishes of your superiors."

Carl looked at her warily. "What do you mean by that? Do you think of yourself as superior?" His voice had a hint of challenge.

She looked up from her fries and gave him that same sideways smug smile she had given him when they first met. "I'm not?" she responded with a challenge tone of her own.

"You are definitely prettier," Carl replied evasively and he took a large bite out of his burger. He was off balance enough not to attempt a battle of wills with her. Munching the burger gave him an excuse to avoid having to make a more relevant response.

The conversation was mostly chit-chat throughout the meal. Near the end, Carl looked over at Mika. One thing I don't understand."

She looked up. "Only one thing?"

"Well several really. For one, how did you know the kids you were waiting for wouldn't show up?"

For the first time since he saw her get out of the car, Carl saw her look unsure of herself. "I just made them up," she said after a slight pause. "I didn't want you to think I was wandering around alone."

"Why?" When she didn't answer immediately, he pressed on. "How did you know my name was Carl? I never told you."

Again Carl sensed feeling of unease. For the first time, he lamented her skin tone wasn't lighter. He couldn't detect a blush of hers as easily as she could when he blushed. "You told me when you were a lifeguard. You told me to call for you if I had any problems."

"I didn't remember giving my name. Six years ago. That's a long time to remember a name."

This time, Carl was pretty sure she was blushing. "I was 12. I was impressionable. First had a crush on you, then I hated you. A few days later, my brother told me about the fight you had with those guys after your shift was over and I... and I stopped hating you. Your name was imprinted in my memory."

Carl clasped her hand in both of his. "I wish I was faster at stopping those guys from harassing you that day, especially since it was your birthday."

She smiled. "You were great. No regrets." The "no regrets" sounded like a command for him, not an evaluation of herself.

Carl's attention diverted to his milkshake. Carl had finished spooning out the ice cream and was sucking the straw for the liquid remainder when Mika turned slightly so her breast pressed against his bicep. She calmly asked, "So Carl, are you going to think of me when you masturbate tonight?"

Carl's reaction was an inhalation of milk and sputtering as he desperately tried to clear his sinuses. Mika showed her amusement with uncontrolled laughter. Finally, Carl regained some of his composure. "Why would you ask that?"

Mika giggled. "Well I confided that I had a crush on you, I figure you owed me a tidbit of your personal reaction to me."

"Apples and oranges!" he retorted. "No. Apples and watermelons! There's no comparison."

She embraced his arm and rubbed his shoulder with her cheek. "So are you?" she persisted.

Carl was fully aware of the cushy feel of her breasts pressing on his bicep. "Um... I'll be thinking of you tonight regardless of what I do," he offered, trying to avoid the embarrassing assumption embedded in her question.

Later as the were walking back to the park, Mika was still clinging to his arm and he had resigned himself to being hard while she did. He was starting to feel an ache in his balls, but he was enjoying the contact too much to pull away from her.

"I know of a local theater that has a romantic comedy in its matinee showing," she said offhand. Then after several seconds passed, she looked at him. "So Carl, when are you going to ask me to a movie?"

He looked down at her. She looked up with her trademark side smile... the smile he found so enchanting/devastating when they first met. She was not subtle when it came to manipulating him. He didn't care. He would gladly sit through a chick flick (or any flick) with her. He was open to anything that would allow him to be next to her. A dark movie theater was great. His attraction to her was getting stronger by the minute... perhaps accelerated by the fact that he was continuously aroused just by being around her. "Will you come and watch the chick flick of your choice with me?"

"Since you asked so nice, yes." Her eyes tended to sparkle when she got what she wanted. Carl was to find out her eyes sparkled a lot. "You have to provide the transportation."

-The Motorcycle

"Motorcycle okay?" he asked. Carl had an old Harley Sportster that he loved. He especially enjoyed giving rides to female riders and always kept a second helmet on his bike. He loved the the way they clung to him during the ride. He was a glutton for female contact-even when he had a leather jacket separating them.

It was warm enough that he didn't need his jacket and it took a bit of fiddling to get Mika situated with her dress. Carl noticed she had discrete pockets in her summer dress, hence no purse to worry about. He enjoyed the feel of her pressing against his back as they took off for the short trip. Mischievously, he goosed the throttle and she let out a surprised yelp as she clung to him tightly. "Hey," he could hear in protest as she clung to him. Then, once the bike stopped accelerating, she loosened her grip and her hands slid up his pecks. Then without warning she grabbed his nipples and savagely twisted them. Through the surprise onset of pain, he had to concentrate on keeping control of the bike. Other than scream a protest to be lost in the wind, he could do nothing to stop her. When he got a chance, he pulled off the road and stopped. Mika was laughing uncontrollably as he broke free of her grip and twisted to confront her.