A sexy coming of age story where our heroine Heather Coswel (picture Beth from Queen's Gambit) finds her stride in a real life game of chess, but can she turn the tables on a world where men have all the moves?
*
CH1: DAMN HIM
She didn't know why, it was just a simple red button, on a panel, in the elevator. Emergency Stop. Why did it have such an affect on her? Every time she boarded an elevator now. She would have to reach for the panel without looking. Do you know how difficult it is getting to a 20th floor apartment without looking at the panel? Damn them. DAMN HIM.
It had first happened when she was nineteen, in college, on top of her game and now she was thirty-two, and she couldn't control it. That little red button had her number, and it knew it, and so would everyone else in the elevator. They could smell it.
That first time was in New York. Her mom and her on another, 'girls trip away'. Staying in the Mansfield Hotel on Madison Avenue. As usual, her mother wanted a nap before they hit the show. She was bored, so she headed for the lobby to flirt/tease the door man. She was good at this. She could spot the men who would play along. Her "targets".
She'd go to the bathroom in the lobby and take off her panties. She was proud to be a redhead. Then she'd hang in the lobby pretending to read her mother's
Fear of Flying
while she phished for attention. She was cute. She knew it. He would look....unless he was gay. They always look. She didn't trim her bold muff of red hair so that it would be more visible. A big red pennant. Like a matador, taunting the bull.
The trick was dropping the book just at the right time, then, bend and smash, giving him just the right view, pick up the book and strut, like a cat, to the elevator. This had been her game all week. She could imagine the doorman groaning with embarrassment as he struggled to cover his inflamed member. His bright red cheeks matching his red coat, dead giveaway. He was hot, and she was bored, and....he loved it anyway.
But this time, when she entered the elevator, there was somebody there. Actually there were two somebodies there. A man and a woman.... and 'that' smell. The woman, tall and sophisticated, was straightening her skirt as she departed the elevator, looking over her shoulder to the man. She winked and blew him a kiss as she passed. She watched the women's eyes as they traveled from his face to his crotch where they lingered for a second. What
was
that smell? The doors slid closed. She, and the man, were alone.
Her eyes had followed those of the other woman's and were now fixed on his crotch. His pants, like a circus tent. Her attention snapped back to reality when he asked her, "going down?"
She looked at him for the first time. Handsome, short dark hair, grey at the temples, dressed smart, but casual for this time of day in New York, slacks and a pullover, thin, wool, v-neck, black sweater. She said, "huh?"
He returned, slowly and with the slightest lilt of bemusement ... "Going down?" Straight faced, no embarrassment, standing there in full glory, reversing her game, the elevator door closed and they were going nowhere.
She could feel her cheeks flush as her nipples pointed north, the moist excitement of her playtime scenting the compartment. "N..N..N..Nine" was all she could stammer. He slowly slid his hands over the panel and finally pushed the button for her floor as she watched. He only pushed one, and never broke eye contact. The elevator started its assent, but then he hit the button. The little red button that said...emergency stop.
CH2: DEADLY BUSINESS
The elevator lurched to a stop. Bounding on its cable. Bringing moisture escaping her in a long sinuous thread, where it snap and the drop fell to the floor with a small pop, barely audible over the soft jazz music piped in through tinny speakers.
His eyes lowered to the wet spot on the floor, he smiled as his eyes returned to hers. "Looks like pussy's got herself all worked up..... has she been playing with her food again?", smiling at her in an inappropriate way.
She was immediately on guard. Her self-defense classes had prepared her for this. She dropped the paperback with her panties tucked into the pages to the floor and assumed a readiness stance to show she meant business. Deadly business. She was no push over.
With a wry smile that signaled an unfazed, lack of concern, he dropped his arm from the panel and his eyes to the book with the panties hanging out and started forward. She crouched lower, readied to strike and barked at him to 'STOP!'
He only hesitated a moment with that bemused look again, his handsome hazel eyes sparkling, and said.... "you dropped your panties", and moved closer.
"I SAID STOP. or. . .Or. . .I'LL HURT YOU" she bellowed. Hoping to gain control of the situation, but he kept moving toward her. Her training took over. She lowered and stepped toward him, struck quickly with the butt of her right hand, up and to the nose, like her sansei had taught her. He had been watching her. Saw the strike coming, but she was fast. He moved his head right and back to soften the blow. Taking it in the cheek rather that in the sensitive, and deadly nose bridge.
She knew she couldn't let down, needed to push her advantage. She dropped her weight back on her left leg and swept her right leg up and around. A roundhouse kick intended to bring her foot in contact with his temple and close the deal. Her cheer leading sneakers were perfect for this. Heavy, little, metal, regional runner-up, medallions woven into her laces would smash him hard, but this time he was ready.
A slight stoop, and tilt of his head let her leg and deadly foot sail by missing her target. Her momentum brought her around with her back to him. He gracefully moved behind her, snatched her right hand in his, twisting the arm behind her, moving her against the elevator wall. Deftly, he pressured her wrist to a painful angle that torqued her shoulder to an unnatural angle and controlled her thoroughly. This wasn't supposed to happen.
CH3: Curiosity and the Cat
Pressed to the reflective wall of the elevator interior she could see him rubbing his cheek with his left hand while he held her fast with his right. She lifted her right foot to stomp the bridge of his foot, but he raised her wrist to a pitch that let her know that was
not
a good idea. Easing her foot back down, she whimpered. She could feel his tent pole pressed to her ass.
"Misterrrr.... Are you going to hurtttt me????" The stranger looked at her in the reflection as if surprised.
"Hurt you?? Oh, not now. Not here kitten. I think we should start this over. "I", as he bent at the knees and retrieved her book, " was merely assisting the lady to retrieve her book." He remained squatting with his eyes at the level of her skirt and a view of her untamed muff. She moved to turn herself from his view, but his grip tightened on her wrist just enough to let her know moving was not an option. He was looking down at her book.
