Place Your Bets!

So, I got the next chapter out pretty quick. I'll keep plugging along to crank the next one out also, but no promises! Thanks for all the great feedback on the first chapter. I'm having fun with this one and I hope you are too! Keep the comments and good feedback coming, but again, I don't tolerate abuse or general stupidity. Anything like that will be deleted. Enjoy!

Two days after Elliot's mystery encounter in the supply closet, he was exiting the men's room when he felt a hand and long fingernails grasp his forearm. Looking to his left he saw a familiar face smiling back at him.

"Hi, Elliot!" the redhead said as she lightened her grip on his arm. "I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves, although I think you know who I am. My name is Cari Becker."

Elliot slipped his arm from Cari's grip then took her hand in his. "Hello, Cari. Elliot Redman. Pleased to finally meet you. We see so many people here but never get to be formally introduced to many of them."

Oh, I agree," Cari concurred. "Especially to those we really want to meet. And I've wanted to meet you for some time now."

"Oh?" Elliot puzzled. "Why me?" he feigned knowledge of the group wager that had been created. The winner of which would take home a sizable about of cash for being the first woman to sleep with him.

"Some people just... well, stand out in a crowd, Mr. Redman," Cari responded. "How long have you been here at Polarity now?"

"Just over seven months now," Elliot revealed. "And, please, my friends call me El. We're friends now, right?"

"Of course we are, El," Cari answered. "I'd like us to be good friends, if you'd like us to be also."

"I'd like nothing more, Miss Becker," Elliot replied, mimicking Cari's earlier formality.

"It's just Cari, El," she corrected him. "Miss Becker is my older sister!"

Both had a good laugh at her play on the old joke then prepared to depart for their respective workstations.

"Well, I'd better be getting back to my desk, Cari," Elliot stated. "I have a meeting with Jane in ten minutes. But I hope to see you again soon." He held out his hand for a parting shake and Cari grasped it with hers then pulled him in for an embrace that pushed her large breasts into his chest.

"I hope to see you again VERY soon, El," she whispered into his ear. Elliot caught a whiff of her faint perfume, and the scent made him think of hot passionate sex. He hoped Cari couldn't feel his growing arousal during the embrace then realized he wanted her to notice it. "Message me when you're free. I'd love to talk more soon." The two broke the embrace and Cari gave Elliot one more smiling glance before he strode down the hallway to his office space.

"That was pathetic, bebe," the thick accented voice of Yvonne filled Cari's ears while she watched her new friend walk away.

"You think so?" she questioned her Latin workmate. "You didn't feel what I felt during that hug. I felt it just like I'm going to feel that money in my pocket. And soon."

"I haven't given it my shot yet, bebe," Yvonne divulged as she placed her hands on her curvy hips. "That money ain't yours yet, chica."

"Y'know, I work in Personnel," Cari stated. "I've seen your file. You were born in Iowa. What's with the Latina speak?"

"It's a language of love, bebe," Yvonne responded. "And no one speaks love like me." Yvonne shot Cari a quick wink then turned and walked away to her side of the building.

"There are lots of love languages," Cari said to no one but herself. "And I know lots of them... bebe."

++++++++++

"It's starting to heat up out there, Steph," Elliot said to his counterpart when he arrived back at his desk.

"Cari finally made her move?" Stephanie asked, knowingly.

"As if you didn't know," he replied. "You seem to have your finger on the pulse of this place. And on what's going on with me. Are you having second thoughts about not getting in on the bet?"

"Don't flatter yourself, stud," Stephanie answered gruffly. "I just see and hear a lot of what goes on around here. I knew she was going to make her presence felt soon."

"She made more than that felt!" Elliot reported. "Not to be gross, but I had a hard time walking back here, pardon the pun."

"TMI!" Stephanie shouted. "It's a damn good thing we're friends. HR would have a field day with our recent conversations! By the way, Jane cancelled our meeting for today. She had to go to HQ to update the bigwigs on our progress."

"Well, let's hope we don't let them down," he said then flipped his laptop open. "Since we don't have the meeting, and I have a little free time, I think I'll send a message to my new friend."

"So, it's going to be Cari?" Stephanie asked. "She's the odds-on favorite, y'know."

"She's definitely in the running," Elliot disclosed then shifted gears. "But I still wish I knew who my admirer in the supply closet was. That's going to haunt me until I find out."

"You may never find out," Stephanie countered. "Maybe it was a scout."

"A scout?" he questioned. "What do you mean? Like a spy on a reconnaissance mission?"

"Yeah, something like that," she agreed. "Someone who would report back to the group. You know, to see if you were worth the money!" she laughed at her own joke.

"Very funny," Elliot retorted. "I still don't think I'm worth all that money or attention. But I'm not going to turn the attention down. Like I said before, I'm going to have some fun with this. I think I deserve some fun after all I've been through the past couple of years."

"El, what really happened with you and Missy?" Stephsnie asked softly. "Why did you two split?"

"I really wish I knew, Steph," Elliot answered. Throughout the whole thing, I asked her numerous times. All I ever got from her was 'It's just not working for me anymore.' I'm not the easiest person to live with sometimes, I admit that. But I was never out-and-out mean to her. I think she thought I wouldn't find out about the money and would take it all for herself. Just plain old greed, I guess..."

"Did you two... y'know... have sex a lot?" Stephanie asked bluntly.

"Geez, Steph!" Elliot exclaimed. "Kinda personal, don't you think? But if you must know, not as much as I thought a married couple should. I know she never wanted children, and I guess I was indifferent to the prospect of being a parent. But if you must know, when we did get together it was pretty hot, as far as I was concerned anyway. I just wish I knew what changed those last two years..."

Stephanie, sensing her friend's discomfort with the conversation, quickly shifted to another subject. "Did Cari respond yet?"

"Yeah," Elliot reported. "She wants to know if I have plans for dinner tonight. What should I tell her?"

"What do you want to tell her? Stephanie answered with a question of her own.

"I'm so nervous I wanna throw up," he replied truthfully. "This is so out of my comfort zone. I know I said I was going to have fun with this but..."

"Just ask her, 'What did you have in mind?'" Stephanie ordered her friend to reply. Elliot did as he was told and waited for Cari's next message.

"She said, 'Something dim and quiet where we can be alone and get to know each other better.'" Elliot related the electronic message. "Jesus, Steph! This sounds like a date!"

"Duh!" she chided her friend. "Did you think you were just going to fuck her in the parking lot?!"

"I don't know what to think," he admitted.

"What do you want to do, El?" Stephanie asked her friend.

"I want to live again, Steph," he revealed. "I want to be happy and have fun and be desired by a woman."

"Then tell her what you want to tell her," Stephanie countered. "What you just told me, but not in so many words."

Elliot began typing his reply to Cari:

How about Spadafore's? Pick you up at 8?

++++++++++

Dinner at Spadafore's Italian Bistro was everything Elliot and Cari were looking for. Low lighting, candlelight from a secluded table, and close seating set the mood for their first date. Cari's had often found Elliot's arm and leg and by the end of the evening Elliot had placed his arm around Cari's shoulders, then back, finally wandering down to her waist. He reveled in her warmth and basked in her beauty, her eyes sparkling in the flickering candlelight only outshone by her dazzling smile. Just before the duo left the restaurant, Elliot placed a light kiss on Cari's soft lips.

They held hands as Elliot drove them back to her apartment and then walked her to her door as a gentleman would. Cari unlocked the front door then hesitated.

"Would you like to come in for a while?" She asked him alluringly while twirling a curl of auburn hair around her index finger.

Elliot leaned closely and pressed his lips to hers. Their mouths parted and tongues intertwined. The passionate coupling continued for more than five minutes until Cari stepped back slightly and opened the entry to her apartment wider.

"I'm not saying no, Cari," Elliot began, a little breathless from their make-out session. "I'm just saying not tonight. Believe me, I want to. Desperately. But I need a little time. My divorce was... well, devastating. And it's taken me a long time to recover. Can you understand?"

Cari took Elliot's face in her hands and kissed him once more before she spoke. "I do understand, El. And I can tell you want to." Her index finger traced the outline of his bulge, prominent through his pants. "I want to also, but only when you're ready. I hope it's soon but I'm willing to wait for you, OK?"

"Thank you, Cari," Elliot said and kissed her lightly once again. "I promise you; it won't be too long. And I hope we can see each other again soon."

"How about tomorrow at work?" she jokingly whispered, their lips nearly touching again.

"It's a date," Elliot answered then closed the miniscule gap between their mouths. One last kiss then they bid each other good night. Cari went inside and shut the door, twisting the handle to engage the deadbolt lock. She turned around and leaned against the door and sighed. At that moment, she did not care about the group bet, the other women at work, or anything else in her life. She was falling for Elliot Redman and wanted him and no other.

Elliot stood outside of her door for a minute or two, contemplating whether or not to knock and let Cari know he had changed his mind. In the end, he walked slowly back to his car and drove home. The two hadn't neglected to exchange phone numbers and Elliot saw that he had a message from Cari when he got home:

It's going to be so hard to sleep tonight! Can't wait to see you tomorrow!

Elliot replied:

Not going to sleep a wink tonight. See you tomorrow.

He plugged his cell into the charger then undressed and slipped into bed. Many thoughts raced through his head that short night, but the one thought that kept coming back to him was: Was she being for real or was that just to win the bet?

++++++++++

"What the fuck, El?!" Stephanie yelled at her friend the next morning after hearing the recap of his date with Cari. "I thought you had decided?"

"I thought I had too," he harmonized. "But... Steph... I..."

"You like her, don't you?" she completed his stuttered thought. "And now you don't know what you want to do about the bet. I never should have told you about it."

"Hey, we're friends, right?" Elliot questioned her. "I would have told you if the roles had been reversed."

"So, now what?" she asked. "Are you going to keep going with this or let her know that you know about the bet?"

"I'm not going to say anything yet," he replied. "I said I was going to have some fun and I'm still committed to that. And last night WAS fun! Cari is... well, she's an incredible woman. I just keep having these thoughts that it was all for show. And dough, if you know what I mean."

"Maybe," Stephanie half-agreed. "You may be right. But maybe you two did make a connection last night, El. Maybe it was all for your benefit and hers. Maybe you owe it to yourself to find out."

"How would I do that without telling her I know about the bet?" Elliot asked his friend.

"Simple," she answered. "Go on another date. With another woman."

++++++++++

"Quality Control, this is Doreen. How may I help you?" the brunette answered the phone in her best customer service voice.

"Hey, Doreen, it's Elliot," the voice on the other end spoke into the earpiece of her headset.

"Elliot!" Doreen shouted into the microphone, causing Elliot to pull the handset away from his ear sharply then bring it back to listen again. "How are you today? I've been hoping you'd call me."

"Well," Elliot responded, "you did make a pretty lasting impression on me last week. And I did say I'd call you, so... Do you have any plans tonight? I know it's last minute and all, but..."

"I have absolutely no plans tonight, Elliot!" Doreen cut him off. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, when we spoke before, you said something about cooking dinner for me and Maxx. How does that sound?" he asked.

"That sounds wonderful!" she responded loudly, and Elliot moved the earpiece away once again before replacing it and speaking.

"Sounds great," he answered. "I'll message you my address. Seven o'clock sound doable to you?"

"I'll be there at quarter till," Doreen said. "Gotta go. My boss is on the prowl right now. See you then!"

"See you then," Elliot repeated then disconnected the call. He felt a twinge of guilt at making a date with another woman after his night with Cari, but he had to be sure of her intentions before pursuing anything further. And he knew exactly what he needed to do.

++++++++++

"Doreen, that was great!" Elliot said as he pushed away from the dining room table. "Seriously, I haven't eaten that well since..." he almost said since before his divorce then changed his mind, "well, since I can't remember when!"

"Thanks!" Doreen replied with a smile. "I was hoping you'd like it. Some people are funny about seafood, especially blackened sea bass. If it's not prepared just right, then it ruins the natural flavor. I think that's what turns a lot of people off to it."

"Well, you turned me on to it," Elliot concurred. "And Maxx too. He really tore it up. It was a nice change of pace for him instead of kibble."

"That's because he's such a good boy!" she exclaimed then threw her arms around Elliot's furry companion and placed kisses on the top of his head. "He's such a pretty boy!"

"He enjoys the affection and attention," Elliot said as he stood from the table. "Really though, you have some serious kitchen skills."

Doreen released Maxx from her love grip then stood up from the floor and met Elliot on the other side of the table, standing only an inch from him. She placed her arms around his neck then put her face close to his. "Those aren't the only skills I have, bub..." she said then pressed her lips to his. Her hand wandered to his crotch as they kissed in the dining area, and she felt his growth. A moan escaped her and reverberated into Elliot's mouth.

"I take it you approve?" Elliot questioned her as he broke the kiss. She giggled slightly before she replied.

"Oh, yes, indeed. What do you say we free this beast from its khaki cage?"

"I think..." Elliot hesitated before he answered. "I think that idea ranks right up there with the blackened sea bass for dinner."

He took her hand and guided her through his condominium to the stairs that led to his second-floor bedroom. Maxx moved to follow the duo, but Elliot blocked his path, holding up his right palm. "Sorry, buddy. You get the couch tonight. Hop to it!"

Maxx sheepishly did as he was told and clumsily jumped on to the leather sofa in the living room. Elliot took Doreen's hand and continued their climb up the stairs to his spacious bedroom.

"The bathroom is on the left if you need to..." Elliot began then lost his balance and flopped on the king-sized bed. Doreen had given him a playful shove to get him horizontal. She bent at the waist and unbuckled his belt then unzipped his pants. Tugging them over his hips, his fully erect member caught the elastic band of his boxer briefs. When it freed, it slapped back on to his abdomen, causing Doreen to squeal with delight.

"You don't know how long I've wanted this, Elliot," she said breathlessly then knelt before him and took his long shaft deep into her mouth.

"D-Doreen..." Elliot spoke as she engulfed him. "Have you ever... ever been locked in the supply closet at work?"

Sliding him out of her throat, she replied, "No. I don't even know where it is. Why do you ask?" she stroked his length as she waited for his answer.

"N-no reason," he responded, basking in the feeling of her soft hands slipping up and down him. "No reason at all..."

Doreen gave Elliot a quick puzzled glance then returned her mouth to his upright pole. In one swift motion, she swallowed him to his base, eliciting a sound from him that was a cross between a moan and a yelp. She winked at him as she held his cock in her throat then slid him out again. She repeated this several times until Elliot protested, against his better judgement.

"Doreen..." his voice a mere whisper all he could manage as her throat constricted around him. "This is going to be over way sooner that we both want it to be if you keep that up..."

She released him once again and giggled. "Your turn," she ordered then slipped her white dress from her shoulders and let it pool around her feet on the floor.

"I didn't have it in me to ask if you had anything on under that," Elliot joked then gently placed her on the bed. He spread her legs and swiped his tongue over her slit, already lubricated from her excitement. Elliot had almost forgotten how much he loved the taste of a woman, and he greedily lapped up more of her. He found her pleasure zone and flicked his tongue wildly over it. Doreen thrashed from the blissful punishment Elliot was doling out to her.

When her orgasm hit, Doreen let out a high-pitched scream that Maxx her on the first floor, making him tilt his head the way dogs do when they hear a strange sound. Elliot thought the windows in the bedroom would shatter from the piercing wail as Doreen's hips and backside lifted from the mattress. He tasted her offering and slid his tired tongue deeper into her to slake his lustful thirst.

When Doreen's eyes rolled back to their natural position, she wiped the sweat from her brow and exhaled sharply. "God, Elliot," she panted. "That was fucking AWESOME! If I didn't want you in me so badly, I'd tell you I was spent. But I do, so get up here, mister!"

Elliot did as he was told and moved to slide into her inviting fold. He felt a hand stop his ingress then felt a coldish sheath cover his raging hard-on.

"Safety first, right?" she said as she rolled the condom on to his hardness. "Now we're ready..."

Elliot wasted no time in slipping his covered dick into her and buried himself to the hilt. Doreen gasped as he hit his limit and then worked up a rhythm in and out of her.

"I hope I don't disappoint you," he said as he quickened his pace. "It's been a long time since..."

Doreen placed a finger to his lips to stop his premature apology. "We can always do it again later. If you want to. Right now, just enjoy yourself and let it go when you're ready..."

Much to his surprise, he lasted much longer than he had expected. The sheen of sweat on Doreen told him he was doing exactly what she wanted. When he finally reached his climax, he quickly pulled out of her and blasted his load on her stomach and heaving breasts, with some reaching her face and sweat-matted hair. Doreen tasted the drop that landed in the corner of her mouth and moaned, "Mmmmmmmm.... So good..." Elliot flopped on to the bed next to her, eyes closed in satisfaction and exhaustion. He saw a quick burst of light through his closed eyelids and reasoned that it was the flash from Doreen's cellphone as she took the picture of him and herself in bed together.