The New Game

Chapter 15 -- Back In Charge

The rest of that week was weird around the office. Every time I saw Emma, she looked at me very shyly, which I was not used to. She seemed to be getting tougher on everyone else in the office as well. It was a totally odd disparity. I was spending a lot of time trying to come up with a way to get leverage on the Devilles and free Vivian from their grasp, though I wasn't having any success.

As I was leaving the office on Friday afternoon, Emma was standing at Nikki's desk. They both smiled at me as I approached. Nikki giggled as Emma turned and went back to her office. I started towards the front door when Nikki's voice stopped me.

"We are all going to spend some time together tomorrow with a brunch at Leslie's," she advised me. "It would really be nice if you were there."

I turned to face her and smiled. I didn't say anything but I was sure that my very pleased expression and incessant nodding gave me away. I turned back and continued to the parking lot, feeling confident that all of us being together was a good idea. Not together in the office, but someplace common and welcoming. I continued to smile to myself as I pulled away from the office parking lot.

Because of my lack of ideas about how to help Vivian, I had not called Bill back and I felt bad about that. As I got home on Friday night, I found the house empty. I was relaxing and watching the Padres game when I decided that it was time to stop being lazy. I picked up my cell phone and dialed quickly before I could lose my nerve.

"Hey kid," Bill answered. "How are you?"

"I'm lost, Bill," I acknowledged honestly. "I haven't come up with anything. The ladies intervention yielded nothing of importance and I have gotten nowhere."

"Well, you sound like a man who is giving up," Bill surmised.

"Not at all," I countered. "I am just frustrated that I haven't found a way yet. I am not done trying. I just keep looking at all the angles and can't see the one to play yet."

"Kid, I like that approach," he complimented. "But you still sound down."

"I'm sorry, this is just becoming a lot to handle," I admitted.

"That's the responsibility of playing the game," he advised me. "But to your credit, you are handling it. That says a lot."

"It is my responsibility," I said in agreement. My next question surprised me. "Why didn't you tell me that Bonnie was a partner in the firm?"

"It wasn't my place to tell," Bill postured. "Plus, you needed to open lines of communication with Emma. It has helped her. When we spoke she sounded better than she had in a while. You don't realize how much she leans on you because she doesn't tell you. But she does."

"I am glad you think so," I told him. "Where do we go from here?"

"Lay it all out for me," Bill requested.

"Ok, here it is," I began. "If Vivian quits, the Devilles get her condo, her car and her 20% of the firm. That would be bad. Besides which, Vivian would never quit. She joined them to prove something and she would never quit. That would be an admission that she was wrong and she is too stubborn to admit that. Our only option is to come up with something equivalent that we can trade or use to leverage the Devilles for Vivian's release. Kylie is so angry that she would not do it unless we had her by the short hairs."

"So that's where we are at," he asked. "A trade or leverage."

"It is," I confirmed.

"Let me keep doing some research," Bill said. "I think I might have an idea."

"Ok, we'll talk soon," I said as we completed our call.

I sat there, with my head in my hands. I was tired, frustrated and angry. This situation was hanging over my head and I was putting all the weight on myself. I wanted this to all be resolved and over but it seemed like it never would be. I saw headlights pull into the driveway and then heard the front door open. I waited for Brooke to make her way up the steps. I just sat there, not moving, head pounding, waiting. As I heard the footsteps reach the top of the stairs, the waiting came to an end.

"Honey, I'm home," she said.

I looked up and almost fainted when I saw Penny standing there.

She looked simple yet amazing. She had on a white tank top and yellow cotton tennis shorts with pink flip flops. Her hair was up and clipped, very low maintenance. She looked as though she had made herself very comfortable for her drive back. I was in awe of how much I had missed her until that very moment when I saw her. My sunshine had returned and my insides were shaking. If she had missed me one-tenth as much while I was gone, then I should have never left her. That one moment, seeing her come home, was more powerful to me than any we had shared previously.

I stood up and stared at her, not sure what to say first. She looked at me as if she had something to say, but then decided against it. She looked away shyly and the back at me intensely.

"I missed you," I expressed.

"I missed you too," she said softly.

"How was your trip," I asked.

"Productive," she answered quickly with a short smile.

It felt tense and awkward between us for no reason. I didn't know how to shake this weird vibe we were experiencing at the moment. I stared into her eyes though I could not read them. I felt nervous and uncertain.

"Are you tired," I asked her.

"Yes, but I need to shower first," she replied.

She looked away from me and walked swiftly towards the stairs.

"Pen," I called to her as she moved, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yes," she said as she turned to look at me from the base of the stairs.

"I love you more with every breath I take," I heard myself say, overcome with emotion.

My own words overwhelmed me. I wasn't sure where they came from at that moment but I knew that they were true. I waited her reaction, hoping she wasn't put-off by my sentiment after her long drive. She seemed frozen where she stood as she digested my proclamation.

Penny walked across the living room and placed her hands gently on my cheeks. She held my face still and kissed me softly on the lips several times. She then grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes, pouting her bottom lip out slightly.

"Do you trust me," she asked quietly.

"Yes," I answered honestly.

"Then do everything I tell you do," she instructed me. "And do not ask any questions."

I nodded in response. She led me by the hand up the stairs in to her room. She closed her bedroom door behind us and then led me into the master bathroom. She closed the bathroom door and pushed me up against it. She slid open the glass shower door and started the water. Penny then refocused on me, pulling my shirt off over my head. She tore my shorts off, exposing my half-limp member.

Penny opened the shower door and gestured for me to get in. I stepped into the patterned beige tile surround and felt the warm water my skin. Penny slid the glass door closed as I adjusted the water temperature and let it run over me as it wanted. A moment later the glass door slid open again and Penny stepped into the shower with me, her hair now unclipped and her gorgeous body exposed.

She shoved me back against the cold tile firmly as the water flowed over us. Her hand found my cock and she began to stroke it gently as she kissed my neck. She kissed me softly on the lips as my rod became rigid in her hand. Her lips moved to my cheek and then to my earlobe.

"Close your eyes," she whispered.

I did as I was told, enjoying her exploring my face with her lips ever-so-softly.

"Do not open them until you are told," she instructed me firmly.

I nodded lightly as I felt her hand massage my member faster now. I exhaled heavily as I felt Penny press her body against mine firmly. She guided my hands around her back to hold her close to me. I felt her shift slightly and then her hand guided my shaft to her opening. She inserted me inside of her forcefully. I entered her easily as her box was extremely lubricated. She was flooded and it was extremely warm inside of her.

I kept my eyes closed as she moved herself up and down on my tool. I held her and she kissed me again. She felt wonderful but different. I was not sure what the change was but Penny continued to work her body on my manhood which was pure heaven. I felt her nails scratch my back violently as she picked up the pace of her bodily attack. I groaned loudly as she accepted my cock easily time and time again into her saturated hole.

Penny then slowed her pace greatly and began grinding her body against mine aggressively. She playfully bit my cheek and then kissed it as she worked my swollen shaft inside of her. I felt my orgasm building as Penny squealed lightly. She ran her nails lightly across my shoulders which sent a shiver through me.

I came suddenly, shooting my liquid into her already full pussy. I dumped streams of my seed inside of her until we both were still. Penny held me for leverage as she let my dick slide out of her opening. I opened my eyes and looked at her, smiling.

"No," she yelled. "Close your eyes!"

But it was already too late.

I noticed the tint of red in the water that was flowing down the drain. I looked down at my midsection to see that I was covered in blood. I exhaled patiently and looked at Penny curiously. She was crying now. She used the flowing water to try to hide her tears as she grabbed a washcloth. She slowly cleaned my midsection, paying particular attention and detail to my manhood. I stood there motionless and confused.

Penny continued scrubbing me until she was satisfied that I was clean. She smiled at me and then slid the shower door open. I exited, leaving her to compose herself. I dried myself and then exited her bathroom. I thought about going to my own room but then decided that I had a better idea. I laid on Penny's bed, turned her television on and waited for her.

I heard her turn the water off and then the glass door slid open. I heard the noise of Penny toweling off and dressing over the television. She stepped out of the bathroom with her hair still wet and dangling. She looked adorable, but she froze when she saw me lying there.

I did not say anything as she surveyed the situation. I watched as she walked around her bed to the side opposite of where I was. She didn't say anything as she dressed herself. She crawled up on the bed and moved towards me. She gently laid her head on my chest and curled her body up close to me. I wrapped my arm around her and held her tightly against me.

"What are we going to do about Vivian," she asked me after a long span of silence.

"I am working on it," I said.

"Can I help," she inquired.

"I don't know yet," I admitted.

"I'm sorry," she offered.

"For what," I questioned, unsure of her apology.

"For giving in to my desire while I have my period," she acknowledged.

"I am not upset about it, so there is no need to apologize," I conceded.

"Really," she squealed. "I thought you would be totally grossed out about it. Not to mention upset that I broke a rule."

"First of all, I am not grossed out by that," I explained. "I love having you, in everyway. And what rule did you break?"

"Oh," she gasped softly. "I guess it would just be a rule for the ladies and you probably would have no reason to know it. We are not supposed to be with you when it's that time of the month. Emma laid out the rules long ago and we have kept most of them in place as we have evolved."

"I see," I said. "Well then, we can just keep your little infraction between us."

"I love you," she giggled.