Déjà-Rêvé

I was always advanced academically for my age, continually encouraged by all of my parents' words, expectations, and incentives. Thus it came to pass that financed by my parents and still a couple of months short of my 21st birthday I was travelling in Europe the summer after I graduated cum laude from the Haas School of Business University of California, Berkeley, with a B S degree, and with enough other credits to leave me just short of a second B S degree in Information Technology. I met various like travelers along the way and was enjoying myself immensely since I had already secured an excellent job at a large multinational corporation which was to start September 15. Since I was being rewarded for my academic achievements -- and also because I won the NCIFL fencing tournament in both foil and sabre in each of the three years that I attended UC Berkeley -- and due to my parents' largess I mostly stayed in actual hotels and didn't have to use hostels, train cars, or camping out, except on rare occasions.

My life made a dramatic turn when I was travelling in Poland with a guy and three girls from Brittan and France, respectively, who I had met a few days before and who I was only temporarily wandering with, when we entered the Tourist Bureau in Gdańsk. There was a young woman at the counter who -- like many Poles that I had encountered -- spoke perfect, though accented, English and greeted us with "Hi, how can I help you today?" Her name tag, just above her large left breast, read "Celina," and she was the most intriguing woman that I had ever seen in my life.

While my travelling companions chatted with Celina about Sopot Pier, the world's largest castle, Neptune's Fountain, and other interesting tourist spots I couldn't help but stare at her, hopefully without drooling. I saw her occasionally glance at me with a demure smile like she could read my mind -- which at the time seemed to be in an endless loop repeating "she looks just like Emily Ratajkowski, only impossibly even hotter."

I wasn't used to being tongue tied around women. I had more than my share of girlfriends and dalliances since I turned 18 and always seemed to charm women with my wit and loquaciousness; but now I was speechless. Just as my companions seemed to be winding up their discussion with Celina I finally regained my composure and quickly looked around for something that I could focus upon to make a good impression on Celina. It was then that I noticed the computer screen of one of her co-workers -- fortunately displaying information in English -- and I had a brainstorm.

When my companions finished and expressed the desire to go to the nearby world's largest castle I told them to go ahead but that I had some things to ask Celina and lied that I would be departing for Estonia the next day, so I hugged them "arrivederci" and wished them well.

Fortunately Celina was still at the counter with that coy smile on her face apparently expecting me to approach -- which I did.

"Hi, I'm Brad Marcum -- Celina," I said making it known that I had viewed her nametag."

"Where are you from Mr. Brad Marcum?" she asked still with that coquettish smile plastered on her face.

"I'm from California in the United States," I grinned.

"I know where California is," she laughed; "I do watch movies from Hollywood you know."

"I'm sure that you do," I chuckled and then hoped to impress her. "Like my now former companions I too am interested in attractions in your lovely city, but I'm a curious and odd individual so I couldn't help but notice the software running on your coworker's computer," I continued, pointing to the monitor on her coworker's desk.

"What's so noteworthy about that?" she inquired.

"Well,, there's another similar software that is much more efficient that would help your organization do the same things that the one you're running now does, and much more," I smiled.

"Are you a computer expert?" she asked with raised eyebrow.

"Well, an IT pseudo-expert with business acumen so I'm sure that I could help out if you're interested," I responded.

Celina smiled wider then said "Wait here a minute," and then turned and walked to an enclosed office -- with a large transparent window and open door -- about ten meters away. I could see Celina talking to a man sitting at a desk in the office, and he came out with her and approached the counter. While he certainly spoke English it wasn't nearly as good as Celina's.

"Hi, I'm Aleksy Kowalski," he introduced himself holding out his hand, which I took and shook. "Celina says that you have some comment about our software, which I must admit we are having difficulties with. Can you share some insight with us?"

"I would be happy to; perhaps you, Celina and I could meet after you close at 1700, if that is convenient, and we could discuss it. I seek no payment, but I like your beautiful city and am impressed with the wonderful way that Celina helped my former companions and would love to help you if I could."

"Are you available?" Aleksy asked as he turned toward Celina.

"Sure, to get rid of the dinosaur software that we are now using I could stay until 1800," she smiled.

So I agreed to return at 1700 and in the meantime I checked in at a mid-level hotel only a couple hundred meters from the Tourist Bureau. I changed clothes to look more presentable, ditched my backpack, and reported a few minutes before the agreed-upon time.

I was really on my game when after Celina signed onto the computer her coworker had been using I sat down and took over, occasionally stealing glances at the most alluring woman in my experience as I simultaneously talked and keyed away. After I pointed out all of the limitations of the software that they were presently using for record-keeping, reports, producing flyers and brochures, and for a number of other activities since the Tourist Bureau also performed a number of other worthwhile functions for the municipal government I asked if they wanted a one week no-cost trial version of much better software for performing those functions -- as well as many others.

With big smiles on their faces, Aleksy and Celina agreed.

I signed onto a program that I had used extensively at Berkeley that had been developed by a former student there who I had met my first year at UC Berkeley and worked for one summer. He was now in business worldwide. I pulled the trial software up on the Tourist Bureau's monitor. I quickly went through it pointing out its numerous advantages, but by then it was close to 1800 so I said "I can't show you everything today, but I'm happy to return tomorrow."

The next day was Sunday, when they normally were only open from 900 to 1200. Aleksy and Celina talked in Polish for a few minutes -- none of which I understood except when they used my name "Brad," and a few English technical words that had made it into the Polish language. Then Aleksy turned to me and said "Celina is willing to come into the office at 1200 tomorrow to work with you for a while and then on Monday we can decide what to do."

I smiled widely -- "I'd be happy to meet her then." Given the even coyer look that Celina was giving me I was getting excited."

"I need to leave," Aleksy announced after checking his watch. "Can you close up Celina?"

"Sure," she replied.

Aleksy shook my hand and then took off. After he left and I had signed off the computer I turned to Celina and asked "I need to get something to eat. Do you have a local recommendation? I'd be happy to treat you if you aren't committed to something else."

Celina's smile temporarily turned diabolical before she replied "You've been such a big help I'm afraid of alienating you if I refuse, so I accept your offer."

My heart leapt; I hoped that she didn't notice the start of a major tent of my pants before I turned to a position where it wasn't visible to her. "Great," I grinned, and then she turned off the lights and locked the door.

At dinner I tried not to look like a star-struck teenager so I made a concerted effort not to lose myself in her expressive chocolate brown eyes during dinner at the simple but extremely pleasing (in both atmosphere and food) restaurant she suggested just a few hundred meters from the Tourist Bureau. I also tried not to be distracted when she occasionally provocatively flipped her radiant long mahogany colored hair over her shoulder with a snap of her head. Despite these possible distractions I was really on my game with conversation, making sure to find out as much about her as I could without seeming too intrusive.

I couldn't believe it when I noticed -- three hours later -- that we were the last patrons left in the restaurant. I guess that time does fly when you're having fun -- and staring at the human equivalent of a goddess.

I apologized to the wait staff for keeping them, tipped 25% rather than the Polish custom of 10% getting me big grins, and then Celina and I left the building. I offered to walk her home -- which I was surprised she accepted, probably only because her apartment building was just a few hundred meters away in the opposite direction as my hotel. When we got outside her building Celina, who was only about three inches short of my six feet two inch (190 cm) height stared into my soul and with far more directness than I had ever encountered before in my life asked "Are you helping us because you're simply a magnanimous man or because you're enchanted with me?"

After she asked that she continued to stare into my soul like she expected an answer. I couldn't find words; I gulped and started sweating. After a very uncomfortable few seconds -- which seemed like an hour -- she chuckled "I thought so," kissed me on the cheek, and then turned and entered her building calling out without turning around to look at me "Thanks again for dinner and I'll see you tomorrow at 1200."

That night in my hotel room I beat my meat like a horny teenager and woke up in the early morning hours in a cold sweat after having fucked Celina senseless in my dreams.

Things moved swiftly Sunday. I had the trial software running perfectly and under my tutelage Celina played with it for about two hours before shutting off the computer and with a big smile on her face chortled "It is so much better for everything we have to do I'm certain that Aleksy will want to purchase it. You deserve a reward."

Then in a scenario that never comes about in real life, but did anyway, she asked to see my hotel room and close together (though not touching) we walked there. Once the door to my room closed we were naked in record time and I was mauling her ponderous tits while I licked her hairy pussy. I was slightly surprised that Celina didn't shave her pubic hair -- or even her armpits or legs -- but her hair was light colored and not objectionable, and is some ways it turned me on even more -- and certainly didn't dissuade me.

By the time that Celina left my hotel room about 1900 I had eaten her to three orgasms, we had fucked twice, including one time in the shower, and had made love once. I had stars in my eyes when she left, although disappointed that she demurred on spending the night. It was up until that time the best experience of my life, even though each of our three matings were with a condom.

I could go on about exactly how after the best night of my life I helped the Tourist Bureau, all the details of my interactions with Celina Wozniak (I found out her last name the first Sunday night that we stayed together), the sights I visited in Gdansk, and many other things, but they would be superfluous to this story. The bottom line was that I fell hard for twenty four year old Celina, we slept together eleven of the next thirteen nights and had a nooner the two days she didn't sleep with me in my hotel room, but we never had any public displays of affection since she told me that those were "Severely frowned upon in Poland." Strangely I was also never invited into her apartment.

I went through at least two condoms a day.

I was trying to figure out how I could convince Celina to come with me to the United States when on the fourteenth day since our first Sunday sexual interlude my life took another dramatic turn.

As Celina and I left the extremely satisfied employees of the Tourist Bureau that Monday (those employees considered me a technical genius for making their lives better by installing the new program in all of their computers, and tuning all the computers up to run more efficiently) Celina seemed preoccupied. I asked her about it and she merely smiled and said "It's nothing; although I do intend to rock your world tonight more than it's ever been rocked before," which was music to my ears.

After we showered together that night Celina gave me a kiss that would have set off the smoke detectors -- if there were any -- in the hotel she murmured "No condoms tonight; I'm on birth control, we're both clean, and I really want to rock your world."

I was not inclined to argue.

Our first copulation without a condom was so intense that I lost awareness for at least a few seconds -- and Celina for more than a minute. The rest of the night she was true to her word as I fucked her tits and ass and we made love when we woke up about 800. The 800 encounter was the most emotionally satisfying of my life -- I felt like my soul had merged with Celina's, not just my body.

After we made love and were lying side-by-side I was starting to ask her to come to the US with me when she put a finger over my lips, got a scary-sad look on her face, and then started to cry.

I kept asking her "What's wrong," while I cuddled her until about after five minutes of her water-works started she regained a semblance of control and in a halting voice said "I've fallen in love with you; but we can't be together anymore."

I was about to protest when she continued "I haven't been honest with you. I'm married. My husband is in the army and was away for six weeks of training, but he's returning Thursday."

I was gutted. I think that I went into a trance or stupor because afterward I couldn't remember anything else that Celina said. I remember seeing her lips moving but nothing else registered with me. I have a vague recollection of her getting dressed and with tears in her eyes kissing me on the cheek before she left. The next real memory that I have was checking out of the hotel about 1400 and getting onto a train that was leaving for Estonia.

Celina Wozniak broke my heart. I thought that I would never recover but a prostitute in Amsterdam partially snapped me out of my malaise and by the time that I started my job in September I was completely functional, even if still heart broken.

****************

About a year after I started my job, just after my 22nd birthday, I met Alexa Vanacker. She was a salesman for one of the companies that supplied my employer with goods and services. I wasn't the buyer, but I was involved in evaluating two new products that she was hawking. While I had had other dalliances since I returned from my European vacation, I still wasn't over my heartbreak courtesy of Celina Wozniak. I dreamed about meeting her again all of the time. I hadn't had my socks knocked off by anyone else. That changed when I meet Alexa.

After lunch with Alexa, my boss, and three of my coworkers the second day that I saw Alexa I approached her as she was leaving our office. Out of the view of the others and in my normally direct manner I asked "Can I treat you to dinner tonight; I have some more questions about your offerings," intentionally using the word "offerings" instead of "goods" or "services."

Alexa evoked a smile not unlike the coquettish one Celina exhibited when I first met her and replied "What offerings?"

Caught, I simply smiled and responded "You'll have to agree to a meal to find out -- you do eat dinner, don't you?"

"How do you know I'm not married or have a serious jealous boyfriend?" she chuckled.

"I don't see any rings on the fourth finger of your left hand and if you have a boyfriend I'll challenge him to a duel with sabers," I chuckled back.

Alexa laughed then said "I'll meet you at Luigi's at 7:00 p. m." -- Luigi's being a well-known restaurant only a couple of blocks from my office -- then turned and sashayed out, purposely provocatively wiggling her ass as she exited.

Like Celina, Alexa was a few years older than I was. It made absolutely no difference in the dynamic and success of our relationship. I found out that Alexa was a little "flaky," but it was a good flaky since she always kept things interesting.

She was also an animal between the sheets, and had a high libido, almost matching that of Celina (who I still occasionally dreamt about, but much less since I met Alexa).

Then came another seminal episode in my life; a friend of Alexa's who had been abroad the first few months that I had known Alexa, stationed with her Army Captain husband, came back to the U. S. Alexa had mentioned her friend in passing before but never gave me her real name -- she just called her "Kochaine." I thought it strange name, but never questioned about her. I later found out it means "darling" in Polish.

When I met "Kochaine" on a Friday night about a week after her return to the United States I had a deja rêvé experience; I had dreamed of Celina the night before and Kochaine -- whose real name was Katarzyna Williams (nee Czajkowski), apparently a common woman's given name in Polish (just like Celina is) and -- drum roll -- she looked enough like Celina to be her sister. She wasn't close enough to be an identical twin, but just short of that. She was the same height as Celina, had the same coloring, from outward appearances she had the same body, and her face was remarkably similar, only differing in the exact shape of her nose and eyes. If I didn't look at her carefully -- which I did -- I would have thought that it was Celina popping out of my dream! A didn't believe that I could have met two women who looked like Emily Ratajkowski -- only hotter -- but I had!

Needless to say this greatly disturbed me, but fortunately Alexa and Katarzyna were so busy hugging and giggling about their reunion that by the time that they finished I had enough of an opportunity to get my wits about me didn't act like a total ass -- although I was still closer to being tongue-tied than any time since I first laid eyes on Celina.

Katarzyna's husband Franklin Williams -- an Army Captain -- joined us later that evening, after I had determined that Katarzyna had a personality as attractive as her physical appearance. I found out that she was a first generation American, her parents having legally emigrated from Poland about two years before she was born.

Unfortunately, Franklin was a total asshole. While he was good-looking and reasonably intelligent he was pompous, opinionated, and sarcastic (should I tell you what I really thought of him? ha, ha).

I tried to minimize my interactions with Katarzyna not because I didn't like her, but because I liked her too much. I would never go after a woman I knew was married, let alone my girlfriend's best friend. Things were even more difficult when I was around Katarzyna because she really seemed to like me.

************

Eventually my relationship with Alexa advanced because we seemed to get along very well and, as earlier indicated, she was really hot between the sheets. My only hang-up was that I had vivid dreams about Katarzyna (she had replaced Celina in my fantasies), but I finally got in touch with reality and married Alexa after we had been dating about fourteen months. Obviously Katarzyna was the matron of honor. The wedding and reception were great except for two issues.

My slow dance with the matron of honor caused me to almost bust my zipper, and sweat to form on my brow; and Franklin got drunk and was making an ass of himself. Jeff Daniels, my best man, was a really good friend and a college defensive lineman so when I heard Franklin berating Katarzyna I asked Jeff to quietly remove him from the venue -- which he expertly did.