08

The Crystal Palace

by Simon Underfoot

Copyright 2024; all rights reserved

Chapter 7

I looked around one final time to make sure everything was in-place, feeling as nervous as I had the evening I'd met the esteemed Bethany DiVincenzo. "You ready?" I asked my newly appointed work girlfriend.

"Not really -- Virginia Welles scares the hell out of me."

"Yeah," I said, glancing down at my watch, "me, too."

It wasn't thirty seconds later that Carrie stepped inside, followed close behind by the subject of our angst, who was talking on her phone. Seeing us waiting for her, Ms. Welles stopped abruptly. "We'll talk later," she said, ending the call. "What is this?"

I was dressed formally: black suit, crimson tie, white shirt. Mia, still next to me, was wearing a form fitting black dress, simple and classic. Behind us was Steve, waiting next to a fully dressed table, complete with a white rose centerpiece; Carrie closed and locked the door. "Please," I said with a smile, stepping aside and gesturing to a seat at one end. Ms. Welles gave me a distrusting look, then turned to Carrie, who responded with a bright smile and nod. I pulled out her chair, then sat across from Virginia while the two younger women settled at each hand.

There wasn't a kitchenette in my office, so I'd ordered a meal that could be prepared ahead of time and served cold, hoping to maintain quality and sophistication without a lot of moving parts or people. The entire goal of the evening was to create an intimate setting.

We started with smoked salmon on crackers as the h

ors d'oeuvres

, served with a white wine. Not being a foody, I couldn't tell you the finer points, but it was a delicate way to start the meal. Virginia was unaware she had been invited to dinner, and neither Carrie nor Mia had any intention of speaking without being spoken to, so conversation started slowly, mostly focusing on the food. I watched Virginia watching me. By the time Steve cleared the small plates she had begun to relax.

"Thank you for coming."

"It seems I didn't have a choice," she replied, glancing menacingly at Carrie, who, instead of looking cowed, reached out and patted her hand reassuringly. It was an oddly romantic gesture for her boss, but then again, I knew they were more than that.

The soup was

Vichyssoise

, and though we all ate, I believe it was only Virginia that actually enjoyed her portion. As Steve again cleared the table she let out a sigh and her shoulders settled ever so slightly. Our eyes met again. "Why are we here Mr. Keller?" Her tone was more curious than demanding.

"I feel our relationship is... strained. Since we will be working together quite a lot, my hope is that we can begin again, without the tension."

She let out a small huff, almost a chuckle. "The tension has less to do with you than your condition."

"Of course," I allowed easily with a small nod, "but let's set that aside for the moment and just enjoy our meal with Carrie and Mia. Maybe we'll find common ground."

This time Virginia did chuckle, but she held back any comment as Steve served the greens, a variant on a wedge salad. Like the first two courses, there was enough food for a taste, but not much more.

It was during the entree that our breakthrough happened, across thinly sliced roasted chicken with a sweet and spicy chutney, Virginia made a joke. It wasn't particularly funny, but Carrie laughed anyway, which made our guest of honor smile, and I was reminded immediately of how devastatingly attractive Virginia was under the severe expressions she usually wore. She caught me looking, but I didn't turn away, instead raising my glass in a silent toast, all while keeping eye contact. Her lips quirked, momentarily uncertain. No, she wasn't attracted to me, but seeing someone longing for you is nearly always a thrill. "Mia," I said softly, with a quick nod to the room controls. Virginia's unease returned, but Carrie was there again with a comforting gesture and a distracting comment.

Dessert was fruit and heavy cream, served with a shot of espresso and another of bourbon, after which Steve excused himself and departed. We didn't talk of anything particularly important, but I enjoyed the conversation nonetheless. Carrie's candied voice sounded sweet against background orchestral music and Mia's infrequent but well timed dry humor went a long way to dispersing tension, but it was listening to the Head of HR that I really enjoyed. Even discussing nothing more exciting than local politics, the economy, and the current business climate, she demonstrated a superior intellect time and again. It was fascinating to consider her posed rhetorical questions given that I had less than a quarter of her professional experience, and seeing the way she steered the conversation effortlessly was remarkable.

After more than two hours, three glasses of wine, and the concluding shot, Virginia bowed her head respectfully in my direction and extended her gratitude. "You're very welcome," I replied with a genuine smile. "Ladies?" Carrie's smile was as bright as I'd ever seen it as she took Virginia's hand. Conversely, Mia looked like a leopard ready to chase down a gazelle as she seized my wrist and pulled me toward the bed, freshly made with black satin sheets. I managed to grab Carrie's free hand as I was whisked past and our little train soon arrived at its intended station.

It sounds so trite, but I actually winked at Virginia before turning to Mia, who was grinning up at me hungrily. "Come here," I said playfully. In an instant she was in my arms, pulling herself close, losing herself to our first proper kiss. "Woah," I muttered several moments later, already a little lightheaded from the ferocity of her passion. She smiled mischievously and pushed, sending me backward to land on the bed as she started to disrobe.

While Mia seemed to have forgotten the other women, I watched them whispering together, heads close, both looking at me occasionally. Then Mia was above me and I couldn't see anything but the intensity of her gaze, framed by a curtain of chestnut hair.

I shouldn't have been surprised when Carrie took me in her mouth, but I gasped into Mia's kiss nonetheless. When her lips finally pulled away from my aching penis I tapped urgently on my work girlfriend's shoulder, eager to see if our plan would proceed.

Carrie must have forewarned her boss, because Virginia hesitated only a moment before kissing her. Seeing the beautiful women locked together in intimacy was incredible; Mia surely agreed because she pulled me on top of her where I soon slid home. Our sex wasn't gentle, nor was it frenzied, but a wonderful mutual exploration of our burgeoning relationship. Yes, I enjoyed the strength in her hips and thighs, and the way she pulled my chest to hers with strong arms, but I also reveled in the light cat and mouse dance we did with our lips, equal parts passion and playfulness.

A hand squeezed my upper arm and I broke free long enough to see Virginia had Carrie pinned to the bed next to us, aggressively pawing her breasts while she sucked on dark pink nipples. "Joe, I think it's time to -- Ah!" She yelpled and pushed an overly aggressive Virginia off her tit. "Time to move things along -- ooohhh..." Something Virginia was doing with her fingers was apparently a hit, but Carrie's point was well taken.

Picking up the pace, I returned my attention to Mia and started pushing down into her more aggressively with a grind at the end of each stroke. I'd like to say it was because of technique, but knowing what was to come escalated my arousal, which upped juice output. Mia screamed and shuddered and I pulled out rapidly, not wanting to discharge the bulk of my cum into the wrong pussy. In the act I sprayed her down liberally, which worked out well for Carrie, because Virginia immediately pushed me out of the way and started licking up spilled juice from the skin of my still spasming nurse. The site further inflamed me and I spent a few more seconds than strictly necessary making sure Virginia had plenty to clean up, continuing to paint Mia's lovely tits liberally.

Lightheaded, I crawled over top of my former boss, groaning as my still spewing dick dragged across her ass, and nearly collapsed onto Carrie. She did the honors, reaching beneath us to slide me home. She kissed me once, smiled, then pulled me down to lay completely on top of her while she worked her hips up and down. It only took a moment to catch her rhythm, then I was moving with her, not in and out so much, but instead tilting my hips back and forth to make it easier. The stimulation wasn't extreme, but knowing that it was her doing the fucking pushed me higher and I felt my climax racing forward. A guttural cry escaped as I flooded Carrie's pussy, shaking wildly even as she held me tight. The world narrowed, quickly becoming a point of light.

I awoke with a start, my legs kicking out wildly. Disoriented, I took in the situation.

It was just Virginia and I in the bed and somebody had wiped us down, but I couldn't see either Mia or Carrie. My bedmate was snoring softly and looked more at peace than I'd ever seen her, which made me smile, because that was the whole point of the exercise. How to help her become comfortable around me when I was a reminder that base instincts could temporarily override her identity?

"Water?" I smiled up at Mia and took the bottle gratefully; Carrie was just behind her and took a seat on the bed next to me, then leaned her head onto my shoulder.

"Did it work?" My voice sounded raspy and thick.

Carrie chuckled. "She never even made it to me. All the juice you sprayed on Mia got Virginia off, then she passed out just as I started to cum." She shivered and smiled, reliving the experience. "Must have been good since she's still out."

My eyes hadn't left Mia, who was blushing a lovely pink. I stood and pulled her to me. "You okay?" She wrapped her arms around me and nodded.

"Not what I expected, but it's fine. I was still in the middle of my orgasm when she, uh, started eating me out. I probably wouldn't have even noticed except that she's... aggressive." Carrie snorted out a laugh and nodded, pointing to one of her own nipples, which was much redder than the other.

Shit. "I"m sorry for putting you both in such bad positions."

"Don't be," Carrie replied easily. "Look at her -- she's never this relaxed, even after we have sex. Always on guard. Always in charge. Taking away some of her control is good for her."

I wasn't so sure Ms. Welles would agree, but for now it was Virginia that was with us.

"It was worth it," Mia added. "Every time I see her now I'll be thinking of the frantic look she had in her eyes while she sucked on my clit." She shivered and smiled. "She's not nearly so scary anymore."

"Perhaps I will endeavor to fix that." Ms. Welles pushed herself to a seated position with some difficulty, and even though her eyes hadn't fully focused, it was clear she was trying to reestablish dominance. But Carrie and I had a plan. In the name of a speedy recovery, we guided her over to Mia's area and seated her in the treatment chair, where an already prepared IV was quickly connected. She barely winced as Mia slid in the needle and secured it with some vet wrap, but her eyes did snap open when she heard the buzzing of a powerful wand vibrator that her assistant pulled out. "Ms. Waters," she warned, her voice stern.

"Just relax," the younger woman said, lowering the vibrating head to her boss' pussy; meanwhile, Mia had secured two straps to Ms. Welles' arm, immobilizing it so she wouldn't pull out the needle or cause any sort of bruising. As for me, I parked myself on a stool with a bottle of oil and started to work on her feet; up above, Mia began a scalp massage.

Virginia's objections quickly faded when she realized what we were doing, and though her eyes still flicked between Carrie and I, the tension trickled out of her body as we worked on her.

Already an expert in her boss' body, Carrie found a wonderful balance between Virginia's relaxation and arousal, playing her lover skillfully with the wand, creating a composition of crescendos and lulls at her whim.

I met Mia's eyes and saw that she was breathing heavily, and while one hand continued to work Virginia's scalp, the other was busy elsewhere. Likewise, I started stroking myself, reveling in the intimacy and eroticism. It was a bit of a surprise when Virginia's beautiful round breasts started leaking again, just a drop here and there as the remnants of my juice worked through her system, but Carrie lapped them up delightedly, making appreciative noises as she did. Similarly, the pussy spread wide before me began to drip onto the seat, testament to Carrie's skill.

With a deep breath and a long, shuddering exhalation, Virginia came. Flushed and dripping, she was utterly gorgeous.

When Carrie eventually pulled away the wand, Virginia's entire body sagged, exhausted. Thirty seconds more and the IV was disconnected. She stood unsteadily, leaning on the chair's arm, and inhaled deeply, then smiled. "Amazing," she said, staring deeply into her assistant's eyes

She left with Carrie, both wrapped in white robes, leaning on each other and whispering again. Seeing Virginia so relaxed made me happy; seeing Mia panting reminded me that my cock was still hard -- we happily returned to the bed to explore each other some more.

- - -

I looked at my reflection in the rear window as the car pulled away, displeased at the obviously nervous expression. Friday nights in the suburbs are usually only scary in movies, but I was standing outside Jill's house. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood about forty minutes from the firm with a park, neighborhood pool, and houses whose only variations were the colors of vinyl siding and whether the garage sat on the right or left. It was so typically 21

st

century Americana as to be a bit nauseating.

So says the guy who grew up in cities, but to each their own. And I could certainly see why Mia had been concerned about me showing up here. On the surface, it looked like a good life. Kiddie pool on the front lawn; holiday flag hanging by the door; minivan in the driveway. It was also completely different than how I understood Jill, the intelligent, capable boss who'd mentored me for more than a year.

A man answered almost immediately when I pushed the bell, as if he'd been waiting just inside the door. "Evening -- you're Joe?" I nodded and he pushed open the screen door and stepped onto the porch, closing the main door behind him. "Pat," he said as introduction, holding out his hand. "You mind if we take a walk around the block while Jill finishes dinner -- get to know each other a bit?"

It wasn't at all what I was expecting, but then again, he wasn't what I'd been expecting. Big guy, handsome, with broad shoulders and blonde hair, dressed in nice chino's and a golf polo that showed muscular arms -- at least from an attractiveness standpoint, he was a much better fit for Jill than I would ever be. It was a bit depressing. "We really appreciate you coming all the way out here."

"Of course," I replied with a nod as we stepped onto the sidewalk. "Though if I'm being honest, I had my reservations about coming -- I don't want to put the two of you in any sort of awkward situation. The thing at the office... it should never have happened. I should have been more careful, or maybe more up front with everyone, including Jill."

He waved away my comments. "She explained everything and it makes sense." I wasn't sure what Jill had told him so I stayed quiet. "Mind if I ask you a question?" A little shake from me. "What's it like? Being Afflicted, I mean."

I was tempted to give him the throwaway answer he probably expected to hear, how great it was, glossing over the shitty parts of my life. Nobody ever wanted to hear about the hateful stares, the angry murmurs, the ubiquitous ignorance of the general populace, and the overwhelming arrogance of the few Afflicted I'd run across myself. Instead I told him the truth. "Not as great as it sounds."

He read my expression correctly. "Must be a 'grass is greener' kind of thing. I bet every guy around the world wishes he was Afflicted."

"Probably," I allowed with a self-conscious grin.

We turned a corner. "It's not so different for us -- for me and Jill, I mean. This is what we always wanted," he said, making a vague gesture at the neighborhood. "Now that we're here, it's... not what we thought." If he had been a friend rather than a new acquaintance I might have pulled on that thread a little, given him the go-ahead to unload his troubles, but we didn't know each other. "Anyway."

I nodded.

It wasn't until we hit the next corner that he found his voice again.

"Would you give up your life the way it is now? If you could, I mean."

A pause, then I shook my head.

He chuckled. "Me neither, though sometimes it's... a lot -- in a very different way, of course," he added hastily. When it was clear he hadn't offended me, Pat relaxed. His voice was hesitant when he started again. "Can you tell me how it works -- the pheromones? I've been reluctant to look up details..."

Long, slow breath, as if I was considering how to start. The truth was I'd had plenty of practice, educating a range of people from doctors to acquaintances. "The pheromones trip the sexual response in women when they get it into their system. Smelling me, or really my sweat, is how it usually happens. Depending on the exposure, reactions last up to a few hours." That might be underselling my personal potency, but he didn't need to know that at the moment.

"That's it?"

Shrug.

"So why do Affected woman have to fuck an Afflicted?" His voice had started to pick up an edge.

"Well, strictly speaking, it's not really necessary. The chemical will eventually work its way out of the woman's system, but it can be pretty unpleasant. A girlfriend of mine wanted to see what would happen and ended up rubbing herself raw trying to get satisfaction before she finally broke down and asked for help. My experience is that it's much faster, and probably safer, for the woman to get a big dose all at once." I paused for a moment, figuring he wouldn't like the next part. "During sex, once a certain amount is, uh, absorbed, the pheromones self-catalyze and burn away all at once."

He thought through my simplified explanation, then paused as we approached the walk up to his door. "So it's really intense, then over quickly?"

"Yeah, sure," I answered.

Pat's head bobbed and his mouth widened into a relieved smile. "I really do appreciate you coming. Did Jill tell you what she has in mind?"

"Only that I needed to come hungry -- something about Mediterranean food."

"Very good," he said, patting me on the back and heading up to his house. "She's an excellent cook."

I followed a couple steps behind. The hallmark male insecurity was definitely there, along with a bit of traditional, unintentional misogyny, but for all that he didn't come across as a complete dick.

He was correct that the meal Jill prepared was quite good -- it had been a long while since I'd had a proper home cooked meal. I might have enjoyed it more if I hadn't watched a flush gradually work it's way up her neck as we shared small talk over saffron chicken and potatoes. By the time Pat reached for the chocolate cake she was swaying gently in her seat and rubbing her palms absentmindedly on her jean-clad thighs. Surely Pat wasn't oblivious to her rose colored cheeks or pointy nipples, but he seemed in no rush to take her away from the table. Throughout, I struggled to add much to the conversation.