The Devil's Bargain

THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN Chapter 10

I knew that I would miss Lisa. I didn't know how debilitating it would be. I felt physically weak, as if I was recovering from a major injury. I had trouble focusing, and staying alert. Fortunately, I was given a series of mindless tasks at work; that was about all I could handle.

Josh and Pete were sympathetic; they invited me out a couple of times, but I declined, on the grounds that I would make poor company. I turned down a dinner invitation from Anna and George for the same reason. I'm sure that they would be missing Lisa badly, too.

I was still adjusting to living with Mom - and it was an up and down process. Some days were fine; some days I found her too self-centred, or oblivious to what anyone else was dealing with. Ungrateful, too. I don't mean that I expected her to thank me every day, or to erect a statue of me in the backyard... but a little appreciation would have gone a long way.

I took to eating out a couple of nights a week, just to have some off-time away. In the process, I realized that I had to make some changes in my life.

Lisa sent me an email at the end of the month, plus some photos of her grad student residence. She admitted that she missed me, but that there were so many new things to see and adjust to, that her mind was occupied.

You need something new in your life, too, Dan. Something that captures your imagination. Or maybe someone...

She was right. Moving in with Mom had freed up time for me. I could do something with it. And even if it was highly unlikely that I could meet another person as incredible as Lisa, that didn't mean that I shouldn't try.

Once in a while, I did cross paths with some very attractive women. I was wary of jumping too soon, though, or of making a mistake. It would have been nice to know something about them before I even considered using the magic phrases.

***

I'd known about Jimmy's for years. It was a combination sports bar and restaurant only three blocks from Mom's place. The food wasn't bad, and they had specials every night. Tuesday's was Souvlaki - I could eat that by the ton. Thursday's special was grilled calamari - not breaded and deep-fried, but grilled - another of my favourites.

I usually sat in a corner, far from the big screen TVs. In January, I got into the habit of bringing a book with me, something I thought Lisa might have approved of.

I noticed the waitress right away. She was young, and pretty, with a nice figure, even if she didn't dress to draw attention to herself.

After my tenth visit to Jimmy's, I knew that her name was Brenda, and that she was single. But I'd also discovered that she was sweet, a little shy, and that she didn't mind lingering an extra few seconds at my table, listening to my lame jokes.

No, she wasn't a PhD candidate. But I wasn't trying to replace Lisa; I was trying to forget her. Brenda seemed like a truly nice person. And yes, I was attracted to her. Most of all, I think that I liked her smile; it was toothy, and unrehearsed. If Brenda had ever practiced her smile in a mirror, she would have changed it. She looked a little goofy, and utterly sweet.

I only started tipping her extravagantly at the end of February. I'd been generous; people who work for tips

depend

on them. But Brenda protested when I started leaving 25%.

- "Dan - that's too much."

- "Not at all. Every time I come here, you make me feel like a special customer."

- "You

are

." she said. "I look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays, because it means that you'll be here."

- "You're very sweet, Brenda. Don't ever change."

Okay, I admit that it wasn't a lot to go on, but she was pretty, with a nice body, and... so very sweet. After two months of celibacy, I was prepared to roll the dice again.

The next time I went to Jimmy's, I took the plunge.

- "I want you - One."

Brenda smiled. "What did you say?"

- "I want you - Two."

- "Oh..." She didn't turn red.

- "I want you - Three."

- "What - what does that mean?"

- "It means that I'd like to take you out this Sunday night." I knew her days off. Brenda looked confused for a moment, and then she smiled.

- "I'd like that."

- "I'll need your cell number, then."

- "Oh! Yeah - here."

When Brenda brought my bill, she was sucking her lower lip.

"Dan? Are you really going to call me?"

- "We're going out Sunday night. I'm looking forward to it already."

- "Me too." said Brenda.

I never told her that she should dress casual. When I picked her up, Brenda had done herself up to the nines. She

was

a nine.

She'd had her hair done. Her makeup made her big brown eyes look enormous. Her lips were red, and her dress... she should have been strutting the red carpet at the Oscars. Instead, I was taking her to play pool and have a few drinks.

She wasn't even remotely disappointed.

- "Oh, cool!" she said. "We had a table at home, when I was a kid."

She seemed completely unaware that she was stopping traffic, and that play had virtually ceased at the four nearest tables. I couldn't take my eyes off of her either; my normally lacklustre play suffered. She kicked my ass in four straight games.

We sat down to have a drink. I asked about her pool shark childhood. She laughed, and told me about growing up in a strict family, much like mine.

I used up her store of interesting conversation in the first twenty minutes. Brenda could have asked me about my own childhood - not that I would have welcomed it. Instead, she asked me what I thought of the latest season of the Bachelor. I knew that it was a TV show - that's all.

Well, conversation is overrated, sometimes.

- "Brenda, would you like to come home with me?"

- "Umm... that sounds good. Really good."

I took her to my house - not Mom's. Once inside the door, I took her in my arms, and kissed her. Brenda melted into me, as if she'd been starved for affection.

I'd made a decision while still at the pool hall: it was time to exorcise some ghosts. I led Brenda into the master bedroom.

- "You're so beautiful." I told her.

- "I wish." she said, with a shy smile.

- "Do you know why we're here?" I asked.

- "Umm... to have sex?"

- "Because you're beautiful, Brenda. Because you're sweet, and because you've made every Tuesday and Thursday for the past two months a real treat for me. I always look forward to seeing you - and tonight... I can't believe that we're really here."

I kissed her, and Brenda responded. Holy Mackerel, could she kiss.

I learned a great deal about Brenda, that night. In addition to being a wonderful kisser, she'd been concealing a pair of 32Ds under her waitress uniforms. Her areolae were tiny, but her nipples stood up proudly, begging for attention.

Her navel was pierced. She also had an unfortunate tattoo. It was a lion's head, on her lower belly. I had to look at it as I ate her pussy, and even more so as I entered her for the first time.

Brenda was a lovely young woman, though. I liked her. She was a responsive partner, cooing and clinging to me as I slowly thrust deep inside her, and then equally slowly pulled back. Because of the magic, she was going to enjoy this immensely, but I suspected that this was how Brenda preferred it - slow and gentle.

It was surprisingly intimate, for our first time, or for any time. Brenda cradled me, with her knees, her hips and her thighs. We were remarkably comfortable with each other, right from the start.

I drove her home in the early hours, mostly because I had nothing in the house to offer her for breakfast. I made a note to myself to keep coffee and a few other things here.

- "Can I see you again?" I asked her.

- "You want to?"

- "You know I do. Tonight?"

She lit up with that toothy smile. "Okay!"

- "How about if I take you out for dinner?"

- "Oh." she said. "You don't have to do that. I don't... go to restaurants much."

- "Because you work in one? I'm sorry - I should've thought of that."

- "That's okay. But... why don't you come over to my place? My roommate will be at work. We can watch TV, and maybe..." She blushed a little.

- "Maybe? There's no maybe about it, Brenda. You're fantastic. I want you again."

The next night, she greeted me in a t-shirt and jeans. Without the make-up and dress, she looked more like she did at Jimmy's, like the pretty waitress I'd fallen for - a seven and a half, or an eight, rather than a nine.

Her apartment was about what you might have expected for two young women who worked. Their couch, though, was deep and wide, and they'd splurged on a big TV screen.

That was understandable. Brenda could talk about clothes, or hanging out with her friends, but she had a

vast

reservoir of knowledge about television shows. She offered me a beer, then turned on the TV, and began to bring me up to date on season whatever of the Bachelorette.

- "All of these men want to marry her? But they just met on the show?"

- "Yeah... I mean, they really just want to hook up with her. Or become famous for a bit."

After a while, I began to understand its appeal, for her. A whole bunch of guys, wooing one woman? Wasn't it just the reverse of what I was doing, in real life? Brenda was a romantic, but she didn't have stars in her eyes. Her life hadn't been a fantasy picnic.

We sat close together, and I put my arm around her. She began describing the men on the program, explaining their strengths and weaknesses.

- "I like Tom best." she said. "Him - right there - by the stairs. He's the oldest one. He... kinda reminds me of you."

She was so sweet. I thought that kissing her was the best thing to do, at that point. Brenda seemed to think so, too. She kissed me back, and squirmed a little closer, almost crawling into my lap..

- "Sorry." I said. "I didn't mean to interrupt your show."

- "You're so nice." she said.

She returned to watching the TV, but left her hand on my leg. That hand didn't stay put, either. She began stroking my leg, gradually reaching a little higher all the time. As you might imagine, I wasn't paying much attention to the Bachelorette. Instead, I was measuring how much closer Brenda's hand was getting to... Bingo!

She abandoned all pretence, and ran her hand over my package.

- "Mmm..." she moaned. She brought her other hand into play, undid my jeans, and pulled down my zipper. She reached in, and easily found my rapidly-growing member.

Brenda tugged at my pants some more, until I understood what she was after. I lifted my hips, so that she could pull my pants and underwear down to mid-thigh.

"Mmm..." she said again, as she began to stroke me.

She was still (sort of) watching the TV, while giving me an absent-minded handjob. I mean... maybe the best handjob I could remember getting, divided attention or not.

The moment the show went to commercial, Brenda turned her head, and licked up the side of my cock. Then her lips slipped over the crown of my erection. Her hand went lower, to cup and fondle my balls, as she took even more of my length into her mouth.

- "Ahhh..." That was me.

She was

good

. Great, even. When the commercials ended, and her show resumed, I half expected her to stop, but she didn't. She took all of me in, until her nose was buried in my pubic hair.

She pulled back, then, and took a deep breath.

- "Brenda - that's...

amazing

."

She grinned. "Glad you like it. Let me know what happens on the show. Or... I can always read about it tomorrow." With that, she took me in her mouth again.

In a matter of minutes, I blasted an immense load into her throat. I was quivering with the intensity of it. She kept sucking, making sure that she got every last drop.

It took me a moment to remember where I was.

I growled, and slid off the couch. It was my turn to undo her jeans, and pull them off. I took them all the way off, and her panties, too.

- "Ooh... really?"

- "Yes. Really. Your turn to remember what happens, so that you can tell me."

I took my time. She deserved it. I think that her show ended, and another one began. Brenda didn't talk as I kissed my way up and down her shapely legs. She did occasionally stroke my hair, or murmur my name.

She'd given me the best blowjob of my life. I wanted to retaliate. If I couldn't give her the best oral sex of her life, I could at least make it the longest, most drawn out session she'd ever experienced.

She talked to me during commercials.

- "Ooh, Dan... baby..."

At the next commercial break, she lifted her t-shirt, revealing her braless breasts. I took the hint, and used my hand to caress and fondle them.

- "Ahhh..." That was her.

And then she was suddenly grabbing my head with both hands, and hunching over, overcome by what seemed to be a very intense orgasm. I was quite pleased with my handiwork. Brenda had fallen back on her couch, naked from the waist down, with her t-shirt rucked up around her shoulders.

I stood up, and put my hands under her legs and her back. She wasn't very heavy. I picked her up off the couch.

- "Your bedroom? Where?"

- "Left." she said.

I barked my knee on the coffee table, and banged her head on the wall.

"Other left." she said.

I found her bedroom, and dropped her onto her bed (she bounced a foot into the air). I was between her legs a moment later, trying to get the head of my cock between her lips. Brenda reached down to help me, and I sank inside her.

We groaned at the same time, in chorus.

She grinned at me, and I smiled at her, even as I drove deep.

I'm still pretty sure that Brenda preferred slow and gentle love-making. But this occasion seemed to call for a hard and fast fuck, so that's what I gave her. She came again, as my hips slapped her ass, and then I unloaded again, deep inside her.

We cuddled, and kissed a bit. Holding her in my arms felt very easy, and quite right.

- "You're missing your shows." I said.

- "I can stream them. Or just read the summaries. I'd rather be here - with you."

- "Me too."

I had to tell her, though.

"Brenda? I have to tell you. I may be... seeing other women. If you want to go out with other guys -"

- "I don't."

- "Umm..." I was trying to explain that we wouldn't be exclusive.

- "I understand, Dan." she said. "You lost your wife, and you want to experience other women. I get it."

I hadn't said a word to her about Connie.

- "How? How did you know?"

- "I saw your house. It still had a woman's touch. The master bedroom was all her."

- "You saw that?"

- "Dan, you're the nicest guy I've met in... I don't know how long. If you want to spend time with me... that's great. But I don't want anyone else. Not now."

My mouth was hanging open. I'd made the mistake of underestimating Brenda because she watched reality television.

"You do what you have to do." she said. "Call me when you want. And... don't forget Tuesdays and Thursdays."

***

I met Tanya at a car dealership, looking around for a new car. She was very attractive. Sexy, too. I didn't buy the car because of her - you can't work for a North American car company, and drive an import. The purchase was a given.

But I enjoyed dealing with Tanya. She was clever, personable, and single (I asked). We seemed to be getting along, so I decided to take the plunge.

- "I want you - One." I said.

Tanya coughed, and then choked, as if she was trying to throw up.

- "What - what did you say?"

- "I owe you one." I said. I don't know if she bought it, because I was blushing all over.

So, as I said, it was a good idea to get to know a woman a little bit before trying the magic phrases on her.

***

Josh and Pete were still trying to be good friends. They'd done far more for me than I'd ever done for them. I finally went out with them, in early March. We went to the very same pool hall and restaurant where I'd taken Brenda.

But the guys had also invited a couple of the new office workers. Three girls joined us. Pete was obviously working on Marina. Jilly did nothing for me. But Kim...

She was five foot nothing. I'd seen her, at work, with her big glasses. Without them, she was much... cuter. She was also lively, and fun. In fact, she was the life of the party, and by far the hottest girl there. I was mildly surprised that Josh and Pete weren't all over her.

Then I remembered what I'd been like at 22 - or 25. A girl like Kim would have thoroughly intimidated me.

I was at the bar, getting a round, and trying to figure out how I was going to carry six drinks. Well, two trips, obviously.

- "Need some help?"

Kim. As I turned around, she was standing much too close.

- "Oh. Umm... yes. Thanks."

- "Can I ask you something, Dan?" she said.

- "Sure."

- "How come you haven't hit on me yet?"

I had no idea how to answer that. This vibrant little pixie was standing very close, looking up at me.

- "You... you were waiting for me? To hit on you?"

- "Well,

yeah

. Pete is into Marina. And Josh is... too shy. But you... you have that older guy vibe going on. Something tells me that you would know how to show a girl a good time."

Wow. Was this really happening? Truth be told, I

had

noticed Kim. She was a compact little box of dynamite. But I thought that Josh or Pete might be interested in her. Apparently not. And now here she was, propositioning me, if I wasn't mistaken.

- "How about... we get these drinks to the others. And you and I... we can talk about possibilities... tomorrow night? Dinner? On me."

- "Now you're speaking my language." she said.

***

- "You go out all the time." said Mom.

- "You have my number." I said. "You can call me any time you need me."

- "Hmph!"

I took Kim out for Italian. Several courses, wine, and multiple opportunities for conversation. She was funny, lively, and

very

cute.

Kim was tiny, but sexy. She was obviously a free spirit, too.

- "So... you and me. It's gonna happen, right?"

It was.

- "I want you - One."

She smiled. All three phrases met with a perfect response from her.

- "How about dessert at my place?" she suggested.

I was primed and ready. I didn't need the magic to get Kim into bed, but I used it to ensure a repeat performance -

and

her pleasure. I wanted Kim to enjoy it - enough to want more than one encounter.

She lived alone, in her own apartment. It was tastefully (if inexpensively) furnished. Kim invited me to take a seat on her couch, and offered me a glass of wine. As she walked about, getting glasses and pouring the wine, she had an exaggerated sway to her hips, showing off her tight little ass. It was incredibly blatant - but effective.

After two sips of wine, Kim stood, and began taking off her clothes. I was too stunned to do anything more than watch. She was small breasted, trim and compact, with strong legs for her size. Once she was down to her panties, she climbed onto the couch and straddled my lap. Her panty-clad pussy was positioned right on my crotch.

She proceeded to undo the buttons on my shirt. I leaned forward to kiss her. Kim almost immediately thrust her tongue in mouth. She pulled my shirt out of my pants, and began running her hands over my chest. I responded by taking hold of her ass in one hand, while fondling her little breast with the other.

Kim pushed me back, and climbed off my lap - but that was only so that she could undo my belt and pants. Without hesitation, she plunged her hand into my underwear and took hold of my cock.

- "Niiice..." she cooed.

A second later, it was in her mouth.

She wrestled with the waistband on my pants, to pull them down further. Meanwhile, she was busily slurping and drooling over my erection.

I'd never met a woman so aggressive. Even Jill, the oral queen from twenty years ago, had asked politely before blowing me. Kim simply went to town. She licked, and bobbed her head up and down, and took my balls into her mouth, coating them in saliva.