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.