The Gift 170

It was about 7:00 pm when the red Jaguar SUV sped into the crowded Best Buy parking lot. It weaved through several aisles before curling into an open space at the outer edge of the lot. The engine silenced and the driver's door flew open, spitting out a dark-haired man in jeans and a red tee shirt with keys clenched in one fist, cellphone in the other. Barely slowing to shut the door, Eric skirted the adjacent cars and jogged purposefully toward the entrance.

Bursting through the doors he screeched to a halt just beyond the walk-off mat, surprised by a store teaming with people. An uncomfortable feeling crept over him. It had been months since he'd seen a crowd this size indoors, and he was wasn't sure he was ready to deal with people on this scale again. The sooner he grabbed what he came for the sooner he could leave, and that was just fine with him.

He made his way to the comparatively short line at the pickup desk, avoiding as many browsers as he could en-route. Waiting his turn, he marveled at the number of people who seemed so much more interested in simply being out of the house than in anything they found on the shelves. An electronics big box store seemed like an odd choice for an evening out, but, to each his own.

Stepping up to the counter he flashed his phone at the clerk who scanned the receipt code and checked the computer. His eyes lit up as he watched the screen.

"So you're the lucky guy," he said, turning to search the shelf behind him for the appropriate package.

"What do you mean," Eric replied.

The clerk scooped up a sizeable black box with the image of the newest mid-level drone in a grayish white on each side and set it on the counter between them. "We got a shipment of these in yesterday morning," he said, "and this is the last one. We can't keep them in stock."

"Well I'm glad I got my pre-order in," Eric laughed. "I have a video shoot with it tomorrow."

"Ah, yes, it's perfect for video." The clerk leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "You wouldn't believe how many people just buy these for their kids," he said. "Like a $500 toy."

They chuckled together while the receipt printed.

...

Eric headed back across the parking lot, the rapidly cooling air nipping at his arms, his eyes adjusting to the evening light. Spotting his car, he frowned, shook his head. It was so...ostentatious. Not really him at all. Luxury SUV drivers were always such assholes. Now everyone would assume he was too.

But, according to his business partner, clients were more likely to trust you if you projected an air of success. And part of that was the ostentatious ride. So he finally broke down and leased a Jag. Leased it because he just couldn't commit to owning one.

The doors unlocked as he approached, illuminating the interior with a soft white glow. He was rounding the fender to the driver's side when he heard hurried footsteps behind him, followed by a frazzled female voice.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, padding to a stop, "Excuse me?"

Eric turned to find an athletic blonde in black yoga pants and a long grey printed tank top, the strap of a small leather wallet slung over her right shoulder. Her sneakers shuffled anxiously on the pavement; her pixie cut made her age difficult to decipher.

"Can I help you?" he asked, puzzled by the stranger's urgency.

"I...I hope so," she replied. She seemed to have trouble selecting her words. "I...did you...were you the guy that picked up the drone from the help desk?"

Eric glanced down at the bag weighing down his right hand. "Yeah," he replied, "that was me. Why?"

She looked at the ground, fumbling with her fingers. "Well I...okay. This is going to sound...strange, but...could I buy it from you? Please?"

"Um...excuse me?" Eric's forehead crinkled, confused by the question. "Could you what?"

"Buy it from you," she repeated softly. "Could I buy it from you." She reached into her wallet, fumbling in the pockets. "I have cash," she said, pulling out several folded bills and thumbing through them. "It's five hundred plus tax, right? Here, here's $550. That should cover it, right?"

She extended her hand and he looked at the bills. They were crisp, like she'd recently retrieved them from the ATM, and she fiddled with them nervously. Eric shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to hang on to it. But thanks?"

He turned toward his door. "Wait!" she exclaimed, stepping closer. "Please."

He stopped, looking at her closely. She frowned, almost pouting, her full lips pressed together, turning down at the corners of her mouth. Even in the fading light she was a very attractive woman.

"It's not for me," she began, "it's for my son. It's been a tough year for him. He got sick and fell behind in school, and then my husband lost his job and we had to move. I told him if things turned around and he caught up in school I'd get him one for his birthday.

"I've been looking for months. They're always sold out or on order - not even the auction sites have them. I've been all over the city today and you have the only one. His birthday is tomorrow. Please, I can't disappoint him again. Let me buy it from you. If five fifty isn't enough, I can give you more. Seven hundred. Seven fifty?"

Her voice was mellow - soothing almost. The evening shadows softened her cheek bones while defining her curves. Eric found himself distracted from her story, drawn to other things instead. His cock stirred in his jeans, thickening against his thigh. Fortunately, the hood of the SUV shielded it from view. The numbers pulled him out of the trance.

"Seven fifty," he repeated.

"Eight Hundred, if that will seal it."

Eric considered the offer. Two fifty in free money was tempting. But it wouldn't help him shoot the aerial footage he needed to capture tomorrow. Besides, the longer he watched her, the more uncomfortable he became with the thoughts creeping into his head.

"Look," he said finally, "I appreciate the offer, really, I do. But I have a job to do tomorrow and I need this to get it done. I'm going to have to hang onto it. I'm sorry. I hope you're able to find another one."

Again he moved to open his door. And again the woman stepped closer, her face pleading, her tone urgent.

"No, wait," she shouted, rounding the nose of the Jag and slamming her palm down on the hood. Seemingly startled by her own reaction she checked herself, lowering her voice and snapping her hand behind her back.

"Please. I can't go back without it. I can't disappoint my son again. Not after everything he's been through." She was flustered now, the ball of her right foot twisting against the pavement, the bills trembling in her fingers. "God, it's just a stupid drone, what's the big deal! Look at what you're driving, you can get another one!"

"Not by tomorrow," Eric reminded her. "What am I supposed to tell my client?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Tell him...." She dug more cash out of the wallet. "Tell him you'll give him five hundred dollars to postpone...whatever it is you're doing. Here." She crushed the money in her fist and thrust it at him. "A thousand...twelve hundred dollars. Please. Take it."

Eric had tuned out the money talk, focusing on the woman instead. Her cheeks, neck and chest flushed pink. Her bottom lip quivered. And her nipples stabbed at the fabric of her shirt as they jiggled beneath. Women like this were out of his league. They didn't breathe the same air, drink the same water. Yet here she was. Desperate. Something came over him. Something he couldn't explain.

"What's your name?" he said, following a deep sigh.

"Shauna," she replied.

He nodded, pinching his chin between his fingers. "All right Shauna, how about this." He stepped closer, lowering his head and his voice. "I'll give it to you for five hundred even, if you suck my dick."

Eric couldn't believe those words came out of his mouth. And by the look on Shauna's face, neither could she. She recoiled in disgust, her eyes squinting, lips sour.

"Excuse me?" she spat, the venom in her voice pricking Eric's conscience. "I...no! I will NOT do that! Pervert. Why the FUCK would you ask me that?"

Eric was silent, pondering the question. Why WOULD he say that? What the hell came over him? It must have been the car. He'd only had it two weeks, how could it already be turning him into an asshole soliciting blowjobs from soccer moms.

He snapped his gaze to the ground, avoiding her angry eyes. It suddenly seemed like a good time to bail and never speak of this encounter to anyone. He looked up, catching her wicked glare. He opened his mouth to apologize. Instead he nodded, muttering the word "okay" and opening the driver's side door.

He stepped up inside, maneuvering the package between the seats into the back and shutting the door behind him. He felt her eyes burning holes in him through the windshield as he made himself comfortable, clicking the seatbelt into the buckle. He took a deep breath and pushed the start button. The engine growled to life.

Assuring the bag wouldn't slide off the seat he awkwardly checked his mirrors and eased the shift lever into Drive. The engine note dropped, low enough for him to be startled by the knock on his window. He turned to face Shauna -- still upset, but much more restrained -- appealing to him through the glass. He froze, foot firmly on the brake. She knocked again, this time with her palm. Eric shifted back to Park and opened the window.

"Two thousand dollars," she said through gritted teeth. "Please. It's all I have."

Eric sighed, his head swiveling only slightly side to side. He wanted to leave. But something instead held him there. Waiting. For...something.

"Come on," she pleaded, the corners of her eyes welling with tears. "That's four times what its worth. Please."

"I don't want your money Shauna," Eric replied, the part of himself he'd met only moments earlier now controlling his responses. "Save it for your son. I want your mouth, on my cock."

What on earth was he saying? He had never uttered those words to a girlfriend, let alone a woman he'd met in a parking lot. The SUV key felt heavy in his pocket.

Shauna turned away, her expression difficult to read in the fading light. But the breeze rippling through the sparse leaves did not cover the anxious scuffing of her sneakers on the asphalt. Eric waited for her response. Receiving none, he started to close the window. Instantly she hooked her fingers over glass.

"I'm married," she said finally, still looking away.

Eric nodded. "That's okay," he replied, "I won't tell."

Shauna rolled her eyes before shutting them, a tear trickling down her cheek. She remained quiet, teeth grinding behind sealed lips. In the back of his mind a tiny voice told him to leave. To go home and prepare for the shoot and try to figure out what had come over him. But it was a meek and quiet voice. Too easily drowned out by the new voice in front, egging him on, orchestrating...whatever this was. Her shoulders slumped. She took several short breaths before forcing herself to speak again.

"I'll jerk you off," she said quietly, a remnant of hope in her inflection. Eric smiled, shaking his head.

"I could do that myself," he replied. "That's not much of an offer."

She looked up at him, exasperation twisting her face. "Why are you making me do this?" she pleaded. "Why can't you just take the money?"

Eric shrugged, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not making you do anything," he said, sounding a little offended. "I've tried to leave three times. I would be halfway home by now. You're the one keeping me here.

"Look," he continued, "the offer is what it is. You can take it or leave it, it's up to you. If you want me to go, I'll go. If you want the drone...." He waved his hand toward the passenger seat."

She glared at him, seething, before lowering her face into the palms of her hands. She muttered something that sounded like "asshole", before rubbing her eyes and shuffling off toward the front of the SUV.

Eric sighed, far more disappointed than he had any right to be. He couldn't really expect her to blow a strange man in a parking lot. It was probably for the best.

Slipping the shifter into Drive he eased his foot off the brake and looked up, only to slam it back on the pedal immediately. Shauna slapped her hand on the hood as she rounded the nose toward the passenger side. He shoved the lever quickly back into park and unlocked the other doors. Moments later she popped the passenger door open and climbed in. Slamming it shut she turned and glared at him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you were leaving."

She shifted, straightening in the seat, hands in her lap, lowering her eyes to the floor. She was quiet, breathing slowly through her nose. Finally, she threw her head back against the headrest. "Can we just get this over with," she muttered. "I want to go home."

Eric nodded. "Sure." He slipped his hands under his shirt, undoing the button on the waistband of his jeans, his cock already straining against the denim. The sweet scent of her perfume reached his nostrils, filling his lungs and tickling his brain.

"Wait," she said, raising a hand. "Does it have to be here? Can we go somewhere else? Somewhere a little less...exposed?"

Eric surveyed the lot. The cars had thinned out and the rim of the sun hung barely above the tree line, but it wouldn't take much for someone wandering to their car nearby to notice what would be happening inside his. "Okay," he replied. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know," she said, looking around, "somewhere...." She twisted in the seat, finally pointing a finger behind them. "There, under that tree."

In the mirror Eric saw the mature willow on the island next to the dumpster. Two or three spaces were shaded by the drooping branches and concealed on two sides by the freshly painted wood fence. "We can do that," he nodded.

He pulled around to the agreed upon spot, mindful that no one seemed to be watching. He parked in the space best concealed by the shadows and shut off the engine. Only then did he notice Shauna tapping her foot nervously on the carpet. "Is this better," he asked softy.

She nodded, setting her wallet carefully on the floor. She folded her hands on her knees, picking at the fabric of her pants. "If I do this," she said, staring straight ahead, "how do I know you'll keep your word?"

Eric thought for a moment. The big voice in his head wanted to tell her she'd just have to trust him. But that might lead to an argument, or her deciding it wasn't worth the risk and bailing out. He rooted around in his pocket and dug out his phone. Pinching it between two fingers he held it out to her.

"Hang on to this," he said. "When you're finished, I'll give you the drone and you give me my phone. Deal?"

She looked at it carefully before plucking it from his fingers. "Fine," she said, slipping it into her wallet. "Let's get this over with."

His heart thumping in his chest Eric again reached for his button, this time popping it free and peeling down the zipper. Hooking a thumb over the waistband of his underwear he tugged it away from his abdomen and down the shaft of his engorged penis, tucking it in place below his balls.

He didn't have the thickest cock, but it was long, and wobbled as he adjusted to a more comfortable position. Pulling his shirt away with one hand he flipped up the center console with the other, clearing the path to his member. He looked at her, watching her eyeing his dick, her lips pursed, breath shallow. "Whenever you're ready," he said, smiling.

Shauna hesitated, setting a hand on her knee to stop it from bouncing. She leaned over just a bit, then stopped. "How long do I have to do this for?"

Eric frowned, puzzled. "How long? Until I cum. What do you mean how long?"

"Wait," Shauna protested, "you never said that before! You just said I had to suck it! You didn't say anything about...."

Eric shrugged. "Did you think I wanted to get half a blowjob then have you leave me here with a raging hardon? Seriously?" He shook his head. "You suck my cock, you swallow my load, you get the drone. That's the deal."

Her eyes bulged and her mouth fell open to speak again, but Eric cut her off. "Yes, you swallow it. Were you going to spit it on the upholstery? Did you want it on your clothes so your husband can ask questions? Come on. You blow me, you swallow. Are we on the same page now?"

Shauna's eyes fell, but she said nothing. She hesitated again, her body twisting like she wanted to leave. But she finally caved, leaning over the gap between the seats and bracing her hand against Eric's thigh. His cock twitched, anticipating what was coming. She drew her left knee up onto the seat, leveling her back, before slowly lowering her head and slipping her lips over his dick.

Eric groaned, the heat of her mouth enveloping him and warming his entire groin. His balls tightened and his hips eased upward, causing Shauna to retreat until she covered just the glans. She paused until he relaxed in the seat, then gripped the base of his cock with her free hand and resumed a slow suckle, taking less than half his shaft each time.

Eric fumbled for the lever, reclining the seat back to a better angle and improving his view in the process. She seemed still unsure, still hesitant; her mouth dry, tongue static. But she continued, working her way into it, her saliva gradually beginning to flow. The moisture greased her lips, easing them over the thin, sensitive skin of his shaft.

She flattened her tongue against the side of his dick, curling the edges to graze the top and bottom as well. A shiver shot through from his balls to the base of his spine. He thrust upward again, powered by a throaty growl, wanting to be enveloped completely. She pulled away, expelling all but the head of his cock. Frustrated he reached out and cupped a hand over the back of her head and pushed it down to meet his rising member.

She resisted with a grunt of protestation, her fingers squeezing his shaft and digging into his thigh. But he held firm, denying her escape, insisting she comply. Suddenly, a switch flipped inside her. Her defiance melted away. Her grip relaxed. And the remainder of Eric's penis sank into her mouth.

Shauna released the base of his cock and before he knew it the head of his penis squeezed past her tonsils into her throat. It constricted around him, her stomach contracting, chest heaving, a gurgling cough escaping from deep within. He yanked his hand back, expecting her to spit him out along with whatever she had for lunch. But her head stayed down, her throat opened up, and the retching was followed by a very distinctly satisfied moan.

Eric watched in awe as she eased up little before working back down. Saliva flooded her mouth, trickling out the corners and slathering his cock. It flexed in her throat, stiffening his legs and curling his toes against the soles of his shoes. She lifted off again, this time forcing herself farther, craning her neck and smushing her lips into his balls.

"Holy shit," Eric whispered, his pelvis shaking from the straining of his dick. Never had he experienced anything like this. Every motion was quicker, every nerve ending sharper. His brain filtered out everything else, leaving him to focus solely on Shauna's magic mouth swallowing his cock.

Finally, she came up for air, her eyes bulging, mouth gaping. She gasped, sucking in several deep breaths, spit strands clinging to her chin. Turning her head, she laid it in his lap, flicking her tongue over his scrotum several times before drawing it up the underside of his shaft and swirling it over the glans. He groaned, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth, realizing he had a problem. He never wanted this blowjob to end. But it would be impossible to hold out very long.