The Reality Engine Ch 18

Hi!

Thank you for reading my story. A couple of points to know:

I don't like writing wank porn. I want to write full-fleshed stories with plot, character, drama, and tension. Events in this chapter pick up the morning after the events at the end of chapter 17.

This chapter is going to run a little longer than previous ones. As we close in on the end of this story, chapter lengths will grow and shrink slightly so that the pacing stays consistent.

Thank you for taking the time, and please be sure to vote and offer any feedback you can. If you like what I do, offering feedback is the best thing you can do to help, there is nothing which aids a writer more than seeing the story through someone else's eyes.

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Chapter 18

Scott woke up at 4:30 AM, glanced next to him in bed, and saw that Padme was still fast asleep. Unlike the previous times he'd been intimate with a woman, the night before, with Padme, felt hollow. He didn't have time to give it much thought, as he rose and went about his morning routine to prepare for work.

At 5:30 AM Scott arrived at the lab, and began the day's duties. He worked all morning, and even though breakfast was delivered as it always was, he didn't see Dr. Karlov poke his head into the lab to eat and drink. Since he had begun work on this new level, Scott found the effort to be so rewarding that he had difficulty keeping track of time. A knock on the door to the lab shook him from his reverie. It was lunchtime already.

Scott opened the door to the lab to find Lory, as she always was, with a sandwich and a bag of chips in one hand, and a bottle of soda in the other, and a smile on her face. Scott greeted her warmly, welcomed her into the lab, and the two sat down at the table to eat and swap stories.

A few minutes into the conversation, the topic of Scott's recent evening with Padme came up.

"Congratulations on that," Lory said. "She sounds like quite the lady, and you were lucky to hook up with her."

"Yeah, I know," Scott said. "It was fun, but it felt so empty this morning, you know?"

"Any idea why you felt that way?" Lory asked.

"Yeah, it's because I like her a lot more than she likes me," Scott replied, frowning. "She sees me as just a friend, and not as a romantic partner. I made the offer to her last night, and she turned me down. When I was with Pepper and Cherry, I felt like they both really liked me. In the case of Pepper, she was emotionally into me, she just doesn't want to commit to anything right now, and Cherry likes me, but she's really cautious and I've had to win her over slowly."

"I see, so for Padme, it was duty sex?" Lory asked.

"I think so," Scott replied. "Padme said it herself, she expected me to come to her room on Tuesday night, so she could pay me back for helping her out that morning, and she was surprised when I didn't come. I think she sought me out because she didn't want to feel like she owed me. So, she fucked me to pay me back for helping her out. When we were together, she was trying to get into it, but I always got the sense that it just wasn't that good for her. When I was with some of the other girls, there was more moaning and groaning, and fewer conversations with complete thoughts."

"Padme might just have a domination fetish, and you're too gentle to scratch her itch," Lory suggested. "One of the things girls like about you is how respectful you are, but not every woman gets off on that. Some of them want to be tied-up and told exactly where to do their business."

"The dare I helped her win was an odd one," Scott said, musing. "Maybe if I had forced her to walk back to Maybe Dick Hall naked on Tuesday morning, and I had spanked her at intervals along the way, she might be attracted to me."

"Don't overthink it," Lory said, as she laughed out loud. "I merely mentioned the domination fetish as one possibility, but the truth is, we don't know why you and Padme didn't click. Just be who you are, and don't worry about attracting girls who want something different than what you have to offer."

"That's good advice, and I will take it to heart," Scott said. "So, I guess this means sex won't always be great with every partner. Sometimes, it will just be something we do to kill time, or because we feel obligated to do it."

"Speaking of that, can I talk to you about something?" Lory asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Scott asked. "I'm always happy to help you in any way I can."

In a few short words, Lory told Scott the story of her breakfast with Professor Klondike the morning before. When Lory had finished her tale, she asked Scott for his thoughts.

"Impregnating a woman?" Scott asked. "That's kind of a huge step, isn't it?"

"Sure is, and if you aren't comfortable with it, I'll tell Professor Klondike the answer is no," Lory said. "However, I would really appreciate it if you would do this for her. She's a good person, Scott, and she's got all the financial resources required to take care of a child. All she needs is a good man to do the deed with. She's realistic about this, from the conversations I've had with her. She's 28 years old now, and she knows how much harder pregnancy is for a woman after the age of 30. She knows she doesn't have that much time left, and she's being proactive."

"It makes sense to me," Scott said. "Also, an off-campus ball held every year full of half-naked lesbians? That's really a thing?"

"Apparently, it is," Lory replied. "I've heard the name Valkyrie Ball a time or three since I've been a student at Frostbite Falls University, but I never thought anything of it until Professor Klondike told me what it was. To be honest, I feel like this was probably a drunken bet that went way too far back in the day, and now, it's so established, it's become normal."

"Also, it's easy to see why you can tell me about this openly," Scott replied. "If I told anyone else about this ball, who would believe me?"

"It is certainly plausibly deniable," Lory replied, with a smile. "So, what do you think? Will you do it?"

"I take it that scheduling some time to meet with Professor Klondike before Tuesday night is out of the question?" Scott asked. "You mentioned you were meeting her for breakfast tomorrow, any chance I could come with you?"

"You wouldn't learn much, I'm afraid, as our breakfasts don't last that long," Lory said. "They usually only take about 20 minutes, and Professor Klondike is so busy, that I have to show up exactly on time."

"Also, it seems like she doesn't care for male company that much," Scott mused. "She's already going to take my cock up her cunt, and she probably doesn't also want to see my face over her coffee pot tomorrow morning."

"I didn't want to actually mention that, but there's no denying it's true; she has a very low opinion of men," Lory said. "The thought of a man sticking his penis up her pussy makes her visibly queasy. I don't know what it was that has shaped her opinion in that way, but it's there."

"I need some time to think about it," Scott said. "Can you give me three days, until Sunday afternoon, to give it some thought?"

"Sure thing, let me give you my phone number, so that you can call me when you've made up your mind," Lory said.

"Okay," Scott said, as Lory entered her contact details into Scott's phone, and he input his into her phone. "One thing I can say in favor of Professor Klondike is that she's got her finger on the pulse of what men want: a half-naked, beautiful woman exposing her pussy and begging for our cocks is about the best way to convince us to throw caution to the wind and do the deed."

Lory said a silent prayer that Scott wouldn't ask whether she would also be half-naked on Tuesday night. Lory liked Scott, a lot, and she was sure she could easily develop romantic feelings for Scott, but Connor was her boyfriend, and a good, honest man. The more Lory pondered Tuesday night, the more convinced she was of the danger. Lory knew it was up to her to make sure that she and Scott would never be alone, and bottomless, around each other at the ball. Scott had enough on his mind as it was, and it wasn't fair to put this additional burden on his plate.

"So, what are your plans for Halloween tomorrow night?" Scott asked.

"I'm planning on heading to a party that a friend of mine is throwing," Lory said. "I know you're planning on taking Cherry to the All Hallow's Eve Party. That's something every student should go to at least once in their lives. It's definitely a spectacle, and you'll enjoy it."

"I have tomorrow off of work so that I can sleep in and make sure I have enough energy to stay out all night, and I also have the little issue of finding a costume for the party," Scott said. "If the All Hallow's Eve Party is such a spectacle, why aren't you attending?"

"I went my freshman year," Lory said. "After that first time, I decided it wasn't for me. It was fun to go, but due to my upbringing, being there made me feel uncomfortable. I still had a great time, don't get me wrong, but well, you'll see what I mean when you go tomorrow night. Be sure to soak it all in. It's definitely a unique experience."

Scott finished his meal, and he escorted Lory to the door to the lab. The two friends exchanged a hug, before Lory gave Scott a kiss on the cheek, smiled, and left the lab.

At 9:30 PM, in Fuggville, Calvin walked into the gym on the other side of the parking lot from the Aesop and Son ice cream parlor. He was here to find Mark, and take him to the party being thrown for him at the ice cream parlor that evening. Calvin spotted Mark riding an exercise bike and signaled him over.

"Hey man, how are you?" Calvin asked, as he and Mark shook hands.

"Pretty good," Mark said. "I've just got a few minutes of cool-down left to do on the bike. Want to come over and talk?"

Calvin indicated he would, and Mark cleared Calvin with the front desk attendant, and they both went to his bike.

"Did you finish the big report you had due yesterday?" Calvin asked, as Mark mounted the bike and started to pedal.

"Sure did," Mark said. "I was up until 3 AM finishing it. As a reward, I got to sleep in last night and I got today off work. Life is good, all the way around."

"Happy 33rd birthday," Calvin said. "I sure hope I'm not the first one to wish you a Happy Birthday today."

"My family and friends from back home texted me earlier, and my boss called me, but that's about it," Mark said. "Like I told you the last time we met, I don't really have many friends in the area as I only moved out here about two years ago. Funny thing about moving halfway across the country to pursue a dream job is that once you get out here it's really hard to meet new people, especially when you're working long hours. I appreciate you coming over here to wish me a Happy Birthday, it would have been easy to just wait at the ice cream shop, since I was going to come right over."

"About that, it's my job is to make sure you come to the ice cream parlor tonight," Calvin said. "We all chipped in and got you a birthday gift."

"I appreciate the thought, but you didn't have to do that," Mark said.

"How can you say that when you haven't opened the gift yet?" Calvin asked, with a smile.

"It's the thought that counts, and I mean it," Mark replied. "When you get to be my age, and you start to make real money, pretty much everything you want is easily obtainable. The stuff you can receive as a gift is stuff you can buy, it's the stuff you can't receive as a gift that's priceless. One of those priceless things is the thought, it's the fact that others cared enough about you to take the trouble to get you something. I don't care what it is, I appreciate the time and effort spent, so I know that no matter what you got me, I'll treasure it forever."

"I haven't really made that much money yet," Calvin said. "So, I appreciate gifts of socks and fresh underwear a lot more today than I did when I was a kid."

"Makes sense to me," Mark said, as he stopped peddling and got off the bike. "Okay, that does it, let me shower and change, and we'll head over to Aesop and Son together, okay?"

20 minutes later, Mark and Calvin were on the other side of the parking lot and about to enter the ice cream parlor. All the blinds were closed, and there was a large sign on the front door that read 'closing at 10 PM for a private party'. Calvin stopped Mark in front of the door, and sent a text message on his phone.

"Just have to make sure everything is ready before we go inside," Calvin said.

"I hope you didn't plan anything special on my account," Mark said.

"Don't worry about that too much, just enjoy the show," Calvin said. "None of us have the money to do anything extravagant, but I hope we got you the perfect gift. Something you said before makes sense to me: the older you get, the more the stuff that you really want is stuff you can't buy."

"Fact of life," Mark said. "Money can't buy you real friends, or love, or a date for Saturday night, or a girlfriend, or a wife, or kids, or a good family. You have to work and earn all those things. Money can make forming relationships easier, but it can't make a relationship fulfilling."

"I just got my first girlfriend a short while ago," Calvin said. "I'd like to get married and have kids someday. When do those things start to be on your mind?"

"I started being preoccupied with it when I turned 31 and moved out here to Minnesota," Mark said.

Calvin received the answer he wanted to his text, he smiled at Mark, and he opened the door to the ice cream parlor. Mark smiled back at Calvin, and the two friends walked inside. Mia was the attendant behind the counter, and she was dressed in her work clothes; Shauna was standing beside her friend. The smile instantly faded from Mark's face; Carla was absent.

"Carla's not here?" Mark asked.

"Oh no, she's here," Mia said, with a smile. "She's just getting your present ready."

A moment later, and Carla stepped out from the backroom of the parlor. She was dressed in only the blue apron worn as part of the uniform at Aesop and Son and nothing else. No shoes, no pants, no shirt, no underwear, and she carried in her hands a single scoop of Mark's favorite ice cream, in a cup, with a lit birthday candle in it. Mark's jaw dropped when he saw Carla, and everyone started to sing "Happy Birthday".

"Now, make a wish and blow out the candle," Carla said.

Mark closed his eyes, blew out the candle, and took the scoop of ice cream that Carla handed him.

"This is the best birthday present I've ever received," Mark said, as he picked up a spoon on the counter and started to eat his ice cream.

"That's not your present," Carla said, with a smile.

"Then, what is?" Mark asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm your present," Carla announced, as she turned around and showed Mark her completely naked back-side, except for the lone strap where the apron tied in back. "Now, come here and unwrap your gift."

"I. . .," Mark said, as he glanced at Calvin desperate for advice on what he should do next.

"It's not that hard," Calvin said, with a cheery smile. "You untie the strap, and you pull off the apron."

"She would be, umm, naked though, right?" Mark asked, blushing.

Carla had expected this entire situation to be humiliating for her beyond belief, but the reality shocked her: this was far more embarrassing for Mark than it was for her. Carla was feeling on top of the world, and was absolutely in her element. A completely decent man wanted to see her naked more than anything, and she wanted to be naked for him more than anything, but he was terrified to take what was freely offered. Calvin had told her this was how things would play out, and Carla hadn't believed it until she saw it with her own eyes.

"I can't wait here all night," Carla declared, as she took the scoop of ice cream from Mark, put it on a table, and guided his hands to the strap on the back of her apron. She gently used his hands to untie it herself, then she hooked the apron over her head, and deposited it on the table next to the ice cream. Carla turned and stood before Mark completely naked.

"My God," Mark gasped. "I've never seen anything more lovely in my life. This is the greatest gift any man has ever received."

"Well, don't just stand there," Mia said. "Aren't you going to put your arms around your gift and cherish it?"

"I, uh. . .," Mark said, not knowing if this would be okay with Carla.

"I suppose a gift you can't hold in your hands isn't much of a gift at all," Carla said, sighing. "Go ahead, but make sure you enjoy it."

"That's fine, I'm okay with just looking," Mark said.

"Oh, come on!" Shauna exclaimed. "He's going out of his mind to grab your cooch, why the fuck do you have to be such a bitch, Carla?"

"Just look at the front of his pants!" Carla snapped back at Shauna. "He doesn't just want to grab my cooch, he wants to fuck me. You know what will happen if my mom finds out this happened. I'm taking a huge risk as it is."

Calvin tapped Mark on the shoulder, and placed one finger in front of his lips. His meaning was clear: let the girls have their argument, don't try to help.

"You ever think that, maybe, your mom is right?" Shauna asked. "You turn down enough eligible bachelors, and eventually, the supply will run out."

"Hold on here, let's not get personal," Mia interjected.

"I wish there was a way to know for sure," Carla said, calming down. "If my mom wasn't in the picture, I'd have no issue fucking Mark on his birthday; it's just sex, no big deal."

Calvin figured the girls had discussed amongst themselves how Mark's birthday party was to go, and that he had not been privy to that conversation. The argument the girls were having was not really an argument, it was just for show, and they had agreed before-hand how it was to proceed. That was why Carla had calmed herself at a point in the conversation where it hadn't really made sense for her to calm down. This was a test the girls had crafted for the two gentlemen, which is why Calvin had urged Mark to be silent. The girls would explain the test, and the two gentlemen should wait patiently until all the instructions had been presented.

The one thing that surprised Calvin was that Carla had brought up the subject of having sex with Mark. That had most certainly not been part of the agenda for the evening that Calvin was aware of. However, if Carla was in a giving mood, and was willing to fuck Mark, Calvin wasn't going to do anything to stop it from happening.

"Well, you're the one who believes in fate, so why not let the universe decide?" Shauna asked, with a smile.

In a snap, Calvin figured out what the test was: Carla was feeling generous towards Mark, but she had an extremely over-bearing mother. If Carla had sex with Mark, could Mark be relied upon to keep the details secret so that no word of it would ever reach Carla's mother?

"If you do that for me, I'll consider myself the luckiest man to ever live, and I swear on my life that I would never tell another soul about it," Mark said.

Calvin smiled; Mark had just hit that one out of the ballpark. Five minutes later, Mark had removed all his clothes, and he was lying on top of Carla on the couch in the employee break-room about to fuck her.

"Make sure you savor this, because you are never getting laid like this ever again," Carla said, as she slid a condom on Mark's penis, then wrapped her arms around Mark's shoulders, and kissed him on the lips.

Mark wrapped his arms around Carla's waist, and Carla instinctively wrapped her legs around Mark's waist to give him leverage, as he took the first push into her.

"What does it feel like?" Mia asked, as she watched and shot a video of the scene with her phone.

"Fantastic," Carla said, as Mark started to hammer his cock into her. Many of the feelings and sensations around sex were different than Carla had thought they would be. She felt herself completely connected to Mark, and she found it hard to breath as he made love to her. Mark was extremely awkward and inexperienced, but so was Carla, and she found herself hoping, in the depths of her soul, that it was as good for him as it was for her.