The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Beth arrived a little after four. “That smells delicious!” she said as she swept in the door. I took the bags from her arms as she gave me a peck on the cheek. “Careful, those are good crystal champagne flutes in there,” she cautioned me.

Karen had cleaned up the house, set the dining room table, gotten dinner started, fixed the salad. We were all set.

We were sitting around the kitchen table. Beth looked at us both. “How are you two doing? How were exams?”

“How were yours?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Tough, but fair. I’m hoping for the best. Karen?”

Karen looked to me. “Thanks to Andy, I had one fewer than I’d expected. I think I did well. But tonight....”

I squeezed one of her hands; Beth squeezed the other. “Tell her about ‘baby bird,’” I suggested.

Karen smiled and told Beth about her dad calling her “baby bird” on the phone, and then described what I’d done, and how that helped her realize how happy her dad was again.

“So why are you both so up-tight?” Beth asked.

I exhaled as I laughed along with Karen. Yes, I’d been holding myself tight. “Calm and relaxed—calm and relaxed,” I said out loud. Beth nodded.

Karen shook her head. “These last two weeks—since Thanksgiving—have been heaven and hell. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

I sighed and chuckled. Both of them looked at me. “Want a scary thought?” I asked. Both nodded. “I’d say the same thing—how much more can I take? But after making it through the last two weeks, I know now I can make it through one hell of a lot.” I held their hands. “Especially when I know I’ve got friends who can help.”

Karen was shaking her head. Beth nodded. “Unfortunately you’re right, Andy. Surviving means we can handle more.”

Karen’s dad, Jack, and his “guest” arrived about five fifteen.

I think we were all nervous when Karen opened the door. I know I was.

Jack was a surprise—an inch or so shorter than Karen, which put him three inches or so shorter than me. He hugged Karen, then turned to the woman by his side. She was a bit shorter than him, and well stacked, if on the thin side. She looked a bit nervous.

“Dina,” he said to her, “this is my baby bird, Karen.”

Dina laughed. She had a good laugh; hearing her made me feel more at ease. “Jack, please—she’s hardly a baby bird any more. She’s a beautiful young woman.” Dina hugged Karen.

Karen held one of Dina’s hands and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I don’t mind being called that—it means my daddy is happy again.” The three of them hugged.

I don’t know many of the practical things in life. Which finger and hand does an engagement ring go on? Dina had a ring on her right hand that looked as if it had a beaver on it or something. She had what looked to be a diamond ring on her left hand.

Karen introduced Beth and me. She introduced Beth as my guardian, and a good friend who had done a lot to help her. She introduced me as a good friend as well, one who’d been through a lot lately, but had survived. I shook hands with Jack, and got a hug from Dina.

I helped Jack with suitcases; we carried them into the big bedroom. It was spotless. Oh well, I’m going to sleep alone again tonight. And for how many nights? To a certain extent that was up to me.

I heard a “pop” from the other side of the house. Jack and I went to the kitchen. Beth had opened a bottle of fizzy and was filling five glasses. I helped hand them out, then looked to Beth.

She raised her glass. “This was my idea,” she said. I didn’t laugh. “Let’s go around the room with toasts. I’ll start. To Andy, for not only surviving, but for doing so retaining his humanity, and to Karen for helping so much.” We drank a sip. It was good. Beth turned to me.

I held up my glass. “So many things have happened in the last few months. As much as we may wish it, a rose isn’t a rose without the thorns. Thank you both so much.” We drank to that. I looked to Karen.

She shook her head and took an emotional breath. “I’ve seen Andy grow so much, and I’ve grown so much as well. Andy and Beth have helped so much. And daddy, thanks to their help, I’ve got four year scholarships to a real college now.”

That got a small cheer and a hug from her dad. But then Jack and Dina exchanged glances. That surprised them. There were wheels turning within wheels. We looked to them.

Jack took one of Dina’s hands in his as he raised his glass. “Baby bird, you were right when you said I’m happy again. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.” He sighed and looked at Dina again. “Last week I asked Dina to marry me. She’s agreed. We haven’t set a date yet. We needed to talk to you.”

We drank to that, and congratulated them. I think we were all a little misty-eyed.

We learned that Dina worked in Seattle for a high-tech company. Jack met her while making a call on them for his current employer. He’d be joining them as an employee the first of the year. They’d known each other for six months. Jack looked to Karen, and to Beth, and told us that a very intense afternoon with two lady psychiatrists had helped him make up his mind, and he was very glad he had.

Dina spoke with a strong voice, telling us what an addition to the company Jack was going to be, and how lucky she felt. She told us she’d been married before, many years ago, but that marriage had ended after a few years and no children. The way she said that had me wondering if they’d have kids now.

Beth moved us to the dinner table. Jack and Dina were surprised and delighted with the meal we’d prepared. I told them Karen was a great cook. She laughed, and Beth told everyone I was the cook in the house.

We talked about school. When I mentioned math and physics, Dina started grilling me with questions—she was an M.I.T. grad. I told them I was going to Stanford, to study psychology and math, thanks to Beth, Karen, and others. Dina shook her head and told me to at least minor in engineering.

As Karen and I cleaned up afterwards, I mentioned how nice and clean the big bedroom looked. She looked shocked, and almost dropped the pot she was drying. I caught it as she raced out of the room. She returned a bit later, laughing softly. She leaned over to me and whispered, “The nightstand drawer was loaded with condoms.” I laughed with her.

The pie turned out great. Over pie and coffee, we talked more. My story unwound; I told the shortened and expurgated version, thanking Beth and Karen for being there when I needed support. Beth told them that through it all, I’d never given up. I shook my head, and told her I had, a few times, but someone had been there to catch me when I did.

Karen’s perspective was interesting. As she spoke, I could sense the conflict I’d seen in her, at once wanting to protect me, and yet to be protected by me. She spoke of working with Emily, opening up, shedding a shell.

Dina shook her head. “You have been through some exciting times recently.”

We chuckled; I looked to Beth, then to Karen. Our eyes met and held.

Beth asked, “What are your plans? How long are you staying?”

I looked back to Jack and Dina. They held hands, looking at each other. Then Jack looked at Karen.

“We’re flying back on Sunday.” He paused, smiling a little, taking a breath.

Here it comes, I thought. Calm and relaxed.

“Baby bird, Karen,” he said, “We want you to come stay with us for a while. We want you to stay with us for Christmas. We’ve got a ticket for you.”

“Yes, please,” said Dina, “we want you to be with us.”

Karen was shocked, and on the edge of tears. She looked to me, to Beth, then to her dad.

Karen looked to me again, and said softly, “Andy?”

Her dad spoke up. “Sounds like it would work out well, now that Andy can move back with Beth.”

I tried to give Karen strength. Where is my determined Karen?

She turned a little to her dad, extending a hand to me as she did. I held her hand. “Daddy,” she said, “this is very sudden. I have to think about it.”

Dina started to say something, but Jack squeezed her hand. “Please, baby bird,” he said, “We want you to celebrate Christmas with us—as a family again.” Dina was holding his hand in both of hers.

I closed my eyes and let my head down a little. What was a family? I’d listened to Karen talk about family Christmas celebrations in this house with her grandparents, what joyous times those had been. I felt a squeeze on my hand. I took a breath and lifted my head, sitting up straight. I must build my own path. May we all be free from suffering; may we all be at peace.

Karen suddenly let go of my hand and bolted for the kitchen. I said, “Excuse me,” and walked in after her.

I held her gently, putting her head on my shoulder. She held me, clutched at me as she cried. After a bit she started saying, “This isn’t fair, Andy; it isn’t fair.”

I grabbed a paper napkin from the kitchen table. “What’s not fair?” I asked her quietly as I dried her face.

She shook her head. “He’s so happy, and I want him to be happy, but ...”

I nodded. “He’s your father. You love him. He’s holding out a hand to you. So is she.”

She held me again, burrowing her head into my shoulder. “You’re no help,” she sighed. I held her and rocked her. It was awful quiet in the other room.

“Karen, darling, we’re survivors. We’ve made it through worse than this. He wants you to be his little girl, his baby bird again, if only for a while.” I almost said, “You’re so lucky,” but my eyes filled with tears, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get the words out.

She sighed. I felt her back straightening as she raised her head. I knew she’d decided.

I smiled and wiped her face. “That’s the Karen I know—the one with such determination and strength.”

But her look of determination crumbled as she said, “But I think I love you, Andy.”

We crumbled into each other. I felt her tears, and my own. I’d been too scared to say that, even to myself. “I don’t know, Karen. I don’t know. I know I’ve never felt this way about anybody in my life.” I heard a chair move in the other room. I didn’t care—I was holding Karen, and she was holding me.

I felt another hand on me, arms around us both—Beth. I sighed. Was it over between Karen and me? Was I pulling back? Why? Don’t pull back—be there, for her if for no other reason.

More chairs moving in the other room—we both straightened up a bit, Beth gave us a squeeze, and stepped back.

I wiped my own eyes this time, as Jack and Dina stepped into the kitchen. They were holding hands. Karen and I were as well.

Jack looked at his daughter, his baby bird. I could imagine what was going through him—seeing his baby bird holding hands with me.

He smiled and sighed. “I didn’t know,” he said.

Karen and I chuckled a bit. “Neither did we, daddy,” Karen said. She turned to me and gave me a hug. I felt determination again in her—and distance? She stepped back, looked me in the eye as she sighed and smiled. Then she dropped my hands and stepped to her father. “Daddy,” she said with emotion in her voice, “I’ll go with you.”

Dina put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to decide right now.”

Karen looked to him, and her. I saw the tears forming in her eyes. “No,” she said, barely above a whisper, “I want to be your baby bird again.” She hugged her father. His arms went around her, and Dina held them both.

I could tell Beth was near me. I chose to stand where I was. I sniffled a bit. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and felt her step closer, her body touching mine slightly. So this is how it ends? No, don’t close doors.

Well, I had dishes to take care of. I took a step away from Beth and toward the sink.

“Let me help you with those,” Dina said. She helped. Karen and her dad, and Beth, were off in the living room. Feeling the hot water on my hands as I washed dishes brought back such memories. If I closed my eyes, I could almost be back in the old house. No—that’s the past. I don’t fit into that shell anymore.

“Andy, we’re sorry if we’ve caused a problem,” Dina said.

I looked to her. We held hands. “No,” I told her, “That’s okay. We’ve been through hell together the last few weeks. But so many good things have also happened. She loves her father so much, and she’s so glad to see him happy again.”

Dina nodded. “So am I. He’s a wonderful man, and I love him too. Should we bring you up as well?”

I took a breath. “No, that wouldn’t work. I think this is probably the best.”

She smiled. “Andy, there’s never a ‘best’ in these things.”

We cleaned up the dishes, and were joined by the other three. Karen pulled me away from the sink for a hug and a kiss. That was the first time I’d kissed someone in front of Beth.

“Andy,” Beth said, “We have an appointment at ten tomorrow morning. I’ll be by for you about a quarter ‘til.

I gave her an inquisitive look. She nodded.

“Okay, then you might as well come over for breakfast—I’m doing eggs Benedict,” I told her.

Dina made an appreciative noise.

Beth nodded. “What time?”

I looked to Karen. “Quarter to nine? That will give us time for a leisurely breakfast.” I turned to Jack and Dina, who were holding hands again. “That too early for you? We could do breakfast on Sunday instead.”

Dina shook her head. “Tomorrow is better. We’ve got a ten o’clock flight Sunday morning.”

I turned to Karen. “That means we need to be up by seven thirty—I need your help.”

She smiled. “Andy, I’m here to help.”

I liked the way she said that. I sighed again and looked at the group. It was almost ten. I was beat again. “Draw straws for bathroom use?” I suggested.

That got laughter from the group. Beth said, “Help me out, Andy?”

I nodded. I rewrapped her crystal and put it back in the bag. Jack and Dina headed for the bedroom.

It was cool and crisp outside. We stood by Beth’s car. I looked up into the sky, searching for stars. You don’t see many in L.A., what with all the lights and smog.

“What’s happening tomorrow?” I asked her.

“A surprise. Andy, you handled yourself very well tonight. I’m proud of you.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Is the search for stability a futile one?”

She put the bag in her car. Then she hugged me. “No, Andy, it isn’t. I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.”

I sighed. “Fat chance,” I muttered. She held me closer, pulling my head to her shoulder. She rocked me and spoke softly for a while. I let myself drift. After a bit we hugged again, and I went back inside. I was starting to get cold.

Jack and Dina finished in the bathroom and said goodnight to us. They retired to the big bedroom. I let Karen use the bathroom first. We hugged and kissed in the hall. She turned and went into her small room. I cleared my throat and went into the bathroom so I couldn’t tell if she was crying or not.

When my head hit the pillow, I took a breath, and let go. I was exhausted again.

Tin Woodsman

“Wake up, sleepy head!”

I sat up. Someone was knocking on the door. Damn—I’d forgotten to set the alarm!

“Thanks! I’m up.” I got up and dressed quickly. The bathroom was open, so I used it. Karen had coffee going, and was setting the table again.

“How did you sleep?” she asked me as we hugged.

I rocked her. “I need to be held. I slept like a rock. I was exhausted—in more ways than one. How about you?”

She made a funny noise. “Okay. They were noisy. Oh, I missed being held as well. You were right, Andy—sleeping alone is the shits.”

We put on a good breakfast. My sauce acted as if it was going to be runny, but thickened up nicely. Beth showed up on time, and Jack and Dina joined us, looking cheery.

“What are you two doing today?” Beth asked them.

They looked at each other. “Not much—some errands in the area. We’ll be in and out.”

Dina said, “We still have some cleaning to do in the kitchen.”

Beth added, “And Andy won’t be helping—we need to get going.”

I wiped my mouth with my napkin. Everyone thanked me for a nice breakfast. I cleaned up in the bathroom. Karen gave me a hug, and Beth and I headed to her car.

She put a hand on my leg as we drove off. “How are you this morning? How did you sleep?”

I sighed as I adjusted my sunglasses—the ones she’d bought for me, a few months that seemed like a few years ago. “I slept well, thanks to you, I think.” I paused. “I feel like the Tin Woodsman from the Wizard of Oz.”

“Oh?” she asked.

“Yeah, I wanted a heart, and now it’s broken. I don’t know whether I’m being realistic, or running away, but I think it’s over between Karen and me, whatever it was we had.”

She patted my leg. “Andy, I think it’s realistic, but don’t give up yet.”

“I’m not giving up, and I’m not pulling back—if I can help it.”

“Good. What do you think about Jack and Dina?”

“They’re going to sell the house—I can feel it—the way he was looking around this morning—he’s decided.”

“You’re sure?” Beth asked me.

I shrugged. “It’s a wild guess, but that’s what I feel. It was the way he looked at the place as he talked to Dina, telling her about growing up there. I could feel him pulling away, saying goodbye to the place. So what are we doing this morning?”

Beth smiled. “You’ve been mumbling about learning to drive. We’ve got an appointment at the DMV to renew your learner’s permit. I’ve signed you up for driving lessons starting Monday. How does that sound?”

“Thank you. It’s something I need to do, so I’m less dependent on people.”

“Is being dependent on people a bad thing?” she asked.

“That’s weird. I think culturally, especially for men, we’re supposed to be independent. But I know deep inside how good it is to hold someone, and to be held. I’m not ashamed to say I need help. Or that I need you—especially now. Beth, I need you.” She squeezed my leg again.

I won’t say anything about our visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles except that we both survived. I thought school administrations were bureaucratic—I was off by many, many orders of magnitude. We left with me having an updated learner’s permit. The only good news was that I’d had Driver Ed at school, and filled out some paperwork just after I was sixteen—that meant I could get my full driver’s license when I turned 18, on January 14th.

“What now?” I asked as we walked back to the car.

Beth looked at me, laughing a little. “Andy, I can teach you a lot of things, but not how to drive. Get in.”

“No, I meant after that. What do we do now?”

In the car, she looked at me and sighed. “I think you move back. Make sense?”

I nodded. “Unfortunately, it does. I don’t know if it’s better to do it today, or tomorrow after they’ve gone.”

“We’ll have more help today. Doing it today will force both of you to confront it.”

I sighed again. “I agree that’s the hardest way to do it. But is it the best? Is rubbing this one raw the best way to go?”

“Did you tell Karen what you thought about the house, them possibly selling it?”

“No—I only figured that out when you asked me, and it’s only a hunch.”

“Sounded like a pretty damn good hunch to me.”

We got back to Karen’s place and went in. Karen was there. She gave me a hug.

“Where did Jack and Dina go?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Don’t know. They said they’d be back in a few hours. Andy?”

We held hands. “I know,” I told her. “Does it make more sense for me to move tomorrow, or today?”

She nodded. “Today. I want to help. I need to help.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

A lot of my stuff was still packed away. Karen and I touched as we passed going in and out, loading the two cars, hers and Beth’s. I thought I saw Karen and Beth whispering as well.

“That’s about it. Who do you want to ride with?” Beth asked me. The three of us were standing in the living room. I put my arms around both of them.

“That’s a hell of a choice,” I told them. We all managed to smile, at least a little. “I’ll ride over with Karen, and back with Beth. Okay?”

We headed out the door.

Driving over to Beth’s, Karen said, “Andy, it’s not over between us—I won’t let it be.”

I put a hand on her leg. “Karen, I know. It’s so hard—I’m not going to let go, but I don’t know if I’m holding on. Does that make sense?”

She sighed. “Yes, it does. But remember, I’ll be back in a week and a half. I’ll need to be picked up at the airport.”

“I’ll take care of that. Oh Karen—I don’t know what we had, what we have.”

She held my hand to her leg.

We unloaded quickly, and headed back. I don’t think Beth and I exchanged more than ten words during the trip. The second load went quickly, loading and unloading. The third load was light—barely enough for both cars. Driving back to Karen’s place was sad. I rode with Beth. Karen had to stop for gas on the way back. When Beth and I arrived at the house, Jack and Dina were waving to someone driving off in a shiny new Lexus.

“I smell real estate agents,” I growled.

Beth chuckled and patted me on the leg. “Trust your hunches.”

We got out of the car.

“Where’s Karen?” Jack asked.

“She had to stop for gas,” I told him. “So, was that a real estate agent we saw leaving?”

He took half a step back—answering my question.

“Why?” he asked.

I looked him in the eye. “The way you were looking around this morning—you were saying goodbye to the place.”

Dina put a hand on Jack’s back. She said, “Karen told us you were perceptive. Does she know?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t told her. I don’t know how—it’s going to be tough.”

Jack nodded. “I know. Let us do it, okay?”

I nodded.

He asked, “Need any help moving?”

Beth answered. “We just dropped off the last load. That’s about it.”

I wasn’t sure why we’d come back. One last look around, I guess.

Jack smiled again. “I’d like to take everyone out to dinner tonight. Andy, sure you wouldn’t like to come up with us for a while?”

I managed a smile. I glanced to Beth, then told him, “No thanks. I appreciate the offer.”

We went inside. I had a few things in the kitchen still, not enough to fill a shopping bag.

Karen came in. She stepped toward me tentatively. I took the remaining half-step between us and hugged her gently. She was holding herself tight. “Relax,” I whispered to her, holding her and starting to rock a bit. She clutched me, holding on for life.

Jack said, “We have dinner reservations at six, if you’d like to join us.”

That gave us about an hour and a half. The way he was looking at me, I asked, “Should I change clothes?”

Dina said, “That would be a good idea.”

Beth jumped in. “Why don’t you give us the address, and we’ll meet you there.”

That seemed to be a good idea. We were going to a Continental-style place near Irvine.

On the way back to Beth’s, I told her, “Karen wants us to pick her up at the airport in a week and a half.”

She nodded. “I’d like to do that. You could go up with her, you know.”

I shook my head. “When I held her in the kitchen, when she walked in, she was tight, almost armored. She’s gone.”

“Andy, that’s conclusory—you don’t know what she’s thinking—you can’t. There are other possibilities—a protective reaction, for example. If you keep looking for signs it’s over, you’ll find them, and it will be.”

We went home and changed. It was home again—I had a home again, at least until I went to Stanford. I changed in the guest room, where my clothes were. Beth walked in and out half-dressed. I appreciated the gesture. She put on a pretty yet simple dress, and perfume.

“Ready?” she asked.

I held her, and she held me. “Relax, Andy. You’re tight. You need to relax as well.”

I got the car door for her. “I need to be held. Remind me to tell you about Rachel some time.”

We met them in the restaurant lobby. The meal was okay. Both Karen and I were uncomfortable—I could see it in her, and I certainly felt uncomfortable. Jack picked up the tab, and we headed out. Karen and I held back in the lobby. Beth looked to us and said, “We’ll wait in the cars for you two. Take your time.” Dina took Jack by the arm and followed Beth out the door. I held Karen. Her arms went around me. She was tight. How did I feel to her? “Karen, please come back to me,” I whispered in her ear. Her head went to my shoulder and she sobbed silently. We held each other and rocked together. She softened into me once more.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for me. Please call me during the week, okay?” I asked her. She nodded on my shoulder. She straightened, and forcing a smile, whispered, “Let’s go. They’re waiting.”

We went outside, holding hands. She went to turn one direction, and I started to turn another. I held her once more and whispered in her ear, “Karen, I’ve never said this before—I love you.” She let out a squeaking cry, gave me a squeeze, then stepped away. I turned and walked to Beth’s car, wiping my face as I went.

We drove home in silence. We cleaned up for bed. Beth turned to me to unfasten her bra, a habit we’d gotten into. I unfastened it, and rubbed her bare back the way she enjoys.

Getting into bed, she looked at me with a slight smile. I told her, “Just hold me, please.”

She nodded. “I understand, Andy.”

She held me close. She held me gently. I tried to roll away at one point, but she held me close, rocked me, and whispered me to sleep in her arms.

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a car alarm going off. I got up to pee—three thirty in the morning. I don’t know how I felt. I walked around the place, going into the guest room, the office with Beth’s computer, and mine sitting in pieces. I could hook it up again now, if I wanted to. I walked out to the living room, looking at the fireplace. I’d wanted to make love with Karen in front of a crackling fire. I looked in the refrigerator, more out of habit than hunger. I felt at home in the kitchen. I enjoyed cooking, especially cooking for others.

I went back to the couch and sat down. I remembered that first afternoon, three months ago was it? Pulling Beth’s legs over my shoulder and eating her, then making love on the floor. What happened to those people?

“Can’t sleep?”

I looked up. Beth was standing in the doorway, and moved to sit next to me.

“Sorry if I woke you,” I told her.

She took my hands. “Don’t be. I know it’s hard, Andy.”

I half smiled. “Growing up is the shits some times.”

She chuckled. “You’ve got that right. Want to tell me about Rachel, or wait for another time?”

I sighed and leaned back. She leaned back and pulled me to her. I told her what had gone on, with Rachel taking me once and trying to do things, and my response. I told her about Rachel catching me by surprise, or whatever, and learning about filling those places inside me.

“Do you have places that need to be filled now, Andy?” she asked.

I helped her stand. “Yes.”

Back in bed, she held me, cradled me to her. She held my head and spoke to me softly. Oh, she filled those hungry places inside me. Then she rolled me to my back and took me inside her. I was back home again, back with her. She came with a shudder and a low moan, then carried me over the edge in her embrace.

We held each other in the morning, then showered together. We did a simple breakfast, and Beth helped me unpack and organize things. We were both half-dressed.

When most of my clothes had been put away, she said, “Let’s get dressed. I’m taking you shopping.”

“For what?”

“For new clothes—you need them. Everything I’ve seen except your underwear is either worn, old, or too small.”

I shrugged. I couldn’t disagree with that.

I learned more about what a sheltered life I’d had—I didn’t realize how crowded the shopping malls were before Christmas. We got basics—pants, shirts, socks, and a pair of shoes. Beth told me we’d get more the week after Christmas, when things were discounted further.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way home.

“Feel like cooking tonight?” she asked.

“Sure. What would you like?”

“Did I tell you Emily and her husband were coming over?”

“I think you just did,” I answered.

She smiled. “Sorry, Andy—it’s been a hectic weekend.”

I chuckled. “I’ll say. Does she know?”

Beth wrinkled her brow. “Don’t see how. I haven’t spoken to her this week. She was just expecting dinner with me.”

“What did I do last time? Lamb?”

“I don’t remember. A casserole would be good. Beef Burgundy again?”

I nodded—easy but good.

In the kitchen later as we worked on dinner, I asked, “What’s the schedule this week?”

“You have driving lessons Monday through Thursday from nine to eleven. Tomorrow afternoon you have a four o’clock appointment with Doctor Chan—he wants to do some tests to be sure you don’t have any lingering endocrine problems. That’s about it. Anything you want to do in particular?”

I crushed another clove of garlic with the flat side of the knife. “I wouldn’t mind spending a day lost in you. I know it’s escape, and my problems won’t go away, but....”

She put a hand on me. “Andy, there’s nothing wrong with escaping every so often. We all need to do it. I enjoy escaping with you.”

It took another half hour to get things in the oven. I started setting the table.

Beth took me by the arm, leading me to the bedroom. “That can wait.”

She held me again. As we connected I heard her sigh as well, and felt her body shift to hold me gently. I was happy this was something we shared. As she whispered to me, I knew I was safe, and could relax.

I woke up at her side. We stretched and kissed. One of her hands found my cock, and soon I was on top of her, pushing into her, with her legs wrapped around mine.

We took a quick shower and got dressed. I went back to setting the table.

“I’ll do that,” Beth told me, “why don’t you set up your computer?”

I took care of that, setting it up and reorganizing the office the way we’d had it before.

The doorbell rang. “Andy, can you get it?” Beth called out. I put down the almost empty box I’d been unpacking and went to the door.

When I opened it, Emily said, “Andrew, what a pleasant surprise!” Her husband, Ben, held out his hand. We shook, and I invited them in. He handed me a plastic case. I took it into the kitchen. It held two bottles of wine, one white and one red.

“Andrew, this must mean things have settled. Please tell me!” Emily said.

As I turned to her, Beth came into the kitchen. “Emily, welcome back. How was your flight?”

“Dreadful,” Emily said, but with a smile. “It’s good to be back—I can’t leave this alley cat alone for too long, who knows what trouble he’d get into.” She nodded to Ben, and we all chuckled.

Ben indicated the white; I got the opener and four glasses, and started opening the bottle.

“I’m so glad you’re back here, Andrew. When did you return?” Emily asked.

“Yesterday,” I told her. I opened the bottle, wiped the top, and handed it to Ben. He smiled and poured a little in a glass, and handed it to me. I picked it up, swirled it, then stuck my nose in the glass. I could smell the fruit, and oak, but not too much. I took a sip and gargled it a bit. “Nice,” I told him. He smiled and poured the other glasses, then filling mine. I handed one to Beth; he handed one to Emily.

Emily looked at me and said, “Welcome back, Andrew.”

I looked to her, and Beth, and said, “Thorns give the rose its beauty.” We sipped our wine.

Emily started in asking questions on how I was doing, what had happened, ad nauseum.

I surprised myself, and the others too. I told her, “Doctor Carmichael, can we keep this a social setting tonight?”

She smiled and said, “Of course, Andrew. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?”

“I’ve got a four O’clock doctor’s appointment, and I’m home a little after eleven from driving lessons.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up a little before two, then. Beth, could you pick him up at my office?”

Beth nodded. “That would work out fine. Tell us about your trip.”

Emily allowed the conversation to be steered to her visit back East. It had been a good meeting, with a minimum of politics.

Dinner was good, and the red wine Ben brought was very tasty. We talked a little about what I’d be doing during the week. Monday was occupied, as were the remaining mornings. To take my driving test, I needed to have a certain number of supervised driving hours, including some at night.

Ben said, “You could drive me around Wednesday, and next week if you’d like.” He was constantly visiting locations from as far south as San Diego, and up north to a little past Santa Barbara. It sounded interesting to me, and Beth agreed with the idea. I wasn’t sure what Emily thought of it.

As they were getting ready to go, Emily said, “Well Andrew, if I’d known you would be here, I would have brought over your next set of assignments. They can wait until tomorrow.”

Beth and Ben laughed a little. I smiled and said, “I reserve the right to take vacation.”

Emily chuckled. “I understand. You might want to review your notes before I pick you up tomorrow. Thank you both for a very nice evening. It is good to be back.”

Beth saw them out and I loaded the dishwasher. She came in and squeezed my shoulders.

“That feels nice,” I told her. She pressed up against me, pushing me up against the counter and kissing the back of my neck. “I agree,” she said between kisses.

“Help me, and we’ll be done sooner,” I suggested.

In the bathroom getting ready for bed, I could see she was aroused. I grabbed her washcloth and warmed it in the sink, and moved a perfume bottle closer to her.

“You’d like some of this, I take it?” she said in a sexy voice.

I put a finger over my lips. She nodded. I wrung out the washcloth and set down on my knees before her. I washed her off gently, eliciting a very nice sigh and moan. She put on some perfume, including a dab at the lower edge of her mound.

I eased her to her back on the bed, her legs over the side. I didn’t make any pretense—I dove in to her. She crossed her legs over my back.

She was tasty, warm, sensuous, and more than a little noisy. Eventually she pulled me up to her and we kissed. She slid me down to a nipple and held me there until I was helpless in her arms. She pushed me to my back and rode us slowly to a crashing orgasm. I didn’t remember getting under the covers.

In the morning, she had to leave before I was to be picked up. While she showered, I made coffee and toast. She told me to have fun—she’d see me at Emily’s office around a quarter to four.

The driving instructor arrived a bit before nine. I don’t know if that two hours was short or long—it felt both. I went through phases of wondering how I could learn to do everything I’d need to do, but reminded myself that I knew idiots at school who had been driving for a year or two.

He dropped me off around eleven fifteen. He told me I’d done well; I’d see him again tomorrow.

Beth called around noon, wanting to know how things had gone. “Oh, they sent a substitute,” I told her.

“Who?” she asked.

“Hiro, from ‘Divine Wind’ driver training,” I told her with what I hoped was a deadpan voice. She laughed. I assured her that we were both still alive, nothing had been damaged, and he was coming back tomorrow.

I did as Emily suggested, and reviewed my notes from the things I’d written for her so far. I did a bit more reading on the net—cable modems make things a lot easier and faster.

She arrived a bit before two. “Ready to go?” she asked. I nodded.

On the drive to her office I gave her an outline of what had happened during the week, leaving out most of the intimate details. I expected we’d continue in that vein when we got to her office, but when we walked in the door, she said, “Good! We’ve got a phone call to make. Andy, last week I spoke with some colleagues from Stanford. We’ll be talking to them today. They’re very interested in you.”

We went into her office and she dialed the speakerphone. The main person on the other end was named Gregory. There was another man in the room with him, and a woman. Emily introduced me, threw me to the lions, and sat back.

We talked about the paper I’d done, how it had come about. We talked about what I’d read. They asked questions about different areas. If I didn’t know something, I told them so—I didn’t try and bluff. One thing that stuck in my mind was responding to a question on what I was looking for, “A path with heart.” Emily smiled at that one.

The woman on the other end asked if Assagioli’s disidentification was a method of withdrawing from the world. I disagreed very strongly, telling her that from what little I’d read, it went back to Buddhist ideas, and from what I’d experienced, it was a way of remaining even more present in the moment, with the certainty that “I” was more than what I was experiencing.

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. Beth had arrived. I looked at the clock—it was a quarter to four! Emily told them we needed to wrap up. I thanked them for their time, and a very interesting discussion—I had a lot to learn, and was looking forward to it.

I closed my eyes and slumped back in the chair as Emily hung up the phone. I’d been put through the wringer.

“I thought that went extremely well,” Emily said. I raised my head and shook it a little. Beth laughed and helped me to my feet. Emily handed me a stack of papers and two books. I groaned.

“Let’s get going. I’ll drive,” Beth told me.

On the way to Doctor Chan’s office, Beth told me I’d probably been talking to the people who decided on scholarships. I told her it had been intense and nonstop, almost like a long session with Emily. She laughed at that.

We had to wait in Doctor Chan’s office. We talked a bit more about the day. Doctor Chan was happy to see me. He gave me a thorough going over, and had one of his people take blood samples. Responding to his questions, I didn’t notice any difference in energy levels, sleeping, eating, or weight in the last month—which had been hell, I told him. He nodded, with a tight smile. He told me to take care of myself. The test results would be back in a few days.

Beth had me drive home. Traffic was scary, but we made it.

There was a message from Rachel on the phone—she wanted me to call. Beth smiled and told me to call her from the bedroom—she’d start dinner. “Spend an afternoon with her if you’d like, Andy,” she told me.

I gave her a call. She wanted to know if we could get together. I told her tomorrow afternoon would work. That excited her. What time should she come get me? After a moment’s thought, I told her I’d either be by her place around eleven fifteen, or call her to come get me around then. Would that work? It would—she was stoked. I told her we could fix dinner for her folks. She laughed.

I walked back out to the kitchen and put my arms around Beth.

“All set for tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yup. Figured I’d see if Hiro could drop me at her house. Otherwise she’ll pick me up.”

“Is your instructor really named Hiro?”

I laughed. “No, Jeff. He’s Caucasian, and seems to be a pretty good guy—nerves of steel.”

She gave me a hug. “Enjoy yourself while you can, Andy.” I held her tighter.

As we ate, she gave me a twinkling-eyed look. “Do you enjoy Rachel taking you by surprise?”

I smiled and sighed, stirring my pasta with my fork. “Yes and no. I’d love it anytime you did it to me. With Rachel, now I guess it’s different, with Karen out of the picture. I didn’t feel good about giving myself to Rachel when I was with Karen. And you—Beth, I don’t know. I love you, and I know I’ll always love you. Yet I know part of what we have now is temporary, and will end.” I put down my fork and held her hand.

She sighed. “That wasn’t quite the answer I expected. Oh Andy, I love you too, I do. And you’re right—I’ll always love you, yet what we share now will come to an end.”

We held hands for a while in silence. She chortled to herself and asked me, “When do you expect to get back tomorrow?”

I shrugged. “I suggested cooking dinner for her folks, but I don’t think that’s what she has in mind.”

Beth chuckled. “If you’re not home by six, I’ll have dinner. I expect you home by eleven, though—you have to be up in the morning.”

“Yes, Mistress,” I told her with a smile.

She picked up her wine glass and swirled it. “I like the way that sounds.” We both laughed.

I started doing dishes after dinner, but she took me by the arm and had me sit in the recliner. She pulled the footrest out, leaning me back. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. She touched my forehead and spoke softly, taking me really deep. When I woke up, she was in the kitchen taking care of dishes. I hugged her.

“How was that?” she asked.

“Deep,” I told her. “I figure I get the rest later?”

She laughed. “Very perceptive. Dry the pots.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Later in the evening I was sitting at the table reading. I thought I heard something behind me. I started to turn and felt a hand on the back of my neck. She said something, and as I turned I slipped into a fog. She was behind me, wearing that coat, and nothing else, save for some perfume. She pulled me to her.

We were in the bedroom, and I was lost in her. I gave myself to her, letting my body respond. I was on my back, and couldn’t move my arms or legs very much. She teased me with her mouth, and her breasts, and the coat. I wanted her so much; I needed her so much. When we finally slid together, I thought she’d ride me slowly again. But she moved strongly, quickly, pulling me to her, and doing something that made me come explosively.

After that I was nestled in her arms, healing in her arms, as we drifted off to sleep together.

“Thank you for last night,” I told her as we snuggled in the morning.

“Oh, you’re welcome. I enjoyed it too,” she told me. We showered together. She told me to drive safely, and have fun. She slipped me a twenty dollar bill before she left.

Jeff didn’t mind dropping me at Rachel’s house. I told him Beth had me drive on the freeway during rush hour yesterday. He asked me how that went. I told him we lived, and neither of us kissed the ground when we got home. He laughed and told me I was doing well.

I rang Rachel’s doorbell. She answered, wearing a soft, fluffy robe. I could smell perfume on her.

“I’m so glad you could come over. Who drove you?” she asked.

I smiled. “I did. Driving lessons.”

She laughed and gave me a hug. Her robe felt nice. Not as nice as Beth’s coat, but nice.

“Is this new?” I asked her, feeling her under the soft plush of the robe.

“Yes, an early Christmas present. You like it?”

“Very much. Another one of my weak spots, I’m afraid.”

She led me back to her room. “Thanks for telling me—I won’t forget.”

We stood by her bed. She undid the belt on her robe, smiling at me all the time.

“I need to use the can,” I told her.

She eased herself onto the bed. “Be my guest. I’ll be waiting.”

It took me a while to pee. When I went back to the bedroom, she was half on and half off the bed—a clear invitation. I sat down between her legs. I could smell her aroma, and her perfume. It looked as if she’d been playing with herself as well.

I started stroking her thighs, telling her to take a deep breath and relax for me. She moaned as she did. I eased her deep into trance. Something told me to reinforce a few things, such as not telling wild stories, not hypnotizing people without their permission, and not hurting or embarrassing people. Then I brought her up to a twilight level, amplifying sensations, and dove into her. Her legs are different from Beth’s. It’s not that they’re more muscular—I don’t think they are. They’re not as, well, developed as Beth’s.

Eventually she had one that left her legs weak around me. I sat back, half in a trance myself. I moved to the bed and sat next to her. Some things bubbled up, and after deepening her a bit, I spoke to her more, bringing her to a shuddering orgasm with the touch of my hand. I knew Beth could and would do the same to me.

I undressed and woke her after letting her float for a while. She smiled and stretched on the bed. I moved down to her nipples. She slid her hands around the back of my head so sensuously that I moaned and my eyes closed. She held me to her, nestling my face in her softness and the softness of her robe.

She was on top of me, and the edges of the robe were brushing the insides of my legs. We moved slowly, gently, yet strongly, riding the waves again. The waves built and built, and crested, taking us both over the edge, collapsing into each other’s arms.

We showered after we woke up. Holding her in the shower, I pressed her against the wall, and started whispering in her ear as I touched the back of her neck. I felt her body posture shift, and heard her moan. I kept up my whispering, Beth’s whispering, as my other hand found its way between her legs. Soon she was shuddering and crying out. I held her and we kissed.

She was smiling and a little dazed still as I helped her dry off. I wanted her again, and she could definitely tell. She put her robe back on, and led me to the bed again. At the edge of the bed, I turned her and had her go on to her stomach. I pulled up the robe in the back, and slipped into her from behind. She moaned and I ground into her, feeling her and the fabric. It didn’t take me long, and my body started to stiffen, getting near the edge. “Oh yes! Please!” she said, rocking into me all the more. I held on and came.

We cleaned up again, and then rolled around on the bed. She got partially on top of me, with a nipple in my mouth. “I’ve got you, Andy,” she said softly. I held on as best I could, and let go.

“Mmmm, that is so nice,” she said as we woke up.

I moved around a bit. My left shoulder was a bit crunched. “I agree.” It was after two in the afternoon. “Lunch? What’s the plan?”

“Oh shit! I need to meet mom at three to finish shopping!”

We hurried to get dressed. She had a clasp-in-front bra. I sat on the edge of the bed and offered to do it for her. She smiled and held me to her again. After she let me loose, I started to fasten it, and she said, “Equal time!” and pulled me to the other side. After that, we finished getting dressed.

“Andy, I hope you don’t mind me dropping you off? God, you wore me out. I didn’t expect to sleep so long.”

I held her close. “That’s the best part—sleeping together afterwards, and waking up being held.”

She sighed. “You’re right. You don’t mind? We can take our time tomorrow, or next week. When could we get together again?”

I felt the muscles in her back. “Not sure. I’m busy the rest of this week. Let’s talk Saturday, okay?”

We kissed once again, and went to her car.

“You drive,” she said, tossing me the keys.

I tossed them back. “Not supposed to unless there’s an adult in the car.”

“So?” she said, furrowing her brow.

I smiled. “You know me, I’m a pain about things like that.”

She nodded her head. “You’re great. Let’s get going. Parking is going to be a mess.”

She dropped me at the house. We necked some before I could get out of the car. Inside, I started dinner.

Beth got home a little before six. “What, didn’t work out?” she called to me.

I closed the book I’d been reading. “She had to meet her mom this afternoon to finish some shopping. Got home around three.”

She put her hands on my shoulders and kissed me on the head. “Oh, so you did have a good time then?”

I sighed and held her hands. “Very.”

“Tell me about it?”

I had an idea. “After dinner.”

As we ate, we talked about my driving. Ben was going to pick me up around eleven thirty tomorrow. Beth told me to be careful, and don’t be afraid of telling him I couldn’t handle some situations. I agreed.

Around nine, she held me gently. “Going to tell me what happened today?”

I held her. “I’ll show you. Let’s get ready for bed.”

I put perfume on her and put her on the edge of the bed. I sat down on the floor, and as I’d done earlier in the day, started stroking a soft pair of thighs, and told her to take a deep breath and relax for me. She gave me an appreciative moan. I felt myself easing into trance as I took her down. I ate her until she went limp around me, then moved up to her head. I brought her up some more, then took her deep—her voice told me how. Then I whispered to her, as I’d done to Rachel, and as she’d undoubtedly done to me.

I woke her all the way. She smiled and stretched on the bed. I leaned down, touched the back of her neck, and whispered in her ear again. She moaned and her eyes drifted half-closed. I moved my other hand between her legs. Soon she was moaning and shuddering.

I sat back. After a bit she opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. She put a hand on my leg.

“That’s what I did to Rachel. I did that to her in the shower. And the funny thing is, even though I’ve done it to her, and to you, I don’t know what it is I’m whispering. And I know you’re going to do it to me, and it will be incredible and intense each and every time.”

She laughed softly. “Andy, you’re something. Come here.”

She held my head between her breasts, rocking me. Soon I was adrift in her embrace, lost again. She rolled me to my back, and moved between my legs. I felt her breasts touch me, and felt my cock being caressed between them. She spoke as she moved, and soon I was shuddering and coming between her breasts, and onto my stomach.

She did it to me again in the shower the next morning, and it was intense. One moment I was helping her wash and rinse, and the next moment, I don’t know what’s going on—I couldn’t think clearly, but everything felt so good, so intense, and then I was coming into her hand as she pumped me.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” I told her as we dried off.

“I’ll say—and I didn’t expect to experience it myself!” she told me.

Jeff pushed me more, taking me into more traffic. Left turns are scary, especially at intersections without left turn arrows.

I barely had time to visit the bathroom at home when Ben arrived. We were headed up to Westwood—freeways most of the way. Once I got in the left hand lane, I could stay there.

I was surprised when he started speaking French. I’d not heard him use it before. His command of the language was much better than mine. Away from Emily, he was quite talkative. He talked about wines and the importing and distribution business. He made a number of trips to Europe, mostly France, every year. He’d be going in February, and then again early June. He told me he’d take me with him after I graduated—then I’d get the chance to really learn French.

I learned more about driving in traffic, and parking, and listening to directions in French. We visited the office of a small chain of upscale wine shops, and then two independent places. The people were happy to see us. At the two small places, we spoke almost entirely French. I also learned that I was expected to be Ben’s assistant, taking down orders and notes.

We sat around talking business in one place. While the others drank wine, I had a coke, but shared in the bread and cheese. My stomach was starting to grumble from not being fed.

Traffic going home was a mess—and we had carpool lanes most of the way!

When we got back to the house, I parked the car and handed Ben the keys.

“Good job,” he told me. “Want to do it again tomorrow?”

I laughed a little. “Sure, but we need to do something for lunch a little earlier.”

“Okay. We’ll probably be having dinner, so we might not be back until nine.”

I nodded. “I’ll check with Beth, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“Bring a sports coat, and wear nicer pants. The shoes are okay.”

I nodded. “Will do.”

I got out of the car, and so did he. As we passed each other, he handed me a $20 bill.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

He smiled. “Christmas shopping,” he said with a laugh.

I shook his hand, thanked him, and told him I’d see him tomorrow.

I started some rice for dinner. I did some stretching—sitting in the car that long was hard.

Beth got home a little late—her office had been a madhouse. I told her of our travels, and the plans for tomorrow. She didn’t have a problem. She laughed as I told her how outgoing and talkative Ben was away from Emily.

We held each other and made love gently. I held her afterwards, pulling her head to my shoulder. She snuggled in; that felt good.

Just after she left the next morning, I got an idea. I called Rachel. The phone rang quite a few times, and finally she answered it.

“Hullo?” She sounded as if I’d woken her.

“Hi sweetie, it’s Andy. Did I wake you?”

“Shit yes! What’s up?”

“That robe of yours—where did you get it, and what’s the brand?”

She put the phone down, then came back and told me—Nordstrom was the store.

Jeff threw a new one at me—the traffic circle on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. It was so much fun the first time that he took me back to it three more times, each time from a different direction.

When Ben arrived, I’d changed, and had a snack. He tossed me the keys and I got in the car. When I asked him where we were going in English, he snapped at me in French that he didn’t know what the hell I was saying. I smiled and asked again in French. He started with directions—San Diego Freeway North. I checked the gas, and told him we needed to fill up—and I’d never done that before. He grunted. We found a gas station and he showed me how to use his credit card and how to pump gas.

We drove over an hour north, to Thousand Oaks, and spent two hours battling with a man and a woman. They argued price, and they argued in French. They argued in street French which would bring gasps from my high school teacher. Finally I got to write the order. With handshakes, hugs, and kisses, for me as well, we headed off again.

We went over the hill to Oxnard, visiting three places in quick succession. At the last one, a small office, I was told to put on my coat before we went in. We were greeted as family, even I was. We sat around a small table sipping iced tea. After some small talk, the business discussions started in earnest. Voices were low key, but the keenness and intensity were there. Where before there had been wild waving of arms and comparisons to donkey pee, here a tilt of the head, a pause communicated the same. I wrote up the largest order I’d seen so far.

And after that, our hosts stood up and asked if we were ready for dinner. Ben smiled and told them he thought we could stay.

We went to a small restaurant on the harbor, and the four of us were shown to a private room with a spectacular view of the sunset. The wine arrived, and I was offered some. I politely declined, and stuck to water.

Ben had introduced me as a friend of the family. When our host asked if he’d taken me to France yet to finish my education, Ben laughed and said, “Non.” Our host’s wife blushed a little at the men’s laughter.

The meal was superb. I had to taste all of the different sauces. I asked about one in particular, identifying the mystery ingredient as cumin. After I don’t know how many courses, we were done. I decided to have a small cup of coffee. Ben had a small armagnac—which smelled divine. I visited the loo before leaving. We parted as family, with hugs and kisses.

I told Ben how much I’d enjoyed the experience, and how much I’d learned. We talked about bargaining styles a little. He got quieter, and soon was snoring.

I drove the two of us home in the dark. Luckily, the route was simple. I was very glad I’d gone to the bathroom before leaving.

We left the restaurant a little after seven thirty. We rolled into Beth’s place a few minutes after nine. I parked the car and nudged Ben, telling him we’d arrived.

He sat up and said, “Bon.” We got out of the car; both of us stretched. When I handed him the keys, he handed me two $20s. We shook hands. He asked if I’d like to drive on Monday. I told him I would.

Beth was curled up on the couch reading. “How was your day?” she asked.

“Got to pee,” I said, taking off my coat and going to the nearest bathroom.

I got undressed before returning to her. I knelt on the carpet, with my head in her lap. She held me and I described the day. She laughed when I imitated Ben snoring.

She told me I’d reached the end of my driver training with Jeff—unless I wanted to spend more time with him. I told her I was getting plenty of training with Ben. Tomorrow, Friday, was Christmas Eve. She’d be working until one or so.

When we went to bed, she massaged my back. I’d have to do better at adjusting the car seat. I went to sleep in her arms.

She tried to sneak out of bed, but I caught her and held her. I fixed her breakfast while she showered. She took off for work.

I had close to $90 now, thanks to Ben. I picked up the phone and called Rachel.

“Is this Andy?” she said, sleepily.

“Yes it is, delicious,” I told her. “Did you dream about me?”

“Oh, God.... Are you busy today?”

“Can you take me to Nordstrom? I want to buy one of those robes as a Christmas gift.”

She laughed a little. “Sure. But it’s going to cost you. Pick you up in half an hour.”

She arrived about forty-five minutes later. I’m glad I wasn’t driving—the roads around the mall were madness. We found a parking place within half mile or so. Rachel was incensed to find the robe had been discounted a little more since she bought hers. I’d checked sizes on Beth’s other robes—I got a larger one than Rachel had. We waited for the free gift wrapping—I coughed up a few dollars extra for the fancy treatment. Rachel wanted to look at some other things, but we were soon headed back to the car.

As we drove back to the house, I said, “I suppose you want me to eat you until you scream?”

She turned and smiled. “That’s a good start.”

We laughed. When we got to the house, we both used the bathroom, I undressed her, and washed her off. She spread out on her back on the bed, and I started in on her thighs again.

I knew I could take her into trance quickly, but somehow, the slow way is more enjoyable—I think so, anyway. I ate her, and she howled. Sitting up, I had an idea. I got Beth’s fur coat from the closet, then sat at Rachel’s head and took her deeper into trance again. I made sure her eyes would stay shut. Then I moved the coat on to the bed. Whispering in her ear, tantalizing her, I slid the fur over her body. She moaned and moved as much as she could. I knew what to tell her to intensify things, to bring her so close to the edge. I moved the coat over so I had access to a nipple, and slid a hand under the coat to her nub. I took her nipple in my mouth, and touched her nub. She moaned and shook. When she quieted down, I sat up and shook my head to clear it—I was halfway there myself. I took her a little deeper, then got up and put the coat away.

When I woke her, she blinked and looked around. “Where is it?” she asked.

I smiled. “Where is what?”

She looked at me, and let her head hit the bed again. “God, that was intense. You’re going to get it now.”

She started moving, and I heard the garage door opening.

“I think not,” I said as I got off the bed quickly. “Beth is home early. I think you should get dressed.” I managed to kiss a nipple as I got up the rest of the way. Luckily, I’d only taken off my pants, so I grabbed them as I headed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

I’d zipped my pants and buckled my belt when Beth walked in. I intercepted her as she headed for the bedroom. She gave me a quizzical look, then smiled and chuckled.

“Occupied,” I told her.

She hugged me, and said, “Help me unload the car.” Then, much louder, she called out, “Take your time!” to the closed bedroom door.

“Was that nice?” I chided her as we walked to the garage. She laughed and told me, “It’s expected. There should be some trauma associated with getting caught on someone else’s bed—it makes it all the more delicious the next time you do it.” I laughed and hugged her. We unloaded groceries, and were bringing in the last load when Rachel appeared, looking sheepish.

“Are you going to introduce me, Andy?” Beth asked. I could tell she was enjoying this.

I took Rachel by the hand. “Aunt Beth,” I said politely, “This is my friend Rachel. We’re in physics together at school.”

Beth gave her an open-eyed look and asked, “Oh, were you studying physics? I thought it was more like biology.”

Rachel was turning redder by the moment. Finally, Beth started chuckling and went over to hug her. “Rachel, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry I arrived unexpectedly. Andy has told me about you.”

Now Rachel was really speechless.

“Care to stay for lunch?” Beth asked.

Rachel seemed to find her voice. “Ah, no, thanks. It was good to meet you. See you later, Andy.”

“I’ll walk you out,” I suggested.

“Good idea,” chuckled Beth, walking back to the kitchen.

The walkway outside was cold on my stocking feet. Rachel was holding her coat as I hugged her and laughed softly.

Rachel said, “So she isn’t, like, furious with you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Know what she told me?”

“What?”

“She told me experiences like that should be somewhat traumatic—it makes them all the more delicious the next time. What do you think?”

Rachel gave me a low laugh and hugged me. “You’ve got a very cool aunt, Andy. And I owe you one—at least. Have a good Christmas. Busy next week?”

“Don’t know. More driving around, I expect. Still, I’d like to get together with you. I’d like to be in front of a fireplace with you.” I had a hand on one of her breasts and could feel her nipple tighten.

“Mmmm.... Me too. Take care, Andy.” She gave me a kiss and got into her car. I went back inside.

“And just what is this ‘Aunt Beth’ routine, young man?” Beth said in a loud voice. She couldn’t keep a straight face, though, and broke up laughing as we hugged. She kissed me, then said, “Got to remember to wash your face afterwards, Andy.” I laughed and hugged her.

She got a can of Pepsi from the refrigerator, and handed one to me. “Care to tell me about it?” she asked.

I nodded, and took a sip. “I asked a favor of her, and she demanded payment.”

Beth nodded. “And you paid your debt well?”

“I think so. You could ask her.”

Beth laughed. “I don’t think I’d go that far. Was she upset when she left?”

I shook my head. “I told her what you said about making it more delicious the next time.”

She chuckled once again. “My aunt Catherine told me that, after catching me with a boy I can’t quite place right now, except that he had a very short fuse.”

“Thank you for everything, Mistress,” I told her. We hugged again.

We had a light lunch. I built a fire in the fireplace afterwards.

“Is that optimism, or are you ready to go again so soon?” Beth asked.

I shook my head. “She still owes me one.”

Beth got a look of shock on her face. She walked quickly to me, pulling my head to her breasts. “Poor boy! You must be ready to explode! We’ll have to do something, and quickly!”

I put my arms around her and said, “I really prefer the long, slow way.”

She hugged me. “So do I, Andy. So do I.”

When I’d returned from the small bathroom, she’d dimmed the lights and put a blanket on the carpet in front of the fireplace, and tossed the pillows from the couch on to it. “Be right back,” she said with a wink. “Why don’t you slip into something more comfortable?”

I liked the way her hips moved as she walked. I sighed and got undressed.

She came back a few minutes later with her old terrycloth robe. She slipped it off and moved down to the floor with me, sliding her body over me. We kissed and rolled around, feeling, exploring. We ended up with her on her back, her legs on my shoulders. After the softness of a bed, the solidity of the floor was a nice change. I slipped a finger onto her nub to help her along.

As she got close, she sighed, “Oh that’s it, Andy. Don’t stop that.” She slid her legs so she was holding me between her thighs and calves, rocking me. She started a low moan, and lifted her head. She lifted her arms, and grasped my head in her hands. My eyes locked in to hers as she held me, and I felt my body stiffening, so close to the edge. She pulled us both across, our eyes locked together.

We fell into a kiss, and eventually I slid to one side, head resting on her chest.

“Oh, that was nice,” she told me.

“Looking in your eyes was amazing.”

Eventually the fire dwindled, and we moved to a more comfortable spot, holding each other in bed.

“Merry Christmas, Andy,” Beth said softly, holding me in the morning light.

“Merry Christmas, Beth,” I whispered. I held her.

“I need to get up. I’ll be right back,” she said after a while.

I let go of her. As soon as she’d closed the bathroom door behind her, I was out of bed and into the office, getting my package from the closet. I made it back to sitting on the bed before she returned from the bathroom.

She smiled. “And what is this?”

I handed it to her. “Merry Christmas. It’s a very selfish gift.”

She shook her head and unwrapped my gift. She laughed as she took it out of the box. “Oh Andy, this is very nice. I’ve been looking for a new robe. Ooh, it feels very nice. Would you like me to put it on?”

“Please,” I told her.

She put it on, running her hands over herself seductively. Then she tied the belt, and looked at me. “What would you like for breakfast this morning?”

I must have made quite a face; she laughed and crawled on top of me on the bed, pushing me back, and not stopping until she was on top of me with a nipple in my mouth. I put my arms around her. It was a very nice robe. What she did, I don’t know, but suddenly I was on fire, needing her so much. I sucked hungrily, and she took me inside her, plunging in so deep. She moved, and moved, and I tried to warn her I was close, but she squeezed me and I came. She held me and rocked, “Mmmm.... So nice, so nice when you come like that for me. Now relax and go to sleep for me, Andy. Sleepy time, sleepy time.”

I woke up to the smell of bacon cooking. I rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom. I put on a T-shirt and sweats and headed for the kitchen. She was wearing her old terry robe.

“Don’t you like your new robe?” I asked, rubbing her back.

She turned from the stove and hugged me. “Oh, I like it very much. I don’t want to spatter bacon grease on it; that’s all. Here’s your coffee.”

“That was your errand yesterday?” she asked.

After that first miraculous sip of coffee, I said, “Yup, Rachel took me to get it.”

“And how did you find out about that particular item?”

“Rachel introduced me to it. I may not have mentioned that to you.”

She laughed. “It must have slipped your mind. Thank you, Andy. That’s very special.”

“It made quite an impression on me.”

She laughed and kissed my head.

We had a simple bacon, eggs, and toast breakfast. Cleaning up afterwards, she told me, “We’ve been invited to Christmas dinner at Doctor Thorton’s tonight at five—he’s in the practice group. Emily and Ben are having an open house tomorrow, and we’re invited to dinner at four at their place.”

“Sounds nice. That leaves us time to hold each other.”

Around two I got my wallet and picked up the phone. I took a breath and punched in the number. A man’s voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Andy. Is my mom there?”

I heard the sound of a hand being put over the phone, and muffled noises.

“She can’t come to the phone right now. Can I give her a message?”

I sighed. “Tell her that her son loves her very much, misses her, and wishes her a merry Christmas.”

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

“Bye.” I hung up the phone. I took the scrap of paper with the number written on it and tossed it into the fireplace.

I felt Beth’s arms go around me. I closed my eyes and turned into her. We moved to the couch, and I buried my face in her chest, crying. She held me.

I sat up and wiped my face. “Well, I guess that’s over too.”

“Who answered the phone?” Beth asked.

“Some guy—didn’t give me his name.”

“What did he say?”

“That she couldn’t come to the phone right now.”

“Well maybe...”

“That’s crap and you know it. I’m sorry—please forgive me. If this is the way she finds peace, so be it. She went through I don’t know how much hell. It’s my fault for letting it go on so long.”

“NO!” Beth’s voice was sharp as she raised my chin to look me in the face. “Andy, it’s not your fault, and you know it. You saved her from God knows what—you gave her the chance to get away.”

“And she’s still running,” I said softly.

She leaned back and held me again. She rocked me, and after a bit started whispering again.

“No, just hold me, please. Let me stay with it,” I told her. She sighed and held me.

After a while, I sat up. I started to open her robe. “Help me fill those hungry, hurt places,” I told her.

We went back to the bedroom. She changed into her new robe, then held me on the bed. I nestled into place, and she held me. I let the empty places come out to be filled, to be healed. They were large and deep.

Beth let me drive to dinner. Driving at dusk is tricky. I was the youngest there. The two kids of one of the other doctors were home from college—one from Cornell, the other from San Diego State. I talked to them about college life. One of the docs told me that if I wanted to do psychology, I should go pre-med and go for psychiatry—a medical doctor with a specialization. Someone else piped up that I seemed too stable to be a psychiatrist. I thought to myself that if being fucked up was a prerequisite, I’d have it made.

Somewhere along the way I was handed a frozen daiquiri. It was very tasty, and I had another. When it was time to leave, I told Beth I couldn’t drive. She hugged me, and told me that was the right thing to say. I needed to be held when we got home. I searched for more tears, but didn’t have any, so I went to sleep.

Sunday afternoon as she gave me directions to Emily’s place, I asked, “Mind if we swing by the old house? I’d like to take a look at it.”

She sighed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Andy.”

Calm and relaxed... “Why is that?”

She put a hand on my shoulder. “Because it’s up for sale as part of the divorce.”

I nodded. I probably sighed as well.

“Is there anything you’d like out of the house?”

“The old wind-up clock from the living room—that’s it. What’s happening to the furniture and everything?”

I glanced over to see her shaking her head. “Some will be put into storage, and the rest sold or given away. If there’s any furniture you’d like, we can save it for you, I’m sure.”

“Just the clock,” I told her. “Since we’re about as deep into it as we can go, any word on my dad recently?”

“No, but they’re to do more medical tests on him in two weeks. He’s pretty heavily medicated from what I understand.”

I realized I had a death-grip on the steering wheel; that and I wasn’t paying attention to my driving. I eased up my grip, and focused more on the road and traffic.

“Okay, what light can you shed on their marriage for me. I know they were married almost two years before I was born, so at least I didn’t have hot feet—I wasn’t the reason they got married.”

Beth sighed audibly. “Your mother was pregnant, though, when your folks married. She miscarried shortly afterwards, and got pregnant again six or seven months later. As soon as her pregnancy was confirmed, your dad had a vasectomy. Is that bad enough?”

I managed a wry smile. “Yeah, that will do. I still wish them peace.”

“So do I, Andy.”

Emily and Ben had a very nice older house in a well-to-do neighborhood. I had the feeling Ben’s money built it, but Emily ran it. I was introduced to some people as the one who’d written the essay, and to others as Ben’s assistant. He was excited when I told him I didn’t have driving classes. He told me he’d give me all the driving I could take—he’d be by at nine thirty.

I spoke to some of the shrink set, asking their opinions about psychology as opposed to psychiatry. I knew I wanted to study psychology, but wasn’t sure about the whole M.D. bit.

We had a buffet meal. I didn’t drink, and drove us home. I took the long way, along Pacific Coast Highway. I drove down by the beach Karen and I had walked a few weeks earlier.

We were quiet when we got home, and held each other in bed.

Monday with Ben was a full day. We spent most of it in Orange County, and the majority of the people we dealt with spoke English. When I remarked that the crowd we were visiting today didn’t seem to have the class that the people last week had, Ben rolled his eyes and nodded.

We got back to the house a little after five. As we stretched, Ben pulled out his wallet again.

“Mr. Carmichael, you don’t have to do that,” I told him.

He peeled off two twenties. “Andy, we made a lot of money today. Having you drive for me takes an incredible load off my mind. I focus on the business—you’re making me money. See you tomorrow? We’ll be seeing better people.”

I accepted the money and we shook hands. I went in, washed up, and started dinner.

The phone rang a little after eight. Beth answered it.

“Karen! How are you, darling! Did you have a good holiday? Yes, he’s here. I’ll get him for you.” She handed me the cordless phone and shooed me to the bedroom. I went in, and she closed the door behind me.

“Hi sweetie. How are you? I’m looking forward to seeing you again,” I told her.

“Andy, I’m not coming back. I’m staying up here.”

I was on the bed already. My eyes closed. “What’s happening? Why? How are you?”

“Oh, Andy—it’s so nice up here. They’ve given me a wonderful room, and we had such a nice Christmas, with so many things. Dina got me in to talk to the local University people today. I’ll be able to transfer up here, right away. I wanted to talk to Roger about scholarships, but she told me it doesn’t matter—she’ll pay for it all. Besides that, they’re selling the old house. So there’s no reason for me to come down. Everything is going to be packed and moved, paid for by the company. She didn’t tell us she’s a vice-president at this place, and a zillionaire—she hadn’t told daddy how much money she had until after he asked her to marry him.”

“Karen, I’m down here.” It was the only thing I had to say.

“Oh Andy, I know. But you’re right. I wish things could have been different. And I want to keep in touch with you; I do. Andy, you’re like a brother to me. How was your Christmas?”

I told her about the parties Beth and I went to, and how I was driving Ben around. She thought it was funny, learning how outgoing Ben was when he was away from Emily.

“Oh, Andy, the man my dad talks to, that Emily recommended, gave us the name of a woman up here. I’ve talked to her on the phone, and she sounds real nice. I’ll be seeing her on Wednesday. That’s going to help as well.”

The conversation petered out from there. She gave me her new address and phone number. I wrote it down.

“Bye, Andy. I’ll keep in touch.”

“Goodbye, Karen.” I pushed the off button on the phone, then said softly, “I love you.”

I got up off the bed and went into the living room. Beth was sitting on the couch. She held out her arms to me. I put the phone back and curled up with her.

“She’s not coming back,” I told her. I told her the story. I told her I thought I should cry, but I didn’t have any tears. She told me I’d have them when I was ready. She told me that with a sniffle. I held her tightly in bed that night. I thought I felt and heard her crying a little for me.