By DocPaul
Chapter
Three: Reconditioning…
“Why
do I have to go?”
“I
don’t know, Maria, because you promised? Because you’re getting as dusty as
some of the items on your shop’s shelves? Because you love me?”
Maria
rolled her eyes and reapplied lip gloss. Damn, her lips were big. She was
nervous. She licked them a lot when she was nervous. Rearranging herself in her
dress that was too tight, too short, and way too suggestive, she glared at her
roommate.
“What
am I supposed to do at a damn charity event? I hate these things. And, by the
way, mentioning dust and my shop in one breath is tantamount to having me take
the first cable home.”
Tess
snickered. “It’s at a private residence in
Maria
threw her lip gloss at Tess. “Do you see anything wrong with trying to
prostitute your roommate for donations? Honestly! Have you seen my tits?”
“Okay,
just suck on something a lot!”
“Tess…I
swear!”
Tess
turned to her roommate. “Please? For me? If they get more funding I’m a
shoe-in for a job this summer, and a definite internship! Help me, Maria! Help
me become financially stable!”
“You
are financially stable. Do not try to
pull the wool over my eyes, you little slut! I know that you’re doing this for
one reason, and one reason only. A certain resident. His family is connected,
aren’t they?”
“Just
to God and his brothers.”
“Infidel.
God does not have brothers.” Maria blotted her mouth. “Go to church and
repent your sins.”
“Forget
it. There are too many to repent. I think hellfire will be needed.” Tess
wheedled Maria. “Pleeease? Play nice?”
Maria
blew the air out of her mouth hard. “Fine. Two blow jobs, and not one more.”
“Five.
You’re good at them.”
“Three.
And how would you know?”
“Four.
I’ve been your roommate forever, so I can hear what happens in your
bedroom.” Tess laughed at the face Maria made. “When you’re in a
relationship….which you are not at this moment, so what’s a little blow?”
“You
suck! Oh, wait….that would be me, for letting you talk me into this! Three,
not a mouthful more, and you do the women. I only do men.”
“Fair
enough.”
They
exited the car as Tess handed over her keys to the valet. They walked towards
the front door where no doubt San Francisco’s finest hostess would be with her
King Ding Dong Host greeting the guest with big fat wallets to match their big
fat bank accounts.
“I
swear, Tess, if you see me reaching for my checkbook, you are honor bound to
tackle and wrestle me to the ground.”
“I
promise. But you have to promise me that you will be pleasant. You will not
start a fight over politics, hockey, economics, current affairs, the
environment, or make any rude comments about stupid people.”
“Damn!
Didn’t you say I could have a good time?” Fat chance of that happening if
she wasn’t allowed to open her mouth. Add in the fact that it was hard to
perform verbal blow jobs, chatting up the lame charity without opening her damn
mouth.
“Maria…”
“Okay,
okay. I know. Smile. Simper. Social blow jobs coming up.” Maria smiled large
and brightly at the hostess as she came into sight. “I hate myself. I hate
you. I hate myself, even more for letting you talk me into this. If her name is
Gigi, I will have to kill you.”
“It’s
Trixie.”
Maria
made a gagging sound like Jinxy did when she hacked up a hairball. Tess giggled
under her breath and greeted their hostess. “Trixie! I love your dress! Is
that a special blend?”
“Is
that a special blend? Are you insane?” Maria asked after they got through the
greeting detail. “Hell, Tess! She looked like someone rolled her in a gunny
sac, and shoved two fighting rottweilers in there with her. ”
“She
is a little bulgy.” Tess said kindly.
“I
am going to try to redeem the night with some quality grub. It better be
quality! No cocktail weenies.” Maria spotted Tess’ latest lust item, the
Resident……no, make that, the Resident.
He didn’t look that great to her. His hair was strange, his smile was fake,
and uh oh, that looked like an appendage in a tight dress hanging on his
arm….one that had the name of Fifi, who giggled a lot, and was utterly top
drawer. Maria shot Tess a look of sympathy as she watched her best friend paste
a tight smile on her face to meet them.
Food
good. Parties boring.
Maria
loaded her plate. Taking it for a walk around the room, she moved in and out of
many conversations, listening, but holding back on commenting. She had promised
to behave. On her third trip to the buffet, she was pushed into the stuffed
mushroom caps by a boorish person who didn’t watch where he was going.
“Can
you watch where you’re standing?!” Oh no! That rude voice! It couldn’t
be... Nothing could be worth this. Ignore it. “Can you move please?!”
Maria
sighed and confronted the boor. “I was standing here first, and by nature of
locomotion versus being stationary, those in motion are always in the wrong.”
“You!
Oh, this month just keeps getting better and better,” said Michael
sarcastically. Oh yeah. He remembered her. How could he forget? His most recent
humiliating cancelled marriage revolved around her.
Maria
eyes took a dangerous glint. A pig in Armani. Who knew he could actually clean
up into well-coiffed swine? “The married man. Where is your fiancée or wife?
I wish to express my condolences.”
“I’m
not married! Not even engaged any longer.”
“Shocking.
Colored me stunned. How could the IQ’s below seventy let something like you
slip away? Shouldn’t the de-evolving Brats of the socially inbred be about
somewhere, searching for rescue from a life of wishing they knew where a G-spot
was located?”
“It’s
your fucking fault my engagement ended,” Michael said nastily. “You should
compensate me.”
“Excuse
me? A female with the mental acuity of a flea gets herself engaged to you,
suddenly electroshock therapy works, and that is my fault?” Maria mouth opened
in anger. “It had to be my candles and not the fact that you are a tight
wadded asshole that presents a woman with a prenuptial agreement as a token of
your true love.”
“That’s
right! It was your fault. You owe me a refund.”
Maria’s
eyes narrowed as she took in the customer from hell. “For what exactly?”
“Your
candles didn’t work.”
“They
didn’t burn? That’s impossible!”
“Burn?
What the hell are you talking about? Of course candles burn. I’m talking about
the magic mumbo jumbo crap didn’t work. My ex-fiancée was anything but calm
and reserved. She threw an unholy temper tantrum in the restaurant.”
“Magic?”
Maria looked at the man as if what little intelligence might have existed in his
brain was bled out by glue sniffing and questionable breeding.
“Yes.
I was told that your candles were magical. That’s why I made the special trip,
paid a high price for what basically is beeswax, and took the time to choose an
attractive arrangement. What the hell kind of witch are you? Your Craft
sucks!”
“Witch?
Magic? What? Are you an escaped mental health patient? You bought my candles
because you thought they were magical? What, are you from another planet or
something?” The derision dripped from her voice as Michael took the hits
straight to the gut. God, she was gorgeous when she was pissed! He suppressed a
smile, as she took a deep breath and poked a firm finger into his chest,
ignoring the crowd around them, as the interest increased. “Did you see
anywhere in my shop, in my advertisement, or from me personally an assurance
that I am a card-carrying, practicing member of Wicca? Do I look like fucking
Glenda the Good Witch of the North? You ignoramus, Toto-snorting boor!”
“More
like a wicked witch!”
Maria
got into his face. “If I had been your fiancée and you presented me with a
prenuptial agreement, I’d grind your balls into dust until you sang
soprano.”
“Fat
chance of that happening. I’d rather suffer slow death by ravenous rats than
imagine myself engaged to you!”
“Ditto!”
“I
don’t do downtown talent.” Michael sneered at her. “What are you doing
here anyway? Isn’t this a little upscale and normal for a hippie shop owner
pedaling wax for a living?”
“Oh,
just doing my community service. Blow jobs for charity. Lucky me! Looks like I
get the night off. Everyone here already sucks!” Maria glared at him and
turned on her feet to go find Tess and get the hell out of there.
Michael
grabbed her arm to stop her before she could blend away. “Wait. We didn’t
talk about my refund.”
Maria
shook off his hand. “Bring back my basket, and I’ll happily refund your
money.”
Michael
frowned. “I can’t. Daphne took it with her.”
That
made her turn. Looking him up and down, she smiled sweetly. “Let me get this
straight. She rejected you, but took my basket? Woman finally showed some taste.
No refund.”
Growling,
he was about to respond when a man suddenly appeared at their shoulder.
“Guerin, are you harassing this woman?”
Maria
said, “Yes!” At the same time, Michael said, “No!”
“I’ll
take the young lady’s opinion as fact.” Brody Davis picked up Maria’s hand
and kissed the back of it. “My lady, are you in distress?”
“No.
He is. Mental distress. Feel free to assist him.”
Brody
laughed at the look on Michael’s face, and his attention to Maria grew.
“There is no assistance possible for our boorish Mr. Guerin. His manners are
appalling. Allow me to introduce myself.”
Michael
snatched Maria’s hand away from Brody. “No need, Brody. I can do that.” He
looked at Maria. “This is an…acquaintance of mine. Brody Davis. Brody, this
is…”
Maria
looked at Michael with derision. “You do not know my name!”
“Maria.
She runs a charming store downtown off
Maria
stared at Michael with her mouth open. She never told him her name! It felt like
an invasion of her privacy. Pushing him aside, she extended her hand to the man
that made the boobish Michael Guerin’s back bend in irritation. “Actually it
is Maria DeLuca. Mr. Brody Davis. I know you. You have one of the largest
construction companies in the city. Aren’t you currently involved in the
bidding war for the Downtown Historical Area Restoration Projects?”
“Indeed.
The Maps Project is a big contract. All the larger firms are fighting for the
honor, and the immense rewards of opening the adjacent areas. That is in your
neck of the woods isn’t it?” Brody was aware of the irritation on
Michael’s face, and rocked on his feet, his English accent deepening at his
enjoyment. Maria smiled at the twinkling in his clear hazel eyes, as his joy at
irritating Michael became apparent. “Perhaps that is how you met our mutual
acquaintance, Mr. Guerin.”
“I
met him because in my past life I obviously was very evil, and now I am
paying.” Maria frowned. “Why would I meet him that way? What does he have to
do with the Maps Project?”
Brody
smiled even more, loving having Michael’s lady at his full attention. “Well,
Michael is the next larger firm in line for the contract.”
“Next
largest? I’m not next to anyone! Valenti’s is the largest firm in the
city.”
“Valenti’s?”
Maria’s face went a little pale. “You’re connected to Valenti’s?”
“No,
dear, he is Valenti’s. He bought his
stepfather out over five years ago. Michael Guerin is now the sole owner of the
firm.” Brody couldn’t keep the admiration out of his voice. Michael Guerin
had taken a small construction firm and turned it into a giant in under five
years. At twenty-seven, Michael Guerin was the walking American dream, and more
than just a small competitor. Michael Guerin in the last few years had
single-handedly stolen contract after contract from Brody’s firm. Davis
Construction, Inc. was having hard times and a recession bordering on
bankruptcy.
“Oh
God!” Maria looked at the two men, and snatched her hand away. “I really
need some fresh air. Excuse me.” Maria fled.
Michael
scowled at Brody. “Look what you did. You scared her.”
“Me?
More than likely she heard that another fiancée dumped you on your ass and
sought refuge from the trainwreck that is your love life.”
“Don’t
worry about my love life, Brody. I suggest you concentrate on the streamroller
heading towards your professional life.” Brody’s eyes narrowed in anger as
Michael went to find Maria.
“Hey!
Daffy chick! Why are you running?”
Maria
was in a secure quiet hall leading to the restrooms available to guests.
“I’m not running. Not from you. Not that it wouldn’t be a sane choice for
any woman with an IQ higher than your shoe size.”
“What
did I ever do to you?”
Maria
pushed the hair from her face, staring up into his eyes. Brown? No. Whiskey.
Golden. Rich. Surprisingly deep. He really looked perplexed. He had no idea who
she was? What she was? A small sliver of suspicion slipped out of hiding.
Looking him over, she read him quickly. “Working class background, but upper
class breeding. You are
“Yeah,
I’ve lived here most of my life. Not always the same house, but in the area.
Why?”
“You
looked like a worker, a construction worker when you came in my shop.”
“I
own a construction company. I work. I tend to look like a worker. So what?”
“You
misrepresented yourself.”
“What?”
Michael stared. “Is this like you peddling your wares under the illusion that
your candles are magical? False advertising.”
Maria
punched him on the chest. Damn. That hurt. Shaking her hand, she spit and
sputtered. “I do not advertise that! Take it back!”
“My
secretary told me that your candles were magical.”
“Then
sue her! Not me. Boob.”
“Witch!”
Michael moved in closer making her retreat up against the wall along the dark
hallway. “What is wrong with me looking like a construction worker? What are
you? Some elitist snob?”
“Me?!
You!” She poked him in the chest
again with the same wicked finger. “You’re the one being snotty about my
hippie artsy self being uptown. You’re the snob, buddy.” Maria licked her
mouth as she warmed to her subject, but Michael who was watching her mouth moved
in even closer.
“I
thought you were here to perform blow jobs for charity.” Michael couldn’t
stop staring at her. Her mouth. Damn, it was perfect, but it was her violently
expressive eyes that drew his attention. She was hot. She was feisty. She was
passionate. It was like seeing a glimpse of Oz after living in
“Social
ones only.”
“I’m
sociable.”
“Are
not,” Maria whispered huskily as he took all the space between them and kept
her trapped up against the wall. Apprehension. It was definitely apprehension
that had her heart pumping so hard and fast. Not him.
“Educate
me,” murmured Michael as his mouth moved in on hers, cutting off her ability
to breathe and last avenue of escape.
Maria,
too stunned to move, suddenly found a tongue in her mouth that made her forget
what he'd just said. Educate him? Educate
herself. She was learning how to kiss. His mouth, his tongue, his hands, and God
help her, his body. He didn’t kiss with just his mouth, but his entire body.
Intense. It was intense. So many fluid parts, all moving together as both of
their hearts pounded out of control. Her slim arms moved up his arms to touch
the side of his neck, and with a moan, they wrapped around his neck, as she
lifted up on her toes to get closer to him, deeper inside. Michael helped with
his large hands lifting her, holding her tight. One arm around her back, and
another moved up the side of her body to wrap his large hand under her hair and
palming her cheek, holding her mouth firmly to his kiss.
How
was he supposed to put his thoughts in any meaningful pattern with Maria moaning
into his mouth? The gracefully slim hands slid from his face to grip his hair
passionately, and he brought his one hand down to run along the long leanness of
her leg left exposed by her short hem, the other arm resting against the wall
above her, allowing him to pin her smaller frame to the wall and plastered
tightly to him. The pressure of his body against hers caused him to receive
another delectable groan from her.
Teeth
clicked together, and they parted for a moment, trying to catch their breath,
leaning forehead against forehead. “Oh wow,” said Michael breathlessly.
Maria's tongue snuck back out to wet his lips, and Michael groaned as he dove in
again. Mouths slanted across each other, allowing tongues to wrestle wetly.
Instead of being a war about winning, they were both too caught up in the match
to even think. Maria tried to pull away, but Michael moved his one hand up her
body leaving her leg, to tip her mouth back to his. “No,” he said hoarsely,
not wanting to let that mouth move away. He wasn’t done. Not yet. Not ever.
Michael's
hand once again moved behind the thick blonde, silken hair as his thumb massaged
the high crest of her cheek bone. His eyes were partially closed, but he could
see the sweep of her lashes against her cheek, the red flush of her skin, and
the redness of her mouth from his kiss, before he kissed her again, deepening
the kiss. The caress of his hand had Maria slowly writhing against him, teasing
him with her entire body as she moved her hand in his hair, gripping him hard in
passion as he devoured her mouth. Her other hand moved down Michael's neck,
around to the front, following the neckline of the shirt he wore. The hand slid
further opening buttons along the way without effort, allowing her fingers to
move inside his shirt to touch his skin.
“Good.
Touch me.” He stood up straighter, taking his other arm from the wall where he
leaned into her, to bring both hands up to frame her face and tip her mouth even
more to he could move into it. His chest and body arched into the touch of her
hand, using the hands in her hair to push their mouths even closer together.
This kiss was unlike any he'd ever encountered before, and he felt the need to
keep it going. Stopping was completely out of the question. When her fingers
finally moved over his nipple through his shirt, he pulled away from Maria,
panting heavily. "Leave with
me," he breathed heavily.
“Oh!
I’m sorry!” The startled voice of
a woman who had walked down the hall and found them, then quickly leaving again
didn’t register with either of them at first. They stood plastered together
staring at each other, both breathing heavily, eyes hooded with passion.
Maria
seemed to pull herself out of some drugged state, and Michael frowned as she
seemed to give herself a mental shake.
“Oh
shit!” The underlying horror in her eyes as reality hit her, was not in the
least bit flattering. The redness on her skin increased, and she pushed heavily
against him, moving so quickly, it didn’t register what was happening. One
moment she was there, with him. The next, she was gone. He stood there stunned,
staring at where she had been a moment before. His shirt was open and he was
breathing hard, his hand pushing through his long untidy hair, uncertain what to
do.
A
door closes, and a window opens.
Maria
pushed back into the party to search for Tess. Spying her across the room,
luckily close to the door, she culled her from the crowd and dragged her out of
the party through the front door.
“Home!
You have to take me home! Now!”
Tess
frowned at the sound of near panic in Maria’s voice. Handing over her valet
ticket, she quickly tried to calm her friend.
“Maria,
what’s wrong? Maria?” Tess pushed Maria into the passenger seat as she
quickly thanked the young man who had brought her car around. “Maria!” Tess leaned over and dug an emergency brown bag out the
gloved compartment. It had been a long time since she had to hand Maria a bag to
breathe in for an anxiety attack. Maria was breathing deeply.
“What
is it?” Tess left the estate and headed home, shooting looks of concern at
Maria. “Maria?”
“I’m
sorry.” Maria breathed deeply in the bag while searching in her bag for her
cedar oil.
“For
making me leave early?” Tess asked. Maria nodded, and kept on breathing.
“Don’t worry, honey. Did you see that dog he showed up with? Her name was
Precious! Precious!” Tess stared at Maria when she didn’t make a comment.
“Maria? What is it?”
“I
did something terrible. My hands. My mouth. Oh God!” Maria went back to
puffing in the bag.
“What?
What about your mouth and hands?” Tess screeched to a stop causing traffic to
slam in alarm behind her followed by the loud honking of horns. “What
happened? God, Maria….not a blow job! That was just a joke!” Maria slapped
Tess’s arm in anger. Tess breathed in relief. Well, thank God for small
favors.
“I
couldn’t control them! It was horrible. A nightmare.” Maria held out her
hands dramatically. “Cut them off! They aren’t mine. They’re aliens!”
Her hands flying to her cheeks. “I must have been abducted by aliens. That’s
the only explanation! Maybe I have a brain tumor? God, I hope I have a brain
tumor!”
“Okay,
take a drama pill, calm down and tell me everything.”
“Oh
God. Oh God. Oh God,” Maria kept saying over and over, while wringing her
hands. “I need to sterilize my body. My mouth. I need to have it sprayed for
cooties.” Maria began to ransack her bag searching desperately for something
as she found pieces of gum and shoved them in her mouth. “I can still taste
him.”
“You
said you didn’t…”
“Not
that!”
The
rustling of Maria searching and the exaggerated gum chewing was driving Tess
insane. “What are you looking for?”
“The
card to that psychologist I used to see when we first moved to
Tess
pulled into the back alley leading behind the shop. Pushing the button, she
parked her car next to Maria’s in the garage. “Calm down and tell me what
happened.”
Maria
put her hand on her heaving chest and breathed deeply trying to get control.
“Okay, but then I need to go drown myself in my bath.” Maria turned in the
seat and looked at her friend. “I kissed my nightmare customer from a month
ago.”
“Nightmare
customer?” Tess’s delicate brow furled in confusion. A month ago? A month
ago…before test block. Oh! “Mr. Prenuptial Agreement?” Maria nodded
horrified. “Maria! He’s at he very least engaged!”
“Not
anymore. She dumped him.”
“You
go girl!” said Tess in approval. Swine. Then it hit her. “You kissed
him?” Maria nodded again. “Why? Hell, never mind. It’s not that bad.”
“I
liked it. A lot.” Maria threw herself back on the seat in a great display of
drama. “I wanted to rip his clothes off and fuck him hard up against the wall.
He has incredible hands. Incredible lips. His mouth. Oh shit, his tongue. I
could feel his penis through his pants….it was large. And I almost had him out
of his shirt. He was sexy in a mean, bad boy way, and I liked it…”
Tess
ripped the psychologist card from Maria’s hand. Getting out of the car, she
opened the passenger’s door and dragged her devastated roommate out of the car
and up the back stairs to their apartment above the store.
“Okay,
you take a cleansing shower, and I’ll call the psychologist. Do you think he
has an emergency number?”