By the time I get home, I’m incensed. How could I have been so dumb? I think of Eric and want to tell him what just happened. I call him and hear his frigid tone on the other end of the phone line.
“Yes, Jude . . .”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“Does your head hurt or anything?” I ask, worried that he might not be well.
“No.”
“Have you been dizzy or vomited?”
“No.”
“OK, then why didn’t you come back to the office this afternoon?”
He doesn’t respond. His silence bothers me.
“If it’s because of what happened at the office today, c’mon, it was nothing.”
“Maybe it’s nothing to you, but it’s something to me.”
“I’ll remind you I’m an adult, a grown person, not a child like your nephew, who you can scold anytime.”
“Go ahead . . . make me angrier,” he snarls.
His lack of trust bothers me, but I need to tell him what’s just happened.
“Eric—”
But he’s mad, and he cuts me off.
“I don’t care for Miguel. You know that, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“No, listen to me, Jude. What would you think if tomorrow I let your beloved supervisor touch my hair while we have breakfast? I’m sure she’d like it. Oh, and maybe she’d love to give me a little kiss. Shall we try it?”
Just thinking about it makes me ill. I close my eyes, and given the example, I understand his frustration.
“OK, message received.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear you finally understand. It’s one thing for you to give permission for a woman to touch me. It’s quite another for a woman, who you know wants me, to touch me without your permission. Do you get it now?”
“Yes.”
“Think about it, because I’m not willing to go through this again,” he says after a funereal silence. “I don’t care if you have breakfast with Miguel or whomever else you want, but I won’t accept that anyone—man or woman—touches you or kisses you without my consent. Good night, Jude. I’ll see you tomorrow in the office.”
And with that, he hangs up. I’m left in a daze.
How can I tell him what happened without causing a further erosion of trust?
Dumbfounded, I sit down on the couch, convinced I’ve just done something that will anger him even more if he should ever find out. My neck itches and I scratch it.
59
When I arrive at the office the following morning, I’m not surprised to find Eric working. I quietly put my things on my desk. My office phone rings. Eric wants to see me.
“Good morning, Miss Flores.”
“Good morning, Mr. Zimmerman.”
Then I notice Julio Merino, a young guy who works with the company, sitting at a round table in Eric’s office, surrounded by papers.
“Mr. Merino,” says Eric, leaning back in his chair, “could you get me some coffee, black?”
The young man stands up.
“Yes, Mr. Zimmerman . . . right away.”
As he walks by me, he rolls his eyes, and I try to contain my laughter.
“How’d you sleep?” he asks once we’re alone. His tone is much softer.
“Terribly. I missed you.”
I notice his lips curving into a smile.
“Surely not as much as I missed you. Tonight you’ll sleep with me at my hotel.”
“Great.”
I’m delighted by this suggestion. This might be a good time to tell him what happened yesterday.
“Are you up for playing with company?”
My stomach tightens. It’s been a good while since I’ve done it. I swallow the knot in my throat.
“It’s fine by me if it’s fine by you.”
“Are you excited?” he asks, noticing I’m a little nervous.
It’s my turn to nod. He smiles and gets up.
“Please, Miss Flores, if you could come with me to the archive room . . .”
Without hesitation, I head where he wants, and my breathing immediately accelerates. Once we are there, Eric presses against me, and my butt bumps up against the file cabinets. While his hip is resting on me, I feel his hand under my skirt, touching my right thigh.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve offered you, and I can’t wait.”
“Eric . . .”
“I’m still mad at you. You deserve punishment.”
“Punishment?”
“Yes, my sweetness. And tonight you’ll see what it is.”
“I’ll remind you,” I whisper, “that the punishment you imposed in Barcelona was to get me all hot at that swingers’ bar and to leave me burning.”
He smiles and sniffs my hair.
“You never know what it’ll be, Jude; you never know.”
He separates my legs with his hand. He touches the elastic band on my panties.
“Your punishment awaits you in my hotel room,” he murmurs in my ear. “When you leave the office tonight, come right over.”
Eric retrieves his hand from under my skirt and steps away.
“Very well. You can get back to work now.”
Excited and annoyed by his cool treatment, I start to go, when I feel a slap on my behind. I turn to protest, and then he pulls me to him and kisses me passionately.
“I love you, sweetness . . . ,” he says, and smiles that unsettling smile.
The Zimmerman Effect takes over. My wariness vanishes, and I smile like a fool while he hugs and kisses me, dominating me completely.
“Miss Flores, will you please stop provoking me and let me run this company?”
That makes me laugh. After straightening my skirt, I leave the archive room, grinning all the while, and go through his office, back to my desk. Tonight I will definitely tell him what happened.
Julio hurries by me with the coffee. “Goddamn it,” he whispers to me, “he’s driving me bonkers today!”
That amuses me, but I try to concentrate on my work.
When I leave the office at six o’clock, I’m nervous, but I do as I’ve been asked. I pick up my car and drive to his hotel. When I arrive, Tomás is waiting for me at the door and beckons me over. I brake and lower my window.
“Mr. Zimmerman is waiting for you in his suite. I’ll take care of your car.”
Feeling good now, I leave him the keys and enter the hotel, my excitement growing with each step. I haven’t played since we were in Zahara de los Atunes, and I’m a little eager. The elevator operator greets me. We go up in silence, and when the elevator opens, I’m surprised to find Eric waiting for me in the vestibule.
“Hello, love.”
“Hi,” I say as I appreciate how handsome he looks in black pants and a sky-blue shirt. Quickly, he kisses me and guides me into the suite. There’s music playing in the living room. Someone else is here, but I can’t see who it is. Eric takes me directly to his bedroom and shuts the door.
“What I want you to wear is laid out on the bed. Shower, and when you’re ready, come out to the living room.”
With that, he leaves me alone.
Surprised, I walk over to the bed. Black silk sheets. Wow! Then I see what he’s left for me: a very elegant and very short black silk nightgown and a pair of shoes with skyscraper heels. No panties, but a delicate G-string. That makes my mouth dry.
My eyes still on that accessory, I undress and head for the bathroom. I shower and enjoy the water all over my body. I dry myself and dress as Eric has requested.
I open the door to the living room. Eric sees me and waves me over to him. When I reach him, I see a couple. She’s dressed like me.
“Judith, meet Mario and his wife, Marisa. Friends of mine.”
The man gives me a pair of kisses on the cheek. In the light, I realize the woman is Marisa de la Rosa. Why does she act as if she doesn’t know me? She gives me two kisses too.
“Hi, Judith, so good to see you.”
r /> “The same,” I say, but I’m confused.
She doesn’t mention our encounters in the gym, nor what happened the day before. I don’t either. I feel strange hiding it, but I keep the secret, not quite understanding why.
Eric grabs my waist and pulls me to him.
“They were at the Roaring Twenties party we went to in Zahara. Since then, Marisa hasn’t stopped emailing, asking to meet you.”
When I turn to her, she’s smiling.
“I’m dying to taste you, Judith.”
I don’t respond. I can’t. All I can see is how that woman runs her lustful gaze over my body, pausing at my breasts. She reminds me of Sylvester the Cat when he’s licking his lips before trying to devour Tweety Bird.
Eric makes a sly face. He likes what he sees; it pleases and excites him.
“My girlfriend is very . . . very desirable.”
He kisses me. When he releases me, out of the corner of my eye I see Marisa and her husband whispering while drinking champagne. Eric picks up a long silk handkerchief off the couch.
“Remember this?”
“Yes.”
“I might want to tie you to the bed at some point, to offer you. Any objections?”
“I trust you,” I whisper, but I’m scared to death.
His eyes sparkle. He comes back, close to me.
“Marisa is a very active person, and she’s dying to play with you. Of course, I gave my consent.”
“What?”
Eric grins and kisses my shoulder.
“That’s today’s punishment, love.”
“Eric, no,” I say, my mouth dry.
“No?”
I whisper in his ear, “You know women don’t do it for me.”
He grins.
“That’s why it’s your punishment. But it’s all right. I offer you so she can play with you. You don’t have to do anything except enjoy it.”
I’m stupefied.
“C’mon, Miss Flores, be consistent with your whims.”
My stomach is tied in knots as I look at Marisa. Just thinking about what Eric has asked of me makes me want to run.
Mario has set himself down on the couch while Marisa watches us. My nerves feel like they’re about to sizzle.
“Eric.”
“Yes, Jude?”
“I don’t want to do this . . . I don’t.”
Eric looks at me.
“That’s fine, Jude. Go and get dressed. Tomás will bring your car,” he finally says very calmly.
That upsets me. I don’t want to go. As I turn to leave, I close my eyes.
“Eric . . .”
“Yes, Jude?”
“If I stay, my kisses will be only yours and yours only mine.”
Eric, inscrutable, nods in agreement.
“Always, love . . . always.”
Anxiously, I kiss him, and he accepts. When I pull away from him, I look over at Marisa.
“Very well.”
Eric sits next to Mario.
The woman and I stand before our respective men, dressed in our short nightgowns while the music plays around us. I start getting excited when she comes behind me and puts her hands on my waist.
Eric serves himself a cup of champagne. When he’s done pouring, he leaves the bottle on the table and looks at us as he sprawls out on the couch.
“Marisa, my girlfriend is finally yours. How would you like to start?”
His words turn me on.
“For the moment, I’d just like to touch her,” Marisa says before I have a chance to protest again.
Right away, she buries her nose in my neck as her hands travel all over my body and the men watch. She touches my hips, my breasts, my mons; she touches everything through the suggestive black silk. I listen to her irregular breathing in my ear but remain quiet as she investigates my body.
“Eric, give me five minutes alone with her.”
I’m about to protest. I’m going to refuse, when she presses her body to mine.
“Let’s go to bed,” she whispers.
She takes my hand and pulls me along. I look over at Eric, but he merely lifts his cup and grins from his seat on the couch. Hand in hand, we arrive at the bedroom. I can’t believe Eric won’t be present.
Marisa sits on the bed, makes me lie down, and then crawls on top of me on all fours.
“Listen, Judith. Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll give you pleasure, and I hope you’ll return it. Eric has given you to me because of something that’s going on between you two. All I care about is tasting you and enjoying your body.”
“Why haven’t you said we know each other?”
She grins. “Because it’s not necessary to explain everything, don’t you agree?”
I’m about to complain, but she lowers the straps on my gown and brings out my breasts, which leaves me mute. My nipples harden, and she grins. Finally, she pokes her tongue out and licks them. I move around. I’m restless. I don’t want to recognize it, but this is getting me going. Her mouth seals on my breasts, and she sucks eagerly, then lets me go.
“Do you like it?” she asks.
I nod. I can’t talk.
“At the gym, whenever I see you nude in the locker room, I want to suck you like that. And by the way, Rebeca said to say hi.”
I’m about to say a thing or two about that woman, when Marisa lowers her straps and lets her plump and magnificent breasts fall before me. She takes my hands and places them on her. Her hands cover mine, and she squeezes.
When she removes her hands, I continue on my own. I touch her nipples the way I like to be touched, and I pinch them. She bites her lip and gasps. She brings her face close to mine. I don’t move. I think she’s going to kiss me.
“Eric has already warned me that I can’t taste those tempting lips of yours,” she says as she pulls back. “But I’m going to devour your other lips. I’m going to bite you and suck you so good, you’re going to want to do the same to me.”
“No . . . I won’t . . . ,” I whisper.
“You won’t what?”
“I’ve never pleased a woman,” I say. “It’s not my thing.”
“You don’t want to please me?”
“No.”
She moves around on top of me. She turns so her sex is just above my face and mine is below her mouth. She doesn’t let her sex touch me, just shows it to me and whispers as I feel her breath on my sex.
“Do it once. If you don’t like it, I promise I’ll move away.”
I’ve never seen a vulva this close. It’s very clean, hairless like mine, shiny and tempting. Lost in my own thoughts while looking at her, I suddenly hear her moan.
“Judith . . . use your tongue once . . . just once. Like this . . .”
Her tongue glides slowly over my labia. I tremble.
Stunned for the moment and excited by what I’m feeling, I follow her example.
“Oh yes . . . ,” I hear her say.
I like the feeling, and I do it again. She does the same thing, and I am now the one who moans.
“Let’s do it this way: do to me what I do to you.”
Then she opens my labia and places her hot mouth on me. I moan . . . but I do the same to her. I open my mouth and suck. For a few seconds, I try to do what she’s doing, but I can’t . . . I want to move my tongue another way and nibble at her labia.
I forget my prejudices and do what I want. She shudders. Her labia opens on my contact, and I make out her clitoris. Curious, I let my tongue graze it. It instantly swells in response.
“Oh, Judith . . . you’re driving me crazy. You’ve really never done this before?”
“Never.”
Turned on by the sight of her clit, I do what Eric does to me. I touch it with the tip of my tongue, surround it, and when it bulges, I imprison it with my lips and tug on it.
Marisa jerks and moans. She tries to pull away, but I grab her thighs and hold her clit in my mouth to stoke her excitement.
I thought this w
ould repulse me, but it doesn’t. I run my mouth on her perfectly hairless vulva and nibble on her clit, which makes me feel powerful and demanding. Marisa rubs up against me, and I hear her whimper. In that moment, I want more . . . much more, but she stops me. She moves so that she’s as she was originally, on all fours above me.
“Now that you know what I want from you, let me enjoy your body.”
She grabs my breasts, brings the nipples together, and introduces them both into her mouth. She makes them hard with her tongue as she plays with them. When she hears my gasping, she stops.
“I’m going to take off your nightgown. Just close your eyes and let yourself go.”
Excited, I nod, and then I see Eric and Mario come into the bedroom. They sit on either side of the bed and watch us.
Marisa undresses me. With her delicate hands, she takes off the nightgown. She places her hands down by my ankles and then comes up until she reaches my thighs. Right to my G-string. Gently, she bites around my inner thighs and comes up until she’s nipping at my breasts.
“I like what I’m seeing,” Eric whispers in my ear.
Marisa continues feasting, and when my nipples can’t get any harder or be more stimulated, she goes down to my waist and entertains herself with my navel. I shudder.
Her humid mouth comes to my mound and stops. She runs her tongue on my tattoo.
“Judith, this tattoo is very tempting. I’m sure it ignites many a passion.”
I look at Eric, and he grins. I know why she’s saying that, but I keep quiet.
Marisa looks up for an instant, and a cascade of emotions washes over me when I feel her hands between my legs. I’m drenched. Soaked. Receptive. She touches me and effortlessly slides a finger inside me while the palm of her hand rubs my clit. So turned on, I push into her hand in search of my pleasure.
“C’mon, you guys,” I hear her say. “Come join me in my game.”
Mario touches my right breast while Eric uses his mouth on my left. Each one stimulates me in his own way until Marisa opens my legs and dives in.
“Oh . . . ,” I moan while three people touch and suck me.
My overheated, open sex is exposed and responds to Marisa’s demands. I happily convulse. Her expert tongue goes in and out of me and pauses at my clit to do what I did to her just moments ago. She sucks it. She surrounds it and tugs on it. I sit up, ecstatic.