Lucky

Part 5

Once they'd arrived at Vickie's home and were moving through the kitchen, the brunette asked, "Is there anything we'll need?"

"Bottled water. I think we may need hydration."

Vickie smiled as she grabbed a six-pack of bottled water from her refrigerator.

"Follow me."

As they entered Vickie's bedroom, it was entirely dark. Elle said, "I'd like one light. I don't like the dark."

Vickie pushed a few buttons and, immediately, there was a very dim light gleaming from one side of the room, but from the floor.

"Jesus, Vic! You didn't show me this last night. Floor track lighting? Like on an airplane?"

"Not like on an airplane-I never use it unless it's soothing. It's in my bathroom, too. I like lighting candles but I love being able to create soft lighting instantly."

Elle snarked, "Well, isn't that a luxury?"

The taller woman offered, "It is a luxury. But every year, I give 50% of my income to charities. What do you do?"

Off the blonde's amused expression, Vickie smiled and said, "Wait for just a second and I'll set my Jacuzzi to fill for two hours from now-it'll be ready and waiting for us when we want it."

"Do you think it'll take two hours?"

"At least. Don't you?"

"At least."

Vickie looked back at her as she moved toward the bathroom and said, "Don't be nervous, baby. Off with those clothes."

Elle called after her, "You'd better get yours off, too, woman."

As Elle removed her clothes, she looked, again, at the room's décor: A queen sized bed with dark bed linens, flanked by two bedside tables with lamps, and two leather chairs with a table and torchiere between them. Bookshelves covered every wall except for that opposing the bed which featured two bookshelves enclosing an enormous plasma screen television.

***

Elle pulled back the bed linen and situated herself on her elbows with her legs hanging off of the bed. As Vickie crossed back through the room, Elle grabbed a pillow from the bed and placed it on the floor between her legs.

"On your knees, darling."

Vickie sank onto her knees on the pillow, her shoulders at the level of Elle's crotch.

The blonde looked her prospective lover over for a full two minutes, her smile growing sardonic. "I'm missing a bit of equipment, baby." She began to tease her own nipples with her fingers. She opened her legs a bit wider.

Vickie's eyes moved between Elle's circling of her own nipples and at the glistening blond thatch between her lover's legs. When she looked up into her Elle's eyes, she saw there was no uncertainty there. At all. "You don't look like you're missing a thing." she said.

Elle pulled her own nipples up and out, "Oh yes…I am. Nipple clamps. Ever used them?"

The tall woman's eyes widened with surprise but were still riveted to her lover's chest. She shook her head. No.

"I've never seen breasts as beautiful as yours are, my love, but they need a bit more than they've been getting. Do you know what I mean?

"No."

Elle sat up, which placed her considerably above her lover, and continued to play with her own nipples. "I don't doubt that, sweetheart, because when your boyfriends were being just a little rough with those pretty breasts, I'll bet you told them to stop. What you need is a woman like me. If I had nipple clamps, I'd give you something you'd never forget."

Elle smiled down at Vickie. "But I can give you something close. Want that?"
Vickie looked up and nodded at her.

Elle smiled, gently took Vickie's face in her hands and kissed her sweetly and tenderly. She whispered as she kissed Vickie's cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, "Everything I'm doing is to give you pleasure. If something really hurts you or scares you, just say no and I'll stop immediately. You can't disappoint me. We'll just move on to something we both like more, okay?"

Vickie nodded. Yes.

"I want to talk a little dirty to you. I like it. If you don't like it, say stop. And I will, okay?"

A nod.

"And ask me if you need or want anything, okay?"

A nod.

Elle asked, "Ready, baby?"

A nod.

Elle grasped Vickie's nipples so suddenly that the woman gasped. Elle smiled down at her lover. "This is pressure without pain. Do I have your complete attention, Victoria?"

Vickie nodded. Yes.

Elle pinched the woman's nipples until she was sure that she was causing slight pain and pleasure, because Vickie's back arched and her torso moved toward her.

"Are you okay?"

"God yes!"

"Good." Elle leaned forward and, one after another, pinched each nipple slightly tighter as she took her fingers and each nipple into her mouth and sucked hard.

She sat up and looked down into her lover's blue eyes, "Are you sure you want marks?"

"Everywhere."

"Except your neck. That's what I'm going to do."

Vickie nodded and she gasped again as her lover pinched her nipples even tighter, then abruptly let them go. She took a deep breath as she felt the blood rush back into them.

Elle leaned back on her elbows again and looked her lover over. "I think we've established something else you like-so you're getting more of that. And I believe you said you wanted something at the restaurant." Elle spread her legs slightly wider. "Still want it? I like the word pussy. Want my pussy?"

Vickie nodded.

"Good. You said you wanted your face in it. So don't open your mouth, baby. Put your hands on my thighs and just use your face."

Vickie immediately dropped down and, much to Elle's astonishment, exuberantly began rubbing her face, from forehead to chin, and cheek to cheek between her legs. As she worked, the taller woman kneaded her hands into Elle's thighs, but as gently as kitten. Elle found this vision of such obvious enjoyment, arousal and comfort almost frightening. It went on longer than Elle intended to allow but it was mesmerizing. As Vickie's nose grazed her clit, she suddenly grabbed the brunette's head and ground against her.

When she heard Vickie moan, she immediately stopped and thrust herself away from her lover and asked "Are you alright?"

Vickie rocked back on her haunches, "Why'd you stop me?"

"You were moaning."

"Because I was enjoying it."

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"You weren't hurting me!"

Elle shook her head. "Maybe not-but that grinding thing? I could bruise you."

Vickie smiled up at her, "I don't care."

"Oh? So no bruises on your neck but facial bruising you can explain?"

Vickie thought for a few seconds, grinned and admitted. "I see your point but surely-"

"Surely you need a spanking for that lapse of judgment?"

As Elle and Vickie looked into each other eyes, they burst into laughter.

Their laugher stopped as Elle, again, grasped each of Vickie's nipples and pinched them hard. And kept them in that vise as she pulled Vickie forward.

Vickie's breathing immediately grew ragged as Elle leaned forward and began rubbing her face over the tall woman's glistening cheeks, her lips, her forehead, her chin. The touch on her face was so gentle and the pressure on her nipples was so hard that Vickie groaned.

Elle whispered, "I like this, too, baby, I like me on your face. I love it, in fact." She leaned back, and smiled. "Let's taste me." She gently moved forward and kissed Vickie, tenderly and, as the kiss grew deeper, she increased the pressure on Vickie's nipples.

When Vickie moaned into her mouth, Elle suddenly released her nipples and pulled the woman into her arms. It was the most passionate kiss Vickie had ever experienced and she found herself meeting it with equal ferocity. Her breasts felt swollen and full against Elle's tight body and she felt nearly light-headed with desire.

Almost immediately and all too soon for Vickie, Elle ended the kiss and pulled away.

"No! Please!"

"Yes, baby. No more time on your knees." She offered a hand, and as Vickie stood, stroked the tall woman's damp cheek. "I've gotten you all wet."

"That's an understatement."

The blonde cocked her head and grinned, "Is it? Let's get on this bed and let me check that out."

As Vickie stood, Elle instructed, "On your tummy, baby." She followed her onto the bed and, as she took in the sight before her said, "Wow. I have a lot of work to do."

The brunette asked, "Is that a comment on my size, short-stop?"

Elle ran a hand over the prone woman, "No-your size is exactly right. Every bit of you will fit in my mouth if I take my time."

She straddled Vickie then sat down. "Your ass is perfect. So firm and so soft at the same time." She ground herself against the woman, "Can you feel how wet you're making me?"

Her answer was a groan as Vickie leaned up on her elbows.

"Good move, Vic." Elle leaned forward, reached under her lover, took her breasts in her hands and squeezed. She nuzzled the spot of flesh where Vickie's neck met her shoulder, gently bit her, then sucked the spot forcefully.

"OhmyGod."

"You like that baby?"

"More."

Elle grinned into the woman's back and whispered, "Your wish is my…"

Vickie lost all sense of time as Elle continued her oral movement across and down her back. Her breasts were gently handled, then her nipples pinched past the point of pain, again and again. The taller woman soon stopped moaning and began to whimper.

"Off your elbows baby."

Vickie lay flat on the bed as Elle slid off, then down her body until the globes of her breasts were rubbing against the cheeks of her lover's ass, now well lubricated from Elle's own excitement.

She moved further down, pulled Vickie's legs apart and settled herself between them, running her arms under the woman's thighs so that she could stroke her lover's lower back and begin her oral ministration to the fullness of her lover's cheeks. She bit slightly harder here, sucked harder and continued relentlessly until Vickie was so overwhelmed that she began to cry.

When Elle heard one sniffle, she raised her head, "Are you okay, baby?"

"Yes. It's just so much. Please. I need…"

"Shhh. No begging. Ever. You never need to beg me. I know exactly what you need and you're only a few minutes away from getting it. Will you be okay for another few minutes?"

Another sniffle. "Yes."

"Good girl. I'm right here and I'm going to take care of you."

She disentangled herself from Vickie, gently spread her cheeks, ran a gentle pinkie finger through the moisture between them and smiled as she saw an arched back. "You're a virgin here, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"We'll take of that another night. But you will let me take care of that, won't you?"

"Of course."

"Okay, baby. It's time now. Hold onto the sheets."

Vickie gripped the sheets beneath her and yelped as she registered a stinging slap on both cheeks of her ass and immediately felt multi-colored sparklers going off in her mind.

Elle couldn't understand the disjointed words that came from her lover but she knew that she was still needed.

Another ferocious crack and Vickie began to cry again, but immediately said, "I'm okay. I just need-"

"I know what you need." Another stinging blow.

Elle grinned as Vickie groaned violently and pushed her ass up into the air.

"You're new at this, baby. So only one more. One more. Want it hard?"

"Please," Vickie gasped.

The blonde doubled the force of her blow and Vickie rocked so violently that Elle thought she might have climaxed.

"Turn over baby."

As Vickie turned, Elle felt her heart jump at the look in her lover's eyes, the tears on her cheeks. She leaned in and kissed her tears away, "Did you-"

"No-but I was really close."

Elle continued to kiss Vickie's cheeks, forehead, then finally and lovingly, her mouth. "I'm so glad. I wanted to save that for both of us. You need me inside you, don't you?"

Vickie grabbed Elle's left hand and pulled it to her lips. "Please."

"No begging, baby. But if I touch you now, you're going to come much too quickly. I want to fuck you long enough for both of us to really enjoy it. You need to cool off a bit. Is that okay?"

Vickie nodded.

"Tell you what, pretty girl, I need some action. Ready?"

Elle didn't wait for Vickie's response before moving upward and straddling Vickie's face, inches away from her mouth.

Elle closed her eyes as Vickie pulled her down and her warm mouth worked over her ravenously. She waited until Vickie had brought her nearly to climax before she pulled away then ground herself on each of the full breasts beneath her. Then she moved downward and leaned into her lover, kissing her breasts. Vickie's eyes' fluttered as she realized Elle's oral treatment of her breasts was going to be infinitely gentle. As the woman lovingly kissed each breast, one of her hands was tickling Vickie's stomach and thighs.

As Vickie continued to whimper, Elle gave the woman's chest and torso the same biting and sucking treatment she'd given her back. She finally moved down and between her legs. She briefly gave Vickie's inner thighs the same treatment.

She leaned up on her elbows and said, "I know you need me, so I'm not going to make you wait any longer. But I am going to kiss this girl before I fuck her."

Elle leaned in and kissed Vickie between her legs exactly as if she were kissing her mouth.

As she raised her head, she continued to stroke Vickie's dampened curls, looked into her lover's eyes. "You're so beautiful. And you're so incredibly wet-so wet. I think you could take everything I could give you."

Vickie looked down into hooded green eyes. "Would you like that?"

"Of course I would. But do you understand what I'm talking about, darling?"

"Yes. You can take me if you want to."

"No. Would you like to try that?"

Vickie hesitated, "Yes, but will it…"

"Hurt? Not a bit. I know those swats on your bottom stung a bit." Elle cupped Vickie's mound, "But I wouldn't hurt this precious part of you to save my own life."

"Do it." Even as she said the words, Vickie gripped the bed sheets, getting ready for something she had no reference for.

Elle smiled down at the bed sheet and said "Relax baby, I don't think you understand just how wet and ready you are." She ran the front and back of one hand over Vickie's wetness, then quite unceremoniously thrust three fingers into her center and was delighted to watch the woman almost pull the sheets off the bed.

Elle gently thrust into her for a time and then added a fourth finger. After a few moments she asked, "Doing okay, baby?"

Vickie spread her legs wider and whispered, "More."

"Just relax. I'll be adding my thumb-and that'll be a strange sensation because now it's suddenly not going to fit. Here we go."

Vickie had broken a sweat and was rocking forward to meet Elle's gently thrusting hand.

"And now it's just a matter of time. You want me inside you and I want to be there."

"Elle…please…fuck me harder."

"No, pretty girl. Slow and steady wins this race. We're getting there. Open up to me, baby. Just relax."

Elle watched as Vickie released the bed sheets, put her hands flat on the bed and after she had taken a few deep breaths, she and Elle both gasped as the smaller woman's hand slipped entirely within her.

Vickie's hands immediately flew to cover her face and Elle stopped her movement.

"Are you okay, Vic?"

Vickie nodded her head but Elle didn't move. "No. Use words. Are you okay? Or am I hurting you?"

The brunette took her hands from her face and her arms flopped to her sides. "There aren't words for this." She looked around the room as if searching for one then finally settled upon looking into Elle's eyes and saying, "You feel sublime inside me."

The blonde exhaled in relief, "And you feel sublime inside. I can feel your heart beating around my hand. Ready for a little movement?"

"Please."

As Elle begin a gentle thrusting into her, the sheer physical fact of someone so overwhelmingly inside her made Vickie feel as if she were losing a part of her virginity she no longer knew she possessed. She closed her eyes and let her hands wander to her own breasts and began to gently caress them.

As the blonde watched from below, she smiled at the sight and continued to kiss Vickie's stomach and hips, murmuring quiet endearments into her skin.

As the minutes went by, Elle changed her movement from a loving intimacy to a more insistent rhythm, a movement that Vickie began to rock against.

"I can feel it's time, baby. Take care of those sweet breasts for me and I'm taking care of you here." As the brunette began to pinch and pull her own nipples, Elle lowered her mouth to Vickie's clit and, in only a few seconds, the blonde felt Vickie's climax begin as contractions around her hand and then she heard Vickie half moan, half scream her name over and over again.

As Vickie recovered, Elle kept her hand perfectly still and rested her head on her lover's stomach. Once she felt the brush of Vickie's fingers through her hair, she lifted her head and smiled up into smoky blue eyes.

"I hate to leave my warm, safe little spot but I'm going to pull out now, okay?"

A nod.

"I'll go slow-just as important on the way out as the way in."

In one half minute, Elle was stretched lengthwise on top of her lover, leaning up on her elbows and kissing her face, "Thank you so much, baby. You were fantastic."

Vickie chuckled, "Are you kidding me? You're the one."

"Nope-after all, you're the one who was accommodating me."

Vickie smirked, "I'll say. And how did you find the accommodations?"

"Five star, but I can tell you-the inn was full after I got there."

Vickie ran her hands through blonde hair. "It sure was-and I didn't want you to leave. I feel really empty without you now."

"I know, baby. I didn't want to leave either. But you have to admit, if I didn't, you'd sorta be the world's largest hand puppet."

Vickie's eyes widened, "You did not just say that."

Elle began to snicker and Vickie flipped her on her back and tickled her until she was giggling helplessly. Vickie was laughing as she said, "Fuck you Laurence. Here I am, trying to be romantic and sweet and you make fun of me."

Elle's face fell as she immediately stopped giggling and shook her head, her voice full of panic, "Oh no. No, baby. No no no." She took Vickie's face in her hands and said, "No baby. I was teasing. I wasn't making fun of what we just did. No no no. It was wonderful." She smacked herself in the forehead. "Fuck me. I am so sorry. So sorry."

"Take it easy, sweetie. I know you were teasing."

Vickie felt Elle's legs twitching beneath her and she knew, if the smaller woman had been sitting up, that she'd have been rocking. "No. It's nothing to tease about." Tears began to fill Elle's eyes and she couldn't meet Vickie's. She whispered, "They did what we just did-to me, a lot. Only I'm a small woman, he was a very large man and it was never gentle. And that's what they used to call me-the hand puppet. And that's what I felt like-a cheap piece of material with a papier mache head. Anyone could stick their fucking hand up into my whole life and then make fun of me for my reaction to it afterward."

"Elle, look at me."

Green eyes darted toward blue.

"Is that why you put yourself inside me? Is that how you felt when you were doing it, like you were hurting or manipulating me?"

"God no!"

"Is that how you feel about it now-like you just used me?"

"No!"

"Alright, then. That's not how it felt to me, either."

Elle shook her head. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this, Vic-if I can say something so hurtful to you after such a beautiful-"

"Shhh. It was filthy when they said it to you. It was teasing when you said it to me. Two different situations. You were present and passionate and gentle and affectionate with me, sweetheart. I know you've had some funny moments hooking but, believe it or not, non-professional sex between consenting adults can sometimes be funny, too. It's not all drama and doom and gloom."

Elle raised her eyebrows. "Really? Who knew?" She took Vickie's face in her hands once more. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry I talked about the past. I know it's an enormous lust killer."

"My little Elle. It's never a lust killer to be on top of your naked body. You didn't hurt my feelings but since you're feeling so badly about nothing, I guess I can extort something from you."

The blonde smiled up at her lover, "Oh God, here it comes…what do you want?"

"Let me make love to you."

The smaller woman slapped her forehead with one hand. "Oh, not that! Please, not that!"

"Get on your stomach, smarty-pants. I think I'll save originality for another night. I enjoyed what you did to my back so much that I'll just repeat it for you-all but the marking part."

Elle turned on her stomach, replied, "You can if you want. It's no big deal."

"It is to me. Up on your elbows."

After Vickie had explored Elle's breasts manually and her back thoroughly and orally, the blonde asked, "Would you do something for me?"

"Of course."

Vickie gave Elle the room to turn over on her back and the woman caressed her cheek. "I have a fantasy and you're the first person I've ever trusted enough to ask for it."

"Tell me."

"I've always wanted a beautiful woman to fuck me really hard-way past hard."

"It would be my pleasure."

"But, listen, I'll go off like a firecracker if you do it too quickly so if you could just fuck me until I tell you to stop, then kiss me, then fuck me, then kiss me…it would be something I've always wanted."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"Lie down next to me on your side. Take my thigh between your legs because I think rubbing against me will be fun for you."

Vickie did as directed and smiled, "What now, angel?"

"Fuck me and look me in the eyes when you're doing it. Please don't say anything. I don't want foreplay. I just want three fingers and hard."

"You ready?"

"Oh yeah, Vic. Beyond ready. Slam me. Make my teeth rattle."

And Vickie did, hard but slightly tentatively at first, until Elle whispered, "Stop. Kiss me."

Vickie kissed her as lovingly and passionately as she could, for many minutes, until Elle pulled away. "Now, Vic, put all your muscle into it. Fuck me. Really fuck me. As hard as you can."

When she felt the next violent thrust into her body. Elle's eyes closed. This, this was close to perfection. But there might be more.

"Harder, baby."

As Vickie truly, forcefully took her as hard as she could, both women began to sweat. After a few moments came the word "Stop."

There was more tender kissing.

"Fuck me." As Vickie gave her everything she had, Elle could feel she wasn't the only one enjoying it, could feel the other woman's desire on the thigh Vickie rubbed tightly between her own legs.

After a few more rounds, there was a thin sheen of sweat on both of their bodies.

Elle asked, "I'm getting very close. Aren't you?"

"Very."

"Would you do one more thing?"

"Anything."

"Get on top of me, spread the lips of that beautiful pussy of yours and put it on mine."

Vickie did as Elle asked, positioning herself between the other woman's willing legs and, as Elle tilted her hips, spread herself with her hand so that their most sensitive places could touch each other.

She was poised over Elle with her arms fully extended, her hands next to Elle's shoulders, as if she were doing a push up.

Her lover said, "Move baby. Very slowly, not too much. We have only the slightest range of contact to work with. Just move a little."

As Vickie moved, she felt an electrical jolt between her and her lover.

As they moved together, their physical excitement grew, as well as something neither was familiar with.

Elle's hands began to flutter, her body shuddering with a depth of feeling she'd never known. She looked up at Vickie's face and saw something in those blue eyes that was completely new to her. She whispered, "This is amazing, baby."

Vickie nodded, concentrating as she moved.

"It's like we're right on the verge of a climax-but we're just staying there. I can see you feel it, too. You love this just as much as I do, don't you?"

Vickie answered, "I do, I do love it." She closed her eyes, then opened them and looked down into Elle's, "I love."

When Elle saw the emotion in her lover's eyes and realized this was the end of the other woman's sentence, her mouth dropped open into the prettiest O Vickie had ever seen. And then, there was a verbal, "Oh." She paused and her eyes filled with surprise. "Oh my God. I love, too."

Vickie smiled down at Elle. "I'm so glad. Ready, baby?"

"Ready."

Elle reached down and held Vickie's ass as the woman began to pound into her. It only took a few thrusts before they came together. Vickie collapsed onto Elle as she felt her own climax erupt like a Roman candle through her body and her head. She vaguely felt her lover climax under her. As she was recovering, though, she felt Elle press against her and seem to go into another paroxysm of pleasure. Then another slight recovery, a press, a climax, another recovery, a press and then another climax.

As Elle finally, finally relaxed, Vickie eased off of her and petted her. After a few minutes, she asked, "Was that-"

"Yes," Elle answered, breathing hard, "that was the rare tropical multiple orgasm bird. Of course, I'd heard of them, but had never seen one in the wild, much less had one."

"So they do exist."

"Evidently."

"Well, if I did anything to help you with that, let me know and I'll certainly do it again."

Elle turned on her side and stroked Vickie's face. "You're an amazing lover, Vic. But I'm pretty sure it was the look in your eyes that set me off."

There was a studied silence between them, which Elle broke. "Before you get worried, we both know I'm liable to freak out about this at any moment but right now, I feel very close to you. And even if I do freak out, I still heard what you said to me and I know what I said to you. I felt it and meant it. I still mean it. No take backs."

Vickie pulled Elle into her arms.

***
After a few minutes, Elle asked, "Could I have a t-shirt and some water, baby? I need to talk to you." Vickie hopped up and, in a few seconds, Elle caught an incoming t-shirt mid-flight, then donned it as Vickie reached for a couple of bottles of water.

Vickie pulled a t-shirt over her own head, propped up a few pillows to lie on and drank her water as she watched Elle situate herself, crossing her legs, placing a pillow on top of them and then, finally, taking a long pull of water.

"You didn't have to cover yourself, pretty girl."

Vickie answered, "You know I find your breasts distracting. I thought you might find mine equally so."

"I do. You're so thoughtful." Elle tapped Vickie's water bottle with her own. "I need to ask you a few questions and I know they're going to sound dumb but remember, I've never done any of this, so please bear with me."

"Okay."

"And please, when I ask you, tell the truth-don't tell me what you think I want to hear."

"You got it. Shoot."

"I have to leave for Geneve on Monday."

Vickie frowned, "No, not-the day after tomorrow? For how long?"

"Forever or for three months. Do you want me to come back?"

"Yes. But only if-"

"No. That wasn't the question. The question was what do you want?"

"I want you here with me."

Elle nodded, then rocked very gently. "Here comes the stupid stuff. We were together last night, spent most of the day together, had dinner tonight and we're going to have dinner with your family tomorrow. Is this…" she waved one hand in the air, "is this what dating someone's like? Is this dating?"

The brunette almost smiled but seeing the earnest look on Elle's face caused her response to be light and matter of fact, "Yes. This is dating. That's all you do-you know, you just do stuff together, dinner, talking, hanging out."

"And if I moved here, you'd want to keep seeing me like that?"

"Definitely."

"Okay-but we have sex. So is this a relationship?"

"We definitely have a relationship but what we call it is up to us."

The tone in the woman's voice caused the blonde to smile down at the bed and then up into Vickie's eyes. "I misspoke. We make love. We don't just have sex. And we have more than friendly feelings for each other. So, if we continued to see each other, this would be a romantic relationship?"

"Yes."

"Monogamous?"

This question caused Vickie to take a swig of water, then pick at the sheets for a few seconds, "It will be on my side. Your side is your decision."

"You'd still be interested in a relationship if I continued to hook?"

"Yes, but only hooking. No one else-nothing serious."

Elle rolled her eyes, "As if there could be." Her voice became sober. "Why would you do that, Vic? Why would you put up with that?"

"Because I want you and your terms are non-negotiable." Vickie's eyes and voice hardened. "But I have non-negotiable terms, too. I don't want to hear one word about it. And if you bring someone between us, you owe me safe sex. Don't say anything, don't explain-just bring the latex the next time we're together. I won't make a scene and I won't give you up, but you owe me that."

"I agree. But I don't like latex."

"Join the fucking club."

Elle smirked, but decided not to make a joke out of this wording, "Monogamy might be worth it."

"Don't promise anything you can't deliver."

"Oh, believe me, that wasn't a promise. It was an observation."

The blonde saw, immediately, that this toss-away sentence had stung her lover and she cursed herself inwardly. "Can I ask you something else?"

The other woman's voice was decidedly cooler. "Your witness, counselor."

"Don't be like that."

"Like what."

Elle ran a hand over Vickie's face, "You know what. Don't freeze me out."

Vickie took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's mine. Your question, pretty girl?"

"This is the first time you've ever been with a woman. How do you know you're not just reacting to the fact that you've finally found yourself and reaching out to the person who helped you do that?"

"How do I know? For one thing, if you're suggesting I'm afraid you might be the only woman I can get into my bed, I'm pretty sure you're wrong."

Elle laughed, "That wasn't what I was saying and I'll tell you right now you could get every lesbian I've ever known into your bed and a majority of the straight women, for that matter. But…don't you think-I mean, seriously-don't you think this is too intense after knowing each other for so short a time?"

Vickie waited for a full minute before replying, "It is. It is too intense. It's entirely unreasonable. But I have a precedent. And you know how lawyers love a precedent."

Elle took a swig of water and asked, "Alright. What's your precedent?"

"My father."

"And how's that?"

"My father has always told us, from the minute he looked into my mother's eyes, that he was a married man. He's always said that getting to know her, dating her, courting her, meeting her family-even the ceremony itself-they were only formalities. It was already done and already true from the moment he looked into her eyes."

Elle stared. "That's really how you feel about me?"

"Yes. But I won't ask you the same question. I'll only ask: are you absolutely certain that's not how you feel about me?"

"No. I'm not."

Blue eyes burned into Elle's. "Well, then I suppose that's progress. Could I get a kiss?"

Elle jumped forward to comply.

***
Many minutes of kissing later, Elle asked, "So tell me about your family."

"I have two brothers and they're identical twins. They're eight years younger than me and it'll surprise you when you see them."

"Why?"

"Just wait. You'll see."

"What are their names?"

"Yo and Dron. Yo's seven minutes older."

"Yo and Dron?" Elle pulled her head sideways and reiterated, "Your brothers' names are Yo and Dron?"

"My father's name is Johann Andronicus Xanthis. One brother got Johann; the other got Andronicus. And Jo spells it Y-O, not J-O."

"Like Yo Yo Ma? Why?"

"Everyone kept reading 'Jo' as 'Joe.'"

"Understandable."

"Absolutely, which is why Jo came home when he was seven years old and said, in these very words, "Fuck it! From now on, I'm spelling it Yo."

"What'd your parents say?"

"Dad said, 'My son! He's a genius!'"

Elle uncapped her water bottle and took a swallow. "Okay. And Dron?"

"You can name a child Andronicus. Can you call him that?"

Elle thought about it. "Doesn't have any more syllables than Adrianna."

"Granted. But when you meet him, you'll see it doesn't suit him. And, think about it-'Come here, Andronicus!' Sounds like you're calling a…pet bear or something. You can't call him Andro because that makes him sound like an alien or a hermaphrodite. And Ron makes people think you're a Ronald."

"Hence Dron. I gotcha. So-you're the oldest, the best and the brightest."

"I'm the oldest. I don't think I'm the best or the brightest."

Elle smiled, "But your father thinks you are, doesn't he?"

Vickie bridled, "He adores my brothers!"

"I'm sure he does, sweetheart. But I'm right, aren't I? You have a slight 'favorite child' flavor about you."

Vickie leaned forward, "Is that what I taste like, baby?"

The blonde smiled. A lazy, happy smile, "You're certainly my favorite taste so far, yes, but answer the question. You're the favorite, aren't you?"

The tall woman punched her pillow and rearranged it under her head. "Okay. Yes. But only because I look just like him and I'm his eldest son-except for the fact I'm his daughter."

"Do the boys resent that?"

"Yo acts like he does-but he doesn't."

Elle grinned, "How do you know that?"

Vickie shrugged. "He just thinks someone should resent the favoritism-so that's his job."

"Answer me. How do you know that?"

Vickie sat up, and her voice was almost angry, "I can tell."

Elle laughed. "You're too defensive on this issue, which I'm sure you realize means something. I'm just asking a simple question. How do you know that your brother doesn't resent you?"

"I asked Dron! Okay? I asked Dron-and he told me."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

Vickie flopped back on her pillow and admitted, "Because I didn't want to seem like I was nervous that my own brother hates me."

"I'm sure your brother doesn't hate you. I'll tell you tomorrow."

Vickie scoffed, "Right-like you'd know and I wouldn't?"

"Exactly. I will know. That's why they pay me the big bucks."

Vickie settled into the bed a bit more, relaxed and looked at the ceiling.
"Okay. I'll bite. Tell me-what's your salary?" She turned her head and smiled at Elle. "I know that's a personal question, but once you've spent time in my vagina…"

"Well, actually that depends. Was that quality or quantity time?"

"Both. The most I've ever had of either."

"Okay, then we're covered, but tell me yours first. You've spent time in my vagina, too, and to preempt your question, there was not as much quantity but the quality was ferocious."

Vickie leaned forward and kissed Elle gently. "Oh hi, Gabby! You're back."

She flopped back on her pillow and said, "Five hundred thousand."

Elle whistled, "Wow! Note that not only am I ignoring the Gabby comment but that I'm impressed. That's great! At your age?" She leaned forward and returned Vickie's kiss. "I'm sure you deserve it, baby."

"I don't really think so. Billable hours are ridiculous. Our accounting office counts every fucking phone call. 'Hi-how are you?' 15 minutes billed-at a zillion dollars per hour. It's insane. And I feel insane when I get my paycheck-that's why I give so much away. And your salary is…"

Elle laughed, then said, "Hmmm. Uh…technically it's about 25 million American dollars per year. But with bonuses, it can be a lot-a lot a lot-more than that."

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope."

Vickie stared at her companion for a few seconds before offering, "What the fuck?"

"Yeah. I know."

When no further information presented itself, Vickie goosed Elle and said, "What do you mean, you know?"

"I know it's not a normal salary. But I don't do normal things. To get back to the original point-one of the many reasons I get paid the big bucks is because I can read people like a book."

Vickie turned over on her stomach, hugged a pillow and thought for a bit. "We'll get back to the 'what the fuck do you do part,' but baby," she said softly, "that does beg a question."

Elle turned over on her stomach as well, "Which I'll answer, if you pet my back."

Vickie touched Elle's check. "You never have to ask me for that. If your back's available for petting, it's getting petted." She began gently stroking her lover's back, "In fact, I'm probably going to embarrass us both in public."

Vickie gently began stroking, tickling her lover's back and the other woman sighed deeply. "That feels so nice. What's your question, pretty girl?"

"If you can read people so easily, why are you so afraid of everybody?"

Vickie felt Elle's muscles tighten, instantly under her touch, as the blonde answered, icily, "I'm not afraid of anyone."

"Wrong word, I'm sorry. Why do you mistrust people?"

Elle's muscles tightened again. "Because I can read them like a book. People can't be trusted."

"Me included?"

"Well…no, but-"

Vickie raised her voice, "But nothing. You know what, little girl? Victoria Xanthis pets cats, dogs and horses. Victoria Xanthis will pet a snake, a lizard or a bird. But she does not pet humans. If she deigns to pet a human, that human had better fucking count her lucky stars and relax!'

Elle shot her a truly dirty look but did, indeed, release most of the tension from her back.

"Better. Now, that's a back that can enjoy a bit of petting. We're going to continue this conversation and you're going to remain relaxed. That's a ruling from the bench."

There was a bit of frowning and fussing under her breath before Elle answered, "If you thought-if you thought-you had a spanking before, just wait."

Vickie smiled and continued stroking Elle's back, "If you're going to threaten me-shouldn't the threat be something I wouldn't like?"

Elle ignored her, "So what's your father like? I already know he's tall, dark and handsome, like his daughter."

Vickie smiled, "All that but more so. Daddy's loud and he blusters a lot-puts the fear of God into you but will cry if you scratch yourself. I'm beginning to see that he really has changed a lot since Mom died. I mean, the fact that he didn't even consider Chris for the partnership blew me away."

"Sometimes our parents can surprise us. And sometimes they don't. I remain entirely unsurprised by mine." Elle watched as Vickie turned this over in her mind and continued in a businesslike tone, "To answer the questions you're about to ask, I have an 'orphan,' not an 'only child' flavor. I've been, for all intents and purposes, estranged from them since I was seven years old and literally estranged from them since my little holiday in France. And, no, I'm not ready to talk about it."

She leaned forward and kissed Vickie. "I'd love to hear more about your family, though. Did you know, by the way, that you alternate between calling your father 'father' and 'daddy?'"

"It's the way he speaks. He almost sounds foreign-born, like his parents, because he learned his English from them. It wasn't perfect."

"They were immigrants?"

"Greek-but he doesn't speak it. They wanted him to learn English. So he doesn't have an actual accent-just their oddities of expression. "

"Enough to be charming. I know the type."

"My father isn't a type."

"Everyone is a type, Vic."

"Alright. What type am I?"

"Apparently, the type that causes utterly emotionally unavailable women to profess love for the first time, make love for the first time and move to the States just to see them again."

"Wow. Great answer."

"I specialize in them. That's why they pay me the-"

"Insanely big bucks. I know."

***

Fifteen minutes later, they'd settled into the Jacuzzi and Vickie kissed the back of Elle's head as she sat with the smaller woman nestled between her legs. "We can take a shower and wash our hair tomorrow morning, but, tonight, this'll make us warm and cozy for bed."

"You like to make yourself warm and cozy, don't you?"

"Sure. Don't you?"

Elle considered this. "I've never thought about it. I never try to make myself feel anything. I concentrate on making myself not feel."

Vickie didn't speak for a full minute. "That's what the hooking's for, isn't it? How's that working out for you?"

Elle turned slightly, "Are you making fun of me?"

Vickie gently kissed the blonde's neck. "Shhhh. Of course, I'm not making fun of you. But when you get right down to it, everything in life is attraction or avoidance. I spend most of my time moving toward what I like. Seems like you spend most of your time moving away from what you don't like."

Elle softened a little and Vickie could feel her trembling. She kissed her again and ran her warm hands over the woman's shoulders, "For example, I like being warm when it's cold. I like whipped cream on cocoa. I like kissing you. So I do more of those things. They make me happy, so I do them more. The things I don't like-the things I actually can avoid, I just ignore. I don't spend time thinking of avoiding them-I just ignore them."

"Then you're lucky."

"No-you're Lucky. Just try it, baby. Try concentrating on the things that feel nice to you, the things that make you feel peaceful and happy."

"I've never had them."

Vickie embraced her tightly, "Well-now, unless I'm very much mistaken, I think you do."

Elle suddenly dug her nails, painfully, into Vickie's arms and her voice was hoarse and angry, "I fucking hate you for this! Why are you doing this? How can you do this to me!?"

Although Elle was hurting her, the taller woman didn't move, "What am I doing?"

Elle's voice rose in volume and vehemence. "You keep making it seem like this is reasonable! You make it seem like I'm really alright-that I'm real. Why are you doing this to me? Why are you trying to trick me?" The blonde dug into Vickie's arms even harder and began to rock.

With a speed that shocked Elle, Vickie utterly incapacitated her and held her forcefully. She whispered. "Stop that! This is not a trick. You are real. This is real. We are real. You may not be alright yet-but you will be. The only thing you're right about is that it's unreasonable. It is. But that doesn't make it wrong, Elle." She paused and asked, "If I let you go, will you stop scratching me and sit with me?"

After a few, long seconds, Elle mumbled, "Yes. And I'm sorry."

"No apology needed."

Vickie loosened her hold gradually, released it, then began to massage Elle's back. "Sweetheart, sometimes people come up against immovable and irresistible forces in their lives. You came up against evil that couldn't be moved or resisted-but you fought and survived."

Elle felt Vickie run her long fingers through her blonde hair, "Baby, love also can't be moved…but it shouldn't be resisted. Don't resist being loved. Please?"

Vickie listened to the sound of Elle's breathing becoming calmer and then said,
"Turn around."

When Elle turned, Vickie pulled the smaller woman's legs over hers, then pulled her closer, until they were chest to chest. In this position Elle felt Vickie's breasts resting slightly above hers but their lower regions were situated nearly perfectly for…

"Don't even think about it, short-stop."

"What?" Elle sniffed, resting her head against Vickie's shoulder.

Vickie laughed quietly, "You know what." She pulled her lover into a light hug, then began to caress her back. After a few seconds, she gently began to rock the smaller woman, murmuring a lullaby in her ear.

Elle whispered, "No one's ever rocked me-not even my parents. I always have to do it myself."

"Shhh," was Vickie's only answer.

She felt Elle completely relax in her arms and continued to rock until she was almost sure that the woman was asleep. But she wasn't. Elle murmured, "Ask me now."

Vickie's voice was hushed, "Ask you what, baby?"

"Ask me for what you really want."

Vickie thought for a few seconds and replied, "Elle, you don't belong to me but I do believe you belong with me. I'll understand if you can't agree but please don't bring anyone else between us."

"You mean my hooking days are over?" Her voice sounded heartbreakingly hopeful.

"Yes, baby. I'm sorry."

Elle hugged Vickie tighter, "I'm not." She fell asleep with warm hands caressing her back.

***
Later, Elle felt a gentle tap on her back, "We need to get into bed, angel. We can't sleep in here. We're pruning."

As Elle extricated herself from the delicious position she'd awakened in, she said, "We're dried-plum-ing, not pruning."

"You know best."

"Keep that attitude and we'll get along fine."

As Vickie stepped out of the Jacuzzi, she said, "Bet I'll be sore tomorrow."

Elle shook her head as she emerged from the tub. "Nah. Maybe a little stiff in your neck and shoulders. Sure, your nipples may feel a little sore and sensitive in your bra but if you're talking about downstairs, you'll be just fine."

Off Vickie's expression, Elle said, "I know much more than I should about the physical aftermath of sexual activity. Did it sting when you sat in the hot water?"

"No."

"You'll be fine."

"Did the hot water sting you?"

As they began to dry themselves, the blonde answered, "No. A sting would suggest a singular bee-this was more like a beehive."

Vickie stopped moving, "I hurt you?"

"No-you didn't hurt me. You did what I asked you to do, something I obviously immensely enjoyed and I'm suffering the consequences I was fully aware I would have."

"Or, in other words, I hurt you."

"I wouldn't say hurt. I repeat, because I asked you to do it, you slammed into my pelvis about what-fifty, sixty times? You hit anything on the human body that hard and that many times and there's going to be some bruising and some soft-tissue swelling."

Vickie grabbed her robe from the back of the bathroom door. "Motherfucker! Elle, I can't believe you! If you're injured, we shouldn't have gotten in the-" She didn't finish the sentence, shook her head in frustration, "Don't you know heating an injury increases the swelling and pain?"

"Oh, c'mon. I'll just walk funny for a few days. I'm not injured."

"Do not play semantic games with a lawyer, missy. We need to ice it down."

The blonde woman's eyes popped wide. "Ice? It?"

"Okay. Not ice-a gel pak-I have a couple of long thin ones from when I had carpal tunnel and they're really soft and flexible."

Elle's eyes filled with sudden comprehension. "Oh no. You are not putting an ice pack on my pussy."

"Not an ice pack-a gel pak."

"Where are these gel paks right now?"

"In the freezer."

Elle threw her hands in the air. "And what do you store in a freezer? Ice cream, frozen food and ice, none of which are going between my legs."

Vickie stepped firmly into Elle's space and looked down into her eyes. "You listen to me, little girl. When I get back from the kitchen you'll be on your back in that bed. You can run what happens in our sex life but when it comes to treating an injury on your body that I helped cause, I repeat that you're listening to me and doing as I say."

Green eyes filled, momentarily, with anger then something like grudging appreciation. "Alright, but I'm really mad now."

"Message received. I'll tremble and cower later. Get in that bed."

When Vickie returned from the kitchen, she almost laughed at the scene before her. Elle was stretched on the bed, hugging a pillow over her torso and glaring at the ceiling.

As Vickie climbed into bed, Elle snarked, "Ready when you are, ice queen."

"Ice queen? More like drama queen, which is what you're being. Spread your legs a little, sweetheart."

Elle did so and Vickie placed a soft hand towel over the woman's crotch, then placed a long, cold gel pack down the length of her vulva.

She took the pillow from the smaller woman's arms and covered her with her own body. She rose up on her elbows, then dipped down and kissed her.

"How does that feel?"

The blonde considered the question, exhaled, but didn't answer.

"It feels better than you thought it would, doesn't it?"

No answer.

"Elle?"

An exasperated sound, "Yes. Alright, alright. It feels okay."

"Good. Answer something else for me-why'd you ask me to do something you knew would hurt you?"

Vickie watched the muscles in Elle's jaws working, evidently wanting to hold back the answer. She finally said in a rush of words, "Because if I die tomorrow, the hardest I'll ever have been fucked was by a beautiful woman who cared for me rather than a beautiful man who was raping me."

Vickie took a deep breath and kissed Elle's nose and cheeks. "Then I see it was worth it. But after tonight, never ask me to do something that may possibly hurt you without giving me a reason and a choice. That's not fair to me."
Elle considered this for a few moments, "I'm sorry. I guess I never thought how I felt afterward was anyone's business but mine."

"No. If you hurt yourself masturbating, that's your business. If you're hurt in our sexual intimacy, that's our business. If I care, and I do, I'm going to care for you afterward, too."

"But I'm sleepy and I know I can't sleep with that thing-"

"You sleep like a log."

"I do not. I'm a very light sleeper."

"Yes, angel, in a roomful of coma patients, you'd be the lightest sleeper of the bunch. In the real world, you're like timber in the bed."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are. To get back to the point, I used to fall asleep with a gel-pak on all the time. It only stays cold for about twenty minutes and I'll change it every couple of hours."

Elle started, "And not sleep? You will not!"

"I'm an incredibly light sleeper and I wake up about every hour anyway. Won't be a problem."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because, you damned monkey, even if it kept me up all night, and it won't, I'm going to make sure your body is treated with love."

She rolled off of Elle and gathered the woman in her arms, "Go to sleep, angel. I'll take care of you."

***
When Elle awoke the next morning, she heard a familiar sound coming from Vickie's bathroom. She peeled a barely cool gel pak from between her legs and sleepily stumbled her way toward the sound. Sure enough, Vickie was brushing her teeth, her tall form enrobed in rich blue terry-cloth. Elle walked forward, wrapped her arms around the woman and rested her head on her back, mumbling, "We have to stop meeting like this."

As she felt the taller woman chuckle under her cheek, she reached around and cupped the woman's breasts, causing Vickie to spit into the sink and say, "Hello!"

Elle was still half asleep, "How are these girls?"

"Sore but happy."

Elle nodded and reached down and cupped between Vickie's legs, "And this pretty girl?"

"Perfect-just the way you told me I would feel."

"Good. There's a lesson. Trust your girlfriend."

Vickie felt a sense of elation at that word that she didn't put into her response, "Wanna brush your teeth? I have a toothbrush for you."

"Yes please."

As Elle began to brush her teeth, Vickie asked, "And how do you feel?"

The blonde woman brushed for a while, then spat her toothpaste into the sink. "Much, much better than I should," she grumbled quietly, "thank you."

Elle felt long fingers ruffle her hair, "See? Trust your girlfriend."

Elle felt a comparable elation that she didn't voice as she asked, "Let me see your back, baby."

As Vickie took her robe off, she looked in shock at her stomach and chest and could see in the mirror's reflection the same horror on Elle's face. "Vickie. Oh. My. God. I'm so sorry. You have such an olive complexion that I didn't know it'd be so easy to bruise you."

"My skin coloring's my dad's; my bruising is my mom's."

"Now you tell me. I've created a Dalmatian!"

Vickie whipped around and turned her head to look at her back, which was much worse than her front.

She looked. And looked.

Hmmm. Wow. Still sort of horrifying. But more than hot to remember how…

She, turned, flipped her robe back onto her shoulders and said, "I asked for it and I like it but if I'm in a car accident with you, I demand that you find a plausible alternative explanation."

Elle barked out a short laugh, "Fuck me! Like what? An attack by a school of suckerfish?"

"You decide-but sell it."

***

Munching on toast, Elle said as she perused the newspaper, "What time are you picking me up today?"

"You can't stay?"

"No, darling. Believe it or not, I do actually work."

"On a Sunday?"

"The global economy never sleeps. Beside that, if I work today, I can stay with you tonight if you want."

"I want. What do you need to do?"

Elle turned a page, "I have a situation brewing. And I need to check in with my boss and my bodyguards for my trip back."

Vickie eyed Elle over her cup of coffee. "You have bodyguards in Geneva?"

"I have bodyguards everywhere."

"Here?"

"Sure."

Vickie tapped the paper Elle was reading, "Why?"

Elle finished her mouthful and took a sip of coffee. "I have bodyguards because I'm of vital importance to my employer and, as you know, I sometimes engage in high-risk activities. Even when I'm not doing that, some random crackpot might come after me. Just like every woman, I have to be careful."

"You mean your boss knows what you do…in your spare time?"

The blonde turned to the editorials as she answered, "Sure-and he knows why I do it. And to answer the questions you're about to ask-"

"You do that a lot, you know."

"What?"

"Assume you know what I'm going to ask you."

Elle looked up, "And I'm usually correct, aren't I?"

Vickie sipped her coffee as she thought about it, "Yes."

"It's a habit. When I'm doing business negotiations, if I answer questions before they're asked, it saves a ton of time."

"But this isn't a business negotiation, Elle. It's a personal conversation."

Elle scrubbed her hand over her face. "Point taken. But it's a personal conversation regarding discrete bits of information, all of which I can give you more quickly in my way than in the question/response version."

"We can re-visit your Readers Digest Condensed version of life later but don't think I'm not entirely aware that it's a power play, your way of controlling the conversation and information. Because you're so often right about so many questions, it keeps your listener off-balance. You can force your version of information onto people without having to deal with any question you may not have anticipated and may have no answer for. So tell me what you want to-but keep that in mind and keep eating."

Elle had stopped eating and stopped reading. "That may be the single hottest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Vickie poured herself another cup of coffee, "Really? Why's that?"

"So few people can recognize, much less call me on, my bullshit. I'm not kidding. If you hadn't cooked such a wonderful breakfast, I'd beg you to take me on this table right now."

"I believe that the kitchen table and I will be free for your begging and use this evening, my little Elle. In the meantime, keep eating. We need to keep your strength up for tonight."

"Yes ma'am. I can give you the facts about my protection in bullet points." As Elle spoke, her voice did actually sound like she was ticking off points in a PowerPoint presentation.

1. There are three bodyguards within 60 meters of me at all times.
2. When I trick, they run the car's license plate and the presumed identity of anyone I come into contact with.
3. If I don't get a phone call within one minute of the initiation of a trick, that person checks out okay and I can continue.
4. If there's anything wrong, they extract me.
5. Unless I am absolutely sure of my safety, they listen to everything that goes on when I trick.

Vickie's face had become pale. "Jesus Christ. They listened to us that first night?"

"Of course not! They didn't, haven't and never will. I felt and feel very safe with you."

The brunette took a deep swallow of coffee. "Where does all of that information go?"

Elle smiled, "Nowhere, my lawbreaking little officer of the court. You're safe."

The brunette frowned into her coffee cup. "Am I? If you need three bodyguards, am I in danger being with you?"

"Actually, no. You're safer than you've ever been in your life. No one who knows, actually knows who I am, would dare attempt anything against me. My men protect me against those who don't know who I am. And I'm sorry to say that I lied before. My only excuse is that I didn't know you. I can trick when, where and however long I want to. I just try to skip around to save my boss the hassle of having to educate certain people about the reality of who I am."

"Well fuck, Elle. Who are you? What are you."

"Depending on how people treat my employer's interests, I am a builder and sustainer or-the destroyer of nations."

Vickie choked on her coffee and coughed for a few seconds. "What does that even mean? Is that what it says on your business card? Elle Laurence, Destroyer of Nations?"

"It doesn't have to. The people who count know. What it means is this. Let's say the global economy-the entire global economy-is like a train. At this point in time, there are only four engineers on the train. My boss is one of them."

"And maybe, what? The President of the United States is another?"

"No. Our president stokes coal on the train. I'm talking about true global economic power."

"Bullshit."

"One question, just as an example since we're bigger than the Fed: who does the Federal Reserve belong to?"

Vickie paused before she answered, "The federal government."

"No. Google it. It belongs to private international banking interests. It sets interest rates and, in a very real way, determines the value of our dollar. And nearly every country in the world pegs its currency against ours. So-who runs the American economy? Who runs the global economy? Private international banking interests."

"So the world economy is an X-File?"

"Exactly…except for the chupacabras and aliens and hybrid corn. Well," Elle's grin was catlike, "as far as I know, anyway."

Vickie pressed her coffee cup against her forehead, "This is all so hard to believe."

Elle firmly gripped her watch and said, "Beep your horn, Jimmy."

Vickie jumped as she heard a car horn outside the house.

The brunette lowered her head. "I don't understand."

"You can't, my darling. And it would take months for you to do so."

Vickie said with a hushed voice, because she had the suddenly rational fear that someone might be listening, "Who are you? Really?"

Elle's eyes were kind, "I'm still Elle Laurence, the woman you know. But, because of the person I represent, I'm truly, truly one of the most powerful people on Earth. And I wouldn't blame you if you called off our date tonight. It would be the rational decision."

"Are people listening?" Vickie whispered.

"No, darling. Your place has been swept for bugs. Nothing here. No one's listening."

"When you say you destroy nations, do you mean you bomb them? Kill them?"

"No. Never. To destroy a nation at our level, we merely withdraw support from its economy. We can talk about the philosophy behind it at some other time if you want to continue to date me. If you don't want to, I see no reason to ruin a perfectly nice breakfast."

Vickie glared at her, "We have a date, girlfriend, but you still have a lot of explaining to do."

Elle turned back toward her paper, "I'm sorry to have sprung this on you but you had to know before we went forward."

"Well…thanks, I guess. Eat and read, Elle."

"What I do best."

"I wouldn't say that."

Elle looked up and smiled brightly, "I love it when you're cheeky."

***
Hours later, Vickie and Elle pulled up into what looked like a sprawling white and blue Grecian villa.

Elle whistled, "Jesus, how gorgeous. Just like the islands."

As they entered, however, the interior was nothing like the outside the house. Inside, it looked as if they had stepped into a medieval castle-every furnishing was heavy, dark and solid, with tapestries instead of paintings on the wall.

"Fuck me," Elle said with quiet reverence. "Is this your father or mother's style?"

"Dad's the outside. Mom was the inside."
Elle looked around, "Wow. I'm really sorry I didn't meet her."

At that very moment, Vickie's brothers opened the front door.

Elle stifled a laugh at the vision before her. The two men were utterly identical, dressed identically but were only a few inches taller than she was, maybe 5'7". Their complexions were nothing like their father and sister's; they were very fair, with blonde-almost white-hair. As they approached, she was immediately pleased with them because, despite the fact that they were delicate, almost beautiful, in feature, they looked very confident in their masculinity. She liked confidence.

She watched as Vickie bent to embrace them with great affection and kissed them each heartily on the cheek before she let them go. "Guys, this is my friend, Elle Laurence."

Elle presented herself before them but, as they were about to introduce themselves, said, "No no. Let me guess. First, you dress identically to confound new guests." Off their embarrassed faces, she grinned and said, "I would as well, were I a twin."

She looked them over for a brief few seconds and extended her hand to the brother on the right, "Delighted to meet you, Dron," turned to the other and said, "And you as well, Yo."

Both men's mouths dropped open.

"How'd you know?" Dron asked.

"Vic told me all about you. The difference is obvious."

"Vic? No one calls her Vic."

Elle shrugged at Yo's assertion, "Oh really? I do. And she comes when called." She batted her eyelashes. "Wouldn't you?"

As he watched Vickie blush, Dron looked into the green eyes before him and said under his breath, "Absolutely."

At that moment, an older, more exuberant, much louder and taller male version of Vickie entered the room. Vickie hugged and kissed him, then he hugged each of his sons, kissing the tops of their heads and nearly picking them up in the process.

As he finished, he said to Elle. "Aha! I know what you are thinking! These tiny butter-colored elves cannot be mine! Believe me, when they were born, how I wracked my brain to remember any repairman or family friend who might have given me these sons!"

Because the elves in question were grinning, Elle guessed this must be a long-standing family joke.

"I might look under my bed, as well, if your sons didn't have the same arresting eye color that both you and your daughter have. They're yours-no denying it."

Johann chuckled, "So they are-and what a blessing to me!" He held out his hand, "Johann Xanthis."

She took his hand, pulled him to her level and kissed both cheeks, "Elle Laurence. Enchante, Monsieur Xanthis."

As he pulled away from her, Vickie was surprised to see that he was blushing.

"Yes, my daughter told me that you're in international business. I hear you have the French. What other languages?"

Elle grinned up at him, "Too many to bore you with, sir. But they include Greek. I hear I must regret your loss in not sharing such a beautiful language."

"You are too kind, Ms. Laurence."

"Call me Elle. I'm not as kind as your daughter has been to me. Her kindness and your linguistic forbears indebt me to you both."

Johann smiled as she spoke and looked the small woman over more obviously than was strictly polite. Smart, beautiful and charming-a charm meant to entice but that firmly kept the charmed one at a distance. His daughter had not just made a friend with a spine-she'd made a friend with steel in her eyes. Steel-and yet an expression he had seen too often in his career. He looked at her again, realizing he'd never met anyone like her. Someone who was equally frightened and frightening.

"Would you like a drink, Ms. Laurence?"

Her father's perusal of her companion slightly discomfited Vickie, although it seemed to have no effect on Elle.

"Again. Please call me Elle, sir-and I'll have whatever your daughter has. Vic?"

"White wine, Daddy."

"Vic?" Johann asked, "No one calls her Vic."

Dron jumped in, "Elle does-it's a nickname."

Yo smirked and added, "And Elle tells us she comes when called."

Irritated by his son's tone, Johann nodded, "Wouldn't you?" He turned toward the kitchen. "White wine!"

As they passed through the hall toward the kitchen, Elle ruffled Dron's hair and whispered, "You stand up for your sister. I like you." With a pointed glare at Yo she continued down the hall.

When they reached the kitchen, they found a slender and beautiful middle-aged Mexican woman putting the finishing touches on appetizers.

Johann said, "Maria! We're invading your kitchen to get the wine."

Maria said, "Your kitchen, you lunatic. Get your wine." She moved forward as soon as she saw her employer's daughter and rushed into her arms. "Vickie!"

Vickie hugged and kissed the woman and said, "Elle Laurence, this is Maria Salamanca, the only sane member of our family."

Elle grinned and said, "Hola, guapa."

Johann opened two bottles of wine as Maria looked the other woman over, "Hello. It is rude to speak a language others do not know if you speak the one they do."

Elle instantly burst into laughter and nodded, "You're right and I apologize. I do it professionally every day and I forget." She held out her hand, "Elle Laurence, Ms. Salamanca."

As they shook hands, Elle added, "I still meant the guapa part, though."

Maria frowned but her eyes were smiling as Johann poured. "Maria-want some?"

"I suppose I must, if you bring such people home."

They all lifted their glasses and Johann said "Stin ijiasas!"

As they all took a sip, Elle said something, very quietly, to Maria in Spanish.

Maria leapt toward a kitchen drawer, pulled out a spatula and waved it at Elle, "You are very naughty, Miss. Very."

The entire Xanthis clan was stunned into silence.

Elle smiled, "So I am, Maria. And you have just the tool to correct that but I don't think we know each other well enough for you to spank me yet. Do you?"

Vickie nearly spat her wine on the kitchen counter as Maria sputtered, then laughed aloud despite herself and answered, "Impossible! Get out! Get out of my kitchen!"

Elle laughed as she moved toward the exit, "So now it's your kitchen, guapa?"

"Mother of God! What a woman. Get out! I will soon either kill you all or bring your food."

As they followed the men through the hallway toward the dining room, Johann, to cover his astonishment, began asking his sons about a case.

Vickie whispered, "What did you say to her?"

Elle's voice was suitably hushed,"I propositioned her in about the most vulgar way I could."

"OhmyGod. Maria!?" Vickie hissed. "Why?"

"Because I thought it would make her laugh. And it did. Did she sound as if she were honestly offended?"

"Well….no."

"I aim to please. And that pleased her." Elle lowered her voice even further and leaned toward her companion, "Beside that, it was totally worth it to watch you do that spit-take at the word spank." She grinned up at Vickie, "Now, every time someone uses that word, your ears are going to prick up like a little dog's."

They had all entered the dining room but Johann was still loudly addressing his sons.

Elle whispered, in a low sing-song voice, "Who wants a spanking?"

Vickie blushed to her hairline, "Stop that!"

"Who wants a spanking?"

Vickie fixed Elle with a look of such heated sexual desire that Elle felt her breath catch. The taller woman leaned down and whispered. "Alright! I do! You know I do. But only if you're handing them out."

Elle looked up into Vickie's eyes and said, with wonder in her voice, "Nice one, Vic." She gestured at her at her stomach, "You just gave me butterflies."

Vickie's face was instantly transformed by the most adorable, lovesick expression Elle had ever seen, one that felt almost like a physical kiss.

This was the expression Johann saw when he finally stopped haranguing his sons, an expression he'd never, ever seen on his daughter's face. He stared for two seconds, then cleared his throat, pained to see his daughter startle and blush. Elle merely turned toward them calmly as she patted Vickie fondly on the arm.

"You see, sons! Women! Always whispering in corners! And what about? We never know! Come, Elle. Have a seat. Tell us what women whisper about."

He pulled out a chair for her as Elle replied. "You know I can't do that, Mr. Xanthis. That's why we call it girl talk. It's for girls-not boys."

Yo asked, "Would it ruin the feminine mystique if we knew?"

Vickie regained her composure as she took her seat. "Some of it certainly would. It usually runs along the lines of 'these shoes are killing me.'"

Elle nodded, "Or my pantyhose are too tight."

Johann continued standing as he added wine to everyone's glass, "You two were not talking of such trivialities."

Elle could almost feel Vickie begin to sweat. "Of course not," the blonde said, abruptly, "but we spoke of nothing for the dinner table. So you are all corporate law lawyers, are you not?"

Johann admired this swift change of subject and took his seat. "If you are blaming my wife's untimely death on this plethora of business lawyers, I must take offense."

Elle looked into Johann's blue eyes, saw a joke and answered, "Surely you know that death would have been her only defense, counselor."

Johann shouted with laughter as Yo answered, "We are, but Dad was a criminal prosecutor for 20 years."

Elle took a sip of wine, "From criminal to corporate law. Interesting."

At that moment, Maria entered with appetizers and, as she placed them in the middle of the table, Elle said, quietly. "Muchas gracias, Ms. Salamanca. I apologize if I offended. My humor is not everyone's."

Maria looked into sincere liquid green eyes and tapped Elle on the shoulder, "It is not, but de nada. I forgive you." She leaned down and whispered in Spanish into Elle's ear, "You are too naughty for your own good."

As Maria left the room, Johann offered loudly, "Mother of God, all of the women are plotting against us, men!"

"Surely you've noticed that before, haven't you, Daddy?" Dron's voice was dry and amused.

Elle asked again, "And so how or why did you move from criminal to corporate law?"

Johann answered as he grabbed a prawn, bit and chewed, "It is no life, to be a prosecutor, and I would not have it for my children. You only learn, again and again, that human beings are and can be animals. This can harden your heart terribly."

Elle smiled and took a bite of Maria's delicious prawns, "I couldn't agree with you more."

"But the victims of these animals-these victims haunt you much more than the animals themselves and I would not wish for my children to know such pain in their lives."

He watched Elle's expression harden as she chuckled, glanced at Vickie, and took a sip of wine. "Nice to know."

The older man looked at Vickie's stricken face and quickly added, "Did you know that my Victoria has always wanted to be a criminal prosecutor? Something draws her to it."

"Is that so? Maybe like father, like daughter?"

"No! I want to make a difference with law. I don't care if my current career trajectory isn't correct for-"

Johann stopped his daughter, "You career trajectory is what you wish for it to be. I can see to it. I'm still who I am and I am still your father."

"And I want criminal law, father."

Johann looked at Vickie, then at Elle as he said, "Yes, I see. I know this means much to you." He rapped his knuckles on the table, "So be it. It will happen."

Yo and Dron were utterly gobsmacked. A decision like this-at dinner? Vickie? A criminal lawyer?

***

Polite conversation continued through the serving of the entrée and then Johann asked, "What is it that you actually do, Elle?"

Elle put her fork down and answered. "The truth? International business. But truly international business. Very bluntly, in a nutshell, I'm one of the pit bulls of global economic finance."

Yo snorted, "You? A pit bull? That's hard to believe and it still doesn't tell us what you do."

"Is it easy to tell me what you do, Yo? Give me one example of what you do."

Yo nodded his head and allowed, "Okay, you win. I don't even have the first idea how to tell anybody what I do."

The blonde woman took another bite of her excellent steak and said. "I can only offer this. I regret to say that I'm expecting a call in the next few minutes that I must take but for which I really should excuse myself, were I polite. If you'd actually like to hear about my job, I could certainly take it here. Vic's told me that she wants to know a bit more about what I do."

She glanced at the brunette, who only looked as if she wanted to consume her instead of the steak she was eating. Elle swallowed, paused while chewing, then added, "I can promise it won't take long but it will not be dinner conversation and might be vulgar, given the scumbag I'll be dealing with."

Johann nodded, "Ah, yes! I'd love to hear you. I've dealt with such people-I know their language."

Dron asked, "Who is it?"

"A newly elected president who believes he doesn't have to deal with me because I'm a woman."

"A president, huh? What kind of company?"

Elle smiled at the other twin, "The president of a country, Yo. I won't say which country for the sake of discretion, but I deal with issues between nations. Companies are a bit beneath me."

***

After 10 minutes, Elle's phone buzzed, and she said, "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Off the vigorous nods at the table, she said, "Please keep eating." She punched a button on her phone and said. "So it went as we thought, Doushka?"

She listened then said, "I'm so sorry. How angry is Gilles? Jesus! Really? A seven? That's great. On my mark, record my message, 'Four, three, two, one. Mark.'"

Elle spoke as if she were reading from a written page.

"Hello. This is Elle Laurence, interrupting a perfectly lovely dinner. Respectfully, Mr. President, I find it difficult to believe that you could rise to a position of such eminence and have neither the personal or advisory intelligence to explain to you who I am.

My assistant tells me that you wished to meet with Gilles Savard himself, instead of me. As you now know, that is impossible. For your information, since you seem to have no else but me to give it to you, I am, for all intents and purposes, Gilles Savard. I have his trust, his complete authority and complete discretion in the way I use that authority.

And so, through refusing to have your representative meet with me, you have insulted me-and Gilles Savard. In the world of intelligent people, this never happens.

If you had agreed to our earlier arrangement, Gilles would have sent me to your capital to meet with one of your representatives. And, as a point of etiquette, I would have conceded to a few of your wishes to maintain the polite façade that this was an actual negotiation.

Now that you have committed your faux pas, however, you will present yourself in Geneva within three business days of receiving this message to deal with me personally.

I'm sure you're asking yourself, at this point, why you will do this.

You will, because I own 78% of the electrical production in your country. I can cause rolling brown-outs, black-outs or total power loss in all of your largest cities, including the capital. I can and would not hesitate to do so.

Do you know what that would be for you, sir? A major headache. But as you reached for your aspirin and grabbed for a glass of water, you'd find there was no water. That's because I also own 86% of your water treatment and distribution. Don't forget that includes sewage. So when the shit hits the fan for you, Mr. President, the fan won't be running and you won't have the water to clean it up. I can do that in about three days.

Unlike you, I've done my research. I know that, as a much younger man, you had a very, very unsavory reputation with the ladies so let me phrase this in language I'm quite sure you've used and will understand.

When you come to Geneva, you will bend over and sign every one of my contractual stipulations without comment. This will not be a negotiation-this will be your total subjugation to me. And you will do this because I am more powerful than you are. I am stronger than you are.

I can only promise that if you do as I say, as unpleasant as it may be, it won't hurt all that much and will all be over quickly. If you fight me, however, it's still going to happen but it will hurt you more than you can imagine. Always remember that I have an almost infinite capacity to hurt you. Notice that I've only mentioned economic ramifications. I won't and would never lift a fingernail against you personally, so don't worry yourself on that point. One way or another, I will have you alive and willing, so to speak, or alive and wishing you had never been born.

You have that one choice. So choose well, Mr. President.

I look forward to your visit. Geneva is beautiful this time of year.

End message.'"

Elle's nose crinkled as she giggled. "Boo-yah! Are you in love with me yet, Doushka?"

She listened and answered. "Copy this to Gilles and enjoy. See you tomorrow, beautiful."

Johann crossed himself as he said, "Mother of God." The Xanthis twins were shocked into silence. Vickie's sole reaction was to lean toward her and whisper "Who, exactly, is this Doushka person?"

Elle laughed so hard at this question that, eventually, Vickie had to pound her on her back.

***
As dessert wound down, Johann said, "Elle, I hope that you won't mind but I need to speak to Victoria briefly about business changes at the firm, some of which I'm sure you're aware of. It will not take very long."

"I don't mind in the least. Your sons will keep me company and if they're not up to it, I'm infinitely self-amusing."

Johann nodded, "You should go sit on the patio; there's lovely weather and Maria will bring you coffee."

As Johann and an anxious Vickie left the room, Elle said in a sultry tone, "So boys, amuse me. Don't make me do it myself."

***
"Victoria, sit. Please."

Vickie sat in the chair in which she had so many times had conferences with her father.

They were both holding their wine glasses at similar angles. Anyone watching them might have laughed at how similar they were.

Johann sighed and leaned forward, placed his glass on his desk. "Daughter, before I announce this at the firm, I want you to know I'll be so happy and proud to have you as a partner. Your mother would've been so proud, as well."

Vickie's eyes began to tear, as her father's began to well, at the mention of her mother, "Thank you, daddy. That means everything to me but we both know I can't really be a partner and start over at the bottom of the rung somewhere in criminal law."

"Why do you think so? You will be a partner in my firm no matter what you do, daughter. Do not think I don't know you do twice the work my other lawyers do in about one-half the time. We will work on a transition. You are correct. It is past the time that our firm had someone working in law that can help people."

Her father's eyebrows gathered ominously, "But I need to ask you two questions. Did you really think, Victoria, that I would give a partnership to-would marry you off to such…such…a eunuch? Christopher? I don't even like him."

"What? I thought you adored him!"

"I tried to act like I did because I thought you did. I didn't want him for you." With a deeply sorrowful voice he asked, "Is it so hard, then, to understand me? At all? Is it so hard to be my daughter?"

Vickie shook her head vigorously, "No! I just want to live up to it. You're bigger than life, daddy. It's hard to be you!"

"But I don't want you to be me!" Her father fell back into his chair dramatically and said, "We are both such fools, Victoria."

Vickie raised one eyebrow, looking at her glass, and said. "No argument here."

"I was too hard on you all before your mother died. Especially you. Especially you. Death teaches us many lessons, Victoria. And I am trying to be a better father to you and the butter boys now that you have no mother."

"Stop calling them that, daddy! They're men and you adore them!"

"So I do. It's affectionate! They know it."

"Still."

"Just so. Like margarine, should I call them "I Can't Believe You're Xanthis' Men?"

"Okay. Butter boys might be better."

Her father sighed, leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table, his enormous hands ruffling his hair. "Listen, daughter, to what your mother told me two days before she died."

Vickie placed her glass on the table. "Tell me."

Her father started, as he always did, with a flutter of one hand in the air, to discount what was being said, "You know how your mother was. A terrible scold, always. More terrible at the end."

He placed one hand on the desk and looked at it. "She grabbed my hand, daughter, and said, 'Johann, dove, listen to me.'"

He looked up to her. They both understood that for her mother to call her father 'dove' meant serious business.

"She grabbed my hand," and he stopped for a second, remembering the moment, "but the skin on her hand was not correct, child-it was paper-thin."

"I remember, Daddy."

Her father didn't so much begin to cry as his eyes just began to gently release tears as he spoke. "She said, 'Johann, dove, I must tell you something. Our boys will find love easily, as easily as anyone. But not our Victoria. It won't be as easy for her.'"

Her father sat up a bit, wiped his face and glowered, "You know how I am, Victoria, I said 'What are you saying? Our Vickie is the most beautiful woman on Earth.'"

"How she laughed at me! She said, 'Vickie is that-but she doesn't know herself yet, Johann. She doesn't know herself at all. When you finally see her looking at another person the way you look at me, I promise that you'll be surprised at her choice.'"

Johann took a tremendous swig of wine, "Of course I asked, 'What are you saying, wife? What? She will choose a jockey? A circus contortionist?'"

Johann stared at his daughter for one half of one minute. "Do you know what she said to me, daughter?"

Vickie's heart was sinking. "No, father."

"She said, 'No, silly. But when you see that look in her eye, you will tell her that I am happy and that I approve of her choice. And if, if you love me, you will, as well.'"

"I asked her what she meant but she only said 'It's a dying woman's right to be mysterious.'"

Johann frowned, but peacefully, at his daughter, "I know what this means. Now." He waved his hand toward the outside of the office, where Elle was. "With that one. That's what she meant. No?"

Vickie looked at the glass of wine on her father's desk and answered, "Yes, father."

Johann asked, raising his voice gently, "I'm not a fool. I can see what's between you. I can see this has already been done. It is not a thing for a parent to ask. Or for a child to have to answer. But you have done this… have you not? I only ask, is it what you need? What you prefer?"

Vickie closed her eyes for a few seconds and then looked into her father's identical eyes. She answered him evenly and firmly, which he admired, "Yes, father. Elle and I have made love. It is what I want and need but it's not what I prefer. It's who I am."

Her father scrubbed his face with his enormous hands and sighed, deeply. "Very well." He shook his forefinger gently at her, "But know this one thing. And I say it because I love you. I truly like that one but she is dangerous."

He held up both hands to keep Vickie from speaking, "Only because she has been so deeply and horribly wounded in her life and because she wields such power. It is a dangerous, dangerous combination."

Off Vickie's amazed expression, he continued, "I did not spend 20 years as a prosecutor looking at animals and their victims not to know a victim when I see her."

Before Vickie could speak, her father said, "That one is deeply damaged. And a person can be damaged past reclamation. A person so damaged can be, it is sad and terrible to say, like a dog that has been beaten too much. She could turn on you-"

"I know that. She does that. We can get through that."

He sighed. "I hope, very much, for both your sakes', that you can."

Vickie looked into his eyes and said, "We will. I know that Daddy, because from the second I saw her, I knew."

They looked into each other's eyes for a full ten seconds.

Her father shook his head dramatically, "So! It was like that, eh? Like your mother and me? Fate!? Fate, was it? You felt it?! My God, but Fate is a capricious bitch with the Xanthis family!"

"So She is, father."

Johann stood and raised his glass, "To Fate, then."

Vickie stood and joined him, "To Fate."

He growled. "You realize, if this is so, that we have another butter-colored elf in this family. We're outnumbered again, daughter."

Vickie walked around the desk and hugged her father tightly, "So we are, daddy."

As they separated, Johann spoke, "Come daughter, we must tell the sons."

Vickie felt her pulse in her throat. "About?

"About your promotion and about you."

Vickie balked. "Daddy are you sure that-"

"Are you ashamed of who you are, daughter? I am not." He thought for a moment, "Will it give the tiny one embarrassment to say this?"

Vickie took a deep breath, "No. It won't."

"I shouldn't have thought so."

As they walked onto the patio, Elle winked at Vickie and smiled at Johann.

He returned the smile and said, "I apologize again for having taken time away from a guest."

"It was no hardship at all. Your sons are excellent company." The blonde woman looked at Vickie, then back at Johann, with a perfectly amused expression on her face. "I hope you both found the discussion illuminating."

Johann nodded, took a seat and gestured for his daughter to follow him.

Continued...