Interlude (5 page)

“Cal, I want you to meet my dad's friend
Richard. Richard, this is my boyfriend Calvin....?”She trailed off,
only now realizing that they still didn't know each other’s last
names!

“Richard Brown, any friend of Karen's is a
friend of mine!” The man said, grabbing Cal's hand in a vice-like
grip.

“Calvin Johnson sir. It’s good to meet you.”
Cal said, returning his own strong handshake. Richard clapped his
other hand on Cal's back, winking at Karen while she gave Cal an
apologetic shrug.

“Our girl Karen is basically the club's
mascot. Her dad and I started the place back in the '70s. She
practically grew up here after her mom passed, bless her soul.” He
paused briefly, adding, “You will be staying for lunch right? We
have a caterer coming up to woo the regulars into our executive
membership plan.”

“We didn't have any other plans. Cal, what do
you say?” She asked, snaking her hand around his waist.

“Sounds great. Thank you for having us.” Cal
said, as he looked to his girl with a smile. After the typical
familial pleasantries, Richard parted. Cal and Karen picked up the
spent brass casings off the ground. “They must have gone through
hundreds of these things trying to teach him how to shoot!” He
thought to himself.

“Hmm, boyfriend huh?” Cal said.

“Calvin Johnson eh?” She said with a
smirk.

“You know, I still don't know your full name
either.” Cal said, taking advantage of her bent over posture to
grab her ass playfully.

She swatted his hand, feigning displeasure at
his groping.” It's Karen Lawrence.” she said, sticking her hand out
in mock formality again.

As Cal took her proffered hand, he pulled her
into a tight embrace that quickly devolved into a rabid, fervent
make out session. His hands running through her hair, their tongues
struggled for dominance like little wrestlers as their lips
caressed one another.

Breaking their lip lock, Cal held his hand on
her shoulders. She looked up at him with a playful, mischievous
gaze while Cal struggled to find his self-control.

“I don't know what it is about you. It's like
you have something I need. I just can't explain it. It's like
you're caramel candy.” Cal finally said with a hint of
realization.

“Caramel candy?” Karen asked.

“Yeah, those little cubed ones. You know when
you bite into it that you're going to spend the next half hour
trying to get it out of your teeth, but you still do it because
they taste so good!” Cal rolled his eyes to personify his love for
the sticky confection.

“If I'm caramel, then what do you get to be?”
She asked, running her hands over his chest.

“Your decision babe.” He said coolly,
watching her long fingers trail along his body. After a pensive few
moments she spoke.

“Red Hot! Eh, no. Oh! Sweet Tart! No, not
that either.” Her thoughts trailed off as she continued to think up
a comparable candy to match her beau.

“We may have to come back to this later.” Cal
said. Their moment interrupted by the first arrivals of the noon
crowd. They parted their embrace and made their way to the catered
lunch in the main clubhouse.

Cal found himself at home in this strange new
place. Everyone obviously had more money than they knew what to do
with, but they still seemed down to earth and polite. Over lobster
tails and prime rib sandwiches, Richard made his pitch to the
affluent crowd. They all seemed to be ready to open their
checkbooks for the kind gentleman. Cal hadn't had lobster in years.
He and Karen sat across from each other at Richard's table, staring
at each other playfully while Richard recounted 'Nam stories
involving him and Karen's father. Richard certainly had a way with
words. He had the whole lunch crowd at their table hanging on his
every word as he recounted the duo's adventures. Kenneth, Karen's
dad, was a materials and requisitions specialist. He was tasked
with securing supplies and goods locally and abroad for the ground
troops. Richard was his right hand man, providing logistics and
manpower for the various shipments and goods exchanges.

As Richard spoke of NVA ambushes and air
drops, Karen reached across to Cal from under the table. Cal nearly
jumped out of his chair when her foot brushed the inside of his
upper thigh. Her foot blindly felt about, finally finding his newly
awakened manhood. Her foot glided over his pants, finding the head
while she gave him a conspiratory look over the top of the table.
She nodded slightly to him, indicating a hallway off to the right
of the main room. As she got up, Cal waited a short while before
asking where the bathroom was. Following her path down the hall, he
reached a dead end. Suddenly, a door opened and her hand reached
out to pull him into a darkened office.

“I have heard those stories a million times!”
She said, as she pushed Cal against the wall. Cal was not a small
person. At 6 foot 3 inches, he was just tall enough for it to not
be awkward when they kissed. Karen still had no problems moving him
around like a horse on a lead rope! Cal countered her playful
attack and switched the position. With her back now pressed against
the wood paneled wall, she turned her chin up to receive his kiss.
They spent time kissing and exploring one another, until Karen
slowly slid down his front, her hands trailing as her head came
level with Cal's belt buckle. She slowly touched his throbbing
manhood through the pants as she fumbled with his belt. Cal could
feel her tugging at the waistband of his boxer briefs in the pitch
black room. Finally getting his member free, she spoke to Cal as
she slowly caressed it.

“I don't know what you do to me, but I can't
keep my hands off you!” She said in whispered admiration. Cal could
feel her lips touch his shaft ever so lightly as she talked.

“I’ve never felt like this before. It's like
you're wrapped in salty chocolate.” She said as she closed her lips
over his erection. Cal threw his head back, eyes wide in the dark
room. He could feel hands grasping his ass as her lips moved over
him in a tireless rhythm. He could feel her breasts upon his legs,
her soft, muffled moaning as he began climbing higher. Karen slowed
to compensate for his reflexive thrusts. She then climbed up his
body like a jungle gym, wrapping her legs around him as he pushed
inside of her, her pants already pulled down. She began bouncing up
and down, aided by Cal's own thrusts. As he sensed her building
orgasm, he took to holding her up with his strong arms and finished
them both off in a jumble of stifled groans and gasps. As they
buttoned their pants she stood up suddenly, almost bumping Cal's
chin with her head.

“I’ve got it! Toots! Like Tootsie Rolls! That
can be your candy! I would always suck on them when I was younger.”
She said, taking pride in her little brainstorm. Cal, still trying
to regain his balance after that amazing encounter, could only
whisper breathlessly.

“Babe, you can call me whatever you want”. He
pulled her into a long grasping kiss that seemingly spanned
hours.

As the two made their way back to the
luncheon, they both tried to not look too guilty as their mutual
absence became noticed. Cal sat back down, as Richard gave him a
knowing wink and held his glass up in a mocking toast. Cal blushed
as Karen managed a quick giggle. They stayed long enough to appease
Richard, then made their way back to their hotel room as the
evening sun flooded the coastline in amber hues. Cal offered to
drive back, not only out of courtesy, but also to be able to drive
the Mercedes he would never be able to afford.

They ordered dinner in suite as they watched
the setting sun fall away. The room had a balcony that overlooked
the lush valley. Their order of salmon and rice washed down with a
lovely white wine. Karen was insistent on ordering, and Cal had
secretly hoped it wasn't because she was worried about him being a
cheapskate. He would sell off his life for her! He would mortgage
his very soul to provide her with whatever small thing her heart
desired. He had already made himself look like an ass to his
freelance employer to make the money for this trip, but he got the
sensation that Barry had respected him for it. Had Karen not sprung
for half the room, he would have destroyed two other credit cards
making this happen. It didn't matter though. He reflected on
Karen’s power over him. His normally melancholy ways evaporated
around her. Just their prodigious texting and IM'ing made Cal
stronger and more confident. Being with her in the flesh was like
Popeye eating a can of spinach! He has lunched with a gaggle of
millionaires like it was something he did every week. Karen's hand
entwined in his as they made small talk with the club's other
members. They were the ideal couple to these folks. “If only,” Cal
thought to himself on the deck of their suite...

“Penny for your thoughts?” Karen said.
Sipping wine at their bistro table, they gazed at each other in the
remaining light.

“I was thinking about the spell you have over
me. It's like I'm a different person when I'm with you. You make me
do and say things that I never would under normal circumstances.
I....,I feel so complete.” His explanation turning into a sort of
internal dialogue as Karen watched him with her big, green eyes.
Her eyes held a sort of tension that Cal couldn't describe. He was
worried that he was saying too much. His private hell of a marriage
made emotional connection about a rare as water in the desert.
Flushed with this cool shower of human connection, he was now
worried that he was scaring Karen off by being all deep and clingy.
He was relieved when she finally spoke.

“Wow. I'm glad it wasn't just me who felt
it!” She said, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand
reassuringly.

“I didn't wanna chase you off by looking like
a totally love sick teen.” Cal said to her, his hand playing with
hers on the glass table top.

“Cal, how many messages have we exchanged? I
know you better than I know myself! Just because our relationship
started online doesn’t mean it's any less valid.” Her words were a
welcoming reassurance to him as they went inside to get out of the
building wind coming from the coast.

They both curled up in the plush bed as they
listened to the wind push against the large windows. Their nude
bodies warming one another as their hands playfully explored under
the covers. Karen sat up straight as her phone emitted a quick
beeping tone.

“Ugh. Are you kidding me?!” she said as she
groped for the phone on the side table.

“Hi Soren, I hope this is really important.”
She said. The last part a whispered hiss as she got up to look
through her purse. “Yes, I have the code. No, you don't need it for
the transaction, but... NO! Shit, uh, fine I'll take care of it! I
SAID I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT!” she growled, clicking her phone off and
slumping down at the foot of the bed. Cal crawled over to rub her
shoulders as she gave him the bad news.

“It looks like I have to cut this short.” She
said apologetically.

Cal was crushed!” Oh babe, that sucks!” He
said. He didn't want this to end so soon!

“I have a big, uh, contract that my coworker
was supposed to handle. Things got weird and now I have to fly out
tomorrow afternoon to take care of it. UGH!” She said, slamming her
clenched fists down on the bed. The lofty comforter dampened the
blows.

She paused; Cal could see her regain control
as she turned around to face him, naked on her hands and knees.
Without speaking, she lunged at him like a cat. He was pushed back
and pinned to the bed before he knew what hit him. She had managed
to land on his chest, her inner thighs pressed against his sides as
she held his hands down above his head. He was amazed at how fast
she did this!

“Where did you learn how to do that?” He
asked, admiring his newly restrained pose.

“Women's self-defense class.” She said with a
big grin, her crotch grinding against his chest.

“Neat! Do they need volunteers?” He
joked.

“I don't think I'd want another woman doing
this to you.” She said. Her half open eyes looked down on Cal as
she rubbed her ample breasts in slow, circular patterns.

Her shoulders slumped to accentuate her
childish pout. “I have to get up early tomorrow.” She said finally.
She moved to slide off his chest, Cal's hands sliding over her legs
as she dismounted him.

“One last roll in the hay before bed?” He
said, lifting the soft comforter to climb under.

Karen giggled playfully, “You know it!

Chapter 3

Both Cal and Karen slept soundly. Karen
wrapped herself around him like a kudzu vine, her legs and arms
entangled with his. Cal woke once during the night, felling her
breath on his neck as she exhaled slowly and quietly. He smiled in
the recognition that this girl was his. His realization that he was
to go back to his old life tomorrow brought him down to earth in a
harsh and cruel way. He kissed her cheek as she stirred, burying
her face deeper into his neck. Going back to just texting and the
occasional video chat was not enough anymore! She was like his
missing puzzle piece. Just the thought of her leaving brought on
his old, dark attitude. After all the crap he dealt with in his
other life, it wasn't fair to give him such a small sampling of
this wonderful woman. He still knew so little about her, but it
felt like they had been together for years. She even admitted to
it! She was this stunning woman who turned heads wherever she went,
and she wanted nothing to do with anybody but him!

Cal resolved to make changes. He would no
longer be the doormat for his wife's entire family! He would still
have to go back to them, but he would begin his plans to split with
Alice somehow. She would take him to the cleaners, but he didn't
care. He could live in a box and still be happy with just a few
words from Karen. He didn't want to frighten her off though. Karen
was so calm and confident in everything she did. His spastic and
emotional ways were likely to be their undoing if he dumped all
this on her. His mind was made up though, and it was all because of
her. This insistent girl, who called him her boyfriend so easily.
Cal's own psyche was so bruised that he sometimes asked to go to
the restroom. Yet Karen was this tight, intelligent young woman who
fired guns and owned a successful business. Somehow she acted as a
catalyst, his missing ingredient that turned him from boring and
timid, to strong and daring...