A Little Yearning Ch. 09

"Wow! Would you look at that!" Anita grabbed Katie's arm and pointed across College Blvd. The white Hummer stretch limo idling in the parking lot behind Howie's Hamburger Hut was about as inconspicuous as Moby Dick wallowing in the municipal plunge. "Let's go check it out."

Crossing the street in the middle of the block they found a small crowd gathered around the limo. The driver, spotless in a gray uniform complete with peaked cap, was standing with his arms crossed a few steps from the car, his posture deterring any of students from approaching too closely. He had the practiced implacable look of a sumo wrestler and the solid torso to go with it. His broad face was pocked and brown and a line of prison tats showed above the edge of his starched collar. "Let's ask who it is," Anita said. "No, 'Nita," Katie tugged at her arm, intimidated by the man. But trailing Katie behind her, Anita walked up the driver and flashed her best smile. His chin dipped a barely perceptible amount as he took her in, his eyes invisible behind his mirrored glasses.

"Is it somebody famous?" Anita asked him.

He rubbed his fingers against his thumb.

"Rich?"

He smiled at her, big white teeth with one gold incisor. He said something in Spanish in a low voice and Anita giggled.

Just then the passenger door at the rear of the limo flew open and to their surprise, Chiclet jumped out, her eyes squinting in the sunlight. Her face was red, her lips drawn tight. She stormed across the parking lot right past Anita and Katie, not even seeing them, and pushed through the crowd, leaving a murmur in her wake.

"Wow," Anita said, "I could practically see steam coming out of her ears! What's up with that, homes?" she asked driver.

He half-turned away from her, holding his finger to the ear-piece in his ear. Then he looked at Katie and asked her something.

Katie had trouble understanding him. It sounded like asked her how many ears she had. She just looked at him, mouth agape.

"He wants to know how old you are." Anita elbowed her.

"I'm eighteen."

"You go see," he motioned her over to the car.

"Hey, what about me?" Anita asked.

"You wait."

Katie walked over and poked her head into the open door, hesitating as her eyes struggled to adjust to the dim interior. She felt the driver's callused hand on her elbow as he boosted her up the step and eased the door shut behind her. There were black leather benches along both sides of the limo, contoured to accommodate mini-bars on each side. It was cool inside, the air conditioning running, and the heavily tinted windows made the scene outside look far away and one-dimensional. Toward the front a bluish shaft of sunlight angled down through the tinted panel of a moon-roof. Though there was easily room for more than a dozen to sprawl on the benches, she could make out only two forms in the shadows at the front of the cabin on the other side of the moon-roof.

"Please, come in."

She went forward hesitantly, one hand brushing the bench as she bent under the low roof.

At the front, sitting on the broad bench than spanned the width of the limo just behind the driver's partition, there were two young men. Her eyes went first to the one on the right. He was slim and carefully dressed in a white linen suit coat and slacks, his shirt half unbuttoned. His face was very pale, with a long neck and prominent nose, his high forehead artfully framed by disheveled blond curls that hunt to his shoulders. "Please," he gestured her forward. He had an accent, though it wasn't Spanish like the driver's. But there was something else about him, a kind of presence that drew the eye, like that pale suit that floresced against the black leather upholstery. He wasn't handsome like a movie star, but Katie immediately thought he was the most attractive man she'd ever met.

Her eyes fixed on his, she hardly even noticed the other boy at first, but then she glanced to her left and gave a start. She straightened involuntarily and bumped her head against the headliner. She felt her face glow with heat as she blushed all the way down to the roots of her hair. Slouched in the corner in a pair of jeans and a faded Wildcats tee shirt was Dwayne Studemeyer.

"Hi, Piglet."

"Don't call me that," she said to him sharply. She turned to the other man and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Katie Prado."

"Enchante," he said, taking her hand in both of his. "Lucien de Rubempre. But my friends call me Lucky." He patted the seat beside him. "I'm pleased you could join us. I was just asking Dwayne--" (he pronounced it with two syllables: Du Wayne) "--who is that strikingly beautiful girl out there?"

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"He's a real Count," Dwayne said.

"I was looking over some of my father's business interests in Tulsa when Dwayne's father invited me to come down to see a cockfight." Lucky laughed. "It was very colorful, but I'm afraid I'm better at handicapping the horses. But then I hear that there is to be the big football game here. . ."

"Lucky's just a bettin' fool," Dwayne interjected. The Frenchman's eyes had not left hers since she sat beside him. His arm was draped across the banquette behind her and she was very conscious of the touch of his leg pressed against her. She loved the lilt of his voice. "You know, we have the football in my country, but it is all entire a different game. We do not have the cheerleaders."

He took her hand in his. "If you were in my country, you would look a fashion model, of this I am quite certain."

Katie giggled. She could listen to him talk all day.

"You would permit me to take your picture?" He held up a small camera.

"Cheese," she said. The flash left stars dancing in her vision.

He turned to the mini-bar behind him. "If you like, Katie, I have some wine here from our estate that I would like you to taste." He poured her some in a flute. It glowed ruby in the soft light. She had never been much of a wine drinker, but this was light and fizzy, tangy, not sour. It was cool going down but warm inside. The bubbles went up her nose and made her eyes water. She finished off the glass and handed it back to him.

"That's really good. It's sort of like champagne, isn't it?"

"Yes, but from a different terroir, so we can't call it that, you know." He leaned toward her and lowered his voice confidentially. "Tell me. . .Dwayne, he is your lover?"

Katie reddened and shot an puzzled glance at Dwayne. "What? Did he tell you that? No, he's not. He's Chiclet's boyfriend. You just met her--the one who left here in a huff?"

"I assure you, Dwayne has said to me nothing, but I sense you have a story with him, no?" "What do you mean?"

"When you came in and saw him, I think you were surprised. You blushed." Lucky took her hand in his palm, stroking it softly with his other hand. "I do not mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Katie. I am just trying to understand."

"Perhaps you ought to ask Dwayne, then," she said, holding her chin up, the corners of her mouth turned down in a moue of disapproval.

"Whoa there, gal." Dwayne held up his hands. "I'm sensing some hostility here."

She turned on him angrily. "You're nothing but a big jerk, Dwayne Studemeyer. I can't imagine what I ever saw in you. You're just an arrogant, self-centered, fatuous, conceited JERK! When you asked me to meet you behind the gym I thought you liked me. And then, just because I was. . .I was. . . well, you just jumped on me!" She bit off her angry tirade and buried her face in her hands.

Dwayne was staring at her with his mouth agape. "Nobody ever called me fat before," he sulked. "I don't know what yer talking about."

"There, my dear," Lucky soothed her, putting his arm around her and drawing her closer. "I'm sure this was all just a misunderstanding." He raised his eyebrows at Dwayne.

"I never laid a finger on her, cuz. I swear."

"Liar!" she sobbed into Lucky's shoulder. "Here, little one, let me dry those eyes," Lucky said. Tilting her head up with a finger under her chin, he dabbed at her cheeks with his embossed handkerchief. "Your distress makes me sad, my dear, but it only makes you more beautiful."

She threw her arms around him and kissed Lucky full on the mouth.

"Well, if that doesn't take the cake," Dwayne said.

"I must confess my humble attempts to understand your American mores have left me more puzzled than ever," Lucky grinned ruefully.

Katie snuggled up to him. "I like the way you talk." Her hand went to his open shirt, tracing lightly across his chest. "What's this?" she asked, feeling the chain dangling there.

"That's my lucky piece. Let me show you." He drew it over his head and held it up for her, a pendant about the size of an acorn the color of melted gold, with a silver cap through which was threaded a braided silk cord. "This is amber. Sometimes, after a storm, it washes up on the shore near where I live. One day when I was a boy, I found this. If you look closely you can see the inclusion."

It rotated lazily in the light. She tried to fix her eyes on it. "It's hard to see."

"Just relax your eyes," he said. "Amber is like warm honey. Imagine it flowing down your body, soothing all your muscles. Can you feel that?"

"Umm."

"Inside there is a little fly, so tiny. He's so small, but if you look closely, you can see his wings flutter."

The amber swayed back and forth, catching reflections from the recessed lights. It didn't sparkle like the facets of a diamond, rather the light shimmered and pooled on the curves of the polished surface. She found her eyes drifting apart till she was seeing double. She pulled them back into focus. The wine was making her tummy glow.

"You can see him buzzing in there, the little fly. Do you see him?"

The pendant seemed to swell in her sight somehow as she fixed her gaze on it, and the rest of the world to diminish. "Uh-huh." "Good girl. Now just relax. You're warm and comfortable."

She laid her head on his shoulder. She could feel his voice vibrating in his chest. It felt good, like a cat purring.

"You're not mad at Dwayne anymore, are you? He thinks you're very cute, you know. He told me so."

"I nev--" Dwayne started to say, but Lucky shoot him a look that silenced him.

"He did. And he's very sorry. He didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Really?" she said in a small voice.

"I'm sure if he hurt you it was quite unintentional."

"I never did that before," she said, her voice no more than a whisper. "When he put his thing in my mouth, you know. It like startled me. I didn't know what to do."

Dwayne's jaw dropped. Lucky grinned.

"You must always do what comes naturally, my dear. But now I'm sure we can now put all that behind us. You must forgive Dwayne."

"I guess so."

"Go on, embrace him and make it up, as you say." He turned her gently to face Dwayne on the other end of the bench. She lowered her head and let Dwayne give her an awkward peck on the cheek.

"Here, I must take your picture together," Lucky said cheerfully. "Like so." He posed her so she was kneeling in front of Dwayne, half-turned toward the camera. He motioned them closer together. "Now you must smile for me, Katie. You are so beautiful when you smile."

Katie felt a hard bulge in Dwayne's jeans. She drew back.

Dwayne laughed. "It's not what you think, girl," he said. He drew out a thick roll of bills and showed it to her. "Me n' Lucky have a bidness arrangement." He grinned ruefully. "Chiclet doesn't approve. That's why she just broke up with me." He smoothed Katie's hair off her brow. "I'm not sorry, neither."

Katie leaned in to him. The flash went off as Lucky took another picture.

"What a handsome couple. So very American. Dwayne," he suggested, "I think you should take off your shirt and show Katie that you are not so fatuous."

"Wanna see my six-pack?" Dwayne asked, pulling his tee shirt over his head. He rolled his belly, playing to the camera. Lucky took another picture, Katie's arm draped across Dwayne's leg.

"It would be best if you should take off your jeans too, Dwayne," Lucky said.

"What?! But then I'd be nekkid."

Katie giggled.

"All the famous sports stars in my country, they pose in the nude. This is well known."

"Really?" Dwayne pursed his lips. "Does your country even have any sports stars?" he asked doubtfully.

"But of course. This is normal. Do not be afraid."

"You think I'm chicken?" Dwayne hiked his butt up off the bench and stripped his pants down over his shoes and tossed them aside. "See?"

"Formidable!" The flash went off.

"It's all tiny," Katie said, covering her smile with her hand.

Dwayne blushed and moved a hand to cover himself. "Well, you're starin' at it, ain't you? Let's see you take your top off, then."

Katie looked at Lucky, narrowing her eyes.

"But of course, at the beach it is customary to go topless in my country," he shrugged. "It is no big deal."

Still holding the Frenchman's gaze, Katie unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall open. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath. The sight of those ripe, perfect breasts left both the young men speechless for the moment. Katie felt their gaze press on her. She tingled at the nape of her neck and shivered momentarily. Then she felt the heat as her nipples engorged and swelled erect.

"Now that's a big deal," Dwayne finally said, clearing his throat.

"We must have a picture," Lucky said, holding up the camera. "Lean closer, Katie. Dwayne," he motioned.

Dwayne put his arm around her shoulders. She glanced down and then hurriedly looked away. "Uh-oh," she said. "It's not small any more." The flash went off in her eyes. Katie blinked rapidly, her brow furrowed. She didn't know what to think or do. She felt adrift. She sensed that Lucky was attracted to her--she certainly was attracted to him--but what was she doing here on her knees beside Dwayne? "Look at it, Katie," Lucky suggested.

She looked at Dwayne's rearing hard-on.

"You can touch it if you want." Lucky said. "Go on."

She raised one hand unconsciously to her mouth. She couldn't take her eyes off it, mesmerized. Dwayne's leg trembled where it pressed against her. She could sense he was holding his breath. The events of that night behind the gym came flooding back into her mind: the way his cock jumped in her hand like a wild thing, the feel of the warm heavy drops on her face, the smell and taste of him, the whole of it indelibly imprinted on her memory. And then she realized. . .

It wasn't Dwayne's cock! I mean, she thought to herself, that is Dwayne, so that must certainly be his cock. But it wasn't the same cock. It was as if a spell had been broken. "No! I won't!" she cried, surging to her feet and banging her head. The door seemed so far away, down at the other end of the limo, but the moon-roof was practically overhead. She clawed back the opening and started to clamber out onto the roof of the limo. She got her right arm out and then her head. The light dazzled her. The surface of the roof was scalding hot, shimmering in the heat.

She could hear Lucky and Dwayne shouting inside. Their hands clutched at her. She felt, rather than heard, a crunch as her elbow connected with someone's face. She kicked out and thudded into something soft. One them had his arms around her waist, trying to haul her back inside, while the other latched onto her leg.

She registered the small crowd behind the restaurant as a multicolored blur. There was Anita waving to her, calling out.

"Let me go," she said breathlessly. "I'll scream."

She felt fingers walking up her ribs, tickling her. She tried to yell, but it came out as a sort of hysterical chortle. She tried to call to Anita, but her friend was backing away. No, it was the car that was moving! The limo eased away from the crowd, bouncing as it swung its long body out of the parking lot and accelerated smoothly down the street. She spread her legs to keep her balance and felt a hand slide up her skirt to clutch at her panties. Their hands seemed to be all over her, grasping, cupping, smoothing, kneading.

One of them pressed his lips to her breast and rasped his tongue over the erect nipple. She tried to push him away. He caught her wrist and put her hand to his mouth, sucking on her fingers. For some reason this felt even more intensely erotic to her than the hand groping at her tender pussy, eliciting an involuntary groan. Her panties were already soaked where the deft, busy fingers plucked at them. The trees were whipping by closely overhead in a kaleidoscope of green shade and bright golden sunlight. People on the sidewalk were turning to gawk and point. Some of them waved.

The limo made a sharp turn and she felt her feet coming out from under her. Her free arm scrabbled at the smooth roof of the limo, trying to get a purchase. With a screech, she came down in a tangle of arms and legs on the carpet. She was lying half atop Dwayne, his hard cock jutting up between her breasts. She tried to press up off him, but Lucky was sprawled akimbo across her legs.

"Get off me!" she said, desperately pushing back at him. He put his hands around her waist and hoisted her ass up in the air. For a moment, she thought he was trying to help her to her feet. But then his hands slid down to the cup the cheeks of her butt where she was most sensitive, pressing them apart and she felt his cold nose slide down the crack of her ass and his warm lips fixed onto her throbbing pussy like a limpet. She exhaled roughly as his tongue probed at her moist coral lips, teasing them apart. "Oh, God." Involuntarily, she bucked back at him. His tongue slid forward, dancing over her sensitive clit. She mewled like a kitten as her bones went all rubbery. Dwayne entwined his fingers in her hair and drew her head down to where his cock bobbed between them. It brushed velvety against her cheeks as she tossed her head. She was panting. He took her by the scruff of the neck, wiping her parted lips across his member as it jumped and jerked on his rigid belly.

Lucky pulled his lips away from her engorged pussy. "No," she murmured as she felt his hand brush up between her thighs. Something hard and smooth, about the size of the first joint of her thumb, pressed against her slit. She thought it must be his lucky charm. She felt the cord hanging down, tickling between her legs. And then, yes, she could hear a buzz as it started to vibrate, the little fly. She gasped as he pushed it inside her. This was nothing like the strident rush of fingers and lips playing over her skin, coaxing, caressing. Inside, outside lost their meaning as her whole body, starting with her pussy, dissolved into a churning heap of yearning flesh. "Uhna, uhna, uhna, uhna. . ." she panted, the saliva dribbling from her mouth. Lucky wrapped one arm around her waist as she thrashed under him. Dwayne pressed her open mouth down over his straining cock, stifling her cries, and she wrapped her lips around it, drinking in the heat.

Slowly, Lucky pulled on the string till the little pebble popped out. She pushed back against him, murmuring needfully. "Nononono. . ." She tried to pull her head up, but Dwayne pressed her firmly down on his cock, squirming under her, his chest heaving, as her urgency communicated itself to him.

She froze as she felt the lips of her pussy spread apart by what she instantly sensed was the head of Lucky's cock, so much bigger and hotter than the little pebble. He held her firmly, her legs quivering under him. Her pussy seemed to suck him in till he was lodged so firmly against her hymen that she could feel the blood raging through his veins, pulsing in his cock. His buttocks clenched, his legs corded, he was as still as a diver poised on the edge of the high platform.

"Don't move," he whispered to her.

She felt him touch her belly just below navel. He pressed the little vibrating nubbin to her and then drew it slowly, ever so slowly down toward her pussy. Her whole body vibrated with an anticipation that stoked her frenzy, so when her finally pressed it firmly onto her clit, she exploded again instantly.