Karma Ain't Always a Bitch Ch. 07

After Connie left, Mark was once again pulled to the "dance floor", but this time he didn't complain. He figured that he would walk across coals if Vanessa wanted him to, and he was still happily there with her when Connie came back in with their meals.

Mark spent more time staring into Vanessa's eyes than he did eating. It seemed as if they had just sat down when Connie's soft tap brought him back to Earth. He replayed Vanessa telling him that she loved him in his mind, and felt his cheeks getting sore from the goofy grin that was plastered across his face.

"The car will be here in ten minutes," Connie said from the door.

"Ok, and thank you," Mark said and reached for his wallet.

"Brad picked up the tab and he said he wanted to talk to you before you leave, I'll go get him," Connie said and turned to leave.

"Connie, please take this," Mark said and stood and tucked a folded bill into her pocket. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. You two make a stunning couple by the way," and turned to get Brad.

Brad got to know Mark quite well over the nine months he and Tanya had dated and the young man impressed him. Mark had spent a number of nights in Brad's study, having adopted the big man as the father figure that he never had. Brad in turn adopted Mark as the son he never had and received just as much from the arrangement.

It was the doting father that looked in on the young couple, proud of the man that Mark had become. He knew he was supposed to feel some animosity because of Tanya, but he couldn't find it in him. Deep down he had always known that his daughter wasn't strong enough to deal with the chasms that had been carved into Mark's core.

Mark saw Brad and stood, glad that he still seemed to be on good terms with Tanya's father. As he came in, Mark reached for his wallet again only to be waved off.

"Thank you again, sir," Mark said and held his hand out to shake hands. Brad just shook his head and gave him a hug.

"When everything settles after graduation, do me a favor and bring Vanessa over to the house for supper. Angie would love to meet her, and I've got a few things I'd like to talk to you about."

Mark looked at Vanessa, seeing the look that said she was fine with it. "Sure, as long as you think it's ok."

"It is. Anyway, I won't take any more of your time. It was nice to meet you, Vanessa, please take good care of him."

"Yes, sir, I'll do my best. And thank you for everything," Vanessa said.

Connie popped back in just as Brad left to tell them goodbye and that the car was waiting.

Mark and Vanessa walked out to the same limo, but a different driver. Brad had noticed the way Frank watched Vanessa and swapped Denise in. He figured that there was no reason to tempt fate by triggering Mark's protective streak.

Mark waited for Vanessa to slide across the seat and climbed in next to her. He held out his arms and she settled into them like they had been made to hold her. He let out a happy sigh as the car slipped into traffic. Turning her head, she kissed his cheek and then brought his lips to hers with a touch of her fingers. She felt his hand on her hip and willed him to move it to her leg. When the "force" didn't work, she settled for grabbing his hand and putting it on her thigh. Mark had just started inching his way higher when the country club entrance slid by, drawing a frustrated growl from Vanessa.

She hadn't dated anyone since Mark's birthday, deciding that she wasn't going to waste her chance with him by getting involved with someone who just had one thing in mind.

Pulling back from the kiss as they stopped, Vanessa whispered "I love you" and kissed his ear, drawing a shiver from him.

"I love you too, Ness," Mark said and placed a soft kiss on her neck, pulling an answering moan from deep inside her.

"We better get out, sweetie, otherwise I'm going to rip that tux off of you and have you for dessert," Vanessa said.

"Ummm, is there a downside to that?" Mark asked.

"I promised Amy that we would go to prom. If it helps any, just think of it as foreplay with a bunch of people around," Vanessa said in a sexy voice.

Mark waited until Vanessa had straightened everything to her satisfaction and popped the door open. The door swung back and Mark jumped; he had forgotten they had a driver and laughed.

After Vanessa was on his arm, Mark looked up to see a whirlwind of activity. They had pulled up just as everyone else was arriving; the looks directed at the limo and the stunning lady with him were priceless.

"Do you need anything, Denise?" Mark asked the driver. "Do we need to call you when we're ready to leave?

"No sir, I'm fine and no again. I'll be right over there when you're ready to leave. Actually, Brad has assigned me to you and your lady for the weekend. Now, go have some fun," Denise finished with a grin.

"Thank you. I'll see if I can get you some coffee or something," Mark said, as if he never heard the other part she said.

Vanessa watched the way Mark was talking to Denise and the change in the way she acted. It was clear that the driver expected a typical eighteen year old brat only to encounter the courteous thirty year old inhabiting his body.

There was also the little whirlpool of curiosity that their arrival spawned. People are drawn to big cars as a rule and for something as tight-knit as a high school prom, they might as well be bugs heading toward a bright light. Vanessa drew the initial wave of eyes that shifted to the man next to her. It wasn't until he turned from talking to Denise that the crowd recognized him, although he gave no indication of seeing anyone but his lady.

In anyone other than Mark, all of the attention would have had them strutting and preening. Mark was courteous to those he knew, but it was clear that his attention was fully focused on Vanessa, even with the hugs from the cheerleaders. The only break in his behavior came when they made it inside and saw Angie Hopkins.

Mark was dreading seeing Tanya's mom, even if Brad was okay with things. He had been rehearsing what he was going to say and thought he was ready until he felt the tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Angie glance at Vanessa before looking up at him, tears filling her green eyes.

"Mrs. Hopkins, I'm sorry abou...," Mark stopped as she grabbed him and Vanessa in a hug.

"I've told you to call me Angie at least a hundred times Mark. You must be Vanessa," Angie said and hugged the brunette warmly. "I'm so proud of you Mark, and even though I could wish for more personally, this is the happiest I've ever seen you."

"Please take good care of him," Angie finished as she dabbed a tear as she turned away.

Mark slipped into a momentary fog. He had never expected this reception from Brad and Angie, and it confused him. He didn't know that they had "adopted" him just as fully as Maggie had.

Mark was still trying to readjust his perceptions when he felt a soft touch on his cheek. Vanessa's deep brown eyes came back into focus.

"Hi there, are you back?" Vanessa asked. She was used to the "side trips" that Mark took when he was trying to figure something out.

"Sorry, cutie, I just didn't expect that."

"It's ok. Now that you're past it, promise me you'll try to have fun."

"Deal. Wait, are you sure? You didn't mention dancing," Mark trailed off as his date pulled him into the throng of dancing people.

"Don't worry about them Mark. I think you're a great dancer. Now, come on," Vanessa said as she felt him loosen up.

They had only been on the floor a few minutes before the music slowed and soon found the floor relatively deserted as the less serious couples sat out the intimate interlude. Vanessa slid into his arms and molded her body against his as they lost themselves in the embrace and each other's eyes.

Mark didn't notice it, but little by little he and Vanessa were becoming the solitary occupants on the dance floor. Every person in the building knew what had happened to Mark's mom their freshman year, and they let him have this moment. Just as the song finished, he leaned down and softly kissed Vanessa. A sniffing sound followed by a chorus of others alerted him to the lack of company on the floor. He was just looking up when Angie pulled him into another hug, her tears wetting the front of his jacket.

Mark looked over her head and saw the senior class surrounding the dance floor, more than a few of them drying tears. Terry Collins, the hulk of an offensive lineman didn't bother drying his as they flowed freely down his cheeks. As Angie led Mark and Vanessa from the floor, a round of applause started that built until it sounded like a pep rally.

The emotions of the moment finally caught up with Mark, and he felt his own tears start to flow. When he glanced down at Vanessa and saw the wet tracks on her cheeks, his world dissolved into a watery maze. He just followed where Vanessa led him as they went through a set of doors.

Mark felt hands pressing him into a seat, and then felt Vanessa in his lap, pulling his head against her chest. He smelled her perfume and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you, Ness, please don't leave me."

"I love you too, baby, and I'm not going anywhere," she answered.

"I meant ever," Mark said.

"I did too," Vanessa said and let her tears mix with his.

*************

Mark jumped. When he looked at Chief, the big dog raised his head and looked back. It was almost like he was saying, "would you let me sleep? I'll let you know if something is up." Checking that the phone was still on, he rolled back over as Vanessa and Amy shifted with him and slid back into what was passing for sleep.

*************

Eventually, Mark wound down enough to take notice of where they were. He had heard about this place, but had never been in the ladies restroom before. He wasn't sure why a couch was needed in the bathroom. But, that is where he and Vanessa had landed, Angie standing guard at the door.

"Hey, gorgeous," Mark said softly.

"Hey there yourself, handsome," Vanessa answered and laughed as Mark started looking around.

"Yes, you, doofus. Now kiss me, my frog prince."

Once he had washed his face, Mark went out to let Vanessa fix her makeup, almost running over Angie.

"They wanted to do more," she said.

When Mark gave her a confused look, Angie explained.

"They wanted to do a lot more than what happened on the dance floor. I never thought the football team had so many softies, but I was wrong. Amy had to come down to the school and talk them out of doing a tribute. You really made an impression on those kids, even the ones you just passed in the hallways," Angie said with a smile.

Vanessa slid back up to his side while Angie was talking, feeling his arm take its place around her waist, as she laid her head against his chest.

"Please, promise that you will stay in touch," Angie said.

"He will, Mrs. Hopkins," Vanessa said with a smile.

Once she was satisfied that Mark and Vanessa were ok, she gave them another hug and went to fix her face as she put it.

"I meant what I said Vanessa," Mark said as he wrapped her in his arms.

"I did too. There's no place I would rather be."

The rest of the evening was filled with handshakes and hugs, leaving Mark an emotional wreck as each one of the well-wishers reopened more of the wound. At one point, they made the promised trip to take Denise some coffee, taking a timeout from the constant barrage of emotional sandpaper.

Once the flow of people stopped, Mark relaxed and actually enjoyed the time spent with his classmates. The fact that Vanessa was with him didn't hurt though.

After they found Angie for one last hug, Mark and Vanessa were walking out. Mark stopped.

"What's wrong, Mark?"

"Umm, well, we've got reservations...," Mark stopped.

"At the beach," Vanessa finished for him. "After all this time, you think I'm just going to go home when I can spend the whole weekend with you? Oh no, Mr. Thompson, you aren't getting away from me again." Vanessa smiled and pulled him down for another kiss.

Mark was floating and hadn't been able to fully adjust to the change in his relationship with Vanessa. It baffled him that she would want to be with him.

"As long as you're sure," he said and shook his head.

"I'm one hundred percent sure baby. There is no one that I want to be with other than you. Now, let's go. I've got a few things I can't wait to model for you"

Denise saw Mark and Vanessa coming through the door and then stop. She waited to get out, giving them some privacy. Brad said Mark was different, and he was right. She had never had anyone worry if she needed anything before, and he treated the lucky girl with him better than any she had seen. She had known a Lisa Simms in high school and made a mental note to check with Brad about it on Monday.

Mark and Vanessa started toward the car the second time when Denise came around to get the door.

"What's wrong, baby?" Vanessa asked.

"Nothing. Well, I can't seem to get used to this driver thingy. Tell you what, Denise, this weekend I'll take door duty," Mark said as both of the ladies laughed.

"Brad wouldn...," Denise started.

"Brad will be ok with it, I promise. Plus, it will make me feel better," Mark said as he walked her back around the car to the driver's door and held it for her.

Mark walked around the car and let his eyes drink in Vanessa's beauty like he was seeing her for the first time. He held the door for her and slid in next to her, stealing a kiss as he settled in.

Denise waited until Mark had got in and finished his kiss. "Are we still heading to the beach?"

Mark glanced at Vanessa before answering.

"Yes, ma'am. I think we are," he said with a grin.

"Off we go then," she said and raised the partition.

Vanessa turned toward Mark and let the slit of her dress expose her legs all the way to her upper thighs and drew him in for a kiss. This time she didn't have to help with his hands and moaned as she felt his fingers tracing circles on her inner thigh.

"Please, Mark, don't tease me baby," Vanessa panted.

"I'm not, Ness, but I'm not going to have the first time I make love to you happen in a car."

Mark smiled when he saw her pout form. "I didn't say I would leave you hanging either though, did I?"

Slipping to his knees, Mark kissed his way up each leg as Vanessa slid down in the seat to give him more room. Mark ran his hands up around her hips to pull her panties down and only felt Vanessa's curves.

"You think I wanted anything to get in your way?" Vanessa asked as she pulled the waist of her dress up and spread her legs.

Mark took a deep breath, her scent mixed with her perfume making him rethink his pledge to wait for a bed. She had trimmed her pubic hair short allowing him to see her swollen lips and erect clit, both begging for his attention.

Vanessa slid her legs over his shoulders and pulled his face against her pussy, sighing when she felt his tongue slipping into her. The two other guys that made it this far hadn't cared whether they satisfied her or not and just went down on her hoping she would reciprocate. There would be a lot of firsts this evening, and Mark was getting close to scratching the first item off of her long list.

As she felt his thumbs spread her open, she could feel her pussy twitching and grabbing, begging for something to hold on to. Vanessa had forgotten the car and Denise, her focus solely on the pleasure the man that held her heart was giving her. When she felt Mark suck her clit past his teeth, she felt the bottom drop out of her world and screamed.

"Oh fuck, yes, baby. Eat me, sweetheart. Eat your pussy. I love you Mark!"

Mark pressed his face deeper into her pussy as Vanessa clamped her thighs around his ears. He realized that even if the night stopped now it would be enough for him. He felt her squirming trying to get away from his tongue as he wrung another orgasm from her.

"I love you, too, Vanessa," Mark said as he looked up from between her legs.

Denise smiled as she heard the pretty brunette melting down and resisted the urge to drop the partition and watch. The sounds bleeding past the soundproofing were enough to make concentrating on the road difficult. Once she was sure she wouldn't be interrupting things, she keyed the intercom and gave the young lovers a five minute warning.

"Yes, ma'am," came the laughing reply.

Mark tried to clean up the mess he had made on Vanessa's thighs with his mouth, but that proved impossible with the death grip she had on his ears. Once he found the sink and some towels, he took care of the housekeeping the mundane way. He had just pulled Vanessa into his lap for a kiss as the limo came to a stop at the hotel.

Running his hands through his hair and checking that Vanessa was presentable; Mark opened the door and helped Vanessa out of the car. After a quick kiss, he went around and startled Denise by opening her door and holding out a hand for her to take. Walking back around the car where Vanessa watched with a contented smile, Mark shocked Denise again.

"Did I hear you correctly when you said that Brad assigned you to us for the weekend?" Mark asked.

"Yes, sir...," Denise started only to be interrupted by a laughing Mark.

"Denise, please call me Mark, especially if you're stuck with us for the weekend."

"Ok, yes Mark, he told me that I was your driver until Sunday night when I drop you at your place."

"Where are you staying?" Mark asked.

"I'll find a place somewhere close," Denise said as she pulled out the keys to Mark's room and handed them to the surprising young man.

"Hold that thought," Mark said as he held up a finger and walked in the lobby. He came back a couple of minutes later and handed her a room key.

"I can't let you do that Mark," Denise said as she figured out what he had done.

"Yes, you can, and, please, it's the least I can do," Mark said with a smile.

"Well, ok, what time do you think you'll need me tomorrow?" Denise asked and handed Mark her card.

Glancing at Vanessa, Mark started to answer but stopped when she put her hand on his arm.

"We won't need to go anywhere before we head out for supper and maybe a club, but we'll call you an hour or so ahead of time," Vanessa said with a smile.

"Oh?" Denise said as she looked between the two.

"Positive. Take the day and chill on the beach or whatever. I hear the hotel has a great spa, and I also heard that it's included with your room," Mark said with a wink.

Forgetting her role, Denise hugged Vanessa and Mark and shooed then toward the hotel.

The way Mark treated Denise surprised Vanessa again. He really didn't know that he was "expected" to treat their driver as a doormat, but then again, he had never acted the way he was supposed to.

With a small wave to Denise the couple said goodnight. Mark and Vanessa were in the elevator before he remembered that he had no idea what room they were in. Vanessa saved him and took one of the key cards and slid it through the reader. Once the elevator was moving, she slipped into his arms for another kiss.

The door chiming to announce they were at their floor brought the couple back from the exclusive world they had created. Mark reached down and picked up the bags and walked out without looking around, coming to a stop when he remembered that he still didn't know the room number.

It turned out that the elevator was their front door and it opened onto a sunken living room. The walls and ceiling were made of glass panels that started at the floor and arched overhead before meeting the back wall. Looking one way, the distant city filled the horizon, the moving lights making it seem like it was a huge concrete beehive.