Maragana Girl Ch. 28

The entire conflict between "Socrates' Mistresses" and the recording company made the group's outlook in life much more nationalistic. As they toured the eastern provinces, the singers performed their most traditional songs, along with a new song that was a tribute to King Vladik the Defender. The group also, at the insistence of Kim, always performed "The Wall that Divides My Soul." That song had special meaning for Kim, now that she had been hit with several lawsuits. For her there could be no going back to the U.S., possibly for the rest of her life. The audiences were well aware of the huge sacrifice the band's members were making to support their candidate, which made many of them re-consider their opposition to Vladim Dukov.

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While the ex-Spokesman was out of the house campaigning in the eastern provinces, Kim noticed huge changes in the lives of Maritza, Vladik, and Anyia. All three members of the household struggled to redefine their relationships with each other and how they viewed themselves as individuals. Anyia and Vladik seemed to exchange personalities, while Maritza came to terms with Vladik's faults and Anyia's sudden push for maturity.

Over the fall Anyia's social life changed completely. She dropped her friendships with her old group of rebellious friends to associate more with the sons and daughters of other politicians. She dumped her soccer hooligan boyfriend and began dressing and acting much more seriously. Dukov's daughter did not become any nicer, but her rebelliousness evolved into a hardened support of her father in both her school and among her friends. She studied and struggled to understand the issues her father was confronting during the campaign. Whenever she was not in school, Anyia wanted to accompany Dukov while he was campaigning. She became a fixture of his campaign appearances, always at his side, or with his two secretaries, or flirting with the teenaged sons of his new political associates.

Vladik always had been the serious son of the family. He no longer wanted to perform that role. He used his penance as a justification to excuse himself from his father's political life and to live quietly. During the fall Vladik paid only passing attention to his father's struggles on the campaign trail. Vladik's focus now was on trying to determine who he was as a person and what he really wanted from his life. He was determined to do the one thing he had never done before, live quietly, live for the moment, and try to find peace with himself. He stopped worrying about the future or what anyone thought about him.

Maritza struggled with the changes in her son and daughter. Maritza's entire world was shifting under her. Vladik seemed to have lost his direction in life and any personal ambition. Anyia was trying to act like she was 30 years old, even though she still was in high school. The only person in the household who seemed to have any reasonable sense of direction was Kim, with her upcoming marriage, her singing, and her studies.

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The ex-Spokesman's candidacy took a much more patriotic approach than he originally had planned as his campaign progressed. He emphasized the need for the Danubian nation to do things the Danubian way. He laid out a recovery plan for the east and an over-all program of incremental upgrades to the nation's water supply and hydroelectric power generators. There would be a rational forest management plan and upgrades to schools and public buildings. There would be educational reform and a huge push for AIDS and drug-awareness education. There would be some road improvements, but no major construction of new roads, because under his administration the prohibition against private cars would remain in place. He argued passionately to keep Upper Danubia's justice system intact and rejected the idea of building prisons. Dukov also emphasized changes in his country's foreign policy. He would re-negotiate Upper Danubia's entry into the European Union and several other international organizations, feeling the current pending arrangements were giving too much away.

Dukov campaigned desperately, because he was very aware of what would happen to his country if his party did not win. He now had a personal reason to win as well. The members of "Socrates' Mistresses" faced financial ruin if he lost, because there was no question they would be sued in Danubian courts. If he won, he would have the power of his government to protect them; if he lost there would be very little he could do for them. He was angry about the threats made against his supporters, and that personal anger drove him as he gave his speeches in city after city.

While Dukov waged his campaign in the streets and city plazas, his opposition waged their campaign on television. Campaign ads attacked Dukov as being naive and his party as a relic of the past. The real future lay with complete integration into the world economy. There were dire threats about what would happen under a Dukov government, with foreign companies and international trade groups retaliating against the country should he win. Upper Danubia was on the verge of being a failed nation, according to the TV ads, making the immediate and complete opening of the country's economy imperative. The two parties were offering two very different visions of Upper Danubia's future.

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Vladik's fascination with Tiffany only increased as he quietly pursued his duties at the Danube City music studio complex. He became apprehensive about where the friendship might lead, because increasingly he wanted her. He actually felt a need to be with her, the need to be with Criminal # 98946, of all people.

Vladik struggled to accept Tiffany's past and her ongoing recovery from her recent drug addictions. He debated with himself the wisdom of pursuing a relationship with the American criminal. Here he was, recently engaged to a beautiful woman from one of the country's most affluent families. Did he want her? No. The woman he wanted was his rough, passionate, scrawny police partner. He had lost her, and now he had taken a step further down in his desires, wanting an American who was a convicted criminal, a drug addict, and an ex-prostitute. And yet, Vladik felt at peace when he was with Tiffany, more so than he had felt with any other woman he had known. If Kim was right about Vladik needing a woman in his life with flaws and problems, certainly Tiffany filled that need. None of it made any sense.

As for Tiffany, her relationship with Vladik began to restore her old self-confidence. They were together constantly, both at work and at the Socrates Club. Over time how Tiffany viewed herself began to change as she could imagine herself as more than a drug addict and stripper. As the fall progressed time began separating Tiffany from her life at Dirty Grampy's. Her day to day life at the music store and her other responsibilities in Upper Danubia slowly crowded out the most recent memories of her life in the US.

Tiffany was aware that Vladik wanted her. Finally, after more than a month of going out with him, she felt she had recovered enough from her past that she might be able to have sex with him and actually enjoy it. She decided the moment had come one night in the Socrates Club as she was dancing with him. She danced close, enjoying the feel of his bare body against her own. As his penis brushed up against her bare thighs, it was becoming evident Vladik was becoming aroused. For the first time in many months the American felt the hints of sexual desire herself. Finally, in heavily accented Danubian she asked:

"Tebe hochesh mene?"

"Dak, Deevonay. Ya tebe hochu."

With that the couple went upstairs. Vladik found an empty "intimacy room" and slipped inside with Tiffany. For the first time Tiffany kissed Vladik passionately, putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Vladik's hands explored Tiffany's body, his hands traveling down her back to her bottom. Vladik relished the feel of Tiffany's bottom cheeks in his hands, and then brushed his fingers up the middle. He pressed up against her and enjoyed the feel of her breasts against his chest.

Tiffany became increasingly aroused. She knew all the tricks to arouse a man. With her clients Tiffany's job was to get them aroused quickly, finish the job, make the guy at least reasonably satisfied, and then get back across the street to Dirty Grampy's as fast as possible. Tonight she had to clear her mind of all that and let things come naturally. Her duty to Vladik was not to arouse him, but instead to allow herself to become aroused, so she could have sex with him normally.

Tiffany lay on her stomach to allow Vladik to explore her bottom. Tiffany always considered her bottom the sexist part of her body and enjoyed having it touched and caressed. Vladik spent a long time with his fingertips and lips pressed to the same bottom he had so cruelly marked up just a few weeks before as a police officer. The thought of that contrast, the cruel welts from two months ago and the soft unmarked tanned skin under his face now, totally excited him.

Vladik slowly worked his way up her back with his caresses and kisses. He pushed her hair aside to concentrate on kissing her neck. She flipped over on her back, to exchange yet more kisses and allow him to explore her breasts. Yes, to not have to do anything, just lie back and enjoy...she had not had the chance to do that for a long time.

Vladik entered her and began thrusting in his usual vigorous manner. It seemed just the right mix of pain and pleasure that Tiffany needed. She had her first orgasm in many months as she gasped and gritted her teeth. Tiffany realized that with Vladik sex could return to its proper role in her life, not as a business transaction but as a part of a relationship to be enjoyed.