Keep This Secret Pt. 07

Chapter Seven shows David getting serious about testing the limits of his invention, but he manages to find an unexpected way to enjoy this "research." Do you think it's more fun when romance occurs unexpectedly?

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I decided to throw myself into the experiment where I tried to find out how much the sonic stimulator helped me learn Spanish. It seemed to be working, but I wouldn't know for sure until I finished the instructional program and asked an expert how much I'd learned. I spent so much time going through the lessons that it got tedious. The stimulator seemed to make it a lot easier to concentrate on the subject matter, but anyone would find it difficult to focus on lesson after lesson after lesson, day after day after day.

I finished Friday morning. That day I went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and it took no effort at all to order in Spanish. My server acted as though I was doing fine, but she might have been trying to be polite. For all I knew, she went back into the kitchen, laughed, and told her co-workers "You should hear the gringo I'm serving. He thinks he knows Spanish."

I needed an expert opinion. Help was nearby. The Department of Modern Languages was in a building near my lab, and there were several professors who concentrated on Spanish. As I scanned the list, I saw that a faculty member named Mariana Kahlo had doctorates in both Spanish and linguistics. That's exactly what I needed. She'd know precisely how well I'd done working to achieve fluency in Spanish.

I sent her an email explaining that I could use her help with my research, and she agreed to meet with me after lunch. When I arrived at her office, I learned that Mariano Kahlo was a very handsome woman. I later learned that her ancestry was French, Mexican and African. It gave her an exotic, ethnic look that I found especially appealing. Her long wavy black hair was fashioned in an updo. Her skin looked a bit darker than a typical Mexican descendant of the Mayans and Incas. She had a broad face, wide nose and thick luscious lips that must have been part of her African heritage. I find women who look like that to be very attractive, and it took a bit of effort to untie my tongue.

"That's an interesting name," I said. "Are you any relation to the artist, Frida Kahlo?"

I was just making conversation. I expected her to say no.

"She was my great grandfather's niece," Kahlo said.

"Really! Wow! I LOVE Frida Kahlo! Wow. Just wow. I'm sure I've seen every single painting she's done. I also love the work of her husband. What was his name?"

"Diego Rivera."

"Right! Diego Rivera. Man, he was really something. Seems like he was a bit of a dick, though."

"Frida shared that opinion."

"Wow. I'm having trouble stopping myself from going total fanboy. You must get reactions like this all the time."

Kahlo smiled. "I do, actually. But I only get reactions like this from women. I can't remember ever hearing this much enthusiasm from a man."

"Well, that's sexist bullshit, of course, but I guess it makes sense. I've always thought that a lot of Kahlo's paintings just shimmer with feminist values."

"Most art critics agree with you. So do I."

"Damn. I'm having trouble remembering what I came here to discuss."

"That's fine," Kahlo said. "I'm giving a seminar on Frida in a few weeks. You are welcome to attend."

"I. Will. Be. There."

Kahlo smiled indulgently. "I understand. Frida was very special. But maybe you should tell me why you're here. You said you need help with your research, and I see that you are a neuroscientist. What possible assistance can I offer you?"

"I know your time is valuable, so I'll make this quick. I'm working on a process that might make learning easier. I've been experimenting on myself. I've been using it to study Spanish, and I need an expert opinion to tell me how much I've learned."

"OK. I can evaluate your fluency fairly quickly. I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer in Spanish, alright?"

"Sure."

"Give me directions to the store where you buy your groceries."

I told her where to go, including a route that works better during times of very heavy traffic.

"What is your favorite movie, and what did you like about it?"

In Spanish, I said "I don't have a favorite movie, but I'm very fond of the film Frida, starring Selma Hayek. I'm sure you know that it's a film about your famous ancestor, and it makes clear that she was an amazing woman who is rightfully remembered as being one of the greatest fucking artists of the whole fucking 20th century. And honesty compels me to admit that I think Salma Hayed is so beautiful I can't take my eyes off her when she's in a movie. I loved Frida, but I don't know if it accurately told the story of Kahlo's life."

"Well, it's not really possible to compress the life of someone like Frida into a two hour film, but it's very accurate otherwise."

"So Diego Rivera really was a dick, right?"

Hayek laughed. "I think Frida did the right thing when she kicked him out. But he had many fine qualities, and he loved Frida. Most of the time. But let's get back to business. Tell me something about the college where you got your undergraduate degree, and why you decided to go there."

It went on like that for about 10 minutes. Obviously, Kahlo wanted to hear me use Spanish in different contexts. Most of the questions were about fairly simple things. Until the end.

"As a neuroscientist, I assume you are familiar with Noam Chomsky's theory of universal grammar. Describe it."

"Chomsky was a polymath supergenius who was the first person to understand how people acquire language. Before Chomsky, the scholarly consensus was that people learned language the same way dogs learn to fetch and heel. Reward and punishment. Repetition. Back in the 1950s Chomsky showed that wasn't true. He demonstrated that there was a part of the brain he called the "language acquisition" center, which endowed people with something he called "universal grammar." He showed that children don't 'learn' language, they 'acquire' it. Put an infant in any culture, and they will acquire the language effortlessly. It's like the song of the nightingale. Nobody teaches nightingales how to sing. They are born with that ability."

"What happens to the language acquisition center when children reach puberty."

"It goes dormant. If a person hasn't acquired a language in their childhood, they never will. Oh, it's possible to learn to communicate somewhat. But it's extremely unlikely that a person past adolescence will ever acquire what you linguists call "native-like fluency." I remember when I learned that. It made me think it is nuts that public schools don't require kids to study foreign languages until they get to high school. They have kids start studying language right after it becomes almost impossible to learn."

"The reason I asked you to explain this is because you speak Spanish with native-like fluency. You don't sound Mexican, or Columbian. I spent a year at the University of Madrid, and you sound like someone on the faculty there. Very crisp pronunciation and diction. You describe complicated concepts perfectly. I must assume that you learned a lot of Spanish in your childhood, right?"

"No. I learned no Spanish as a kid."

"Did you have friends who spoke Spanish?"

"Not to my knowledge. I never used any language but English."

"If that's really true, something remarkable has happened. It's just not possible for a person to learn this much Spanish in a week. There are a couple of possible explanations."

"I told you that I'm experimenting with a process that enhances learning."

"If you learned this much language because of this process you've invented, bully for you. Be sure to invite me to the reception when you win the Nobel Prize. I know a more likely explanation. I think you are a hyperpolyglot."

"Never heard of it."

"In a tiny percentage of people, the language acquisition center does not go dormant. Ever. They tend to love learning new languages, and they can do it very quickly. Some hyperpolyglots know dozens of languages. They are so rare that most of them know about each other, and they meet at conventions all around the world. For these people, nothing is more entertaining than sipping cocktails while debating whether it's more fun to learn Romanian or Egyptian.

"Congratulations. You appear to be one of the very rare people who retain an extraordinary aptitude. It's odd that you are finding out now. Most hyperpolyglots are much younger when they recognize they are different from other people."

This was fascinating, but I knew she was wrong. Somehow, the sonic stabilizer made it possible for my brain to act like the brain of a hyperpolyglot. Damn. I was going to make a lot of money selling language learning materials. I wondered if this would be one of the things they'd mention in my Nobel Prize citation.

But that was something I'd think about later. What I thought at that exact moment was that Kahlo was a very attractive woman. She looked exotic. I'd never been with a woman with her ethnic features, her dark skin, or her luxuriant hair. Her ancestry gave her a very appealing mix of qualities that I found to be very sexy. She was very, very intelligent, which is always a turn-on for me. Her business attire made it impossible to imagine what she'd look like naked, but she looked fit. And young. About my age, I imagined.

I'm sure you know where this is going. I'd never removed my hearing aids, so I decided on the spot to see how effective the sonic stimulator would be on Kahlo. She had two ph.d degrees - one in Spanish, the other in linguistics. She had to be very, very intelligent, which might make her resistant to the effect.

"Excuse me just a second. I need to make sure this isn't urgent," I said, pulling out my cell phone and starting the sound file. "It's nothing,'' I said, holding the phone in a way that aimed the speakers directly at Kahlo.

"Professor, there's something I have to ask you," I said. "Are you married?"

She gave me a big smile. "Ah. I thought you came here to talk about language."

"I did. But now I want to talk about something else. Is there a man in your life? Or a woman?"

"There is not. I've never been married. Never been engaged. I would like to have a man in my life, but that's not easy. As I'm sure you understand, I am trying to get tenure. I work so hard I do not have the time to give a man the attention he deserves. I only have time for very casual relationships, but that hasn't been easy. I just got out of a relationship that ended badly."

"What happened?"

"The same thing that always happens," she said. "When the relationship began, I made it absolutely clear that we could never be more than friends with benefits. He said that was fine, but he was so anxious to get into my pants that he was willing to say anything.

"Things were fine for a couple of months. Then he announced he was in love, and that he needed me to love him full time. I told him I would never love him, and things got ugly."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Thank you, but I'm not sure I deserve any sympathy. I did something I regret. I had gotten so desperate for intimacy that I did a very bad thing. He was married. I know it's wrong to have relations with a married man, but I figured it would stop him from getting too involved. I was wrong. I don't think his wife found out. I don't want to be a homewrecker. But he said he wanted to tell her he needed a divorce because he was in love with me. I've told several men that I'm not interested in anything except a casual relationship, and they always decide that's not enough."

"You must be lonely."

"That's an understatement. I need a man. Really need one. I've actually had more luck with women. In my experience, it's easier to have casual relationships with women. I've never had a woman become obsessed with me. I like women, but that's not what I want most of the time. I consider myself to be heterosexual, but fluid. I like pussy, but I need cock. I've had a few threesomes with other couples, and those are very nice. I wish I could make that happen more often."

"I'm told that there are dating sites for people looking for such things."

"Yes, and those dating sites require more time and attention than I can give," Kahlo said. "My primary focus right now is my work. I can't put in that much time until after I get tenure. I'm sure you understand."

"Of course I do," I said. "I consider myself to be very lucky. I am in a committed relationship with a woman who is beautiful inside and out. One of my favorite things about her is that she insists that our relationship be committed, but open. She's pretty busy herself, and she encourages me to spend time with other women while she's busy."

This bit of news surprised Kahlo. A lot.

"How very civilized. Doesn't she get jealous?"

"She hasn't yet."

"Do you get jealous when she's with other men?"

"She doesn't do that. She isn't interested in being with other men. Like you, she is busy with her work. She recognizes that I love her, but that I enjoy paying attention to other women. She wants me to be happy. As I said, I am a very lucky man."

I don't think the sonic stabilizer had anything to do with the fact that Kahlo was deep in thought, processing this information. I'd done my best to explain why I could be the perfect friend with benefits. It'd set the bait. It was time to reel her in."

"It's alright if I call you Mariana, isn't it?"

"It's alright."

"Mariana, you think I'm attractive, don't you?"

"I think you are attractive."

"You'd like for me to be your friend with benefits, wouldn't you?"

"I'd like you to be my friend with benefits."

"You know that I could give you the intimacy you want, don't you?"

"I know that."

"You know I wouldn't insist on more than you can give, don't you?"

"I know that."

"You'd like to give that a try, wouldn't you?"

"I'd like that."

"Mariana, when are you available?"

"I've got to teach a class next period, but I'm done for the day after that."

That was unfortunate. I wanted to have sex with her immediately, before she had time to reflect. I didn't want her to use that big brain of hers to think about the wisdom of having sex with a man she'd just met. But it couldn't be helped.

"You think it would be a good idea if I came over to your place after you get home," I said.

"I'd like you to come over to my place."

"You are excited about the idea that I could be your perfect companion, aren't you?"

"I am excited."

"You realize that I think the world of you, and I would feel very fortunate if we could have the kind of relationship you want."

"You think the world of me."

This went on for a while. I wanted to make absolutely sure Mariana was committed to the idea. I knew things would be fine after we had sex the first time, and I didn't want her to back out for any reason. I saw no resistance in her. She was probably so frustrated sexually that she was open to my proposal and didn't need the sonic stimulator to overcome any deeply held beliefs. This sounded ideal. Mariana was looking for someone just like me. I could be a good addition to her life. This was exactly how I wanted to use the sonic stimulator from now on.

She gave me her address and we arranged to meet after work. I shut my lab down a little early and drove to her place. She lived in a nice little condo, which made sense. A woman like Mariana didn't have time to cut grass or pull weeds. Her unit was tasteful, with a lot of colorful art and decorations that obviously originated in Mexico or other Latin American countries. She lived in a small, one bedroom unit, which was probably easier to afford on the salary of a new professor on her way down the tenure track.

But she obviously made enough money to afford very alluring lingerie. She greeted me at the door in an elegant outfit that gave me a wonderful view of what I hadn't been able to see while she was in business attire. I'd never slept with a woman who looked anything like Mariana. Her smooth, creamy skin was a few shades darker than a deep tan. Her sheer bra did little to conceal large, chocolate-colored nipples with big, meaty tips. She'd let down her lustrous wavy black hair, which fell almost to her waist.

Her body was the exact opposite of Mary's. Mary was a hard body, with perky breasts. Mariana was soft, with big breasts the shape of teardrops. She was a collection of soft, sensuous curves. Whereas Mary had distinct abs and a waxed pussy, Mariana had a smooth expanse of soft flesh with the swell of a curvy little belly sitting above a thick, lush growth of dark black hair. I wanted to eat her pussy right then.

"Mariana, you are absolutely beautiful," I said in Spanish. "I knew you were a lovely woman, but this is a revelation."

"I haven't heard Spanish in the bedroom since I left Madrid," she said. "It's nice."

"I hope you hear it a lot in the coming weeks and months," I said.

I didn't need the sonic stimulator to convince Mariana that it was time to make love. She took my hand and led me to bed. I pulled Mariana to me and kissed her for the first time. I'd planned for it to be a gentle little kiss, but she wanted something hotter. We explored each other's lips and tongues like two teenagers, but we didn't feel the slightest sense of urgency. Mariana shared my preference for making love slowly, deliberately, and teasingly. This was going to be nice.

Mariana was the kind of woman who squirmed around a lot. She arched her back the first time I touched her breasts, then put her hand on top of mine and pressed it against her soft skin. We removed her lingerie slowly, bit by bit, taking a lot of time to caress each part of her body as it was revealed. When I finally saw her naked, I was awed. I hadn't met Mariana until a few hours ago. Now, I was looking down at the body of a woman who was sexy and alluring in ways I'd never seen before.

She had a small waist, but large breasts and generous hips. I held her head in my hands and kissed her face over and over and over. I didn't stop until I felt her soft little hand close around me cock. I took that as a signal that she was ready for more.

I kissed my way down her neck, then lavished attention to both her breasts. "That's nice," she said when I sucked one very hard nipple between my lips. "It's more than nice," I said, moving to the other nipple.

"I love hearing you talk," she said between deep breaths. "You sound pretty good for a gringo."

We both chuckled. "There are no words in English or Spanish that do justice to the beauty of what I'm seeing right now."

She smiled. "You are very smooth," she said. "You know just what I want to hear."

"I'm going to do everything I can to help you get used to this kind of treatment," I said, kissing my way down her belly.

It hadn't been easy to restrain myself from diving into the task of eating her pussy. I wanted that badly, but I knew Mariana deserved a man who'd make her want that to happen. I ran my hands through her public hair, slowly moving downward.

I put my hand on the inside of one knee and gently eased that leg to the side. I repeated that with the other leg. I moved my hand around and around her pussy, taking my time before I slid one finger along her slit and dipping inside her.

Mariana came. It surprised me. She hadn't had that much stimulation. Maybe it was from the excitement of making love to a brand new man. I let her climax recede before I withdrew my finger and started doing what I'd wanted to do since the moment we'd started. Easing my body down between her spread legs, I kissed the soft skin of her inner thighs. Mariana had been squirming around since we began, but she started squirming a lot more as I worked my way closer to her wet, fragrant pussy. She had such a potent aroma that I could barely wait to find out how she tasted.