Only Red Ch. 01

"A 'rustic lunch'?"

"Sounds less awkward than saying to eat lunch in a rustic setting don't you think?"

"If you say so," she smiled. She knew by the smile from him she was growing on him and the fact that he was waiting patiently -- they'd still not had proper sex -- suggested he didn't regard her as a whore.

* * *

The blue car snaked around a 'S' bend reasonably fast, well under control though, and Arnie's immediate thought was she was one of those women who was good at most things she did. She was certainly good at sex. She'd surprised him pulling him down on to her on the table and then tonguing him, rather keen to taste herself on him. Most women he knew would have puked at doing that unless they were totally aroused from full-on sex. Yet somehow she'd turned his munching into an exciting event -- exciting enough to have blown him off and so unexpectedly that he wasn't aware that he was about to fire both barrels until that familiar blood-rush hit him and he was helpless to stop the eruption. Oops, she was talking.

"Do you actually do anything -- gainful employment I mean?"

"No."

"Hmmm. Very interesting. Why don't you tell me, right from the beginning? I like to know about the men I fuck."

There she was again, saying something to him most women would never dream of saying and yet to him it seemed a perfectly natural thing to say apart from the strong four-letter finish. So he told her.

His parents were born and raised on Manhattan and continued to live there -- his mother Robina was the daughter of a socialite and a goldsmith and his father Thomas J. Guy, had followed his father into property development, sometimes erecting new apartment or office blocks but principally refurbishing apartment blocks -- whole buildings, not single apartments. The clients usually were companies. He had a brother David who was an architect and a younger sister Melanie who taught languages at college. When their maternal grandmother died she left each of the children $180,000. Arnie who had failed to settle down after graduating in financial administration used his inheritance as a deposit on a small apartment, refurbished it and kicked it on and purchased another. He was proceeding along rather nicely when a little fling he was having with his father's young sister went wrong.

"Your auntie?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

Arnie said the aunt was only eight years his senior. There was a huge uproar within the extended family when the aunt confessed to her parents. A family summit was called and Arnie was ordered to leave New York and never return -- his father and paternal grandfather branding him as the black sheep of the family.

"I was pretty upset because Rosa had said she would take responsibility for ensuring she didn't become pregnant but she fouled up."

"Oh dear."

"Yes, it should have been mutual responsibility. But anyway thank goodness for find-hearted and practical women. My mother, Rosa and her mother said if I were to be banned then the men would have to pay me to stay away."

"Wow, that's rather radical. A few years ago one of those men would have had your nuts crushed and warned if you showed your face again in family circles you would be shot."

"Well perhaps, but my line of the Guys left barbaric ways behind them several generations ago. The upshot was dad and grandpa set up a trust fund for me and I moved out here and with that generous fund as security launched myself into property development. Rosa was ordered to have an abortion but nature arranged that for her when she dove into the Hudson; it was winter and almost didn't survive. Today she is married with three little ones."

"Leaving you pleased I suppose after initially being very guilty?"

"Pleased yes, but never guilty. She's wanted a baby and was going to keep the one I gave her but pressure by the family, especially my father, threw her into depression. I blamed dad -- I almost went back and killed him, but the thought of the look on mom's face knowing I'd done that allowed me to take the cowardly way out."

While not commenting on that, Jazz said: "So you were successful in property development and that provides you with an income with managers doing the business for you?"

"No, two years on I formed a syndicate with three wealthy women, bought the three hundred acres where I live now and developed the gated community. Last year it was completed and we wound up the company. I now have sufficient money never to have to work again."

"That's amazing. And you're only thirty-one now?"

"Yes -- some people call it extraordinary luck. I call it doing the right thing at the right time and ignoring those people who say it won't work, the risks are too great and people living in a gated community want a natural lake, not a man-made lake."

"So the lake didn't exist before you turned up?"

"No -- it was just a problem swamp."

Jazz asked had been in contact with his family since being cast out.

"No, the decision to oust me was everyone for that action except one person and that person Rosa visits me just before Christmas to bring me her Christmas present. She knows not to mention me to her family."

"Ohmigod -- Rosa is your consultant from New York who decorated your home and furnished it, isn't she? She's a professional home décor consultant."

Arnie looked stunned. "What an extra-ordinary connection to make -- and it is true. How did manage to see the link?"

"I only just did when you revealed you remain in contact with her. That story about being cast from your family made my think of you as a bit of a hermit -- I've seen no sign of any other people in your home and two of your three vehicles are two seaters and I remembered the red leather of the passenger seat of your MG looks new -- unused. I think the only other thought was a male consultant would have given you stronger colors and more masculine looking furniture. Then just now I seemed to know who the consultant was; I also suspect that Gloria was one of your three wealthy women."

Arnie shook his head. "Concentrate on your driving Jazz before you have me completely unbundled."

"If we are to have a relationship I know I'll find out who those other two investors are."

"You'd like a relationship with me, would you?"

"Now that you've brought it up, yes."

"Me brought it up?"

"Well, if you want to split hairs..."

Arnie smiled. "I'm unable to do that; you shave."

They laughed and he said, "This place up ahead looks rustic enough. Let's eat."

They kissed when they extricated themselves from the car and Arnie said, "You won't have to wait long to find the identity of the other two women. They will be at Gloria's luncheon on Sunday."

"So our relationship will extend to Sunday?" she asked, taking his arm.

He didn't answer, instead turning back and saying her car looked a picture against the distant backdrop of the city.

"Yes." And then, "I love my new car already. Sometimes a woman needs a man to push her into things."

"Sometimes a man needs a woman. End of story."

"Thank you."

"You talk rather too much for me, to what I'm used to, but you certainly are not boring," he said, as they entered the small country restaurant. The woman who greeted them looked at her watch and sighed and led them to a window table vacated by people who obviously lunch at lunchtime.

They ordered and when the woman left Arnie picked up Jazz's hand. "Jazz, would you please move in with me?"

Although her face lit up she looked nervous. "That's a lovely thing to say to me. But have you ever had a woman living with you?"

"Apart from Rosa, only the occasional night stay-over."

"It takes effort to adjust to coming close to another person."

He smiled. "Well, I'll just have to learn to make the adjustments, won't I or is it you that you expect to be the problem?"

"Oh no, I've had the experience and I already know you are very right for me. You don't treat me with indifferent which is the way of so many men and you have humor and are such an interesting man. You will always be special to me as you are the first man I've brought to premature ejaculation. I'm so proud of myself for doing that, especially without my hands or my pussy being involved."

"Your drinks," said the hostess, smiling at Jazz wide-eyed.

"But you're hesitant?"

"Yes," Jazz said flatly.

"Well, what say we meet two or three times a week in different environments, getting to know each other better, staying over in each other's house frequently until we both know the time is right to make the decision?"

"Yes, I'd like that -- it's a very intelligent and sensitive suggestion."

"Thank you," Arnie smiled. "I do have that ability. Your husband gave you a rough time, didn't he?"

"Towards the end, yes. No physical mistreatment -- just displays of massive indifference and mental humiliation."

TO BE CONTINUED...