Operation Recover Mr. D

"But what if I want to? I want to do a lot of stuff with you."

"Then we'll do everything you want to do. But we have six more nights and a lot of mornings and afternoons. We don't have to do everything all at once. Especially if you're sore -- I like it best when we can play together, so we'll wait until you're not so sore and I can do things to you too."

She smiled again and gave me a peck on the lips. "Okay! Then let's eat breakfast. I've worked up an appetite -- and you're going to need your strength!"

* * * * *

We got cleaned up and dressed, then headed to the Franklin Diner. I decided to skip church this week, so we were able to beat the crowd. Over eggs and pancakes and bacon and a few cups of better-than-diner coffee we reviewed Jackie's plan for my condo.

She had bookmarked a bunch of furniture stores, but they weren't the big showrooms or department stores. Instead, she'd looked up artisans and boutiques as well as a number of second-hand and consignment shops. She also made me look at what seemed like eight million photos of tables, sofas, chairs, beds, dressers, and cabinets, keeping track of what I said I liked. It's a good thing she was irresistible and energetic, because otherwise I would have lasted about a minute.

I wasn't really looking forward to running all over creation to look at furniture, paint chips, and flooring samples for the next six days. I mean, how much do you really need to invest in something that you're just going to sit on to watch TV? But after devoting an entire week completely to me -- to say nothing of devoting her body to me every night -- I couldn't deny Jackie, so I decided to go along with anything she wanted us to do.

And, as it turned out, I enjoyed all of it. Immensely. Being with Jackie was delightful. She was playful and flirty, but also bossy and very focused. She was someone who made things happen. I could see that someday she was going to run things, and she was so charming that no one would resent her for it.

I was enchanted.

But I also realized that Jackie and I would not have a romance once she left on Saturday. She knew it too, and it made the week perfect. We didn't have to worry about disappointing each other, because our time together had an expiration date. And that just added urgency too. We didn't have time to worry about nuance; we knew that we could say anything and get an honest reply. There was zero game-playing between us, because there wasn't a bigger win or a scary loss in play. It was one week, completely open, and then we'd each have a memory to treasure with no chance of a repeat.

We didn't spend the whole week together. Knowing that I had three weeks with Emma, Katie, and Tara coming, I couldn't take many days off. So I went into work three days, although I did go in a half-hour later than usual to accommodate some morning delight with Jackie, and I left as soon as my meetings were over in the afternoon, usually by 3:00.

Jackie joined me for lunch midweek. We met at 11:30, and she surprised me with sandwiches and chips. She made us sit on a bench across the street from my office.

"Thanks for lunch, Jackie. You know I'd be happy to take you out to a restaurant though."

"I wish you had a company cafeteria. It would be better. But this will do." She took a bite and pointed across to the entrance of my building. "Keep an eye on the door. I want you to tell me whenever you see a woman you think is single."

So that's what we did. Jackie was my own private Tinder, and she swiped left on most of the women we saw. I figured out that she had an age range that went from about ten years younger to five years older than my 45. She didn't care about hair color or height but she went for women who were weight-height proportional. Divorce didn't matter, current boyfriends did. The type of interests didn't matter much, but the more interests the better. I didn't know much about many of the women who walked by, but by the time an hour had passed she had identified a handful of women and assigned me the task of learning more about each of them. I had a week and a half to do it, which would coincide with Katie's visit.

With most of the decorating decisions made by midweek, our attention turned to my wardrobe. She culled the most egregious examples of dad clothes from my closet and dresser and started showing me another eight million pictures of mens clothes to see what I might like. Like with the women from my building, she was just doing the foundational work -- it would be left to one of the others to burnish that part of my recovery.

When we weren't shopping, scoping, or culling, we made love. Jackie's inexperience showed up early and often, but she was open about what she didn't know, and she enthusiastically embraced all our lessons. Her first blowjob was like everyone else's: tentative, slow, uncertain, and surprised at the end. I didn't explode in her mouth, warning her in plenty of time, and she was fascinated by my eruption. By the end of the week, however, she had pretty much mastered the art -- and she even swallowed after showing me her mouthful.

She really loved my oral attentions, and they became a staple of our sessions. She was so responsive, tasted so fresh and felt so firm and tight that I could eat her around the clock. And I'm pretty sure I tried at least once. She was getting a couple orgasms a day from my lips and tongue, and we made love two to three times every day too, once in the morning, often when I got home from work, and always to end the day.

Jackie and I tried a number of positions early in the week, but by our last night together she was pretty well sold on missionary with an occasional prone from behind thrown in. She liked feeling me on top of her. She wasn't shy about directing the action, but when we got down to business she was surprisingly quiet given how talkative she was out of the bedroom. She liked to wallow in the sensations with her eyes closed and a dreamy look on her face, even when her hips were moving in a blur.

Our last night together we ordered in an Indian dinner with an extra order of naan -- I was still seriously impressed by how much she could eat -- then shared a bath before moving to the bedroom. We made love twice, and fell asleep entwined, which is how we woke up as well. Jackie didn't get up to clean herself before I awoke, and we had one final, quietly passionate missionary coupling before showering together. She packed her oversized bag and then demanded a final breakfast at the Franklin Diner. I was more than happy to oblige.

"Jackie, this has been an incredible week for me," I said once we'd ordered. "It was completely unexpected. I'm forever grateful for your time and your attention."

Jackie smiled her dazzling smile. "Mr D, you have no idea how much I enjoyed it too. You are everything I hoped for and a lot -- and I mean a lot -- more!"

I blushed at her ardor and reached across the table to hold her hand. "You are a very special young woman. I have no doubt you'll get whatever you set your mind on. And I know my condo is going to look 100 percent better thanks to you. Every time I look at anything in my home I'll think of you."

"That makes me so happy, Mr D! I'll remember this week for a lot of other things though." She giggled, which always made me smile.

"When do you need to take off for school?"

"I'll drive up after we get back to your place. Emmy will be showing up around one, so you have a little time to yourself before round two!"

I blushed a little again. "Um, Jackie, have you told any of the other girls about what we've been doing?"

"You mean shopping for furniture? Of course!" She smiled devilishly. "I haven't lied to them, so they know that I've been teasing you a bit and that you've responded. I've deflected Katie's questions to let her think it's just been flirting, but Em and Tara and I have a separate group chat where I've been a little more forthcoming. No details though."

I sighed. I suppose it would be too much for lifelong friends not to share important experiences, even if they embarrass an older man.

"Thank you for being honest with me."

"Just so you know, Mr D, Em and Tara have crushes on you too. What you do with them is up to you guys to figure out though. That hasn't been part of our project discussions. And I didn't tell them I was going to seduce you. Well, not this time anyway!"

That megawatt smile would get her out of any jam she could find herself in. God, she was gorgeous!

"Eat your eggs, young lady. And if there's ever anything I can do for you, please let me know."

* * * * *

Jackie hit the road a little before noon, parting with an energetic hug, one last deep kiss, and a big smile. And Emmaline Robinson showed up at the stroke of one, just as Jackie promised.

"Hey, Mr D. Ready for the second phase of our project?"

"You bet! Come on in."

It had been a few months since I'd last seen Emmy, and she looked different. Sharper, cleaner, crisper. Her face had lost some of its roundness. In fact, her cheekbones were defined and her neck looked long and elegant. Her shorts showed off athletic legs. "You look terrific. Have you been working out?"

The blonde smiled and nodded, blushing slightly. "I have ramped up my workouts. I used to just do some yoga, but I've added weights and aerobic exercise too. I'm hoping you can give me some pointers. You always kept in good shape."

I led her to the spare room so she could put away her clothes and gave her the nickel tour of my condo, pointing out all the changes that were coming thanks to Jackie.

"Do you need any time to unpack or settle in?"

"Nope," Emmy answered, gliding over to sit next to me on the sectional. She tucked one leg beneath her, leaving the other fully extended for me to admire.

Emmy's physical appearance had always belied her role as the calm rational center of their girl posse. She was preternaturally composed when all manner of chaos erupted around her, and if you wanted a candid and insightful assessment of whatever concerned you then Emmy was your girl. But rather than projecting a gravitas that commanded attention and demanded deference, Emmy had always looked young and guileless. Chubbiness softened her edges, and her face and body looked, well, just average, which made a poised, capable young woman seem like background music. Katie, Jackie, Tara -- and several others who intersected their orbit -- knew where to turn when any shit hit the fan, but to an outside observer she just seemed like white noise.

Emmy didn't look like that anymore. Her calf showed definition, and her ankle looked both delicate and strong. The bright red pedicure was new too. Come to think of it, she'd cut her longish blonde hair to chin length, and an asymmetrical style gave her a much more sophisticated air than her usual ponytail. A scoop-neck shirt showed collarbones that could have been carved from marble. Her gray eyes seemed sharper, more focused, but at the same time a little veiled. She had transformed from a young-looking teenager into a confident woman who seemed to know so much more than she would volunteer.

"Have you eaten?" I asked her. "We can grab lunch if you want."

"Sounds good to me. Where are we going?"

"Any preference?"

Emmy shook her head and just looked at me coolly. She was so different than Jackie. Quieter, more considered, more deliberate. Where Jackie had a thought about every detail, Emmy worried only about the things that moved the needle.

"Feel like something light? A salad? I thought we could do Thai for dinner unless you had something else you'd like to try."

"Jackie said you took her to La Traviata on her first night." Emmy had a sly smile and a playful challenge in her eyes.

I had to laugh. I was so overmatched with these young women. "Let me make a reservation."

* * * * *

Lunch with Emmy took a lot more effort than lunch with Jackie. Jackie took charge when we left the house and kept the reins through our return. Emmy was a collaborator. She'd do her part to set the agenda, and she held her own in the conversation, but she left plenty of space for me too. Jackie listened to what I had to say, but she picked the topics ninety-five percent of the time; Emmy and I shared that responsibility evenly.

"So what's your superpower in this project, Em?" I asked after we'd ordered my salad and her soup. "I know you're studying bio engineering, but I'm not sure how that fits with the efforts to rehabilitate me. Unless there's gene splicing or cloning ahead."

She laughed. "It figures you'd remember -- even my folks don't know my exact major. But you're forgetting my hobbies, Mr D. And my Art History minor."

"Hobbies? I thought you were all about 'The Bachelorette' and K-Pop."

She laughed again, smooth, controlled, modulated.

"While those are both culturally important and fascinating in their own right, that's not a complete list of my interests. I've been studying a lot about nutrition and exercise. And your walls and shelves will need to express your unique coolness."

"I might be able to find some old sports posters. And maybe you could loan me one from your favorite K-Pop bands too."

"Ha, ha. I'm not giving up my BlackPink swag for anyone, not even you, Mr D. Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll find lots of things to suit your style."

"Do I have a style?"

"You do. We just have to find it!"

We spent the rest of the lunch, and then the rest of the afternoon discussing my interests, places I'd been, people who'd influenced me, books and movies I liked. Emmy wasn't taking notes, but I had the feeling she mentally catalogued everything we talked about. She quizzed me on topics she knew, interrogated me on those she didn't. I thought by the time we got ready for dinner that she might know more about me than anyone else on earth.

* * * * *

Once again the younger woman was waiting for me when it came time to leave for La Traviata. Emmy was bigger than Jackie -- taller, wider, thicker, with more boobs and more butt -- and she both surprised and impressed me with a low-cut red silk dress and matching heels that emphasized her figure and showed off those nicely-shaped legs. She wore only a thin gold necklace and modest gold hoop earrings for jewelry, and her make-up drew my attention first to her lustrous gray eyes and then to her deep red lips. This was a new Emmy for sure: composed and controlled as always, but now also sophisticated, confident, sexy.

"Wow! You look incredible, Em." My open-mouthed expression confirmed the sincerity of my words.

Emmy blushed and gave an enigmatic smile. "Thank you. I love your suit too."

I offered her my arm and escorted her to the car, opening her door for her like a gentleman. I'm not sure why I did that. She looked like a woman, and it seemed like the thing you should do on a date.

A date.

I was clearly thinking of Emmy a lot differently than Jackie just one week before. I reminded myself that Emmy was not Jackie, that she and I weren't intimate, and that she might not want romance with Creepy Dad.

The atmosphere on the drive to the restaurant was different too. Instead of crackling with tension, the air hummed low and steady. The energy was there, but the wavelength was different. Longer, slower, but just as strong. Emmy seemed to be very comfortable with quiet, so we didn't say much. But every time I glanced at her she was smiling.

Our reception at La Traviata was a bit different too. The valet recognized me from last week, but no one would ever mistake Emmy and Jackie for sisters, and his face registered his confusion. The maitre'd also faltered slightly on greeting us before recapturing his highly-polished veneer. Our table again wasn't among the most intimate, and we had a different waiter who assumed the father-daughter relationship on his first greeting, but he was more circumspect thereafter. Apparently communication happens in a restaurant.

"Have you been here before?" I asked Emmy.

"Never."

"Really? I thought everyone came here at least once."

"I haven't dated much."

"Why not? A woman as smart as you are and as beautiful as you are can't be lacking admirers." Ugh. Could I sound any more creepy?

"I can be harsh. When I talk to people."

"You can be honest. If they can't take that, then they don't deserve you."

Emmy's smile exploded and her eyes danced. "Do you deserve me, Mr D?"

"I love your honesty, but I'm an old man, Em. You can do SO much better than me."

"Let's table this discussion until next Saturday. We'll have more data points by then."

We split a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which made Emmy's face and chest flush. As the bottle emptied her gaze grew more direct. And more sultry. I'm not sure we needed it, but I ordered port for us both to finish the meal. As we left, Emmy latched onto my arm and pulled herself tightly against me. I could feel the side of her breast press into my arm. My body reacted. She was, after all, an attractive, vibrant young woman dressed to impress. And her soft boob was firmly planted against my arm.

When we arrived home I thought we'd change clothes or head to our beds. Instead Emmy took my hand and guided me to the sectional, where she sat beside me. She kicked off her heels, tucked one leg up underneath her, and pivoted to look directly at me.

"Jackie was pretty coy about how you and she spent the week. Which is not normal Jackie. I know she's had a crush on you for a very long time, and I know she always gets what she wants, so based on what she didn't say I'm guessing you two had a very nice week together." Her eyes held mine, cool but playful, and her gaze never wavered. "I'm not as experienced as Jackie -- or Tara, for that matter. But I do know what I want. And I want you to be my boyfriend for the next week."

I reached out and took one of her hands in both of mine. "Em, you are very smart and very beautiful. Really, you are. And you look incredibly sexy tonight. But I'm an old guy who's a little damaged. It would be a dream to have you as my girlfriend this week, but you could have so many others who would be better for you. Are you sure you want me?"

Her eyes smoked up, and she leaned in and stared me down. "More than I've wanted anything in a very long time, Mr D."

Her face stopped a few inches from mine, and her eyes finally broke with mine and looked to my lips. I don't think I could have stopped it, but then again I didn't really want to. I closed the gap and took her lips with mine. Her breath gushed out through her nose, and her mouth opened to release her tongue, which pressed against my lips, demanding entry. Who was I to deny her?

We made out like teenagers, kissing aggressively while our bodies shifted around to find a comfortable position that allowed the most contact. Our hands explored each other, starting with our heads and faces, moving to arms and then backs, then finally to chests and hips and asses. Emmy's body was substantial yet youthfully firm all over, and it was sensitive too. Any touch, any grasp, any caress brought forth moans, even as our mouths kept a tight seal.

I pressed my outside hand into her breast through her dress and bra, and she pushed it forward in encouragement. I rubbed her nipple with my thumb, and she squealed in her throat behind our kissing. She was very aggressive, and her tempo was ratcheting up. Like with Jackie I put my hands on her hips and used my strength to slow her gyrations. I used my lips to moderate our kisses. I kept up our intensity, but slowed our pace. Which frustrated Emmy, who groaned in complaint.

"Please, Mr D! Please," she implored, panting in her need.

"Shhh, Em. We'll get there. Let's take our time and enjoy the ride. You are incredibly sexy, and I am just as excited as you."

Emmy's only response was a moan. And more aggressive kissing. We were writhing around on the sectional in our fine clothes, and neither the sectional nor the clothes was conducive to comfort. I disentangled us and pulled Emmy to her feet. I kissed her as we stood, then took her by the hand and led her to my bedroom.