Pros and Cons Ch. 01

All three parts have been written. It's my intent to post each part on consecutive days.

It was an amazing feeling: their mobile game, Kandy Korn Kaper, had just been selected as the Best New Mobile Game of the Year. As a result, the three owners of LTH Ltd. were out celebrating at their favorite San Jose bar.

The name they'd chosen for their company was short for LosTresHombres. The use of Spanish was intentionally ironic: Seth was Anglo-American, Rajiv was Indian-American, and Barry was African-American. Seth had dropped out of Stanford his senior year to start the business, and Barry and Rajiv had soon joined him. The three had worked out of Seth's parents' Santa Clara garage for eighteen months before having enough cash flow to rent an office of their own. Now, with Kandy Korn Kaper's success, the trio were suddenly earning serious money for the first time in their young lives.

After an hour or so of drinking, celebrating and reminiscing, Barry and Rajiv pulled out their phones and started playing a game. Already a little blitzed, Seth wandered over to the bar to get yet another beer. As he waited to get the bartender's attention, he couldn't help noticing the woman sitting near him, a stunning brunette dressed in tight jeans and a knit top that readily displayed her ample bosom.

He'd never been very successful with the ladies, and his devotion to gaming and coding had meant few opportunities after he'd left Palo Alto. But the alcohol he'd consumed and the company's business coup combined to boost his courage sufficiently to try his luck.

"So," he asked, trying to sound casual, "do you come here often?"

The woman turned her dark eyes toward him momentarily. "Not really," she said, and looked away.

Ordinarily, that kind of dismissal would have sent him fleeing, but something prompted him to try one more sally. "Well since you're new here, let me buy you another drink."

She gazed at him for a moment, and he waited for the put-down he knew was coming. But a hint of a smile flickered over her lips, and instead she replied, "I guess that would be alright."

Elated, Seth signaled aggressively for the bartender. Once the man had acknowledged his order, Seth turned his attention back to his new companion. "I'm Seth," he said, extending his hand, "Seth Masterson."

Amused, she shook his hand in a formal manner. "I'm Lorelei Hamilton, but you can call me Lori. Pleased to meet you, Seth Masterson."

From there the conversation proceeded less awkwardly. She was a management consultant who did a lot of traveling, he learned. He in turn told her about his friends and his business, and was disappointed to find she'd never heard of Kandy Korn Kaper. "Sorry," she told him, "I'm so busy I just don't have time for games."

Despite that, Seth felt the conversation was going well, and as she told him about some of her travels, he found himself becoming lost in her dark eyes.

Suddenly, a shout from Rajiv broke his reverie. "Hey, man, let's get out of here. Barry wants to pick up some tacos and then get back to work on that new game." Seth didn't want to leave, but loyalty to his friends pulled hard at him. He turned back to those hypnotic eyes. "Hey, I'm sorry, but I really have to go - my buddies are counting on me." He looked at her longingly. "Can I see you again?"

She smiled and shrugged. "Maybe I'll run into you here sometime."

Rajiv yelled again, and now Seth was visibly torn. "Can I at least get your number?"

"Why not?" she shrugged and fished her cell out of her purse. Once they'd exchanged numbers, he reluctantly headed off to join his friends, looking back at her the whole way. She watched as the three of them left the restaurant, then returned to her cocktail.

"Who was that you were talking to?" Barry demanded in the Uber. "She was hot."

"Yeah, she was, I mean is."

"Yeah, way too hot for you, bro," Rajiv teased.

"Maybe so, but I got her number," Seth crowed, holding up his cell like a trophy.

"Woohoo - way to go Seth!" Barry cheered. "We'll get you out on a date yet."

Seth blushed, but as they rode away, he glanced back through the rear window, hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

The next day Seth couldn't stop thinking about Lori. He was so distracted that Rajiv confronted him shortly after lunch. "Look, man, Barry and I both know what - or should I say who's - on your mind, so why don't you just go ahead and call her and ask her out?"

"I can't do that," Seth protested. "I mean, what would we do?"

Rajiv shrugged. "Tomorrow's Wednesday night - ask her over to watch The Show with us."

"The Show" was the long-running sword and sorcery epic the trio watched religiously every Wednesday. Seth wasn't sure whether that was a good idea, but he could think of nothing better and he really wanted to see Lori. When broke down and made the call, to his happy surprise, she told him she was a big fan herself and accepted his invitation.

Shortly before the program started the next evening, their doorbell rang, and there was Lori with a sack full of tacos and a 12-pack of beer. The three young men greeted her with whoops of delight. When the four of them were settled in front of the 80-inch flat screen, they began to discuss the show. As they foraged on the food and drink, the three apartment mates were surprised by Lori's knowledge of the plot and characters. After the program ended, a lively discussion ensued about the episode's developments and their implications.

Finally Lori stood up and smiled at the crew. "This has been fun, guys, but I really need to get home," she told them. "Got a big conference call with the East Coast first thing."

Seth hastily arose to walk her to the door, belatedly realizing that neither the location nor the event was conducive to getting to know this intriguing female better. "Hey," he started to apologize, "I know this wasn't probably what you had in mind . . ."

She stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips. "Shhh, it was fine - I had a good time."

"Does that mean . . . unh, can I call you again, maybe for dinner or something?" he stammered.

"Sure, if you want to." Then she kissed him lightly, turned and sauntered off, leaving him hungry for more.

Back inside, Seth's roommates were on him in an instant. "Damn, that woman is smokin'," Rajiv blurted out. "And she knows more about The Show than I do."

"Yeah," Barry chimed in, "and did you mention that she's hot? Listen, Bro, if you get tired of her, I'll be glad to take over for you."

"Back off!" Seth bristled. "She's a lady, not some piece of meat for you two dogs to fight over."

Rajiv and Barry exchanged glances. "Whoa, man, no offense," Barry backpedaled. "We were just havin' a little fun with you."

"Yeah," Rajiv added, "we've never seen you get starry-eyed before."

Two days later Seth called Lori and found himself both relieved and anxious when she answered. "Listen, I'm sorry about Wednesday night and the way my roommates acted. Anyway, to make up for it, I'd like to take you out to dinner - someplace nice this time, I promise."

"I think I can do that. Pick me up at 8:00 on Saturday," she told him, and gave him her address.

After he hung up the phone, the other two were startled as Seth whooped in triumph.

That Saturday evening, when he reached the address Lori had given him, he had the Lyft driver wait for him at the curb. When she opened the door, she saw her date was wearing a new pair of dark-washed jeans, a plaid dress shirt and a sports coat. Smiling, she reached out and removed the hang tag he hadn't spotted on the jacket.

Once the driver dropped the pair off at Le Papillon, they were quickly seated at their table. Over glasses of wine, they began exchanging details about their lives. Lori told him about her work with one of the big management consulting firms. "My specialty is the high-tech sector. I guess I've worked with all the FAANGs at one time or another."

"The Fangs?" he asked in confusion.

She smiled. "You know: the big five - Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netscape and Google."

"Oh, wow," he said, impressed. "So what do you do for them?"

She shook her head and smiled again. "Sorry, I can't talk about that - non-disclosure agreements with all of them. The good news is they pay us very well, but the bad news I have to travel so often. I've been all over the country and lots of the world, but the only sites I ever see are airports and hotel rooms.

"But enough about me, tell me about yourself and your business."

He shook his head. "What our little company does is nothing compared to the people you're working with every day."

"I disagree, Seth. Digital entertainment is one of the big growth opportunities of our time. And the creativity and ingenuity that go into some of those games are every bit the equal of what the companies I work with do."

Flattered, Seth launched into a description of LosTresHombres and especially Kandy Korn Kaper. He was modest about their success, but Lori could tell how excited he was about their prospects. She encouraged him to elaborate, and by the time he finished he was startled to discover he'd talked all the way through dinner.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "it's not like me to monopolize the conversation like that."

"Not at all," she demurred. "I thought it was fascinating."

As they left the restaurant, he asked Lori if she'd like to go somewhere else, but, to his disappointment, she told him she needed to get back to her apartment. The Lyft driver appeared far too quickly for Seth, and soon they were outside Lori's place. He politely walked her to the door and told her what an enjoyable evening he'd had. She leaned toward him and gave him a brief but tender kiss. When he turned to start back to the waiting car, however, she grabbed him by the arm. "Tell the driver to go," she told him. Unsure what was happening, he dismissed the driver. When he came back, he saw that Lori had left her apartment door open but she was nowhere in sight. Hesitantly he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Lori?" he called out uncertainly.

"Back here," her voice came from down the hall.

He followed the sound, and when he came to a doorway, he stopped short in surprise and awe. Lori was standing in her bedroom wearing nothing but a lacey black bra, thong panties and her high heels. She smiled as he stood there with his mouth slightly agape, then slowly turned her back to him. Reaching back to the clasp on her bra, she asked over her shoulder, "Can you help me with this?"

Hoping this wasn't a dream, he hurried over and, after a bit of fumbling, unhooked the flimsy garment. She turned to face him, holding the cups so they covered her breasts. With a smile she whispered, "You can unwrap your present now."

Taking the garment into his hands, he stood there gazing at her perfect breasts. They sat high without sagging, neither too small nor too large. He dropped the bra and reached out slowly to touch them. When he cupped them in his hands, she purred, "Mmmm." After a few moments she reached for his wrists to stop him. "I think you need to catch up."

He quickly began to shed his clothes as she backed away to sit on the bed. After he finished, she beckoned him to her and, when he was near enough, took his swollen cock in her hands. Then she gave him a knowing smile and bent her head to suck him into her mouth. In seconds he was groaning as her talented lips and tongues worked their magic. She began to bob her head up and down, and he had to grab her shoulders to keep from falling. That only caused her to speed up her motion, and soon he realized he was about to explode. "I'm going to cum!" he gasped, but she only threw her arms around his hips to hold him in place and continued her ministrations. With a loud cry he climaxed in her mouth, and was amazed to watch her swallow it all down.

Spent from the experience, he sank to his knees and laid his head in her lap. She held him for a while to let him rest, then gently lifted his head. "Now it's your turn," she told him, and, spreading her legs, pulled him between her thighs.

Inspired by gratitude and fast-returning lust, Seth began to rain kisses on her flesh, moving insistently upward toward the source of heat and pleasure he sought. When he reached her smooth-shaven pussy, he parted her outer lips and began to lap at her like a thirsty dog slurping water. She pushed him back slightly. "Slowly, gently," she urged him. "We've got plenty of time." He slowed his tongue, and she propped herself up on her elbows to watch him, giving him directions on what she liked.

Seth was not a virgin, but his experience was limited to a few liaisons in college. He'd never had any complaints, but he'd never felt totally certain what his partners really liked. Now, having Lori giving instructions made him feel more confident, and the motion of her hips and the sensual sounds from her throat built his confidence even higher. After a few minutes of his efforts, she flopped down on the bedspread, tilted her head back and began to moan softly. Soon the moans turned into "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ahh!" as she grabbed the back of his head and clutched it to her throbbing clitoris.

Pleased with himself, he watched silently as she lay there. Soon her eyes popped open and she sat up in front of him. "Have you recovered yet?" she asked in a hungry voice.

He glanced down at himself and then looked at her with a smile. "Oh, yes."

She grabbed his hands and urged him up. "Then come here and take what you want," she husked. Between their mutual hunger and her gasping demands, he did just that until both of them were satisfied. When they were done, he rolled off her, pulled the bedspread over them and fell fast asleep.

Sometime during the night he awoke to feel her tongue licking his cock. In seconds he was fully erect, and she clambered over him, sat down on his straining cock and rode him at an ever-increasing speed until she threw her head back and wailed just as he exploded inside her.

The next time he awoke she was just stepping out of the bathroom, already showered and dressed. "Do you have to go?" he asked plaintively. "I was hoping that we could . . ."

"I'd like that too, baby, but I don't think my boss would approve my being late."

"When can I see you again?"

She came over to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. "I have to go down to LA this afternoon, but I'll be back late tomorrow. I'll call you when my plane touches down." She caressed his cheek, then stood up and headed for the door. "Feel free to use the shower - just be sure to lock the front door when you leave." Then she was gone.

He lay back on the bed. The scent of her body rose up from the sheets, reminding him of their magical night together. Simultaneously, he felt a sharp sense of loss because he wouldn't see her for so long. Finally he forced himself to rise and shower.

Afterwards, he walked through her apartment. There weren't many clues to her life, but everything seemed special to him because it was hers. Reluctant to leave, he locked the front door and found a Bird scooter to ride to his office.

Barry and Rajiv were already working, but when he came in they stopped everything and began to tease him. To their surprise, their crude jokes and smirking innuendo had no effect on their friend, and after a few minutes they stopped and stared at each other. "Uh-oh, I think our boy here has stepped over the edge into the love zone."

"I think you're right," Rajiv agreed. "See that big pink arrow sticking out from between his shoulder blades?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "It was just a date, guys, just a date." But as he turned to his computer monitor, behind him his friends were shaking their heads at each other in mock dismay.

On the afternoon Lori was scheduled to return, Seth grew anxious trying to decide when to call her. He needn't have worried: she called him as soon as her flight touched down. They got together that evening, and almost every evening thereafter that Lori wasn't traveling.

There was no need for Rajiv and Barry to make further jokes about their partner. There was not the slightest doubt in either one's mind that Seth had fallen hard for the beautiful brunette.

With things going so swimmingly between the couple, Seth was startled to arrive at Lori's apartment and find she was not alone. A distinguished looking man a few years older than Lori was standing beside her, his hand resting familiarly on her shoulder. Before Seth could say anything, Lori brought the pinstripe-clad man over. "Seth, I'd like you to meet my brother, Robert. He's in town for a few days. I haven't seen him in a while so I asked him to join us."

With his momentary fear alleviated, Seth relaxed and shook hands with the man. Over drinks he learned that Lori's brother was a financial adviser with one of the big national financial management firms. "Robert directs investments for a number of wealthy clients," Lori told Seth. "He oversees a total portfolio of close to half a billion dollars."

"Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration," the man said modestly.

"Pretty darned close," Lori said proudly.

The two men got along well, and a few days later Seth was pleased to get a call from Robert later inviting him to have coffee together. They met at Vero's and after they got their orders, Robert looked at Seth carefully.

"Seth, I like you, and you're obviously a hard-working, intelligent young man. But more to the point, my sister is crazy about you. I have no right to tell you what to do, but I do hope you won't hurt her. She is my little sister, and I guess I feel protective of her."

"Robert, I swear to you I'd never do anything to hurt Lori. The truth is, I'm pretty crazy about her too." He leaned closer. "Can I get your opinion on something?"

When the man nodded, Seth reached into his pocket and pulled out a small felt-covered box. Inside was an old-fashioned Edwardian engagement ring. "My grandmother gave it to me," Seth explained, "and she got it from her grandmother. Do you think Lori will like it?"

Robert took the box and examined the ring closely. "That's a platinum ring with an old mine cut diamond in the center" he said. "I'd guess it weighs over two carats." He looked up at Seth and smiled. "I think she'll love it," he said approvingly, "and she'll be touched that you wanted her to have it."

The young man beamed.

When they met the next day, Seth got down on his knee and proposed to Lori, extending the ring like an offering to a goddess. She squealed with delight and showed her acceptance in a way that was absolutely unmistakable. Afterwards, she lay in his arms, kissing him and holding him as though she were afraid he'd slip away.

"I don't want a long engagement, Seth," she told him. "I'd be happy to get married next week."

Seth was pleasantly surprised; he'd been certain Lori would need a long engagement to plan her wedding. But when he asked her about that, he was even more surprised to learn that she had no interest in an elaborate ceremony. "I've seen my friends go that way," she told him, "and I don't want any part of it. Big weddings outrageously expensive, take forever to plan, cause conflicts between friends and family, and everyone is usually so drunk that they don't enjoy it and hardly remember it. As far as I'm concerned, I'd be just as happy to elope in front of a justice of the peace."

It took Seth a while to adjust his expectations, but the more he thought about it the better he felt. The only close family he had left was his older brother, so there was no one he felt a need to cater to. Of course he wanted Rajiv and Barry to come, but he knew they had no interest in a fancy ceremony. Truthfully, now that he'd actually proposed, he just wanted to make Lori his wife, the sooner the better.