The Devil's Bargain Ch. 05

- "For a man tied to a tree, yes."

- "It can mean stagnation or indecision at work, or in business. But in terms of love or relationships, it can mean new perspectives, or change."

- "Okay." That made a lot more sense than the Seven Rods.

The next card was another familiar image: a heart, with three swords piercing it. This one was also upside down.

"The fourth card represents the opposition: what you have to resist, or break away from. The Three of Swords, reversed, represents putting conflict behind you, or forgiving someone. It can also mean moving on after pain, or a breakup."

She gave me a good long look. Obviously, Aarti believed that she was getting a really good 'read' on me.

- "The fifth and last." she said. "What is coming."

She flipped over the card. I saw a man with his back to us, looking out to sea, or into the distance. There were three upright sticks - rods - around him. Aarti seemed very pleased.

"Three of Rods. "Travel. Searching for whatever it is you're looking for. New horizons in your career, or new options. Or the next stage in a romantic relationship. In a new romantic relationship, it can mean the opportunity to create a lasting foundation."

No wonder she seemed pleased. It was fairly obvious that my question would be about her, and I hadn't reacted when she mentioned work or career-related interpretations.

- "You think it's a positive reading, then?"

- "Very. " she said. "May I ask you a question, Dan?"

- "Of course."

- "Was your question about me?"

She didn't have to be especially shrewd to figure that one out. It was our first date, after all. Or maybe she was just guessing, based on my reaction to her interpretations.

- "If I tell you, will it still come true?"

She smiled. "It's not like making a wish. Doing a reading is way of helping you to understand where you are, and what you could do to achieve your goals. I don't think that you're having trouble at work, or that you're worried about a business deal or a home renovation project. It might seem a little vain, but I think you were asking something about me. Or perhaps it's another woman. If so, my interpretation would be much the same."

- "Okay. Go ahead."

- "The Sun is a great card. You're happy, because you met me and now we're dating. Or perhaps it's another woman. What you have to do is persevere, even while you protect yourself. Yet the Hanged Man suggests that a change, or at least a new perspective in your love life is the way to go. You've had pain and loss, in your past, or maybe a recent breakup. Or both. But a new romantic relationship could be just what you're looking for. I know that it might seem that there are mixed messages, but you are the only one who knows exactly what they mean."

Yeah, I was a little freaked out. I wasn't in pain. Connie had left me, emotionally and physically, years before she died. I was sad that Holly was gone (especially since she'd gotten over her fear of being seen with me in public), but I wasn't broken-hearted. The stagnation thing was also in my past. Starting a new relationship with Aarti was already my goal.

- "Thank you." I said.

"But there is a possible obstacle." she said. "I have to tell you, Dan: I'm a one-man woman. And I expect the same in return. I won't share you with another - or others. If you still have feelings for your ex, or if you're still seeing her ... you have to resolve these issues before we can be together."

***

Aarti and I didn't have sex that night. I don't know if it was because she wanted me to resolve my 'issues', or because she had strong feelings about sex on the first date. She wanted me (unless Tansa's magic had failed - and I didn't think it had), but she was determined to wait.

Which left me thinking about another woman on my short drive home. Monica.

She didn't deserve to be dumped. She might have been a little vain, and lacked a few social graces, but she had also begun to show signs of a more emotional attachment to me (rather than a purely physical one).

But I asked myself what I would have done if Holly was still here, and if she had asked for an exclusive relationship. Would I have turned her down for Monica?

You might wonder why I was willing to consider monogamous relationships when I had the magic power to get any woman I wanted. I had fourteen choices, and I'd only used three. Well, Angel had warned me to be careful. Even Tansa had warned me. And Holly was the proof: she had moved away. Think of it this way: three of my fourteen magic spells had been used - in less than a year.

Basically, it came down to a choice between Monica and Aarti. I could have one, or the other, but not both. I chose Aarti.

I thought about 'one last time' with Monica, but that seemed like a shitty thing to do. Instead, I met her at the fitness centre on Monday, and asked her to have a drink with me at the pub after our workouts.

Monica wasn't psychic, but she didn't have to be. This was a deviation from our usual pattern. If we were going out, I asked her in advance; otherwise, we simply went to my house or her place.

- "It's something bad, isn't it?" she said.

- "Monica, I ..."

- "Aw, shit. You're breaking up with me."

- "I'm sorry. You knew that I was seeing someone else. Well ... she wants us to be exclusive."

- "So you chose her over me." Monica hung her head. I'd hurt her pride, and her ego, but I hadn't expected to wound her emotionally.

- "It wasn't easy." I said. Only after I'd said it did I realize how pathetic that sounded. In my own (weak) defence, I'd never broken off with someone before.

- "Right." she said. "So I finished second. Out of two. You know, you're the best guy I've ever been with. Best sex. Nicest guy. No contest."

- "You're in my top two or three, all time." I said. Monica would never know that I'd only been with five women in my entire life. But it seemed to pick her up a little.

- "Really?"

- "Absolutely. Listen, Monica: you're much younger than I am. You still have all kinds of time to meet someone who'll treat you right. Maybe all you need is ... to change your habits a little."

- "My habits?"

- "Well, you do tend to go for guys you meet at the gym."

- "I met you at the gym."

- "Yes. But I didn't approach you the first time I saw you."

- "That's true!" she said. "You perved on me for like, a year before you said a word."

- "That's what I mean. I showed patience. And I'm not at all like your usual type of boyfriend, am I?"

- "No. That's true, too."

I invoked the 'no broken heart' clause in my deal with Tansa. I didn't want Monica to feel bad. She was young - she would rebound.

When I got home that night, I checked my email, and found a long message from Holly. It was from her private address (not her work email). She asked how I was, described her new job and new apartment, and apologized again for the way she'd treated me.

'I wish that I had simply 'gone out' with you. It would have made me so much happier, and of course it would have been fairer to you.'

I wrote her back, letting her know that her successor as office manager couldn't hold a candle to her, and that all of my colleagues missed her already.

'And so do I.'

***

I stopped going to the fitness centre, mainly so that I wouldn't run into Monica several times a week. I could work out at home, or take the dog for a run, but would have more flexibility in my schedule. It's amazing what you can get done with six or seven hours a week. I was able to run errands for Mom, or stop by to see her, and still have time for myself.

I waited until Friday night to take Aarti out again. I was hoping that it would be a night to remember, and I didn't want her to be worrying about going to work the next morning.

She didn't drink, so simply meeting at a bar wasn't an option. I could take her out to dinner again, but I wanted to make sure that she liked it, so I suggested that she choose her favourite Indian restaurant, so that she could teach me about her favourite dishes. She was enthusiastic about the idea.

I had guessed right; Aarti was a 'foodie'. She loved food, and loved talking about food. She was careful with me, because I'd only tried Indian a couple of times. She didn't order anything too hot, which was a mercy, because I could feel my forehead sweating and my nose running. I think that Aarti also enjoyed the role of teacher, or food sensei.

Sensing that the mood was right, I decided to invite her over to my house.

- "Would you like to see my house?" I asked. "We could have tea, and you could meet Freya, my dog."

- "You have a dog?" Aarti was suddenly alarmed.

- "Yes. She's a border collie. Not very big, but friendly. Is that ... a problem?"

- "Dan, I'm sorry, but ... I'm allergic to dogs."

- "Oh. Gosh. I'm sorry. I should have asked." Then another thought occurred to me. "You ... you can't smell her on me, can you?"

Aarti shook her head. "No. You smell clean. Actually, you smell fine to me. Why don't we have tea at my place, instead?"

- "That would be nice."

Making tea takes a bit of time. You have to put a kettle on, and wait for it to boil. It's too hot to drink right away; I, at least, have to wait for it to cool down. Those two things set the schedule, if you will. Patience. There's no point making a move while the kettle is on. Aarti had one of those old-fashioned whistling kettles.

She wanted to talk about the tarot again, and show me several other varieties of cards. She had the classic Ryder deck, a Norse variant, a Celtic version, and even an Arthurian one. The art was very different in each case; even if you weren't into the Tarot, they were very nice pictures. Halfway through them, the kettle boiled.

Aarti served us both tea, and then sat back down, next to me on her couch, to look at the remaining decks. After a while, though, Aarti addressed the elephant in the room.

- "Are you single, Dan?"

- "Yes, I am. As of Monday. You were right: I had to make a clean break."

- "Was it difficult?"

- "Ah ... not really. I knew that it was the right decision."

She nodded.

- "Does that mean that you want to be with me?" she asked.

Aarti turned her head, to look at me. She was very close. Her eyes were partly closed, as if they were heavy-lidded, and her lips were slightly parted. Even I couldn't miss that invitation. I leaned forward and kissed her.

She was an amazing kisser. Her lips were soft and yielding one moment, firmer and more urgent the next. She raised her hand to the back of my neck, to pull me closer.

When she drew back, momentarily, I could see the passion in her eyes. I hoped that she could see the same thing in mine.

- "You're so beautiful." I breathed.

She leaned forward to kiss me again, but she also shifted her whole body closer, so that she could press herself against me. I'd seen her impressive cleavage on our first date, but even so, I was surprised by the considerable pressure of her chest against mine.

We kissed some more. Then I put my hand on Aarti's thigh. That seemed to make up her mind: she stood up, and took my hand. Then she led me to her bedroom.

It was at once feminine and eclectic. She had 'new agey' prints on the walls, a dream-catcher hanging by the window, and at least ten colourful pillows on her bed.

She wasn't shy. Aarti quickly shed her top, revealing a lacy purple bra. It was more like a corset, though, or perhaps a bustier. She wasn't wearing it by accident, though; my already hard cock stiffened even more at the thought that she had planned to wear these undergarments earlier in the day.

Knowing that my eyes were upon her, she carefully undid her skirt, and let it drop to the floor. The panties matched the bustier. The purple complimented her black hair and caramel skin. She brushed her hair back, so that it wouldn't interfere with my view of the upper slopes of her breasts.

She could have been a model, with a face that exotic and lovely. Or she could've modelled bras and lingerie; her breasts were magnificent, large and full. Her skin was smooth and flawless. I stood there a moment too long, simply drinking in the sight of her.

Aarti lifted her hand, inviting me to come closer. I closed the distance between us. Her hands went to my shirt, which she unbuttoned very deliberately, stretching out each movement of her fingers. Then she brushed those fingers over my bare skin as she exposed my chest and stomach to her gaze.

Never mind the modelling career: she could have been a temptress, a succubus, luring men to their dooms. Her body was fuller, more rounded than either Holly or Monica, yet she was trim and taut all over. I wouldn't have described her as voluptuous, though; maybe it was because of her heritage, but I thought of the 'heavenly maidens' on some of the sexier Indian temple statuary.

She undid my pants, pushed them down a bit, and then ran the backs of her fingernails down my chest, over my stomach, and under the waistband of my boxer shorts. She made an 'Mmm' sound as her fingers brushed across my hardness. Then she wrapped her hand around it.

I bent down to kiss her again, and reached around to fondle her ass. Just like the rest of her, it was bigger than I was used to, yet still firm and tight. Yoga had been very good to Aarti. I ran the backs of my fingernails across her derriere, returning the favour (and letting her know that I'd appreciated the sensations).

Then I slid my fingers under the waistband of her panties. One hand remained on her rear, with one finger resting on the crack of her ass. The other hand I brought around to the front, where I could immediately feel the heat.

We stood there together, kissing ever more passionately as she stroked my cock and I fingered her pussy. Both of our excitement levels were rising very rapidly. If we don't get to her bed soon, I thought, we're going to end up fucking on the floor. I'm not actually opposed to that idea, but I thought that our first time together should be a little more ... conventional.

The bustier had to go, though. It was a phenomenal visual treat, guaranteed to produce an erection every single time, but I wanted skin to skin contact. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bra. I had to suspend my attentions to her ass and pussy and turn her around so that I could see what I was dealing with.

- "I'm sorry." I said. "As beautiful as this is, I want to see what you look like out of it."

- "If you must." she whispered.

There were eight hook and eye fastenings. It took my full concentration to deal with this engineering problem, and I was not aided by the fact that Aarti was rather shamelessly grinding her panty-clad cheeks against my erection.

Finally, I completed my complex and demanding task. Aarti did seem happy to remove her bustier, revealing a pair of tits the size of grapefruit, only caramel-coloured, with darker brown nipples. They sat high and proud on her chest, without a hint of sag.

They were more than worthy of adoration, and I simply had to pay homage before we went any further. They were soft, smooth, and remarkably heavy. I wondered if she would be facing lower back problems in the future.

I stood behind her, now shamelessly rubbing my cock against the crack of her ass, while I stroked her breasts and rubbed my thumbs over her nipples. Aarti seemed to be happy with this state of affairs, as she ground back against me, and then reached back behind me to grab handfuls of my ass and pull me towards her.

We could have stayed that way for a long time. Then I probably would've ended up bending her over and ravaging her from behind. This was new for me; I'd never been so close to losing control before.

Somehow, I got her moving, beginning with a hip bump. She seemed to pick up quickly what I intended, or maybe she just had the same idea. She climbed on to her bed, then lay on her back, and held out her arms to me.

I'd never been with a woman like this. Monica was certainly not shy, and she was a human dynamo, but never this way. Neither Connie nor Holly had prepared me for Aarti.

I positioned myself between her legs, just as she spread them even wider. Then I lowered my head, and kissed her clean-shaven pussy. She was hot, and wet, and tasted tangy - another new experience for me. She had a pronounced clitoral hood, one more thing I'd never seen before.

Honestly, I wanted to bring her to orgasm with my mouth. But I simply couldn't wait to be inside her. That was exactly what she wanted, too. She reached down with her hands, got a grip on my hair (and one ear), and pulled me up.

- "No." she said. "In me. Now. I want you in me."

She was right. There would be time for oral, for teasing and tantalizing each other. At this moment, we simply wanted to be joined. Now.

That first moment - the initial penetration with a new lover - is often spectacular. Maybe it's my limited experience speaking, but the first time, for me, is never less than spectacular. And with Aarti ... it was like fireworks. It might have been her beautiful, exotic face, the lushness of her body, or the perfection of her skin ... or a combination of all of those, topped off by her uninhibited sexuality.

- "Oh, God - that's so good!" she said.

Monica was noisy. Aarti was vocal. She loved food, and loved talking about it, especially while she was eating. I found out that night that she approached sex the same way.

"Oh, you have a great cock. I knew you would. Oh ... I'm going to have so much fun with you. I'll be sucking you off every day. And you'll be eating my pussy, any time I ask ..."

- "Yes." I said, even as I withdrew all the way, so that only the head was still inside her, and then pushed my full length back into her.

- "Ahh, yes ... I'll let you go down on me, and then I'll ride you like my own personal donkey."

She actually said that. I might have laughed, except that I was balls deep inside her for the first time, and trying to establish a rhythm that would please her.

"Oh. Oh. You can go hard, Dan. Do me hard."

I couldn't resist. Just as she'd asked, I started pounding her. We were both too keyed up for a long, slow session. She was right: this was all about a passionate coupling - our first - and a mad rush to orgasm.

I managed - just in time - to bring her to an orgasm. She wrapped her arms and legs around me, and squealed. Two seconds later, I erupted inside her.

Aarti wouldn't let go of me. She was like a grappler who had me in a simultaneous arm and leg hold. Finally, though, she realized that I was supporting my weight on knees and elbows, so as not to crush her. She released the pressure just enough to let me roll beside her, whereupon she once more wrapped me up tight.

- "I knew it." she said. "I knew that you'd be a fantastic lover."

- "You did, did you?"

- "Of course I did. I have my ways, Dan Pilgrim. Don't you forget it."

- "That was ... unbelievable." I got out. I was still breathing hard.

- "We're just getting started." she said.

***

Aarti's top three: food, sex, and the supernatural / occult / holistic / natural stuff. I've presented them in alphabetical order, but I'm not sure how Aarti herself would have ranked them. Maybe she changed her priorities or her emphasis from time to time.

But there were plenty of occasions (like that first night), when I wondered if sex was her number one. She eventually slipped out of bed - telling me to stay - and went off to take a shower.

I know that she did, because when she came back, she was still damp (especially her hair), but also because she planted her fresh pussy on my chest, and asked if I wanted another taste. I was happy to oblige.