The Devil's Bargain Ch. 09

THE DEVIL'S BARGAIN Chapter 9

On Monday, after work, I picked up some groceries for Mom and brought them over to her house. As I came in her front door, I saw her with her back to me, struggling to go up the stairs. She had both hands on the banister, and was trying to pull herself up.

- "Mom! What are you doing?" I put down the groceries and went to help her.

- "I forgot something in my room." she said.

- "What is it? I'll get it for you."

Crisis averted - for today. But I'd seen what I saw, and I finally managed to get Mom to admit it. She was having trouble with stairs.

Her house was a two-storey, three bedroom monstrosity with a furnished basement and a massive crawlspace for storage. It was too damn big for a nearly 80-year old woman with mobility issues. She'd lived there for 45 years, though, and she wasn't about to move into an apartment or a condo - and that was that (never mind how much sense it would have made).

She climbed the stairs at night, to go to bed, and came down in the morning. Her laundry room was in the basement, but she didn't have to tackle those stairs every day.

- "What about a stair-glide, or a stair-master?" I asked. "We could install something to help you get up and down."

- "I'm not a cripple, Daniel."

You might be if you fall again, I thought. Perhaps I should have said it.

- "There are other options, too, Mom."

- "I'm not moving into one of those prisons." she said. "I'm going to keep my house as long as I can."

Yeah, I thought. As long as Sylvia the cleaning lady and I can maintain it for you.

***

I wasn't playing hard to get. For some reason, it just made sense to me to wait a little bit before seeing Lisa again. I didn't see her Sunday night, and I knew that I'd be busy with Mom on Monday. So I called Lisa and asked her if she was free on Tuesday.

- "Exams are over." she said. "I'm free every night."

I took her out to hear a local legend playing in a bar. He customarily did one acoustic set, followed by an electric guitar set, accompanied by a buddy of his on bass.

"I'm sorry, Dan." said Lisa. "I don't mean to put pressure on you."

- "Did you? When?"

- "When I told you that I was free every night. I know how many obligations you have. I'm not trying to suggest that you have to spend time with me all of the time. Ouch - that sounds awful."

- "Lisa, I didn't feel any pressure. Truth is, I want to spend time with you. I'm just... okay, to be completely honest - I'm amazed at how quickly my feelings have changed. I was afraid to get into a relationship with you, afraid to hurt your parents... and now I can't think of anything but you."

She took my hand. "That's so sweet of you to say. Umm... can we skip the second set? I think I'd rather go home with you."

- "We can do that."

Lisa's ass was pretty nice, but I was mesmerized by the dimples in her lower back. Once again, I was amazed by the sheer mass of her soft breasts, considering how thin she was elsewhere.

I loved running my hands over her back as I took her from behind, at her insistence. It was only the second time that I'd seen her naked, but I was beginning to realize that Lisa wasn't just bright, and responsible - she was also gifted, in the physical sense.

I'm not sure what the 'perfect' woman looks like. Two years ago, I would have said that it was Holly. A year later, my vote would have gone to Aarti. But now...?

The age difference no longer bothered me. I'd seen and spoken to Anna - apparently it didn't bother her in the least that her daughter had spent the night with me. I just couldn't get over how happy I was whenever Lisa was with me.

She cuddled with me again, but then began fidgeting.

- "Can I use your washroom?" she said.

- "Please - you don't have to ask."

I went to the basement, to check on my devoted guard dog. Freya was asleep, but twitching a bit; she was probably herding sheep in her dreams. I got a glass of water from the kitchen, and took it back to the bedroom.

Lisa was just coming back from what had once been the master bedroom. She sat down next to me on the bed, and I passed her the glass of water. She took a sip.

- "You haven't used that room in years, have you?" she said.

- "Not really." I said. I had forgotten: Lisa was the first woman I'd been with since Connie died who'd actually known my wife. "The memories are... still too strong."

- "Have you considered... renovating?"

- "Ahh..."

- "Dan, you aren't using a significant chunk of space on the main floor of your house. I understand the power of memories, but..."

- "I'm not... comfortable in there."

- "I understand. But what if it was a den? Or an office?"

- "I don't think so."

- "That's why I'm suggesting a reno. But it has to be something you can deal with."

I smiled. There was no way that I wanted to spend time in the room where my wife had died. I certainly wasn't going to sleep there, but I also couldn't picture using that space for any prolonged period of time.

Lisa and I got together again on Thursday night. I took her to a driving range, and let her swing a golf club. To my surprise, she made contact regularly, and smacked the ball.

- "Your hand-eye coordination is excellent." I said.

- "Thank you very much, Mr Pilgrim."

- "I'm not making fun of you. I just thought of you as a brainiac. I didn't realize that you had athletic skills, too."

Lisa waited until we were in my car, headed home.

- "Dan?"

- "Yes?"

- "I'm not fragile." she said. "When we make love, you can be a little more... forceful. I love that you've been so gentle with me - but I won't break."

I thought about that for a few moments. She was so forthright, so much more courageous than I'd ever been. I remembered what I was like at 22 - I could never have won a girl like Lisa. "Thank you." I said. "Thank you for telling me that."

In case I've been making it sound like Lisa was perfect - she wasn't. She slept with her mouth open.

Actually, my first opportunity to watch her sleeping, with her hair spilled across the pillow, was surprisingly moving for me. She was someone I'd known for a long time, but she wasn't the little girl across the street anymore. She was my lover, a bright, attractive woman in her own right, and wiser than me in many ways. I thought I knew her, but so much of what I was learning about her was brand new.

She was working part-time for the summer, but she wouldn't have to worry about money in September. Between scholarships, bursaries and grants, and the pay she'd be receiving as a teaching assistant, Lisa would be making about $15,000 over the next school year. For someone who wasn't paying for room and board, and without a car, that was pretty good.

She was getting ahead of her reading, but also leaving me plenty of time to deal with Mom and the upkeep of her house, yard and pool. Lisa and I came to an interesting arrangement.

I'd already given her a key to my house, for when she was looking after Freya. Lisa began using my house as her private reading library - sometimes when I was at work, or when I was at Mom's, and occasionally even when I was at home.

She brought a stack of books over, and left them in a pile next to my armchair, where she could curl up with a cup of tea.

- "I like being in your house." she said. "I think it's a holdover from when I was younger, when I used to dream that you would invite me over. Now, though... it's more of a quiet place. A sanctuary. Freya's here, happy to see me. And there's always the possibility that you'll come home early..."

That happened a few times. On the first occasion, I took her straight to bed. On the second, though, I asked her to stay for dinner, and a late swim. The summer nights were quite hot and humid. We barbecued, walked Freya together, and then slipped into the pool.

Lisa looked very good in her modest bikini. She was a very good swimmer, and I enjoyed watching her move smoothly through the water. I'd converted to salt water years ago, so we didn't get irritated eyes from the chlorine. The salt was also much better for our skins. But I liked to take a quick shower afterwards.

That's when I got further proof that Lisa wasn't very inhibited. She left the bathroom door wide open, so that I could come in. When she exited the shower, she used the towel to dry off, rather than to cover her nakedness.

- "You're not shy at all, are you?" She had a healthy attitude, I thought, compared to my lingering feelings that certain body parts were 'dirty'. Thanks again, Mom and Dad.

- "It is what it is." she said. "You've seen it all already. Or you will, soon enough."

I'm not sure if I initiated it - in fact, it's much more likely that she seduced me - but we ended up making love in the bathroom. I knelt on the shower mat so that I could eat her pussy, and then lifted her onto the counter next to the sink so that I could enter her.

It was something I'd never done before. Mindful of her request to not be too gentle, I was thrusting into her with considerable speed and force. That also meant slamming my testicles into the edge of the counter. Two of those collisions were more than enough: I brought Lisa back to the floor, turned her around, and fucked her from behind. Both of us were able to enjoy the view in the bathroom mirror.

She stayed over that night, too. I felt like the luckiest man in the world.

The next day, when I got home from work, she wasn't there. Yes, I was disappointed. She was wise enough to give me space - but that wasn't always what I wanted.

I took the dog for a walk, and then wondered what to do with myself. Curiosity got the better of me. I saw that Lisa's stack of books had grown a bit taller. I went over to examine the titles.

Interpersonal deviance. Totalitarianism. The Vorkosigan Saga. That didn't sound like a psych textbook. It wasn't; it was a novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. Had that one snuck in by accident?

A closer look told me that it wasn't. Lisa had one or two books on psychology or sociology, separated by novels. Bujold. N.K. Jemisin. John Irving. And at the very bottom of the pile, a collection of short stories by Vladimir Nabokov. The name rang a bell, but I couldn't remember why.

The next time Lisa and I went out, I asked her about her books.

- "Bujold?"

Lisa blushed a little. "I can't read one psychology book after another. So I slip some lighter reading in-between the heavier stuff."

- "A reward? Or an incentive?"

- "Both - definitely. But you know, I've learned a lot about psychology and sociology from novelists. Just because they're novelists doesn't mean that they don't know anything."

- "I think the only name I recognized was John Irving."

- "Oh, yeah. Garp, Owen Meany. You can read them, if you want. My books, I mean."

It was my turn to blush. "I... I can't remember the last book I read, before 'Stranger in a Strange Land'." My life had been such a shit show for so long, I'd lost the habit of reading - if I'd ever had it in the first place.

Lisa was quick to understand why I was uncomfortable. "I'm sorry." she said. "That was foolish of me. When would you ever have enough time to read?"

- "I should, though. I think that I used to enjoy it."

- "You're welcome to any of my books. Whenever. We could even read together, if you want. Before bed. Or in bed."

- "Reward? Or incentive?"

She laughed. "Let's try it. I'll keep fighting this book, while you start something. Half an hour? An hour?"

- "Half an hour." I growled.

I looked at her books again. Short stories made sense. Quicker than a novel.

"Why do I know this name?" I asked, holding up the Nabokov book.

- "Lolita?" said Lisa.

- "Oh." I blushed again. Great: a book about an older guy perving on younger women. Or was it underage women? Damn it. If I replaced the book now, I'd look guilty.

- "Lolita wasn't that good." she said. "I was disappointed, really. But he's considered a great writer, and a friend convinced me to give him another try."

Okay. Half an hour. I could manage that. I cracked open the book. I'm not sure why, but it fell open at the beginning of a story called 'A Nursery Tale'. Fine - that didn't sound too creepy.

There were some notes before the story. It was published in Russian in 1926, in English in 1975. Quite a gap. I started reading.

Erwin was a nerdy loser, too shy to speak to a real woman. But he sat on the streetcar and checked out the girls. He liked to add them to his imaginary 'harem'. Then he met a middle-aged woman, Frau Monde, who told him that he could have all of the women he could collect in the space of a single day.

- "You okay, Dan?" asked Lisa. "You look a bit... flushed."

I had stopped breathing. My mouth was dry. I had to lick my lips to get some saliva flowing. I started coughing.

- "N-no." I said. "I'm fine."

Holy Fuck! Frau Monde? Or Tansa? I had to read more.

Erwin's bargain is simple. Frau Monde is the Devil. He can 'tag' as many women as he wants - provided their number is uneven.              If it's an even number, Erwin owes the Devil his soul. Like an idiot - like me - he agrees.

He sees girls on the streets, and picks them. Girls on the streetcar, ditto. One girl much too young - ouch! The day draws on, and Erwin starts to think that he's wasting this opportunity, while simultaneously regretting that he's chosen a few women that aren't all that great. It gets late, and Erwin realizes that he's on an even number.

But now he can't find a decent choice to finish on. Then he sees a beautiful shape, from behind. A body to die for. He follows her, but has trouble catching up. Finally he does - and... it's Frau Monde herself. The Devil. The clock strikes 12.

I was sweating. This story wasn't a coincidence: it was a freaking omen. I had to get up and go for a glass of water.

- "All done?" said Lisa.

- "Um... yeah."

- "Oh. Doesn't look like you enjoyed it."

- "It was... weird."

- "Couldn't have been weirder than this." she said, holding up 'Interpersonal Deviance'.

- "Ha - maybe not."

- "Tell me about it?"

I tried. Maybe I tried too hard to stay away from the central idea - a deal with the devil. Lisa chose to believe that it was the underage girl who made me uncomfortable.

"I don't worry about our ages, Dan."

- "I haven't thought about that for some time. I'm... I'm really happy with you, Leece." It was her childhood nickname, bestowed on her by her parents. I'm not sure why I used it then.

She grinned. It obviously resonated with her, in a positive way. We got away from Nabokov, and I forgot my Twilight Zone moment. I took Lisa to bed, and made love to her well past midnight.

***

Coming into town on the 17th. Can stay for the weekend if it's convenient - maybe at your place? Looking forward to it already....

The message was signed: Holly.

I thought about my answer before I composed it.

I'd love to see you. I can do dinner, but I'm not sure if staying at my place is a good idea, because I've been seeing someone exclusively. I can pick you up at the airport, though, or anything else you need.

I told Lisa about it, even before Holly could reply to my email.

- "She was the tall redhead, right? She's very pretty. How did you meet?"

- "We worked together. And you're even prettier."

Dinner sounds nice. I won't need a ride, but thanks for offering. Sorry I presumed... you know. I should have known that you'd be with someone. But I'll look forward to catching up over dinner. I'll send you a text when I land.

There are coincidences, and there are weird coincidences. Two nights before I was due to meet Holly for dinner, Lisa took me to see a local cover band. And who did we run into?

- "Dan?"

- "Monica! Hi!"

She hugged me before I could say anything else, and held on just a little too long. The moment she let me go, I immediately introduced Lisa as my girlfriend. Lisa said hello, and extended her hand. They shook hands, briefly, and I didn't miss the 'sizing her up' look that they gave each other.

Monica then introduced her date, a hulking bodybuilder with surfer looks and dyed hair. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear that his name was Tank, or Colt, but it turned out to be Chad. Predictably enough, he tried to crush my fingers. Then he held on to Lisa's hand far too long, all the while blatantly checking her out.

- "So... long time no see." said Monica. "How have you been?"

- "Good. Very good. How are you?"

- "Pretty good, Dan. I still miss you, sometimes. But pretty good."

- "Wait." said Tank (Chad). "Is this the guy you were talking about?" He gave me a long second look. "Really? This is that guy?"

Monica ignored him. "Well, it was nice to see you. We should get to our table. Nice to meet you, Lisa. Maybe I'll run into you again sometime."

- "Enjoy the show." said Lisa.

I had no idea what to make of that. Monica still missed me? Still thought about me - enough to tell her current date (or boyfriend) about me? I had specifically invoked the broken heart clause in my agreement with Tansa for Monica. I didn't expect her to forget me completely, but she wasn't supposed to be pining for me, either.

It was also disappointing to see her with yet another Neanderthal. But that was something I couldn't control.

- "She's not quite over you, is she?" said Lisa.

- "I... I thought that she was. I haven't seen her since we... broke up."

- "Can't say much about her taste in men - other than you, of course."

Bless her heart. Lisa was curious; who wouldn't have been? But she left me space - and time - to tell her what I wanted to, when I wanted to. I kissed my beautiful girlfriend, and then told her about Monica (well, what I could tell, at least).

- "You stopped going to the fitness centre." said Lisa. "Is she the reason why?"

Perceptive. Beautiful. Patient. Responsible. Hard-working. Adventurous, and comfortable with her own body.

- "I'm such a lucky man." I said.

Lisa smiled, and took my hand.

***

Now, I've made it clear that I'm not religious. But somebody or something heard me say that I was lucky, and decided to fuck with me.

I met with Holly that Monday night, and had a nice meal with her. She wanted to know about Lisa. She also confessed that she'd been seeing a guy - though it was still at the casual stage. Odd. I felt as though she was looking for permission, or perhaps encouragement. I gave her my blessing. We parted with a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

On Wednesday night, Lisa and I had a quiet night in. We walked Freya earlier than usual, because of the dark purple clouds headed our way. The winds were picking up, too.

We both heard the first ominous crack of thunder. There was lightning, too, off in the distance. We watched it together, out my front window. Lisa had her arm around me, and I could feel her growing excitement. There's something primal about a powerful storm. It certainly struck a chord with her. She led me to the bedroom.

Lisa wanted to be taken doggy-style. I was giving it to her good and hard, and enjoying the view of her breasts swaying beneath her. Then there was another bright flash of lightning - much closer, followed by a shockingly loud rumble of thunder.

- "Wait!" she said. "Let me -" She pulled away, and then flipped onto her back. She drew me close, and I re-entered her from above.

We were a little too energetic: I was gradually fucking her over the edge of the bed. I tried to pull her back onto the mattress.

- "No - keep going." she urged.

The next flash of lightning was too close. The whole room lit up. And only a second later - the sonic boom of thunder. It was so loud that I felt the walls shaking.