The Secret App Ch. 02

My thanks to MormonJack for edits and crits.

Chapter Two

The earbuds and smartwatch arrived the next day, a Saturday delivery. She put them in and on, paired them, and soon Cara was talking to her. She'd awakened feeling good, without the hangover she'd expected, feeling energized. And thinking of Adam. She vaguely remembered dreams about him, erotic images that came and went. She kept thinking about him while she drank her morning coffee.

But then the energy became frustrating. "Maybe do some work," Cara suggested. "That planning report Deirdre gave you."

"I always keep my weekends to do what I want."

"You want to do well at this new job, don't you? And it will take your mind of you-know-who."

It was tough slogging at first, but when the earbuds arrived and she had Cara talking her through the tasks, offering suggestions, even making some charts for her, she plowed through the job in record time.

Cara suggested they celebrate with a little retail therapy. She directed Kylie to some new stores that had really nice items. "They're really nice. You have good taste," she said to Cara. "But I'm not sexy enough to wear them, and they're maybe too pricy."

"You're plenty sexy enough for that skirt," Cara answered. She meant a very short miniskirt she'd got Kylie to try on. "Give me access to your financial data. Hmm... oh dear, maxed out on that card. Ouch, that one too. Okay, Plan B will work." She redirected Kylie to other stores where she could get some less expensive items that would enhance the clothes she already had. Cara also convinced her to buy salad ingredients rather than stop at a local café. "That will save both money and calories," Cara explained, "although you're not fat at all. You're perfect. I think you're exactly Adam's type."

Sunday Cara woke her up early with gentle music and got her to restart the running program she'd paused when she'd got this job. Then they went over the report together, polishing it until was really amazing, maybe the best work Kylie had done so far at this company.

Deirdre was impressed when she read the report Monday. She had Kylie accompany her to a meeting to go over the plans, which were for expansion of a department on a new, top secret project. Deirdre wanted Kylie to explain some of the tables and graphs. "Don't worry," Cara said in her ear, "I'm here to help." That was good, because Cara had made the graphs and even did some calculations to back up the feasibility of the renovations needed. Though of course most of the work was Kylie's, as Cara pointed out.

It was a shock to see Adam at the meeting. Kylie hadn't known it was his department that was expanding. She was so glad she'd let Cara persuade her to work on the report over the weekend, and happy that she'd also listened to Cara regarding her work clothes. Today she was in a nice blouse over dress pants. She looked good. She had to stand up at the big screen, right in front of him. The pants were handy, though, because she could tuck her phone in the waistband with the camera out so Cara could see what was going on. Maybe that's what Cara had intended in advising her to wear pants. Cara was able to see the team's reactions as she explained the aspects of the plan, the seating arrangement, ergonomics, lighting, and air conditioning, and help Kylie anticipate their questions. The presentation went much more smoothly than she'd feared.

But then, "He's staring right at your you-know-what," Cara whispered in the bud.

Kylie almost tripped over her feet and her stumbling steps put her definitely-did-know-what right in front of him, inches from his face.

Cara chuckled in her ear. "You couldn't have planned it better, girl. Brilliant!" Later she showed Kylie her view of his face from the waist-high camera, a visage that could only be described as in awe. "It's like he's just seen an angel."

"No, he's-- he's--" but she couldn't deny his rapturous gaze.

"He's yours. Oh, incoming," Cara announced. Immediately a message sprang up on her phone: Wednesday, 7PM okay? I'll pick you up.

She trembled when she typed her reply: Sounds grate. But Cara fixed the typo.

# # #

Tuesday the opposite happened, just as embarrassing. She was called into Deirdre's office to go over some modifications to the plans when in walked Adam. Sitting at a chair in front of Deirdre's desk, her head was right at his crotch level. There was no way to avoid inspecting his bulge, which seemed quite prominent. To keep from staring at it she looked up at him. "Mantra," Cara said in her ear.

"I want--" she began, but stopped herself. She thought at first she'd managed to avoid embarrassment, but realized too late that, being so close to that bulge, the implication of what she wanted was obvious. She couldn't help blushing.

He noticed but, ever the gentleman, he saved her. "That skylight you mentioned at the meeting?" Her hand happened to be near where it might go on the site plan. "Right there? I like your thought." And so an unnecessary skylight got put in the ceiling.

And, Cara pointed out afterwards, a double entendre got put into their dialogue. "He knows what you want."

"But, but I don't," Kylie protested.

Cara didn't bother to answer.

# # #

Later that afternoon Cara did something that really made Kylie wonder. Kylie hadn't thought too much about what Cara was. She was an app. Kylie was used to apps, had used them since her childhood, had basically grown up with cartoon personalities and YouTube influencers. Cara was special, certainly, but...

Kylie was sent to Adam's office to deliver a legal document that he and Deirdre needed to sign. She was afraid another embarrassing moment might happen, but he was all business and she got to sit and admire him while he studied the doc. But then one of his people called him away and he stepped out for a few minutes.

"His phone," Cara said in her ear. Kylie saw his phone still on his desk, plugged into his charger. "Touch it."

"What? No!" Kylie whispered. Kylie was able to whisper in a very low voice that only Cara could hear. It worked when they were alone or people couldn't see her talking.

"Check his lock screen. What if he has a picture of his girlfriend on it?"

Kylie glanced through the translucent glass of his office partition. He was absorbed in a conversation. She quickly touched his phone, then pulled back. It lit up.

"Quick, let me see," Cara said, so she hovered her phone briefly over his display. "Good. Just some art."

Kylie sat back, relieved. She really didn't think he was that kind of guy, but Cara was right to check.

"Press these numbers." Cara recited a short sequence.

"What do you mean?"

"On his phone. The keypad. Go on."

"W-why?"

"I'll show you later. Trust me. There's no time to waste."

Kylie pressed the numbers on the keypad. His phone opened. "How did you--"

"Smudges. Hold me near it." She did as Cara asked. "Press 'Accept'."

"Cara--"

"Trust me. I'm helping you." Then after the press, "Okay. Good."

"Cara, what's going on? Cara?"

Cara wasn't responding. Her face in the phone was frozen.

Adam returned. "Sorry, complex issue." He studied the document for another minute and signed it. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow night with you," he said.

"I am too. Very much."

Their fingers touched when he handed back the papers. Seconds passed. She finally pulled away. His smile made her feel naked again. She was getting to like that, and wondered what would happen when he gave her that smile when she was naked. She shook her head as she left his office, wondering what was coming over her.

"You really turned him on," Cara said, finally responding on her way back to her cubicle.

"Where have you been? What was that all about?"

Cara ignored her questions. "Look." A graph appeared. "His smartwatch reads his pulse. He has an expensive, fancy one so I'm getting a lot of data. See how his pulse rate increased? What were you doing? You didn't kiss him in his office, did you?"

"No! Never!"

"Too bad. That would have been really hot. Well, whatever it was, it lit him up. Look, his heart rate is still up."

"How could you--"

"It's just a little app, to monitor his reactions to you. I found it on the Web. Caregivers use it to monitor their clients."

"That's-- that's--"

"That's what caregivers do. And you care about him. And I care about you."

# # #

That night Cara again coaxed Kylie to make her own dinner rather than just order in. "You're not eating right-- it's amazing how great your body is considering the crap you put in it-- and you're spending too much money on that crap food. I'll help." So again Cara led her through a recipe, a vegetable ratatouille that was quite good.

"And some day," Cara said, set up on her kitchen table as she ate, "maybe you'll invite Adam over and cook for him."

"No, please don't make me. I'll mess it up."

"Not with my help. You'll do great. You have talent. You're a natural with your body. You just need-- oh, Adam alert!"

Kylie was just finishing the ratatouille and was considering getting seconds. "What do you mean?"

"His heart rate is rising again."

Kylie's heart sank in response. "He's with another girl." She wanted to cry.

"Or maybe he's exercising. Let's see. Hmm. Ooh, ooh Kylie, you vamp!"

Kylie wasn't sure what a 'vamp' was. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. "I was right? Oh no!" She put her face in her hands. She wanted him so much! He was so perfect! She wanted to crawl in a hole and die, just die!

"Look."

She peaked through her fingers. "I don't-- what is that?"

"It's a reflection off his window. His TV. He put his phone down somewhere and that's what the camera is seeing. I'm trying to ID it. Give me a minute. But you know what's going on, don't you?"

It seemed to be a movie, dim and distorted. A figure seemed to be moving up and down. "He's, he's alone? Watching a movie?"

"Yes. Found the URL. Oh my yes. Want to see what he's watching?" Cara didn't wait for an answer. On Kylie's phone a video popped up. A blonde head of hair bobbing in a close up. Then the head lifted and Kylie saw what was going on.

"Oh! Oh!" Kylie covered her eyes back up, but it didn't help. The image was seared on her vision. The blonde was smiling, or trying to, with her lips wrapped around-- she shook her head. "He's, oh my God, he's watching porn!"

"Yeah, all guys do it, don't worry. But look at what he's watching."

"I can't!"

"Oops, he stopped. Now he's searching. Here comes another."

"Please, Cara, stop. I can't--"

"Just look, girl. This is what Adam wants. Look!"

Cara's forceful command made her open her eyes. It was another blonde, younger and better looking, the camera aimed at her from above. She smiled the broadest smile, with her eyes and her whole face, and then brought to her smiling mouth a long, long...

"Remember your mantra? We really hit the bull's eye on that one, didn't we?"

Kylie's mind swirled in a mix of horror and fascination. The woman in the video slid an erect penis, an actual penis, into her wide-open mouth and sucked on it like, like...

"It looks really delicious, doesn't it? Really nice cock."

"Cara. Such words!"

"You mean 'cock'? Girl, you're not fifteen anymore. You're a woman. You're her."

"No!"

"Kylie, my sweet child, look at her." The young woman had slid the penis out, shiny with her spit, and was smiling again up at the camera. Cara froze the scene at that frame. "Who does she look like, Kylie? Why did Adam choose this video? Out of thousands and thousands of porn videos-- and let me tell you, there's a lot on the Web-- he's watching this one right now. Why?"

"He likes, likes, b-b-blow--" She couldn't say it.

"Yes, of course. All guys love blow jobs. It's the nature of the beast. But why her? You know why, I can tell."

Kylie could see it now. "But, but she so much prettier than me."

"Not all. She doesn't have those cute dimples you have. And your gray eyes are much sexier."

"Her tits are bigger."

"They're fake. Yours are way nicer."

"I don't know."

"Don't worry. I'm here to help you."

"Help? With what?"

Cara's face replaced the video. She seemed a little older now. She just looked at Kylie, her arms crossed in front, like the big sister Kylie never had, smug and knowing.

"No! You said I didn't have to. The mantra, that was just, just--"

"Of course you don't have to. I would never force you. But he wants you, Adam wants you!" The image of the blonde flashed on the screen for an instant. "And you want Adam. It's all so perfect. Ah, here it comes."

"What? What's happening?"

The video resumed. The blonde was pumping and pumping. "Here it comes, the money shot."

"The money--?"

The video froze, then went away. "Interesting," Cara commented.

"What's happening?" Kylie stood and picked up the phone. "Why did you stop it? Did he-- Did he--?"

"No, I didn't stop it. He did. Look." The heart chart came on the screen, in real time. "He stopped himself. He didn't come."

"I thought guys, you know, did that."

"Yeah, guys do that. All the time. But not your guy, Kylie. Your guy stopped himself. Look how his heart rate is slowly ramping down. Not like an orgasm at all."

"He-- he didn't like me? I mean her, the girl in the video?"

"In a way, Kylie, you're right. He didn't like her." Cara's face moved in closer, overfilling the phone's display. "Because she wasn't you! This is great news. Adam is not like other guys. He's your guy."

"I don't see--" She was pacing around her small living/dining space, she was so full of nervous energy, holding up Cara as she walked back and forth.

"He's saving himself for you. He wants you, not some porn actress with fake tits. He wants you, Kylie. A substitute won't do."

"Me? But I don't--"

"You want to, right?"

"I've never--"

"Here. Let me try something. Only take a second." Cara's image froze for several seconds, then resumed. "That took too long. We need to upgrade your phone as soon as we get your finances healthy. But anyway..."

The porn video appeared again, the blonde performing the way she'd done before. But now something was different. Her face was a bit narrower, her hair not the brassy blonde, more golden, her eyes gray now. "Cara!"

"Cool, huh? I wasn't sure it would work but it's not bad."

It was her. Kylie saw herself in the video, doing the thing to the penis, felling it or whatever it was called.

"He's going to fall in love with you instantly. You've got him, girl!"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do. Just look." The piece of video was only four or five seconds long. Cara had it looping, so that Kylie saw herself sliding the penis in and out, each time doing something to the funny end part that made it jump. It was so embarrassing, especially because Cara, of course, had not forgotten Kylie's dimples, which seemed to twitch with each-- Kylie grimaced to think of it-- each suck. And to add to her shock she got wet right then, as if that word had done it to her.

"But-- but--" she had to think of a reason why she couldn't do it-- "I've never done it. I'll never be as good, as good as--" she waved toward the video loop.

"I'll teach you. I've been doing some research on the Web. That's what we'll do tonight. We'll practice so that when that day happens-- only if you want to, of course-- you'll be ready."

Kylie sagged and flopped back on her couch, defeated.

# # #

Kylie woke up the next morning energized, as she did every morning since... since she'd met Cara, she realized. Cara was really helping her. She was exercising, eating better, saving money... the list went on and was growing. She felt full of energy even though she'd stayed up late while Cara gave her a crash course in men and sex. And tonight she was going to meet Adam and--

She had to stop herself, in the middle of her morning shower, hot water flowing down her soapy body, because she'd just spontaneously thought, Tonight I'm giving Adam a blow job.

It wasn't just thinking the words. She felt it. Somewhere down inside her, her vision of herself had changed. She saw it as a color inside her, a very faint reddish almost-tone that turned almost faint bluish. Or maybe she'd been working towards a peak, had reached it, and now was cruising downhill into new territory. Her mind seemed at ease somehow, as if she'd been struggling in a race but now she could see the finish line. She'd been a young woman who didn't; now she was a young woman who did. She was on a journey, she was in a new land, with a new fate.

Yes, per Cara's suggestion, she'd told Adam in her mind that she wanted... well, what she knew he wanted her to want. Multiple times over. But she'd told herself throughout that she was just teasing. Even last night as she lay in bed. Cara had assembled a selection of demonstration videos of different ways to perform fellatio, and introduced the word 'fellatrix', that Kylie didn't think she'd heard before. No one had discussions like this in her small home town. Cara had even explained that Kylie's family name, Fellows, came from the same Sanskrit root (after explaining Sanskrit). As if her own name was telling her to do it. One helpful thing Cara did was to convert the fellatio scenes into simple animated cartoons. Otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing for Kylie to be a voyeur to such intimate relations.

"I'm not pushing you," Cara said, "but when the time comes you'll want to be ready."

Cara, that is, the phone, was in the bedroom this morning charging. Kylie began her makeup routine, greatly simplified for work, per Cara's recommendation. Kylie wondered what makeup she should put on for tonight with Adam. How would he like to see me while-- she stopped herself before asking the obvious question.

Kylie felt energized but disconnected. She seemed to sleepwalk through the day. Cara helped her to pay attention when her thoughts wandered, finishing her sentences in emails, guiding her to the correct meeting rooms and helping her take notes in the meetings. And her thoughts did wander. A dream memory came to her: she was kneeling, maybe in church and Adam was right in front of her, the preacher, and he was telling her to take him to heaven and he looked like Adam in the bible so she... she didn't know what she did, but she felt so good and Adam was so pleased.

They said Adam was at an offsite that day, which was fortunate. She didn't know what would happen if she saw him. When she saw him. Tonight. Again and again that word rose up in her mind, at the oddest moments. At a balloon bouquet tied to someone's desk, when she noticed a pair of round red balloons together sticking out. Tonight. In the cafeteria when she stared at her lunch, a hot dog that she'd inexplicably ordered. She never ate hot dogs. Adam tonight. In the front lobby when a large plant's thick branch seemed to half-sag in a familiar way, like the... cock... in one of Cara's instructional videos. Tonight.

A reply text from Deirdre told her yes, she could take off early. She didn't remember asking. Had Cara sent the request for her? On the way home Cara detoured her to that same cosmetics kiosk and soon she had three more lip colors in her purse.

She finally woke up-- that's how it seemed to her-- in her underwear in front of her full-length mirror getting ready for her second date with Adam. "Am I really going to do this?" she asked, looking herself over.

"Do you want to do it?" Cara asked in return. Cara of course knew what the question meant.