The Voice in the Dark Ch. 02

"Yeah, I think Jess is right. I mean, Dan and I didn't become exclusive for months before we agreed to give it a try, and I have never regretted it. You get the best of both worlds, ya know." Gloria gives Lucy a cheeky wink, but she doesn't return it, and instead goes on sipping her drink.

I am about to ask if we can call it a night, when Lucy suddenly says, "The thing is, I think I may actually want to. And I know how weird that sounds coming from me, given the last serious relationship I had was in High School, and even then, we broke up after graduation."

I sigh, thinking about the last, and only, time that she ever showed me a picture of Adam. They looked like they were a wonderful couple, and I often wondered if somewhere deep inside her, she still wondered at the possibility of the two together. He had soft, brown eyes that sparkled with enthusiasm, and he had a boyish grin that shone out from the photo as he sported plaid shirts and jeans next to a teenage Lucy in her leather jacket, crop top and tight jeans that only teenagers could get away with. A very different person to the older, more mature Lucy sitting next to me now. She then put the picture back in the box and placed it back under her bed, never speaking of it again, not even to me.

"You know... I think that sometimes the right people come along at the wrong time," I said cautiously.

Lucy looked at me with pity and then said, "Then they are inevitably the wrong person, aren't they?" I nodded, not naive as to the grim realisation.

"I'm going to dance. You coming?" Gloria yells with a swish of her hips.

I shake my head, feeling danced out for the night, and carry on staring at Lucy whilst she keeps her eye on her phone. I am sensing there is more to her story than she wants to let on.

"Luce" I say, grateful for our quieter part of the club, "I can't stand to see you like this. You seemed so lively at the start, so frisky. What's changed?"

She finally looks up from her phone, and pulls me closer before she says: "My mom called. Sandra is going into rehab, finally. But she wants to come and visit."

Sandra is Lucy's younger sister, and her mother's favourite. Although Lucy played both sister and mother to her family after her father walked out, Lucy could never compete with the bond that her mother and Sandra inevitably formed. Yet, Sandra developed a bad addiction to heroin in her late teens, and Lucy's mum had tried for so long to get her help to no avail. With her mother unable to cope, Lucy was often left to pick up the pieces. With little to no warning to her mother, she eventually escaped from New Orleans to New York City.

"I didn't know how to say this in front of Gloria, but I think this may put strain between Ricardo and me. It's not that I don't want to try, it's just I can't be bringing this crap into a budding relationship when I already have commitment issues."

"Well, I can understand that, but surely the right man wouldn't see this as an obstacle?" I say with a twinge of hope in my voice.

Lucy kisses me on the forehead and strokes my hair, she opens her mouth to speak but is suddenly interrupted by Gloria whooping and moving along to the music. She moves her hair behind her ears and then reaches for her bag and jacket.

"I have to go now. It's getting towards 1:30 and Dan will be getting worried about me. You wanna grab a cab with me?" Gloria says, much to Lucy's relief. Lucy looks tired, and has lost all her enthusiasm and flirtatiousness from earlier. She clings to my hand as we make our way to the cab and is unusually quiet as we drive to Gloria's apartment.

I stare out at the dark night sky above the brightly lit streets and I can feel the cold chill of the window against my cheek. The alcohol in my blood is rushing through my system, but I feel far from tired, or loose limbed like a drunk woman would be. Instead, it's like my body is revving up to go, and my toes curl in my shoes as if in anticipation. I bite my lip and I look over at Lucy who is close to falling asleep, until her phone starts ringing.

It immediately makes her sit up straight and a smile spreads across her face as she quickly answers it. I don't pay attention to her words, but rather examine the way her eyes regain their shine and she starts twirling her fingers around her long red curls. Gloria gives me a knowing look as Lucy ends the call and we pull up outside Gloria's apartment building.

I step out of the cab as Gloria and Lucy hug in the backseat, giggling excitedly as Gloria slowly sets her high heels on the pavement. She straightens her thin jacket and makes her way over to me with her arms spread wide. We hug for a long time and she kisses the top of my head as I take the time to appreciate how much of a marvel she is.

"Call me tomorrow so we can talk more. Then I'll see you in the office bright and early on Monday."

She turns back towards the open cab door, "Good night, Lucy. See you again soon, hopefully. Enjoy yourself." She says suggestively wiggling her eyebrows, and Lucy gives her a wink.

"Good night Gloria. See you soon." Lucy then gives directions back to the apartment and we pull away from the curb as Gloria enters the lobby of her building.

We don't say much, but I can tell she's keen to get home. I am just sitting comfortably back in the comfy leather seat for the journey home, when a familiar sight catches my eye, and I bid the cab to stop, much to Lucy's surprise.

"I think I'm gonna go for a nightcap. Ya know, give you two some privacy." I say, with a sudden urgency.

"Where are you going? It's 1:30 in the morning. You know that it's dangerous for..." but when she sees where we have pulled up more clearly, she gives me a knowing look.

"Just go, I'll be fine. I'm not yet ready to go to bed," I say, handing her some dollar bills.

I know Lucy is protective, but her urgency to get back to the apartment tells me that Ricardo is meeting her there. She looks at me, then the cabbie, then at her phone. Not quite sure what to do.

"Call me, or text me as soon as you're coming home. I'll wait up as long as I can." Lucy says, and before she can go any further, I shut the door of the yellow cab and pat the roof, blowing my best friend a kiss as it disappears into the night.

The city that never sleeps is surprisingly quiet in this part of town, and as I enter The Laurel Leaf, the whole tone of the place is one nearing closing time. The purple chairs of the restaurant are tucked under the tables and the bar is dark with only a few stray customers nursing the last of their drinks. It has none of the excitement we enjoyed earlier in the evening.

As I go in, I am half expecting to be told to leave, but the barman smiles and winks at me as I sit on the barstool in front of him.

"What will it be, honey?" He asks as he wipes a freshly washed glass with a dish cloth.

"Do you have time to make me one of those lovely cocktails I had last Friday?" I ask hopefully.

"Why not? One for the road, right?" and I enjoy a happy few moments watching him expertly mix my cocktail of a deep mauve, in keeping with the rest of the colour scheme. His black shirt is plain, save for the tiny little hand-stitched logo on his breast pocket. His hands are strong and capable, and my mind wonders how they would feel moving slowly down towards my backside. I bite my lip.

The bar is a dark glossy slate, lit up by purple floor and ceiling lights. The glasses hang from an overhead rack, bouncing the light back and forth around the room. Bottles of every beverage you can think of are on the back shelves and the bar stools are of a soft velvet, so comfortable that you simply can't get out of them without feeling like you need just one more drink. It's comfortable and luxurious looking, but it still somehow manages not to go over the top.

I enjoy coming here but before last week, I had never been without Lucy, and found that the place was simply a bit of nice scenery in my adventures in the city. Luce and I would often just move on to somewhere else after enjoying a nice meal or a couple of drinks when she finished her shift, and Lucy would, quite sensibly, make a point of not going to the place she worked to get horribly drunk at the end of a busy day shift. Lucy almost never worked at night, and even then only until about 11:30 PM when she would drag herself home to sleep.

It is quite a different atmosphere to when Lucy is around, and although the bar closes at 3:00, it is more a place you come to end and begin the night than to celebrate the best of it.

I enjoy the familiar feeling of calm and relaxation as I settle into the cushioned bar stool, sipping the gorgeous tasting creation from a cocktail glass. I stir it with my straw and begin to scan the room as best I can from my vantage point, and see only three people at the bar either talking on their phones or staring blankly at the back wall of the bar, too far gone to make any rational decisions but not quite drunk enough to be carried out of the bar into a waiting cab.

My eye is suddenly caught by a figure sitting in a comfy armchair by the fireplace in the corner. His eyes are glued to a book, and he is holding a glass of something dark and strong in his hand, balancing it on his crossed knee. I take in his reading glasses, his white t-shirt and jeans combined with a grey bomber jacket.

He looks tired, and occasionally removes his glasses to rub his sleepy eyes before checking the nearby clock on the wall in front of him. My breath hitches as my eyes adjust to the soft light and automatically my teeth find my bottom lip. I cross and uncross my legs as pleasure sweeps along my nerves. I can feel my stomach swoop to the floor and I can't help but check my reflection in the mirror of the bar, making sure no hairs are out of place or any lipstick is on my teeth. Then before I can stop myself, I sip the last of my cocktail and my shoes pad across the floor with a gentle click.

I can feel the eyes of the barman on me as I walk towards my handsome stranger, and I find my hips swaying with a tiny bit more emphasis as the blue satin of my dress moves in the same direction. I smile as I walk and sweep my hair off my shoulder before approaching his table.

"Room for another?" I ask sweetly, hoping he isn't so tired and cranky that he'd turn me away.

He looks up, startled, and removes his glasses as if to get a clearer view. Then the corners of his mouth go up, his evident tiredness miraculously forgotten.

"Well hello there, Jessica. I didn't expect to see you here." His voice is still as sexy as the last time I heard it, but it lacks the same arrogance from before.

"I was passing through. I thought I'd have one more drink before calling it a night. I didn't think you'd be one for reading this late at night."

"I guess I needed a change of scenery. A book is a companion you should always have with you...but right at this moment, I would much rather have the company of such a stunningly beautiful woman."

He then reaches into the pocket of his grey jacket and puts his glasses back into their protective case before putting his book away, all the time eyeing me with those same chocolate brown eyes. I bite my lip and make the brave decision to sit opposite him in the other chair, facing him directly.

"I'd love to sit with you awhile. I wanted to thank you... for the drinks last week," I say, suppressing a slight giggle.

He gazes at me a fraction longer than I expected, then smiles a broad grin. It's not what I call reassuring, but I don't feel entirely threatened either. In fact, I find my body leaning towards him rather than away.

"Tell me," I begin boldly, "Why are you looking so tired right about now? You never really explained why you were stressed out last week, has that got something to do with it?"

I can see his jaw clench, and his eyes look down at the floor, but he swallows and regains his composure just as quickly. I know he isn't going to tell me, and that frustrates the hell out of me. I want to know.

"You know, I tell you things about me that I have never told a soul, and yet I know next to nothing about you. How is that fair?" I say, all too aware of how whiny I sound.

"Maybe some things aren't meant to be fair." He says calmly, refusing to rise to my goading. "Maybe you would instead prefer it if you were under my control."

I know this is a statement of fact, as he says this with more reassurance and confidence than I have seen since I ran into him again. I want to protest but I can't. I just don't have the strength to say any more.

He leans forward, crooking his finger at me, and instantly all my cockiness from before fades away. Even the fact that I am drunk pales in comparison to the power of his stare. I find that it's like swimming against a riptide when I try to look away or not listen to his voice. My body inches forward in the chair and goes somewhat limp.

"What have you been thinking about lately?" He asks.

I want to self-edit, and make sure I don't say too much, but it's completely useless and it all comes out in the wash.

"Many strange things have happened to me lately. And I don't know how to explain it, even to myself."

"Try to explain it to me, my sweet little Jess." His voice is like velvet and his hand wraps slowly and gently around my wrist, pulling me towards him. He brings my hand to his lips and he eases me into a standing position before tugging me down into his lap. His hands wrap around my waist, and he buries his nose and face in my hair. His arms then tighten around me, holding me close.

I am enjoying the unexpected intimacy and I find myself kissing the top of his head, and he makes no attempt to stop me. The scent of his dark hair and feel of his body makes him seem more real, more alive than in my fantasies.

"Oh Jess. I had no idea how much I needed to see you again tonight. I enjoyed last week but never expected to see you again, and yet here you are. You're like soothing balm for me right now. Would you listen to my voice?"

I am thrilled at being needed again, and I lean into him further as he keeps talking in that soothing, powerful voice.

"Tell me what you have been thinking about. What have you been experiencing that you can't explain?"

"I can't stop my body from feeling overwhelmed with lust at the thought of you. I can't go on subways without exposing myself or wondering where my sense of decorum has gone. I can't stop needing to hear your voice in my dreams... I even hear it when I wake up."

His hand slips under my dress, and I make no attempts to stop him. I know I should, and that he is in every sense a stranger to me, but the more I listen to him, the less I want to get up and leave. The more I fall under his spell, the deeper my need burns inside of me. But for what, I can't be entirely sure, all I know is that there's an itch that needs to be scratched.

"You can feel my hand stroking around your panties, can't you little one?" He says as I begin to squirm, caring nothing at all for who could hear me. I feel like a courtesan in the arms of a powerful Roman senator. His powerful body is all-encompassing, and my body releases all the tension I have been feeling as I submit to something that would otherwise have terrified me.

Here I was, sitting in a man's lap, his hands up my skirt, and him telling me to spill my most intimate secrets, and I didn't once think to run screaming from the place. I was in trouble.

"You know how easy it would be for me to fuck you. How helpless you would be for me as I brought you further under my power? You know you would willingly surrender your beautiful body to me, and your intriguing mind would just bend to my will so easily." His hand is in perfect synchronization with the tone of his voice as he cups the whole of my pussy, and I can't resist the urge to push myself against it. I want that delicious friction. I want to feel his fingers inside me, wet, primal and urgent.

"Smith, please. Let me cum. I need you. I need to hear your voice. I am done fighting it."

"Mmm... you know I love to see you fall helplessly under my spell. Tell me, that friend of yours... the one with the red hair. Do you think about what it would be like to fuck her?"

My eyes fly open momentarily, but they refocus as he looks deeper into my eyes, calming my breathing by stroking my back with his other hand and kissing my shoulder. He shushes me gently, and his knee lightly bounces, making my body move around in a rocking motion.

"I saw it in her eyes the moment we met. She cares about you, but she also desires you like crazy. I bet she loves to think about having her hands on you, her mouth, and her pussy grinding against yours. It makes her wet. Do you wish to fuck her?"

I lose my brain-to-mouth filter altogether at these words.

"Lucy and I are the best of friends, but I'd be lying to you if I said that I haven't desired her, or touched her. In fact, she and I fucked the other night with our favourite dildo. She made me cum on her makeshift cock whilst sucking on my nipples. And the time before that, she rode my face and tongue until she screamed out in pleasure."

Smith's reaction is priceless, and his eyes light up at this unexpected revelation.

"You dirty, dirty girl. Did you enjoy fucking her dildo while imagining that it was my cock inside you? Were you hearing my voice with her words? Did you want us both to bring you to climax?"

I gasp as his hand finally finds its way into my lacy panties, and finds my pussy to be soaking at the sound of his voice. I have never felt this aroused by a man, so needy, so desperate to be filled. And yet, I wonder how he knows this.

"I want to be your little play-thing. You know I would love to be your little slut. I want more than anything to please you," I say without any regard for my safety, or my sanity.

"That's right, Jess. Give into it. It's your nature to submit. You know you belong to me, and me alone. You understand?"

I nod, and my head lolls against his strong shoulder, trying not to make my moans so loud that the others hear me.

"No matter how many times Lucy, or even another man has your delectable body, you know you can't really enjoy it without thinking about my voice telling you to cum. You know your Master controls your pleasure."

"Yes.. Smith. I understand." I say in short, laboured breaths.

"Say it Jess... I need to hear it. Say you belong to me."

"I belong to you, Smith."

"Wrong answer, Jess: I belong to you, what?"

"I belong to you... Master." I say, after several attempts to regain control of my breathing. My chest is heavy, and my entire body feels like a reed in his hands. I know he could break me if he wanted to, but his nearness and his quietly powerful authority make me feel safer than I have been with any other man before him.

"Good Girl. That's right, fall deeper for me. You're mine."

And I remember very little after those words reach my ears, the world is once again surrounded by darkness.