Ulysses and Penelope Ward

"Hello, Penelope," I said.

"Got a minute?" she said. I couldn't immediately come up with a reason not to let her talk, so I just shrugged.

"Been a long time," she said. I didn't say not long enough, but I wanted to.

"Yeah, I guess," I said.

"I want to apologize, Uly, for the way I did you back then. I mean when I left you. It was cruel and abrupt and totally wrong of me. I'd like to ask you to forgive me if that's all right," she said. I shrugged again.

"Yeah, sure. Forget it," I said. My tone, my voice, was flat, not conciliatory at all. She picked up on it.

"Uly, really, if I may; you need to get over me. I wasn't worth it then, and I'm not worth it now. Hell, you are well rid of me. If I had to to do over again, I would," she said.

"What over again, Penelope? You'd be nicer in destroying me? Is that what you'd do over?" I said.

"No, I wouldn't divorce you, Uly. That's what I meant, not just try to let you down easier, not at all," she said.

"Why, you and good 'ole back stabbing Herbert having problems?" I said.

"Herbert? He and I divorced two years ago. I guess you had no way of knowing," she said.

"No, I've just been working and trying to forget how you and him ruined me," I said. "So no, I never heard you and him had broken up." She was looking down and kinda nodding her understanding of my words.

"So you got a significant other by now, I'm sure," she said.

She was fishing; and I knew it, but I didn't care, so I told her. "No, still single-o. Hasn't been anybody since you. No dates, no partying, nothing. I don't need the heartache," I said.

"No one?" she said.

"No, but been too busy working anyway," I said.

"Yes, mister Siefert told me how well you were doing. I guess you're pretty far up the economic food chain," she said. I shrugged again.

"I guess," I said.

"You said no dates. You mean none in eight years?" she said. I just kept silent. No time to embarrass myself.

"She repeated herself, sort of. "Uly? You mean no . . .," she didn't finish.

"No interest in women or dating or any of it," I said. "Like I said, I've been too busy to fool with that stuff." She slumped back in her seat.

"Oh my God!

"Uly, could I ask you for a favor?" she said.

"You can ask," I said.

"Since Herbert and I broke up, well, there've been men, quite a few actually; I do have needs, but, none worth remembering. I was wondering, you know, I mean, well, if you'd . . ." she faded out.

"If I'd what?" I said.

"You know, like to go out with me sometime. Like maybe even while I'm here," she said. She'd stopped me. I'd made myself a promise to be strictly professional while she was around. No fraternizing.

"But—you dumped me, Pen. I mean why would you want to go out with me? A thousand guys out there—fulfilling your needs. What good could I possibly be to you? When you said that I didn't measure up . . ."

"Ulysses Ward! I never , never said anything like that to you," she said.

"No, you're right; I misspoke. You said it to Herbert a couple of days before you gave me the door," I said.

"As I recall, you said I was about useless in bed, that my dick was good for peeing and damn little else, that you had a hard time faking interest when we did do it. And, I wasn't much of a provider. That last one really hurt, I gotta tell yuh.

Kinda hard to imagine after all of that that you'd be interested in dating me," I said. Her face had gone pale.

"Uly? You were there?" she said.

"Yes. Across the hall. I'd had a toothache and had gone to the dentist. I came home early."

"Oh my God! No wonder you've refused to talk to me. Oh, my Uly, I am so sorry. I am so damn sorry," she said.

"Forget it. It was too long ago. But, to answer your question. No, I don't' think a date with you would be a good idea. I think that we need to keep things on a purely professional level. She looked stricken.

"Okay, Uly. I understand," she said.

"I doubt it," I said, "I sincerely doubt it."

"Well, damn you then, Uly. And, for the record, I do understand; well, I do now, and you saying different doesn't make what you say so," she said.

"Yeah, whatever, but you really don't have any idea how bad it's been for me, Penelope 'Morgan.' Not a clue. But, just so there'll be no big assed doubt in your mind.

"Since you destroyed me I've been unable to have any kind of relationship with any woman on a close or emotional level. I've had no sex, since you dumped me, not even a romantic kiss at Christmas time under the mistletoe. I have a couple of drinking buddies, but no one has ever been invited to my place for a barbecue or for anything else, nor have I been invited to anyone else's place.

"Are you getting the picture here, Penelope 'Morgan'?" I said, and that not at all kindly. "I died the day you ended us. It's just a technicality that I'm still breathing."

"Jesus! Uly, you're serious. I guess I didn't understand, but, maybe I do now.

"Uly, since you won't take me out. How about a compromise," she said.

A compromise?" I said. "What are you talking about?"

"Yes, you let me take you out," she said. I gave her a look that had to have shaken her, but then I had a thought. Why shouldn't I go out with her? Maybe I could get a piece of ass out of it. My first in years. I mean she was apparently a whore for a bus load of other guys. Why not me?

She must've been reading my mind. "If you pay for the drinks at dinner," she said, "I'll let you fuck me. Deal?" I nodded, but I didn't smile.

"Okay, deal," I said. She smiled. "We're at the Grissom Motor Lodge. How about seven. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Seven it is."

******

The day's meetings had gone well, and Mr. Hughs was feeling good enough to send the team home early. We'd do the post mortem later.

I was right on time. She looked happy that I was, and, she looked like a million bucks.

"You look good," I said.

"You too," she said.

"So, where are we going," I said. We were taking her rented Ford sedan. "Well, she was taking me out not the other way 'round.

"McDonald's," she said. "You know, Scottish cuisine." I snickered.

"Good, I like their chicken McNuggets. Can I get the ten count?" I said, deadpanning.

"Sure bet. No limits tonight," she said.

We pulled into the Saddle Back Lodge fifteen minutes later. She smiled. I frowned.

"I knew you were kidding about Mac's, but this place is going to set you back," I said. "And, the truth is I would have been okay with Mac's."

"Right, and the sun will rise in the west tomorrow," she said. "No, I chose this place because they have your favorite booze." I looked her askance.

"Rye?" I said.

"Yes," she said. Now, I did smile. Rye was hard to get except in the big town. It's the only whiskey I drank neat. Sometimes it seemed like nobody'd ever heard of it outside of the big city; and even then it was only me and Humphrey Bogart who ever ordered it. Anyway, I'd be getting' it tonight.

We were just in time to have to wait thirty minutes for a table, but there were seats at the bar; we commandeered two of them and ordered; well, she ordered.

"Rye neat and a white wine," she said. The guy nodded and went off to do her bidding.

Drinks in front of us, she made to engage us in light conversation. I kept playing back in my mind her words of the day before, that she had been divorced for the past two years from the asshole, and, that she would like to have back her decision to divorce me. Why was the big question. I asked.

We were still at the bar. "Pen, I'm not sure why we're even here tonight. You've apologized. I've said fine, to just forget it. But, you seem to want to talk more. You say I can have you tonight; and, the hairy assed truth is I sure do need it. But, I am more than sure that you don't need me for sex. You've made that plain enough before. So why?" I said.

Just then the waitress came and dragged us off to our table in the back; we took our drinks with us. We were plied with menus, given our waters, and the mandatory drink list. We studied the gastronomic literature, made our choices and waited to be noticed by the waitress once again. I could see Pen almost sigh with relief at the delay. I expect she felt the need for the time to get her thoughts arranged for effect, or, maybe maximum damage control.

The food came twin plates of prime rib. We ate. She lifted her glass. "A toast," she said, "to us." I looked her askance, but I raised my glass and we clinked.

"So?" I said.

"So?" she said.

"Why? Why did you dump me those many years ago?" I said. "I knew you had your new man, but why did you want him instead of me?"

She placed her hands on either side of her plate, looked down, looked up, and spoke. "I know, Uly, that you probably think you want to hear the reasons that I had then. But, if you will allow, they are and were even then actually all but utterly meaningless; and, if it matters an iota also untrue even then.

"So, if you press me, I will tell you; but, I really really would rather let sleeping dogs lie," she said, "and get on with trying to rebuild our—friendship—with each other. Whaddya say?"

"Pen, no. I need to know. And, I need the unadorned truth. Please, do not treat me like some little kid that needs coddling. The hurt has diminished over the years, and I think I can handle whatever it was now," I said. She sighed.

"Okay then

. I thought, well, I thought Herbert was a better lover than you. I hasten to add that as time went on I began to realize that the grass on the other side of the fence was not as green as I thought," she said.

"Why did you think he would be a better lover? The only way that could have come up was if you'd sampled him," I said.

"I had. A few times actually. His dick is king sized. He got me off almost every time he did me. You—well—you almost never did. Hence my erroneous belief," she said.

"Why erroneous. You just got done telling me he got you off regularly and me not at all. Sounds like he was a lot better than me. I mean isn't that just what you just got done saying," I said.

"Yes and no," she said. "If all a woman wanted was to cum, he was the man. If a woman wanted to feel completed, is the way I'd characterize it, he was almost totally valueless. In the cold afterglow of the act, he left me feeling empty, certainly not loved."

"Hmm," I said, meaning I didn't know what.

"You on the other hand always left me feeling completed, and loved, and safe, and trusted. I was untrustworthy of course, and I treated you like shit, and I do penance every single day of my life for that," she said.

"I would give my left tit to have you back again. And before you think it, if you haven't already, it's not at all because of your current wealth. I need you to hold me in your arms and kiss me and love me and make me feel safe again. All of those of course after you give me the really spirited spanking that I so richly deserve."

"Hmm," I said.

"One thing, Uly. Please start speaking in whole sentences. Please," she said, smiling.

"Uh—yes—okay. Whole sentences.

"The food is good tonight," I said.

"Ulllyyyy!"

"I don't know, Pen. I want you back. But, as you pointed out kinda indirectly, there's the little matter of trust. I couldn't bear getting screwed over or dumped again—or—cheated on. I need to be treated with respect and loved and all of that by a one man woman. You said you've been screwing the neighborhood until now.

"Let me ask you, did you cheat on Herbert?" I said. She looked down. She sighed again.

"Yes. Like I say, he wasn't you; so, after a while; I started looking for another you. Never found him, but I did look. So, yes, I did cheat on Herbert," she said. I nodded.

"Thank you for your honesty. May I ask you another question?" I said.

"Okay," she said.

"If we started, say, going together again, would you cheat on me?" She gave me a frustrated look.

"I don't think so," she said.

"But, you're not sure," I said. "Some handsome stud approaches you in the market and you let him do you, certain that I would never find out. Have I got it right?"

"I don't think so, but maybe," she said.

"Can't fault your honesty. I'm actually grateful to you for that," I said.

"Let me ask you one more question, okay?" I said. She nodded.

"If you did cheat on me, would you tell me?" I said.

"I think so. Yes," she said. "I would—yes. I will never hurt you again, or if I did I would do my level best to make it right by you." I nodded. "No lies, and that's for sure?"

"No lies," she affirmed.

The conversation went silent. Me trying to figure out what I should do, and her—probably—holding her breath to see what I would do.

I downed my drink. "Let's get out of here," I said.

******

I took her to my place; it took us four hours to get there—at 350 miles per hour. I'd been living in a rented Condo in Phoenix for the past year. I decided to impress her. We'd overnight it in Phoenix; I'd fuck her, and I'd show her one or two of our stores too.

"Jesus, Uly, you really are something else anymore aren't you," she said.

"It's a company plane. The pilot's my employee, as is the plane's mechanic," I said. I'd momentarily left her speechless. She took on a suspicious look.

"You gonna fuck me and dump me, Uly? I mean I know I deserve it, but . . ." she said.

"Dump you? How can I dump you when I don't possess you anymore. As for fucking you, well, I did buy the drinks," I said. She smirked.

She took a different tack. "Uly? "Do you want to possess me?" she said. Just then the pilot announced over the loudspeaker that we were coming in for a landing and that we should buckle up.

"Don't know Pen. I honestly don't know. The things you said about me . . ."

"I'm never going to live those down am I?" she said.

"You! How about me?" I said. She nodded.

"Yes. I guess that must be a hard thing for you. We need to talk some more about it, but tonight I need your—well—hard thing," she said.

I knew she was lying. She didn't actually need my hard thing. She was going to use it right enough, but need it or really want it? No, not real likely. I suppose the upside was that I was very likely going to get her "A" game. Money will get a guy almost anything. The more I thought about it the less I wanted to do her. She had an agenda; one I was not gonna be real happy about; I was sure of it.

I had gone pensive on her as we landed. She noticed. "Are we okay, Uly? I mean for today. You're looking kinda out of it."

"Actually, not sure," I said. Her turn to go pensive on me. I'd called my driver before we landed; he was waiting for us.

The drive over to the condo was a quiet one. I think she knew that a lot of nothing talk would be counterproductive.

Did I know what I was doing? Not really. I guessed I'd get my rocks off finally, but beyond that, no, I didn't know what I was going to do, or even thinking if it came to that.

******

She headed to the bathroom as soon as we'd doffed our coats. I made for the minibar and poured us a couple of drinks. I needed one even if she didn't.

She emerged from the ladies room naked except for her shoes and panties.

"Jesus!" I said. "You're fucking beautiful."

"Glad you think so stud. Tonight it's all for you. Anything you want.

"I need you, Uly. Believe it. Take me, and do a good job of it; and then, take me again. Okay?" I nodded, very slowly. I wasn't exactly mesmerized, but I sure as well was something. I'd figure out what later.

She came to me and my hand reached for her breast. I very gently massaged it. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her or upset her.

I let both of my arms slide up and down her sides. She seemed to be enjoying my attention. I let my hand cup her pussy through the material of her panties. She sucked a breath from the sensation.

I went to my knees and pulled her panties down and just stared at her beauty. I leaned in and kissed her slit. It was wonderful. She now went to her knees. We stared into each other's eyes.

She let herself slip to the floor. She spread her legs wide for me. I shucked my clothes very very fast. I even popped two buttons on my shirt in my hurry to get to her. She giggled.

"Do not be gentle, big guy. Just do me. Make the first one hard and fast. We'll take our time on the next go 'round." I followed her command. I drilled her like I'd never drilled any woman including her.

She squealed and began frothing at the mouth as I pounded into her. I managed to last maybe three minutes before I stiffened and unloaded a quart of spunk inside of her.

"That was pretty good for a first go," she said. "Let me see if I can encourage you for an encore. She did encourage me and a blow job that skilled only comes with a whole lot of practice; a fact, that in fact, made me realize that I was getting a mercy fuck all right, but one of superior quality.

She rolled over on her belly and spread for me once more. I would be taking her from behind. I poked at her and she helped me a little to gain a lodgement. Once inside of her I did the push-pull thing until I hit bottom and began screwing her slowly and deliberately. She mooed and began breathing irregularly. I felt her stiffen and try to push her butt up to meet my thrusts I could feel her squirting; she'd made it. I felt good about that.

She lay gasping, the both of us. We napped.

She awoke before me and got us something to eat from the frig. We'd go out a little later, but the tuna sandwiches were welcome.

We talked a little about nothing, but at one point she did bring up the companies negotiations. I became a little uncomfortable with that. We were on opposite sides of the table. But she let it go with a comment about how important the contract was to Wilcom. My only comment was to the effect that we were glad that they could do the job for us.

******

We had two days before we had to be back for the final sit down with my old company.

She and I used them to get to know each other again and to drain my seminal fluids totally dry which I damn well did. Penelope was at pains to make sure that I was happy.

She also made sure that I understood about her breakup with good 'ole Herbert—who `still worked where she did. She admitted that it was because he'd caught her cheating on him. One of the very few times by the way or so she said. Her candidness was welcome, but the fact was, she was still a cheater; and I had to think always would be.

Okay, with our history I was concerned that she would get the itch again if indeed we did go for the second time around. I think she sensed my concerns too, but it didn't come up during our two days together.

After flying back, I had my driver had the drop her at her hotel while I went back to mine. At her request we'd agreed to keep our two day liaison on the QT for the time being. She said that she didn't think that Brad would approve of her fucking someone from the other team while no final decisions had yet been made as to costs and schedules.

Wilcom was the only company in the region that had the resume to do the job we wanted. If we farmed out the job to others we'd have to have been dealing with at least three different subcontractors, always a problem. Mister Siefert wanted our business, in fact, I judged that he needed our business. Mister Hughs, our chief negotiator had been holding Wilcom's feet to the fire about start up dates and overrun costs and penalties.

I was shuffling papers in my office adjacent to the conference room when she stuck her head in.

"Hi, honey," she said. "Got a minute?" I looked up. She was dressed for business. Mister Siefert's number on aide. And yes, I caught the 'honey' she'd proffered me.

"Sure," I said. "But not much more than that."

"Mister Siefert asked if he could speak with you before the big sit down," she said. It was an odd request since we would be on opposite sides of the fence during the negotiations. And, odd especially since mister Hughs would be looking to me to make the actual decision as to whether the Wilcom proposal was acceptable. The difference so far in our respective positions was significant. But, I was pretty sure that Penelope was not trying to influence me to do something untoward in respect to my company. But, at any rate, I politely declined her request.