I had been seeing Viktoria every night for over a week and I knew, I just knew. Okay, I know a week sounds like nothing. And if a friend had told me he knew a girl for a week and was serious, I would have scorned the idea and him or her too. But I knew this was different. And this knowing was a certainty that came from deep inside, a vibrant certainty that didn’t even allow for doubt.
We were eating at a little Italian place in North Beach. It had been a nice dinner, with a good wine and we had shared a decadent dessert. In all, just about a perfect evening. So I decided it was time to go for broke. “Viktoria, I’d like it if you moved in with me,” I said.
“Why?” she asked.
I sucked up all my courage and told her, “I think I have fallen in love with you.”
The next moments were excruciating. She didn’t say a thing and her face was completely inscrutable. I had no idea what she was thinking. Torture.
“Mike, are you serious?” She asked.
“Absolutely serious,” I said. “I think I’d like to get married,” I said.
Now she looked shocked. “Mike, I don’t know what to say.”
I smiled, “That’s easy. Say yes. Listen, I know it’s a big step. So we can try a two year contract, just until you graduate. Then if you change your mind it’s no big deal.”
Some Christians had tried to take over marriage and define it only in a Judeo-Christian way, between one man and one woman. Well, that backfired. They forgot San Francisco was about as liberal as it gets and that there were plenty of folks who knew history. When the experts started pointing out that 80% of all human civilizations hadn’t practiced one on one marriage and plural relationships were the norm in history, San Francisco’s reaction to the Fundamentalists was to go the opposite way. It took a couple years for public opinion to swing around but when it did, man, it went whole hog. They allowed any contract and any sort of marriage.
People started writing renewable term marriages which cut way down on the divorce rate. I even heard of two day marriages, December 31 to January 1, popular for tax filing and legal as hell. But the one year and two year contracts were the most popular. You don’t like it, don’t renew. We don’t even need to talk about some of the complex marriages. One of our partners was in a marriage with four women and six men. It is a great way to accumulate wealth and provide for kids, plus the guys only had to cut the grass once every six weeks and the women took turns on the baby watch.
I know that in the last century they had a thing called shacking up. People lived together like marriage but they didn’t have any of the benefits or rights of marriage. If one person got ill the other couldn’t even make care decisions. The person closest and most intimate was shut out. It was just crazy. That’s why term marriages became so popular. Oh sure, till death do us part was still an option and some romantic types did that. But everyone noticed that the divorce rate for those was over 50% where as term marriages had a divorce rate under 10%. It just made more sense.
It also kept people from taking their partner for granted. I mean, how often in those ‘till death do us part’ marriages, the first thing the woman does is cut off her long beautiful hair and gain 20 kilos? I can hear the hackles rising. Ladies, before you get pissed at me for telling the truth, remember. Men are the way they are because you females have trained all of our forefathers to be this way. Evolutionarily, women have been in charge of sex for fifty million years. Men are the way we are because your foremothers made us that way. I take no responsibility for being the product you women created, the modern man.
Viktoria looked at me and asked, “Are you serious?”
“I’m serious and I’m sure,” I said.
She sat back in her chair looking bemused. “I never expected this.” But she also looked pleased. That was a good sign. So I went for broke. I pulled out the little black box. I opened it and put it on the table right in front of her. The diamond sparkled. The lights in the restaurant were ideal for making that diamond glitter. Her eyes lit up. Her hand went towards the box, then drew back. She looked up at me. I smiled and nodded.
“Oh my God,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
“Just try it on,” I said deviously. Come on, what is the chance a girl is going to put on a great big rock sparkling like that and take it off. I knew I was half way home if she would just put it on her finger.
She looked at me again. Slowly, she took the ring from the box and held it. She looked up at me and smiled. “Are you really sure?”
I nodded, smiling now, knowing that was just the right question I would have wanted her to ask, because I was sure.
She slipped the ring on her finger. It was a little tight since I had to estimate. But once on, it shone with an inner fire as if it was picking up her own aura and flashing that for the world to see. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s just reflecting your beauty,” I said.
That’s when the tears came to her eyes, flashing just like the diamond. There was a big smile on her face. “Oh, Mike,” she said happily.
I swiped my card on the table reader, grabbed her hand, and hurried her out of there. All the way home we were giggling like love struck teenagers. Clothes littered the front room, hallway, and bedroom. Naked, we fell onto the bed and embraced, wanting to melt into each other. Our eyes locked and I could feel the love meet, energize, and flow back and forth, stronger and stronger until neither of us could resist it a moment longer.
Viktoria kissed me passionately. The kiss was hard and there was a sense of yearning. Then she pulled me to her, her thighs open to accept me. She was ready as my shaft found her hot and wet; in a single long thrust, I was buried in my love. Maybe our first time after such a promise should have been tender but there was too much passion between us for that. Viktoria screamed, “Yes,” as I bottomed out. Her hips met mine and her pussy pulsed around my shaft.
My ardor went over the top as I pulled back and slammed into Viktoria under me. She moaned in response, thrusting up her hips to meet mine. Again and again our hips slammed together, each urging the other on, to a higher and higher pitch of fervor. I was consumed in those moments of our lovemaking, making love, yes, creating love by the physical passion of each other and the physical surrender to each other, our corporal bodies somehow creating the non-corporeal emotion and flooding us with that creation.
Our breaths were becoming ragged and gasping as we ceaselessly moved together, cock into pussy, pussy thrusting up to engulf cock, bodies slamming together, mashing into clitoris, driving down and up, back and forth, in and out…
Like an explosion which can’t be contained, my balls erupted, spewing my seed into Viktoria. I cried out in release and pleasure. My cry was answered from Viktoria as my heated seed flooded her. Our motions slowed, then finally stopped, only the ragged breathing a testament to the furious sex of moments before.
Her pussy pulsed around my slowly shrinking shaft. I opened my eyes to see her face flushed and yet serene in some mysterious manner. When her eyes opened, they seemed focused off to eternity. Then they focused on me, “I love you.”
“I love you.”
Nothing more needed to be said out loud. The rest was felt deeply in our hearts.
It was a couple of weeks later when I finally told Stan. “I saw Viktoria again.”
“Where?” he asked.
“That next morning…” I started.
Stan interrupted, “Next morning? You stayed all night?”
“Yeah, I stayed all night,” I said testily.
“Amazing what the little blue pill will do,” he said smirking.
“One, I don’t need a blue pill. Two, it wasn’t just sex,” I said. He looked a bit skeptical. I continued with my story. “Anyway, when we were done snuggling, I told her I had to see her again. She said it was against the rules and she’d lose her fees and credits if she did. Then she whispered in my ear that she liked the Graduate. That’s a hang out bar next to campus. I went there every night till she showed up.”
“Oh Dude,” Stan said consolingly. “You got it bad.”
I continued, ignoring him, “When she found out I had been there every night she smiled big time.”
Stan laughed, “Yeah, you know how chicks love it when you are totally under their thumb and they know they have you, pussy whipped!”
I shrugged, “Anyway, I asked her out the next night. We went to a dinner and a play, some new play about the trouble in the Middle East,” I said.
He shook his head, “Trouble in the Middle East. How long has that been going on?”
“About six thousand years,” I said.
“You know what,” he said. “We should give them all guns, let them kill each other, and turn the desert back over to the goats.”
“A man of compassion,” I said. “As I was saying about Viktoria, we went back to my place and it was even better than the first night.” I paused then plunged on, “Stan, I think I’m in love.”
“You nuts?” he asked. “She’s a college girl. What are the senior partners going to say?”
“I think they are going to say that I am one lucky fucker, that’s what. Dude, she’s beautiful, smart, funny, and sexy as hell. Tell me one thing wrong with that,” I said letting my temper show a little.
“Okay, okay. We’ll see,” he said. “You’ve seen this girl for what a few dates and suddenly you are in love?” He saw my face and asked, “How many times?”
“I’ve been seeing her every night,” I said. “In fact, she moved in with me.”
Stan sat there with this really dumbfounded look on his face. I started to laugh. I couldn’t help it.
He turned red. “Dude, what the hell are you doing?” he asked. “You’re going to screw up your life for some little college girl?”
I shook my head. “I am not screwing up my life,” I said.
Stan fell back against his chair. “You are like going to be out of action. Man, she is not going to let you out to hound dog.”
I had to laugh. “I don’t want to go out chasing. I want to go home and find her there.” Stan looked stunned, his mouth fell open and he definitely had that look like I was nuts. “Close your mouth. It’s attracting flies,” I said. “One other thing. I’ve asked her to marry me.”
“Dude!” Stan practically screamed. “You can’t marry some teenybopper. What will the partners think? I’m telling you, you are going to make senior if you don’t screw up.”
“Hell yes I can. Screw them. Plus, she’s majoring in business. Stan, this girl is not only beautiful, but she’s smart. I think the partners will like her.”
It seems a little strange that the big promotions are announced at a cocktail party. I mean, 90% of the junior partners are going to be disappointed. There you are with your spouse or girl/boyfriend and you have to pretend to be happy. But that’s always been the way. At least the couple people who get booted get to wait until Monday morning and get it in the privacy of Maria’s office.
I had invited Viktoria to be my ‘date.’ And she was gorgeous. I could see the heads turn when we came in and the heads continued to turn as we walked around talking to folks. The men stared in open admiration. The women stared as well although I think envy more than admiration especially among the younger women.
Maria made her way over to us and I introduced Viktoria. They made small talk for a minute, then Viktoria mentioned she was majoring in business at the University. That peaked Maria’s interest. “Good,” she said. “We always need good minds here. When do you graduate?”
“In two years. That’s why Mike and I did a two year contract.”
Maria turned to me. “Contract?”
“Um, yes. Viktoria and I got married,” I said waiting for the hammer to fall.
“Well, Michael. I have underestimated you. Smart and good taste.” Maria turned to Viktoria, “The firm has an excellent benefits package. Make sure to have Mike tell you about them. And I’d love to have you come to the office sometime and learn about the firm. Maybe you could intern with us?”
“I’d like that,” Viktoria said. "I've heard nothing but good things about the company."
Smart girl, this Viktoria. I could tell Maria liked hearing that. Maria nodded, smiling at me then said to me, “You seem to be running into good luck these days.” She had a funny twinkle in her eye and I wondered exactly what was up. But it was obvious she liked Viktoria, so Stan had been dead wrong. Maybe Maria was a switch hitter.
I told Viktoria, “I think she likes you.”
“Maybe,” she answered. “Maybe she likes you.”
I was about to argue when Maria called for attention. “Okay folks. I know the junior partners are dreading, I mean, anticipating this moment so we might as well get it done.” The place went silent. “To be truthful, this year’s projects were, from top to bottom, the best I have ever seen. Every single one had some advocates among the partners. Most years, there are clearly projects that don’t measure up. This year, that didn’t happen. All were excellent.”
She took a theatrical sip from her wine before continuing, “But, yes, the big but, we can’t do them all. I won’t say that we eliminated the others. Better to say we deferred some of them until world conditions improve.”
I could see Stan’s shoulders slump.
Maria continued, “I imagine that many will be brought back next year or the year after. For this year, the partner’s have approved two projects for implementation. That also means we will invite the two managers to become senior partners to implement these projects for the firm. Mike, Chandra, please come forward.”
I couldn’t believe it. Stan had been right. I handed Viktoria my glass as she gave me a quick kiss and I headed up. The place was full of applause as Chandra and I joined Maria. She too was applauding. Chandra and I clasped a hand and held them up like boxing champs, and that is the way I felt. She was beaming just as I imagined I was.
Then the torrent broke as everyone came up to offer congratulations. Chandra and I were shaking hands like a politician at a rally. Stan actually looked happy for me. “Told you, dude.”
“I’d rather be lucky than good,” I replied.
The party broke up rather quickly back into small groups, talking and drinking. There was one difference. The junior partners formed their little groups and the senior partners theirs. But this night, Chandra and I were grabbed and included in the senior partner discussions. It was a bit disorienting to be truthful. I mean, Stan and I always hung out together at these affairs.
When the party broke up, I took Viktoria home, our home. What a weird and wonderful concept. I get to live with her. I get to wake up in the morning and see this beautiful breathtaking woman in my bed.
Monday morning, Chandra and I met with Maria. After the congratulations we got on with the nuts and bolts; the new office, the new title, the new responsibilities, and then the big one, the senior partnership capital contribution.
Oh man, did that one have a kicker. We knew it was coming, all the junior partners knew about the buy in, but I had no idea. For five years I would get my share of the income, including the tax liability, but a big chunk would go back to the other partners as my buy in contribution of capital. I quickly ran the numbers in my head and realized my take home would probably go down. I could see Chandra was as stunned as I.
So why do it? Simple, at the end of those five years was the reward. Three years as staff, seven years as junior, and five as ‘senior’ in name but not in money would buy me a real chunk of the wealth. If I worked thirty years that meant fifteen years making the big bucks. Those fifteen years would make the long hours and sacrifices all worthwhile.
Maria talked for a while on all the projects of the firm and how they were doing. We filled out a ton of paperwork. It was a whirl. I could see Chandra was as overwhelmed as I. Maria sat back at one point and said, “I know this is all a lot. Let’s relax and go have lunch, on me, or rather on the firm which means it’s on us.”
Chandra and I laughed, since as senior partners, everything anyone spent was on us and anything anyone made was also on us. It was a bit of a change to start thinking that way. Over lunch, Maria made it even more explicit. “Okay, guys. You have to start thinking differently. As juniors you were all intimidated by me. Now, I’m just another partner. We are all equals in that way. When you talk to another partner you are talking to a peer and they need to listen to you that way. We are in this together.”
Chandra and I looked at each other. I think we both knew what Maria was saying was true, intellectually, but it is rather different to think with it emotionally or in practice. I always knew that salary is almost always tied directly to responsibility, the greater the responsibility, the greater the compensation. Let’s face it, a burger flipper doesn’t have much responsibility but a brain surgeon is responsible for your life. The only place this isn’t true is entertainment: actors, ball players, singers, where irresponsible narcissists can make a ton of money and do.
At one point Chandra excused herself. Maria took the opportunity to ask about Viktoria. I said she was fine, then Maria floored me. “You should lock her up for more than two years,” she said.
“I have every intention to do just that. I’m thinking we should agree to at least until the kids turn eighteen,” I said.
“She’s pregnant?” Maria asked.
“Not yet,” I smiled.
Maria laughed with me. “You dog. Just like a man.”
“Sorry Maria, but if you had my gender bias, you’d feel the same way.”
She gave me an apprising look with a glint in her eye. “Why don’t you take the afternoon off and get started,” she said. “You wouldn’t get anything done today anyway with everyone coming by to congratulate you on the promotion.”
I was shocked, really shocked. My boss had just said take the afternoon off to get laid? “Are you serious?”
She nodded. Just them Chandra returned. The conversation went back to business. But several times I looked over at Maria and saw her giving me a little look, a mischievous look and I knew what she was thinking. I’ll be damned.
Who was I to argue with the boss? I called Viktoria on the way home and told her I was taking the afternoon off and I wanted her in bed, naked, and waiting for me. I didn’t tell her I took a neutralizing pill for my anti-sperm implant. What the heck. We could extend to an eighteen year contract for kids. Wow, eighteen years waking up with the most beautiful woman in the world. Things really were looking up.
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The next story is In Thoughts of You
Copyright Rod O'Steele © 2008, 2010, 2012