This
story is copyright ©1997,2000 by Adam Gunn. All rights reserved.
Comments are welcomed. Please email them to adamgunn@earthlink.net.
The story you are about to read is a fantasy.
All characters are fictional. However, if you do see Susan, please
tell her that I'd like a return match.
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Backgammon for Blood
by Adam Gunn
She was leaning on
the receptionist's desk, conferring with the other lass. Red
pumps, long legs that went all the way up, crimson skirt exposing
the knee, a gold chain masquerading as a belt around a slender
waist, tawny blouse pleasantly filled out and covered with a
scarlet vest, a ruby ring on her right hand but nothing save
a bracelet on the left, shoulder length brunette hair, cinnamon
eyes large enough to devour you, and a smile that would charm
Scrooge. Definitely nothing that would hurt the eyes.
"Hi!" she said, "You must be the guy on special
assignment. I'm Susan."
"Sure am," I wittily replied, "name's Kirby.
Phil Kirby." Oh, well, they can't all be winners. My new
boss then joined us. Susan, it seems, was one of my peers in
the group. After a few more pleasantries, she went her way, and
I was invited into the boss's office for coffee and a chat.
I was on temporary assignment to headquarters for the next
year. They needed help in rolling out a new product, and my skill
set matched the requirements - customer technical support with
a recent degree in marketing, which I was desperate to use. They
were bringing me down for the duration, giving me an apartment
and letting me commute on weekends to my wife and home about
three hours away. I was looking forward to the change of pace,
and felt sure that it would lead to a promotion when I went back
to the field. Personally, I also looked forward to a year away.
My wife and I, after years of marriage, had reached the blahs
and we both figured that this would give us a little break from
each other. My body was doing the forty-thing, getting a little
too heavy here and there, and this would give me a chance to
trim up. Of course, I had to put my life on hold back home, but
this was no big thing. My only child from a previous marriage
was a senior in high school who lived with her mother and didn't
much want to see her old man on weekends anyway. I resigned as
president of the backgammon club, and was on my way.
I began to immerse myself in the new role, and was contented.
My project was running on schedule and under budget. All of my
peers were agreeable people who liked to get together after work
every once in awhile, and Susan of the red outfits usually accompanied
us. After three months I was getting into shape (working out
at the corporate health center instead of eating ice cream every
night will do that,) and I really looked forward to the weekends.
If I hadn't developed any close friends in the new city, it wasn't
a big thing. There was only one thing missing in my life. . .
I'd been working with Susan on collateral for my project,
and had learned that she had a reputation as a person who always
did what she said she would, and made sure that commitments that
she received from others were kept. A real straight arrow; if
she told you that the sun was going to rise in the north, watch
for Santa to be digging a swimming pool, because all the ice
at the north pole was going to melt. The only real oddity that
I had observed about her was that she liked to wear red. Even
when her basic outfit was another color, she used red jewelry,
scarves or other accents. One day I stopped into her office,
and noticed a backgammon board on her bookshelf.
"You play?" I asked her.
"Only for blood," she retorted.
"I've played a little in my time. How much blood do you
want?"
"I'll start you out at a buck a game. You do know how
to use the doubling cube, don't you?"
"Is that the extra piece that I gave to my daughter to
use as a footstool in her dollhouse?"
We made plans to meet in the cafeteria the next day for lunch.
She was good, real good, and after an hour I figured I was lucky
to be down only three dollars. Over the next three weeks we played
at lunchtime two or three times a week. I enjoyed the companionship
and she seemed to enjoy our chatter over the sound of the stones
clinking. I discovered the salient facts; married once for a
few years a ways back, now single and happy about it; no children
and no desire for children; worked out at a health club three
times a week; the reason that she wore red was because she was
able to look sexy without being unprofessional; and the other
things you find out just by being around someone. However, she
never referred to Significant Others in her life; in fact, she
seemed to avoid the subject.
She also got my basic statistics - how I was 'happily' married
and enjoyed my weekends at home; my musical tastes (she said
she always liked the Beatles when her older brother played them
and was I REALLY old enough to remember when they played the
Ed Sullivan show;) the fact that I wasn't too lonely, and all
of that.
We were having a good time. During my first weekend after
the games started, I got out my old copies of Robertie and Jacoby
and brushed up on my backgammon. After three weeks, she was only
a few dollars up, and I felt I was holding my own. I considered
inviting her out after work, just for companionship, but I always
lost my nerve at the last minute.
Late on a Thursday afternoon one of the guys came in to my
office and said a bunch of folk were going up to a local bar
and restaurant for a few pops after work; was I in? "Sure,"
I replied. I finished up the remaining details of the day, and
when I got to the pub, most everybody was there. We started playing
darts, and somehow Susan became my partner. She insisted, of
course, that we get the red arrows, and I found out that backgammon
wasn't the only game she was proficient in. We wound up whipping
all comers, not necessarily due to my superb play. After awhile
the party started pooping out, and eventually, Susan and I were
the last ones standing.
"Dinner?" she asked.
"What's the food like here?"
"Passable. Let's get a table and order. I'm famished."
Sitting down, we ordered, and then got to talking over a couple
more drinks.
"What's it like to only have the weekends?" she
asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know. Nothing during the week and then you
go home. Do you and your wife act like teenagers, doing it in
the kitchen because you can't wait to get upstairs? Or do you
turn Jay on and get it on during the commercial?"
"Actually, it's great. We hadn't had that much interest
in it, but now when I get home it's pretty romantic, even if
we do the same old things. The weeks get a little long, but .
. .and besides, I like Letterman."
"Did you ever think about having an affair?"
"Always, I think about it. But I've never looked for
the opportunity, at least in this marriage. Now, I guess, I'm
too set in my ways. And, after all, at my age I can't imagine
any woman that I would want wanting me."
"Nonsense," she said, "You're a very sensitive
and attractive man. Any woman in her right mind would love to
see what you have to offer. . . . Don't you want to know about
me?" she said.
"As far as sex? I figure a hot number like you would
have a hundred guys. Or is the Age of Aids crimping your style?"
"You've got it. A single girl's got to be pretty careful
these days. I've always been the kind of girl to have one guy
at a time anyway. My last boyfriend got transferred to the coast
three weeks ago and that one's over, so now I'm back to being
celibate. I really need a safe date."
I was trying to figure out how I could offer humorously myself
as a stopgap as the blond waitress delivered our sandwiches,
breaking into our intimacy with a question about ketchup. The
spell was broken, and the conversation slipped into something
else. After dinner I escorted her to her car. She said, "You
know, you're a really nice guy," and then pecked me on the
cheek. Although I thought the attraction was starting to build
and was having fantasies about how the evening was going to turn
out, she slinked into her bucket seat and drove off.
On the weekend my wife was quite pleased as I was fantasizing
about Susan while taking care of her, and on Monday morning a
yellow stickie was posted to my phone. "Backgammon today.
I'm gonna have your ass!" I don't know what got into her,
but she played fantastically that afternoon. She won 6 games
straight, and gammoned me twice. As I got my wallet out to give
her the $8 I'd lost she queried, "Doing anything Wednesday
night?"
"Just the usual," I said, "frozen pot pie."
"Why don't you come over to my place and let me cook
up some pasta? Then we can play some backgammon."
"Sounds great. What can I bring?"
"How about a bottle of wine?"
"Red?"
"How did you guess?"
Wednesday came, and I was like a kid on a first date. I felt
silly. I knew that Susan and I were becoming good friends, but
she hadn't given me any indication that I was anything other
than a backgammon buddy. And she knew I was married. I told myself
to start acting my age. On the way over, I stopped into a liquor
store and couldn't decide between Zinfandel or Merlot. So I bought
both.
Susan greeted me with a brief hug. After she'd taken the wine
off my hands, I noticed that she hadn't changed from work. Red
skirt with a matching laced blouse. She was walking around in
her stockinged feet. "Sit down," she said, "and
I'll open the wine." Her condominium was elegant and decorated
in creams with magenta accents, with lots of artwork. Please,
Please Me was playing on the stereo. Some plaques were on the
wall, and a few trophies were on the mantle. She brought two
glasses of the Merlot she had uncorked and sat on the couch beside
me, crossing her legs. The short skirt allowed me to see a lot
of skin under the pantyhose.
Pointing to the mantle I asked, "Nice do-dads. Where
did you get them?"
"Oh here and there. The big one is for bad behavior,
and the one next to it is for good technique." I got up
and read the inscriptions. They celebrated her backgammon championships
of the Midwest city where she grew up, and two were runners-up
for the local backgammon club.
"You've been easy on me," I remarked.
"Tonight, I think you'll see just how rough I can be!"
I scorned at her in mock terror, and she continued, "Remember,
I always keep my word."
I helped Susan finish up the dinner, and we bumped into each
other a couple of times. As she passed me once, her bosom brushed
against my arm. Dinner was superb. Salad followed by pasta, with
conversation that bordered on the risqué. As we finished
eating, Susan opened up the second bottle of wine. Winking at
me, she said, "I'm glad we saved the Zinfandel for last.
It's much spicier. Why don't you go into the living room and
set up the board on the coffee table? I'll be in after I clear
the dishes." I set up the scarlet leather board with blood
and ivory stones I found on the glass table, and kicked my shoes
off to match Susan's style. She followed me in, sat down beside
me, and took my hand in hers.
"Do you mind if we raise the stakes?" she asked.
"What did you want to play for?"
"How about if we play strip backgammon? A nine game match.
For each game that you lose, a piece of clothing comes off. If
you lose the match, you go home. If I lose, I'll do anything
you'd like me to." Although I needed to take another sip
of wine to cover my shock, I quickly agreed.
"Seems like a fair match to me. You're better than I
am, though."
"You want a handicap? " she smiled. "No deal.
You'll just have to play the game of your life."
Before we began, Susan puttered around, dimming the lamps
and lighting two vermilion candelabra she brought from a table
in the hall and swapped the Beatles with light jazz. She reclined
on the floor, showing quite a bit of leg, and purred, "Let
the excitement begin." I slipped off the couch to squat
on the floor opposite her.
I got lucky in the
first game. 3-1 was my opening roll, and after a few moments,
I had her penned into her home court and hit one of her blots.
On her next roll, she got off the bar onto the three point, but
faced a five-point block. I put the cube on the table. She just
looked at it, stood up and slowly peeled her pantyhose off. While
her skirt was up, I was treated to a hint of her panties that
were, of course, red. She sat down again, exposing as much leg
as possible without giving me a good look at anything further
up. "Enjoy the show," she said, "this look-see
may be best you get."
She came out strong in the second game, built a slight advantage,
and offered me the cube. I thought hard about accepting it, and
finally picked it up and put it in my home. Susan immediately
rolled double fours, and put me on the bar. I got off, covering
the four spot in her home court, but Susan then rolled double
threes. I was lucky to get two men off the board before she closed
me out to win a double game. "I assume you're not wearing
an undershirt?" she asked. "Then, to make it fair,
take off your socks and belt." I still had my shirt, pants
and briefs, and could tell that she had panties and bra beneath
her skirt and blouse. As my socks joined her pantyhose, she remarked,
"Ooooh, long toes! Is there any truth to the rumor?"
"You'll have to win three more games to verify the fact,"
I replied, without showing much confidence that I could stop
her.
The next game started with Susan splitting a 5-2. I got fortunate,
and rolled double sixes. She then rolled a 3-1 and chose to build
her five point. I was lucky enough to roll a 4-3, putting her
on the bar. Soon thereafter, I had a five-point block with her
three stones still in my home court. I got so far ahead so quickly
that I never thought about offering her the cube. I put her on
the bar again, and had all the points in my home court covered
except for the one point, which contained the two stones which
she had never moved. I managed to get five men home before she
came off the bar, and a few rolls later she conceded the gammon.
"Well," she said, "You're going to get more
show than I had bargained on." I watched her slowly unbutton
her blouse to expose a red translucent bra. Her nipples were
large, and looked as taut as the obvious lump in my lap which
Susan could see through the coffee table. She then stood up,
unzipped her skirt and slipped it to the floor, demonstrating
just how long her legs really were.
"My, my," she said, looking down through the glass,
"I knew you were going to play hard, but I didn't realize
that you brought reinforcements." She sat back down, and
moved her foot up to rest it on my trousers a few inches below
my crotch. Her mound of Venus was protruding from her bikini
panties, little more than a g-string actually, and she was observing
with interest the sizable increase in the mass of my fly. "Now,
I guess I have to be both good and lucky."
I'd played enough with her to realize that no lead was safe.
The next game was clearly hers, and I scoffed at the cube when
she offered it. I could see her eyes light up when I pulled the
golf shirt over my head. "You've lost weight, haven't you?
You really look good!"
The next game was no better, and I was easily beat again.
As I stood up to unzip my fly and remove my trousers, Susan licked
her lips. "Oh, blue briefs!" she exclaimed. "And
just barely the right size, at least right now. I like a man
who's not afraid to wear color where it counts." I could
see that her panties were a little darker near the crotch, as
if they were moist.
Things were looking grim. I had to win two games against a
better player than I or go home frustrated, as I knew Susan would
be good to her word. I wondered, if I lost, if she would give
me a repeat match, or if this was my one and only chance.
The next game was tight. At the end, we both had all of our
stones in our home courts, except that I controlled the eight
point in her outer court, and she had two stones on my twelve
point. A slight advantage to her. On her roll, she got a 6-2
and had to move past my stones. She moved her other stone to
her eleven point. My chance had arrived. Yes! A 5-3. Hitting
her blot, I moved my stones. In her first attempt, she failed
to get off the bar. A 6-4 roll enabled me to move one stone onto
my six point, and the other into my outer court, leaving only
my 5 point open. But, as luck would have it, she rolled a 6-5,
and was past me before I knew it. It was all up to the dice now.
I had a slight advantage, and took it to game as neither of us
was able to roll doubles. When I removed my last stone from the
table, Susan softly moaned.
She got up, and came around to my side of the coffee table.
I could easily scent her womanhood, and her panties were quite
wet by now. My blue briefs were showing a small stain where my
cock was beginning to emit seminal fluid. She knelt down beside
me, took my face in her hands and kissed me deeply. She then
sat down on my lap and asked me to undo the clasp on her bra.
It buckled in the front, and as I put my fingers into her cleavage
I rubbed my wrists over her nipples, sending shudders through
both of us. As I unclasped the bra and slid it from her shoulders,
I was treated to the view of her perfect breasts; Susan wasn't
large, perhaps a 34B, but her teats were very firm with aureoles
the size of a silver dollar. Her nipples protruded nearly a half-inch.
She then turned
to me and began kissing me deeply while her hands were gently
stroking the back of my neck. Her mammaries were brushing against
my chest, and I began to stoke her back with one hand, and her
legs with the other. After awhile, she took the hand that was
on her legs and placed it on her breast. She lowered her head
to suck on my nipples, and moaned "pinch it." When
I squeezed her erect nipple, she groaned "that's so good."
She moved so I could easily kiss and suck her breasts. Her hands
were all over me, but she didn't touch my briefs or the prick
that was straining to be released. My hands, of course, were
roaming her body; her hair, her neck and back, the breast that
I wasn't suckling at the time, her feet and legs. I put my hand
on her thigh, and slowly brought it up; Susan spread her legs
a little further apart, welcoming my fingers to the honey pot.
But just as my fingers caressed her now dripping panties she
stopped and whispered, "Oh, I want you so much. But you
HAVE to win the final game." She gave me a last kiss, and
then rose and went back to her side of the coffee table. She
sat down cross-legged and asked, "The show is getting better
now, isn't it?"
The last game started slowly, with both of us building in
the outer courts. Susan was able to escape from my home while
my two stones stayed in after she was able to build a four-point
block around the bar. Although I was able to build up my inner
court, it was doing no good, as Susan pressed her advantage to
give her a six-point block with the extra stones on her two,
three and four points. On her next move, she rolled a 5-4 and
moved all her points into her home. I rolled a 6-2 and had to
move one of my stones out. My minimal back game was busted, and
now it seemed too late.
And then she rolled a 6-5. She had to take her first stone
off the board leaving a decision on what to do with the other
stone on that point. She looked at me and said, "I'd love
to leave you two blots. But then I KNOW you wouldn't respect
me in the morning." She moved her other stone to her one
point, and my stone onto the bar. Leaving the dice on the table,
she cupped her breasts with her hands and whispered, "Good
luck."
I knew that this would be my last chance. After she picked
her dice up, I rolled. One of the die immediately came up a 5,
but the other spun on it's curved edges, finally coming to rest
with a one showing. As I moved my hand to take my stone off the
bar onto her blot, she held it and kissed it, then said, "Keep
it up!" As her eyes were wandering, I didn't know if she
was speaking of my good luck or another attribute.
From then on, the game was clearly mine. As she failed to
quickly roll a number that would release her piece from the bar,
my stones easily raced around and then off the board. When my
last was released from the playing field, Susan still had six
stones remaining.
Susan poured the remaining wine from the bottle into our two
glasses, and then stood up. "Would you like me to remove
my panties," she said, "or would you like the honors?"
I climbed up from the floor and sat down on the couch behind
me. I told her I'd be happy if she made the presentation, and
motioned her to sit next to me. She rose in front of me, and
then slowly stripped her beautiful red lace undies from her body.
I could clearly see her light brown cunt hair, which had been
freshly shaven until just a small triangle remained, and the
protruding lips of her vagina between her thighs. Then she did
sit down, but on my lap, sideways.
Taking my hand, she guided it between her spread legs and
began to kiss and caress me. My hand found it's way to the dripping
snatch and began to rub her enlarged clitoris. My mouth found
her nipple, and I suckled. After a few moments, she moaned and
said, "Inside, please." Putting my middle finger into
her soaked snatch, I could feel how tight her cunt muscles were.
After just a few moments, I could feel the muscles retracting
even tighter, and then she began gasping for breath and moaning,
"Yes! Yes! Yes!'
Finally she relaxed, and taking my hand that had caused her
pleasure, she began sucking on my middle finger. After she had
thoroughly cleaned it, she climbed off my lap and knelt in front
of me. "If you want me to do anything, just let me know.
After all, you're the winner."
"You're doing just fine, so far." Then, beginning
at my neck, she sensually began licking my body in soft, short
strokes. Down both arms, sucking all of my fingers, and back
to my neck. Down my chest, lingering at both nipples and sucking
them until my cock was rock hard. Down to my belly button, which
got a special treatment from her tongue. She licked the top of
my briefs, barely avoiding contact with my love tool. Then onto
my right thigh and between my legs, licking to the very edge
of my underwear near the testicles, which she brushed with her
cheek. Then down my leg until she teasingly bit the soles of
my foot and sucking on my toes. A similar treatment for my other
leg and foot. Back up, and then she nibbled at my too-hard cock
through my briefs.
"You know," she said, "we really should play
one more game, so that I can take these off you legally."
After hearing my agonized moan, she giggled and began to strip
my briefs off. "Oh, good," she exclaimed, "I was
right. You really do have long toes!" Then she took my testicles
in one hand and began to lovingly lick and suck them. The other
hand rose to my cock, and gently caressed it. Occasionally, she
would lick my dick, hard, from my balls to the tip, leaving it
very moist, so that her hand would cause no friction. As she
progressed, she began to concentrate more on my shaft and less
on my balls. She licked all over the tip of my cock, and said,
"I do like circumcised men. It leaves that cute little notch
all the way around." Then she took the shaft into her mouth,
just a little at first, then more and more, all the while caressing
the underside with her tongue. I began to come, but didn't want
to shock my new lover. "It's all right," she said,
"I want you in my mouth." A few seconds later, I exploded,
and she greedily sucked every drop through spasm after spasm.
After I finished, she released my cock from her mouth, and grabbing
a Kleenex from a box on the side table wiped her mouth. "I'm
sorry," she said, "it was just too much to swallow.
I love the taste, though."
She reclined on the
couch, and encouraged me to cuddle her. "May I have a turn,
now?" she asked. I began to suckle at her lovely breasts,
and again rub her clitoris. She began to moan, and said, "Please.
Please eat me." I knelt between her legs, and was able to
rub her cunt with my chest while I caressed her arms and legs
with my hands and her tits with my tongue. It was driving her
nuts, I could tell. Finally, she called, "Please, I need
your mouth now!" I went down between her legs, and, for
the first time, tasted her sweet feminine juices. Slowly licking
both sides of her vaginal lips, I continued to playfully squeeze
her nipples with my hands. Gently, I began to insert my tongue
into her slot, which resulted in loud murmurs of approval. Finally,
I began sucking her large clitoris in earnest, while her moans
quickly became screams of joy as she orgasmed.
"Oh, that was wonderful," she said as she began
kissing my mouth, cheeks and chin, cleaning them thoroughly of
her cunt juice. She stood up, and I again was able to see just
how beautiful she was without clothes. She twirled, giving me
a wonderful view of her full arse, blew out the candles, picked
up her clothes and said, "follow me."
I did, roving down the hall until she turned into her bedroom
in which a small night-light burning. Placing our clothes on
a chaise in the corner and approaching the bed, she turned the
vermilion comforter down. I gazed upon her choice of bedclothes
- white with large red hearts. "I knew you were coming,"
she said, seeing my astonishment. "Climb in, I'll be back
in a few moments."
While she disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, I sprawled
in the bed and surveyed the erotic, but not graphic, artwork
on the walls. A print of Maxville Parish'es 'The Dinky Bird.'
An Erte of a exquisite half-exposed maid. An original oil of
a chap and dame embracing. An valuable replica of Michaelagelo's
David.
When she returned, she seemed to be glowing. As she climbed
into bed she said, "lie down." After I did, she straddled
on top of me, totally exposing herself to my view, and said,
"You now see the entire show. If you wish, however, there
are a few more acts to participate in. Do you want to continue?
If you do, I promise to be gentle." Experiencing a rising
atmosphere (which Susan in her present position was sure to be
aware of), I of course agreed.
Susan told me to roll over on my back, and then took out two
mink mitts, which she donned and then began to gently rub my
back, ass and legs. I'd heard about these things, but had never
experienced them. Finally, she took the gloves off and told me
to roll onto my side. After placing her cunt where I could easily
reach it with my mouth, she took my cock into hers. After ample
sucking by both of us, she released me and laid down on her side
beside me. "Are you ready," she asked between deep
kisses, "to become my lover?"
"Yes," I replied. She laid on her back and, while
I was still on my side, put both of her legs over my hip. Reaching
down between her legs, she guided my cock into her pussy. I'd
never tried that position, or ever had that much mastery during
the love act before. As she caressed my upper body I was able
to see, feel and touch her beautiful breasts completely while
our pelvic regions rocked together. Being able to seize the top
of the headboard gave me leverage to move in any method that
pleasured her. It was magical, and after ten minutes or so of
this wonderful love making, her vaginal muscles contracted, causing
us both to come together.
"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" she asked, after
we had come back to our senses.
"Oh, yes, I've never felt that way before."
"Good. That's one of my favorite positions. Will you
practice it with your wife before coming back to me next week?"
I was shocked. I hadn't thought of my wife that night, and
now I filled with guilt. Susan understood, and began to put me
at ease. "Don't be concerned. I knew that you were married
when I invited you here, and when I asked you to play backgammon
for such high stakes. I know that you love her, and are committed
to her. I just ask that when you have time for me that you will
visit with me, play some more backgammon and perhaps make love
to me, if you want to. Now sleep." We cuddled, and then
we both drifted into our dreams.
Through the night, we woke each other up twice, kissing and
fondling each other. Both times culminated in tremendous orgasms
for both of us.
After the alarm clock chimed noisily, I went home to shave
and shower. When I got to the office, it seemed to be business
as usual. Susan said, "Good morning," cheerfully, as
if nothing had happened. Later, I asked if she could play at
lunch, but she said she had an offsite meeting and couldn't.
I did overhear one of the admins asking her why she was so happy
that morning.
That night at my apartment, I got a call from Susan. She told
me how much she'd delighted in the previous evening, wished me
a good weekend, and said that she'd be happy to play backgammon
during lunch hours and on Wednesday evenings.
During the remainder of the year, I split my time between
my two women. I spent just one night a week with Susan; that
seemed to suffice for both of us. After dinner, we'd play strip
backgammon. Susan usually surprised me with some sort of new
undergarment and taught me erotic positions and activities I'd
either never thought of or had forgotten. The winner of the match
would direct the carnival until we both got so excited that we
forgot who was driving. The funny thing is, although I won my
share of games, I only won two more matches the entire time,
even when my mistress wore only lingerie or gave me some other
advantage. On the weekends my wife welcomed me home, and we'd
happily spend part of them practicing the new maneuvers I'd been
instructed in, along with a few that my wife thought of.
At the end of my assignment, the group gave me a going away
party on a Wednesday evening, and it was announced that I was
going to get that promotion after all. Susan gave me a very special
going away gift later that night. She took me to her home, and
led me down the hall to her boudoir. Under a canopy of red balloons
a wrapped gift rested on the bed. As I stripped the paper off,
I recognized her red backgammon board. "Something to remember
me by," she whispered, just before we played our final match.
Susan and I stayed
in contact for awhile, but about a year and a half later she
left the company and moved to another city. I misplaced her address,
and we haven't spoken to each other since.
One night, a few months after I returned, my wife took me
out to dinner at a very romantic club. Over desert she confided,
"Phil, we need to talk about something. Something that affects
our relationship, and that we need to get out on the table."
My first thought, of course, was that somehow Kathy knew about
Susan, and I prepared for the inevitable.
"Phil, I don't quite know how to put this gently, so
I'll just say it straight out: While you were gone, I had an
affair."
I was so relieved that I just said, "Good." My wife
was incredulous. Of course, I immediately confessed that I too
was guilty of indiscretions. My wife considered this for a moment.
"Is it over?" she asked.
"Yes, what about yours?"
"History!"
She told me some details about her promiscuity, and seemed
anxious to hear of my infidelities. After a week or so, we jointly
came to the conclusion that no real harm had been done, and we
continue to live with each other happily. Although we occasionally
have teased each other about other men or women, we have returned
to our monogamous state. All's well that ends well, I guess.
Oh, and the year after I returned home I won my backgammon
club's championship, a feat that had previously eluded me.
________________________________________________________________________
Once I asked Susan what would have happened if I hadn't rolled
that 5-1 in the ninth game. She looked up at me from what she
was doing with my lower regions, and said, "You know, I've
never lost one of those matches."
Somewhere out there is a tall brunette who wears red, plays
backgammon and needs just the right amount of love. If you meet
her, and she challenges you to a special match, I hope you play
well.
You'll have to.
I would very much enjoy
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