I'd like to thank my friend Annanova for taking on the huge task of editing for me. It's a move long overdue, as I've struggled with the chore of both writing and reviewing each chapter. I'm sure many of you might be saying 'What took you so long?', but I'm choosing the 'Better late than never' path. Thanks to my readers for your patience, and once again, thank you Annanova!
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Riding the elevator, I checked my reflection in the mirrored doors. It was distorted and vague, more of a shape than anything else. But I could see my outline and as I moved closer, I could sort of make out my face.
"God...that's just what I feel like," I said as I stared at the unrecognizable blob that was staring back at me.
In truth, I was a mess. I'd gotten back to my room a little after three in the morning and actually attempted to go to sleep. But I couldn't, tossing and turning most of the night as my brain flashed erotic images of Ann in a red wig through my mind. I kept replaying scenes of my night with 'Barbara', unable to shake them enough to fall asleep. And it didn't help that my cock had stayed hard as granite for what seemed like hours from the stimulation cream that Ann had rubbed all over it. Hell, my ass tingled all night because she'd put some in there as well.
But that was just part of the reason for my sudden bout with insomnia. A very, very small part, really. What kept me up all night was the thought that the love of my life was five floors below me in another hotel room, and I was sleeping alone. Ann had pretended to be Barbara to the very end of the evening, and any hope I had that she'd stop the fantasy and join me upstairs went out the window with the message I'd gotten from Heather when I returned to my room.
Heather said that Ann was 'traveling' through the night on her way to meet me for breakfast. It was Ann's subtle way of telling me that the role playing she'd done for me wasn't going to be over until the morning.
When I thought about it, I could come up with a couple of reasons why Ann had decided to keep us apart for the night. First, there was the way she approached our little sexual games. She played them out all the way, and stopping at the very end would have ruined what we'd done. Ann wanted the night to feel authentic, as much for herself as she did for me...and there was no way ending up in the same bed would have made that happen.
The other reason was the same one I was feeling at the moment...pure exhaustion. I was sure Ann had expended a ton of energy not only setting up our night, but also executing it. And that didn't even include the nine-hour drive just to get to the hotel. She had to be tired. In Ann's mind, if we had gone to bed together, she might have felt obligated to do something as a couple. I didn't feel that way...I would have been happy just to be with her. But...between the first reason, and the second, I could sort of understand the way things played out
That didn't mean I had to like it, though. Knowing Ann was so close, and yet to end up sleeping alone one more night...that was almost crushing. I missed her sexy body next to mine, her soft womanly curves pressing up against my muscled frame. I missed the smell of her skin, the perfume I'd come to lust over whenever I caught the slightest hint in the air. I missed the way Ann would moan softly when my hands would roam over her body during the night. I missed the sound of her cute snore whenever she was really tired.
So, I didn't really sleep at first. I laid there and tried to sleep, but it seemed like forever before I actually drifted off. And that only happened when I switched my mindset. As I lay in that bed, I kept looking at the business card she handed me, holding it up in front of my face as I stared at the ceiling. Reading the name on the card over and over again, I saw Ann...as Barbara. And Barbara was the one downstairs in room 117. That's the way Ann wanted it, and after all she had done to give me such an incredible night, I had no right to argue with how she wanted it to end.
The couple of hours of shut-eye that I'd managed were rudely interrupted by the wakeup call I'd sort of scheduled with Heather the night before. Sure, the voice of the young woman that was working the morning shift at the front desk was angelic, and it was enough to rouse me from my sleep in more ways than one...but it was the thought of Barbara transforming back into Ann that had me jumping out of my bed and bounding into the bathroom. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, the adrenaline running through my body as I took a quick shower and got myself ready.
Yet as I made my way towards the elevator, the euphoria I'd felt when first got up gave way to reality. I was tired, and I was little bit sore. I looked at the marks on my wrists, reminders of being tied to the bed for hours and used by Barbara. Other parts of my body were tender or hurt a little, although the pain was a good one, if that was possible. But the physical things I was feeling weren't the problem. I'd often woken up tired and sore after exerting a lot of energy the day or night before, although it was usually from some kind of sport instead of sex. What I was suddenly struggling with was more emotional.
I wasn't really sure why, but I felt a little nervous as I walked up to the little sign at the front of the restaurant, telling me to wait to be seated. Some of it was from fatigue...but the butterflies in my stomach were more than that. I was so excited to see Ann, and yet I wasn't sure what to say to her about the night before.
Before I could over-think things, a hostess came to the little podium and asked how many people were in my party. It struck me as odd, first in that I was the only one standing there, and second in that I didn't recognize her. I'd been staying at the hotel so long I was on a first name basis with a most of the staff. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't eaten in the restaurant before...I'd only ordered room service occasionally.
Looking at my watch, I said, "I'm supposed to meet my fiancée for breakfast. She said she'd be here by..."
"You must be, Neil," she said excitedly as she cut me off. "Right this way...Ann's waiting for you."
I was led through the restaurant, past groups of people already eating and several empty tables. As we turned a corner, I caught my first glimpse of Ann. She was sitting at a little corner table for two, sipping from a glass of water. Her long, curly brown hair was flowing over her shoulders and her dark eyes lit up as soon as she saw me. Standing up, she ran over to me, almost vaulting into my arms.
"UGH," I said as the pain hit me, my sore body reacting to Ann's tight hug.
"Are you okay?" she asked, a worried look on her face.
I had a choice to make. I could say something to the effect that Ann should know why I was wincing, because she kind of caused it. Or...I could continue to pretend that the woman I'd spent the previous night with was Barbara, a high-priced escort that Ann had hired to keep me company until she arrived.
In truth, I had a thousand questions I wanted to ask Ann about what we'd done. They came flooding into my head, from how she came up with the name 'Barbara', to where all the new toys came from. And then there were the 998 questions in between.
Yet as much as I wanted to learn all about what Ann had done and how she'd done it, I also had a feeling inside me when I looked into her yes. I sensed somehow that she wanted it left alone, at least for now. It was an instant reaction, but a strong one, so instead of starting a long question and answer session, I decided to go with my gut. She had done all of the things she'd done the night before for a reason; I wasn't going to be the one to spoil all of that now.
"I'm fine, Ann. I just didn't sleep very well last night...I was worried about you driving all night long to get here. I know you don't like driving at night."
"No...I don't," Ann smiled...and I could tell in that smile that she was thrilled I was continuing to pretend. "I probably shouldn't have...but I couldn't wait to be here. I'm so happy to be back in your arms again."
Ann gave me a long loving kiss that seemed to last a week. When she finally broke it off, she took a deep breath, sighed and sat down at the table, motioning for me to join her. Before we could really start to talk, our waitress was there. I looked at Ann, and she nodded, our thoughts once again aligning. Instead of dragging out process, we ordered our food right then. I was more tired than hungry anyway, so I didn't need to mull over a menu. I ordered an omelet and toast, and Ann smiled, saying she'd have the same. Oddly, we both avoided coffee, settling for orange juice instead.
"You don't want any coffee?" I asked, surprised.
"I could say the same thing to you," Ann said with a grin. "Actually, what I want... is to eat and then go to bed. It was a long night. I'm really tired."
"Me too," I said sincerely. The thought of going back to bed...with Ann, sounded very nice. And that had nothing to do with sex. I really was tired, and I knew I'd sleep better with Ann next to me.
We made small talk as we waited for the food to arrive. I could tell Ann was happy that I continued to pretend I'd spent the night before with Barbara instead of her. Besides, I'd already decided I wasn't going to broach that subject for a while...at least not on my own. Instead, I started out in an entirely different direction.
"So...everyone in California is okay?" I asked, wondering about the earthquake earlier in the week.
"Yeah...they seem to be. Physically, anyway. I think there are some that are still in shock, and there's a lot of emotional pain. It's taking Sonya forever to get to work now because the Bay Bridge is out. A couple of our friends are dealing with minor property damage, and that's an issue. But I talked to Aunt Helen and then I talked to Billie...and from what they told me, everyone I haven't talked to personally is apparently okay."
"What about Rose...how did you find out about her?"
"I called her myself. It took me a while to get through to her because she's in an area that was hit pretty hard. She's fine...but the store is a mess."
