Unorthodox Therapy (29 page)

She drummed her nails on the armrest and muttered quietly, almost to herself,

“Just... this is all so much like a date. Frankly, Thomas, I'm not very good at dating.”

The fact she was nervous about our ‘date’ flattered me. I reached out to squeeze her thigh lightly.

“Then don't think of it as a date. If it would make you feel better, we won't hold hands, kiss or touch each other in public.”

Lina didn't look too thrilled with that idea. It increased the hope that my feelings weren't a one-way street. She stroked my hand and pressed it against her leg.

“It might be for the best, you little minx. You're so seductive I'd probably pull you into some bathroom stall. It would be fun but I want to enjoy your company.”

“It sounds like a plan. It's been too long since I went out with a man to spend time together. I must say I’ve missed it.”

“You overwork yourself.” I tried to convey my respect for her dedication. “I think you've earned the right to an afternoon of pure leisure every now and then.”

“Look who is talking.” She smiled with affection and ran her hand against my wrist briefly. “You're one of the hardest working developers I've ever employed. You were practically living in the office days before we launched the new cloud CMS.”

“It's simple, Lina.” The traffic light switched to green and we continued to Mission Bay. “You invested a lot in me. That isn't something many people in your position would have done. I want to make you proud of me.” She was staring at me with curiosity and a light, wicked smile. “Don't forget how much you mean to me even when I do things that seem excessive to you.”

“Mr. Jett, please, don't get mushy on me.”

“I stand corrected, Ms. Riley.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Let’s not make a habit of calling each other Mr. and Ms., okay? I feel like I’m in one of those God-awful Jane Austin novels Mom forced me to read when I was a teenager.”

“What?” She burst out laughing. “Come on, I happen to love them.”

“Ah, Lina...” I turned to wink at her for a brief moment. “I knew it. You are a girl, after all.”

“Oh, shut up.” She continued laughing and nudged me. “You’ve got no taste.”

“Someone is begging to be disciplined by my hand later.”

Twenty minutes of banter later, our initial tension had completely melted. When we got to her residential building’s parking lot, I spoke with some anxiety in my voice.

“I could wait here if you want me to.”

“Nonsense. There's no reason you should wait behind as if you’re my driver. I need to take a shower and who knows how long it will take me to find something casual to wear? Besides, I already saw your place. It’s only fair you see mine.”

She was making an effort to trust me. Now my previous anger at her seemed even more immature. What more could I want in that moment? Not only was she letting me inside her home but I would finally see her in something other than her usual business suits.

Either way, I was happy just being with her. Maybe that was the reason I didn't mind her mixed signals so much.

An hour later, the ocean breeze played with our hair as we sipped white wine at Mission Rock Resort. It was an unpretentious bar and grill with wooden tables laid out straight on the pier. The view was great and they offered a more than decent seafood selection. It was the right place to hang out while getting to know a new potential girlfriend.

Earlier, I had nearly frozen in horror when Lina suggested we have lunch in her favorite place. Given her usual style and class, I thought she’d insist we went to some snobbish gourmet restaurant with ridiculously small portions and even more extravagant prices. It would have been her elegant way of showing me that she was way out of my league.
Oh, snap out of it.

My fears evaporated as soon as Lina walked out of her bedroom. If we had run into each other on the street, I wouldn’t have recognized her. My prediction from last week was correct. She looked amazing in tight jeans, which accented her long, athletic legs and her ass, without making her look slutty. The light vest sweater, black leather jacket and tall matching boots gave her more of a rock chick vibe than I ever thought I'd see on her.

It was difficult to rein in my sexual urges around her, regardless of her outfit, but these clothes made her look like a younger, more liberated version of herself. The lack of makeup gave freshness to her face. If I didn’t know how her, I would have had a hard time believing she was older than me. Lina looked just like some of the girls who worked at the company.

It would be so easy to persuade myself she was really my girlfriend.

I had promised to keep it all light and friendly but the sight of this casual, relaxed Lina pulled at some invisible strings in my heart. I crossed the distance between us and pulled her into my embrace, kissing her lips with unrestrained passion. She responded in the same heated way and wrapped her arms around my neck, drawing me close to her soft body. I slid my hands to her butt and squeezed it while we kept kissing. When the lack of oxygen took its toll on us, I pulled away from her, panting and struggling to get some control back.

“I don’t think we can pretend to be just friends, Thomas.” She laughed in a light, carefree manner while I held her. “Let’s go now because I won’t resist you for too long and I’m starved. I need some good seafood and a good cup of white wine.”

I sighed and made an exaggerated sad expression.

“It’s a pity that whatever restaurant we’re going to won’t allow me to drink wine from a cup of my choice.” My fingers brushed against her pussy lips over the denim fabric. Lina blushed a little but the gleam in her eyes showed how intrigued she was.

“It would be seriously hot but not very family friendly.” She nibbled my neck and whispered, “Maybe some other time we can arrange for a slightly more intimate wine tasting?”

The mental image of drinking straight from her pussy had the potential to result in another painful hard on so I suggested that we left.

The famous quote attributed to Mark Twain said: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Whether he said it or not, it was a bit exaggerated in my opinion, but I was better attuned to cold weather than heat. The weather in August was a moody bitch so dressing in layers was the way to go. Clearly, Lina thought the same way.

By the time our food and drinks arrived, the day had gotten warm, as if to mirror the change in our relationship. The sunshine was more than all right for me but my charming companion complained she was too hot. Before I could come up with something witty to say, Lina had already taken off her sweater, leaving her in a black cami that barely contained her impressive bust. I almost choked on my shrimp.

“Close your mouth, Thomas. I thought you had gotten over that habit,” she reprimanded with a nonchalant wink and took another sip of her wine. “Can't a girl get comfortable? I was starting to sweat.”

Lina took a shrimp from her salad and put it between her lips. The sight of her heaving breasts was too distracting. I cleared my throat and took a solid, healthy gulp of wine before I could speak.

“Comfortable? I know you're kinky but I didn't think you’d enjoy stripping in public.” I pointed to her camisole. “What the hell is this supposed to be, some bad excuse for underwear?”

“Hey!” She kicked my foot under the table with laughter.
Oh, you're so going to get it later, sweetheart!
“I'm just ready for any kind of weather changes, like most people in the city in August. And why not enjoy a few rays of sunshine and the few moments when it actually feels like summer? Perhaps you should get your mind out of the gutter and stop staring at my tits. It’s not like you’re some virgin who has never seen a naked woman.”

“I'm pretty sure if you were naked you'd attract less attention.” I gave her a broad smile and brushed my foot against hers. “Besides, I'm not the only male around whose mind you just sent into the gutter. You just made several Christmas wishes come true.”

She stared at me with confusion at first. I used the moment to place my hand on hers in a territorial gesture. The four frat boys on the table next to us had been staring at Lina from the moment we took our seats, despite her oblivion, but the moment she took her sweater off, they lost any decorum and started openly salivating.

“Nine o'clock.” I squeezed her hand tighter and gave those assholes a look of superiority. My distracted date finally stole a glance at them and saw how they were ogling her without any shame. Another woman would have covered herself with a jacket. Lina chose to ignore them.

“What is with young people today?” She clearly hadn't heard my threat earlier. I squeezed her palm a bit tighter. Lina trembled a little and ran her fingers over mine, not trying to reject me.

“Lina, really, are we going down this road again? I warned you about the consequences if you start with the 'I'm too old' song again.” Hopefully, my dominant tone sounded convincing enough. It seemed to be working as I felt her tremors under my touch.

“Yes, yes, right, but those guys are just way too young to be interested in me. Are they even allowed to drink anything other than milk?” Lina pursed her lips and shook her head.

“I don't think any of them realizes your age, boss.” It felt natural to hold her hand in the warmth of the lazy afternoon, without taking my eyes off her. “Seriously, you look like a freshman college girl. Have you thought of changing your style? At this point in your career, you could work in shorts and flip-flops and no one would give a damn.”

Lina took some spicy fries and shook her head with a light smile.

“You overestimate my level, Thomas. Also, this is my signature style. It's a bit too late to change it. If I ever went to work wearing something other than a business suit I'd feel as if I were in my underwear.” She winked at me. “It's funny you mentioned college. I started with the whole businesswoman image during my first year at MIT. There were no other girls among my co-eds who came to classes in pencil skirts, blazers and high heels, with immaculate makeup. I've been mistaken for a professor more times than I care to remember.”

I moved my fingers to her wrist, enjoying the delicacy of her skin. It was good that she could open up to me without me having to restrain and hurt her. I had no intention of stopping our favorite medicine, though.

“It really is an odd choice,” I said. “You did that to stand out, didn't you?”

“Partly, yes.” Lina looked away and stared at the rows of boats lined up in the marina. “I wanted to create the impression I was a vain girl obsessed with her looks. In a way, I am.” She hurried to add, “I mean, I know I'm beautiful. That’s not much of an accomplishment. Plenty of women are. However, I don't want to give up on my femininity to succeed in a man's world. Besides, the underestimated one always has the upper hand. Once they realized I was just as smart as they were, the impact was doubled. I love defying people's expectations.”

It didn't surprise me that was one of her approaches to get ahead in life. I caressed her hand in a more tender and comforting manner.

“Have you always been such a rebel?” Hopefully, she wouldn't take my affectionate smile as condescending.

Lina frowned and tried to pull her hand away but I wouldn't let her escape so easily. She didn't protest when I tangled my fingers with hers.

“Are you trying to analyze me, Thomas? I thought this was meant to be a fun afternoon.”

“I want to understand you better, Lina. I don't want you to be defensive around me or think I'm trying to humiliate you.” My voice was low, almost a whisper. It might have been a bad idea to talk about intimate matters in a public place but the moment was way too perfect. “You've always been intriguing to me, such a walking contradiction.”

“How so?”

“For starters, you're an introvert who has chosen the role of leader.”

“What?” Lina pulled away from me, much to my regret. She raised her hands over her head and gazed at me with bewilderment and some fear. “What makes you think I'm an introvert? That is even more ridiculous than claiming I'm submissive.”

Damn, for such a highly intelligent woman she suffered from some delusions about herself.

“Don't take it the wrong way, Lina. I don't mean you're an anti-social freak or even shy. That’s a common misconception, just like the assumption submissive women are weak puppets.”

This conversation had the potential to backfire but I wasn't going to back down. Who knew when we'd have another chance for an honest conversation? I just had to pick my words carefully.

“I'm an introvert myself, not that that's a surprise. You're capable and you show an enviable confidence. You know how to inspire your employees. Your negotiation skills are remarkable and you play the part of a people person to perfection, but there comes a point when you simply need to have some time away, doesn’t there? To recharge your batteries, to get your strength back? What I'm trying to say is...” I smiled at her in reassurance. “I understand your need for a safe harbor and I often experience it myself. I admire you even more now because I know how much effort it takes.”

Lina didn't say anything for a long time. She stared at the boats with the same unreadable expression she’d had on the day of our first meeting. For a moment, I was afraid I had said too much.

“The thing is...” Her voice was distant. “People always try to define me – who I am, what I'm entitled to do and what not.”