The Girl in the Mirror

"Good...God...Marta."

She smiled, encouraged by his palpable excitement, and proceeded to slide her sweet, wet lips around his cock. The head slid across her rough palate, and she held it there for a moment, bobbing her head quickly before letting it move past into her throat. Joe let out a louder moan, reaching down to touch the side of her head. Marta hummed gently while allowing the shaft to slide just a bit back and forth, not enough to escape her mouth, but enough to build up some friction on his sensitive frenulum.

"Fuck! That feels so good..." he moaned.

The sounds of his breathing grew louder with each passing minute. Marta's arousal rose, and she slid a hand between her legs, massaging her slippery, dripping pussy while pressing her mouth faster on Joe's cock, taking it deep and letting it almost slip free before pushing down its length again. The skin was quickly covered in her shiny spit, and Joe bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the urge to lose his semen too soon. The sloshing sounds of his penis inside her mouth became audible in the room, her moans joining his while her fingers worked between her legs teasing her clitoris into a stiff nub.

"I...I can't take it anymore, Marta! Shit! It's too much!" he whimpered.

Joe pulled himself free and pushed Marta back onto the bed, spreading her legs and plunging his tongue into her soaking love hole. She arched her back off the sheets, crying out with each flick of his tongue that lashed at her clit and swirled in and out of her pussy.

"Oh...Oh...Yes! Yes, Joe! Ahhh...Fuck! You are so good! Eating my pussy so good, Baby! AHH! God Dammit! Joe! Right there! Right there! Ah! My God! That's it! AH! FUCK ME! That's it, Joe! Ah! Shittttt!"

She made fists in the sheets, throwing back her head and gasping, quivering with each deep lick. Joe played her young body perfectly, torturing her with his tongue, bringing her to the edge and backing down.

"Oh! FUCK! You're such a God Damn tease, Joe!" said Marta with a wicked smile as he nearly made her cum but once again let her fall back.

"What do you want, Marta?" he asked slyly from between her legs.

"Get up here and fuck me!" she demanded.

He kissed his way across her flat, firm stomach running his tongue up over the hill of her ribs and right into the valley between her upthrust mounds. There, he stopped to play with her sweet breasts, squeezing them in his strong hands and making her dark nipples jut out toward him. When he caressed one hard nip with his lips, Marta groaned, and when he sucked that same nipple fully into his mouth, she grabbed at the sheets again a breath exploding from between her lips.

"Ah! GOD! I love to have my tits sucked!" she cried.

Joe smiled, realizing he had hit a sensitive spot, and he began to toy with her stiff nipples the same way he had toyed with her clit. Marta writhed on the bed, moaning and whimpering with each hard bite, each wet, hot lick as Joe made her nipples scream.

"Please...Joe...I can't take anymore...I want to fuck! I want to fuck so bad you have no fucking idea! Ah! Just...Just fuck me! Fuck me, Baby, please...Please, Joe!"

The bed creaked slightly, with Joe's weight coming to rest entirely on top of Marta. He had never seen a woman look more ready, more gorgeous. Her face was surrounded in a sea of blond, eyes shining with lust and mouth parted, breathing in quick, frantic gasps with her chest all flushed with blood.

"I wanted you the first time I saw you," he whispered.

"I wanted you, Joe. Don't make me wait any longer..."

Then he was there like her words had conjured him, and he plunged inside her without warning, all those thick, hard inches of his throbbing cock. Marta nearly screamed the roof down as she dug her nails into his back, biting his shoulder to counteract the pain of taking so much cock so violently into her pussy all at once. God! He was so big and hard. Her pussy had never felt so full.

He moved inside her, pressing deeper, his penis engulfed by the warm cocoon of her juicy flesh. Marta was so tight he could feel the walls of her vagina squeezing his throbbing shaft.

They began to fall into a slowly building motion. Joe was pushing into Marta with hard thrusts of his hips, his foreskin bunching up against her clitoris and stimulating her more and more. She, in turn, met his rough movements pressing her cunt further onto his cock, taking him as far into her body as she could. They kissed, touched, grabbed onto one another, and filled the room with their cries and moans.

"Ah! Marta! You're so beautiful...Pussy feels so good! So tight! Ahhh! Jesus! I can't get enough!"

"Don't stop! Please...Please don't stop! Give it to me! Harder! Harder! Joe! Ohhh...God! I'm so close..."

Marta's blue eyes grew wider, sensations rippling across her body, a feeling like she was falling from a great height suffusing her from head to toe.

"Oh, my God! Oh...OH! Joe! Joe! It's too much...I...I'm...going to...going to...cum...Going to CUM! Ahhh! Yessssss! Ahhhh! Joeeee!" she cried, digging her nails into his back as her body was wracked by multiple hard, violent orgasms that left her quivering beneath him.

"Damn, Marta. You look so beautiful when you cum," teased Joe leaning down to kiss her neck.

She held his head, running her fingers through his hair while his lips tingled against her pounding jugular.

"Let me on top," she whispered.

Joe gratefully rolled onto his back, looking up into Marta's smiling face.

Her fingers gently caressed his slippery, juice-covered penis stopping to squeeze the fat head, making Joe draw in a breath.

"My turn..." she said, climbing on top of his muscular body and guiding him back into her steamy, moist love tunnel.

The velvet-smooth walls of her vagina slid down over his cock. Marta placed her hands on his hairy chest and began to roll her hips, grinding her pussy on the base of his shaft. Joe closed his eyes at first, content to enjoy the feeling of Marta's tight body riding him, the wet heat of her pussy massaging every inch of his pole. When she started to moan and gasp, he opened his eyes to admire just how incredibly gorgeous this young siren looked when she fucked, and it was a heart-stopping sight.

Marta's head lolled from side to side, licking her lips, biting her lower one, eyes shut, her nipples like chocolate knots on her chest. Joe grasped her hips, driving himself upward in time to her movements.

She threw her head back, groaning louder, breath coming faster.

"Feels so good...so good to fuck you! Ah! Shit! Joe! Your cock is filling me up! Ahhh! God! Baby!"

A strong surge hit his scrotum, a contraction that he felt from there to the tip of his cock.

"Uh! Marta! I...don't think I can hold it back anymore!"

"It's okay...Cum in me...I want to feel it...I want to feel you cum, Joe!" she begged.

She doubled down on her movement, pussy sliding faster up and down his straining prick, the end was inevitable and came with a jerk so hard Marta felt it all the way up through her stomach. Joe's back arched up off the bed, and he exploded inside her, pearly jets of semen blasting from the end of his penis and coating her womb with his seed.

"Shit! Marta! Ahhh! Martaaaaaaa!" he moaned.

"That's it! Cum for me, Joe! Fill me! Oh! Joe! YES!"

They held tight to one another, still pressing their bodies together as the ripples of Joe's orgasm slowed and faded. He lay panting, reaching up to touch one side of Marta's face.

"That was amazing...You're amazing..."

She took his fingers, kissing them before lowering herself into his arms, finding his lips with hers.

"I agree, I'm amazing..."

"Misses Smart Ass," he replied, smacking her ass lightly with one hand.

"Eww...I didn't know you were into the kinky stuff. We can do that too if you want..." she purred.

Joe wasn't sure whether to take her at her word or assume she was pulling his chain; either way, it looked to be a long night.

In the morning, Joe awoke slowly, throwing an arm over his eyes to protect them from the sun's rays that blazed through his window. The previous night had left him worn out, but very satisfied. Frankly, it had been the best sex he had enjoyed in years. A smile played on his lips at the thought of Marta riding him like a bronco busting cowboy, something she had done with excellent technique. He rolled over, wondering if there was any chance she might want to start the day off with a bang and was disappointed when he realized he was in bed alone.

Sitting up, he looked around the room, but there was no sign of Marta. Her clothes were gone from the floor, seeming to indicate she had fled at some point while he still slept. Joe leaned back against the headboard rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It wasn't until he took a second glance at her side of the bed that he noticed the white sheet of paper tucked partly under the pillow.

"Joe, I did need to leave early, and you were sleeping so soundly it seemed a shame to wake you. Last night was, as you already pointed out, amazing. I won't take all the credit. I think you did your part ;)

I'm glad I got to know you even if it was just for a short time. I can see that all the things my mom used to say about you are right. You're more special than you know, other people sense it, gravitate to you, and you don't even realize it. The one thing that worries me is that you don't seem happy in this role you've cast for yourself. I wouldn't presume to tell you how to lead your life, but maybe the next time you have to decide what you want that life to be, you should think back to how you felt on that stage.

Hope to see you again. I'm leaving my phone number at the bottom. You better call!"

Joe chuckled to himself, folding up the note and placing it on the end table by his head. He could hear so much of Bonnie in her daughter's note, but it didn't seem so strange to him now. Perhaps, this was her way of reaching out to him from the afterlife and trying to steer him back on course. He wasn't sure, but there was no doubt in his mind that he had been lucky to know not just one, but two such special women in his lifetime.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS -

The airport was just as busy if not more so than when he had landed on Friday, and Joe shouldered his carry on while using his free arm to hold a sobbing Tess.

"You better not drop off the face of the Earth this time, Joe Harper," she said, sniffling into a tissue.

"I won't. I promise that I'll keep in touch, and we are going to make it a point to get together, right?"

"Absolutely!" said Frank.

"You guys are all welcome to come to San Francisco and try my restaurant anytime you like," offered Billy.

"On the house, right?" asked Frank.

"Well...A restaurant owner never got rich giving away the food," replied Billy with a serious expression that quickly dissolved into a grin, "but for you guys, I'll make an exception."

"Flight 202 to New York boarding at gate 15," came a mechanical sounding voice over the P.A. system.

"That's me. It was good to see you guys again. I missed you all more than I can say," said Joe, not able to keep his voice from catching when he spoke.

They hugged as a group, just as they had done countless times after pulling a successful prank in school.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy..." intoned Billy, quoting his favorite book.

Joe couldn't fight down the tears this time, and he broke from his friends before they saw him crying, making his way down the corridor toward the departure gates.

He managed to get a hold of himself by the time he took his seat on the aircraft, stowing away his luggage in the compartment over his head. While he settled into his seat, a kindly looking older woman next to him smiled and asked him about his trip.

"Coming or going?"

"On my way home," he said though he wasn't sure if that were true any longer.

"Did you have a nice trip?"

Joe looked out the window at the desert landscape and the buildings of the city that lay beyond.

"It wasn't what I expected, but an old friend of mine would have said that only a fool thinks you can't go home. It never really changes, only we do."

"That's quite profound."

"She was like that, always with the wise sayings."

"I guess from your tone. You're going to miss her."

Joe cocked his head and laughed, "Actually, I don't think she will be as far away as I thought."

The woman looked puzzled at his comment as they taxied away and took off into the sky.

The traffic was lighter than it would have been if he had been facing rush hour, and after a quick drive to his apartment to change clothes, he made it to the office by lunchtime. Janet dutifully read off a list of the essential calls he had missed since being gone, but only one interested him.

"I'm going up to see Mr. Rothchild. I'll be back shortly," he said.

Tim's secretary waved him right on in, and he stopped just inside the door, shutting it behind him.

"I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Lerner. Yes, of course, we'll have the contracts ready for your signature this afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. No, thank you, Sir."

He hung up the phone steepling his hands together and looking over at Joe with a bemused expression.

"Good news?" asked Joe.

"I suspect you know already, but, yes, good news. It appears the merger is going to go through as planned. I suppose congratulations are in order."

Tim said it grudgingly, still clearly not happy at the way things had played out.

"I told you to trust my judgment."

"So, you did. It was a risk, though, one that didn't need to be taken. I feel as your mentor, I should point that out to you. At the end of the day, it's best to err on the side of caution when this much money is at stake."

"Does this mean you're having second thoughts about the promotion?"

Joe's boss stood up from behind his desk and walked over to the mini-bar in the corner, pouring some whiskey into a glass.

"I've given this a lot of thought, Joe. You've done good work for this company, but sometimes your arrogance can be as much a problem as a strength."

Joe stood impassive, watching the older man's face as he twirled the amber liquid around in the glass before taking a large swallow.

"Still, you did close the deal. I guess I would be remiss in not rewarding you. Welcome to the executive floor, Joe."

Tim poured another glass; his face all smiles now as he handed it over.

"Everything alright? I was expected more of a reaction from you."

Joe took a drink frowning into his glass as the alcohol burned its way down his throat.

"It's nothing. I was thinking about a friend."

"The one you lost?" said Tim, trying to sound sincerely interested but coming up well short.

"I should be getting back to work. I've got some catching up to do. Thanks for the drink, and I'm excited to be moving up. I know I have you to thank for it," he replied, ignoring the question but making an attempt at showing enthusiasm for his new position.

"I'll call you, and we can set up a meeting later this week to discuss your new responsibilities," Tim called to Joe's retreating form.

"Sure. Looking forward to it," Joe said over his shoulder while sounding anything but.

Standing in the elevator afterward, he rubbed his palms together, staring off into space. This was the culmination of years of work and sacrifice, so why did it seem to mean so little to him now? He kept thinking about Marta's note, and her words echoed inside his head.

"Think about how you felt on that stage..." he mused.

Janet was gone to lunch when he returned, and he decided to go out and grab a bite himself rather than get a quick sandwich in the basement deli like he usually did. The sidewalk was crowded with people as Joe walked away from the building, hands shoved down in his pockets. A brisk breeze stirred the air reminding him of the wind he had felt on his face outside Prescott while standing on the cliff rim. The similarity ended there, though, since this breeze carried with it the stink of car exhaust and the smell of cooked hot dogs from a street vendor on the corner.

He turned up the next block, passing several sandwich shops and small restaurants, not sure what he wanted. At the end of the block, he started past an old bar that he vaguely recalled getting a beer in on his birthday, maybe four years earlier. A battered sign hung off the front of the brick building labeling it, "The Easy Street Bar," and even at mid-day, he could see a few patrons sitting on stools near the window.

Joe paused, noticing a pair of small signs taped to the bottom corner of the window.

- Help Wanted-

Looking for bartender for part-time work on weekends - experience necessary.

Needed - Guitar/Piano player for Friday/Saturday nights - Salary plus tips.

The door swung back silently on well-oiled hinges, and Joe walked straight over to the bar where a man close to his age was drying a glass with a white towel.

"What can I get you, Pal?"

"I just noticed your sign in the window."

The bartender put down the glass looking Joe up and down.

"You don't look like a bartender to me, Fella. The ones I know don't wear suits that cost more than my car."

"That wasn't the sign I was referring too," said Joe with a smile.

THREE WEEKS LATER -

Joe stood back from the living room wall of his apartment to admire his handy work. The vintage poster of Jimmie Hendrix he had found in a memorabilia store uptown was the perfect mate to the framed one of Eric Clapton that was next to it. He looked around the room and smiled. No one could say that his home lacked for character now. Gone were the spartan furnishings and bare walls replaced with more dramatic pieces and photos of his heroes. The old Fender Stratocaster that had seen him through his rebellious youth now had a prominent place in the room on a stand next to the couch. There were several more guitars mounted on wall hangers near the door to his bedroom, including the acoustic that he planned to use to write new material.

The gig at the "The Easy Street," he hoped, would be the beginning. Once he had the rust knocked off, he planned to look into ads online for bands that needed a guitarist. It wasn't a career change he was planning, not really, but it felt good to put a toe back into the world he had thought he left behind.

The buzzing of his cellphone pulled him away from thoughts of music, and he picked it up from the coffee table by his leg.

"You got my message?"

"I did. I'm glad you called. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I've been out in the woods for a while, and cellphone reception was terrible," said Marta.

"It's okay. I've had a lot going on here anyway. Some changes."

"Changes?"

Joe sat down, shifting the phone to his other hand.

"Yeah...I was going to get a big promotion at work, one that would have meant even more long hours, but...I turned it down."

"Really? Why?"

"I thought about what you said, and it occurred to me that I want my life to be about more than just making big money. I mean don't get me wrong, money is important, but it was starting to rule my every decision, and I guess I missed music more than I realized. I resigned and took a job at a company with more flexible working hours. I might not get rich, but now I have free time for other things."

"You sound happier than when we spoke last. I can hear the excitement in your voice. I'm thrilled for you, Joe. I think you're making the right decision."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because a part of me is still scared I'm making a mistake."

"Change is always scary at first, but at the risk of sounding condescending, I'm proud of you, Joe."

"There was something I wanted to ask you," he said.

"Sure."

"I was hoping that you would come for a visit next week. I've been playing at this bar near my old work, and someone there saw me and offered me a gig at a bigger club. It's just one night, but it's the biggest crowd I've played for since high school, and, frankly, I'm nervous."