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Since she’s stunned at the offer, she hugs him, but it takes her a few more moments to verbally respond a brief "thank you". I can no longer just think about myself. I’m probably the most flexible for being able to continue into the next step and move on. It’s a good thing this isn’t an emergency, but I will take this opportunity to find a way to disengage from my violent past.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Title Page
Life at the Edges
Bouquet of Fresh Air
Jeremy McHarry
Life at the Edges / 6th of series: Bouquet of Fresh Air / By Jeremy McHarry
Published 2023 by Bentockiz
e-book Imprint: Uniochlors
e-book Registration: Stockholm, Sweden
e-book ISBN: 9789198834161
e-book editing: Athens, Greece
Cover Images created via AI art generators
Table of Contents
Title Page
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Introduction
Through books we come into contact with everything important that has happened in the past, analyzing also current events and putting our thoughts together to predict the future. The book is a window to the world, acquiring valuable knowledge and sparking our vivid imagination. It is a means of entertainment and is generally seen as a best friend, or as a slave that carries together all valuable information for us. The book is a friend who stays together without demands, a friend you call upon at every moment and abandon when you want.
It accompanies us in the hours of boredom and loneliness, while at the same time it entertains us. In general, a book does not ask anything from us, while it waits patiently on a dusty shelf to give us its information, to get us out of dead ends and to travel us to magical worlds.
This may be the travel mission of our books. Abstract narration, weird or unconscious thoughts difficult to be understood, but always genuine and full of life experiences, these are stories of life that can’t be overlooked easily.
This may be the start of something amazing!
Chapter One
His eyes open wide.
“Oh George, if this weren’t such a public place, I’d take off my pants right now and let you start. Oh, how exciting!!” She seems to shiver in anticipation.
He almost stammers in surprise, “You . . . you . . . want me to look at how your female anatomy is put together and touch you . . . and touch you in various ways to find out what you like best?”
Even while she bites her lip to help her maintain some control, Sharlene nods her head.
“Oh my. . . . You’ll probably hate me for saying this, but I . . . well, I . . . I think it’s too early in the journey for that.”
“I know. And no, I don’t hate you. When it’s appropriate in the journey, will you look at my female anatomy while you touch it and then touch it in various ways to see what I like best? Will you promise to do that?”
Since he’s still unsure he’s really hearing what she’s saying, he asks, “You really want me to touch you like that?”
“Oh, George, very much so. I just hope I can wait long enough.”
He hesitates only briefly before he assures her, “Then, Sharlene, I promise to touch you like that. Most happily, do I promise.”
“Thank you, George. Thank you very very much. I really don’t know why, but when you said what you wanted to do, I got so excited I could barely control myself. If you had first told me that at home, I would have had you on the floor and our clothes off so fast you wouldn’t have known what hit you. Why is that so exciting? I don’t know. I just know that it is. I can’t seem to stop thinking about it and being excited about it. I hope I can calm down before I get home or Klara is going to wonder what happened to me. Will you drive the rest of the way home?”
He pauses before he answers, “No. In this case, you had better drive. It will more likely force your thoughts away from the subject rather than sitting here with nothing else to do but think about it.”
“You’re right as usual. Okay. Give me a little while to calm down before I get back into traffic.” A little later, she gets back on the road and takes the side streets back to her place because they require more concentration and take longer which gives her more time to calm down.
While Sharlene drives, George wonders where this interest of hers has come from. It certainly isn’t like a typical female, at least compared to any he’s known or heard about. Since she’s a doctor and interested in the human body from a medical standpoint, that could explain her curiosity, it might even explain her being interested in how she might respond to being touched in different ways. But none of it explains her excitement.
Of course her excitement only encourages him, as though he needs any more encouragement. He’s having enough trouble controlling himself as it is. What a fine kettle of fish this is. If he could have half guessed what her response would have been, he would have kept his mouth shut. In so many ways, he seems to understand her and is almost able to anticipate her response, except in the area of her response to intimacy. He seems to have seriously under estimated her capacity and her interest all along the line.
As they step in the door at her place, he half expects her to attack him, in a most pleasant way, but when she puts her things down, she slips into his arms, rests her head on his shoulder, and tells him, “George, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me in the vehicle. I don’t understand why I feel the way I do. Your touching has been so wonderful. You’ve been so gentle and so generous. The journey so far has been absolutely marvelous and only promises to be better.
“I don’t want to scare you away. I think I make an effort to control myself. But all I can think about is how much I want you and how much I want you to touch me. It seems like nothing else matters. What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel this way? I don’t understand.”
As she starts to sob, he can only hold her. She’s just starting to calm down when the doorbell rings and she requests, “Answer it, please.” She slips out of his arms, turns away and grabs a nearby tissue to dry her tears.
He opens the door and says, “Hello, Klara, come in.”
“Hello, George, where’s . . .” Klara shoves her packages at George, glares at him, steps over to Sharlene, and hugs her as she asks, “Sharlene, what did he do to you?”
“No, Klara, no. George . . . wonderful,” and she bursts into fresh tears.
Since he doesn’t know what else to do, George takes Klara’s packages and sets them on the kitchen counter and goes back to close the front door while Klara leads Sharlene over to the love seat. When Sharlene’s sobs begin to settle, he pours glasses of iced tea for them and takes them over to them. Sharlene responds, “Thank you, love. Bring your drink and come sit.”
Klara doesn’t know what to think. Since she has no other data available, she assumes George must have made Sharlene upset, but she’s obviously not upset with him.
When he returns with his drink, Sharlene gets up, waves him to sit, then sits on his upper legs, cuddles up to him, and tells him, “Ah, love, thank you,” as he wraps his arms around her.
“George didn’t make you upset?”
“No, Klara. He’s only been his usual gentle, warm, generous, and wonderful self. I upset myself and probably shocked my poor man. I guess you could say this is a continuation of our conversation from yesterday morning. I want him so much . . . I . . . I can’t describe it. What’s worse, is that I don’t understand it.
“If I only really liked George, it would be easy to explain in terms of how wonderful and generous and loving he is. And the ways in which he touches me are exciting and marvelous. But this, whatever it is inside of me, feels like more than an obsession, more than an addiction. I want him, all of him, and I want him to touch all of me.
“A little while ago on the way back from George’s doctor appointment, I pulled off the road and almost . . . I almost took my pants off so he could touch me right then and there. From the conversations which I overheard while in college and medical school of other women who gave every impression of enjoying sex, I never did hear of anyone who expressed that level of desire or want or obsession or whatever it’s called. That’s what I don’t understand. And because I don’t understand and can’t control my feelings, I became upset.”
Sharlene takes a drink before she goes on, “Poor George, when he first described his suggested journey of touching, he figured he would have to take it very slowly while using very small steps in touching me more. Not only because I had never been touched before and had no idea of what to expect, but also so I could call a halt to the process whenever I felt it was approaching anything which might make me uncomfortable. Considering my background and my unfamiliarity with males and my somewhat aversion to males, it was quite natural to figure that if I was going to be touched at all, it would have to be slowly and in little steps. That’s what I expected, that’s what George expected, and although we didn’t specifically speak of it, that’s what Aunt Paula expected.
“What nobody counted on was that after my first sexual experience and after George started to touch me, it was like the flood gates were opened and instead of a shy kitten, he found himself with a wild tigress on his hands. He’s already greatly speeded up the journey of touching and still it doesn’t go fast enough to meet my desire. But I also don’t want to miss out on any of the upcoming steps of the journey. It’s been the most wonderful and incredible experience I’ve ever had and so much more than I could have ever imagined.
“Most people I’ve heard about went from holding hands to making love in the back seat of a vehicle or in bed. For all of the touching we’ve done and for all of the pleasure he’s given me, he hasn’t yet touched my breasts or my pubic area with his hands, not even through my clothes. I’m continually amazed at the creative variety of when’s and where’s and ways he’s figured out to touch me. I don’t mean to embarrass you, love, but I need to remind myself and explain to Klara why I don’t just take the easy solution, rip our clothes off, and make love to you.
“Even if I did go for the easy solution, it still doesn’t help me to understand this level of desire I feel. Actually, I have a sneaky suspicion that even if I took the easy solution, it wouldn’t satisfy the desire I feel. I don’t understand it, nor do I expect either of you to understand it or to have a solution. By telling you about this extreme level of desire I feel, maybe I can gain a little control over it or maybe you’ll be able to understand when I seem to go flying off of the cliff.”
Klara pauses before she responds, “I’ve heard of girls who became rather sexually active right after puberty, but you’re well beyond that and what you describe sounds more intense than what those other girls went through. Not only that, but those other girls who were sexually active would get in bed with almost anyone they were attracted to. All I hear from you is George. Do you feel any interest in any other males?”
Sharlene shudders in revulsion before she answers, “Not at all.”
“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a similar problem. Even the few case studies of nymphomania I’ve read about didn’t have a single personal focus to their desire. I certainly don’t have a solution for you. The best I can suggest would be to touch more frequently and maybe that will help you to keep the desire down to a dull roar.”
“We haven’t specifically discussed it, but we seem to have already arrived at that conclusion. Or at least that was the idea behind George’s initiating the touching this morning.”
“Have you been recording them? Maybe you’ll have something to compensate you for your upset feelings.”
Sharlene nods her head as she responds, “Yes, I think I’ve recorded almost all of my responses to George’s touching. If we do acquire the Project and if Julie is right about the potential of my recordings, I’ll have some good ones to share.”
* * * * *
2147-09-04 (a3)
Klara shakes her head as she says, “Nothing like having these old eyes opened wide. Thank you for being willing to share what you’re feeling. George, I apologize for accusing you of doing something to Sharlene.”
“Klara, no apology is necessary. You were attempting to protect Sharlene. Nothing else matters.”
“Isn’t he wonderful?” Sharlene reaches up to kiss his cheek and snuggles back down onto his chest.
“I’m not ready to admit to that, yet,” Klara looks directly at him, “but you have been a most pleasant surprise from my first suspicions. From what I’ve found out and observed, you’re gentle and protective of Sharlene and for that you have my gratitude and admiration. Now, before we go off in some other direction, I did come over earlier than I had originally planned for two reasons. One, they were closing the Project area early today to allow people to get ready for tonight’s wing-ding and two, I want to convince you, George, to go with us.”
Since he’s quite surprised at that, he asks, “What do you want me for?”
“To be blunt, I’m playing ‘The Game’ and I have a role for you.”
“You make it sound like the game is something special.”
Klara explains, “Well, it’s more of how I look at it personally. Most others refer to it as corporate negotiations. A lot of it is feeling out the competition and out-psyching all of the other parties. I don’t always guess right, but my track record is quite good. Good enough that I’ve had some companies offer me a lot more money than I’m making now, but I make more than enough to live quite comfortably and I enjoy working with Sharlene’s dad. In this case, I have a lot of confidence, for a number of reasons, but if there’s something I can do to further stack the deck in my favor, I’ll do it. And I think you can help.”
George somewhat hesitantly asks, “What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to go and pretend to be a really wealthy eccentric investor. Give honest answers, but couch them in terms which suggest more. For example, if someone asks where you live, instead of saying ‘I live a couple of hours away’, say that you’re currently residing in a cottage a couple of hours away. Since you haven’t always lived in the same house, you’re currently residing there and since there are no legal definitions of a cottage, then it doesn’t matter how big or small it is. If you’re unsure how to answer, say something like you want to consider all of the ramifications or that you need to consult with your advisers. Without clearly saying you’re the anonymous investor, I want to give the impression that you are.”
George pauses to consider her request then turns, kisses Sharlene’s cheek, and asks, “What do you say, Doctor Doll?”
Sharlene’s eyes light up as she turns to kiss him fully but briefly then answers, “Whatever Mr. G wants.”
“Doctor Doll? Mr. G? What’s going on?” Klara looks back and forth between them while they laugh.
It takes a little while for their laughter to diminish to chuckles and for Sharlene to answer, “One time I told George about a dream I had of going to some fancy party given by some snooty medical school classmates and taking him as a wealthy eccentric who I was gold digging. He expanded on the scenario and decided to call me Doctor Doll and because he was supposed to be hard of hearing, he spoke overly loud while he complimented me on not wearing makeup like some of the women who looked like escapees from a wax museum.”
Klara opens her eyes wide in surprise at the explanation then asks, “So where did ‘Mr. G’ come from?”
“Actually, I got that idea from some of the kids who George taught in that library reading program. He wanted to be called by his first name, the program leaders insisted the children call the tutors by their title and last name, so George and the kids compromised by them calling him Mr. G. The kids knew it meant ‘George’, but the program leaders thought he was being generous with little kids who couldn’t properly pronounce ‘Greyson’. It seems to fit the persona of an eccentric private person.”
Klara chuckles over the explanations then says, “This is going to be more fun than I imagined. Will you do it, George?”
“If you think it will help Sharlene’s cause, I’ll do it. I just hope I don’t make a mess of things.”
“I don’t think you will. Is it likely that someone there might know you?”
“I’ve met Mariam, but other than that, I don’t have a clue.”
“That’s possibly a risk, but I’m guessing it’s small enough I’m willing to take it.”
Sharlene asks, “Klara, have you given Mariam any hint about this?”
“No.”
“Then I’d better call her. I don’t want her to spoil the game by greeting George like she normally would.” Sharlene gets out her phone and hits a speed dial number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mariam. It’s Sharlene.”
“Hey, girl. Long time, no hear.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I’ll try to get together and talk soon. Listen, I wanted to give you a heads up that Klara and I are going to drag George to the wing-ding tonight for the Project. He’s going to be Mr. G and I’m going to be his Doctor Doll.”
“Oh? Oh!! Gotcha. Are you going to dress like I suggested?”
“No. I want him playing his role, not drooling over me.”
Mariam chuckles then says, “That’s a good idea. It sounds like fun. I’ll see you there.”
“Thanks Mariam. Bye.”
Klara asks, “Drooling over you?”
“When I told Mariam about George’s embellishments to my dream, she added her own in suggesting a white dress to compliment my skin tone which was open down the front to my navel and open up the sides to my hips. George said if I was dressed like, he would just stare at me instead of playing his role.”
“Sounds like you guys have thought it through.”
“No, Klara, we were just letting our imaginations run wild.”
“Well, if you two can play those roles, we’ll let other people’s imaginations run wild.”
George asks, “Lovely lady, are you willing to do what Klara is suggesting?”
“I think it might be kind of fun.”
“Then I’ll apologize ahead of time for anything I might say to or about you.”
Sharlene is quite puzzled by his statement so she asks, “Why do you say that?”
“For me to play the role of an eccentric and to treat you as ‘Doctor Doll’, I would be demeaning you as a woman, as a professional, and as a whole person and would be treating you more as though you were a toy or a sex object. I don’t think of you that way, nor do I want others to think you can be thought of or treated that way.”
“Oh, love, I know you don’t think of me that way. I guess if someone asks, I can say that you see me as a delicate porcelain doll and treat me with the utmost care and gentleness. All of which is true.” She kisses him briefly then tells him, “Thank you.”
He looks at Sharlene a moment longer before he turns and says, “Well, Klara, I guess you have a couple of actors. About all I have to wear are jeans and shirts. Nor do I have anything to go with them to suggest something eccentric.”
“Don’t worry about that. Where did you put the packages I gave you?”
“I set them on the kitchen counter. I didn’t know what else to do with them.”
Klara suggests, “Show me what you have to wear and let me work my magic.”
For the next hour or so, with Klara’s guidance, they check out their wardrobes and in the end, Klara and George dress very similar to how they normally dress. In the packages Klara brought is an outfit for Sharlene which is eye-catching yet modest and fits her perfectly and with a couple of pieces of jewelry which she seldom wears, Sharlene is also ready. Their success will be more in how they play their roles, than in how they appear. For that, a heavy reliance will be on George, which causes Klara some concern about her scheme. After a small snack to tide them over and some role playing to get in the mood, they get in Klara’s rental vehicle. Sharlene sits in back with George who suggests it’s part of playing the role, and they go to the Institute’s presentation and dinner.
* * * * *
2147-09-04 (e1)
When they arrive at the hotel near the Institute which has a couple of large meeting rooms that were rented for the occasion, they notice that there seems to be quite an effort to impress prospective purchasers of the Project beginning with doormen and valet parking. As Klara stops in front of the main entrance, George leans over and thoroughly kisses Sharlene just before the doorman opens the back door. He looks in and can’t stop himself from staring. Klara comes around the back of the vehicle, looks in, shrugs a shoulder to the doorman, and loudly clears her throat.
George looks up in apparent surprise and asks, “Are we here already?” He gets out of the vehicle and says, “Klara, thank you for the lift.”
“My pleasure, sir.”
George winks at the doorman and suggests, “Can’t very well get a lip massage inside, now can I?”
“Uh, no, sir.”
George reaches into the vehicle and says, “Come, my love, let’s see what this Project is all about.”
