fiction
by Bestia Mortale
Looking out through the trees, she watched the play of sun and clouds over the valley below and wondered bitterly, Why does this always happen to me? The clouds shifted gradually.
Here I arrange a romantic spring hike in the mountains with a man I'm attracted to, and what happens? Well, of course, I get my period. And the guy turns out to be...what? Boring. Nice enough, good-looking enough, smart enough, polite enough, decently educated, apparently dependable, we have tastes in common, but I just find him completely boring. No spark. Nothing.
She found herself gritting her teeth and had to make a conscious effort to relax. Her frustration threatened to erupt as tears. Goddess! What's the use of even trying? I feel you're laughing at me. I'll never find a man who suits me.
The sound of paper crackling made her glance sideways. The man, apparently oblivious to her, was fiddling with something. She watched his long fingers meticulously unwrapping green paper from some kind of trail bar. The paper was heavy, expensive; and under it, silver foil caught the light. He carefully unfolded one end (What an anal fool, why doesn't he just tear it?) to reveal something dark beneath.
Chocolate! Not pale milk stuff, but black as a scrying bowl, expensive-looking. He snapped off two squares from the end. She waited. He stared out over the valley, never even glancing her way. Then he looked down and with excruciating slowness, broke the two squares apart. She waited for him to offer her one, but instead, he wrapped it in the foil again and raised the other deliberately to his mouth.
Boor. Clueless idiot.
"May I have a piece of that too?"
He looked over at her placidly. "Sure."
She waited.
"For a price."
"What?" She looked at him. Was that a twinkle in his eye? "What do you mean?"
"This is good chocolate," he said. "The first square is definitely worth a kiss."
What an asshole, she thought. But he was holding out the dark square to her without further teasing. She took it from him. Let him just try kissing her!
It was strong in her mouth, not quite bitter, but rich, deep. She held it on her tongue for a moment and then bit it in half, letting the pieces dissolve into her. Goddess, that's good! She closed her eyes and savored it, trying to keep it from melting away so fast.
Well, it was gone. She looked out over the valley for a while and then glanced sideways at him. He was placidly admiring the view, apparently oblivious of her presence. The chocolate, however, remained in his hands.
She opened her mouth and then closed it. No point in... "Could I have another piece of that?" Shit! Where was her self-restraint?
He turned to her and grinned. "Like it?" There was definitely something wicked in the grin.
She nodded brusquely. "Yes, it's excellent."
He nodded as well. "It is, at that. A second piece is worth even more than the first."
She tried to stare him down. "I hope you realize you're being childish."
"Perhaps," he said, holding a second square out to her, "but for this one, you'll have to let me lick chocolate from your nipples."
Time seemed to stop. Now she was really looking at him. He met her gaze with a little smile.
"And if I don't want that?"
"Just don't take the chocolate." He was holding it delicately by the corners between thumb and forefinger, dark and rich.
How utterly absurd! She decided to turn away, but instead she found herself reaching out and picking it from his grasp. She looked at it in her hand, and then at him watching her. She realized it was beginning to melt on her fingers. She turned her back to him and put it in her mouth. The taste was soft and hard, more than a taste, she felt it all through her, right down to her crotch.
Some part of her almost laughed. She was no longer bored.
Nonetheless, this was stupid, an absurd game, and bound to end badly. "Let's go," she said. "We're only part way to the top." Without waiting for a reply, she set off up the path.
With a certain competitive satisfaction, she heard his following steps -- now she was in the lead and he had to follow.
As they climbed, however, his expression kept coming back to her and she kept remembering the mischievous challenge in his eyes. To her dismay, she was not repelled. She was conscious of him following her and thought suddenly that he was probably watching her ass as she climbed and imagining things. She found herself moving faster.
Soon she was winded enough that she had to stop. She leaned over, hands on her knees, to catch her breath.
"What's the hurry?" he asked from behind her. And now that she knew what to listen for, she heard the answer folded up in his question.
She swiveled to look at him and realized too late that he could look right into her shirt. Which he was doing. She stood up abruptly, but he met her eyes without embarrassment. His grin left her naked. He knew.
How can he know?
She opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell, but he was asking, "More chocolate?"
She knew now what he was asking. Patriarchal bastard. She smiled. "If I can set the price this time."
"What's your offer?"
"If I accept another piece of your chocolate, you have to lick chocolate from my pussy."
His gaze did not falter.
"I have to?"
"Yes," she said. "These obligations must be mutual."
He nodded slowly, took the bar from his parka pocket and began to unwrap the heavy green paper.
"And," she said defiantly, "you should be aware that I'm on my period."
He stopped and met her eyes.
You stupid cunt, she told herself. First time you've actually wanted a man in more than a year, and now you go scaring him off as soon as he makes a move. But another part of her was defiant. I don't really want a spineless bastard anyway.
Then she realized he was holding out not one but two squares of chocolate.
"For that, you get two," he said.
Later, as she licked his face, she found she liked the rich bitterness of the chocolate mixed with the tangy bitterness of her blood. Goddess, she thought, I really do keep hearing your laughter.
Copyright © 2006 by the article's author