Genomorph

Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

Monday morning Brandi fixed a light breakfast for Melissa before she headed to the campus. Like Karen she was technically already finished with her graduate work, but she still had students to tutor and work to do for her advisor to help finish up the quarter.

Brandi spent the early part of the morning tidying up the house, as she had let it go the last few days. By midmorning she was done and she dressed in her workout clothes and jogged down to Keller Karate for a workout with Dylan.

“Hello beautiful,” Dylan called as he saw her enter. As usual, every male in the gym stopped what they were doing and looked at her. This time it did not bother her as much as it had in the past.

They had a good workout. In the few weeks she had been working with Dylan he had shown great improvement, not that he had been bad to start with. Now he was definitely world class, and Brandi felt certain he had a good chance at going all the way at the worlds.

“So when do you leave for Ontario?” Brandi asked as they sat down on the sofa in his office. She took the towel Dylan offered her and wiped away some of the perspiration from her face and neck, hoping Dylan would not notice the way her nipples were displaying prominently through her top. She always felt a strong sense of arousal after one of their sessions, but today it was stronger than ever before, compounded by the fact that she had really grown to like Dylan.

“Friday,” Dylan answered. “The competition doesn’t start for two weeks, but I want to be there early and get acclimated.”

“You’ll do great,” Brandi smiled. “In fact, I think you’ll win.”

“I feel better than I ever have going into any competition,” Dylan admitted, his arm slipping around Brandi’s shoulder. “Only one thing would make me feel better, and that’s if you were there with me.”

“Dylan I ….”

Whatever she had been about to say was forgotten as she leaned over and kissed him. Dylan was surprised by her sudden move, but he readily returned the kiss. His surprise was nothing compared to Brandi’s. The most surprising part was it was not forced by her programming. Maybe nudged a bit, but not forced.

After several seconds they separated, Dylan smiling as he said, “Does that mean you’ll come?”

“No, that means I care about you very much,” Brandi said. “But if you’re looking for a girlfriend, I can’t be it. You see, I have a girlfriend, you met her, Melissa…I’m sort of a lesbian.”

“Ok, now I’m really confused,” Dylan said.

Brandi stood up and walked across the office. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Dylan, because she really had grown to like him. She had grown to like him so much in fact that she knew she wanted to be with him and wanted it to be now. But she would never love him, and she had to make him understand.

“I can’t blame you, I’m confused all the time,” she sighed. “Dylan I’m really complicated. I am madly, deeply, passionately in love with Melissa, but sometimes I just … I want … I need .…”

Dylan rose and walked to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking down into her eyes.

“Sometimes you need a man?”

“Dammit I sound like such a slut!” Brandi cried. “I’m not like that, not really. I can’t help these feelings! And I don’t know how to explain it in a way that sounds good. I’m not emotionally attracted to men but I can’t stop thinking about sleeping with a man…I just really wanted it to be someone I see as a friend.”

“Brandi I care about you,” Dylan said gently. “And I won’t pretend I don’t have some fantasies about the two of us getting together. But I’m not looking for a steady relationship now myself. Asking you to come to Canada wasn’t a come on…ok, it was sort of a come on, let’s face it…you are hot and I am a man. But I really just wanted you to be there when I win, since you are a big reason why I’m going to win.”

“This was a mistake…I should leave,” Brandi said, crying softly. “I hope you won’t think too badly of me.”

She turned to go and was almost to the door when she was stopped by his hand on her shoulder. She turned and was in his arms, kissing him again. It was not compulsion and there was no conflict in her now. It was like Melissa had said when they first made love; she needed to be with a man, and she wanted it to be Dylan. Maybe her feelings were prompted in some way by the emotional turmoil she had experienced over Karen leaving. Whatever the reason, she knew that if she walked away from Dylan now she would totally lose control.

“My apartment is just a few blocks away,” Dylan said. “No strings, no expectations, ok?”

Brandi bit her lip, nodding her head and smiling. Dylan took her by the hand and led her out of the office, and she took another step forward in her journey.

*****

Chief Wright and Vasquez had been back at the observation post for less than an hour when a vehicle approached the gate, another black Lincoln. After the car pulled up to the main house Wright zoomed the spotting scope in to get a good look at who got out.

His heart began beating faster as the face of the man exiting the passenger side came into focus. He was average height, slightly balding and a bit overweight. His face was very distinctive; he looked somewhat like a toad.

“Mercer,” Wright whispered, recalling the name that went with the face from their briefing files. The driver of the car looked familiar also, but it took a bit longer for Wright to place him. He was very average looking, the kind of face that makes a perfect agent. Chief Wright finally put a name to his face as well, Reynolds, one of the organization’s senior field agents. Their presence here with the team of mercenaries could mean only one thing.

“Pack it up,” Wright told Vasquez. “They found her. We can’t make a call until we’re clear of the area so let’s move.”