Dark Streets and Dark Urges

"Goodbye Justin, have fun with Grandma and Grandpa and behave for Daddy," Sarah Clemens said into the phone before hanging up.

Copeland, her husband of seven years, and their three-year-old son Justin were away for a long weekend visiting his parents. Sarah was supposed to have gone too, but she had been away on business and a canceled flight home had upset their plans. Since it was a five-hour drive to Copeland's parent's house, it was decided they would go on without her leaving her alone for the weekend at their home in the city.

Talking to her husband and son had made her feel a bit lonely. She had taken Friday as a vacation day and had nothing planned for the weekend since she was supposed to be away, so she resigned herself to reading and watching TV.

Sarah grabbed the book that had been sitting on her nightstand for months. She had been meaning to get to it and now seemed like a good time, so she poured a glass of wine and curled into a large leather chair with some soft jazz playing in the background. An hour later she had only made it to page fifteen, and deciding that trying to force her way through the book would be more work than relaxation, she dropped it and picked up a recent issue of Vogue. Unfortunately, the magazine offered no more escape than the book, and she soon tossed it aside in frustration.

It was mid-September and the evenings were quite pleasant, so Sarah had several windows open and the curtains, drifting slowly with the soft breeze, had the effect of adding to her restlessness. She rose from the chair and began to putter around the house trying to think of something to do before finally deciding she needed to get out. Perhaps, a trip to the grocery store or maybe an indulgent trip to the ice cream shop would help.

She changed into a pair of jeans, a sleeveless blouse, and a light jacket then stood in front of the mirror to check her appearance before departing.

"Not bad for a mommy," she said to herself.

In truth, Sarah looked very good. She was a slender 5'7" tall weighing 126 pounds with raven hair, full soft lips, and nice C cup breasts. After having Justin, she was worried it would be a lot of work to get her body back into shape, but it had been quite easy and she was down to her pre-pregnancy weight in four months. If anything, the baby had added to her femininity by making her look less girlish. Sarah had long, shapely legs that ended at a nice butt that stayed firm due to a thrice-weekly workout regime, but despite her looks, she always dressed conservatively due to her upbringing and her husband's tastes.

Thinking that she would only be gone for a short time, she left the windows open and headed out in her 325i. In seconds, she was out of the driveway and headed down the street towards the nearby shopping district. Sarah and Copeland had foregone the large suburban spread for a modest bungalow closer to the city center where they enjoy better dining and cultural events, rather than settling for strip malls and the fast-food joints that were endemic to the "burbs".

As she drove, Sarah's mind wandered, thinking about college and the fun she had in her sorority. In retrospect, if she could have changed one thing, it would have been the long-term relationship with David. Unlike some of her sisters that had played the field, Sarah had started dating him her sophomore year and their relationship had lasted almost to graduation. They had split in the spring of her senior year, which had devastated her at the time, but now seemed like a blessing. She had given him her virginity, but the sex had been unfulfilling, and it wasn't until she made love with Copeland that she realized he had been a selfish lover.

Sarah met Copeland at a charity event almost a year to the day after the split from David. In that intervening time, she had moved to the city, landed a job in marketing, and developed a network of friends. They began dating, hitting it off from the start, and a year later got married despite some minor concerns she had about things moving too fast. They enjoyed four great years of friends, fun, and travel, as a young married couple, before they decided it was time to start a family. Sarah got pregnant with Justin almost immediately, a standard trait amongst the women in her family she was told.

Justin brought a new dimension to their lives, and the world became almost exclusively about him. Being the first grandbaby on both sides, meant that family was always close by, too close sometimes, which had taken some balancing at first. Also, like many couples in their situation, there was the occasional flare-up about the lack of intimacy, but usually, it just took one giggle from Justin to make them realize how petty they were acting.

Sarah pulled into an empty parking spot at the grocery store and went inside, half-hoping she would see one of her friends, but after wandering the aisles for twenty minutes and getting a bag of carrot sticks and a bottle of nail polish remover, she was back in her car without seeing a single familiar face.

"Maybe I should just get drunk," she thought, frustrated but unsure exactly why.

When she got to the edge of the parking lot, instead of turning right back towards her house, she turned left. The restlessness she had been feeling all evening would just not go away and for some reason sitting at home, even with some good wine, was not appealing. She began aimlessly driving the streets telling herself she was being productive by exploring and finding new places for her and Copeland to check out, and she had to admit that it was actually a bit of fun to turn down a random street and see what she might find. It was certainly better than sitting at home in her current frame of mind.

However, as she drove the bright lights and fancy signs of the fashionable boutiques gave way to trade shops and warehouses. Likewise, the nice homes with well-manicured lawns transitioned to unkempt ones, many with barred windows and broken-down cars in front. Streetlamps seemed to be spaced further apart and the overall feel was darker and more dangerous.

"Better find my way back," she thought while surveying the changed landscape.

She used a parking lot to make a U-turn and headed back the way she had come, her vehicle providing a feeling of security. She knew vaguely where she was and knew that a nice well-lit street was three blocks to her left, and this knowledge empowered her to stay on the street she was on and continue to explore. Passing where she had originally turned, she decided to go another couple blocks then take the left.

Ahead Sarah could see neon lights illuminating the otherwise dark street. They were coming from the right and as she drew closer, she slowed to see what business was being highlighted and laughed when she saw the lights were coming from the Westside Adult Emporium, which had three older cars parked in the small lot on the side of the building.

"Well, I guess that's my thrill for the night," she laughed to herself.

Sarah had never been to an adult anything. She recalled some of the girls from work talking about their visits to the Megaplexx, which evidently had the best selection of toys. It wasn't like she was a prude about that sort of thing, but the idea of some device being rammed inside her just wasn't appealing. In her case, she had learned from a friend how to use a dripping water faucet in the bathtub or a Jacuzzi jet for self-stimulation when she was a teenager and had stuck with it.

However, as she continued down the street, she questioned why she hadn't at least gone inside such a place. Plenty of girls went, she knew that, and she had never heard of one being threatened. Sarah was three blocks past the Emporium when she slowed then turned the car around, telling herself she wasn't going to go in but wanted to take another look.

This time she passed more slowly. The building was long and low appearing to be made from cinder blocks and was painted a dark gray color. Besides the main sign, there was an illuminated "OPEN" sign in a window next to the door and several pole lights in the parking lot allowed her to make out the words MOVIES, VIDEOS, MAGAZINES, TOYS and EROTIC ITEMS written in white on the side of the building.

When Sarah was several blocks past, she once more turned and headed back, this time telling herself that she was just returning to her route home. The traffic on the road was very light so when she got close, she was able to creep past slowly.

"Well hell," she said out loud and jerked the steering wheel turning the car into the lot.

Just barely off the street, Sarah stopped and stared at the building nervously debating whether it would be an adventure or stupidity to go inside. She realized this was definitely sketchier than the Megaplexx, but there was at least little risk she would see someone she knew. There was no question she was feeling some fear, although the fear also acted as an intoxicant. In the end, her annoyance at her nervousness was what pushed her forward and she pulled her car up next to the old dented Ford parked in front of the door.

Sarah stared at the door and wondered what her friends would say if they knew she was sitting in front of this seedy place. She knew that Copeland would think she had lost her mind, as he had a bit of a Madonna complex about her which was sweet, but also occasionally frustrating.

"Just a quick look around," she said to herself, to bolster her courage.

She had to laugh when she caught herself checking her makeup in the mirror before getting out. She closed the car door behind her, clicking the lock button three times on the remote, then with five short steps she was in front of the heavy metal entrance.

Wayne Steinman, the cashier, looked up from his magazine when he heard the bell announcing a new customer, and seeing Sarah, he sat up quickly on the stool devouring her beautiful appearance with his eyes. Single women were rare in the Emporium, but there was the occasional visitor, and most had a nervous, self-conscious look just like Sarah displayed. However, none that he had seen were as beautiful as her.

"Need help?" Wayne asked as she approached the counter.

"Uh, no. Not right now. I'm just looking," she replied, speaking too quickly.

Sarah could only see the top half of Wayne since he sat behind a waste-high wall on an elevated platform, but from what she could gather he seemed young, maybe in his early 20s, and was short and obese. He had thick glasses that made his eyes look crossed, a double chin, and his complexion was sickly pale. Stringy hair was stuck to his head like it had not been washed in some time, and she suspected that if she got close, she would be rewarded with body odor.

Wayne just nodded in response but continued to stare while Sarah stood still for a moment and surveyed the room. The door and cashier's box were at one end of the long building, separating the entrance from the store's contents. In front and just past the box were shoulder-high magazine stands and past these were the higher DVD racks that blocked her view of the rest of the building. Behind Wayne, she could see a hand-drawn poster that said: "Video Arcade -- Tokens Required" with an arrow pointed towards the back.

Sarah forced herself to move past Wayne towards the DVD section. He watched her ass as she passed admiring how firm it looked and the way her shoes forced it up slightly. He reached down and stroked his cock through his pants, then used his other hand to push the small button under the counter.

Leo Tumbarello heard the buzzer and turned his attention from the baseball game on the small TV to the closed-circuit monitors from the store.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said to himself, hopefully.

Leo watched the screen intently following Sarah's movements until she left his vision then stood and straightened his shirt.

Each rack of DVDs was about twenty feet long and six feet high and she guessed there were a dozen or so of them. Sarah quickly discovered that the DVDs were organized by category and she wandered between the sections scanning the boxes and titles, too nervous to focus on any particular one.

Once past the last rack, Sarah found the toy section where shelving held a variety of products from small vibrators to life-size dildos. She could also see there was some lingerie for sale as well as bondage gear. Sarah was worldly enough to know these items existed, and that she would likely see them in the store, still she found her hands shaking with nervousness as it all seemed so taboo. Part of her wanted to turn and run out the door, but there was also an undeniable excitement she was feeling from doing something naughty.

She decided to check out the rest of the store then maybe come back and look at the toys, so she continued deeper into the building, past a last set of shelves holding more toys, until she found a series of doors along the back wall marked 1 -- 8, and as the sign near the front stated, there was one here saying "Tokens Required"

Three of the doors were without knobs and two more had large pieces missing from their bottoms. Of the three intact, two were open and Sarah moved closer to the open No. 5 and looked inside. She could see a machine that looked like a TV with a set of controls and a coin slot to the right that she assumed was for the tokens.

She was about to go back to the toys when the door to room No. 2 suddenly flew open and an old man burst forth with his shirttail out using his right hand to push his cock back into his pants.

"Huhhhh," she exclaimed in surprise.

In turn, she startled the old man momentarily, but he quickly recovered and finished his task while cackling with laughter at the young mommy's expense.

Sarah was stunned, but her eyes still watched his efforts as for some reason she couldn't manage to look away. They stood a few feet apart from each other for only seconds, although it seemed like forever to her. He was old, close to sixty she guessed, and skinny with close-cropped gray hair. In addition, his clothes were baggy, and she thought he looked one level above homeless. Finally, with a smile, he wandered away disappearing from her view behind the shelves.

With that, Sarah concluded that she had definitely had an eventful evening, but it was now time to go. However, turning to leave, she came face to face with Leo.

"Good evening my lovely lady. I'm Leo Tumbarello. The owner of the place," he announced, extending his hand.

As a matter of habit, Sarah shook his hand which he then tried to hold a bit too long forcing her to pull away. Sizing him up, she could see that he was swarthy, about 5'10" tall, and 200 pounds with thick shoulders and arms. His hair was black with a few streaks of gray and was pulled into a short ponytail. His face was ruddy and pock marked and he had a nose that appeared to have been broken at least once. She thought he looked to be in his mid-40s and he was dressed in too-tight jeans and a red silk shirt. The only thing missing was the gold chain, she thought to herself.

"Will you allow me the pleasure of showing you my shop?" Leo asked in his most charming voice.

"That's kind of you, but I'm just leaving," Sarah replied in a shaky voice, still impacted by the old man.

"I promise you it will just take a moment and if you see something you like I'll give you half off," he announced.

Leo had seen Earl, the old man and steady customer, startle the young woman. He had been watching discretely from behind a rack and had bolted to head her off expecting her to react badly.

"No really. I must go," she said and went to step around him.

Leo turned with her and keeping several steps ahead got to the toy section first where he quickly took three boxes from a shelf and turned in front of her.

"Let me give you one of these as a gift from me for coming in," he said, blocking her exit.

"Okay, give me that one," Sarah said, hoping to end the discussion and leave.

"Oh, that's a good choice. A nice butterfly. It's rated very highly. It fits around the pelvis with a remote that can be operated by either you or your husband. My customers have reported that it brings on a sensational orgasmic feeling," Leo described, before opening the box.

Leo Tumbarello was a part-time crook, a full-time jerk, and a captivating pitchman. He had learned the trade by doing everything from selling used car sales to promoting fraudulent land deals and securities transactions. If he could get the hook set, just a little, he would always land his fish, and this was a beautiful fish he wanted badly. Leo knew he needed to get her talking.

Leo placed the contents of the box on a display case and described in detail how the device worked always making sure he used proper terminology and avoided any crude slang. Sarah, trained in good manners, struggled to end the interaction despite her embarrassment which the older man used to his advantage. Leo knew how to work his mark and as he continued to talk, he could tell she was beginning to feel less threatened.

"Now I would be happy for you to take this but why don't you let me show you the other two," he proposed, sensing he was making progress.

Sarah had indeed relaxed some and was now feeling she was regaining her control. She knew that Leo was playing a game, but it was entertaining, almost comical in a way, and rather than feeling threatened by his actions she felt empowered by her understanding of his intentions.

Unfortunately, there was much that Sarah didn't understand. Leo existed on the fringe of society, vacillating between criminal activity and shady albeit legal business. He had been to prison twice and if Sarah could see beneath his shirt, she would see the prison ink that memorialized those visits. Currently, besides his ownership of the Westside Emporium, he had a minority interest in two bars and a majority interest in a seedy massage spa. Through these ventures, he operated side activities selling drugs and dabbling in prostitution. He could be utterly ruthless in getting what he wanted, which his victims often realized too late.

"Well, if you can do it quickly," Sarah told him, playing the game of control.

Leo's experience told him she was beginning to get cocky, but he didn't mind. In fact, he intended to use it to his advantage at the right time.

Wayne watched the interaction from a distance, wishing he could hear, and marveling at Leo's ability to engage the lovely woman. Five minutes later, Leo had described in detail the workings of the butterfly, a small pen vibrator, and a remotely operated egg that was meant to be inserted in a woman's vagina. He had worked hard to describe them as toys for the husband and wife to use together, and to give the descriptions professionally.

"Which one are you going to go for?" Leo said with purposeful excitement, as any good salesman would.

"I think I'll go with the first one. The butterfly," Sarah replied, using the trade name for the device, and mocking his enthusiasm with her voice.

"A good choice. Would you like to try it out?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" she replied in surprise.

"Yes, I'm suggesting you could try it out before you leave to make sure it's to your satisfaction," he said, waving to the rooms in the rear.

"Uh, no," she answered, suddenly annoyed with his rudeness, "I must be going."

"I understand. It was just a thought. But if that's the case, I suggest you take all three and return the ones you don't prefer," Leo announced with feigned graciousness.

He realized he had pushed too hard, too fast, and was talking rapidly to try to get back in control.

"Never mind, I'll just leave," Sarah said, and started towards the door.

"Please my dear. I would be a lousy businessman not to give my customers choices. Take them and just drop off the ones you don't like. As a favor to me, please. It was an honor having you stop by," he offered, again rushing to move ahead of her and get her to stop at the next counter.