Part Three

The sedan wound around the island. Reina was silent, intent on her phone. Mira looked out the window, watching the scenery go by. The sign on the building read “Kaʻena Research.” Mira entered the squat, all-glass building.

A beautiful blonde in a linen wrap dress was behind the reception desk.

“Mira Lyric? Welcome to Kaʻena Research.” She handed a clipboard to Mira. “Please sign in.”

Mira filled out the log sheet. She had just handed it back when a tall, willowy brunette walked over. She dressed well and carried an oversized tablet. Hanging from her blouse was a security badge with H. Kealoha imprinted on it. She held out her hand in greeting.

“Ms. Lyric? Thank you for coming. I’m Hana Kealoha.”

Mira took her hand, and Hana offered her hand to Reina. “Hana.”

Reina took her hand. “Reina. I’m Miss Lyric’s assistant for the moment.”

Mira, with a gesture taking in the facility, asked,

“This is Liricelle?”

Hana smiled. “A subsidiary, we are a research facility for Liricelle, just like Janssen Pharmaceuticals is part of Johnson & Johnson.” She motioned with her tablet. “Come, allow me to show you around.”

Hana led them on a brief tour; the facility seemed more like a campus than a lab.

“I still don’t know exactly why I am here.”

Hana stopped, slightly confused. “I’m sorry, I thought you had been told. You are genetically relevant.”

“Genetically relevant.” Mira echoed, her hand unconsciously stroking her braid of snow-white hair.

Dr. Kealoha sighed. “Let us begin from the top. Years ago, Liricelle gained a genetic dataset. You are relevant to that set.”  

“And you waited until now to call me,” Mira stated.

​Hana nodded. “Only recently has technology developed so that we could process the dataset.”

“Process? How?”

Hana laughed. “Trust me, there are no Jurassic Park shenanigans here. We can now model your genetics.”

“That’s vague.”

“Yes. We don’t want to prime you with what we are looking at.”

“And you will not experiment on me?” Mira questioned.

“If you mean changing your DNA, no,” Hana reassured the white-haired woman.

“So what does Kaʻena actually do?” Reina asked.

Both Mira and Hana turned to the Japanese woman, who had been silent until now.

​ “We determine baselines for traits that are hard to isolate in the general population: attention, motivation, and adaptability. Response to stimulus, stress.”

“And Liricelle?” Mira inquired.

“Receives anonymized correlations. Nothing identifiable.”

“And if I decide I don’t enjoy being a correlation?”

“Then you leave. Kaʻena isn’t a clinical site. There’s no intervention to withdraw from.”

Hana gazed into Mira’s eyes. “It was your choice to be here.”

Mira paused, reflecting. “How does it work?”

Hana touched Mira’s arm.

“Your first session is a standard psychological battery. Pattern recognition, associative recall, reaction timing.”

“That’s it?” Mira queried.

“For today,” Hana said. “If you wish to continue, we can start the second battery.”

They had stopped in front of a glass-walled room. Three of the walls and the roof were a soft gray fabric. The wall in the corridor was glass. Inside was a chair, not dissimilar to a dentist’s chair, a desk that swung on a single arm, and a large curved monitor, mouse, and keyboard.

Dr. Kealoha gestured for her to enter. “Get comfortable; a tech will place some sensors, and then the test will start. I’m sure you have taken them before, symbol matching and such.”

Mira settled into the chair. Reina moved the table so Mira might reach the mouse and keyboard. Also on the table were tissues, a folded cloth, water, and, in a tray, a silver wand with a slim handle that tapered to a fatter bulb end. It looked almost like an elongated teardrop.

“Is this okay, Mira?” Hana asked.

Mira picked up the water. “If it’s no trouble, could I get some 7-Up or Sprite?”  

Hana nodded, tapping on the tablet. “The tech will bring it. Sugar-free, unfortunately. We don’t want a sugar rush to affect the scoring.”

The tech came in, a petite girl, perhaps 20 years old, who got Mira comfortable as Hana and Reina left.

The girl held electrodes in her hand. “They, uh, go on your chest.”

Mira smiled and unbuttoned her blouse. She opened it just enough so that her nipples did not show. The girl’s hand shivered as they placed the electrodes above and below Mira’s breasts. A hand touched a hardened nipple, eliciting a hiss from Mira.

“Sorry.”

Mira took her hand. “I should apologize for not wearing a bra.”

The girl blushed and went to a computer on one wall. She calibrated the leads and placed a golden circlet on Mira’s head, and the tech snugged it down.

​ “This is new tech. It can read brain waves without the goopy electrodes.” She typed a command on the keyboard. The band also acted as an audio headset; she calibrated the volume of the computer tones until Mira was comfortable. Mira poured a drink of Sprite from the pitcher and took a swallow.

The girl straightened. “All set. One thing: If anything appears unusually vivid or distracting, don’t fixate on it.”

“Because?”

“Early interpretation introduces bias,” the tech smiled. “We’d rather see what your system does on its own. If you need to stop, hit the F12 key.”

“Who will be watching?” Mira queried.

The girl pointed to the camera. “That. And no one will view it unless they need to see the recording. The mainframe analyzes the video along with the sensors and charts the session.”

As she left the room, she touched a panel, and the glass wall and door went opaque. A gray field appeared on the monitor. Through the headband, a computer voice said,

“Battery One. Cognitive baseline mapping. This is not a test you can pass or fail. Press Enter to begin the test.”

That, Mira thought, is a lie people tell when they don’t want you to win.

oOo

The first shapes appeared. A line of symbols with one missing, the sort of image she’d seen in online IQ tests and puzzles. She relaxed and answered them quickly. The screen responded silently. Each sequence came faster. Not harder, just faster. Mira’s fingers acted on instinct. She didn’t notice a slight flash on the screen between the test sets. Mira sipped the soda.

The test patterns alternated between shapes and numbers. The rules changed mid-course. She finally noticed the flash, an image that appeared and disappeared quickly. Mira wondered if the tests were adaptive. Of course they are, she thought. She also felt a recognizable warmth that began in her pelvis.

Mira discovered a thrill in the test, a feeling she hadn’t expected.

The screen started going white between the flashes; not bright enough to hurt, just enough to put her off balance a little. Her breath had changed, Mira noticed. Slow and deep. The chair subtly raised, moving like an adjustable bed to support her.

“Huh,” she murmured, mostly to herself.

The next set required anticipation. Mira chose the most likely answer before it finished showing. Name That Tune, she recalled an old television show. She settled in and sipped more of her soda, focusing. The tests shifted again.

Her pelvis felt hot. Unconsciously, Mira knew she was getting wet. She became aware that her blouse was unbuttoned, and subtle movements scraped her nipples with the fabric.

Her skin felt warm. Fuck, I’m getting turned on.

When the screen finally faded back to gray, she blinked, dazed by the sudden lack of input. She hadn’t realized how fully it had held her attention.

“Battery One complete," the computer droned.

She looked at the keyboard. It looked like the F6 key was slightly brighter than the others. Mira made fists, hesitating; she sat there for a moment longer, waiting for her body to settle down.

It didn’t. F6 pulled like a signal.

Her hand hovered, then a finger pressed the button. The room darkened, like a movie theater. The monitor came to life. A video showed the pretty technician setting up the room. The video was clearly from a handheld camera. She looked over her shoulder and winked. Then she pulled her pants down over her hips, stepping out of them. She slid into the same chair Mira sat in. The tech girl picked up the teardrop.

Unconsciously, Mira picked it up as well. She mimicked the actions on the screen. A small button activated it. It grew warm and vibrated slightly, like a hum. The tech on the screen had draped her legs over the armrests, giving her cameraman more room to show her pressing the ovoid against her clit.

Mira put one leg over the armrest; it lifted her skirt enough. The warm wand rubbed up and down her slit. You are on camera. They could come back any minute. Her conscience warned. One hand pulled her panties aside, Mira pushed, and the bulb slid easily inside. Only the rigidity told her it wasn’t a cock. Thrusting it in deep, then pulling it out till it threatened to come out completely, then back in deep. She moaned. She mimicked the girl, using the same pace, pulling it out, and rubbing circles on her clit.

Mira was on fire, white-hot blood surging. Inserting it deep, twisting in a circle, Mira felt her climax coming like an explosion. She pulled it out as she came, the muscles of her abdomen clenching as she squirted, clear fluid expelling from her spasming pussy, shooting down the length of the chair. Mira collapsed, twitching. Mira’s legs were spread, her pussy and tits exposed, and her squirt dripped when the door opened. Hana stood in the doorway.

“That explains the bio reading,” Hana remarked.

Mira sat up, grabbed tissues, and wiped herself. There was no point in false modesty. She got up, pulling off the leads and buttoned her blouse.

“The flickers and flashes. Subliminal messaging?”

Hana nodded slowly. She put down the tablet and removed the band and net from Mira’s head. “I’m surprised you picked up on it.”

“And the porn?”

“Not part of the test.”

Mira winked at Hana. “If she’s single, I would not mind her number. Both women got a laugh out of it.

oOo

She left with Reina and headed back to the hotel. Rick greeted her at the suite’s door and handed her an envelope from Visa. Mira took the envelope but ignored it, melting against Rick, kissing him hard.

“Just us tonight. Join me in the shower?”

Rick smiled. “How can anyone refuse that offer?”

He stripped her, and then she removed his clothes. By the time she had pulled his pants down, he was fully hard. She wrapped both hands around him, stroking softly. Then she took him in her mouth, moving down on it. She relaxed her mouth and throat, and he slipped in until her nose was in his thick pubic hair. Rick groaned in pleasure. She pulled off and stood, taking his cock in her hand, and led him to the shower.

“Have you ever measured it?” she asked, stroking him as they waited for the shower to warm up.

“No.”

“I think you are 8 inches. My hands are about 3 inches wide, and you were sticking out when I had both on you.”

“Disappointed I’m not a mule like Xavier?”

She pulled him into the shower. “No, you are perfect.”  

She pushed herself against the wall, and he followed, knowing she wanted to mount him like before. It was slower and gentler. As they fucked, Mira told him about how the test had made her horny, how she had masturbated. He thrust deep into her.

“Cum for me, Rick. Cum deep inside me.” She moaned, shivering through an orgasm.

Rick pulled out, and Mira’s feet hit the floor.

“Knees.” Rick rasped.

Mira sank, gripped his cock, and was opening her mouth when Rick shuddered, and his cock blew his load, jet after sticky jet of cum covering her face.

Rick pulled her up, eyes on the cum running down her face. Mira used her finger to scrape his cum into her mouth.  

“I wanted you to cum in me.”

“Ever since you told us about the bukkake, I wanted to see you with cum - MY cum on your face.” Rick countered.

They finished washing each other, trading kisses as they dried off. They went to the main room. Reina was there, and she went to the bar to pour drinks.  

​ “Reina.” Mira stopped her. “Rick and I are going to be alone tonight. You and Xavier are free to do… whatever.”

Reina nodded and retreated to the other room. Rick and Mira dressed, telling each other likes and dislikes, the sort of things you tell someone new. She put on a skirt that lay low on her hips and a matching bandeau top. They were about to leave when she spotted the envelope Rick had given her before. She opened it. It was a black Visa card in her name. The Liricelle logo was in the corner.

“Dinner is on them,” she smiled.

They walked around Waikiki, acting like honeymooners, even though it was their first proper date. As they shared a shaved ice, Mira stopped and stared at Rick.

“I feel like I have known you, like, forever.”

Rick kissed her lips softly. “I know what you mean.”

When they were not holding hands, they were still touching, a brush of the hips, an arm around the other. Even as they walked past 25-year-olds, Mira noticed Rick wasn’t looking at them. She saw a clothing store that she wanted to explore.

“Go find us something to drink. I’ll be a bit.”

Mira had two things in mind, and she found them both. One she bought while wearing it, a silk deep-cut dress, the blue matching her eyes. This is what she wore out. The other was a mesh crop top and a matching bustier. To that, she added loose slacks, a lightweight cotton that let her legs breathe. She picked out a beach bag as an afterthought and put the casual clothes in.

Rick nearly dropped the sodas. Mira stood in the doorway, her trademark white braid over her shoulder. She was wearing a blue dress that dipped between her breasts and plunged to mid-back. A gold rope belt completed the outfit.

“Like?” she asked Rick.

“Love it,” Rick said.  

The sun was setting, and they stopped by Roy’s Waikiki. Mira made a reservation. They walked on the beach, enjoying the sunset. The hour for dinner passed quickly; they barely had time to get a shirt for Rick that met the restaurant’s dress code. The food was superb; the company was better. At one point, Mira reached across the table and put her hand on Rick’s.

“Truth. Why no Mrs. Kelly?” Rick looked her in the eyes.

“The job. No one wants a part-time husband, at least the ones who wouldn’t cat around.”

“Would you give it up?” Mira asked.

“Maybe. Under the right circumstances. Why no ring on your finger?”

“You saw me at the airport. That was me dressed up. I barely date. Almost never a date past the third. They would fuck me and dump my number.”

“THEY,” Rick stressed. “Were idiots.”  

They left the restaurant, and Mira stopped to buy a couple of beach towels. The moon was ascending. Rick stopped Mira and pulled her into a jewelry shop. Mira protested.

“Rick, No. We barely know each other!” He ignored Mira, choosing a large sapphire pendant.

She continued to protest such an extravagant gift, right up to the moment he put it around her ivory neck. She kissed and thanked him.

“It’s lovely.”

“It is now that you are wearing it.”

“Honey, if you haven’t married him, you’d better do it real soon. He’s a keeper,” the woman behind the counter said.

Hand in hand, they walked to Fort De Sussy beach, which was much quieter than the ones in front of the hotel or on Waikiki. On this beach, the sand was not all smoothed out; there were small dunes farther up from the tide line, caused by runoff from the park beyond. They found a secluded spot facing east. The full moon now dominated the horizon; Mira spread out the towels as Rick’s phone rang.

“Xavier,” Rick said. And turned to the beach.

When he hung up, he turned to see Mira standing on the end of one towel, naked except for the sapphire pendant that gleamed in the moonlight.

“Make love to me, Rick.”

He slowly stripped as she lay on the towel. His cock entered her body in one smooth thrust.

“Stop,” Mira breathed. “Stay as deep as you can.”

They lay together, tears flowing from Mira’s eyes.

“Rick, this is perfect. I love you.”

He slowly moved inside her. His movements were instinctive. He knew how important this moment was to Mira and wanted it to be perfect. They were slow and deliberate. He lowered for a kiss, and she moved her body, making it clear she wanted to be on top. They rolled over, and he never came out of her. She slowly rose and fell, her arms behind her head. Rick touched her neck and her moon-washed breasts. He felt her muscles tighten and loosen around him. Despite the slow pace, he knew he would not last.

“Mira-”

“Shhh. It’s okay. Cum in me.”

Rick groaned, and his sperm filled her pussy. She stopped and bent down, kissing him. She got off him and casually strode into the surf and washed herself. Rick joined her, and she washed his cock. They picked up the towels, dried off, and dressed.

“I could do it,” Mira said.

“Huh?” Rick’s response was confused.

“I could wait at home for you while you were working.”

She pulled him down and kissed him.

“You could even fuck the flight attendants as long as you love me like this.”

“I wouldn’t. You are more than enough woman for me.”

They took the elevator to their room. And showered, removing the sea salt and sand. They fell into bed and, despite hearing Reina’s screams of ecstasy, fell asleep in each other’s arms.  

Mira woke in the early hours. She was tingling all over. Rick was licking her. She ran her fingers through his hair as he brought her ever closer to orgasm.

“Get up here and fuck me properly,” she groaned.

Rick flicked her clit, making her moan. Fingers inside her, he got her to the edge, stopping to feel her gripping his fingers. He finally gave her an exquisite release.

He kissed her as she came down. She reached for him, but he took her hand in his.

“I owed you that,” he kissed her...