From his apartment directly below mine, Darren must have heard me crying. Clueless as to how loud my sobbing was, I was surprised when he knocked on my door at a little after seven that evening.
Though we'd been neighbors for more than a year, he and I remained mere acquaintances. Answering his gentle knock, I peered out at him through swollen eyes. The acute distress overwhelming me at that moment made it impossible to force a smile.
"Gale, what's wrong?" he asked, his expression full of concern.
After wiping stray tears from my cheeks, I invited him inside. We were both still wearing office attire, but his clothes were finer and clearly more expensive. Wordlessly, he sat down on the couch and waited for me to close the door.
Instead of opting for a nearby chair, I sank down next to him. It was then that I noticed my blouse was spotted with tearstains. Strands of light brown hair had come loose from my bun. I knew I looked like a mess. Taking a shaky breath, I told Darren, "I got laid off today."
He extended a hand as if to touch me but then let it drop onto the cushion between us. "I'm so sorry."
Meeting his sympathetic gaze, I struggled not to weep. I guessed he was around forty, over ten years my senior, but his wavy, dark hair and mostly unlined face made him appear younger. His eyes, a rich hazel, were warm and tender as he now regarded me.
"You know how the job market is right now," I continued in a quavering voice. "It'll take me forever to find something else, and I don't have much time. I'm still paying back student loans, and of course, there's the rent, which keeps going up..." I shook my head helplessly. "I'll lose everything."
This time, Darren placed a tentative hand on my back, and I welcomed his comforting touch. For a while, we discussed my prospects, as well as potential avenues I could explore in trying to land another job, yet I sensed we both knew it was hopeless in this recession.
Finally, my neighbor leaned a little closer to me and said, "Maybe I can help you."
I snapped my head up to search his face. "How?"
Darren hesitated for a few seconds, considering his reply. "I'm in a good place financially," he said. "I can cover your rent and living expenses."
My mouth dropped open in shock at his generous offer. "But why would you do that?"
"You'd be working for me." As he spoke, his stare dropped to my breasts. "In doing so, you'd be giving me something I've needed for a long time."
Apprehension prickled the skin at the nape of my neck. What could Darren possibly need so desperately that he'd be willing to support me financially in order to get it? It couldn't be sex, I told myself. I'd seen several women stopping by his apartment on numerous occasions over the past year. Only a few weeks ago, a petite blonde had given me a chilly smile as she arrived at his place.
Now, Darren tore his gaze away from my tits and met my eyes. When he inclined his head toward me, I didn't withdraw. Instead, I listened as he described his deepest fantasy.
Erotic lactation.
My eyes widened at what my neighbor revealed. I had no idea such a fetish existed!
"So," I began, drawing out the word, "you're willing to cover my living expenses if I let you suck my tits?"
He grimaced at my crass phrasing. "It's not just that." Again, his stare settled on my breasts. My figure was voluptuous, and though I was self-conscious about the slight curve of my belly, I delighted in having large tits. "It will require a lot of patience and effort on your part and mine," Darren went on. "We'll need to consistently work at inducing lactation."
"But how can I possibly produce milk?"
"I'll buy some supplements for you that will help. And of course, I'll need to..." Even as he struggled to continue, his stare grew hotter. "I'll need to suckle several times a day." Swallowing hard, he crossed his legs and angled his lower body away from me. I couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to hide an erection. "Are your breasts large enough for you to suck your own nipples, Gale?"
Now I was the one squirming while my face flushed hot. A former boyfriend had loved to see me gather my tits in my hands and lift my nipples to my mouth, so I knew I was perfectly capable of doing what Darren suggested. "They are, yes."
"You'll need to start doing that regularly, and you should also play with your nipples and palpate your breasts throughout the day." His eyes locked with mine. "Are you willing to work with me on this? I'll need your total commitment."
My mind reeled from his proposal. It shocked me that I was seriously considering it. But what choice did I have? Since I'd learned that I was out of a job, my imagination had run wild with nightmare scenarios. I could clearly picture the eviction notice on my door, and then losing most of my belongings. I'd be kicked out of my home and forced to live in my car. There was no one I could turn to for help. Most of my friends were also struggling to keep their heads above water, and my parents were toxic people I avoided at all costs.
Darren was the only one extending a lifeline to me.
"I'm willing," I told him in a voice just above a whisper.