Wine and Spirits

by J. J. Fogg

  “I'm outta here, you two!” Eddie yelled from the bar. “I'll lock up on my way out!”

  They didn't respond to him, preoccupied with finishing the puzzle and engrossed in each other.

  “Yeah, Okay, Eddie.” he pretended to be speaking their side of the conversation now, since they weren't. “Thanks, Eddie. Thanks for doing all the cleanup, Eddie. Thanks for closing, Eddie. You're a great guy, Eddie.”

  “You're a great guy, Eddie!” Lily finally called out.

  “You're a great guy, Eddie!” Nick repeated.

  Eddie laughed. “Okay, okay. Good night, you two.” He shut the door behind him and locked it.

  They thought they'd be able to finish the puzzle by two-thirty, but didn't actually finish it until just after three and then they spent another fifteen minutes trying to find the lone single piece that somehow went missing. They crawled under the table, checked inside the box—multiple times, even—to no avail.

  “Well, I guess that's that.” Nick said, as he slowly stood upright, cursing his aching back and giving up the hunt for the missing puzzle piece.

  “Ow, ow, ow,” Lily whined as she, too, tried to stand up after having been in various leaning positions most of the night.

  “So, I was thinking…” he started, “now that Eddie's gone…” he reached out to hold one of her hands.

  Where is he going with this?

  “…and the bar is officially closed, right?”

  “Um, yeah?” she asked nervously.

  “Okay, good. So, I'm thinking there's one more thing we should do before I leave. I don't even think it's breaking any rules.”

  Oh god, what is happening?

  “What's that look for?” he asked, seeing the look of trepidation on her face. “Don't you trust me?”

  “Not even a little. Not right now, I don't.”

  He smirked, then reached out to hold her other hand. He pulled her closer to him and started walking backward, pulling her with him. Then he spun her around so that she was now facing the jukebox. “Pick a song, Lily.”

  She snickered. “Oh my god, you're such a tease.”

  “Who, me? What on earth are you talking about? I just wanted one more dance with you.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What were you thinking, Miss Lily O'Connor?” Then he gasped—a loud fake gasp. “Oh my gosh, did you think…” he didn't finish the sentence.

  Her cheeks became flush and hot and he could tell she was feeling embarrassed, so he stopped the teasing.

  “Ok, seriously, I'm about to pass out, Lily, but I really do want you to pick a song.”

  “Okay, this will be easy, if we have it.” She flipped through several pages of tunes, searching single-mindedly for a specific song. “No way!”

  “What?”

  “Doc just never ceases to amaze me, that's all.” She queued up the song, then turned to face him. She reached her hands up to his shoulders again, as he slunk his hands down to her waist. She was already leading him in a slow sway before the music even started.

  Then she giggled quietly.

  “Oh no. What did you…”

  The music started. It was the B-52s' Love Shack.

  She snorted, then started openly laughing as she looked up at him, still keeping him wrapped in her draped arms.

  “You're incredible, you know that, Lily?”

  “Yeah…I am pretty awesome.” She leaned in against him and slow-danced to the ninety-three beats per minute song.

  She lowered her hands until they were pressing against his chest. They were growing uncomfortable hanging from his shoulders—at least, that's what she told herself. She massaged his chest through his shirt, slowly, firmly. Then she scraped across one of his nipples with her fingertips—quite by accident, of course—and heard him gasp.

  He couldn't see it, but he felt her cheeks rise against his chest as she smiled. He wrapped his arms further behind her waist, then pulled her tighter against him. He stroked her back, up and down, as they continued to sway, reaching further with each movement, until his hands reached her belt-line.

  He paused there, only for a moment, before reaching further down, as far as he could reach, fondling her butt through her jeans.

  She responded by pressing herself, pelvis first, as close and tight against him as she could. She felt his manhood restrained by his pants, but rebelling angrily against the confinement. She heard him moan, a deep, guttural sound emanating from his core. And she felt it in his chest, still pressed against her cheek.

  The song ended, but they continued swaying.

  “Lily?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I probably ought to get. I'm glad it's a short drive, but still…” He didn't want to leave. He wanted to spend the night in her loft…in her bed…in her. “I'm about ready to pass out, I'm so tired…”

  “Yeah…me, too.”

  “Are you okay? Are you upset?”

  “Why would I be?”

  “Well, I mean…it feels like we were about to…you know…”

  “You don't have to say it…I understand.” She snaked her hands around to his back and rubbed up and down like he'd been doing to her only a couple of minutes prior. “No, I'm not upset.” They were still swaying, even though they seemingly agreed he should leave. “This feels so nice.”

  “Yeah, it is nice…Thank you.”

  “Nick?” she asked while still in his embrace, her head pressed against his chest again, her cheek against his breast pocket.

  “Yeah, Lily?”

  “I have a small confession to make.”

  “Um…you do?”

  “Yes…I might know where the missing puzzle piece is.” She swallowed a giggle.

  “Excuse me?” He paused as the realization took a couple of seconds to sink in. “Excuse me?” he said again but with even more emphasis, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her body away from him. “Where's the missing piece, Lily?!”

  She smiled up at him, biting her bottom lip.

  “Where, Lily?” he insisted. “I demand to know where that piece is right now!”

  Chapter 16

  “Sorry,” Lily said calmly, “if you want to know where the missing puzzle piece is, you're going to have to find it yourself. That is, if you want it that bad.”

  “What?” his face displayed a tired confusion still swirling in his weary brain. “Well…but…do I get any hints, at least?”

  “Hmmm,” she was thinking it over in her mind. “Your first clue is: It's less than three feet away from you.”

  His confused look only deepened.

  Then she moved away from him a few paces and leaned back against the jukebox. “But now, it's more like…ten feet away from you?”

  “Huh?” he whispered. “Oh…oh my,” he then groaned as his brain finally awakened from its dullness. He walked over to her, placing his hands on her waist.

  “Back to three feet,” she uttered smugly. “Your second clue is…” she continued, “it isn't exactly in plain sight.”

  “What's that supposed to mean…exactly?”

  She bit her bottom lip again. “It means…you're probably going to have to hunt for it and maybe…remove some things…that is, if you want to find it.”

  “Oh, I do, Lily…I do want to find it…”

  “Then why don't you start looking for it?”

  Nick moved his hand to her hair. Why he started there, she didn't know, but she reveled in the feel of his fingers combing her hair, teasing the back of her ears, playing with the tresses that fell as he removed the single clip she always wore to keep her hair out of her face while working.

  “Not there,” he announced.

  “Shocking. I thought for sure…Maybe you should look further…down?”

  He gave her a smirk then knelt down in front of her and started untying her sneakers.

  “Oh!” she giggled in complete surprise, as he removed a shoe from one foot, then lifted the other to do the same. “I wasn't thinking quite that far d
own, but okay…” she teased.

  He held her foot up and made a show of shaking out her tennies and tossing them aside before slowly teasing his fingers into her no-show sock, feeling her skin as he slipped the sock off. Then he turned the sock inside out and shook again, before pronouncing, “Not here either.”

  Lily had to lean back, holding herself up with her hands firmly grasping the jukebox, lest her legs give out completely—she feared they might.

  He lowered her foot, then did the same with the other. “I guess it's somewhere between here…” he lightly tickled the bottom of her sole, “…and the top of your head?” He flung the socks away.

  She wiggled but somehow remained upright. “You're really good at this, mister. Have you frisked a lot of girls?”

  He chuckled, “Hardly, Lily.”

  She wondered if she shouldn't have asked that.

  “But I've watched a lot of cop shows,” he joked as he slid his fingers into one of her front pockets, teasing her leg as he thoroughly inspected it, then did the same with her other front pocket. “Not here either,” he showed a quizzical expression, “where could it possibly be?”

  She rolled both of her lips into her mouth, then zipped them shut with her fingers.

  “Oh, I see, lady—not cooperating, eh? Well, I'll get to the bottom of this, one way or the other…” he withdrew his fingers, then grasped her by her waist and spun her around quickly until she was facing the jukebox.

  Lily yelped in surprise.

  “Hands against the wall, lady, and spread your feet,” he commanded as he wrapped his hands around her right ankle and frisked her all the way up to her butt. Then he did the same with her left leg except, this time he paused at her inseam and massaged her inner thigh, as if he'd found something suspicious there. “Hmm, doesn't seem to be here…unless you're hiding it really well.”

  He turned her back around to face him. “Um, can I get another clue, please?” He knew without a doubt that she was willfully playing along, but he wasn't entirely sure just how far he should go.

  “It's hidden by at least one more layer.”

  “Hmm,” he looked down to the pocket on the front of her shirt.

  Flannel never looked so sexy.

  He slowly slipped his fingers into the pocket, caressing her breast through the fabric and her bra. He found no puzzle piece, but he did manage to extract a moan from her lips.

  He pulled his fingers out, then hesitantly reached for the top-most button of her shirt. He gazed at her with questioning eyes.

  She nodded encouragingly.

  He unfastened the first button…then the second…continuing until they were all undone. The fabric opened only slightly, gaping just enough for him to see that her bra was black contrasting her lighter colored skin. He had to forcibly yank up on the shirt to get the lower hems out of her jeans, then reached behind her to finish extracting it. He slid the shirt off of her shoulders, revealing more and more and more of her skin. He leaned in and kissed the top of her shoulder. “Not here.” He kissed lower over her collar bone. “Not here, either.” He kissed yet lower, just above the cup of her bra. “And not here…where could it possibly be?”

  “Maybe…” she barely managed to breathe, “…maybe…it's still just a little lower?”

  He released the front clasp of her bra, staring into her eyes as he freed her breasts from their confines and into the open air. Goosebumps covered her skin. He slid her bra off of her shoulders and behind her back, letting it fall onto the jukebox. Then he looked down, taking in the sight of her breasts for the first time. “Oh, Lily…”

  She nearly whimpered at his words, then actually did when she felt his warm kisses that quickly turned cool as soon as he pulled away.

  She started sliding down against the jukebox, barely able to hold herself up. Then, just as quickly, the attack relented leaving her out of breath, panting.

  He lifted her breasts, inspecting the crease beneath them, and using the opportunity to grasp them and squeeze them, groaning his appreciation.

  “Oh my…” she blubbered, nearly swooning as he massaged her breasts.

  “Ahem…” he seemed to be trying to collect himself again, “right…well…it's not there either…is it?” He helped her straighten up and wrapped his hands around her waist. “I'm starting to wonder if you've been lying to me, Miss Lily O'Connor. Maybe you don't have the missing puzzle piece, at all.”

  “Or maybe…” she countered, still having a hard time breathing as her breasts heaved and her heart beat pulsed visibly against her skin, “…maybe you just haven't finished your investigation yet.”

  He looked down at her—at her hair tangled and mussed, at her breasts heaving, at her nipples brazenly extended toward him, at her bare feet standing on her tip toes. There was only so much uncharted territory left to expose. “Lily…are you sure?” He looked back up to her, searching her eyes for confirmation…and finding it.

  He lowered himself until he was at eye level with her waist, then released the button to her jeans and pulled back the flap so he could slide down the zipper, revealing black panties that matched her bra. He reached up and snuck his fingers into her belt loops and slowly, deliberately, pulled her jeans down to her ankles. He lifted each leg, one at a time, then threw her jeans unceremoniously to the floor behind him.

  “Well, detective,” she purred, “are you going to see this through?”

  He answered by reaching up and cupping her mound with his hand over her panties, feeling the dampness and heat escaping through the fabric. She gasped then moaned, her pelvis reeling back away from him momentarily, then pressed urgently forward against the palm of his hand.

  He bent his fingers behind the sides of her panties and slid them down. “Oh…Lily…” He was mesmerized, transfixed, paralyzed…until she grabbed the back of his head.

  Instincts possessed him, while unbridled passion overwhelmed her.

  “Aah! AAH! No more!” Lily cried, yanking him off of her forcibly by his hair, then pulling him up in front of her. “I need you naked, now!”

  Together, they stripped off his clothes, his shirt flying through the air, while his pants collapsed around his ankles. His boxers following soon after, as they also flew across the room in a different direction. His shoes landed in opposite directions and his socks would have been left on, if he'd been wearing any.

  “Now, Nick, please!”

  He leaned her against their table and she hopped up. Then he laid her back atop the puzzle they'd worked so hard to assemble.

  She consumed him.

  He filled her.

  Puzzle pieces clung to her back, while others disjoined and fell to the floor.

  Tears escaped and wetted her face, tears of immeasurable joy, until beautifully—completely—they fulfilled their love.

  Their rhythm was frenetic, their passion unbridled, as they surrendered everything to the other, until there was nothing left to give—until he could hardly stand and she could barely breathe.

  Chapter 17

  After several minutes basking in the afterglow and regaining just enough energy to move again, Nick slowly pulled himself away, seating himself in a chair next to her. He laid a hand on her tummy and let it idly explore her tenderly, gently caressing until both were nearly falling asleep.

  “It's almost five, Nick,” she finally whispered.

  He groaned, but somehow found enough energy to raise himself up.

  Slowly, they began the search for their clothing, strewn seemingly across half the bar room. They dressed themselves as they found each item until they were fully dressed, though thoroughly disheveled.

  “Can I walk you out?” she asked.

  “Only to the door, okay? I don't want you to go outside this late, or early, whatever it is.”

  “Okay.”

  He grabbed his jacket, made sure his keys were in the pocket, and turned to face her. “I'd say I had a good time, Lily, but that seems so…obvious.” He grinned. “Thanks for listening an
d doing old people stuff with me. I never knew it could be like that.”

  “I love doing old people stuff with you.” She reached around him and slid a hand into one of his rear pockets, teasing his ass with a very subtle squeeze.

  They walked together to the door, where she unlocked it but then leaned against it, standing between him and the door like a barricade.

  “I'm afraid this is a toll-door, mister.” she teased.

  “Well, joke's on you, then. I don't have any cash. Do you take debit cards?”

  “Nope. But I do accept other forms of payment.”

  He leaned down. “Like this, maybe?”

  “Mm-hm,” she responded, as she raised herself on her tip toes to meet him in a luxurious kiss.

  He reached his hands behind her head and intertwined her hair with his fingers, and gently pulled them out as if they were a comb. So soft.

  She pressed her hands against the door, pushing herself away from it. Then moved her hands back to him. She slid her fingers down from his chest to his belt and grabbed it as she slowly turned him around, still maintaining their kiss the whole time.

  MMmmmm, she groaned. “Your toll is paid…for now…but you'd better get.”

  “Oh god, Lily.”

  “I know, but I mean it. Please go before we…”

  “You mean, before we again?” he teased.

  She answered with a blush.

  “Okay.” he reluctantly pulled away, her hand giving chase as he retreated. He opened the door, the cold autumn air immediately sending chills through his bones. “Good night, Lily.”

  “Good night, Nick.”

  Lily spent the next hour cleaning up the bar room, careful to leave no trace of their lovemaking. She smiled and planted a tiny kiss on the missing puzzle piece as she put it back into the box with the others. Apparently doing a jigsaw puzzle could be an aphrodisiac, after all.

  # # # #

  It was Friday night again and a very special one at that. It was also Halloween. Doc's Place would commemorate and celebrate it by doing what they always did—absolutely nothing.