by Anita Claire
Releasing our kiss, I gasp, “Nate we can’t do this in your boss’s bathroom.”
“You look so hot, I’ve spent the entire evening trying to control my hard-on. No one’s going to miss us,” he says as he turns me around so we’re both facing the fancy counter and the large mirror.
“Grab a hold of the sink.” He instructs as he starts licking my neck. “Baby, arch your back.” he insists as he moves my panties over and positions himself while rubbing my clit. Staring at both of our faces in the mirror, I see my elegant hair and smoky makeup juxtaposed oddly to my shaking earrings and gasping mouth as Nate rocks into me.
He gasps. “Your breasts are so hot.”
Looking down my reflection, I watch them through the illusion top as they shake in rhythm to his thrusts. Looking up, I watch his face as he squints his eyes and grimaces. Our orgasms overtake us. After he pulls out, he kisses the back of my neck, zips up his pants, and then hands me some toilet paper. Cleaning myself up, and straightening up my dress, our eyes connect again in the mirror.
“You ready?” he asks.
Holding up my index finger, I give myself a good check and reapply my lipstick, making sure I don’t have any obvious signs of sex, besides my flushed face.
Nodding, yes, he opens the door, looks around, grabs my hand and leads me back to the wall in the family room. Standing in front of him, he wraps his arms around me as I lean back. “They didn’t even know we were gone.” He whispers into my hair as the video ends.
Chapter 30 – Hanging Out Together
The next morning, as I lay across his chest tracing the intricate design of his tattoo with my fingers, he holds me with both arms. “I can’t believe we had a quickie in your boss’s bathroom.”
Feeling his chest rumble from laughter, he says, “That was fun, a lot more fun than that boring video.”
“Yes, a lot more fun than the boring video.”
“And you looked so hot. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. I think that dress is even hotter than the football T-shirt.”
“I hate to tell you this, but I borrowed that dress from my mom.”
Nate stills. “I don’t ever want to see your mom in that dress. I’m sure your mom’s a nice looking lady, but I think I’d need counseling if I ever saw your mom in that dress.”
“You make it sound like a trashy dress. I think it’s an elegant dress.”
“Babe, that’s what made it so hot, it showed just enough but not too much. It made me want to undress you to see the rest.”
My cheek lays on his warm chest, as I listen to his heart thump. “We should do something fun today. Something other than lying in bed and having sex.”
“What, you don’t like lying in bed having sex?” he responds.
“Oh, I like having sex with you. In the last week, we’ve had a lot of sex. I’d just like to do something with you other than have sex. I kept on thinking those ladies last night were going to ask me what the two of us do together, and I was going to have a hard time coming up with something other than have great sex.”
Chuckling deeply, he says, “OK, other than having great sex, what do you want to do?”
“Have you ever been down to Elkhorn Slough?’
“I can’t say I have.”
“It’s another one of my favorite places. We can rent kayaks and paddle into the slough. There’s lots of harbor seals and one of the largest populations of sea otters, along with a lot of sea birds like egrets, herons, pelicans, and kites.”
“Well, you know your slough.”
“My friend Kelly has a degree in biology.” I smirk, “Though these days she’s riding in the cross country cycling circuit. But in college, she spent a couple of summers working for The Elkhorn Slough Foundation. She loved kayaking around the Monterey Bay. Whenever I had the chance, I would come down and follow her around. She always made it so fun and interesting.”
Nate reaches over to his phone, “Elkhorn Slough,” he says as he pulls up his browser.
“Just type in Kayak Connection; it takes an hour to get there, see if they have any kayaks available for this morning.” I say as I sit up and grab my phone. “My parents have a membership to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Let me call them to get a couple of their guest passes.”
“Babe, you realize it’s eight in the morning.”
“My parents are up early, where do you think I get it from?”
Nate dresses in cargo pants and a Henley, while I wear running pants and a long sleeved running top. As we stop at my parents’, I’m relieved that they’re already on a hike. I’m not yet ready to introduce Nate to the family.
Nate stands in the hallway. I head for their home office and the section of my mom’s desk where she keeps things like memberships. After finding the passes, Nate is no longer in the hall.
“Is the purple room yours?” he calls out.
Following his voice to my childhood bedroom, I see Nate looking at it from the doorway.
“Nate, we don’t have time to have sex in my childhood bed.”
“I wasn’t even thinking of having sex in your childhood bed,” he says, cocking his eyebrow. “But we might have time for a quickie.”
Rolling my eyes, I pull on his arm, “No quickies in my childhood bed.”
He just kind of shakes his head, “You’re an odd combination of feminine and fierce.”
“What, because I grew up in a purple bedroom?”
“Because your purple bedroom is feminine at first look.” Then he takes a couple steps in, zeroing in on my Mia Hamm poster, my childhood hero. It sits above my bookcase filled with math books, computer books, and awards I’ve received. Behind my bed is a six-foot-tall, one dimensional, cardboard Tardis.
“But filled with…not very feminine things,” he says as his eyes move down to my high school team pictures. Finally, he picks up one of my plastic molded dragons and turns it around in his hand.
“As a kid I was enamored with dragons. I had a rather wild imagination.”
Putting it down, he looks at me, twines one of my curls around his finger, and says, “Yeah, let’s get going. You got the tickets?”
“Let’s grab something to eat first.” I take his hand and lead him into the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, I announce, “Toast, bagel, cereal?” I pull out a container of apple cider.
“Should we really be eating your parents’ food?”
“Really, you go home and don’t raid the refrigerator?”
With a big smile, he says, “True. I think one of the first things I do when I get to my parents’ house is to raid the refrigerator.”
Chapter 31 – Girl Friends
Monday after fencing, I get home to find Cassie watching Property Brothers on HGTV.
“What, no Keeping up with Kardashians?” I ask.
“I’ve seen all the episodes, now I’m back to watching HGTV.”
When a commercial comes on, she turns down the sound, with excitement she tells me, “Juliette, I couldn’t wait to tell you, I met that guy you just love.”
Looking at her perplexed, “What are you talking about?”
“You know, Bradford Perry, the musician. You always tell me how much you love his voice. Luke and I were at a thing where he sang. We got to hang out with him afterwards. He’s so hot. Everyone was talking about him being the new artist of the year, and his album winning a lot of Grammy’s. His friends all call him ‘Ford.’ He reminds me of that guy I dated in High School. You remember Beau Bradley? He, too, was hot. Remember him?”
My stomach clenches, Beau Bradley was my sophomore year crush. Knowing this, Cassie went after him.
Cassie continues, “Beau had that brooding, hipster thing going. Well, Bradford Perry is ten times hotter, and his voice….” She just rolls her eyes and pretends to swoon. “Live, his voice just runs through you.”
This whole conversation is annoying me. I introduced Cassie to Bradford Perry’s music the same way I pointed out Beau Bradley. Sometimes Cassie can be so self-
centered and insensitive.
Realizing I’m being petty and ridiculous by thinking she can’t enjoy a musician I introduced her to, I breathe deeply to control my hurt feelings. Slapping on a fake smile, I try to move forward.
“We haven’t done anything together in a while. Maybe we should get tickets to his next concert.” I reply.
Thankfully, Property Brothers comes back on. I watch the show trying to tease out why I feel crushed.
On Tuesday, as Meredith and I run, the inevitable princess interrogation begins.
“You haven’t been around the last couple of weeks.” She questions.
“And your point is?”
“You can dish it out, but you can’t take it.”
“Meredith, do you have a point to this?”
“You were all ‘what’s going on with Jennifer and Rocket,’ but when you have a new guy, you’re ten times more tight lipped.”
This makes me laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You and Nate, come on, dish.”
“It’s good.”
“That’s what you give up? That’s worse than Jenifer’s ‘fun fun fun.’”
“Meredith, it’s just, we’re past the angst of does he like me, and in the middle of he’s my new guy. I’m happy but, Nate and I are too new to talk about.”
“So, you two are having sex?”
“What, are we now in high school? Really?”
“Hita said you’re taking him to the company party this Saturday. Do I really have to wait until her report to learn more?”
“OK, you can ask one question.”
“Are you having crazy monkey sex?”
“Did you ask Hita if she’s having crazy monkey sex with her new guy?”
“First of all, ew. Those two are probably letting their avatars have the sex. And, second of all, answer my one question.”
“Yeah, sex with Nate is amazing. He’s just so sweet.”
“Sweet isn’t crazy monkey sex.”
“OK, so after the crazy monkey sex, he’s real sweet.”
“When do Sam and I get to meet Mr. Sweet-after-sex?”
“Let me talk it over with Nate, and get back to you.”
At work Nate texts in.
Nate: Furniture
Juliette: What? Give me a couple more words than that.
Nate: I’ve got furniture
Juliette: When do we get to break in your new couch and bed?
Nate: Tonight
All I can think is “ugh.” He gets home from work sometimes so late. It’s so much easier if he comes to my place….
Juliette: Only if you can guarantee you’ll be home by 8:30.
As Hita and I head to the cafeteria, she elbows me, “Saturday I get to meet Mr. Sweet-after-sex.”
“Really, don’t you have something better to do than stupid, idle gossip?”
“You are the queen of hypocrisy. You’ve been itching to know more about Jennifer and Rocket and what went down with Kelly and Sean, but when it’s your turn, you’re all tight lipped.”
“OK, I’ll dish, we had a really nice time on Sunday. We went sea kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough, had lunch at Moss Landing Phil’s, spent the afternoon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and had dinner at Café Sparrow in Aptos.”
“That sounds like a day with your parents. You need to give me more.”
“Little Miss Glass House, you’ve got a new guy. Give me good dirt on the two of you, and I’ll give you dirt on us.”
Hita smiles, “We had fun playing games this past weekend.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s not dirt, you always do that.”
“See, it sucks when friends only tell the G rated parts of their relationship.” She says with a big smile.
“Yeah, OK, well…” Then I give a wicked smile, “We had crazy monkey sex.”
She just laughs, “That was really graphic, detailed, and insightful.” Then she heads off to the Indian food line for some quasi home cooking.
At Zumba, Isabelle says, “I thought you were working late on Tuesdays and Thursdays?”
“I’ll work late after the holidays. I went in on Saturday, and only one guy was there for about a half-an-hour. None of those guys have a life, that’s why they’re always working.”
After Zumba, Isabelle walks me to my car. “I hear Nate’s Mr. Sweet-after-sex.”
“Really? That’s the lamest name I’ve ever heard.”
“Is it good? I don’t mean sex, I mean he’s nice to you, are you happy with this guy?”
As we both sit down in my car with my engine running, I say, “Yeah, he’s real nice, considerate, and easy to be around.” Then I blush a little, “after sex he likes to cuddle. I didn’t know guys like this existed.”
“If he’s so nice, why isn’t he already married? I mean he’s cute, nice, considerate, and has a great future. He doesn’t seem to have commitment issues.”
Smiling I nod my head.
“Why hasn’t some other women hooked her claws into him?” she asks.
“Do you think he has some horrible trait that’s hidden from me?”
She shrugs, “No, not necessarily. It’s just, if he’s such a great guy you’d think he would’ve been with some woman when he was living in Minnesota. Why was he single, and so eager to move here and start a relationship with you?”
“I have no idea, I never thought about that.”
“Oh, no, now I’ve got you overthinking this. I’m just trying to understand guys. Supposedly they have the same range of feelings as we have, but I just think they’re wired differently. I just don’t get where they’re coming from.”
“You’re not seeing Paul again?” I question.
She gives me a hard look, “No, I’m not seeing Paul. It’s just all the guys I meet only want a hookup. Why is it that guys our age are only looking for a hookup?”
“Maybe you need to look at older guys? Nate’s five years older. Maybe he was just into hooking up when he was our age, and now he wants more?” My stomach really clenches after that thought. Nate’s so sweet; I don’t want to think of him as some skanky guy who treated women poorly. Then again, I don’t want to think of him dating or being with other women. He obviously is experienced in bed, and in relationships. Isabelle’s right, I can’t go down some path that will only lead into a downward spiral.
Chapter 32 – Nate’s Place
Getting to Nate’s apartment at a little after eight thirty, I ring his doorbell. No answer. I text him: I’m at your place.
Sitting down on the cold cement walkway by his front door, I pull out my phone and continue reading my latest fun romance novel.
My butt gets cold, and my back gets tight, it’s now nine and still no Nate. I text him again. I should have stayed in my car, but this is a good lesson. I’m not showing up at his place when he’s working. It’s so much more convenient when he comes over to my place. At nine-o-seven, I hear the sound of running feet, then I see Nate.
“Juliette, I’m so sorry. I tried to get out at eight.”
Giving me his hand, he helps me up. I shake my phone in his face, “I didn’t leave my place until eight fifteen. At least find the fifteen seconds to text me you’re running late.” I take a deep breath to quell my annoyance.
“You’re either giving me a key to your place, or you’re coming over to my place, because I’m not going to sit out here in the cold again just for some stupid booty call.” I say as I huff into his place. Obviously, the deep breath didn’t mellow me out.
Looking around his place, the new furniture is nice, though the apartment still has this generic quality to it, probably because there’s nothing hanging on the clean white walls. The living room now has a semi-modern cream-colored leather sectional with matching ottoman. Walking into the bedroom, I drop my bag on the floor as I look at the bed. It is semi-modern, dark wood bedroom set. It’s functional but lacks the style of Cassie’s place. Sitting down at the end of the bed, my butt and back feel stiff while
I feel chilled, which maintains my annoyance.
Nate stands in the bedroom doorway, holding onto the top of the door frame as he watches me pout.
Leaning back on the bed with my feet on the floor, I raise my hands over my head. “Are we going to break in your new bed?”
“Are you talking to me, or are you angry with me?”
“I was annoyed with you; I voiced my annoyance, now I want you to make it up to me. My butt’s still stiff and I’m chilled from sitting by your front door. I need some loving to make me feel better.”
Nate walks over to the bed, stares down. “That’s it; you’re really over with being mad?”
“What, you were half-an-hour late, you apologized, can we move on now?”
He smiles as he leans over, placing both hands on either side of me, lowering himself as if he’s doing a push-up.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, rolling my fingers through his hair, I get one of his nice deep kisses. When we release, with a warm smile, I say, “Now that alone warmed me up.”
“You taste like toothpaste, give me a minute to catch up.”
The next morning as we lay in post coital bliss, I say, “I was telling my friend, Isabelle, what a good guy you are, and she asked me why weren’t you already married if you were such a good guy?”
Feeling him stiffen, I wonder if I just asked the wrong question. Does he think I’m pushing him? I just want to know if there are any skeletons in his closet. Or maybe it’s just my curiosity. Shit, why did I ask this question?
He finally answers. “You’re not my first girlfriend. Not every relationship ends in marriage.”
“Well, you’re not my first relationship, and I guarantee that when a relationship ends, hopefully you’re not married.”
“Did you contemplate marring your last boyfriend?”
Laughing at just the thought of that, I say, “Never. God, I was in grad school. Marriage was so far from my mind. I didn’t get the other grad students who were getting engaged and married. How can you make a lifelong decision before you know who you’re going to be?”
