by Claire Adams
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. She and Margie were holding different desserts. Margie was carrying a tub of vanilla ice cream, and Anna was holding a pie. It looked homemade.
“That looks amazing. Did you make that?”
Anna nodded. “It’s my great-grandma Ethel’s famous apple cherry pie.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had or even heard of an ‘apple-cherry pie,’” I said.
“That’s the point,” she said with a wink. She placed the pie down in the center of the table and took the ice cream tub from Margie. She placed it beside the pie and said, “Thank you, Margie. Will you go get everyone and tell them dessert is ready?”
“Yes!” Margie said and ran off to the living room.
“No, running!” I yelled after her. I heard her feet slow down a bit, and I grinned.
“It’s fine,” Anna said.
I leaned into her and gave her a kiss.
“What was that for?” she asked with the most beautiful smile on her face.
“Just because,” I said, though there was more I wanted to say. I longed to tell her how I really felt, but I was too scared. I didn’t know how she felt about me, and I didn’t want to ruin anything by telling her too soon.
“Thank you,” she said and kissed me back lightly.
We sat down just as everyone came over to the table.
“Is this great-grandma Ethel’s pie?” Ally asked.
“Of course. I wouldn’t want any other one,” Anna said.
She cut a slice of pie for each of us, and Millie put a scoop of ice cream on each one. I went in to take a bite, not knowing what to expect since I had never tried a pie like this, and I was blown away by the flavors.
The crust was a perfect flaky pie crust, and the filling was tangy and sweet. The mixture of the two fruit fillings was surprisingly good. I decided it was my new favorite.
“Wow. This is great, Anna,” I said.
“Thank great-grandma Ethel,” she said with a laugh.
“My grandmother had been making pies one day in her kitchen. She made an apple pie and a cherry pie and had one more pie crust. She only had half the amount of each filling and on a whim decided just to mix them so she wouldn’t have to waste any ingredients. And thus, her famous apple-cherry pie was born,” Millie explained.
“I’m glad she almost ran out of ingredients,” Margie said. Half of her pie was on her face and we all started laughing. “Will you teach me how to bake?” Margie asked Anna after taking another bite of her pie.
“Of course, sweetheart. Maybe your daddy can drop you off here sometime, and we can have a girl’s day. We can bake and watch movies.”
“Yeah!” she said.
The conversation moved on to all the crazy things that great-grandma Ethel did in her later years. I found it so interesting how close their family was. Mine wasn’t very close. I had my mom and dad, but other than that, I didn’t really talk to my family much.
After we finished our desserts, Anna’s parents and Ally decided it was time to leave.
“It was so nice to finally meet you, Justin,” Millie said to me. “It’s too bad Anna hid you from us for so long.”
I looked at Anna. “Yeah, I guess she wanted to see how serious we were first. It was nice to meet you, Millie.”
She gave me a hug.
“Nice to meet you, Justin,” Tom said to me.
“Likewise,” I said and grabbed his hand for a handshake.
“See ya around, Justin,” Ally said.
“Bye, Ally,” I said.
Anna hugged her sister and her parents and then turned to me when they were gone.
“Thanks for doing this,” Anna said.
“You’re welcome. They seem really nice,” I said.
Anna smiled at me. “Do you guys want to watch a movie?”
“Yeah! I don’t want to go home yet!” Margie yelled.
Anna and I laughed.
“What movie would you guys like to watch?” I shrugged, and she got down with Margie. “Do you want to pick out the movie?”
Margie nodded her head with excitement and Anna led her over to her stack of DVDs.
“I don’t have many family movies, but I have Netflix.”
“What’s ‘Beethoven’?” she pronounced it just as it was spelled: “beet-hoven.”
Anna laughed. “That’s Beethoven. It’s about the family dog.”
Margie’s eyes lit up. “Can we watch it?”
Anna said yes and put it in her DVD player. We all settled onto her couch with Margie between us and started watching the movie.
Margie was silent the whole time. She fell asleep halfway through, resting her head on Anna. It was so sweet, and I knew I wouldn’t mind doing this every single night for the rest of my life.
Anna gently rubbed Margie’s head.
“Thank you for doing this,” I whispered to Anna, I was trying not to wake Margie.
“You are more than welcome. I really do enjoy both of you guys being around.”
I smiled at her. “I enjoy it too. And I can tell she just adores you.”
“I adore her. She’s the sweetest little girl I’ve ever met.”
The movie ended, and Anna helped me carry Margie out to the car. I gently put her in, and she didn’t even wake up. I closed the car door and turned to Anna.
“Thanks again for doing this,” she said.
“It was my pleasure, Anna,” I leaned in and gave her a kiss. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she said.
I got into the car and watched her in my rearview mirror until she made it back inside. I was falling madly in love with this woman. It excited and terrified me at the same time.
Chapter Eighteen
Anna
The next day, I went to my studio to clean the place up. Dinner with my family, Justin, and Margie had been amazing, and Margie was a huge hit with both my parents. Even Ally adored her. I saw my dad pull Justin off to the side, but I didn’t know what they talked about it. I forgot to ask before they left, but I was very curious what was said between the two.
I refilled my lotion bottles and heard the front door open. I didn’t have an appointment for another two hours, so I figured it must have been a walk-in. While I didn’t get them a lot, they did happen occasionally. I only allowed enough time for two 15-minute walk-in sessions per day. Any more time than that, and I wouldn’t be able to get much of my other things done.
An appointment could be booked for anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes. I found most people picked either twenty or the full sixty. There were hardly any in-between. I had only ever done one twenty-five minute massage before.
I walked back out of the room and was surprised to see that Justin was sitting in a waiting chair.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” I said, but I realized I should elaborate more. I didn’t want him to think I was upset that he just dropped by. “I mean, I don’t mind that you’re here, of course. It’s a nice surprise.” I said it with a bright smile.
I felt incredibly nervous without knowing why. He met my family, and they absolutely loved both him and Margie. Dinner was a total success and yet, seeing Justin sitting in my waiting room filled me with a fresh wave of nerves.
Justin smiled, and I nearly fainted. He had the best smile I’d ever seen on a man. I loved every smile he sent my way. I knew I needed to get a hold of my emotions before he saw through my façade.
“I just wanted to talk to you. If you aren’t busy,” he said and glanced around as if he hadn’t yet checked to see if someone was there.
“My next client isn’t for a couple of hours. I can talk. Are you okay?” I moved and sat next to him in another waiting chair. I felt weird standing there when he was asking if we could talk. I hoped that he wasn’t going to tell me he couldn’t pretend to be my boyfriend anymore. My heart rate had picked up, and I could hear it pounding in my ears.
“I’m still stressed about my next fight,” he admi
tted.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and hoped he didn’t notice. I placed a hand on his arm. I was big on showing affection to people who really needed it. “You’re going to do great. You are going to win. You need to put the last fight behind you because you did win it. It doesn’t matter how close you came to losing, you won, Justin. That is all that matters.”
“I know, but it still really bothers me how close I came to not winning. My next fight is coming up, Anna,” he said, and then he looked into my eyes. “I really need you there.”
He put emphasis a strong emphasis on the word “really.” My heart ached for him, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort him.
“I know,” I started to say, but he cut me off. It didn’t bother me because I could sense the amount of fear he felt.
“No, you don’t. I’m serious; I need you there. You don’t understand… If you aren’t there, I’ll lose for sure.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“But it is. Please. I can’t do this without you, and I cannot afford to lose.”
It was weird that I’d been thinking he was coming to say he didn’t want to pretend anymore when it was almost the complete opposite. He was begging me go to his fight.
“Of course, I will be there,” I said. “Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will stop me from coming.”
“Thank you. You really are amazing, you know that?” he said. And then he grabbed my face and started kissing me. I think it might have been a thank you kiss at first, but it quickly turned into a passion-filled, lustful kiss.
“I want you,” he groaned against my lips.
“Is this your favorite place to have sex?” I said with a laugh, but I stood up all the same. I held out my hand, which he quickly grabbed, and moved to lock the front door. I led him back into the massage room. As soon as the door was closed, our mouths were back on each other once again.
Justin gently picked me up and carried me the few steps to the massage table. He set me down on it and stood between my legs. I could feel his erection pressing into me through our clothes. We kissed for a few more minutes. His lips were so soft; I couldn’t get enough of them.
We pulled apart, and he helped me remove my shirt, and I did the same for him.
The friction between us was hotter than ever. Our sexual chemistry was undeniable, but I felt so much more than just desire this time.
He went back to kissing me; this time he left little kisses in a trail down my neck to my breasts, where he stopped at the edge of my bra.
He pulled my pants off so I was sitting on the table in just my bra and panties. It was a vulnerable position to be in, but I didn’t mind. Justin never made me feel uncomfortable.
“You are so gorgeous. You know that?” he said. He stood there and stared at me for a few seconds.
“Thank you,” I said. I felt a little shy, but it was easing away the more turned on I became.
I reached behind me and unhooked my bra. I let it slide down my arms and onto the floor. I was only in my panties. The feeling of vulnerability was quickly turning into a daring confidence.
“I wish I could look at you like this all the time,” he said and started kissing my neck. He moved down to my breasts and this time didn’t stop. He sucked on my nipples as I had my arms wrapped around his neck. It felt so good, and I was getting more and more excited. He moved from my left nipple to my right, teasing me mercilessly.
Then he stopped and removed his pants. He pulled a condom out of the side pocket before he tossed them to the floor beside him. He then removed his boxers and my panties and told me to lay back. I did as he asked and spread my legs automatically.
I watched him roll the condom onto his hard shaft. It was an erotic sight, and I was more than ready to feel him. He moved between my legs, and I felt him press his cock against my clit, where he gently moved it up and down. The feeling made me squirm. I wanted him inside of me. I didn’t know how much longer I could wait.
He slowly entered me, filling me up with the feel of him. The sensations he was already creating felt amazing.
We both moaned in pleasure when he began to move in and out of me. He did it slowly, gently. Every single motion was pure ecstasy, and I found that I almost enjoyed this more than rough sex.
“Mmm, Anna,” he moaned into my ear.
He leaned down so our chests touched, and I had my legs wrapped around him. The skin-to-skin contact, mixed with the slow motion of him moving in and out of me was almost too much for me to take.
“Oh, Justin,” I moaned. “Don’t stop.”
He picked up the pace a little bit, but I don’t think he wanted to ruin the moment, so he kept going at a moderate speed. He was so deep inside of me, and the feelings of pleasure were so overwhelming.
“You like that?” he asked and started moving a little harder. His thrusts were still slow, but they were suddenly harder, more insistent.
I liked it so much that I couldn’t speak. I could hardly move. I nodded my head and focused on the feeling of his body on mine and his dick sliding smoothly in and out.
It was too much.
“I think I’m going to come,” I said.
“Oh yeah?” he said breathlessly. He moved a little faster, but not too much faster, and I started to feel my body tense up before an explosion of pleasure. I felt Justin throb inside of me and then he relaxed on top of me.
We stayed like that for a few more minutes, enjoying our post-coital glow.
“Thank you,” he said and gave me a kiss before he climbed off me.
“No, thank you,” I said with a wink. I climbed off the table and started putting my clothes back on. The sex had been so tender and gentle, not at all what we usually did. Justin was never barbaric with me, but this was the first time it felt more emotional than physical. I enjoyed every moment of it.
After we got dressed, I followed him out to the waiting room area and unlocked the door.
“What did my dad say to you?” I asked him suddenly. I almost forgot to bring it up.
“When?” he asked.
“When he pulled you away, and you guys were all secretive.”
Justin kissed me. “That’s for me to know, and for you to not know,” he said and then winked.
“I’m serious, what was it about?” I tried to hide my smile.
“We were just talking sports.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Really? That’s it?”
“Yeah, pretty much. He said he would invite Margie and me to a Patriots game sometime.”
I studied his face to see if he was telling the truth or not, and when I decided he wasn’t lying, I said, “Okay. I believe you. And yes, the box seats are a lot of fun.”
Justin laughed. “Feel better?”
“I guess so,” I said.
I gave him a hug. “Thanks for that. You know… in there.”
“No, thank you,” he said, repeating my words from before. He kissed me and added, “I’ll call you later?”
I nodded my head. “Sure.”
I didn’t want to admit it out loud yet in case he didn’t feel the same, but at that moment, I realized something huge: I was starting to fall in love with Justin.
It was hard for me to get through the rest of the day. I had a hard time concentrating on the math I had to do and figured I would just get it done tomorrow. I left the studio early and headed home, but I couldn’t get Justin or the amazing sex we just had off my mind.
That night, as I was laying on my couch, my phone rang. I glanced at and smiled. It was him.
“Hey, you. I was wondering if you were going to call,” I said with a laugh.
“I told you I would. I was waiting to put Margie down for bed.”
“Makes sense,” I said.
“How are your parents?” he asked.
“They’re good. They want to take the three of us to a theme park on Saturday,” I said before I quickly added, “If you guys aren’t busy. I’m not sure how long they plan
to stick around this time, but I know they want to see you guys again.”
Justin made a “hmm” noise for a minute. “I’ve got to think about that.”
My heart dropped, and then I heard him laugh.
“Just kidding. We are free and would love to go.”
“Has she ever been to a theme park?” I asked him.
“Nope. I think she will love it though. Please tell your parents thank you for us if you talk to them before Saturday,” he said.
“I will. Are you doing any better?” I asked. “You know, after today?” I winked.
“Of course. It’s like magic,” he said with a laugh.
I laughed. “Oh please. You just say that because you have to right now.”
“I’m serious,” he said. “Best pussy I’ve ever had.”
“Oh my god! Justin,” I said, laughing. “I’m glad to know I do it for you.”
We talked for two hours that night. It was easy and fun. We laughed and flirted. I hadn’t talked on the phone for that long since I was in high school. It made me feel young, and I could feel myself falling for him more and more. He was so easy for me to talk to, and he was always making me laugh. The sex was amazing, which was a total plus for me.
“I didn’t realize how late it was,” he said, sleepily.
“I know. Thank you for staying up and talking to me for so long,” I responded.
“You’re welcome. Get some sleep, Anna.”
“You too, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, goodnight, gorgeous,” he said, and I was glad he couldn’t see my cheeks flush pink.
“Goodnight, Justin,” I said.
I hung up the phone and rolled onto my side. I had moved to my bed an hour into our conversation. I knew I was going to sleep well that night. Just thinking about Justin brought me peace.
Chapter Nineteen
Justin
I woke up feeling better than I had in a long time. The sky seemed a little bluer, the sun a little more yellow, the grass a little greener. I couldn’t help the overwhelming feelings of love I was starting to feel. As I got Margie ready for our adventure to the theme park with Anna, Ally, and their parents, I couldn’t help but notice that she might be just as in love with Anna as I was.
