Envy

by Summer Wynter

  “You’re very quiet,” he whispered to her while the others at the table were deep in conversation.

  “I don’t work for the company,” she replied. “So, my opinion doesn’t really matter much.”

  “You have a business degree. Therefore you have a right to an opinion about what we’re doing.”

  “You are looking very lovely tonight,” said Bryan, one of the younger department heads on the other side of Rebecca.

  “Thank you,” she said nodding and then turning back to Connor.

  “You’re not involved with anyone right now are you?” said Bryan not getting the hint.

  Rebecca sighed impatiently and turned back to Bryan. “No, I’m not. And I’m not looking to be either.”

  “Oh c’mon,” said Bryan sliding a hand up her arm.

  She pulled her arm away startled. “Please don’t touch me.”

  “Just trying to be friendly.”

  “The lady isn’t interested,” said Connor firmly.

  Rebecca got up and walked over to her father. She whispered to him for a moment and then left with her coat and her purse.

  “What’s her problem?” said Bryan.

  “She doesn’t appreciate being pawed by drunken idiots,” said Mathis.

  Connor sat at the table for another moment before he got up as well. Mathis caught Connor by the wrist as he walked past.

  “She wants to be left alone,” said Mathis.

  “Just making sure she gets a cab, Mathis.” Connor pulled away from Mathis’s grip and went down to the front of the building. He spotted her standing outside with her arms crossed over her chest. He pulled on his coat and put his scarf around his neck before he reached for the door. He hesitated. But then she turned and their eyes met.

  ‘No going back now old man,’ he thought to himself as he pushed open the door.

  “Waiting for a ride?” he asked.

  She sniffed. “I was trying to wait until I had calmed down to call one,” she replied.

  He walked towards her. “Would you rather be alone tonight?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then, why don’t you come back to my place?”

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “I solemnly swear that I will not do anything you don’t want me to. I have a guest room and a perfectly respectable couch if you would prefer.”

  “I have to work tomorrow morning…”

  “I don’t mind stopping by your place to pick up a few things first. We are going in the exact same direction tomorrow morning after all.” He held out his hand to her. “Please.”

  She stared at his hand for a few moment before she reached out and took it.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said with a wink.

  Rebecca’s heart was pounding as they pulled up into his driveway. Thus far, he had done exactly as she had asked. They had gone by her apartment so she could get a few things which were now resting in a duffle bag at her feet. Now they had arrived at his house. It was just as big as her father’s. The only difference was that his house had a more modern design. And an air about it that doesn’t make me feel like I’m suffocating, she thought.

  He put the car in park, turned it off, and then looked at her and smiled. She smiled back.

  “Don’t be nervous,” he said. He opened the door and stepped out. Then walked around the car and opened her door. He picked up her duffle bag and then held out his hand to help her out of the car. She accepted it and they walked into the house.

  They walked into the foyer and he hung up her coat.

  “Your house is gorgeous,” she said looking around.

  “Thanks,” he replied.

  “Is it just you?”

  “Since my wife and I divorced six years ago, yes.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

  “You were away at boarding school when I married her and divorced her. I don’t expect you to remember. And I doubt your father even mentioned it.”

  “He didn’t.” She walked from the foyer into the living room. There was a fire still gently burning in the fireplace.

  “My maid, Delia, left it going for me,” he said putting a log on it. Slowly the fire grew and the flames started to lick at the new log. He turned back to Rebecca who was now sitting on the couch near the fireplace. “Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?”

  “I barely ate any of the dinner,” she said.

  “Let me see what I can pull together in the kitchen.” He disappeared into a doorway and a light turned on. “Ah, how about a fruit and cheese plate thing?”

  “That sounds fine.”

  “Are you adverse to a little meat?”

  “Not at all.” She sat back on the couch and stared into the flames.

  “There’s a bar by the window if you’d like to help yourself.”

  She saw the bar and walked over to it. There were a few bottles and a stack of highball glasses. She picked out the brandy bottle and filled one glass halfway. She looked at her reflection in the window behind the bar. Her hair and makeup still looked perfect. She plucked at her dress slightly.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she thought. Then she saw Connor reflected in the window. He was setting down a tray on the table. She turned around and smiled. He smiled back.

  “I have some strawberries, apple slices, cheddar, and some prosciutto I had lying around. Hopefully some or all of this will be to your liking.”

  “Sounds delicious,” she replied as she walked back over to the couch. She sat down while he got himself a drink from the bar. She picked up an apple slice and bit into it. The sweet fruit was a relief after the burn of the alcohol. She looked up and saw Connor watching her from the bar. He was leaning casually on it and staring at her.

  “You look very beautiful tonight,” said Connor.

  “Thank you,” she replied. While the comment was delightful and light, there was a look to him that radiated lust. She felt it down to her toes, giving her chills in the otherwise warmth of the house. He slowly walked over to the couch and sat next to her. She sipped on her brandy and glanced over at him. He reached over and put a hand on her back. Leaning in to kiss her, she leaned into him. The first kiss was gentle, sweet, and was clearly a precursor for everything that was to come.

  This was different from all the fumbling attempts boys had made on her before. His hands were sure. His lips teased and tempted her and pulled her in. When the kiss broke she was nearly panting. He stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Would you be up for something a little more… adventurous?” he whispered in her ear.

  She tensed slightly. “Just how adventurous are we talking about here?”

  He kissed her on the cheek and then stood. “Just wait here a minute, I’ll be right back.” He walked down the hallway and into another room. She was nervous, but couldn’t deny the fact that she was also intrigued. When he returned, he had a long strip of black fabric in his hand that was slightly shiny. He sat down at put it on his lap.

  “Before we go any further here, have you ever engaged in any forms of bondage play?”

  She let out a nervous giggle. “No, I can’t say that I have. Isn’t it all whips and chains and pain?”

  “Not at all. It can be as simple as this.” He held out the black strip of fabric to her. She took it from him and saw that it was a very smooth piece of satin.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a blindfold. I’ve used it several times with friends and lovers. It’s a very easy first step.”

  “What would we do with this?”

  “My thought was I could blindfold you and start by feeding you a couple of those strawberries.”

  While she’d never done anything like this before, she did like the sound of this.

  “Perhaps touch your hair or kiss your neck. Does any of this sound amenable to you?”

  She cleared her throat. “Umm.. yes, yes it does.”

  “Is there anything you absolutely do not want to do tonight.�
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  She bit her lip. “Can I be honest?”

  “You can be as honest as you wish. That’s a very large part of bondage.”

  “I don’t want to have sex with you tonight.”

  He nodded. “Agreed. No sex tonight.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Why would I be? That was a perfectly reasonable request given how short of a time we’ve known each other and your inexperience with what I have suggested this evening.”

  She let out a half sigh of relief and half a chuckle. “It’s just the boys I’ve known…”

  “But I am nothing like the boys you’ve known. I learned long ago to always listen to my partners. Especially in these circumstances. Another thing, we need to come up with a safeword for you.”

  “Oh?”

  “It’s a word that will mean you want to stop whatever is going on.”

  “And you won’t-”

  “I won’t. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable at any time during anything.”

  She thought for a second. “Greenbriar.”

  “Greenbriar?”

  “That was the first boarding school I was sent off to after my mother died. I hated the place.”

  He nodded. “Greenbriar it is then.” He took the strip of fabric from her hands, stood, and stepped behind her. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He put the blindfold gently over her eyes and then tied it securely behind her head, making sure not to catch any of her hair in the knot. “Let me know it it’s too tight.”

  “It’s fine,” she muttered quietly. She passed a hand in front of her face and even with her eyes open, she couldn’t see anything through the fabric. She heard him walk around her again and felt him sit on the couch next to her. She nearly jumped when she felt his hand on hers.

  “It’s alright,” he whispered. “It’s only me.” She heard him fiddling with something on the table. Then the hand that had been on hers went to her chin. She felt something cool nudge at her lips and she opened them slightly. She tasted strawberry and took a bite. The taste was intense. The berry was so sweet. She felt a shiver go down her spine. She chewed the bite in her mouth, swallowed, then opened her lips for the next bite which took the rest of the strawberry.

  “How does it taste?” he asked.

  “Sweet,” she said. “And so juicy.”

  She heard him fiddling with the food on the table again. This time the thing that touched her lips was salty. She opened her mouth and chewed on a piece of cheddar. After the sweetness of the strawberry, the cheese was a sharp contrast. His hand went from her chin to her hand again.

  “And that?” he asked.

  “Salty,” she replied. She felt his fingers trail up her arm and come up over her shoulder. His hand then traveled up her neck and slightly tilted her head to the left. She felt his breath on her lips before he pressed his to hers again. Being blind made the kiss all the more intense. She felt his tongue tease her mouth open and she moaned. His other hand was travelling up the outside of her thigh. He broke the kiss and whispered in her ear, “You’re so beautiful.”

  She smiled and tilted her cheek into his hand in response. His hand on her thigh left again and she heard something being shuffled on the table. She smelled a strawberry and opened her mouth to receive it. She bit off half of it, chewing it slowly. He kissed her again to taste the strawberry on her lips. His hand was on her thigh again and moving up. She knew if she let this go any further, she would be sleeping with him tonight. So she pushed him back slightly and said, “Greenbriar.”

  He didn’t say a word. His hands left her body. He untied the blindfold and even in the dim light she blinked. He put the blindfold down on the table and turned back to her. He wasn’t angry. He was concerned.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “It was just… getting very intense,” she said trying to explain herself.

  He smiled sympathetically. “Blindfolds will do that.”

  She nodded. She moved closer to him on the couch and rested her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her back and leaned back on the couch.

  “I haven’t scared you off have I?” he whispered.

  “Not at all,” she said snuggling into his shoulder. “What are you doing Friday?”

  ***

  “Connor?” said Mathis.

  Connor blinked. He had been daydreaming about Rebecca again and their date that night. “Yes?” he replied.

  “Have you been listening?”

  “Sorry, my mind was a thousand miles away. Are we still talking about the advertising for the new line?”

  “We’ve moved on from that and we were talking about ideas for next season.”

  “Ah, yes, I have the sketches from some of the artists pertaining to what they want to accomplish next season. Spring time being what it is, there’s a lot of sundresses, sandals, sunglasses, and a few swimsuits for those who get warm weather earlier.” He continued on showing the board the sketches and kept his attention on the meeting for the rest of the time. He could tell that Mathis was suspicious. Rebecca had asked him not to talk to her father about their relationship. She wanted to do it on her own. So he held his tongue.

  Once the meeting was over, Mathis and he were clearing up the sketches and other papers.

  “Why don’t you and I go out for dinner tonight?” said Mathis.

  “Sorry, I have plans already. Going to stay in with a nice bottle of merlot and a two-inch thick steak.”

  “Sounds like a good evening to me.”

  “Indeed. Have a nice weekend Mathis.” His hand was on the door handle when Mathis said, “I asked Rebecca earlier and she had plans for dinner tonight too. Seems everyone has plans but me.”

  Connor turned back and chose his words carefully. “It happens.”

  “True.”

  Connor turned the handle and walked down the hallway to his office. He had a couple of hours left of the day. He decided to focus on work as much as possible.

  ***

  Rebecca was staring at the empty coffee shop and daydreaming about her date with Connor that night. Giving up control had been an intense experience. It had scared her. But it also excited her. And most of all, she trusted Connor. He hadn’t been pushy or demanding like other boys she had known in her life. If she was going to continue to explore this, she wanted to do it with Connor. Truth of the matter, she wanted him right down to her very core.

  “Honey?” said Carol.

  Rebecca blinked. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

  “I was asking you if I need to stock more coffee cups. You were a million miles away.”

  “Sorry,” said Rebecca smiling and blushing. She leaned over and looking at the supply of coffee cups that they had behind the counter. “Looks like we could use more of the venti cups.”

  “Got plans for tonight?” said Carol.

  “A few,” said Rebecca with a mischievous smile.

  Carol shook her head. “Alright girl, keep your secrets. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  She saw Connor walk through the foyer of the building. He nodded to her as he walked out the door. The plan was for her to take the bus home as always and then she would drive her car over. The last thing they wanted was for Mathis to catch them leaving together. Rebecca watched the second tick by on the clock. Time seemed to have slowed to an absolute stand still. But finally it was time to go.

  Rebecca jumped onto her bus and impatiently stared out the window as they headed in the direction of home. Already her head was filling with ideas about all that they would do that night. She was imagining so much that she nearly missed her stop. But she pulled the bell in time and skipped all the way to her apartment door. She changed out of her uniform and into a long black skirt with a red lacy top. She brushed her hair, did her makeup, then got into her car. The drive over was blessedly short. Once parked, sh
e looked up and saw Connor standing in the doorway with a wide grin on his face. She felt butterflies in her stomach again as she strolled up to him.

  “Hello Rebecca,” he said.

  “Hello Connor,” she replied. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

  He raised an eyebrow, caught her around the waist with one arm and kissed her soundly on the lips. When he pulled away he whispered in her ear, “And I’ve been wanting to do that all week.”

  She shivered and smiled as he maneuvered her into the house and shut the door behind them.

  Connor was a very good cook even if he did say so himself. While he had been married for a few years, she had been been a terrible cook. And out of survival, he decided to learn.

  For dinner tonight he had made a specialty of his: shrimp scampi over linguine. Rebecca had mentioned to him that she loved seafood so he was doubly thankful that he had this particular dish in his repertoire.

  “It’s delicious!” she said when she took her first bite.

  “I’m delighted you like it,” he replied with a smile. “Not many people get to taste my cooking, so I never am too sure.”

  “I think it’s the best I’ve ever had.”

  “Now you’re just flattering me….”

  She giggled and took a sip of wine. “No, truly. Too many overdo it on the garlic. This is just perfect.”

  “It does bother me when others overdo the garlic. Then you can’t taste anything else.”

  For a few minutes they ate in companionable silence, both happy to be in the presence of the other.

  “What have you been up to these last few days?” Connor asked.

  “Applying to schools,” she replied.

  “Ah, off to pre-law?”

  “That’s what my father thinks.”

  Connor raised an eyebrow. “I take it that’s not the program you’ve been applying for.”

  She shook her head.

  “Which one then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Only if you swear not to breathe a word of this to my father.”