Swing Batter Swing

by Zaida Polanco

  “No need to blame yourself, that guy was too stupid for words. Don’t waste another minute thinking about him.”

  She sighed again.

  “I hate white dudes sometimes... uh, no offense.”

  Jay laughed, genuinely tickled by her statement and pleased that she felt comfortable enough around him to say such a thing. “No offense taken — we are terrible.”

  Marty went silent, and Jay yearned to keep her on the phone. When she spoke again, she sounded more sober than she had before.

  “I’m sorry I drunk dialed you, boss.”

  Jay couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath upon hearing her slightly sad apology. Something in her voice seemed so pained — all he wanted was to make her feel better.

  He cleared his throat.

  “I’m not.”

  “Hmm?” Marty was confused.

  “I’m not sorry you drunk dialed me. Though, it was more like a drunk butt dial anyway. Regardless, I’m glad I got to talk to you.”

  Jay hesitated but ultimately was unable to stop the flow of words from tumbling out of his mouth. “I miss you. You’re a pain in the ass sometimes, but I do miss your face and your voice.”

  Oof, there it was, he couldn’t take it back.

  For a moment, Jay thought she had possibly fallen asleep. But soon he heard her, her voice a little smaller than it had been. “Thank you. I would say I miss you too but... I don’t want to complicate things or whatever.”

  “Marty...”

  “I should go. I’ll see ya in a couple of days, yeah?”

  Jay nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “Sleep well, McFly.”

  Chapter 27: Marty

  Marty was pretty sure she had never been more nervous for lunch in her life. She’d landed in Phoenix earlier that morning, and Jay had kindly given her a few hours to settle in before he asked her to meet him for a working lunch.

  He’d actually used the phrase ‘working lunch.’ As if he didn’t want Marty to forget that she was his employee.

  Which is why Marty now found herself trying on countless outfit options in the hopes of striking the perfect balance between “I’m an extremely professional businessperson” and “I also have lady parts that you might like to rub up against your man parts,” all with a side of “holy crap it’s February and it’s already 4000 degrees in Phoenix, how can I wear the least amount of clothing possible.”

  Jay had made a point to mention that the usual agency dress code was not observed on these outings, as they would be spending a lot of time outside and Phoenix was hot as hell. He’d stressed the importance of comfort and even encouraged her to wear shorts and sneakers.

  While Marty certainly packed her share of comfy gear, there was some dumb part of her that wanted Jay to see her and think she looked awesome.

  It had been over a week since they’d seen each other and she (perhaps foolishly) wanted to take his breath away. You know, in a casual but totally sexy yet extremely relaxed sort of way. As one does.

  Marty’s phone pinged with a new text message.

  Alana:

  just wear a romper and show off those legs of yours. with flats.

  Marty scrunched up her nose and typed out a response.

  Marty:

  romper feels a little too sexy, no? at least all the rompers i own are pretty much made to highlight my ass.

  Alana:

  ...

  Alana:

  what’s the problem?

  Marty:

  be serious!

  Alana:

  ugh, fine. my vote is that sleeveless dress you just bought. it’s fun, flirty, and tasteful (not sure why you want it to be but whatevs). plus it shows off your tittays ;)

  Marty:

  why are we friends again?

  Alana:

  please, you love me. let me know how he reacts, ya little slut.

  Marty laughed and tossed her phone to the plush bed.

  She rummaged around in her suitcase before finding the dress in question. It was a lightweight chambray with vertical white stripes. The dress ended just above her knees — conservative but a little flirty. It was sleeveless with a V-neck collar, which may have been a smidge too revealing but Marty was accustomed to the fact that her big boobs made almost everything look slutty.

  She tossed a lightweight cardigan on at the last minute as she was slightly panicked that Jay would think she was trying to seduce him.

  Which wasn’t exactly false but she didn’t want to be so obvious about it.

  Chapter 28: Jay

  Jay arrived early to the restaurant, hoping to get a minute to calm down. He had nearly worn a groove into his hotel carpet as he paced for the better part of the last hour.

  Why was he so nervous about this? It was a working lunch with his assistant to go over logistics for their travel. Just a regular business interaction.

  With Marty.

  Fucking Marty.

  Who so sweetly kissed him before straddling his lap in his office the week before.

  Who he was forced to reject, even though all he wanted was to be inside her (damn him and his ‘ethics’).

  Then, to complicate it all, there was the matter of their bantering texts since he’d been in Phoenix. It was as if the acknowledgement of their shared attraction broke something between them. They’d joked a bit in the early days of her employment but nothing like this.

  With every new interaction, Jay felt exhilarated, like he was peeling back another layer and developing something real with her.

  No. He couldn’t think like that. They were developing their relationship as friends.

  A smiling hostess led Jay to his table, winking at him before she walked away. Jay watched her go, noting that she was blonde, petite, and cute, if a little plain. Still, he could probably have some fun with her.

  Jay willed himself to stare at her a little longer, allowing her to catch him staring. She blushed and turned away with a smile.

  And Jay felt... nothing. There was no rush of excitement, that little thrill he felt when in pursuit of a woman. He tried to envision himself fucking her, this hostess, in the hopes that he might get hard at the daydream so he’d know he could move forward with the hook-up. If it was possible, his dick may have gotten smaller at the thought of it. Shit.

  Jay looked up and met the hostess’s gaze again. This time, she was approaching his table, with Marty trailing behind her.

  Marty.

  Jay couldn’t hear a word the hostess said to him, though he could tell by her expression that she’d wanted to know if Marty was his girlfriend or date.

  Unfortunately, he was momentarily tongue-tied as Marty sunk into the seat across from him, a warm, easy smile on her face.

  How did she even do that? Manage to make him feel like he was the only person in the room when she set her gaze on his? Either way, he never wanted it to end.

  He was vaguely aware of the hostess walking away in a huff and Marty giving him a confused look while he took a moment to drink her in.

  She wore a sweet denim-y dress with stripes that showed off her tanned legs. Unfortunately, she covered up her arms with a cardigan, though it did little to cover up her amazing cleavage in that outfit. Jay almost felt bad noticing, because he knew just how much girls with large chests hated the fact that everything they wore, whether it was pajamas or t-shirts or swimsuits, somehow appeared sexy on their large breasts.

  Still, Jay was a man and there was only so much restraint he could be expected to practice where Marty was concerned. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her face was almost entirely clear of makeup, save for the beautiful red lips that he loved so much on her. His breath grew shallower as he remembered how it felt to have those soft lips on his.

  She smiled wider at him as she took a sip of her water. “Long time no see, Mr. Michaelson,” she said, smirking like she could tell what was going through his mind. “You’re staring.”

  Finally, Jay snapped o
ut of it.

  “Am not,” he replied as he busied himself with his menu, suddenly feeling incredibly on display and vulnerable.

  This girl made him feel like he was in middle school all over again. Jay cringed a little as he thought about how Marty wasn’t even alive when he was in middle school.

  Marty continued to observe him with barely hidden amusement. “You look like you’re having a conversation with yourself. Care to clue me in?”

  Jay shook his head. “No, sorry, I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

  Marty shrugged, pulling her notebook out of her bag. “Well, why don’t we get to it so I can help take some stuff off your plate?”

  Goddammit.

  He didn’t want to jump directly into work. What Jay really wanted was an uninterrupted hour or so where he could just drink in everything about the woman sitting across from him.

  He just wanted to memorize the structure of her face, to count the individual hairs on her head, to learn what made her smile and to be the cause of those smiles.

  Somehow, Jay didn’t think she’d appreciate his candor about what he wanted to do.

  Instead, he reached across the table and shut her notebook gently. “Why don’t we eat first and then get into the work part of it, yeah?”

  Marty snapped her head up in surprise and flinched a little when his fingers brushed over hers as he took her notebook away. He’d felt a little spark at that connection and had a feeling she did too. But what could he possibly even do about it?

  Jay wasn’t sure, but he was certain that no matter what choice he made, he was about to fuck it up. Which is precisely what he did when he uttered the next sentence. “This place has a great all-day happy hour,” he said, indicating at the cocktail menu. “Shall we?”

  She shrugged but Jay didn’t miss the little smile that crossed her face as she glanced at the options.

  Chapter 29: Marty

  Marty wasn’t entirely sure what she expected from this “working lunch,” but she could confidently say she had not expected to get day drunk with Jay at the restaurant before going to the gelato shop next door and trying twelve different flavors until the young girl working the counter could barely hide her frustration. Jay had more than made up for it by leaving her a 300% tip.

  After gelato, they walked for a bit around Old Town Scottsdale and passed the time by making up conversations for the dogs that passed them on the sidewalk.

  Soon, they were hungry again. Another restaurant, more drinks, a happy hour, another bar, more drinks, hilarious stories.

  Which is how Marty found herself at 11PM, plopping face down onto her fluffy hotel bed, already feeling a hangover building, nearly ten hours after their lunch meeting began.

  Marty nearly drifted off to sleep before remembering that Jay was standing awkwardly at her door. Shoot, was it inappropriate that she invited him in? Was he hesitating because of that?

  Marty flipped back over onto her back and propped herself up on her elbow, glancing over to where Jay stood stiffly at the foot of the bed.

  “You can come closer, you know,” Marty said, as she crooked her finger to beckon him. She wasn’t sure where this new wave of boldness came from, but she was sure that she wanted Jay to hold her.

  When he still didn’t move, Marty sat up and grabbed his hands, pulling him down on the bed with her.

  “Come on, I want to cuddle.”

  “Marty,” he groaned, as if in pain.

  Jay’s breath hitched as Marty settled into a spooning position against him, reveling in the muscular hardness of his body. He hesitated for a second and then cursed under his breath.

  Jay wrapped his big hand in the curve of her hip and Marty gasped. She pushed her ass just an inch closer to him. Marty could feel the tension draining from him as he buried his nose into her hair, smelling it and sending tingles down her spine.

  She tried not to shiver as Jay’s impressive erection pressed further into her backside, plunging her into memories from their makeout session in his office.

  Jay pulled away from her slightly, his breath soft and arousing against her ear. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

  Marty stilled, not liking the sadness in his voice. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

  Jay didn’t respond, instead burying his face in the back of her neck, letting his lips gently press against her skin. “I’m sorry for being a horny lecherous old man. I just... fuck, you’ve got me so twisted up sometimes.”

  Marty turned around, desperately needing to see his eyes. He met her gaze, a slightly hesitant look on his face. “Do you really think you’re a horny lecherous old man?” She almost laughed until she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

  “Yes, I am and it’s — it’s gross. I never meant to—”

  “You’re barely ten years older than I am, and in LA that basically means we’re the same age. Like, I might even be too old for you by now.”

  “Oh god, don’t even say that. It just feels... I don’t know, I don’t want to say wrong because it doesn’t feel wrong, lord knows I wish it felt more wrong when I’m with you. It doesn’t though, only right. More right than anything has ever felt.”

  Marty could feel her excitement building as she heard him say those words. Could he possibly mean... he wanted to be with her? Her heart sped up in her chest. She quickly pushed the thought out of her head, not wanting to be the girl who gets her hopes up wanting more from a guy who just wants to fuck her.

  “Jay?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you going to kiss me or what?”

  His mouth worked frantically through the air, as if he was trying to make sense of her command. “I—no that’s not—”

  Jay’s protest ended as Marty swallowed his words. He froze against her kiss and she made a grunt of frustration. “You’re really not making me feel like you want this,” she said against his lips.

  Jay shook his head, scooting over to put more distance between them. He roughly dragged his hand over his face, looking like a man pained by an impossible decision.

  Marty was torn between wanting to comfort him, slap some sense into him, or climb him like a tree. Perhaps all three?

  “Marty, I think it’s pretty well-established that I’m attracted to you. Shit, that’s the understatement of the year, to be honest. But ah... I can’t do this, not while you’re my employee. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

  Marty squirmed on the bed in protest. “I respect your concern and your desire to be gentlemanly. But does it help if you know how badly I want it too?”

  She didn’t wait for a response as she slowly inched her dress up her legs, loving the way Jay’s eyes stayed glued to her, seemingly lighting up every place he looked with his hot hot gaze.

  “Hmm? Is that better? Knowing how wet you’ve made me?” Marty watched Jay’s eyes darken as focused on her now exposed panties.

  “Marty,” he rasped, his voice dripping with desire. “Don’t do this to me. I’m not strong enough.”

  “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing? Maybe you don’t have to be strong all the time.” Marty continued to surprise herself as she impulsively pulled her dress up and off.

  Maybe it was the combination of the day they shared, the memory of their hot kisses, the pleasant buzz, and the fact that she couldn’t resist this man no matter how hard she tried.

  But all Marty knew was that she needed him like she had never needed anything before.

  She was kneeling on the bed, in her tiny black lace panties and her sheer bra. She had purchased the bra before the trip, hoping like hell that he would get a chance to see her in it. The cups of the bra were completely sheer mesh except for two strategically placed X’s over her nipples.

  Her panties were a favorite style — a high-waisted thong-back brief with lace paneling on the front and lace edges on the back. They were comfortable but sexy, and made her ass look fucking fantastic.

  Jay made a strangled noise in the back of his throat as he devo
ured her with his eyes from head to toe. Marty reveled in his hot look as she shifted a little so he could get a better look at her from all angles.

  “That bra is indecent. It’s practically illegal. Oh fuck, your ass in those panties. Christ, how are you even real?” His breathing quickened and Marty could see the delicious imprint of his dick straining against his pants.

  “Jay, please,” she nearly begged him as he started to move away. Panic mixed with her arousal.

  No no, he couldn’t leave her like this. Was he really about to go?

  He moved to the door, not looking back.

  “Wait,” she said, and he paused by the door, not turning around.

  “What is it?” He sounded angry.

  “Are you mad at me?”

  Jay slammed his fist against the hotel door. “Fuck no, not at you, never at you. I’m just... I’m fucking frustrated and I can’t turn around right now because my willpower is pretty much all gone and I have to head back to my room immediately so I can fuck my hand for the next 12 hours while I think about how mind-blowingly sexy you are right now. Jesus Marty, you’re a goddamn wet dream.”

  Marty felt another flood of wetness between her thighs. She needed relief as soon as physically possible.

  “Okay so I have an idea,” she said, smiling when she heard Jay’s grunt. “It requires you to turn around though.” Marty slowly walked toward him.

  “No!” he blurted, too fast, as if wanting to get the word out before he could change his mind.

  She held her hands up in surrender even though he wasn’t looking at her. “I promise I’m not going to ask you to touch me again, okay? I respect your boundaries. I just thought, maybe... since we are both planning on touching ourselves after this — because let’s be clear, that’s definitely what I would be doing the minute you leave — why can’t we just... do it here? Together?”

  The room was silent except for their ragged breaths.