Aries: Swinging into Spring

by Sèphera Girón

  “Thanks,” Ellie said. “Don’t want any fires or anything.”

  Ellie lit the sage stick, and together the women walked through the apartment, cleansing it of bad vibes. When they were done, Ellie pushed the stick into the sand.

  “You should be ready for love now.” She smiled.

  “Ready for love, or ready for a new life?” Toni asked.

  “Both. Love brings a new life, and a new life brings love,” she laughed.

  “Sure it does,” Toni said. “Thanks again for coming.”

  Toni closed the door after Ellie and walked through the apartment. The air seemed cleaner, and the room hummed with a low-grade energy that was both soothing and invigorating.

  Toni sat on the couch for a moment and closed her eyes. She soon fell asleep, dreaming darkly delicious dreams of a faceless stranger.

  Chapter Five

  An entertaining stranger brings you joy.

  Toni hadn’t been home from work more than ten minutes when the buzzer rang. The harsh sound startled her, and she was breathless when she answered.

  “Is this a bad time?” Sid asked.

  “Not at all,” Toni said.

  “You sound out of breath. ““You have company?”

  “Ha-ha,” Toni said. “Come up and see for yourself.”

  When she opened the door, Sid walked right in, wearing a trench coat and carrying a red box with a blue, satin ribbon on it.

  “So, you have company?” he asked. “I didn’t see anyone coming down the stairs.”

  “I have company now,” Toni said. “You.”

  “Right.” Sid nodded. He held out the box.

  “What’s this?” Toni asked as she lifted the lid. Inside was a red, blown-glass ram. Its horns curled magnificently as the shimmering reds and pinks glistened along its detailed fur.

  “It’s beautiful,” Toni said.

  “Well, I didn’t meet you until after your birthday. But I thought, what the heck. Why wait a year to make a ram?”

  “You made this?” Toni asked.

  “I like to dabble in artsy stuff now and again. You know, kick back with a beer and blow some glass.”

  “I can understand the beer part, but I’m not so sure about the blowing glass.”

  “I’m sure you’re not.” Sid took the ram from Toni and held it up to the hall light. Toni shut the door behind him, trying to watch where on the figure he was pointing.

  “This stuff here, that’s the stuff that takes patience,” he said as he showed the ripples in the detail. “It’s a bitch making that fur, and those horns, my Lord. At least they’re kind of even.”

  Toni examined the piece, turning it over in her hand.

  “Those horns look good to me,” she said.

  “Of course they do,” Sid said. “Nothing but the best for you Aries, right?”

  “Not always,” Toni said.

  “Enough to make it worth my effort, I hope.”

  “I’m impressed, yes,” Toni said as she put the glass sculpture on the bookcase. “I like what I’m seeing,” Sid said. He reached for Toni’s hand. “Do you?”

  Toni nodded as she let him kiss her hand. He nuzzled it against his cheek.

  “Yes, I like what I see,” Toni said. “How long does it take to do something like that?”

  “Long enough,” Sid said. “Enough about me though. Tell me, how was work?”

  “It was work,” Toni shrugged. “Speaking of which, I really need to take a shower. You can watch TV if you like.”

  “Sure.”

  Toni stripped off her clothes in the bedroom and hurriedly searched through her drawers for something to wear that evening. He hadn’t said where they were going, so she pulled out jeans and a sweater as well as fresh underwear. She turned on the shower and stepped gratefully into the steam. She adored her end-of-the-day ritual, whether people were waiting for her or not.

  Toni closed her eyes and stood under the spray. Its pounding pulse soothed her, and she thought about nothing but the rhythmic beating against her flesh.

  The curtain swooshed aside, and Sid stepped in behind her. Before she could say a word, his lips were pressed against hers.

  She put her hands on his shoulders and enjoyed the sensation of her breasts rubbing against his naked chest.

  “Now, don’t get any ideas, young lady,” he teased. “I’m just here to soap you up.”

  Toni stared at him in surprise. They hadn’t done anything more than kiss yet and here he was, naked in the shower with her. His lean body pleased her. He had nice lines on his arms and chest; muscles of strength but not of a body builder. He had a Celtic band tattooed around his upper arm and another Celtic-inspired tattoo across his lower belly.

  He poured some of her shower gel into his hands and rubbed them along her breasts. She watched him, savouring the delicious sensation of a man stroking her body. ‘She hadn’t shared a shower with someone in a long time, and she missed the intimacy two people bathing each other could bring.

  Toni poured some of the soap into her own hands as well and ran them along his body. She lathered his shoulders and chest, his buttocks and thighs, and nearly everything else on him except his growing erection.

  Sid’s hands were busy washing her as well. He paid special attention to her breasts and worked his way down to her knees. When he tried to lather up her feet, she protested, saying she might slip if he did so.

  When Sid had rinsed all the soap from her with the detachable showerhead, he asked, “What do you want to do tonight?”

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I’m easy. I didn’t have anything in mind, really.”

  “Me neither. Though this is nice,” Toni said.

  “Yes, it was. But now we’re clean and ready to face the night.”

  Toni looked at him with puzzlement. She wasn’t used to guys who didn’t want to fuck her right away.

  “I know what you’re thinking, but you know what, Toni?”

  “What?”

  “Anyone can get laid. Really. When you put your mind to it. I just want to hang out, you know. I think we’d have fun just hanging out.”

  “I’ll give it a shot,” Toni said.

  They dried themselves off and got dressed. By the time Toni finished putting on her makeup, Sid looked at the clock.

  “So let’s see. Now it’s 8:00. Too late for live theater and likely not enough time to catch a movie. What do you think?”

  “I’m not sure what to think. It’s your call. I thought you’d plan something.”

  “I think we should go for another nice walk along the beach,” Sid said, nuzzling into Toni’s neck.

  She giggled. “Now you stop that or we’re not going to end up anywhere.”

  Sid laughed.

  “Not everything is about sex, but most stuff is,” Toni smiled.

  “I think all stuff is myself. Everything relates to sex. Doesn’t matter if it is a barbecue or a plant,” Sid said.

  “I have to agree with you. Whether it’s working in a bar or palm reading, people want instant sex right away. No waiting, no hang-ups.”

  “It’s our fast-food society,” Sid agreed.

  “And it does have its place.”

  “Yes, it does.” Sid nodded as he kissed her.

  * * *

  Toni and Sid walked hand in hand along the boardwalk. The conversation had started with joking about a scene from Tropic Thunder but quickly moved into other subjects where they sparred and giggled. When they had tired of idle chitchat, they walked in silence, listening to the pounding pulse of the waves.

  “What was she like?” Toni suddenly asked.

  Sid stopped walking. “Who?”

  “Your girlfriend. The one that died.”

  Sid sighed. “I really don’t want to talk about her. She’s gone and you’re here. Let’s enjoy that, shall we?”

  “I just want to know. What made you stay with her throughout high school and beyond?”

  “I guess at some point
you’ve known someone so long and so well, you just want to journey through life together.”

  “Was it really love? Or was she a habit?”

  Sid stared at Toni. “How can you say that?”

  Toni shrugged. “I’m not trying to be insulting. I just was wondering. I mean, I’ve fallen in love, but obviously never long enough for it to last. I’ve thought I was in love and it turned out to not be the case. How did you find love so young? So soon in life?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was just part of the fun of growing up together. Of being the first for each other. Of wanting the best for each other.”

  “Even until she died?”

  “Pretty much. I mean, sure there were times I wondered if I could live in the same routine ’til I died, but other times, I was happy for the security. I knew she loved me.”

  “That’s so sweet. It’s tragic, really.” Toni frowned. “I’m sorry. I’m going to shut up now.”

  “Yeah. I just keep telling myself that chapter in my life is closed. There’s a new chapter waiting to be written. Life is long for some of us.”

  “It is indeed,” Toni said, touching his cheek. “I’m hoping we can spend at least some of it together.”

  “We can,” Sid said.

  They walked along until they were back at the edge of town.

  “A drink?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she said. “And something to eat. I’m starving.”

  They settled on the Voyager’s Lookout, a small wooden building that held a rather large bar with many wooden tables and chairs as well as pool tables, dart boards and an old-fashioned jukebox. A sprawling patio wrapped all the way around the building, where the luckiest tables faced the docks and then the open ocean. It was far too cold to sit outside, so Sid led them inside.

  The music piping over the system had a slow, bluesy feel, and Toni was relaxed as she sipped on her beer.

  “Feels good to sit down,” she said, stretching out her legs.

  “It sure does,” Sid said. “I’m feeling kind of mellow tonight. Not really much in a dancing mood.”

  “No, I’m not up for dancing tonight either,” she agreed as she lifted her glass. “To no dancing tonight.”

  Sid clicked his glass against hers and drank, keeping his eyes focused on her. “I was wondering, Miss Toni,” he said teasingly.

  “Yes?”

  “When you were talking about kinks the other day, what kind of kinks did you have in mind?”

  Toni put her glass down firmly. “I’ve found in the path of life that it’s always best to be direct about such things. So I’m going to be. There’s no point in beating around the bush.”

  “Oh really?” Sid raised his eyebrow.

  “Oh, stop, I don’t mean that... well... maybe I do.”

  They laughed.

  “I’ve enjoyed all kinds of men in all kinds of situations. I enjoy the nameless, faceless fuck. I like to have sex in public places, and I’m a bit of a nudist around the house.”

  “Nothing sounds too drastic so far,” Sid said. “I think most of us do those things whether we want to admit it or not.”

  “My biggest dream is to be part of an orgy where I come more than I ever have in my life. I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know if I’m greedy.”

  Sid laughed. “I think most men dream of many women servicing their every nasty need. Why should you be different?”

  “I guess I’m not. But maybe I’m different because I look for it or say out loud that I’m looking for it. I’m seeking the ultimate sexual pleasure.”

  “Haven’t there been movies made about such things? Didn’t our hero or heroine always come to some horrific end?”

  “You always have to be careful what you wish for. It’s the karmic law. You can never predict how the universe will decide to balance things for you.” Toni nodded.

  “I know. I, of all people, know...” Sid sighed, his eyes growing sad and distant.

  “Hey, now don’t you go and get all morose on me,” Toni said, pushing him on the arm.

  Sid straightened up and seemed to try to snap out of his memories. “So are you into BDSM?”

  Toni smiled. “I’ve tried pretty much everything. Except piercings and being hung by hooks or lit on fire, none of that real dangerous stuff.”

  “Do you like to be the top or bottom?”

  “I prefer the top. I’m a bossy boots at heart.” Toni smiled.

  “I figured as much,” Sid said. “I like being bossed around by strong women.”

  “Do you?”

  “I like leather. I like the fetish outfits women wear. Leather straps and cinched waists,” Sid said.

  “You’d like Maggie’s corset collection,” Toni said. “She has some amazing corsets, custom designed from all over the world.”

  “What about you? Do you have corsets?”

  “Yes, I do. I have many outfits. If you like outfits, you’ll like mine.”

  “I can hardly wait to see them.”

  “I have something for almost every fantasy. Some of them I’ve never worn for anyone. But I do like to dress up at the clubs. Theme nights or not.”

  “I like that idea,” Sid said. “I have leather pants and leather shorts. I also borrowed a kilt once.”

  “Mmm, a kilt. A leather kilt?”

  “Yes. Some buddies of mine dragged me to a club in Manhattan when I was visiting there last spring. I had nothing to wear and all we could find that would fit was a kilt.”

  “I bet you looked hot,” Toni said.

  “It was hot—sweaty hot,” Sid said. “But I got a lot of compliments that night.”

  “Did you get laid?”

  Sid laughed. “A gentleman never tells.” He smirked.

  “Just my luck to find a gentleman here in Hermana,” Toni teased.

  “So, besides orgies and kink, let’s cut to the chase. What do you really like in the bedroom? Do you like foreplay, or do you like to get right to it?”

  “My, aren’t you being forward tonight.” Toni waved her hand at him playfully.

  “I’m from the school of ‘you don’t know if you don’t ask.’ And I hate doing shit in the bedroom that makes a woman cringe. Each one of you is wired so differently.”

  “A far cry from knowing what to expect each time,” Toni said.

  Sid nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, it is. Sometimes a guy likes to know what to expect. That way we can perfect it each time.”

  “So, you’re a guy who actually gives a shit about how a woman feels in the bedroom?”

  “Why not? Why shouldn’t I care? You want pleasure too, or why else are you there?”

  “It’s just funny to hear, that’s all,” Toni said. “You’re refreshingly direct.”

  “So, what do you like?” Sid pressed again.

  Toni thought for a moment and finished her beer. “I like it how the moment dictates. I like my man to be manly and strong, but I also like to be in control, if that makes any sense. Sometimes I like to be thrown on the bed and fucked. Other times I enjoy a long, slow foreplay session.”

  “Spontaneous,” he said.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Spontaneous.”

  “I love spontaneous. It’s the best way,” Sid said. “So, no rituals? No things like you have to come before you fuck or anything like that?”

  “I’m multiorgasmic. I can always find a way to get off.” Toni grinned.

  “Now I like the sound of that.” Sid said.

  Toni stroked his’ arm. “In fact, just thinking about it all is making me hot, you know?” she said softly.

  “Oh, is it?”

  “Washing me in the shower...” Toni tossed her hair. “You’re such a tease. All I can think of is how your big, hard cock would feel shoved into my pussy.”

  “I was thinking the same. Well, about how I want to feel you wrapped up and squirming around my cock.”

  “Maybe you’d like me to suck on your cock? Do you like that?” she asked.

  “Who d
oesn’t like his cock sucked?”

  “You’d be surprised. Some men are very strange about their cocks. They don’t want them sucked, or maybe they have to be sucked and held a certain way.”

  “I’m just trying to find out what you like. Women are so bizarrely differently from each other. I’ve had experiences, I’m no Gene Simmons, but I’m not virgin either. Funny how the same equipment can be so different for everyone.”

  Toni reached her hand under the table and wrapped it around Sid’s growing dick. His mouth opened in surprise, and she leaned over to kiss it. She squeezed his cock with firm fingers, and he reached under the table to stroke her thigh. She spread her legs wider so his hand could nestle into the warmth of her crotch. They spent several minutes teasing each other while staring into each other’s eyes.

  “I think we could get into some serious damage together.” Sid smiled.

  “I know we can,” Toni said as she pulled on his cock through his pants. He was so hard that she could put her fingers around his dick through the material. Her pussy was warm and wet, aching to feel him inside her.

  “Do you want to go back to my place?” Toni asked.

  “I’d love to.”

  The walk back to Toni’s apartment was filled with urgency, yet they stopped every few feet to kiss and hug and stroke each other. Toni relished Sid’s mouth on hers as she ground her crotch into his pants every time they stopped to cross the street or wait for a traffic light. The fog rolled by in thick patches. In some of them, Toni could swear she saw faces staring back at her. It didn’t matter though. Sid’s sweet lips against hers were far more interesting to think about.

  “I’ll never look at traffic lights the same,” Toni sighed as she kissed him at a red light.

  “I like this ‘kissing at the stop lights’ thing. It’s working for me.” Sid grinned as he pulled her close.

  “Oh, the light is green now,” Toni said. “We’ve got to keep moving.” She pulled him playfully along until there was another street to cross.

  “More kisses,” she cried out. “I can hardly wait until summer when we’re not wearing all these coats.” Toni squeezed Sid’s ass as she kissed him once more.

  “Summer on the beach. Do you sunbathe in the nude?” he asked. He kissed her gently on the forehead.