The Do-Over

by Julie A. Richman

  “Mmm,” was all I could say as I accepted the glass and he lowered himself to the pad chair next to me. “To a perfect day.” I clinked my glass to his, before sipping the amber liquid. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” I asked.

  “It may not have been the best idea.” Wes smiled. “Because I think it is just going to put you to sleep.”

  “We are definitely not pulling an all-nighter tonight. I don’t have the energy I had in my twenties,” I admitted.

  “I hear ya.” Wes laughed and then craned his neck to the left to see where a very loud Duran Duran song was being blasted from.

  “I think it’s two boats over. Maybe we’ll get an 80’s concert.” I laughed and sipped my brandy, enjoying the glowing warmth in my chest, that I was sure Wes could see like some sort of fluorescent black light poster.

  The Duran Duran song was followed up by Katrina & the Waves Walking on Sunshine and Wes jumped to his feet, reaching a hand out to pull me up. “We can’t not dance to this.”

  Kicking off my shoes, that was all the invitation I needed as we danced on the teak deck acting more like twenty-somethings than we thought we would be doing. Katrina & the Waves were followed up by Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ Come on, Eileen.

  “Wow, someone is totally doing some MTV flashbacks,” my breath was choppy from dancing. “This is better exercise than the gym.”

  “And more fun.” Wes twirled me around.

  At the song’s end, the highly recognizable first strains of Walk Like An Egyptian filled the night air. “Follow me,” I called over my shoulder to Wes, as I began what were more robotic movements than I assumed were vintage Egyptian. After doing a full trek around our deck, I climbed onto the dock, my Egyptian walk still in time with the music and headed over to the boat playing this awesome, nostalgic mix. Wes was right behind me, funky moves and all. As we approached the boat, two couples started cheering us on.

  “This is the best music,” I called out. “We couldn’t help ourselves.” One of the men reached out a hand to help me onto their boat and Wes followed. Without missing a step, we fell right into our Egyptian stroll.

  “I’m Wes and this is Tara,” I heard from behind me. Inadvertently, I smiled. We were being introduced as a couple.

  “Jimmy. Debbie. Kelly and Richie.” The man who helped me onto the boat pointed to himself and his friends.

  Soft Cell’s Tainted Love was up next and had the six of us singing on the top of our lungs as we danced under the stars. I couldn’t remember a time where I’d had so much fun with absolute strangers. Two notes into Modern English’s iconic hit, I Melt With You, Wes pulled me into his arms and following the singer’s lead, my body and lips melted against his, as we simultaneously kissed and sang into one another’s mouths.

  Laughing and kissing, we continued to dance with our new stranger/friends, all singing at the top of our lungs to Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer and Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark.

  “This truly is the best workout. No wonder why we were thin when we were young.” I was out of breath. “Jimmy,” I called out, “this is the best dance mix ever.” I got a thumbs up from our host, who didn’t miss a step.

  “I have so much fun with you.” Wes planted a kiss on my lips that didn’t end until the last note of the song. “Let’s get outta here.” And there was that smile that stole my heart on the night we met.

  Returning his smile, I nodded and we waved, bidding goodbye to our hosts.

  As we stepped down onto Second Wind’s deck, Spandau Ballet’s True began. With a smile that melted my heart, Wes extended a hand, “One more before we go below deck?”

  Taking his hand, I smiled back as I glided into his arms, resting my head on his shoulder. “This has been a perfect day.”

  Wes kissed my forehead softly and whispered, “It’s not over yet.” His arms tightened around me in response to the shiver that wracked my body as it responded to his words. “Ooo, shivering in anticipation. I like that.”

  As the song ended, I fell against him, exhausted from the long day, yet wired with anticipation at finally becoming lovers with the man who had hijacked my heart well over a decade before. I was fighting the age demon that kept swimming across my sea of consciousness taunting me with visions of what my body looked like in my twenties, before gravity, childbirth and sedentary corporate life had taken their toll. Trying to drown the little troll and exorcise it from my thoughts, twenty-something Keiko and her twelve-year old’s body were the next to invade.

  Go away! Get the fuck out of my head!

  Wes must’ve felt me tensing in his arms, as his embrace tightened to comfort me. Trying to dig deep within myself, I attempted to unearth my waning confidence. You’re smart. You’re attractive. You’re a good person. You’re fun. You’re successful. You’re a great mom. And you’re freaking hot – so get the heck over it now!

  “Are you getting tired?” Wes asked.

  I nodded, without saying anything, and he took my hand and led me below deck and to the back cabin.

  “As fast or as slow as you want to take this, T,” he reiterated, looking at me with sincere eyes.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, I unlatched the sea glass necklace and gently laid it on the nightstand. “Come lie down next to me.” With faces now mere inches apart, we smiled at one another from our pillows. “I love being with you, Wes.”

  The smile on both his lips and in his eyes was the perfect answer. Reaching out, he brushed my hair from my face, gently placing it behind my ear. “T, there is no better dream I could have asked for than our paths crossing again and you becoming part of my life. I feel like it was divine intervention.”

  Gently, I ran my finger down the lines of his face, tracing the heartache and triumph that were finely etched around his mouth and eyes. There was nothing I wanted more than to be this man’s love, tonight and forever. But after two years of continuous disappointments, my fear was that my heart would be decimated.

  “What do you want?” I asked the question haunting me.

  “I want you in my life.” He didn’t skip a beat.

  “As what?”

  Wes shrugged. “As whatever we become.”

  I laughed, “Well, that’s pretty nebulous.”

  Laughing back at me, “I love that you’re smart. I’m not trying to be vague. I just want to figure this out as we go along, but if what you’re asking me is, Is this a casual fling? Then the answer is no. You’re not a fling. You’re not a rebound person. And I understand, it’s not just you. It’s Scarlett, too. And I respect that.”

  With my hand still on his cheek, I drew him closer for a kiss. “I think I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself with this because I feel like this is an incredible second chance. A dream come true.”

  Wes smiled at my words. “I understand.”

  “And I’m just afraid I’m going to fuck it up. Or it’s somehow going to get fucked up and Wes, to be totally honest, I don’t know how to engage in something with you without going in with my total heart. And that scares me. There, I said it. Out loud.”

  “T, you aren’t alone. I feel the exact same way. You scare the crap out of me because it is impossible not to fall in love with you. And it’s kind of a double whammy, because I absolutely adore Scarlett too and I don’t ever want to let her down. So, I get how you feel.”

  Reaching out, I let one of his loose curls slide between my thumb and forefinger as I searched his eyes. My heart told me his words were true and that I needed to see where this took us, just as he had said.

  Tapping the tip of my nose with his forefinger, his grin became mischievous. “Wait here,” he ordered and jumped up from the bed.

  I could hear sounds in the salon of cabinets opening and closing, then quiet, followed by a ding.

  “What are you doing,” I laughed.

  “Patience, patience,” he called out.

  With the same mischievous smile, Wes re-entered the bedroom holding a small white ceramic cup. Propping my
self up on the pillows with my elbows, I looked at him questioningly.

  “What’s that?” The grin on his face told me he wasn’t bringing me a cup of tea.

  “You’ll see.” Sitting down next to me on the edge of the bed, “Shove over and lie back.”

  “Why? What are you going to do to me?”

  Laughing, “You’ll learn soon enough. Now move over.”

  Complying, I inched toward the center of the bed.

  “Keep moving and lie back,” he pressed.

  His take charge attitude was getting me hot. What was he up to? I followed his direction and continued to move, lying my head back on the pillow.

  Wes lifted my shirt, baring my stomach.

  “What are you up to?” I protested, laughing.

  “Shhh. Have faith, T.”

  I felt something warm on my stomach, as if he were painting me. His finger continued to draw across my entire abdomen with the warm liquid.

  “Okay, you can look now.”

  Raising up my upper body, I noted how proud of himself he looked. Across my bare midsection WES was written in Hollandaise sauce.

  “Have I just been branded?” It was impossible not to smile.

  Wes nodded. “You have. I have branded you. I’m marking my territory.”

  “Okay, well this is better than getting pee’d on.”

  Bursting into laughter, “I should say. And that’s not all. The clean-up is pretty good, too.”

  Dipping his head, Wes began to lick the W off my stomach. I squirmed and laughed as the tip of his tongue tickled my belly.

  “You’re going to make this very messy, T.” He looked up for a moment to give me a stern look. It was the same look he’d given me on the night we met when I’d laughed at him for spilling his drink on his feet.

  “I am so ticklish,” my words erupted in bursts between laughs. “My brother used to hold me down and tickle me until I couldn’t breathe.”

  Wes smiled, “Oh poor T.” And he continued slowly licking the letter E, sending me into hysterics as I tried to roll away. “Mmm mmm mmm, you need to stay put until I’m done.” He held down my arms to keep me from rocking.

  “Weeeeesssss,” it was somewhere between a gasp, a laugh and a whine.

  “I have one more luscious letter.” Slowly his tongue curled over the S.

  Trying to hold in my laughter, I threatened, “You will pay, Mr. Bergman. You will pay.”

  Finishing the top swirl of the letter, he looked up at me from my stomach. “Who would’ve ever guessed you were so ticklish.” The look in his eyes told me that I was in for future torture.

  “Oh my God, my brother used to torment me when I was little. He would hold me down and tickle me and I would scream out for my mother and he’d say, ‘Why are you screaming? Mommy can’t hear you. She can’t help you.’ It was horrible what he used to do to me.”

  “Oh, that is pretty harsh.” Wes smiled, not looking at all remorseful.

  Playfully I whacked him on the side of the head. He just laughed and dipped his finger in the ceramic cup and slowly brought it to my lips. With a smile, I opened my mouth and sucked the Hollandaise off his fingertip.

  “Damn, that is good.”

  “It really is.” He followed with another taste for himself. “With breakfasts like that.”

  I cut him off before he finished his sentence, “No. No. No. Don’t you start thinking about me cooking you breakfast every morning. That’s way too much work.”

  Laughing, “Well, you’re in luck because I love to cook and I make a mean breakfast.”

  “Will you make me breakfast in the morning?”

  “If you’re too worn out from tonight. Sure.” And there was that smile.

  “Well, wear me out.” The truth was, I was already worn out, totally exhausted from the long day and fresh air.

  Wes obviously could see it on my face. “I think that mission has already been accomplished.” Pulling off his shirt and shorts, he crawled under the covers in just his boxers.

  Taking a hint, I stripped down to my tank top and bikini underwear and turned off the light as Wes spooned behind me.

  “C’mere,” was all he said and I smushed back into him. “This feels so good.”

  “It does.” I turned my head back to kiss him, knowing he was as exhausted as I was, but excited to see what sleep and the morning would bring. I listened to his breathing, enjoying the comfort and warmth of his body wrapped around mine. It was a perfect moment, in the perfect place with the perfect man. I wanted to savor the experience, remembering every detail of his touch and his scent, but fatigue was the victor as I quickly faded into sleep.

  His hand slowly stroking up and down the outside of my thigh is what roused me from my dream state. It was so soft and tender that I was getting more and more turned on with every movement. With my eyes still closed, I enjoyed the sensation. It wasn’t until his lips started brushing my shoulder, that I was unable to stifle a moan, revealing that I was awake.

  “Good morning,” his whisper was hoarse.

  “Mmm, good morning.” I stretched my body against his and turned my head to see his face hovering over mine, before our lips met.

  “Sleep good?”

  “Surprisingly, I did. I was so exhausted. Sorry for passing out on you last night,” I apologized.

  “I think we both passed out the moment our heads hit the pillows.” Wes’ hand had migrated from my thigh to my stomach, where he softly drew circles with his fingertips.

  Rolling over to face him, I pushed my hair out of the way, silently praying my humidity enhanced curls didn’t make me look like a deranged housewife, scaring the erection right out of the man. Slinging a leg over his thigh, I instantly got my answer. The crazy morning coif was not a cock killer. Thank God!

  “You’re a morning person, I see.” Hiding my smile was not a possibility.

  “Yeah, I am,” Wes laughed, moving closer to me, his eyes filled with the unmistakable desire to become lovers, something I’d dreamed about on the deck of a windjammer long ago.

  “You can wake me up like this anytime.” I needed to let him know it was okay. He’d said he’d take it as slow as I wanted it and what I wanted right now was a slow rhythm of him plowing into me. Hard.

  “Are you hard to wake up?” He was pressed up against me.

  “I think you’ll figure out the secrets to rousing me.”

  “You’ve already figured out the secrets to arousing me.” His voice still had that sexy edge of morning roughness to it, making me want to skip all foreplay and have him inside me.

  “I’ll bet you have a few more secrets I can discover,” I said against his lips, as I shifted the leg I had slung over him, pressing my heat and wetness against his already throbbing cock.

  Wes groaned and I could feel his smile against my lips. “You know you’re going to make it impossible to make slow, sweet love to you.”

  “Good, because I don’t want it slow and sweet.”

  Wes flipped me onto my back, “I can easily accommodate your wishes. Are you on anything or do I need to…”

  “We’re good,” I assured him.

  “Yes, we are.” He kissed my neck, then swiftly pulled my tank top over my head tossing it to the floor. “We’re going to be really good together. Of that, I have no doubt.”

  And I knew he was right. Being with this man had been so perfect from the night we met. We meshed with ease and the result was pure joy.

  The warmth in his eyes and smile made my breath catch, and in that moment, I was flooded with overwhelming emotion at how much I wanted him. How much I’d always wanted him. It was more than lust, beyond the heat of the moment. Wes Bergman was the man I had always wanted, from the night we met. That was clear to me now.

  “I vote we skip the foreplay.” I wriggled out of my underwear.

  “You’re on.” His smile told me he was taking on the challenge.

  “You’re in,” I gasped, my breath catching in my throat, surprised at
the swiftness with which he filled my request.

  “Ah fuck, you feel good.”

  His face was hovering above mine. Lacing my fingers through his hair, our lips met and I wrapped my legs around him. With his arms embracing my shoulders, he rocked back to his knees, lifting me with him and sinking deeper into me. Breaking our kiss so that I could watch his face, I slowly lifted up the length of him until I could feel the head of his cock against me. Leaning forward, I bit his full lower lip before slamming down onto him.

  “Oh God, yes,” he groaned, grabbing my hips and repeating the motion again and again. “Damn, Tara, I have wanted to fuck you since the night I met you.” Grabbing my hair, he pulled me to him for a kiss. When our lips broke, he asked, “Why are you smiling? What’s going through that head of yours?”

  “Well, besides the fact that this feels so fucking good and that you like to talk during sex, too – which I guess I should not be surprised at, I’m smiling because I’m thinking, Finally! Finally, he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

  Laughing, Wes softly kissed my neck, as he continued to pound me up and down on his cock. “Ah, but I do have a girlfriend. I’ve got a great girlfriend.”

  “Oh yeah?” I pushed him onto his back so that I was now straddling him. Squeezing him as tightly as I could, I asked the question, “Am I the other woman?”

  Reaching up to my shoulders, he pushed me back in one swift move, until my back was on the mattress. Pulling me to the edge of the bed so that my ass was hanging over, he stood on the floor, raising my feet to his shoulders before plowing back into me.

  “Other woman?” He cocked his head to the side, driving into me fully with force. “You are the woman. The only woman. You got that?” There was not a hint of a smile left on his face. Reaching forward, he slowly rubbed my clit as he continued his steady pace of filling me.

  Lost in the sensation I closed my eyes, unable to answer him, at least not with intelligible words. What started out as soft whimpers, grew quickly in volume and intensity as I neared my peak.

  “T, open your eyes,” Wes demanded.

  Complying, I looked up at him, panting and moaning and fighting for my breath. With a smirk, the pressure he was applying to my clit intensified.