Perfect Strangers

by LaCroix, Samantha

  But more than the tattoos that Veronica saw were the faint traces of scars that showed up white against his skin. They were few but visible, one running from the top of his right pectoral across to the middle of his chest, another just below his ribs. He also had a few running across his shoulders and down his arms. She pulled the shirt off over Jason's head and held the fabric bunched in her hands, watching him breathe.

  He looked at her and took the shirt from her hands, letting it drop down beside them. Without speaking he leaned forward and kissed her again. She put her hands up on his chest this time, feeling his hard pecs, running her fingers over the grooves of muscle that he contained.

  Jason's hands ran down Veronica's sides to her stomach. She felt him grab lightly onto her, holding her close and yet exploring at the same time. It was his turn to find the bottom hem of her blouse, his fingers trailing the edge, brushing her bare skin and sending a shiver up her spine.

  He slipped his hands inside of her blouse, the roughness of his skin moving along the softness of her own. He ran them up her back and she felt shivers all over. He reached the clasp of her bra and undid it deftly, without hesitation. Her bra now undone, his hands continued on their journey to her shoulder blades, where they reversed direction and moved down again to her lower back, sliding without hindrance now.

  The harsh texture of Jason's hands was not an unwelcome change. It was different to what she had grown accustomed to, and the impression it left was one that remained, reminding her where his hands had been, how tightly he had squeezed.

  His hands slid around to her stomach, moving quickly up and over her ribs, to beneath both cups of her bra. Veronica gasped as she felt her breasts, up until now merely innocent bystanders, being taken in his strong grasp. Another moan from her, louder this time, as he massaged her there, a steady pulse now resonating deep within her loins.

  Veronica's hands slid down to the bottom of Jason's back where she felt the waist of his jeans. She kept moving down, her fingers following the contours of his ass, until she grabbed onto both of his cheeks, pulling him close. She felt the hardness in his pants press into her, and she squeezed his ass, the buns firm inside.

  Jason bucked his hips up slowly, pressing himself into her even more. At the same time, his fingers found her nipples and he squeezed them both, sending shots of white-hot pleasure down from the peaks of her breasts into her aching loins. Veronica let out a cry this time as her mouth opened against his. He toyed with her lips, tracing his tongue along the outside until they kissed again, their mouths thrown into a new frenzy.

  The time had come. Veronica felt the heat between her thighs and knew that this was it. She let go of his ass and moved her hands around to the front, grappling at his belt. Jason pulled himself back, giving her room as she hurriedly started undoing it. At the same time, his own hands left her breasts and slid down to the front of her jeans, his skilled fingers undoing them quickly.

  By the time Veronica had Jason's fly down, he was already grabbing onto the waist of her pants, shimmying them down her thighs. She grabbed onto his pants and boxers and yanked the both down at once, letting his manhood spring up in front of him. She felt it brush past her hand and she grabbed onto it, feeling the hardness, the warmth against her palm.

  She began to run her hand back and forth along it, the exquisite detail etching itself in her mind. Cool air hit her lower regions as her clothing was pulled down, exposing her to the elements. He grabbed onto her sides again and moved up against her, the end of his cock pressing into her belly, leaving a cool smear of precum right against her skin.

  Jason's muscles engaged and he started to turn her, causing her to let go of his cock. She spun on his command until she was facing out, looking over the town once more. She felt Jason spread her legs as far as they could go and grab onto one thigh, pulling it to the side, holding her open. His member, large and stiff, found its way up against her sex and Veronica closed her eyes. A second passed which lasted an eternity, Jason poised at just the right spot, and then he moved into her, filling her with his manhood.

  Veronica gasped as he slid himself inside of her body. Cool night air filled her lungs, her heart beating hard, and when he was inside of her as deep as he could go he stopped, keeping himself throbbing within her, their pulses beating as one. Jason reached forward and his hands wrapped around her body, one draping over her stomach and the other across her chest. He pulled her close and held tightly, their bodies pressed together as he started to move in her.

  Veronica felt sparks exploding out of her loins. She opened her eyes and saw the view of the town, its residents completely oblivious to this carnal act happening ten stories above. She closed her eyes again and her senses focused on her nerves, on the feeling of Jason's body close to and inside of her own.

  Jason's body moved evenly at first, pushing himself with exquisite slowness into her. But his rhythm soon started to increase, drawing focus to Veronica's heightening pleasure. His hips bumped up against her, hot waves of passion reverberating through her with every thrust. He leaned his head forward and began kissing her neck, his lips and teeth exploring her nape, bringing more gasps from Veronica.

  He slid his hand up along her breastbone and over her throat, his fingers tightening and relaxing in a slow rhythm. Veronica felt taken from herself, completely at surrender to this man inside of her. Jason's loins filled her own so intensely, his rhythm picking up as he started pushing harder into her. With every thrust she could feel herself being pushed towards the point of no return, the pressure building strong inside of her.

  "Ooh," she moaned, and Jason's fingers tightened on her throat. She felt her head swimming, her body being swept out from under her. The pressure wouldn't stop building, and Veronica knew that it was going to happen for her, that this was it.

  Jason kept moving into her as Veronica boiled over inside. She cried out loud, penetrating the silence of the night, and Jason's hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth. She screamed through his fingers instead, her cries muffled by his hand. Her entire body felt like it was exploding, every nerve ending heightened to its extreme. Jason didn't stop moving, his hardness filling her up with every thrust.

  Then, as if on cue, he let out a guttural sound, a cross between a cry and a growl, as she felt him shudder as he released himself into her. Veronica's pleasure rose again as she felt him hold to her tightly, his hands pulling her closer, his hips pushing up against her with strong, passionate thrusts.

  As the two began to slow down they breathed deeply of the cold air surrounding them. Veronica felt Jason still hard inside of her, his pulse keeping her nerve endings alive. He slowly lowered his hand from her mouth and she could breathe more properly. He took himself out of her and she felt his warmth remain in her, a strange new addition to her body.

  She turned around inside of his arms, their eyes locking together again. Putting his arms around her back, Jason pulled her close and their lips met once more, their bodies pressed tightly together, both of them being kept warm in each other's embrace.

  Chapter 8

  "Hey, what time is it?" Veronica asked.

  She and Jason were sitting side by side on the edge of the grating, their legs dangling over, themselves protected from falling by the bar of metal across their chests. They were long since dressed, Veronica with her coat back on, Jason with his jacket. He pulled the sleeve back and looked at the watch on his wrist.

  "Just past midnight," he told her.

  "Oh wow, I had no idea it was that late," she said, getting up. "I need to get back, Greg might be getting home soon."

  Jason got up as well, the two of them straightening their clothing. They walked to the door and Jason opened it for her. He followed her through and shut it behind them, making sure it was closed tight. They descended the staircase and headed for the door leading outside, Jason flicking off the light as they passed it. Once outside he pulled out the roll of cloth and re-locked the door.

  "Beautiful," he said
when it was done, putting the tools back in his pocket. Jason walked her to her car, the two of them stopping beside it and turning to face one another.

  "Well, this was fun," Veronica said, the words sounding immediately lame the moment they left her mouth. She saw the ghost of a smile appear on Jason's lips.

  "Yeah, it was," he said.

  He looked at her and she didn't know what to say. They had just talked together for hours, sitting up there in the water tower side by side. But now Veronica's mouth felt stuck, like he was a complete stranger all over again and she had no idea what he was thinking.

  "I ... I guess I'll see you at the next meeting," she finally managed to get out. A look crossed over Jason's face that she couldn't quite discern, but it disappeared before she had a chance to figure it out.

  "Yeah," he said, "I'll see you there."

  And without another word he turned and walked toward his car. Veronica watched his retreating back, wanting to call him back, to at least give him one last kiss before this whole thing went away. But she didn't. Instead she saw him get into his car, the head lights blaring as the engine roared to life. She squinted in the brightness and he did a U-turn, driving quickly away and leaving her alone.

  Silent and morose, Veronica got into her car and turned the key in the ignition. Her own car came to life, illuminating the scene in front of her, showing her nothing. She put the car into gear and did a U-turn as well, driving back to her home.

  ~~~

  Veronica turned into the driveway and saw Greg's car already there. A wave of panic ran through her. She looked at the clock. 12:32. Whenever he went out with his friends he would wake her up by stumbling into the house at around 2 or 3 in the morning. Turning off the car, she got out and walked up to the house, her heart beating quickly in her chest.

  She put her key in the door, unlocked it, and slipped inside. The kitchen light was on, the rest of the house completely dark. There wasn't a sound coming from the kitchen, but Veronica was pretty sure Greg was in there, waiting. She slipped off her shoes, hung up her coat, and walked into the lighted room.

  She saw him sitting at the table, a glass of water in front of him. He wasn't doing anything, and he didn't look up when Veronica entered.

  "Oh, hi sweety," she said, trying to sound nonchalant as she stayed in the doorway. "Back early?"

  "I wasn't really planning on staying out late," he said, still not looking up. "I was planning on coming home and surprising my wife."

  "Oh, well," Veronica said, unsure of how to respond. "Umm, did you have a good time out?"

  "Where were you?" Greg asked, not answering her question.

  "I told you, I was out with Nancy," Veronica said, her heart pounding.

  "Where?"

  Veronica froze, wracking her brain. She hadn't thought of an alibi past Nancy herself.

  "McDonald's," Veronica said, saying the first thing that came to mind. She immediately regretted her decision, and this was made doubly so when Greg looked up, his brow furrowed.

  "McDonald's?" he repeated.

  "Yeah, she loves it there," Veronica kept going. "She insisted. She says it reminds her of her childhood."

  "I don't know of any McDonald's around here that's open until twelve thirty in the morning," he said.

  "Well, we left it when it closed," Veronica said, "and then we just sort of ... talked in her car."

  "Talked in her car?" Greg repeated again. "For three hours?"

  Veronica swallowed. "Yeah," she said, feeling flustered. She could feel her story falling apart but she stuck with it all the same. "We really had a heart to hea-"

  "I called Nancy's house," he cut her off, and Veronica's voice died in her throat. "You have the number up on the fridge, for some reason. I spoke with her. She said she had no idea what I was talking about, and that I shouldn't call so late and wake up her and her kids, since I was phoning at around 11."

  Veronica felt frozen, not saying anything.

  "So you weren't with Nancy," Greg continued, "And if you weren't with who you said you were with, then where the hell were you?"

  Veronica's throat was dry but she forced herself to open her mouth and speak.

  "I was out," she said.

  "You were out?" Greg repeated again, louder this time. "What the fuck were you doing? Who were you out with? You don't know anybody else!"

  The words slapped Veronica in the face and for a second she thought she was going to cry. But a part of her held on, and she forced herself to keep looking, not to drop her gaze from Greg. Inside of her, deep down in a spot she'd long since forgotten, she felt something bubbling up. A heat, an anger. Something that she knew was there, and had been there the whole time, but had been buried under years of servitude and complacence.

  "Who was I with?" she heard herself say. "Why should I need to be out with somebody? Why couldn't I have been on my own?"

  Greg stood up and Veronica almost took a step back but she stayed where she was.

  "You were with someone," he told her. "Why would you lie to me if you weren't?"

  "Why is it always about you, huh?" she asked him. "Why should you have all the fun and just leave me here to rot on my own inside of this God-forsaken house? Maybe I lied because I didn't want you knowing where I was. Maybe I just needed some time away from you on my own terms, not whenever you decide it works for you!"

  "What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled.

  "You treat me like shit!" Veronica spat at him, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth she felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. "You just go to work and expect me to take care of you at home. It's bullshit and it's not an equal marriage and I want it to stop!"

  Greg looked angry and his mouth opened, but he didn't speak. She stared back at him, feeling stronger than she had all day.

  "You never appreciate anything I do," she went on. "I clean this house every day and you shit all over it! I dedicate my entire life to this house and this marriage and what do I get in return? Being forced to make your breakfast before I'm able to eat my own! Making dinner for you and cleaning up after you! Clean up your messes and putting up with your shit while you walk around like you fucking own the place! Well, you don't own the place, Greg. You just squat here while I take care of it around you. And I'm through with it. I'm done."

  Veronica was breathing heavily now, her heart pounding. She felt like she could punch through a brick wall. All of her bottled-up anger and pain were coming out in one fell swoop. She could see Greg's face begin to soften and she hated him that much more for it.

  "This marriage needs to change," she told him. "And until it does, I'm going to start living my own life, the way that I want to. And that includes sleeping on my own."

  She turned and left the kitchen, leaving Greg where she was. Veronica marched up to the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She stood quivering, still breathing hard, the adrenaline coursing through her body. She half-expected to hear Greg's footsteps as he came up to the bedroom, ready to fight some more, to reconcile, anything. But he didn't. Her breathing slowed down and she waited, finally hearing him move around downstairs but never actually coming up. Soon the anger went away and she started feeling weak, her muscles shaking but for a different reason now.

  She looked around the bedroom, the familiar room that she and Greg had shared every night for the past 13 years. She realized that this would be the first night where they were both in the house and wouldn't be sleeping next to one another. The thought filled her with a combination of loneliness and, oddly enough, excitement. It was as though the air had been replaced for something new and she was just on the verge of taking a breath.

  Veronica felt tired. She took off her clothes and climbed into bed, turning out the light and lying face-up, staring at the ceiling. There was some more movement downstairs, but still he never came up to where she was. The sounds eventually stopped, leaving her in silence. She blinked up at the ceiling, wondering what would happen now, what tomorrow mornin
g would be like. Her eyes started to droop, and two minutes later they slipped closed, Veronica falling fast asleep.

  Chapter 9

  Veronica awoke the next morning to the sounds of metal banging downstairs. She looked beside her and for a moment panicked when she saw that Greg wasn't there. However, the events of the previous night came back to her and she felt her muscles relax. She listened to the noise and realized that it must be Greg making all that racket.

  Throwing the covers off of her, she slid out of bed and put on her dressing gown, leaving the room to go downstairs. As she walked down she smelled the unmistakable aroma of bacon frying. She reached the first floor and walked into the kitchen to find Greg, dressed in the clothes he was in the night before, rushing around the kitchen, cooking breakfast. When he saw Veronica stop in the doorway he broke out into a huge, albeit obviously stressed, smile.

  "Good morning honey!" he said with joviality. "Sleep well? I hope I didn't wake you."

  "No, you didn't," she lied. "Are you making breakfast?"

  "Yeah!" he said. "After our conversation last night, I thought I would give it a shot for a change. Coffee?"

  "Sure, thanks," she said, heading to the cupboard for a mug.

  "Oh no, I'll get it!"Greg said quickly, and Veronica stopped where she was. "You can just sit down and relax, I'll take care of everything."

  Veronica nodded and went to sit at the table as Greg grabbed a mug and poured coffee into it, handing it to her. "Uhh ... milk and sugar?" he asked.

  "Just sugar," she replied.

  "Right, just sugar," he responded, his smile faltering slightly.

  He went to grab the sugar while Veronica looked at the stove. There was bacon frying in one pan and eggs being cooked in another. The elements were on too high and the eggs smelled overdone, but she didn't say anything. The toaster popped and two pieces of toast, slightly burnt, came up.