by Anita Cox
“Look at you moving up in the world.” She started talking to someone in the background. “Look, I gotta go. How about drinks on Friday?”
“Sounds good. See you after work on Friday.”
I twirled in my chair like a little kid. How odd at my age to do a happy dance and spin in an office chair, but I did it each time I landed an account.
OUT AND ABOUT
Friday I celebrated with Stacy, leaving Saturday morning a lazy one. I lounged around the house bored and a bit concerned that it was Saturday and I had nothing to do. It was clear that I needed a social life. My current social interaction was Stacy and sex therapy. I needed to get out and live a little.
I opened my laptop and started scanning the social networking sites for events in the area. It shouldn’t be hard for a successful woman to find entertainment. So I started preparing. After lunch I painted my nails. While they were setting, I continued scanning local events. There were three spots I could hit, giving me something to do if one location was not to my liking.
Standing in front of my closet, I gazed at the party clothes I had. Leather pants, a sequined top and knee length high-heeled boots to match my shirt. I may never buy my own clothes again. I ran a bath and soaked, trying to relax my nervousness away. I’d never gone out on my own. Dealing with strangers at work and socially couldn’t be that much different.
I pulled the drain plug and started the shower, making sure everything was clean and impeccably shaved. I took extra care applying my makeup and styling my hair. Happy with the look I had, I phoned a cab.
The first stop was a bar not too far away that had a local rock band. The music was loud, making it okay to sit and enjoy the music and the crowd.
“Hey there!” A girl shouted next to me.
“Hi,” I said with a smile.
“I’m Meridith.”
I shook her hand, “Candy.”
Immediately I saw a look of disapproval come over her face. I was puzzled.
“Candy is your real name?” She was uneasy, and it wasn’t hard to tell as her body language completely changed. She completely crossed her legs and arms.
“Yep, says so on my driver’s license.” I laughed. “Did you think it was a stripper name or something?”
Her face burned red. I’d hit the nail on the head.
“I’m sorry. Way to start a conversation, right?”
I waved it off, “It’s okay. I’ve gotten that before. Not a stripper,” I teased.
“Hey, you wanna come sit with us? Our table is back there, and it’s a bit quieter. If you stand here, it won’t take long for the sleaze balls to start stalking you.”
I wanted to be social, turning her down seemed ludicrous. However, it wouldn’t have bothered me to find a sleaze ball for the evening. Logic took over, so I followed her to the table. She politely introduced me to her friends.
“Candy is her real name, so be nice.”
Oh great, catty women, just what I was looking for.
They each welcomed me. It was nice to be included by a group of women. Of course, being the new arrival at the table there were questions about my occupation, attachments, hobbies and such. Their nods of approval told me I was qualified to hang out with them.
I needed a social life. I didn’t need a clique. So I politely excused myself and took a cab to the next bar. This one had a DJ, decent crowd and an outdoor smoking area.
I ordered a drink straight away and sucked it down fast. I ordered a second drink and took it to the outdoor smoking area.
“Candy?” I heard from behind me.
“Olivia!” Thank God, a familiar face!
“What are you doing here?” She was with a group of women.
“You know, trying to get a social life. I just left a bar where a clique of Barbie dolls tried to recruit me.”
Olivia laughed. “Let me introduce you to the cool kids.” She stepped back and introduced her friends, “This is Brett, very handsome, but very gay. Next, there’s Lisa, super-hot, a little bi-sexual and very available. Then there is Cheyenne, she’s my on-again-off-again lover. And last, but not least is my cousin, Lexie. Lexie is recently divorced and getting shit faced.”
“Hi everyone, Candy here.” I shook their hands and took a seat.
“So you hired Olivia?” Brett asked.
“Yes, and I have never been so happy with an assistant. She’s a catch.” I lit my smoke, hoping not to offend anyone. Why was smoking such a faux pas anymore? Thankfully, they all followed suit.
Cheyenne leaned in, “Olivia tells us you landed a huge account today.” She lifted her glass, “Let’s celebrate!”
“Sounds good to me!”
I liked these people, but worried about invading Olivia’s life. I went inside the bar to grab another drink.
While at the bar, the guy standing next to me became red faced when I caught him looking at me.
“Hi,” I said smiling.
“Uh, sorry,” he mumbled.
“It’s okay. A girl doesn’t spend this much time getting ready, only to get upset when a good looking guy is checking her out.” I stuck out my hand. “Candy,” I offered.
“John,” he said as he shook my hand, avoiding eye contact.
John had great hair. It was dark blond and thick. His arms were stretching through his t-shirt, though from the looks of his stomach, he liked beer a little too much.
“So what do you do, John?” He was obviously bashful. If we were going to have a conversation, I was going to have to pursue it.
“You mean for work?” His eyes widened as he looked at me, but his brow furrowed.
Great, he thinks I’m after money.
“Or hobbies, or whatever. How about I start? I’m an advertising executive, book worm when I have time, coffee snob and I’m new to the dating scene. Your turn.” I smiled, then sipped my drink.
“Uh, I’m an entrepreneur; I like to shoot pool and fish. I haven’t read a book since my sophomore year in college when I dropped out. I’m not too picky about my coffee though, as long as it isn’t burnt.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, how did I do?”
Holding back a laugh, I struggled. “Fine, just fine. What does entrepreneur mean, for you? That’s very vague. We need to come up with a better answer for you.”
“What? Why?”
“Look, John. I’m coming out of my bashful shell and I’ve learned a lot. Entrepreneur makes it sound like you’re unemployed doing side work for spending money. So, tell me what you do and I’ll help you come up with a better, more accurate and attractive answer.”
“You want to help me pick up chicks?” He shook his head. “Are you gay or something?” He shook his head. “Figures, the first beautiful woman I talk to is a lesbian. My gay-dar is so broken.”
I nearly spit my drink. “You’re funny John. That’s a good quality. No, I’m not gay. But I just met you. Why not be nice and help a shy guy out?”
John looked at the door. The guy was thinking about running away. Was I really intimidating him that much?
He took a deep breath, “I find old buildings downtown, the ones that are empty and ugly. I renovate the upper floors for nice living quarters. The main level is cleaned up for a store front. My main focus is turning the roofs into green roofs. There are solar panels to help with energy, and rooftop gardens for flowers, or vegetables or whatever.”
Impressive. John looked like he was starting to relax. He liked what he did, and was proud of it.
“That’s fantastic. So a better answer for you is that you convert broken down buildings into eco-friendly living and business space. You’re smart and environmentally conscious. Chicks dig that sort of thing.” I held up my glass, “Nice to meet you John.”
He snickered and shook his head. “You’re weird.”
“Strike one, never call a girl weird. We don’t handle rejection well.” I stepped in closer toward him. I started to feel like a predator.
“Unusual?” he asked, hopeful look washing over his face
.
“Strike two, think positive, John.”
“Unique?”
“Bingo!” I laughed. “What makes me unique?”
He shook his head and laughed. “I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole. I don’t need a third strike!”
I bit my lip. “Are you here alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, my assistant just introduced me to an entire table of her friends, would you like to join us outside?”
He stood there for a moment, holding his breath. “Sure,” he said exhaling.
He followed me outside. The look on Olivia’s face was priceless. “Guys, meet my new friend, John.”
They all introduced themselves.
Olivia winked at me.
Over the next few hours, we loosened up and I was happy. I started the night alone, and now I was sitting at a table full of new friends and I had snagged a hot guy.
John warmed up once his nerves settled. He was funny, despite the fact that he said inappropriate things at the oddest moments.
Every time he ran his fingers through his thick hair, I bit my lip, a point Olivia felt the need to text me every time I did it.
The drinks started to take their effect and I felt the need to go home.
“Thanks guys, I’ve had a ton of fun, but the bar will be closing soon and I have a hot date with my pillow.” I stood, and John stood with me.
“Yeah, I’ve had enough beer for three of me. I need to get going too. It’s been nice meeting you all.”
Olivia shot me a knowing glance.
“See you Monday,” she called out as I was leaving.
When I turned to reply, John’s back was still to her, so she shot me two thumbs up.
I blushed. “Monday,” I uttered.
Outside waiting to catch a cab, John stood next to me. “Maybe we should split a cab,” he suggested.
“What if we don’t live in the same area?” I teased. “It’s going to be more expensive if he has to drive you to the West side and me to the East side.”
John chuckled. “You really don’t recognize me at all, do you?”
My heart jumped. “Excuse me?”
“We’ve lived in the same building for over a year. I helped you carry a few boxes into your apartment when you moved in.”
“Oh geeze, John. I’m so sorry. I had just gotten divorced and I was a mess. I don’t remember much about the whole moving process.” My heart sank. His odd behavior was because he’d helped me and I didn’t even recognize his face.
He smiled, “The big puffy eyes really told the story, Candy. I figured it was a breakup or divorce or something. So, do you want to split a cab?”
I had to hide my humiliation. “Sure.”
Quite suddenly, John’s arm was around my shoulder and he turned me toward him, planting a firm kiss. My heart started racing as my hands made their way up his arms to his large shoulders. The kiss was fantastic. He ended by biting lightly on my lip. My breath hitched when he let go.
“Wow,” I said breathlessly.
“Exactly.” He grinned. “I’ve wanted to do that for a few hours.”
I saw a cab coming and stepped out holding my hand up. Thankfully, the cab stopped. I gave him the address as John and I climbed in the car.
The ride only took fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours. What should I do? Do I invite him to my place? Do I look like a whore if I have sex with him so soon? Do I let him take the lead? He certainly did great making the first move.
When we reached the apartment building, we each paid the driver our half and he drove away.
“If I’m not being too forward, how about we go to your place and you can show me what a real cup of coffee is all about?” He ran his fingers through his hair.
I wished he’d stop doing that. It seemed to have an effect on my lady bits.
“Sure, come on up.” My stomach tightened. This was up to me. It was up to me how far this went, I had the choice. I wanted to fuck him until I couldn’t take it any longer, but we lived in the same building and I wasn’t ready for a relationship. Would he act crazy if I brought someone else home?
I brewed the coffee and put out the flavored creamers on the counter. “Just make your cup how you’d like,” I offered.
“I’ll have what you’re having.” He stepped in behind me. I could smell his cologne and feel his body heat through my shirt.
I prepared his coffee just like mine and stepped back so he could grab his mug.
“Holy shit, this is good!” He took a big sip. “I can see why you call yourself a coffee snob. Sort of hard to go back to gas station brew after this.”
I laughed. “Yeah, really hard. Let’s go sit in the living room.”
He followed me to the couch. We sipped at our coffee, an awkward air of silence hovering in the room. Fueled by my sex drive and the courage the alcohol of the night provided I decided to try approaching the elephant in the room.
“John, can I be honest?”
He set his cup down on the coffee table. He looked like he was bracing himself for bad news.
“Honesty, that would be a refreshing change from my past dating experiences.” He put his hands on both knees, looking as if he may be sick.
“First, you should know, that prior to my divorce, I had only been with my husband, and the sex was boring at best. Recently, and I mean very recently, I’ve been attending sex therapy sessions to discover and explore my sexuality. I’m just starting to scratch the surface. So I am interested in sex, in dating and in friends. I’m not ready to, you know, settle or go steady or whatever adults call it. But every time you run your fingers through your hair, I want to rip your clothes off.” I finally took a breath.
He let out his breath as he held it the whole time I rambled on. Color started making its way back to his face.
“Whoa,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. While it drove me crazy, I noticed it was only something he did when he was nervous.
“Too much?” I bit my lip and squeezed my coffee cup.
John looked at me, eyes wide. “So that’s what honesty feels like?” He shook his head. “What guy wouldn’t want a girl to offer no-strings-attached sex?” He grabbed his coffee and took a sip, maybe to gather his thoughts. “I like to think of myself as a gentleman. So, if I take you up on your offer, doesn’t that make me sort of an asshole?”
“Well, I don’t think so. Isn’t that what’s important? I just don’t want to lead you on. You’re certainly dating material and if I weren’t in this place in my life, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I would simply make love to you and hope you’re there in the morning.”
“So, if we make love, can I stay the night or do you expect me to leave? I mean, what do you expect?”
“I’d like for you to stay. We can even spend time together tomorrow. I’d love to see one of your buildings. Just understand that I am dating. Meaning that I if I have the opportunity, I will see other people as well.” I put my hand on his arm. “If you can’t accept that, my feelings won’t be hurt. I just have so much to learn, about me, about sex and the world.”
David leaned back resting on the couch, but not away from my hand. “So you want an open relationship?”
“Open?” I hated being lost with dating terms. It was starting to piss me off.
“We see each other, but we see other people too.”
I pondered this for a moment. “Yes, and I won’t get jealous if I see you bringing a woman into the building, and vice versa.” This was starting to feel less sexy and more like a business deal.
“I’ve never done that before,” he admitted. “But I find you incredibly sexy, smart and if you’re sure this is what you want, then I’m in.”
Satisfied with his answer, I scooted closer to him. “Then you need to kiss me again.”
He did. And this time, the hands started exploring. He gently squeezed my breasts and I let out a gasp. I wound my fingers in his hair and pulled him in harder. In kind,
he leaned in toward me, laying us on the couch. I wrapped my legs around his hips and squeezed, feeling his erection through his pants. He pushed into me, groaning.
“Bedroom,” I gasped.
“What?”
“Bedroom. The bed is bigger. More room.”
He sat up, lifting me so I was sitting on top of him. “Where?” He asked.
“End of the hall.” I leaned in kissing him hard.
He walked swiftly to the bedroom, I hit the light switch as we entered the room. He put me gently on the bed, then reached his fingers into my waistband and pulled my pants off.
My heart raced, I couldn’t wait to get to the good stuff. I sat up, undoing his pants, turning red in the face as I did so. He was wearing boxer briefs, and he made them look very nice. His muscular legs stretched the bands.
He reached down pulling my top off, which had a built in bra, leaving me bare chested, nipples standing erect like the Empire State Building. He leaned down and licked them. They were stretched and sensitive. His warm, wet tongue sent tingles from my breast south toward my throbbing pussy.
I scooted back on the bed, resting my head on a pillow and held my hand out to him. He obliged climbing on the bed laying on me. Through our underwear, I could now feel the heat coming of his impressive erection. The thing was big – bigger than anything I’d previously had. I worried, momentarily, that it might hurt.
My excitement overruled any concern I had. He pinned my wrists down. Surprisingly, it aroused me more. He put my hands next to each other above my head. He grabbed both my wrists with one hand and slid his other hand down my stomach and under my panties. John knew what he was doing. He immediately started rubbing my clit and I nearly leapt off the bed. It felt so good and so intense, I could already feel an orgasm brewing.
I moaned and fought for breath. Kissing was not an option as I was too busy gasping for air.
“Holy shit!” I yelled.
John smiled and put his mouth on my breast. I wanted to fuck so bad I couldn’t take it. I fought to get my hands free.
“God, I want you!” As bad as I wanted him, I wanted to practice my oral sex skills. He wouldn’t let me go. My hips bucked when he put two fingers inside me. He had hit the perfect spot.
