“Billy, don’t. Please don’t. We hardly know each other. You don’t owe me an explanation about your hot roommate or why she thinks my name is Cara.”
“So you probably don’t want to hear that my roommate is a flight attendant and I’m gone a lot so that’s the first time we’ve been at the apartment at the same time in months and that the last time she was here, I was leaving to go on a date with Cara. One date. That didn’t work out. I haven’t seen her since and that was almost six months ago.”
“Oh, that’s the oldest story in the book”
“C’mon, would I lie to you in front of the marshmallows?”
“I don’t know. Men have been known to be insincere in front of desserts.”
He started to laugh and against her better judgment she did too.
“Let’s go on a real date. Are you busy this weekend?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, I’m sorry; I just assumed. . are you seeing someone?”
“Yes, about twelve of them. I’m chaperoning a Girl Scout sleepover this weekend.”
Billy looked relieved. Cynthia couldn’t help but smile.
“I would invite you to come by, but half of the girls are still scared of boys.”
It didn’t take long for them to decide on a place and time.
Cynthia was surprised that she was so nervous. After all, she knew that they were at least physically compatible and that heinous misunderstanding aside, they got along very well. He had a quirky sense of humor and most important of all, he seemed to genuinely like her. He was a lot of fun. She had to admit that it had been a long time since she had relaxed and had fun. And the sex was incredible. Would it be too much to hope that this date would end the same way the last one had? Or was she dooming herself to failure by hoping?
What was wrong with her? She had an actual date with an actual guy, no wait a man, who was genuinely interested in being with her. And here she was second guessing the whole affair. Maybe affair was the wrong word to use. That would be presuming a lot before a second date.
Effortless.
That’s why she liked being with Billy. The fun was effortless. He was just as exciting and unpredictable and funny as the kids she loved so much and he was smart and interesting and charming. And then she decided to talk.
“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened with Cara?”
“I don’t mind you asking.”
He hesitated and she began to panic. Was he trying to think of a way out of talking about his past? Or was there something wrong with Cara that was also wrong with her? Her panic must have been visible because he reached out and took her hand.
“I don’t mind telling you. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to say this.” Oh god, what could it be?
“It’s not anything dark and mysterious or dangerous. It’s just the same thing that happens to me every time I meet someone. Or get set up with someone. It’s hard for me to meet people. I travel so much and I don’t really meet anyone on the job.”
Cynthia nodded in assent. He began stroking her hand with his thumb. She felt tingles shoot up her arm.
“I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. I love my job, but I’m starting to get tired of being alone. I know I don’t have to be alone if I don’t want to. I just haven’t found anyone who I can see myself with in the long term.”
Was this it, was this where he was going to try and let her down easy? He gripped her hand a little tighter. There were the tingles again.
“I don’t want to scare you away or anything.”
“We just met. You haven’t done anything particularly scary.”
Cynthia thought her voice sounded shrill and panicky. She didn’t trust herself to look up because she didn’t want him to see the fear that she knew was running across her face.
“You don’t remember meeting me the first time. I don’t blame you; it was just for a second. You were with your friend Anna and this little kid came running up to you and jumped on you and you just laughed and picked him up. You didn’t mind that he completely disrupted whatever you were doing. You just picked him up and looked absolutely delighted to see him. I came over to get Anna to introduce us and you were so focused on this kid, I didn’t think you would remember meeting me. Then I saw you again at the carnival with those kids and it just made me think. It made me think that I could see myself having a long and happy life with a beautiful girl who would take the time to be nice to a kid and to go out and have some fun.”
He reached over and took her other hand and she felt the tingles go up both arms. She dared to look up at him. He looked so sweet and sincere that the part of her mind that wanted to say it might be a line that he said to everyone decided it didn’t care. She smiled at him.
“So that’s what happened with Cara. It only took one date to see that she would rather spend her time and money buying expensive shoes that make her feet hurt. But you made me realize that there are beautiful girls who are nice to kids and know how to dress to go to a carnival.”
She took her hand away and took a sip of her drink.
“Did I scare you away?”
“We should go to my place.”
A broad grin spread across his face and she trembled a bit. She no longer cared at how quickly things were moving, in fact, she wanted them to go faster so she could be alone with him.
She got the door unlocked and pulled him in so fast that he almost tripped. She led him to the small living room and pushed him down on the couch. She climbed on to his lap and began to kiss him. She sighed with pleasure as she felt his arms go around her. She kissed and nuzzled his face, loving the feel of his beard stubble against her face. She heard him moan as she licked his earlobe and she smiled against his neck. She nibbled and licked her way around as her hands slid up to unbutton his shirt.
She pulled it out of the waistband of his pants and felt the quick warmth of his skin as it rode up. His hands slipped up under her blouse and he stroked her back gently. Her tongue explored his mouth. She was driven by a hunger to taste all of him and feel everything he had to offer. He expertly slipped his hands under her bra strap and unfastened it. She leaned back and pulled off her blouse and her bra.
His arms went around her again and she relaxed into them. He leaned her back supporting her so he could lick her nipples. She moaned and clenched her thighs around his hips. The licks went from light flicks to a firm sucking. She arched her back in response. He sucked and nipped on her greedily and she moved up and across his lap so she could lie back on the couch, she pulled him on top of her and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her so deeply she was incapable of thought. It was a nice feeling.
She just relaxed into the feelings as he laved and nibbled and licked all the way down her body. She focused just long enough to pull him to his feet and lead him down the hallway to the bedroom. She lay back on the bed and pulled him back on top of her. Somewhere along the way they both had stripped off the rest of their clothes. She stopped kissing him for a moment so that she could savor the feeling of his body against hers.
While she lay there breathing slowly in and out, Billy watched her, then rolled off of her. He lay beside her and stroked her from hip to shoulder. She shivered in delight as he used the tips of his fingers to explore her as he had before. Just when she thought he couldn’t stand it any longer, he danced his fingers across her hipbone and gently, very gently traced her lips with his fingertips.
She moaned, wanting to take his hand and press it against her, begging him to slide his fingers into her. He seemed to know what she was thinking and he kissed her gently before continuing the sweet torment. He was relentless as he played her body like a fine stringed instrument. By the time he was finished she was dripping wet and as taut as a wire with anticipation and lust. When he took a minute to rest, she flipped him over on his back. Straddling him around the hips she leaned over him and took a condom out of the top drawer of her nightstand.
“We have that in common”, he quipped.
He moaned as she moved back, slipped the condom over him and climbed right on top. He looked surprised at the speed with which she did this. He closed his eyes as she slid down the length of his shaft. She sat up
