Now Donna moved the phone so that he could see her legs spread wide on the bed. "I wish this was your tongue and not my fingers," she said, "but we'll just have to make do."
As she fingered her labia, played with the curls, and gently stroked her clit, Donna's hips began to rock. In concert with her movements, Eric adjusted the speed of his hands. He closed his eyes and imagined them together. Faster, faster, harder, harder… and there! Hot ejaculate sprayed his chest and he dropped the phone to the side, spent for the moment.
He could hear Donna's moans coming from the phone and picked it up again. In her excitement, she had forgotten the phone altogether, but it had landed where he could see her face, albeit at a strange angle. He watched her face contort in pleasure as she cried out.
Donna's whole body shuddered, and she lay still and quiet, neither knowing nor caring at the moment if he was watching or still connected or anything other than the incredibly empowering feeling that swept through her. I don't need a man for this. Immediately, that thought was followed by but I want one. It was a revelation.
A few seconds passed. Then another few seconds. Making soft noises, Donna picked the phone up again and was pleased to see Eric's face on the screen. Both of them were still breathing a bit more heavily than normal. "That was… good, right?"
Eric smirked a little. "Oh, hell yeah. Spectacular. Babe, you are always teaching me something new."
Donna frowned a little. "Perhaps it's your turn to teach me something new."
When Eric made no reply, she continued, "Just don't think I'm going to go this easy on you when I'm there in person. This was a more-than-decent substitute because of the distance, but—"
"Goes without saying, Donna," Eric whispered. He looked down at his chest. "Whew. I'm a bit of a mess. Hold on while I clean up?"
"That's okay," Donna said as she yawned. "Wait until after the party tomorrow to call. I want to hear all about it."
Eric gave himself the whole day off. He tidied up his work area in case any guests wanted to see his progress, sunned on the beach, and lifted weights in the home gym. He also teased Asahi in the kitchen as she cooked for the party.
"I googled pochapocha," he said, pouring himself a glass of fresh lemonade. She'd made the pitcher with lemons from the estate, sweetening it with local honey. "It means pudgy. I don't get it. One, you're not pudgy, and two, why would it matter if you were?"
Asahi paused as she kneaded the dough for yeast rolls on the butcher-block island. "Thank you, Eric-san. I think I am too pudgy for the Steins' party and besides, I-I am driving to Vero to see a movie with a friend." She smiled mischievously. "I think that you should definitely go, though."
"Friend? Asahi has a boyfriend," he sang until she shook her head.
"Her name is Nancy."
"Nancy, Nancy. So is this party fancy-shmancy? I mostly brought work clothes and swim trunks."
Asahi giggled again as she kneaded the dough. "Party will be very casual. More than you'd think."
What does that even mean? Before he could ask, a familiar face popped up over the saloon door.
"Eric with a C!" Erika-with-a-K cooed. "I didn't know you were coming to the Steins. I could have given you a lift from the airport." Erika pushed the doors open, ignoring Asahi completely as she walked over to Eric. She stood closer than he would have preferred, her hips cocked and the improbable chest jutting forward in invitation.
Eric looked at Asahi for back-up, but her expression clearly communicated that Eric-san was on his own. Perhaps Erika was a regular visitor? "I, um, a ride was already arranged. Maybe if we'd sat together on the plane, it would have come up in conversation but—"
Erika made a face as she picked up a piece of celery on the butcher-block and took a bite. "Oh, him. I invited him to the party, but we'll see. A bit of a prude, I think. Anyway, I arrived early because I want to get some sun before tonight. It's been so dreadfully cold up north, I am white as a ghost. Don't want to scare anyone off." She laughed.
There seemed to be something going on that Eric couldn't quite put a finger on. Casual party, Asahi's deliberately vague or going on about being pochapocha, Erika's worried about her tan. It didn't add up.
"Would you like to see my progress?" Party forgotten for the moment, Eric wanted to show off his handiwork. Asahi always commented, and the Steins had been in now and then, but things were really shaping up. He had a long way to go, but you could tell now that the fireplace would be magnificent when finished.
"Indeed! When you said you were putting in a fireplace, I was thinking a regular fireplace. If I'd known you were the kind of craftsman up to Ari and Doris's standards, there's no way I would have let that man switch seats with you. You must be something special."
Eric pointed in the general direction of the addition and followed Erika out, but not before he distinctly heard Asahi say quietly, "Careful, Eric-san. Be very careful."
8
Thanksgiving Party
Doris Stein was a vivacious redhead, pleasingly pochapocha in Eric's opinion. She and Ari were both on the short side, but comfortable both financially and relationally. Eric didn't see them often, but they'd made favorable impressions on one another. "I'm delighted you're coming to the party," Doris told him by intercom. "Asahi explained everything? My friend Erika, I believe you already met. Everyone else should be here by six. It's quite a group. And they'll be everywhere—beach, pool, Jacuzzi. Probably not the gym. Living room, all around.
