This Time Around
By:
Olivia D. Monroe
© Olivia D. Monroe, August 2011
Published at Smashwords
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CHAPTER ONE
“Oh great!” thought Kayla Mitchell as she looked down at the run in her stockings. “This is just going to be the best day ever”, she mused. It was Monday, of course, and she was running late for a meeting at work. “Whoever decided it was a good idea to hold meetings on Monday mornings anyway? That’s like the worst day and time for a meeting ever!” she was thinking. Finding a run in her stockings on top of her having spilled her coffee on her jacket and smearing her mascara made her feel just a little more than inadequate. She had barely slept last night and when she finally did get to sleep, she forgot to reset the alarm and overslept. No time to shower, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail, slapped on her makeup, brushed her teeth and grabbed a coffee mug and filled it with black coffee. She threw the mascara into her purse for application on the ride to work and in her haste hadn’t noticed that she’d punctured her nail through her stockings. And so began her lovely week.
She tiptoed into the meeting room and took a seat at the back end of the table; trying to be as invisible as she could so no one would notice her disheveled appearance. She thought she had succeeded, but Sam Walker caught her eye and gave her a wink and a smile. “Woooonderful so much for sneaking in un-noticed” was the thought that ran through her head. Sam had been out of town for weeks visiting sites and making suggestions for cutting costs to the managers of the restaurants that were the bread and butter of the parent company she worked for. That was his job as Associate Director of Budgeting. She was in Sales and Marketing. Their paths crossed frequently and she’d always thought he was a hottie. He was just a couple of years older than her and unattached, as far as she knew. But, she’d never really given it much thought until today. What was she doing? She should be paying attention, seeing as how she was already late and all. Not daydreaming about Sam. Ugh! She needed a vacation! Yeah, like that was going to happen. She had barely been in her small apartment alone for 6 months. The first time she’d lived on her own in years. Making a budget and sticking to it had never been her forte; but now she was forced to do so and a vacation wasn’t anywhere in her budget. So, she had to make do with a night out with the girls here and there for relaxation. But even that wasn’t relaxing enough. She always felt like she was on display. Having been out of the dating scene for 3 years, she didn’t quite know how to act.
Up until 6 months ago, Kayla had been living with her boyfriend of 3 years, Jeff. Things were great. They complimented each other so well. Kayla was totally in love with Jeff. She really thought they’d get married and have kids one day. They were completely comfortable with each other in every way. Kayla thought everything was perfect. Until the day she came home from work early with a migraine and found Jeff in their bed with a blonde bombshell he’d picked up at the strip club he had apparently been frequenting without her knowledge. She was so shell-shocked she just turned around and walked out without a word. Two days later, her friends helped her pack her stuff and move out, leaving Jeff behind muttering apologies and promises that it would never happen again. She wouldn’t listen; couldn’t listen. She’d seen too many times how her father’s cheating had badly hurt her mother. She was not going to let that be her. “Once a cheater, always a cheater” was her motto. If the man of her dreams for 3 years could just so casually be screwing someone in the bed he’d shared with her, she had no reason to believe he wouldn’t do it again. So, at 29, she was starting over. She stayed with her friend Kim for a short 3 weeks until she could find her own place. Kim’s apartment was only one bedroom and the sofa wasn’t really conducive to productive sleeping. Plus, she really needed to be alone and sort things out. Jeff called every day for nearly the first month. She finally told him to stop calling, she was never coming back. He’d made his bed; he had to lie in it. She threatened to get a restraining order and change her number if he didn’t back off. He finally got the picture and left her alone. She didn’t know if she was happy or sad about that at the time. But she had to move on with her life.
That’s exactly what she was doing. She set her mind to focusing on her work and forgot about a social life for the better part of 2 months. She didn’t take her friends up on their offers to go out on Friday and Saturday nights. She didn’t even meet them for lunch or dinner during the week. She just went home and wanted to crawl in bed and forget everything at the end of the day. Finally, she took them up on a girl’s night out about 3 months into her breakup. They went to a little club on Beale Street and drank and danced until around 2 am. She had to admit she had a great time. She was hit on by a few guys, but none that really did much for her. None that created any sparks. So, she casually shooed them away and enjoyed just being single for the night. That night did show her that she wasn’t dead in the water anymore. She was a young, attractive woman. She was 5’7, beautiful chocolate cherry red hair and fair skin with gorgeous brown eyes that were like pools of dark chocolate. She wasn’t rail thin; she was a perfect size 10 and proud of it. It fit her frame like a glove. Voluptuous curves both top and bottom. Her “C” cup breasts and round bottom flared from her sculpted waist and she didn’t appear to have an ounce of fat on her. She decided she could live again and be happy as a single woman. And so she remained, happy and single.
But today, in this meeting with Sam glancing at her every chance he got and their eyes locking for what seemed like eternity, she couldn’t say she was happy being single anymore. She was getting visions of Sam’s eyes focused on hers as he hovered ever so slightly above her; their bodies meshing together in a heap of skin and sweat. “Whoa! Hold the phone. Where did that come from?” she thought to herself. She needed to get a grip and get a grip fast! She felt herself blush and turned away from him so that she wouldn’t be tempted to look in his eyes again. It didn’t work, she could feel his eyes burning into her side and she couldn’t resist glancing one more time in his direction. He was smiling, not a full smile, just a tilt of the side of his mouth, but there was a glimmer in his eye. What the hell was going on here? She’d never really had thoughts about Sam, other than to think that he was hot. Why now? Why here? Why couldn’t she concentrate?
Before she had time to give those thoughts any more merit, the meeting was adjourned. She didn’t have a clue what had been discussed, but she did have an agenda in front of her with a few bullet points so she figured she could ask around and find out the particulars and if any of them pertained to her. Before she could gather her things and get out the door, Sam was there, standing behind her chair, pulling it out for her. She blushed again and thanked him. “No problem”, he replied. He asked her if she knew what was said in the meeting and she felt her cheeks flush again as she admitted that she hadn’t heard a single word. He surprised her by saying that he had recorded the whole meeting and would get her a copy of the notes by lunchtime…if she agreed to have lunch with him. She didn’t know what to say. For a moment, she lost all train of thought, she forgot to breathe for what felt like forever, but then, she heard herself and couldn’t believe it was really her “Sure, a girl’s gotta eat sometime, right?” What the hell was that? God, she felt like she was a teenager again. She’d not been this flustered since high school. What was it about this man that was making her react this way? Or was it just that 6 months was apparently too long for her to go without male companionship? No, that couldn’t be it. Before Jeff, she was celibate for 2 years. There was some kind of weird chemistry thing going on between her and Sam and she felt unsure of herself now more than she had in years. Before she could think any other thoughts, Sam said “good, I’ll come by your office at noon and we’ll go to that new Italian restaurant on the corner. Is that good for you?” “Yes, that’s fine” was all she could muster. “Great, then see you at noon.” And with that, he was out the door whistling as he strolled down the long hallway to the bank of elevators to take him up to his office on the 5th floor.
Kayla sat in her 6th floor office looking out the window at the Memphis skyline and wondered what the hell had just happened. She’d never been one to just flake out like that around men. Why now? Why Sam? Sure, he was hot. That was an understatement, he made her blood boil and wetness pool between her legs. Wow! She hadn’t felt that immediate of an attraction to anyone, not even Jeff. What they had was hot on occasion, but mostly, it was comfortable. This was H-O-T! Sam was 6’3, light brown hair; green eyes the color of emeralds. She’d seen him in a tank and shorts one time at the company picnic and remembered now how tan and muscled he was. He was playing a game of touch football with some of the other guys and she remembered now how every muscle in his toned legs and arms would bulge when he was hustling from one end of the field to the other. Wow again! She hadn’t thought about that in years. When she was with Jeff, she had blocked out visions of all other men. Too bad, Jeff couldn’t do the same with other women. But thinking back now to that picnic 4 years ago and seeing the vision of Sam in her head, she was getting flushed. She could feel the heat rising in her body. They’d worked together for 6 years. She started out as an administrative assistant in the Finance Department while she was working on her bachelors in Marketing. When she completed her degree, she accepted the position in Sales and Marketing. She wasn’t a salesperson, so she didn’t have to travel much; she was just more involved in the marketing area of the business. But she’d met Sam when she was the admin in Finance and he’d always been very nice to her and helped her out whenever he could. He even gave her the glowing reference she needed to make the move to Junior Marketing Exec. Now he wanted to have lunch with her and was giving her the hot stares over a meeting table. What was going on? She’d find out soon enough, she guessed. With that, she turned back in her chair and opened her email to finally start working for the day. She had to keep busy or she’d go insane. Two and a half more hours until lunch…
CHAPTER TWO
Kayla managed to get a few emails answered and tweak a few spreadsheets before noon rolled around. She couldn’t really concentrate on anything, her nerves were a wreck. When she heard the knock on her door, she jumped in her chair. She managed to choke out a “Come in” and stand up behind her desk. She had changed into the spare pair of stockings she kept in her drawer for emergencies and shed her suit jacket wearing only her coral silky short sleeved button down blouse and her black suit skirt that came just an inch or so above her knees. When Sam opened the door and poked his head in asking “you ready?” she managed a smile and found her voice enough to say, “sure, just let me grab my purse.” He handed her the notes from the meeting and she laid them on her desk. When she exited the office, he closed the door behind her. She was so nervous and had to keep telling herself to get a grip. This was just lunch with a colleague she’d known for years. It wasn’t a date; they weren’t going to end up in bed together. She tried to force herself to relax, but it wasn’t working very well. They made small talk in the elevator and on the short walk to the restaurant on the corner. He had called ahead and reserved a table, knowing that it would be crowded, and she was glad that they didn’t have to wait long to be seated. In her haste this morning, she’d skipped breakfast and the cereal bar she’d eaten after the meeting wasn’t coming close to putting a damper on her hunger.
The waitress seated them and gave them the menus, pointing out the specials and took their drink orders. She ordered a diet coke and he a sweet iced tea. The waitress went to retrieve their drinks and she looked at the menu musing “everything looks so good and I am starving”. He smiled and told her to order whatever she wanted. She looked up from the menu and smiled back at him as she caught the glimmer in his eyes. When the waitress returned with their drinks and a basket of breadsticks, he asked her if she was ready to order. She ordered the Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo with a garden salad and he ordered the Italian Sausage Ravioli. The waitress took their menus and left them alone. Sam broke the awkward silence first. “I’m glad to be back at home. I love traveling, but it gets old after a while. Being in a new city and a new hotel every couple of days; it gets lonely. I’m glad I only have to do it a few weeks out of the year.” She nodded and replied, “I know, I have to travel a couple of times a year myself and I hate it. It’s not that I hate the traveling; I just hate the isolation in the hotel rooms.” Sam agreed and then, without warning, he asked her about Jeff. “I thought your boyfriend traveled with you when you had to go out on business?” She sat silent for a moment and then mustered up the courage to say “We broke up several months ago. He didn’t go with me on the last trip out.” He said “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t know that.” But something about his wicked grin said that he had known they had broken up. Otherwise, why would he be asking her out to lunch after they had worked together for so many years without ever having a social encounter? She grinned and replied back “Something tells me you did know that.” He laughed out loud and asked her “Am I that obvious?” She laughed too “well, it just seems strange to me that we’ve worked together for years and you’ve never so much as glanced my way unless we were working on something together when I was your admin.” He said “Touché” and she laughed again. “So tell me, Sam, why did you invite me to lunch today?” she didn’t know where the courage to ask that question had come from. She’d never been shy, always considered herself rather outgoing, but that was a bold question, even for her. His reply stunned her “I’ve always found you attractive, Kayla. But when you were my admin, it was inappropriate of me to suggest an outside-of-work relationship. Then, you were taken for years and I just bided my time. When I learned that you and Jeff had broken up, I knew that now was the chance to make my move.” “Make your move?” she asked. “Yes, I’ve wanted to ask you out for a long, long time. I was really afraid you’d end up marrying Jeff and I would never get my chance. I just figured easing you into it by taking you to lunch first was a wiser idea than just coming right out and asking you to have dinner with me.” “Oh” was all she could say. She felt her face flush and Sam was staring directly at her. She met his gaze and she felt her stomach flip. Why did he have this effect on her? She’d dated gorgeous men before; even slept with a few of them. It wasn’t like she was sex-starved. Though, quite frankly, her libido had been non-existent since Jeff, but it seemed to be coming alive in a big way now. Here, with Sam. Just then, the waitress returned with her salad and said the entrees would be just a few minutes more. She sat for a moment, not sure if she should begin eating or not. Sam took one of the breadsticks, sensing her hesitation, and smiled at her. She took that as a sign that she should eat so she put her napkin in her lap and dug in. While she ate her salad, she could feel Sam’s eyes on her. He was watching her every move. She felt his eyes like they were his hands. They roved over her face, her neck, her breasts, her hands, she felt his eyes everywhere. She liked it. She was more turned on than she had been in a long, very long time and he hadn’t even touched her yet.
Sam was watching her. He watched how her tongue darted out to grasp the tomato on her fork. That little move sent a spark straight to his groin. He shifted in his seat ever so slightly to adjust for the growing member in his slacks. She didn’t seem to notice. He continued to watch her as she ate. At one point, she picked up a breadstick and the way she stuck it between her lips before she bit down on it made his cock grow an inch larger. He was noticeably uncomfortable and was glad that he had the napkin in his lap to cover his bulging erection. He’d been enamored of Kayla ever since she first came to work for the company years ago. She was beautiful. Her hair was just the perfect shade of red, not too light, not too dark. But in the summer, it highlighted beautifully. Her eyes were the deepest brown he’d ever seen and they were so big. A man could get lost in her eyes. She had the perfect pouty mouth, nose just right, skin like champagne silk. She was perfect in every way. He’d dated off and on over the years since they’d met, but he could never get her out of his mind. He was so ecstatic when he heard of her breakup with her live-in boyfriend, Jeff, that he almost danced around his office in delight. He wasn’t kidding when he said he had been afraid that they would marry and he’d lose his chance with her forever. But the fates had smiled on him. He waited the appropriate amount of time. Not making his move too quickly, but not waiting too long either for fear she’d meet someone else. Sam knew, from deep down inside, that she was the woman he wanted…forever. Whoa! Forever! Where did that come from? He’d never thought about forever with any woman before. But sitting here, across from the one woman he’d been hooked on for so many years, he couldn’t get the word out of his head. He was a goner! What if it didn’t work? What if she didn’t feel the same way about him? He couldn’t think about any of that now. He had to give it a shot. If he didn’t he’d live to regret it. Besides, he knew she was physically attracted to him. He could tell by the way her nipples hardened under her shirt when she caught him gazing at her luscious chest. She tried to hide it, but it was obvious. He knew her ex was a good-looking man; but he was no slouch. He had plenty of opportunities with the ladies. But he could only think of one. Over the years, her hair had been several different styles, but now it was layered and very long; resting, when she let it down, around the middle of her back. He imagined that long red hair flowing freely around her perfectly round perky breasts. Then falling on his chest as she straddled him and rode his…Just then the waitress returned with their entrees and he was snapped out of his sensual haze. He didn’t know how long they had sat in silence, but he sensed it was entirely too long. He had to get this back on track or he’d lose her before he ever had her.
“Smells terrific” he managed to choke out. “Yes, it certainly does” she replied. They both dug in. He offered her a bite of his ravioli. She accepted with a smile. That smile was like a beacon. He couldn’t help himself; he had to ask now “Kayla, will you have dinner with me tonight?” She sat stunned for a moment, but then tilted her head to the side and smiled and said “Yes, I think I’d like that”. He was absolutely giddy. “Great. Email me your address when we get back to the office and I’ll pick you up at 7. Dress casual.” She said “Okay” and they continued to enjoy their lunch. When they were done and Sam paid the check, he placed his hand on the small of her back and walked her out of the restaurant. That hand on her back sent shivers down her spine that she had to fight to contain so he wouldn’t notice. But he noticed anyway and smiled inwardly. They made small talk on the short walk back to the office and into the elevators. He pushed “6” for her and “5” for him. As he got off the elevator, she thanked him for lunch and he called out “Don’t forget to email me” and she replied “I won’t”. He was on cloud nine. He had the perfect date in mind for them and couldn’t wait.
When Kayla got back to her office, she couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. She knew Sam. She normally felt comfortable around him. But she’d never noticed him looking at her the way he looked at her today; like he wanted to devour her. She shivered at that thought. She quickly emailed him her address, before she forgot and decided she needed reinforcements. She picked up the phone and called her best friend. Kim answered on the 3rd ring “What’s happenin’ hot stuff?” she said. Kayla laughed at the old greeting they’d used for years and said “Hey, chick, you got a minute to talk?” Kim replied “of course. Is anything wrong?” Kayla didn’t know exactly how to approach the subject so she just said “no, I don’t think it’s wrong; but it sure is damn surprising.” This got Kim’s interest peaked and she yelled into the phone “What, Kayla, what is it? Tell me, you’re killing me here!” Kim was always a drama queen. Kayla said “Settle down, Beavis. It’s not life or death. You remember Sam; he was a budget analyst back when I was an admin here?” Kim said “yeah, what about him?” “Well, he asked me to lunch today and he told me he was attracted to me and then asked me out to dinner tonight. I said yes, but now I’m feeling a little apprehensive.” Kim’s voice shot up a pitch and she said “what do you mean you’re apprehensive? If I remember correctly, that is one hot piece of man meat and you’d be crazy not to go out with him! If you don’t want to do it, I will!” Kayla laughed and said “it’s not that I don’t want to go out with him, I’m just nervous is all. This is the first real date I’ve been on since Jeff and I’ve known Sam for years. I’m afraid I won’t know how to act around him.” Kim settled herself down and said “Relax and just be yourself. He knows you, he knows your personality. Show him the real you. He obviously likes the real you or he wouldn’t have asked you out.” Kayla said “yeah, I guess you’re right. He waited all these years to ask me out. He even told me he was afraid I’d marry Jeff and he’d lose his chance with me. Can you believe that?” Kim snorted and said “Wow, sounds like he’s not just looking for a casual fling.” “That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m not sure I’m ready for a relationship. Not so soon after Jeff” Kayla sighed. “He’s not proposing for God’s sake, Kayla, it’s just a date. Go out with him. Enjoy yourself and take it slow and easy” Kim reassured her. “You’re right, slow and easy” Kayla repeated. “Great, now call me tomorrow and tell me all the gory details” Kim laughed and they said their goodbyes. Kayla felt a little better now. At least she wasn’t as nervous about the date anymore. Now she just had to get through the rest of the work day and try not to seem too much like an airhead tonight.
CHAPTER THREE
Kayla left work at 5 o’clock on the dot. She hurried to the parking garage, hoping to avoid seeing Sam right now. She had to get home, shower and change before their date. Since she’d missed her shower this morning, she was feeling pretty ripe and needed to relax a little. She made it home in record time so she decided to take a relaxing bath and have a glass of wine instead of just jumping in the shower. She filled the tub with her favorite bubble bath – it was a brand that her mom had used on her when she was a child and the smell always brought with it good memories – and poured herself a glass of white zinfandel, she even lit a few candles in her bathroom. She had to admit, even though her apartment was small, it had a great bathroom. Glass enclosed shower and a whirlpool tub. She turned on the jets to ease her tension and drank her wine. After about 30 minutes, she decided she was good and relaxed so she pulled the plug on the tub and stepped out. She left the candles lit for now and trudged to her bedroom to decide what to wear. She had about an hour until Sam showed up so she tried on several outfits until she found the one she liked. It was a pair of Capri jeans with embroidered flowers on the butt and bottoms of the legs along with a fitted teal wrap around sleeveless blouse. She’d already shaved her legs in the tub and polished her toes yesterday so she decided sandals would look good. She pulled out her teal pair of espadrilles and threw on an ankle bracelet which highlighted her ankle tattoo. She and Kim had gotten matching tattoos one night on a whim. A perfectly opened rose with a vine entwined around it. Usually her stockings covered it so she wasn’t even sure if Sam knew she had a tattoo. What if he didn’t like women with tattoos? Oh well, she’d find out soon enough. She sauntered back into the bathroom to re-apply her makeup and fix her hair. She decided to let it hang loose but she pulled the front and sides back and clipped them at the top of her head in back so that it would be out of her face. She realized she still had no idea where they were going. She figured Sam would give her time to change if she was dressed inappropriately for whatever he had planned. She finished the hair and makeup and went to her jewelry chest to see what she should wear with her outfit. She decided on Silver since she always thought silver looked better with teal and the ankle bracelet was silver anyway. She pulled a pair of dangly earrings and a matching choker with charm out of her jewelry chest and added a couple of silver rings – nothing too gaudy – and a simple silver bracelet style watch. She glanced at herself in her full-length mirror and studied her reflection from all angles. “Okay, this is as good as it gets for casual” she said out loud to the quiet room. She had about 15 minutes left until Sam arrived so she went to the living room and poured herself another glass of wine and switched on her tiny stereo to listen to some music while she waited.
She had no sooner sat down good and the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock and thought it couldn’t be Sam, it was too early. But who else would it be? No one ever visited unannounced. So she went to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Sam. She removed the chain and turned the deadbolt to open the door. His face lit up as he looked her over from head to toe and said “Wow, you look incredible! If this is casual, I can’t wait to see you dressed up!” She could feel that she was blushing as she said “why, thank you.” She offered him to come in and have a glass of wine, but he declined saying that they had reservations but he reserved the right to take her up on the invite later. She felt that little flip in her stomach again and told him she’d just be a minute. She turned off the stereo and put her wine glass in the kitchen. She grabbed the little handbag she had thrown her keys and wallet in along with a lip gloss and compact and they were out the door. She asked him on the way out if her attire was okay or if she needed different shoes or pants. He replied in earnest saying that she was perfectly fine and he wouldn’t have her change a thing. She’d not received this much flattery in years, or had she ever? She could feel her face beaming. They got to his Lexus and he opened her door for her and made sure she was comfortable before closing the door and rushing around to his side and sliding in beside her. She looked at him and smiled “I love this car. Have you had it long? I remember you used to have a Toyota Camry Solara.” He seemed pleased that she remembered his old toy since he had traded it in 3 years ago for this baby. “I got this about 3 years ago. I loved my Solara, but I felt it was time to splurge on something. This was it. I’m content in my Condo and it’s almost paid for so I figured, why not?” “Well, it suits you. It’s not too over the top in a ‘look at my penis’ sort of way.” She gasped. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. What was it with her today? “I’m sorry, I guess that was inappropriate” she muttered. But then she realized he was laughing. “No, I completely understand where you’re coming from. I see guys with their sports cars and big trucks and I think the same thing…they’re overcompensating for something. But I’m completely comfortable with my penis size and don’t feel the need to overcompensate for anything.” Now she was really blushing and he said “I love it when you do that.” She asked shyly “What?” “Blush. It’s the most adorable thing on you. On some women it isn’t attractive at all, but when you blush, even your ears turn red.” That made her blush more and he laughed out loud again. “Don’t be ashamed, Kayla. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about around me.” She couldn’t reply; she just fidgeted in her seat. He came to a stop light and turned her face to his; looking in her eyes he said “I want you to be comfortable around me. Be yourself. I know who you are. I know more about you than you think. I like what I know, but I want to know more. Relax; I want you to have a good time.”
She smiled slightly and the light changed so he released her chin and turned back to the road. “Where are we going?” she asked. “You’ll see” is all he would reply. She sat back, trying to relax and enjoy the ride. When they pulled up to a small steakhouse he said “we’re here”. They were just outside the city now and she’d never been to this steakhouse before. The atmosphere was great. It was an Elvis themed restaurant and she learned from Sam that the owner had gone to the same school that Elvis did; which also happened to be the same school her mother and aunts and uncles graduated from. As she walked through the restaurant to their table, she spotted the large framed class photo on the wall that was the year her aunt and uncle graduated and there were their pictures, up on the wall. She laughed and pointed that out to Sam and he said “well then, I guess fate brought us here tonight.” She only took a minute to ponder that statement as she continued to peruse the walls of this quaint little steakhouse. They were seated at a small candlelit table and he ordered a bottle of red wine as they took the menus and began to look over them. He told her that the filet was excellent and the baked potatoes and salad were delicious. She said that made up her mind and he took the liberty of ordering for them both. The server brought their wine and poured them each a glass. He raised his glass to her to toast “here’s to new beginnings”. She smiled back at him and repeated “to new beginnings”. They both took a sip of wine and sat their glasses down. The table was small so he reached his hand across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m really glad you accepted my dinner invitation, Kayla. I’ve never been nervous about asking a girl out before; but I was terrified you’d say no.” She didn’t really know what to say so she just said “I’m glad too. And I don’t think I would have ever turned you down.” That little revelation filled him with warmth. They talked for a while about their families, she told him about her father’s passing when she was a teenager and how her mother spent years reeling from his death but finally met a man who was genuine and caring and they were married a few years after her father’s death. She adored her step father and knew he would never cheat on her mother the way her father had. She was an only child, so was he. Both of his parents were living and had been married for 40 years. She discovered that their birthdays were a month apart and he was 3 years older than she. He was born and raised in Southaven, MS, just south of the Memphis, TN state line. She was born and raised in Memphis. They both attended the University of Memphis, though their paths never crossed. Not unusual given the size of the campus. Neither had ever been married. Neither were necessarily opposed to marriage or children. She was comfortable. He was comfortable. All during the meal, they laughed and talked about their lives growing up just miles from each other. He told her about his wild college days, she told him about her wild teenage years which led to her wild college days. She told him about her best friend, Kim. They’d been friends since 4th grade and were inseparable. Kim was divorced with no children, fortunately for her. He asked if she was seeing anyone and Kayla sent him a smirk and asked “Why, you interested?” He chuckled and said “No, of course not, I’ve got a friend who is also divorced with no children and they sound like they might have a lot in common. Thought it might be interesting to double date sometime.” “Oh” she replied. “I suppose that would be an idea” and she cast a raised eyebrow his way. “What?” he asked curious about the eyebrow. “Nothing. Just wondering how it is that you are so generous and fun to be with yet have remained unattached for so long.” “Well, that’s easy; I’ve never found the right woman. But that could all change in a small amount of time.” She smiled and took another sip of wine. The server asked if they would like any dessert and he told her the hot fudge cake was delectable. So he ordered one hot fudge cake and two spoons. She asked how he knew she liked hot fudge cake and he bemused her of a time when she returned from lunch when she was his admin gushing about a hot fudge cake she’d had at the diner on the next street over. Wow, she couldn’t believe he remembered that. “I remember a lot of things about you, Kayla.” She couldn’t contain the huge smile that crossed her face and he couldn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes. They finished the hot fudge cake in record time and she commented that she was stuffed.
He paid the check while she glanced at more of the photos on the walls. When he was done, he held out his hand and said “shall we?” She smiled “of course.” He seated her once again in his Lexus and climbed in beside her. “Where to now?” she asked. “It’s nice outside tonight, you feel like taking a walk?” he asked looking at her; his eyes were a deep shade of emerald green. “That sounds nice. Where did you have in mind?” “There’s a nice park not too far from here that has a lovely walking trail and it’s generously lit, but not too overly bright. Is that okay?” “Sure. Whatever you say. You’re driving” she replied.
They drove a couple of miles and entered a nice neighborhood park. He found a spot under a lamp post and came around to her side to let her out. He took her hand and asked her if she thought she might get chilly so he could get his jacket out of the car. She told him she thought she’d be fine and he locked up the car and took her hand in his entwining their fingers. They walked to the trail and began to leisurely stroll along. They talked a little, but mostly they enjoyed the sounds of the nature around them. They could hear the crickets chirping, nightingales calling, dogs barking in the nearby neighborhoods, the sound of their own hearts beating and their own breathing. After walking about halfway around the trail, he stopped and turned to face her. He cupped her face with both hands and looked into her eyes. She stopped breathing for a moment and he said “I’ve been waiting to do this for a long time” and with that, he bent his head and his lips met hers. Soft and gentle at first. She remembered to breathe and tilted her head to return the kiss. His tongue swept over her lips and she opened to him. Returning the kiss and entwining their tongues. He tasted like hot fudge and wine and she tasted like the sweetest dessert he’d ever had. The kiss went on for what seemed like eternity and she could feel every nerve ending in her body come to life. It was so intense she felt her toes curl. She could feel the effect it had on him as well; evidenced by the hard on she felt on her hip. Her legs felt like they would buckle under her. She couldn’t remember the last time a kiss affected her this way. The electricity between them was unmistakable. She didn’t ever want it to end.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tuesday morning, Kayla called in sick to work. She hadn’t slept a wink. After the remarkable kiss they shared, they walked in silence, their fingers entwined, for another 30 minutes or so. He drove her home and she invited him inside for that glass of wine, but he declined saying he had an early morning meeting and needed to get going. He kissed her again, softer this time and she told him she had a wonderful time and he said the same. He said he’d see her tomorrow and she closed the door behind him. She tried to relax, but all she could do was think about Sam and that kiss. She thought about calling Kim, but decided against it since it was so late and she didn’t want to keep Kim up all night, too. Around 2 am she finally went to bed but again found that she couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned. She tried turning on the TV and putting it on something dull and boring, but that didn’t work. So, she tried turning on the radio and put it on talk radio, which usually bored her to sleep, but that didn’t work either. She finally gave up around 5 am and decided to get up and put on a pot of coffee. At 7, she called the office and left message with the admin that she was going to be out today. She finally felt sleepy around 9 am from exhaustion. She knew she would have hell to pay tonight when she tried to go to bed, but she had to give in to the sleep that was pulling her under.
Sam had a restless night, too. After leaving Kayla’s apartment, he drove home in a daze. He couldn’t believe this was finally happening. That he’d finally been able to kiss her, feel her under his hands. It was even better than he’d ever imagined. She was so receptive and so tender. Once inside his condo, he sank into the brown leather couch and sighed. Kayla was finally going to be his. He’d been dreaming of this for years and it was going to happen. He couldn’t let anything stop him now. Not when he was so close to having all he ever wanted. He drifted off to dream on the couch and awoke around 2 am and trudged to bed. He tossed and turned awhile, not able to block that kiss from his mind. He felt himself smile as the memories came to vivid life in his head. He fell asleep with that same smile on his face. When the alarm went off at 6, he rolled over and hit the snooze button. He lay there, not sleeping, just remembering that kiss. Kayla. Her beauty overwhelmed him. Her smile enthralled him. Her eyes, those eyes, he sank into those eyes and felt like he could see into her soul. The alarm sounded again and he turned it off. He got up, a spring in his step and went to shower and dress for work.
He got to work a little early and went straight to Kayla’s office to see if she was in yet. Before he made it to her door, her admin told him she had called in sick. His heart sank for a moment and he felt a thunk in the pit of his stomach. He went on to his meeting, not really able to concentrate. Was she really sick? Was she avoiding him? Was she having regrets? It was just a kiss; it wasn’t like he’d bedded her on their first date. His mind was reeling and he could barely contain the urge to ditch the meeting and drive to her apartment to check on her. The meeting adjourned at 9:30 and he trudged back to his office. He opened his email and checked his voice mail, hoping there was a message from Kayla. When there was no message from her, he felt sick again. He told himself to snap out of it. He’d call her later and check on her. He didn’t want to seem too pushy for fear he’d scare her off. So, he began to work, half-heartedly at best. Lunchtime came and went; he grabbed a sandwich from the snack machine in the break room and ate it at his desk, not wanting to miss her call; if she called. She didn’t. Finally, around 1:30, an email popped in from KMicthell79@yahoo.com. His heart jumped as he opened the email: “Hi, Sam. Sorry I didn’t call or email sooner. I couldn’t sleep at all last night and just couldn’t force myself to get up and come to work this morning with barely 2 hours of sleep. I really did have a good time last night. See you tomorrow. Kayla.”
Sam stared at the screen for what seemed like hours; in reality, it was only 10 minutes. She wasn’t really sick, that was a good thing. She wasn’t avoiding him, another good thing. She couldn’t sleep, was that good or bad? He thought about calling her, but decided against it. He replied to her email: “Kayla, I’m sorry you couldn’t sleep. I am glad you’re not really sick. I was worried that you might have caught a chill on our walk last night. I had a good time, too. I look forward to seeing you again; outside of work, I mean. How would you like to come to my place for dinner Friday night? Surprisingly, I am a really good cook. No pressure. We can talk about it tomorrow. Get some rest, sunshine, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Sam ” He hit send and waited. She didn’t reply after about 15 minutes and he figured she wasn’t going to. So he went back to work contented that she had thought enough to email him and let him know she was okay. He’d see her tomorrow and that had to be good enough. But, damn, he wanted to see her tonight. He didn’t think he could wait until tomorrow…
After she emailed Sam, Kayla finally decided to call Kim. She answered after two rings “Hey, what are you doing at home?” was her greeting. “I called in sick. Couldn’t sleep a wink last night and just didn’t think I could make it today.” Kim chuckled, “didn’t you have a date last night? Omigod is that why you couldn’t sleep, did you do it on the first date?” Kayla retorted “no, I did not do it on the first date. I couldn’t sleep because he kissed me.” “A kiss kept you awake? Must have been some kiss” Kim replied. “It was; it was like the best kiss I’ve ever had. So much passion and tenderness; it made my toes curl” Kayla mused. “Wow, that was some kiss, huh?” was all Kim could say. “When are you going out with him again?” “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him today. I did send him an email to let him know I was okay. Oh, wait!” she exclaimed as she moved back over to her computer. “I just got an email from him.” Kayla read the email and her stomach filled with butterflies. “He wants me to come to his place for dinner Friday night. Should I accept?” she asked Kim. “Yes, of course you should. A gorgeous man with toe curling kisses invites you to his place for dinner, you don’t turn it down!” Kim yelled. Kayla laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm. Kim was always overreacting, but it usually did make Kayla laugh. “Okay, okay, calm down. I’ll accept. Geez.” “Make sure you shave your legs” Kim replied tauntingly. “Oh, God, you’re right, what if he expects me to sleep with him? I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I don’t know if I’m ready to take this to that next step yet” Kayla stammered. “Now you need to calm down. Take it as it comes. If it feels right, go for it. If it doesn’t, I’m sure he’ll understand. You said he’s been waiting for years, right? So what’s waiting a little longer going to hurt? I’m sure he’s not going to pressure you into anything you aren’t ready for” Kim reasoned. “You’re right. I don’t know why this makes me so nervous. This is so unlike me, Kim. You know that. I’m not usually like this with men.” “No, honey, you’re not. But you’ve been burned, and in the one way that you always feared. Of course you’d be a little gun shy on your first time out after that. But remember, Jeff is not representative of all men. Alex didn’t cheat on me, we just grew apart. And I know he could have if he’d wanted to; but he wasn’t out to hurt me. Not all men are like Jeff and your father, honey” Kim offered. “I know, I know. You’re right; I have to give Sam a chance. He’s held out this long for me, I should give him the opportunity to prove himself, right?” “Absolutely!” Kim shouted. “Thanks, sweetie, I knew I could count on you. I gotta go, I’m gonna email Sam back and tell him we’re on for Friday night” Kayla told her. “I’ll call you later, Kim, thanks for everything.” “Anytime, sweetie! You know I’m always here for you” Kim laughed and said her goodbyes. Kayla turned to her computer and typed out a reply to Sam: “Sam, Friday night sounds good to me. I’ll see you tomorrow. Kayla.”
Sam got the reply and he smiled. “Hot Damn!” he called out. Now he had to figure out how he was going to wait 3 more days, and nights, until he could hold her again. It was going to be hell. He just knew it. He thought about asking her to lunch again, but thought that might be too much too soon so he figured he’d just give her space and be content with talking to her at work. Now that he was making progress, he didn’t want to fuck it up by moving too fast. Come on Friday!
CHAPTER FIVE
The next 3 days went by in a fog for both of them. Sam went to her office on Wednesday to check on her and she seemed okay. She told him she’d finally gotten some rest and was feeling more like herself. He told her he’d been thinking about her and she said the same. He gave her a peck on the cheek before leaving her office and told her he’d see her later. He came by once again that afternoon and they made small talk for a brief period and he left and went back to his office. She was bogged down with month end projections and immersed herself in her work. He did the same. On Thursday, she ran into him in the cafeteria and they sat together at lunch. She asked if there was anything she could bring Friday night and he told her to just bring herself and that was all he needed. She blushed at that comment. He said he’d email her his address and cell phone number so she could call if she got lost, but she assured him she’d lived there all her life and could find her way to any place she needed to go. He laughed at that and told her that even he’d had to go to Map Quest to get directions to her apartment. Although he’d grown up in the area and lived in Memphis for the past 15 years, he still didn’t know where everything was. She found that amusing. She couldn’t help but notice how much more comfortable she was feeling around him. He was easy to talk to and very easy to look at. She kept thinking about that kiss and she could tell he was thinking about it too; the way he kept staring at her lips. Those full, pouty lips that he couldn’t wait to taste again. He was itching to touch her, feel her softness against him again. “One more day”, he kept thinking; “if I can just get through one more day.” He walked her to her office after lunch and kissed her hand as he left her. “He was nothing if not a gentleman”, she thought. She found herself growing more anxious about their dinner date by the hour. She had to figure out what to wear. She had to shave her legs…just in case. She made an appointment to get a manicure after work Thursday and planned to stop by the liquor store and pick up a good bottle of wine just for good measure. She didn’t want to leave everything to the last minute and be rushing around and forget something. He emailed her that afternoon with his address and cell phone number. She programmed both into her PDA and printed out a map with directions just in case she couldn’t remember where the condo was. But she thought pretty sure she knew where it was. She’d passed them a hundred times on her way to her mother’s house in a nearby suburb. If she remembered correctly, it was a really nice neighborhood and she mused that he must have paid a pretty penny for that property. Hmmm, he certainly did appreciate the finer things in life. Nice car, nice condo, good food…she could really fall for a guy like him. Whoa! “It’s too soon to be thinking like that, Kayla” she thought to herself. You’ve just ended a long term relationship. This is your rebound, you can’t be thinking about falling again. Although, this didn’t really seem like a rebound; it had been almost 7 months since her break up with Jeff and usually a rebound was more like a month into the break up. This could have potential. That thought scared her, but she suppressed her fear and vowed to give it a chance.
Friday afternoon, both of them were obviously anxious. He had dropped by earlier in the day to make sure they were still on. She assured him she’d be there at 7 and told him she was bringing the wine. He protested, but she insisted. It was the least she could do since he was doing the cooking. He smiled at her persistence and told her he couldn’t wait until 7 came. She reflected the sentiment and they went about finishing their workday in the most robotic way they could until 4:30 finally came.
Kayla rushed home and jumped in the shower. She took care when shaving her legs to make sure that she didn’t knick anything and got everything smooth. She polished her toes, re-applied her makeup, decided to pull her hair up in a clip with a few tendrils dangling loose on the sides of her face and at the nape of her neck. She chose a spring print sundress which meant she had to wear a strapless bra so she chose the champagne lace bra and thong set to wear beneath the dress and strappy sandals with a slight heel. She kept her jewelry light and dabbed a little of her favorite fragrance in strategically placed pulse points. She topped the look off with a mocha lip gloss and grabbed the bottle of wine out of the fridge, checking her reflection once more in the mirror as she headed out the door.
Sam had the menu all planned, he just had to stop at the store for some last minute items on the way home. He swung into the neighborhood grocery and grabbed some pre-cut lettuce, grape tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, diced carrots and croutons for the salad; as well as a light vinaigrette dressing. He had the meat marinating at home but needed some fresh vegetables for the side dish. He picked a handful of fresh yellow and zucchini squash, some shallots, fresh green beans and a red bell pepper. He picked up a package of brownies from the bakery and grabbed some hot fudge, vanilla ice cream and whipped topping for dessert. He remembered at the last minute and grabbed some candles and matches on his way to the check out. With his bags in tow, he rushed into the house and started unpacking everything. He put the pork roast in the oven on 450 and ran to get cleaned up and change. He put on an emerald green striped polo shirt and khaki shorts, not bothering to tuck in the shirt. He threw on his Birkenstock sandals and went back to the kitchen to get everything set up. He pulled out his best dinnerware; the ones his parents bought him as a housewarming when he closed on his condo. He pulled out the silverware and the cloth napkins he’d also received as a gift from his mom and carefully set the small table he had in his cozy breakfast nook off the kitchen. He placed the candles he’d purchased into the candelabra he’d gotten at a yard sale on a whim and sat the matches on the table beside them. He pulled out wineglasses and set them on the table along with regular tumblers in case she decided to indulge in some of his mother’s recipe sweet iced tea. It was like cotton candy and he’d made sure he learned how to make it just right. With all that done, he began throwing the salad ingredients into a large bowl and proceeded to slice the vegetables for the side dish. Once he was satisfied that everything was as ready as it could get, he began to relax a little. He glanced at the clock, 6:30, she’d probably be early so he went ahead and put the chopped veggies into the pan and began the sautéing process. When the doorbell rang at 6:45, his heart leapt in his chest. “She’s here!” he couldn’t help but shouting to himself. He wiped his hands on the dishrag hanging from the oven handle and turned the heat down on the veggies.
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