Eye Exam bykomrad1156©

Daddy? Are you okay?"

"Oh, sure. I'm fine, honey. I just need to rest my eyes. That's all."

"Do you have a headache?" his daughter asked.

"Yeah. I kinda do."

"Do you want me to bring you something for it?"

"No. That's okay, sweetie. I'll go get it. I need to get away from the computer screen for a bit anyway."

"Okay," she said, satisfied that her father was okay.

Dexter Hall, who went by 'Dex', was only 35, but he knew his eight-year old daughter worried about him. After all, that's how it all started with her mother three years ago when she said she needed to rest her eyes, something that happened more and more often as the weeks went by.

And then the headaches started. And then there were the doctor visits followed by referrals to specialists then the CAT-scan followed by an MRI, and finally the diagnosis.

Neither he nor his wife, Angie, had ever heard the word 'meningioma' before, and once they learned what it meant, they were told they 'rarely' turned out to be malignant and that they 'rarely' ever spread or metastasized. But 'rarely' didn't mean never, and in Angie's case, her tumor wasn't benign and it did metastasize. And eight months later, she was gone.

Their daughter, Addison, had been five and had done her best to try and understand, but that just wasn't possible for someone so young. Now, at the age of eight, she was rightly concerned about her father, who'd been working at home the last two years.

He debugged software for a living and was very good at it. As a result, he was earning just over a hundred grand a year, and that was very good money for someone living in Middleburg, Florida, located about 30 miles to the south of Jacksonville.

But that kind of salary came with a cost. He spent a good twelve hours a day, often six or even seven days a week, in front of a computer screen testing each line of code in whatever software program he'd been given to debug, so it made sense there'd be some amount of eye strain.

But lately it was happening all the time, and for some reason, it never occurred to him it might be nothing more than needing glasses. That was especially true since his distance vision was superb. He could clearly the difference between two tree branches from a hundred yards away and read most road signs from a half-mile off. But his near vision was failing him, and as he popped a couple of aspirin for the headache, he realized he could barely read the label.

"Great," he said as he put the bottle down.

When he looked up, everything beyond arm's length was crystal clear. But when he picked the bottle back up, and tried to read it, he realized it had been at least ten years since he'd had his eyes checked. And there'd been no reason to. His vision had been perfect at all distances. He was too young for presbyopia or so-called 'long arm vision' where people over 45 couldn't see things close up. That was caused by decades of eye muscle contractions and at some point the eye just couldn't do it any more; hence the blurriness.

So as much as he hated admitting it, the writing on the wall was pretty...blurry.

Dex Hall made most of his decisions on intuition. He was deeply rational and very mathematical, but once he felt something was 'right' he often made snap decisions. And over the course of his adult lifetime he'd been right almost all the time while keenly aware that 'almost' was very similar to 'rarely'.

After letting his eyes rest for a few minutes, he made a decision and grabbed his phone before realizing he didn't have an optometrist let alone the number for one stored in it. He went to his laptop because he had an open app he was working on on the desktop and started looking. Or...trying to look.

"Honey?" he called out.

His daughter came running and asked what was wrong.

He smiled then said, "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. But can you maybe help me find a phone number?"

"Sure!" she told him.

Addison's computer skills, along with her reading and spelling skills, were very good, and once he told her what he needed, she started reading off names of eye doctors along with how far away they were.

"Wait. The one closest to our house. Tell me that again, please?" he asked.

"Doctor Lee Andrews," she told him for the second time.

"That's good enough," he said, knowing pretty much anyone who'd made it through optometry training would be able to take care of his problem.

"Now can you dial his number for me?" her father asked as he handed her the phone.

Two minutes later, he had an appointment for 3:30 in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.

Knowing they'd want to dilate his eyes, he called his younger sister, Beth, to see if she'd mind driving them to the appointment.

"No. Of course not. I'm happy to help," she told him.

She'd been a lifesaver when Angie was ill and for several months after as she spent a ton of time with him and his late wife. He and Beth, who was two years his junior, had always been close. But since Angie's diagnosis, they'd become even closer, and she'd been a kind of surrogate mom for Addison.

"Thanks, BB," he told her using her childhood name. She hated it, but she let her brother—and only her brother—use it and only since the reason for Angie's illness became known.

Dex forced himself back in front of the computer an hour later and worked until he couldn't stand it anymore. The following day, his eyes felt better in the morning, but by 10am, he had another headache and had to knock off for a couple of hours.

By the day of his appointment, he found himself unable to work more than two hours total so he laid in his recliner until Beth showed up at three o'clock.

It was a five-minute drive to the optometrist, and Beth was doing nearly all the talking with Addison occasionally making a quick reply. That wasn't unusual, but his sister was even more loquacious than normal, and Dex realized that might only seem to be the case because he wasn't saying much. Addison wasn't a big talker, either, so whatever the cause, Beth was in rare form that day.

"So do you think it is?" he finally heard.

"What's that?" Dex said when he realized his sister was talking to him.

"Do you think this could be serious. You know, like Angie."

"Oh. No. I can't imagine. Is it possible? Sure, most things are possible. But the odds are astronomically against it."

"Okay, but odds don't mean much if it is."

He opened his eyes then looked at his sister then back at his daughter and wondered how Beth could be so insensitive. But that's the way she was so he answered her.

"I'm fine. I just need reading glasses or something," he said as authoritatively as he could to keep his daughter from worrying.

"Well, you are getting up there," Beth teased.

Dex had closed his eyes again but forced one open to see her looking at him with a silly grin on her face.

"Okay. We're here," she announced just seconds later. "Do you need me to have them bring out a wheelchair for you or anything?"

"Ha-ha," Dex said as he pushed his door open.

Beth had worn glasses since she was ten, so as Dex checked in, Addison joined her aunt as she went to look at frames. Hers were dated and the thought of getting a new pair appealed to her even though she knew she wouldn't spend the money. Besides, she needed an exam anyway so there was no chance she could get new frames even if she was willing to shell out the cash.

She saw a woman a few years younger than her working with a pretty teen girl who was getting her first pair of glasses.

"See! That's not so bad, is it?" she told the younger girl who was worried sick about looking like some kind of geek or freak.

"Wow. No. They're not bad at all," the girl replied as she checked herself out in the mirror.

"I told you they'd look good on you," the woman, whose name was Kayla, told her with a smile.

Beth couldn't help but join in and said, "They really do look great on you."

The girl turned around and smiled and said, "Thank you."

Addison told her they were 'cute' but the teen ignored her as she kept looking at Beth until she asked if something was wrong.

"No. It's just that your face is so clear! I can see every little wrinkle and line!" the girl said as she pointed to the corner of one of Beth's eyes.

She turned back around, clueless at how badly her words had stung, and the woman helping her gave Beth a sympathetic look but didn't say anything. Beth slid over in front of a mirror and smiled and there they were—those hideous, heavy lines around her eyes. And at the age of 33 no less!

"It's not true, Aunt Beth," Addison said quietly, even though she knew it was because they'd been there for a couple of years and were getting worse by the day.

Still looking in the mirror, Beth noticed someone else come in from behind her, and that meant she had to work there because there was no other way to get there except from the area where they adjusted glasses and kept incoming and outgoing orders. She must have been in there taking care of orders and just noticed there was another customer.

Beth saw the woman smile at the girl with the new glasses then tell her they looked great.

"Thank you!" the girl said as she continued to stare at the other woman.

Beth turned around slowly and could tell the 'new' woman was older than all of them, but she was by far the most attractive of anyone there.

"Now in her case I can't really see any lines," the girl said as Beth watched her staring at this new woman whose name tag said 'Mercedes'.

"Another freak of nature," Beth said to herself as a strong wave of envy washed over her.

She couldn't tell the woman's age, but she guessed her to be around 42 which meant she was close to 10 years older than her yet her very pretty face looked younger. If that wasn't enough, she had a body that made Beth queasy.

"Great hair, face, body, smile. I hate you!" Beth said to herself.

Just as she was thinking that thought, Addison said to her, "She's very pretty."

The woman heard, turned to Addison, who smiled at her, then said, "Thank you, sweetheart. You're very pretty, too."

Her smile was gorgeous, and Beth rolled her eyes before turning around again, pretending to look at frames while steaming over the fact she was never told she was pretty. She wasn't 'ugly' by any means, she was just an average woman who wasn't aging well at all and it ate her constantly. Having it pointed out, and brutally so, by a cute teenager was just pouring salt into an open, festering wound.

Mercedes's hair was just below chin length, shiny, and very dark. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color, and her very white teeth were...perfect.

Beth had been 'shortchanged' in the boob department, as well, and wore an 'A' cup bra only to make herself feel like she had boobs. Mercedes most definitely did not have that problem, either.

"Probably fake," she said to herself. "Like her perfect white teeth. Bet those are some expensive ven..."

"Hey, whatcha lookin' at?" Dex said, coming up from behind her, and startling Beth so badly she made a loud noise.

All heads turned to look as Beth ignored them and spun around. Addison giggled but didn't say anything as her aunt slapped her dad's upper arm, mostly out of personal frustration and envy.

"Dexter Hall! What is wrong with you!" she said as she hit him.

"I think I'm farsighted but I'll find out pretty soon, I'm sure," he said without so much as a smile.

The younger woman laughed and Mercedes smiled, and Beth knew why. Her brother was genuinely funny in that dry kind of way, and he'd also won the genetic lottery while she'd gotten the leftovers. If he did have to wear glasses, it would be the first imperfection in his otherwise perfect life, and yet something told her he'd look great in glasses, too.

Beth immediately felt guilty when she thought about just how unlucky her brother had been where Angie was concerned, and that caused her to tell him she was sorry.

"Find anything?" he asked, letting her slap and apology go unanswered, as he began looking for himself.

"No. I kind of got sidetracked," his sister told him. "Besides. Look at the prices on these things!"

She pointed to one and read the tag. "$450. For one pair of frames!"

She did that for three others, to include a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, knowing that was no big deal for her brother who also had optical insurance on himself and his daughter before Dex said, "Yeah. I had no idea they cost so much."

He moved over to the men's frames when Mercedes walked up. She waited until Dex noticed her then smiled and spoke.

"Good afternoon. Could I help you with anything?"

Dex had noticed her but not really seen her yet.

He'd turned his head around to say, "Sure," and when he did she was maybe two feet away.

He not only didn't say anything he turned completely around to look at her.

"Hi," he finally said after standing there and staring for several seconds.

"Hello," she replied with that perfect smile of hers.

"I'm Dex. Hall," he told her in a way that sounded goofy as though he wasn't used to talking to an attractive woman.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Hall. I'm Mercedes Berman. Can I show you any frames or maybe help you decide?"

He managed not to stare, but this woman was...wow!

"Um...sure. I'm suddenly having all kinds of problems seeing things up close, so I'm guessing I've become farsighted."

"You're clearly too young to need reading glasses," she told him matter of factly then reached for the pair hanging around her neck. "Unfortunately, that's not the case for me."

Dex heard every word but they weren't making any sense, because the woman talking to him couldn't be more than five years or so older than him—if that, and presbyopia rarely hit anyone before their mid-40s.

"The eye changes shape sometimes for seemingly no reason, so that's very possible. Your cornea may have flattened making your eye shorter and changing the point where light focuses, but the doctor will let you know. In the meantime, let's see what works for your face which is very symmetrical, by the way," Mercedes explained with a warm smile as Dex tried to pay better attention.

"Oh, my God! She's hitting on him!" Beth said to herself even though Mercedes was most definitely not. She'd only recently been hired and very much needed this job, so there was no way she was going to flirt with any customer, but especially one wearing a wedding ring with a daughter in tow.

Addison knew her father was a handsome man and had often said she was going to marry him when she grew up. She was old enough now to know that wasn't allowed, but still too young to be creeped out by it. Even so, she thought her father was very good looking, and there weren't many women who would disagree. Her mom had been beautiful, too, and Addison was already a very cute girl, but again, too young to understand the significance.

"Is that a good thing?" Dex asked about her symmetry remark.

Mercedes laughed politely then said, "Yes. It's a very good thing. You have what I'd call a very masculine face with a square jaw so we want to find something to enhance that."

She started looking then looked at Dex, and with another smile, said, "Not that you need enhancing."

Beth made a face and stuck her tongue out at Mercedes after she turned back around, and said to herself, "Unlike me, you don't need to be...enhanced."

Addison saw it and giggled but didn't say anything.

"Okay. How about these?" Mercedes asked as she unlocked a pair with rims across the top but rimless along the bottom.

Dex tried them on, and almost immediately said, "These look fine."

He turned toward Beth and Addison, and his sister rolled her eyes again before saying, "Gee. Big surprise. They're perfect."

"You look very handsome, Daddy," Addison told him with a smile.

"But do I look any smarter?" he asked in his normal, deadpan way as he tried to strike a pose the assumed made him look intelligent.

"You look...distinguished," Mercedes told him, making sure not to cut the little girl off.

"Yes! Thank you. That's the word I wanted. Distinguished!" Addison told her.

Addison had won Spelling Bees for both her class and her entire grade two years running and had a very large vocabulary for someone her age. She wasn't pretentious, she was just smart, and like her father, there wasn't anything she could do about it any more than she could change the looks with which she'd been gifted.

"Well, that was easy," Dex said. "If I need glasses, I'll take these," he told Mercedes.

"All right. I'll hold them for you until you're done with your exam," she said politely as he handed them to her.

"Thank you," Dex told her. "I'm hoping I don't, but I suppose it's inevitable."

Mercedes turned to look down the hallway as though she was concerned about getting in trouble for something then moved a bit closer and said, "Have you considered LASIK? It would allow you to avoid glasses."

While she was speaking, a man in his mid-50s stepped out of an exam room holding a chart. Dex correctly guess that was the optometrist who gave Mercedes a look as Dex said, "No. Maybe I should look into that."

The eye doctor handed the chart to Mercedes then said, "Please make sure Mr. Weston here gets taken care of."

Dex wasn't sure what was going on, but it sounded like tension.

"Right away, Doctor Andrews," she said.

She smiled but it was strained, adding credence to Dex's observation.

A few minutes later the receptionist called his name, and he asked Addison if she wanted to come with him or sit with her aunt.

"I'll stay out here," she told him.

"Okay. I'll just be a few minutes."

She led him to two different rooms where conducted some basic tests then took him to the exam room he'd seen the doctor come out of and let him know the doctor would be with him shortly.

Dex sat there in the chair and looked around. The equipment all seemed the same to him as it did the last time he'd his eyes checked so he closed them and waited.

About three minutes later the optometrist came in, said hello, and introduced himself then called Dex 'Dexter'.

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Andrews. And I go by 'Dex' if you don't mind."

"Oh, okay. Just like the TV show, right?" he said with a smile.

"Yes, except that I'm not a sociopathic serial killer," Dex replied referring to the television series Dexter that ran on Showtime for eight years.

"Ah, right. Well, that's a good thing," the doctor said. "Okay, I see you're having some trouble with your near vision. Let's take a look and see what's going on, but before we do, let's get your eyes dilated so I can make sure everything is healthy."

Just as he'd assumed, Dex was indeed farsighted. Just as Mercedes predicted, his cornea had flattened making the eyeball shorter, and that was the reason he was having so much trouble.

"It's an easy fix," Dr. Andrews told him. "I noticed you were looking at frames. Did you find anything that interested you?"

Before he could answer, the optometrist leaned closer then said, "Other than Mercedes."

"Oh. Um...right," Dex replied. "Yes, she's not hard to look out with or without glasses."

"Well, don't be fooled. She's not interested. Lord knows I've tried," he told him as he entered Dex's prescription. "She's as cold as ice, my friend."

"She mentioned LASIK. Is that an option for me?"

The eye doctor stopped moving then after a pause that lasted for several seconds said, "Um...yes. Of course."

"So I don't have to get glasses, right?" he asked out of simple curiosity.

"Well, no. You don't have to, but I think they're a great solution for your hyperopia."

He used the medical term to try and make the need to get 'help' right away seem more serious to preclude Dex from changing his mind. He'd already had the exam, and that was money in the bank, so to speak. But he made a good share of his money off of the orders his patients made after leaving the exam room, as his business got a cut on the cost of the frames and the lenses.
 No big deal. I'm fine with wearing glasses. I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen and if this solves the problem—great."
"It'll definitely take care of it for you. And when you look up the lenses won't have any prescription in the upper half so things will be perfectly clear at all distances."
"Sounds good to me," Dex told him.
The doctor accompanied him out, and since Kayla was with another patient, he handed him off to Mercedes.
"And uh, please come see me once Mr. Hall is finished, would you?" he told her.
The look on her face confirmed Dex's earlier suspicions, but he didn't say anything until Dr. Andrews was gone.
"Is everything okay?" he asked once she had him sit down so she could order the lenses.
"Oh, sure," she said unconvincingly and without looking at him.
"Okay. Doctor Andrews seemed a little upset. When I asked about LASIK in the exam room he..."
"You...you mentioned that?" she asked, her voice almost hollow.
"I...I did. Was that not okay?" Dex asked now wondering what was going on.
"It's...it's fine," Mercedes told him as she tried to smile. "All right. Let me get you to put these frames on, and I'll measure your pupil distance and we'll get you out of her, Mr. Hall."
As she worked, he pretended to be looking at other things, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful woman sitting across from him. He glanced down and saw the reading glasses again, and decided to ask.
"I was just wondering. I'm no expert or anything, but I was doing some research on line about vision problems, and you mentioned needing reading glasses."
"Oh. Yes. That's correct. I've been wearing them for several years now," she told him, her voice still not quite the same.
Dex scratched his head and sort of wrinkled his face as he said, "Forgive me for asking, but doesn't presbyopia normally happen after the age of 45?" he asked, using a big word himself.
"In most cases, yes, that's true," Mercedes asked him.
"Pardon for bringing this up, but are you just the unlucky exception to the rule?"
Mercedes stopped typing then finally smiled again.
"No. I'm actually right in the center of the rule," she told him. "I started needing these five years ago just a couple of months after I turned 45."
Dex shook his head in disbelief then said, "Wait. Are you telling me you're..."
He didn't want to say the number out loud, but Mercedes actually laughed then did it for him.
"Fifty?" she said, the smile back. "I am indeed."
"Wow," Dex said with a shake of his head. "I'm going to just have to take your word for it, Mercedes, but I'm having a very hard time believing you."
"And you just made my day, Mr. Hall," she told him.
She was smiling when she said it then, to Dex's surprise, after a quick look around said, "Which is particularly nice because I may not have a job tomorrow."
"Whoa!" Dex said very quietly. "Why not?"
She looked around nervously again then said just as quietly, "I'm not supposed to ever say anything that could hurt business. LASIK would let you see 20-20 again without glasses so just mentioning it isn't allowed. Unless, of course, the patient asks, then we focus on why glasses or contacts would be just as good if not better."
"Ohhh. Now I get it," Dex said. "But you were just being honest, right?"
She looked over her shoulder again then told him, "Evidently, honesty isn't always the best policy."
"Is there anything I can do? Would it help to talk to the doctor?"
"No. Definitely not. If he knew I said anything to you, I'd be gone the moment you walk out. Then again, I may be anyway, but I can't stand not letting people know they have options."
She checked behind her yet again then said even more quietly, "I really need this job, but it drives me crazy to think about someone spending money that might be better spent on something else if the patient was aware it was a viable option."
"For what it's worth, I agree with you," Dex said sympathetically.
Mercedes was finishing his order as she said, "I've had a very rough go of it financially the last couple of years, and I watch every penny. If someone gave me an option that either saved me money or time or helped me out, I'd be grateful. But then I don't own a business so..."
Just then Dr. Andrews came out with his next patient so Mercedes stopped talking for a few seconds before cheerfully saying, "Okay, Mr. Hall. You're all set!"
He made a point of speaking loudly enough for the doctor to hear as he said, "Thank you very much, Mercedes. You've been very helpful and it's been a real pleasure working with someone so pleasant and professional."
Knowing he was going against her advice, when Dex stood up, he looked right at the doctor and said, "You're very fortunate to have someone so helpful and easy to work with."
Dr. Andrews smiled, but it wasn't genuine as he cut his eyes toward Mercedes then looked back at Dex.
"Yes. You're uh, you're very right, Mr. Hall."
He took one last look at Mercedes who said, "We'll be giving you a call in 7-10 days when your lenses get in."
"Oh. Okay," Dex replied, very surprised to learn how long it would take, and not sure what he'd do in the meantime.
Mercedes noticed Dr. Andrews was still standing there and said, "Um...you might want to grab a pair of 'readers' while you're here. Just to get you through until your glasses come back."
Dex saw Dr. Andrews looking at him so he decided, "What the heck."
"Yeah. Sure. Can you show me where they are? That sounds like a great idea."
"Of course," Mercedes said as she stood up. "They're behind you and to my left."
With that, the eye doctor turned and walked away.
Once he was gone, Mercedes said, "Thank you. Very much."
"So I didn't blow it?" he asked.
"No. I don't know whether or not I still have a job, but between your kind words and buying a pair of readers, well, who knows?"
Dex tried on 3-4 pairs with varying degrees of magnification then settled on one he thought would get the job done and thanked Mercedes again for all her help.
"No. Seriously. Thank you, Mr. Hall," she told him. "You have no idea how badly I need to keep working."
"Well, I sincerely hope I'll see you again when I come back to pick up the prescription glasses."
She smiled a genuine smile then told him, "I'll look forward to seeing you again, as well."
Dex smiled back then said, "Maybe next time you'll call me Dex?"
"Oh. Okay. If you like," she told him, that beautiful smile there again.
"I would. I'd like that very much."
"Okay, then...Dex," she said very sweetly. "Let me just walk you up front and Lisa will take care of you."
"I'd rather have you take care me, but...okay," Dex told her, but not in is normal deadpan delivery.
"Ah, there you go again, making me feel good," she told him before introducing him to Lisa.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Mercedes asked.
"No. I don't think so," he told her.
"All right. It was a real pleasure meeting you, Dex," she said as she offered him her hand.
It was small and soft, and as he shook it, Dex still couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that this very attractive woman could be possibly be 50 years old. Or anywhere close to it, for that matter.
He handed Lisa his credit card even though he had no idea how much he was being charged. He was watching Mercedes walk away then continued looking at her once she got back to the fitting area. The only reason he stopped looking was because after she sat back down, she glanced up and saw him.
She raised her eyebrows slightly, tilted her head a bit, then smiled as if to say, "Is something wrong?"
Dex shook his head again then realized Lisa was asking for his signature.
"Sorry. I think I was distracted," he said as he grabbed a pen.
"She's very pretty, isn't she?" Lisa said to him.
"Mercedes?" he asked as though it could have been anyone.
"Uh-huh. She's beautiful."
"Yeah. She uh, she is very pretty," he said as he handed the pen back.
"Her ex-husband didn't do her any favors, that's for sure," Lisa said in a hushed tone as she handed him his copy of the receipt.
"Oh? How so?" Dex asked, knowing it was none of his business.
Lisa did the 'look around' thing, too, then said, "Let's just say he had a, uh...a bit of a gambling problem."
"Oh. I...I see," Dex said, wondering how bad 'a 'bit' really was.
She then handed him a pair of paper-framed sunglasses for light sensitivity from the dilation and wished him a good day.
When he turned around, Beth and Addison were waiting for him. His eyes were fully dilated, and Addison noticed.
"You look like an owl, Dad!" she told him.
"Oh, right. The pupils are huge, huh."
"Well, I'm gonna look really good in these," he told her as he pulled out the cheap-o sunglasses and put them on.
"You look like you're ready to watch a 3D movie," Addison told him.
"Yeah, except everything is blurry," he said. "That's why your Aunt Beth is here."
"Oh. I thought it was so your girlfriends back there would have someone to poke fun at while they flirted with you," she told him in her typical woe-is-me kind of way.
Dex looked at Addison who was trying not to laugh and shrugged his shoulders causing his daughter to laugh in spite of herself and his sister to ball up a fist as though she was going to punch him.
"Hey, hey! No one hits a blind man!" he told her as he held his hands up in mock self defense.
By the time his eyes returned to normal, it was dinnertime. As he and Addison ate, he was having trouble concentrating on what she was telling him, because he couldn't let go of the beautiful woman who'd just helped him being as old as she'd claimed. He managed to keep up enough to avoid getting scolded by his daughter, but that was about all he could do.
The good news was the 'readers' were good enough to keep him from getting a headache, and that made them well worth whatever he'd paid for them, as he was up well past midnight trying to catch up.
Dex was up early the next morning and back at it, and after another full day, he was back on track, and had largely forgotten about the beautiful, older woman at the eye doctor's.
He put the pedal to the metal and by the time Dr. Andrews's office called, he'd finished the job he'd been working on and had two whole glorious days off before starting a new project.
He and Addison arrived at 2 o'clock to pick up his new glasses, and as they pulled in, they saw someone locking the door.
"Excuse me. I got a call to come pick up my glasses," Dex called to her as he fast-walked up.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. We close from 1-2 every day for lunch."
She pointed at a sign right in front of her face, and all Dex could do was shake his head.
"I guess I missed that," he told her.
She started to leave when Dex moved closer to see if there was any other fine print he'd missed when he heard a tap on the glass. He looked right then left but didn't see anyone.
"Daddy. Look straight ahead," Addison, who'd caught up with him, said.
A face was nearly up against the glass, and that person was unlocking the door.
"Dex. Hi. Come in," Mercedes said with a cheerful smile as she opened the door.
"Thank you, but I thought you were closed," he said as he let his daughter go in first. "Well, the truth is I didn't actually know you closed for lunch at all."
"We are closed, but I kind of feel like I owe you, so when I saw you outside, I wanted to try and at least partially make it up to you."
"I'm not really following," he said as she locked them inside.
"Come in and sit down, and I'll explain once I get your glasses."
The office was dark except for a desk lamp in the fitting area.
She found his order and came out and sat down in front of him.
"Hi there, pretty girl. I don't think I know your name," Mercedes said to Addison.
She told her and Mercedes said, "Addison. Very pretty. Just like you."
"Thank you," Addison said. "You're really pretty, too."
"That must run in the family," Mercedes said to Addison while looking at her father.
"Sorry. I'm lost again," Dex told her truthfully.
"Last week, you made my day by saying something nice, and now your daughter did the same thing."
"Oh, right. Yes. I may have mentioned you couldn't possibly be the age you claimed to be."
Dex smiled then lowered his head and said, "I'm still not sure I believe you."
Mercedes laughed then said as she held out his new frames, "Here. Try these on."
As he did, she explained about 'owing him'.
"I was almost certain I was going to be let go after you left, but Doctor Andrews told me selling you the readers let me pull it out of my..."
She looked at Addison then said, "Derriere."
"Oh. Wow. That was a close one then."
Addison was giggling and her father knew why.
"She's a very smart girl with a surprisingly large vocabulary so I'm guessing she knows what a derriere is and probably most of its synonyms."
Her father leaned over and put his forehead on Addison's and said, "Like...butt."
"Daddy!" she said as she laughed.
"I love how close you two are," Mercedes said. "I have to say I envy your wife."
Addison stopped laughing so fast it scared Mercedes.
"Did I say something...inappropriate?"
"No. Not at all," Dex told her. "We lost her mom when Addy was just five."
He rarely called her that anymore, but when he wanted to make a point of some kind, it was his go-to endearment.
"I...feel so...embarrassed. And sorry," Mercedes said. "Please forgive me."
"No. It was a very nice thing to say, and yes, I think my wife would have agreed with you," he said as he raised his left hand up and turned it around. "I just can't take it off, you know."
"Of course. I totally understand," she told him.
She sat up a little straighter, smiled, then asked, "How do those work for you?"
Dex looked up and everything was perfectly clear before he remembered why he needed them, and that had nothing to do with his distance vision.
"Here. See if you can read this," Mercedes said as she handed him a card with very small writing on it.
"Ha! Look at that!" Dex said. "I can read every word of every line and it's all crystal clear."
"Wonderful. How do they feel? Are they too tight or too loose? Do they hurt your nose?"
Dex played with them a little adjusting this way and that then said, "Nope. They're fine. Perfect even."
"Well...perfect!" she told him. "I know opening up for you isn't anywhere near what I owe you for saving my job, but it's probably the best I can do."
"Don't you eat lunch?" Dex asked as he tried getting used to the glasses.
He didn't really need them for anything but reading, but he was thinking the instruments on his dashboard would now be clear, too, if he could learn to wear them most or all of the time. He had a kind of 'reverse progressive lens' that got kept his vision crystal clear as he looked down giving him perfect vision at all distances.
"Oh, sure. I eat," she told him very politely. "I just don't go out too often. I prefer to brown bag it."
"Is your bag in the back?" he asked.
"As a matter of fact it is, but I wanted to take care of you first."
"Well, listen. Addison and I haven't had lunch yet, and we're both starving. Would you possibly like to join us?"
Addison perked up immediately and looked at Mercedes.
"Yes! Please come with us! " she pleaded without begging.
"Oh, I don't know. You two don't need me hanging around."
"Need I remind you I saved your job?" Dex said in that straight-faced way of his, one eyebrow raised high.
The look on his face was more than she could handle and Mercedes started laughing.
"Is your father always so funny?" she asked Addison.
"Yes. Unfortunately he is. His 'humor'..."
Addison made exaggerated air quotes as she said the word 'humor', "Is legend."
Mercedes laughed, but not at Addison. It was just so atypical for anyone that age to talk that way.
"Are you sure I won't be bothering you?"
"If you are we'll let you know. Right, Addy?"
She laughed then said, "See what I mean?" to Mercedes as she nodded toward her father.
"I have to be back before two," she let Dex know.
"We're fast eaters," he told her, understanding how important it was to her not to be late.
Addison was pointing at her dad until he looked over.
"Hey! What's that for?" he asked.
"Oh, I don't know—-Mr. Human Vacuum Cleaner," she said as she tried not to laugh.
"Hey! That's mean. And if that wasn't so totally true, I might take offense," Dex told his daughter.
"Something tells me I won't be bored with you two," Mercedes told them with a laugh as she got up again. "Okay. I'll lock up and we can go to lunch, but only if you let me pay for my meal."
Addison gave her an 'uh-oh' look so she stopped moving and asked why.
"Well, my daughter knows I'm an old-fashioned guy when it comes to such things, and I would never allow any woman I just asked to have lunch with me—and my daughter—to pay."
He saw Mercedes looking at him as though she was about to refuse his offer so he held up a had and said, "Sorry. No exceptions."
"Your father can be rather direct, can't he?" Mercedes said to Addison without taking her eyes off of her handsome father.
"You could say that," the girl replied as she smiled at her dad.
"What can I say? I believe in chivalry."
He stood up, struck another goofy pose, then said in a British accent, "Is such conduct now considered a high crime in The Colonies?"
Addison was already laughing while Mercedes was trying not to.
He gave her the eye, and she lost it.
"Okay! You can pay," she told him.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Addison asked once he'd opened the car door for their guest and helped her get in.
"Why don't we let our guest choose?" he suggested.
She was pulling on her seatbelt and said, "Oh, my. You're letting a woman make a decision?"
This time Dex was the one looking like a stunned mullet.
When Mercedes finally laughed, he realized she was kidding.
"Gotcha!" she told him.
"Yes, you did. You did indeed."
"I'm not a picky eater," she told him. "Especially when someone is kind enough to pay for my food."
She smiled at him in a way he hadn't yet seen, and Dex returned it based on the feedback he was getting.
"How about you, o' daughter of mine? What sounds good to you?"
"Do you like Sushi?" Addison asked Mercedes.
"I love Sushi," she said as she turned around to look at her. "Do you?"
"Totally!" Addison told her very enthusiastically.
"I'm not sure why that surprises me so much, but it does."
As Dex pulled out onto the main road, he said, "She does indeed love Sushi. She'd eat it three times a day if I let her."
"Well, okay. Sushi it is then," Mercedes said.
"Yume?" Addison suggested.
Yume Fusion Sushi & Grill was located on Blanding Boulevard and was just three blocks away.
"It's the only game in town," her father replied.
"Do you have a favorite, Addison?" Mercedes asked.
"Nigiri," she said immediately.
"She's a shrimp lover, that's for sure," her dad said.
He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Shrimp for the shrimp, right?"
"Ugh!" Addison groaned at her father's lame attempt at humor.
"I don't think you're a shrimp," Mercedes told her.
"Thank you!" Addison told her. "At least I have one friend in this car!"
Dex opened his eyes wide then said, "Okay. Now I'm hurt," as he dramatically put his right hand over his heart.
"Your father should have been an actor," Mercedes said, really to both of them.
"No. You see, we need money in order to survive, so, no, definitely not," Addison said before her dad could respond.
"Man. Tough crowd," he said causing both of the 'girls' to laugh.
"Do you mind if I ask what you do, Dex?" Mercedes asked politely.

 "Not at all. I kill bugs."
Mercedes gave him a puzzled look then said, "Oh. Pest control. Duh!"
There were pest control companies in nearly every town all over Florida to kill chinch bugs, mole crickets, sod worms, and other lawn-devouring critters as well as to stop the myriad of bugs that would enter the house with treating the outside.
"Not that kind," Dex laughed. "In software. I debug software."
"Oh, boy. Don't I feel stupid. Again," Mercedes said before telling Dex, "Um...I guess I know what that means."
"It means he sits at the computer 24-7 and never does anything else," Addison said.
"No wonder he needs glasses."
"I don't spend that much time working," he said in his defense.
"I was just kidding. My dad always does stuff with me," Addison admitted. "But he does work a lot."
"Well, college is just around the corner, you know. And it ain't exactly cheap," he told his daughter.
"Dad! I'm eight years old," Addison reminded him.
"Right. You just talk like your eighteen."
Addison giggled, and Mercedes found herself truly enjoying their banter and their company.
Over lunch the topic of work came up again, and Dex asked how she was enjoying her job so far.
"It's not so bad. I like meeting people, so that's a plus. The pay isn't great, but I don't exactly have a lot of work history, so I won't be pulling down a lot of money any time soon no matter what I might do."
"Do you have family in the area?" he asked, hoping he was about to step on a 'landmine' the way Mercedes felt she had.
"Um...no. My dad passed away twelve years ago, and my mother passed away in 2015. My husband...well, my ex-husband, isn't in the picture anymore, and although I really wanted children, he didn't so here I am at 50 starting over."
"I didn't mean to pry. Sorry if that was out of line."
"No. Not at all. I just didn't think you'd be very interested in the details of my life so I gave the shortest version I could without just saying 'no'. That's all," Mercedes said, remembering to smile.
"Well, I'm interested in anything you'd care to talk about, but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Dex assured her.
"I'm actually enjoying this very much," she said looking at both of them.
"Daddy? Can I go get some more?" Addison asked, her first plate of mostly shrimp clean as a whistle.
"Sure. That's fine," her dad said. "I don't know where you put it, though. I mean, look at her. Skinny Minnie the Ocean Winnie."
Addison was thin but not any more so than most girls her age. And she really didn't eat that much unless it was Sushi, and shrimp didn't exactly pack on the pounds.
She rolled her eyes then went back to the open bar for more.
"She's a sweetheart," Mercedes said.
"Thank you. I think so."
"She's a pretty girl. She'll be beautiful when she grows up."
"Well, she has her mom's eyes, nose and mouth, and fortunately she didn't get any of my features, so she got pretty lucky."
Mercedes laughed then said, "You're very funny, Dex. I haven't laughed this much in quite a while."
"Funny. You just had to bring up my looks, didn't you?" he said in his deadpan style.
Mercedes nearly spewed her ice tea as she laughed again.
"Trust me, there's nothing funny about the way you look. You're a very handsome man, Dex."
"Well, thank you. Coming from a beautiful woman, that's actually very reassuring. I don't hear that kind of thing anymore, so I do appreciate it."
"I'd say the same thing except that I'm no longer young, so it's not that unusual for a woman my age not to hear things like that. But in your case, you still are young, and you really are very handsome."
"Again, thank you, but this 'I'm not young' thing is a little ridiculous. You honestly look like you're my age," he told her.
"May I ask just old you are?" she requested to know with raised eyebrows of her own.
"Sure. I'm 35," he told her without hesitation.
She nearly spewed again then laughed just as Addison came back with a half dozen more shrimp.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Your father. He's quite the comedian," Mercedes told her.
"He is very funny," she said.
Then just like her father, she said, "Looking," with a straight face.
"Oh, okay! So that's how it's gonna be, huh!" her dad said as though they were about to go to war.
He grabbed her plate and said like the 'Soup Nazi' on Seinfeld, "No more shrimp for YOU!"
Addison was cracking up, and Mercedes was laughing to the point of tearing up loving the back and forth and watching what was left of this family have the kind of fun she'd always longed for but never had.
Dex handed the plate back, looked at his watch, then said, "We need to get going. We can't be late, so see if you can polish those off, okay?"
"No problem," Addison told him as she popped one in her mouth, chewed it up, swallowed, then popped in another.
"Can you help me?" she asked Mercedes as she pushed the plate her way.
"Well, I guess I could have one more," she said before taking one and popping it in her mouth the same way Addison had done.
The little girl giggled then popped one more.
"Daddy. You take the last one, okay?" she said, pushing her plate toward him.
"You sure?"
"Uh-huh," she said as she finished the last of what she'd been chewing.
He popped his in, too, and got another laugh before signaling their server for the check.
They got back to the office with seven minutes to spare, and sat in the parking lot as they said their goodbyes.
"Thank you both so much," Mercedes said once the car stopped. "It's been a long time since I had so much fun."
"It was our pleasure, right, honey?"
"Yes, it was," Addison agreed.
"Well, I hope your new glasses do the trick. You really do look very good in them," Mercedes told Dex.
"They were your choice, so I owe you the thanks you for that."
"All right. I guess I'll get back to work then," she said.
"No, wait. My dad has to open the door for you," Addison said just as her dad was moving to do just that.
"Oh, yes. Chivalry and all that. Gosh, I haven't had anyone open my door in...well, I'm not sure how long," she said as Dex was getting out.
He came around, opened it, then offered her his hand.
She stood up, thanked him again, and he told her it was his pleasure.
They stood there looking at one another for a couple of seconds before Mercedes said again, "I really should get inside."
"Right. Yes. Sorry. I don't mean to keep you," Dex said as he stepped aside.
Before he closed her door, she leaned down and told Addison goodbye.
"Bye!" the eight-year old said with a smile. "See you later!"
"I do hope so!" Mercedes said back.
As she walked away, Dex made a snap decision and caught up with her.
"Hi. Long time no see," he said when she noticed him.
Mercedes laughed again then said, "Did you forget something inside?"
"No. I was just wondering if, well, if you had as nice a time as I did, if you'd maybe like to, you know, do this again sometime."
Mercedes stopped, turned, and looked right at him.
"I had a wonderful time, Dex. But you can't be serious."
"Why can't I?" he asked. It was deadpanned but not for the same reason.
"Um...35," she said kind of pointing at him. "And...50," she added, pointing to herself.
"What does that have to do with anything? I believe we both just had a very nice time together and our ages didn't seem to matter."
"But that was just lunch. It wasn't...a date."
"Well, then call whatever we do together next time by it's name, too. It'll just be...a movie or...it'll just be roller skating or..."
"Roller skating. I used to love to skate. You know, back when I was Addison's age."
"Then let's go!" Dex said. "There's a rink up in Orange Park, and Addison loves going there. It's a bit of a teen hangout, but it's still a lot of fun."
"You're serious, aren't you?" Mercedes said as she looked right at him so see if he really was.
"Yes. I'm very serious. And Addison really likes you, too."
Mercedes still hadn't committed so Dex waved to his daughter.
"Dex. What are you doing?" she asked as Addison came running over.
"Addison. Would you rather go roller skating with just me or with Mercedes and me?" he asked after putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Duh! With her and you, of course," the little girl said as she smiled at the beautiful woman.
"You can't say 'no' to a sweet girl like Addison, can you?" Dex said as he poured it on.
"Oh, that was downright dirty pool," Mercedes said.
Addison played her part and tried to look as sweet and innocent as she could.
"Please?" she said to Mercedes.
After letting out a long exhale, Mercedes said, "Okay. Fine. But this is just roller skating."
As Addison said, "Yes!" and did a fist pump, her father said, "Of course. Like this was 'just lunch'. And next time it'll just be..."
"Okay. Okay. Stop right there," Mercedes said.
She was trying not to smile and was deeply flattered by all the attention, but no matter how lonely she might be, she was very much a realist, and Dex was still a whopping 15 years younger than her.
"No one said anything about a next time, okay?" she tried to say very authoritatively.
"Oh, well...I sorta already did," Dex said, as he made a 'sorry' kind of face.
"He's right. My dad did kind of already say that," Addison said just as directly.
"Now you're ganging up on me!" Mercedes said, pretending to be offended by being overwhelmed.
"What can I say? We're a team," Dex told her as he put his arm around his daughter.
"That's right. We're a force to be reckoned with," Addison let her know.
Mercedes couldn't take anymore and laughed.
"You are one very smart young lady," she told Addison.
"She reads a lot," Dex said. "And she's like an elephant. She never forgets. Anything."
Addison was smiling so happily it made Mercedes happy.
"Okay. We'll go roller skating," she said as she unlocked the door.
"And?" Addison said as though she were the adult reminding a child of something else they'd already agreed to.
"And...we'll see," Mercedes told her. "Okay?"
"Okay. That works for me!" Addison said, unable to stop smiling.
"Yeah. Me, too," Dex told her. "So can we come pick you up later this evening?"
"Wait. Tonight?" she asked, having assumed it would be somewhere down the road.
"Oh, well, if you already have plans, then sure, we could do it some other time," Dex told her.
"I...I don't have any plans, I just thought you meant sometime later. Like Friday or maybe next week."
"The weekends are insanely crowded, but any evening is okay with us, right?" he said to his daughter.
"Right. Anytime is fine," Addison told her. "Like...tonight."
"In for a penny, in for..." Mercedes began saying.
"A pound," Addison said with a smile, finishing her sentence.
"Okay. I give up. That sounds...nice," she told them.
She unlocked the door and opened it when Dex said, "We uh, we kind of need your address."
"Oh. Yes, that might help, huh?" Mercedes said with a smile of her own.
She gave it to them, and Dex added it into his phone.
"Any chance I could get your phone number while I'm at it?"
Addison was still smiling, and Mercedes realized she'd lost the battle even as she realized she hadn't exactly put up a fight.
She provided that, too, then said, "I really do need to get inside. Doctor Andrews comes in from the back, and I don't need to be late."
"Sure. Of course," Dex said.
"Well, thank you both—again. The Sushi was very good."
She paused then said, "So was the company."
"Bye!" Addison told her. "See you tonight!"
"Yes, I guess you will," Mercedes said, pretending again to be put out as she smiled happily then went inside.
"So...what do you think?" Dex asked his daughter.
"I think...nice work!"
Addison offered him a high five which he accepted.
"Do you like her?" her father asked.
"Yes. I like her a lot. She's very nice," Addison agreed.
"Okay. Good. I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way I do."
"Dad?" she said as they held hands and walked together.
"Uh-huh?"
"I'm glad you're finally trying to meet someone."
"I've tried," he said somewhat defensively knowing he hadn't made much effort.
Addison knew better and looked up at him. She didn't say a word because she didn't need to.
"Okay. So maybe I haven't made all that much effort."
They got to the car and Addison gave him another look.
"Fine. I haven't done much of anything, but this counts, right?"
His daughter put her arms around his waist and hugged him, and that said more than any words from her could have.
Skate Station Funworks was located 11.6 miles north of Yume Fusion Sushi & Grill on Blanding Boulevard. It opened at 6:30pm, so Dex normally tried to get there by seven so he could have Addison home by 8:30 and in bed by 9pm. She was home for summer vacation, so it wasn't critical, but the place got crazy busy around nine o'clock, so getting out of there before that was still a good idea.
So when they got home, he texted Mercedes:
"Hi! I just wanted to tell you again how much we enjoyed having you join us for lunch. We normally get to the skating rink around seven, but we can be flexible. I try and get Addison in bed by nine, but that, too, isn't a big deal, so please let us know when to come get you. And we both very much look forward to seeing you again. Dex & Addy."
Mercedes saw the text come in as she was going through two orders from just before lunch. She knew Dr. Andrews's policy about texting during work, but she couldn't help looking. It only took a few seconds to read, and when she did, it made her smile.
She'd been alone for over a year now, and divorced for just over five months. In that year, she'd been asked out a grand total of five times with three of them coming from Dr. Andrews. He was a nice enough man, but she had no interest in him romantically, and although she'd tried to tactfully convey that to him, he'd continued to flirt with her.
Well, until just recently. After her third refusal, he'd become openly distant and increasingly hostile, and that was what had led her to believe he'd let her go after mentioning 'alternative treatments' to a patient. All she wanted was to be able to do her job, but he had made it very uncomfortable for her.
The other two invites had been from men she'd known during her marriage who were now divorced. She'd said 'yes' to one and 'no' to the other. Her one and only date had been nice enough, but she had very little in common with this old friend, and truth be told, he looked...old.
Mercedes knew she was very fortunate to be her age and still have very few lines and wrinkles let alone no gray hair. Many of her female friends her same age had not been so fortunate with several looking like they were in their mid-60s with most 'looking their age'. Even so, she'd been married for 22 years, and the thought of trying to meet someone new—someone her age she found both interesting and attractive—seemed downright daunting.
So as much as she hated sitting home alone in the one asset the courts hadn't taken to pay her ex-husband's debts, she did her best to try and stay busy and not think about things like love or especially—lovemaking. Where that word was concerned, it had been close to two years now, as that's when John, her former husband, was arrested. It had been very public with his arrest carried on the local news followed by his trial.
He'd been released on bond, but his entire focus had been on trying to stay out of jail, and as a result, there'd been no physical contact of any sort. And once Mercedes learned just how much financial damage he'd inflicted on them, just the thought of being with him made her ill.
They had a very large sum of money in investments, they owned their home outright, and often took expensive vacations traveling around the world. She had no idea he'd gotten so deeply into sports betting over the years.
By the time she knew anything was wrong, virtually everything they'd spent a lifetime building was gone. Even the home she lived in was once again owed by the bank. But because she'd done nothing wrong, the bank couldn't legally take it from her as a result of a settlement reached in a plea bargain which sent her her husband to prison for ten years rather than for the twenty-five he was facing.
So she was allowed to live there, but were she to move, there was no equity in the home, and the bank would seize it immediately. Without any money to buy a new home, she was stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
For now, she was earning just enough to let her pay the property taxes and her other bills. There was nothing left over to allow her to go anywhere or really do anything, so her life had become work, television, and playing games on her phone to pass the time.
Being asked out by someone so handsome of any age had been a huge boost to her ego; a boost she'd sorely needed. So even though whatever amount of time she might spend with Dex and Addison couldn't possibly go anywhere, it felt very good to have a man like Dex tell her he thought she was attractive and show some interest in her. And the fact that he had such a sweet, adorable little girl was an added bonus.
Without even taking the cell phone out of her lab coat pocket, she quickly typed, "Seven is fine!" then hit 'send'.
Dex got her reply, smiled, then texted back, "Okay. See you at seven!"
Mercedes also smiled when she got his reply seconds later, and wondered if this was what it was like to be in love in the age of cell phones and texting. Not that she thought she was in love or anything close to it. It was just so different than her experience growing up waiting for a boy to call on the phone to talk, something she'd done a lot of when she was in high school.
By the time she got home, Mercedes was wondering how she could be so excited about something she hadn't done in maybe 25 years or so. If that wasn't enough of a concern, she found herself fretting about what to wear. It wasn't a difficult choice. Jeans made sense in case she fell, and a decent tee-shirt would be more than adequate. And yet she looked through her entire closet and chest of drawers twice before finally deciding.
She chose a close-fitting salmon-colored sleeveless blouse with a pair of black Capri pants then debated about how much makeup to wear. There was no need to wear any, and yet she painted her lips a glossy color that matched her blouse after adding a touch of eye shadow then freshening up her mascara.
"Oh, get real," she told herself when she started rummaging through her jewelry. She put on a pair of silver earrings but told herself the necklace wasn't needed. But after putting it back, she picked it up again and put it on.
She also couldn't avoid one last look in the mirror once everything was in place—just to make sure. And as always, she looked amazing. Mercedes wouldn't allow herself to use that particular word even thought it was true.
"Not bad," she did allow herself to say, satisfied that everything looked...okay.
She'd lost track of time, and less than two minutes later, the doorbell rang, startling her and causing that nervous feeling to well up inside her. She stopped at the door, took a deep breath, then smiled as she opened it.
"Hey!" she said to her two favorite new friends.
"You look beautiful!" Addison told her immediately.
But even better than the compliment was the hug she got when Addison walked right up to her and put her arms around her.
"Oh, my goodness. Thank you, sweetheart!" Mercedes said as she hugged her back.
Dex looked at her then nodded Addison's way and said, "What she just said."
"That's very sweet of you, Dex," Mercedes told them before inviting them in.
"Nice place," he said as they looked around.
 "Oh, thanks. I haven't done much to it in the last couple of years, but I suppose it still works."
The truth was their was no money to do anything to it even if she wanted to.
"Everything is so well coordinated," Addison told her as she noted the color scheme and choice of fabrics.
"Listen to you!" Mercedes said. "Are you sure you're only eight?"
Addison giggled then said, "I'll be nine in four months. Does that make any difference?"
"Hmmm. That must be it," Mercedes told her as she grabbed her things. "Okay. I'm ready unless you need to maybe use the restroom or get a drink of water."
"No. We're fine," Dex told her as he tried not to stare.
As she walked by, he said rather quietly, "Actually, you look fine."
Mercedes laughed and thanked him, but his kindness truly touched her as had his daughter's.
As he let her go by, Dex thought she'd always looked nice at work, but it was a more of a 'professional nice' whereas this was just—nice. Very nice.
Within seconds of getting in the car, Addison started asking questions.
"Can you cool stop?"
"Oh, my. I'm not sure. What does that mean?"
"You know, instead of just stopping, you glide then spin around," Addison explained.
"Oh. Um...I'm not sure. It's been a few years so I don't really know."
"Can you weave?"
"Like in and out of cones?" Mercedes asked.
"Uh-huh."
"I used to be able to. Can you?"
"She's a pro," Dex said answering for his daughter. "And it sounds like you're pretty good, too."
Mercedes laughed then told him how many years it had been since she'd gone roller skating.
"Get out of here!" Dex said in disbelief.
"No, it's true."
He realized he was Addison's age the last time she went and that Mercedes had been 25. For a brief moment, the age difference reared its ugly head, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.
"I'm sure it's just like riding a bike," Dex told her.
Mercedes laughed then said, "Let's see. How long has it been since I rode a bike?"
"My dad bought me a new bike for Christmas. You should come over and ride with us," Addison said.
"I don't even have a bike anymore, honey," she told the young girl.
"That's okay. We still have my mom's."
Mercedes waited to see how Dex reacted, and when he didn't even wince, she said, "Well, we'll have to see, okay?"
"You didn't say 'no'. I kind of like the sound of that," Dex said as he glanced her way and smiled.
"How about we make sure I don't break a leg or something tonight? If I don't then maybe we can talk about riding bikes," Mercedes suggested.
"You won't break a leg," Addison assured her. "You just have watch out for the bombers."
"The bombers?"
"Oh, there's a small group of boys who are maybe 14 or so. They like to see how fast they can go, and although they're very good, I've nearly been taken out by them a couple of times."
"Oh, so you two go to the skating rink often?" Mercedes asked.
"How often do we go, sweetie?" Dex asked.
"Like...once a month maybe?" Addison said.
"Oh, my. I'm going to be in big trouble, huh?"
"Not at all," Dex assured her. "We just go to have fun."
It wasn't busy at all when they arrived, and Mercedes was grateful. She went to rent a pair of skates, but Dex stepped in and said, "Excuse me? I thought we had an understanding?"
He plopped his credit card down and said, "Two adults, one child, and a pair of skates for this beautiful girl."
He smiled at Mercedes before going to sit down and put his own skates on as Addison was already busy doing that with hers. Dex's smile had really touched her, and when he called her a 'beautiful girl' it did that and something more.
She sat down and pulled on the white, size-7 women's skates then laced them up.
"I'm surprised these aren't velcro," she said as she put the extra laces inside the shoe tops.
Dex laughed, and when he did, Mercedes looked over at him and Addison. Both of them had velcro-only skates, and that made her laugh, too.
"Ah, okay. I got the old-school style."
She paused, smiled, then said, "How appropriate, right?"
"Okay, that's the last 'old' comment I want to hear out of you, young lady!" Dex told her as he grabbed her hand raising her up, then kept pulling until they were out on the rink.
Addison had grabbed her other hand, and Mercedes was laughing the entire way. Once they got out there, Dex suggested they do a couple of laps together, and three of them took off holding hands.
"It is like riding a bike!" Mercedes said as they came around to complete their first lap.
"Let's go faster!" Addison said.
Feeling good, Mercedes agreed, and the trio sped up then slowed around the corner then increased their speed again on the straightaway.
At the end of the second lap Addison let go and said, "Come on!"
The adults followed her to the center of the rink where there were a dozen cones lined up. Addison was already zig-zagging through them at a pretty good clip.
"I wanna try that!" Mercedes said as she let go of Dex's hand.
She went quite a bit slower, but managed to make it through all of them without a hitch.
"Woo-hoo!" she hollered as she cleared the last one.
Addison was there waiting for her and offered Mercedes a high five before hugging her again after she came to a stop.
"You're really good!" Addison told her.
"I'm gonna be really sore!" she said as she laughed.
She free skated with Dex for another couple of minutes then said, as she tried to catch her breath, "I need to take a break."
"Yeah. Me, too," he told her even though he wasn't even breathing hard.
They went to the sitting area and found a bench and watched Addison tear it up.
"Is there anything she's not good at?" Mercedes asked after watching her fly around the rink, 'cool stop', and 'toe touch' numerous times.
"She's pretty awesome," Dex replied.
He looked over at Mercedes then said, "You are too, by the way."
"Me? Ha! I'm am so out of practice!" she told him.
"You couldn't tell by watching you," he said.
He smiled again then said, "And believe me, I was most definitely watching you."
Mercedes saw the way he looked at her when he said it, and although he was mostly kidding, she could tell he was letting her know he really had been 'watching' her in a way that wasn't simple observation.
Not sure what else to say, Mercedes said, "There isn't much to see."
Dex hadn't taken his eyes off of her then said, "I disagree. Totally."
Whatever she'd felt a few minutes ago was back and much more intense; intense enough to cause her to have to look away.
Just as she did, Addison called out, "Come on, you guys!"
"You ready?" Dex asked her with a smile and an outstretched hand.
"Oh, my. Okay. Yes. Let's go!" she said, as she took it as he led her back onto the rink.
Around eight o'clock, there was suddenly a lot of noise near the front counter.
"Uh-oh. It's the 'bombers'," Dex said to Mercedes.
"They look harmless enough," Mercedes replied. "I was expecting tattoos and cigarette packs rolled up in their sleeves."
Dex laughed then said, "I don't think kids have done that since..."
Mercedes held up a hand and said, "Oh, no. Don't you dare say 'since I a kid'."
She was clearly teasing, and Dex continued laughing. That made Mercedes laugh, and when she did, Dex told her she was beautiful when she smiled.
The laughter stopped, and the smile faded, and that feeling returned just as he said, "Come on. Let's get in a few more spins before the 'biker gang' runs us out of town."
The two of them held hands as they made several, slow turns around the rink, laughing and having fun the entire time. They were just starting their third lap when the 'gang of seven' thundered onto the rink. One by one they pushed off and started building up speed, and in short order had lapped Dex and Mercedes.
"You had enough for one night?" he asked as they passed the entry and exit area.
"I think so. Let's finish this lap and call it a night. If I can still walk tomorrow I'll be very happy!" she called out over the noise of the boys yelling and flying around them.
Addison caught up them, and her dad let her know this was their last lap.
"Okay," she said without any argument, something else that impressed Mercedes.
"Wow. Just 'okay'? That's very..."
They were slowing down as Addison skated up ahead then did a 'cool stop'.
Mercedes had done that many times years ago and decided to give it a whirl. She started sliding and just before she began turning her toes, one of the 'bombers' didn't notice what she was doing and clipped her left leg just as she was starting to turn it.
The impact unexpectedly turned her body causing her to lose balance. That, in turn, caused her left ankle to roll as she went down hard.
The boy stopped and came back to apologize just as Dex was kneeling down to see if she was okay.
"I'm really sorry!" the boy said as she grabbed her ankle.
"It's okay," Mercedes told him. "It was an accident. I'll be fine."
Satisfied with her answer, he got up and jetted off leaving her there on the floor.
"Let's get those skates off you and see if you really are fine, okay?" he said.
He helped her stand, but she couldn't put any weight on it, so he had her drape her arm over his shoulder while putting an arm around her waist. Addison was on the other side so Mercedes could put her hand on the girl's shoulder and take a little more pressure off of the ankle.
Dex slowly unlaced the shoe, pulling each 'rung' out wide in order to minimize touching the area that was already badly swollen. It was turning black and blue, as well, and Dex said, "We've gotta get this looked at."
"No. It's just sprained," Mercedes told him. "It'll be fine."
She didn't have benefits other than optical and a trip to the ER be devastating.
"Sorry. A sprain is often as bad as a break and you may need a cast or at least need to be taped. If we don't, you could have permanent damage."
When he wouldn't take no for an answer, Mercedes let go of her pride and explained why.
He was still kneeling in front of her, and when she finished speaking, he reached up and took her hand without asking.
"Look, I invited you here. This is my responsibility. You can't go home without having it looked at, so we're taking you up the road to the Orange Park Medical Center, and that's all there is to it."
"Dex. You don't understand. I can't pay for that," she told him just loudly enough so only he could hear it.
"You're not paying for it," he told her. "Not one penny."
"No. That's not right," she said. "I'm not your responsibility, and I can't let you do that."
He squeezed her hand, smiled again, then said, "I like taking care of you, okay?"
Before she could answer, he said, "I have the only car, remember? You're in no condition to walk, so it looks like you're going with me, and I'm going to the hospital."
He stood up, then reached for her other hand, and helped her up.
As she stood there right in front of him, her ankle raised off the floor, the way Dex was looking at her made her forget how much pain she was already in as their eyes briefly danced.
"You ready?" he asked.
She wanted to answer, but her voice wouldn't work. She wanted to tell him 'yes' or at least thank him, but all she could do was stare.
"Come on. Addison will take your skates back, and you and I can head out."
Addison dropped Mercedes's skates at the desk, then picked up hers and her fathers and caught up with them just as they got to the main door.
"I'll get it!" Addison said as she backed into it and opened it for them.
As Mercedes limped by, the young girl smiled at her, and suddenly her sprained ankle no longer mattered. What did matter was the love and concern this broken family was showing her.
The hospital was only a couple of blocks away toward Middleburg, and they arrived in less than five minutes.
It took nearly two hours for her to be seen, but it was well worth the wait as Mercedes had some ligament damage. One of them had been severely stretched and another had been slightly torn.
The doctor asked a nurse to put ice on it to reduce swelling before giving her something to help with the pain before wrapping it.
"You're going to have to stay off of it as much as possible for the next 4-6 weeks, okay?" the ER doctor told her as he wrapped it.
"I have to stand up at work," she told him. "And taking time off isn't an option."
"Okay, we'll get you some crutches on your way out. You'll need to use them religiously for at least the first week or so, then when you see your primary care provider, ask if you can switch to a cane at some point. But in the meantime, especially for the next 48 hours, stay off of it completely."
"Primary care provider," Mercedes thought to herself.
She had one, but she limited visits to the greatest extent possible to save money. Going in for a follow-up would be at least $100 for the office visit then who knew what for whatever else she might order.
Dex excused himself just before the doctor finished and went back to the check-in window.
"Where would I go to pay for her bill?" he asked the woman who'd checked them in.
"No one's there this time of night, but the administrative offices are down the hall and to your left. But this will all be billed to your insurance company, so you won't need to worry about that until you find out how much they did or didn't cover on your wife's treatment."
He started to explain the beautiful woman with him wasn't his wife, but instead he thanked her then went to see where the offices she'd mentioned were located so he could take care of the bill in the next day or two.
When he walked back in, Mercedes was standing up on crutches as the doctor asked how they felt.
"Are they still too high?"
"No. These are fine," she told him.
"All right. The nurse will get you checked out, and your prescription will be waiting for in the pharmacy," the doctor said before walking away.
As Mercedes hobbled along, she told Dex, "We don't need to pick up the medication. I have Ibuprofen, and that's more than enough."
"No, the doctor gave you three days worth of Hydrocodone because this is going to hurt like hell."
He realized what he'd said just as Addison was covering her mouth.
"I take you daddy doesn't use bad words very often," she said with a smile.
"Uh-uh," Addison told her as she tried not to laugh.
"Does it hurt bad?" Addison asked once the 'cursing drama' was over.
"Whatever they gave me in there is already working. So yes, it does hurt, but it's a lot better," she said. "Which is why we don't need to go to the pharmacy."
"They gave you Hydrocodone. That stuff is powerful, and that's why it doesn't hurt so much," Dex told her as he pointed to the sign that said 'Pharmacy'.
Mercedes stopped then said as quietly as she could, "I can't let you pay for all of this, Dex."
He cocked his head slightly then smiled at her.
"What if I want to?" he said just as quietly.
He was staring into her eyes again, and maybe it was the pain medication, but Mercedes couldn't help tearing up.
"Hey. Is it really that bad?" Dex asked, sure it was pain-related.
"No," Mercedes said as a tear fell. "It isn't the pain. I'm...I'm just not sure how to deal with so much kindness."
Once he understood, Dex moved a little closer then told her, "By letting me take care of you, okay?"
Overwhelmed by it all, Mercedes could only say, "Okay," as the tears continued to fall.
Addison had moved around so she could see, and when she noticed Mercedes was crying, she put her arms around her again and buried her head in her chest.
"Don't be sad. We'll take care of you. I promise," the girl told her.
"Something tells me that's true," Mercedes said as she tried to hold herself up and hug Addison at the same time.
A few minutes later they had her prescription, and once they got to the car, Dex said, "Listen. I don't think it's a good idea for you to try and deal with this on your own."
He helped her get in, then went around to the driver's side and started the car.
"I don't have a lot of choices," Mercedes said quietly as she looked over at him.
"Yes, you do. You can stay with us for a day or two."
"I...I can't. I can't do that," she told him.
"Why? We can go back to your place and pick up the things you need for night or two along with some clothes for work, and you'll be all set."
"No. You...you have your own lives. You and Addison."
Dex looked back at his daughter who was kind of standing up next to Mercedes when she said, "But we love you, Mercedes. And we want to take care of you."
She was having trouble holding it together, but when the little girl reached around her seat and put her arms around her she lost it.
"Are you sure I won't be in your way?" she asked, barely able to speak.
"Positive."
"One-hundred percent!" Addison told her, her arms still around Mercedes.
"Okay. Thank you," she said as she squeezed the little girl's arms and looked over at her father. "You, too."
"It's our pleasure," Dex told her as he put the car in gear and headed south.
It was well after midnight when they got home, and Dex got Mercedes to the guest room and asked her to have a seat while he turned the bed down.
"Your house is lovely," she told him. "Everything is in such perfect order."
"Well, that's the way my wife kept it so we make sure to honor her by keeping it like the that."
He turned around, smiled at her, and said, "Or at least as close to that as we can, right, honey?"
Addison was doing most of the work getting things ready and enjoying doing it.
"I'll go get our icepack ready, okay, Dad?" she said once the bed was all set.
"Thanks, honey," he told her.
As she went by, Mercedes reached out for her hand. When she did, Addison stopped, hugged her again and said, "We just want you to get better."
Mercedes was tearing up again as she told Addison, "Okay. There is no way you are only eight years old!"
When the little girl giggled, her father said, "Well, well. I guess I'm not the only one having trouble believing a woman's age around here."
Now exhausted, Mercedes wanted to both laugh and cry. Instead she just smiled and tried to wipe her eyes.
"I'll bring some tissues with me, too," Addison told her as she skipped out of the room.
"I'm sorry for being so emotional," Mercedes said as she looked up at Dex.
"Please don't be sorry," he told her as he knelt down beside her again.
Mercedes saw the way Dex was looking at her again, and suddenly felt self-conscious about the way she looked.
"I'm a mess," she said as she looked away.
Dex slowly reached out and gently touched her face to turn it back toward him.
As their eyes met, he said, "You look beautiful to me."
Instantly, her eyes looked down as her foggy brain tried to understand what was going on.
"Addison is right, you know?" he told her as he ran a finger along her cheek.
"She is?" Mercedes said just above a whisper.
"Uh-huh. We do love you."
Somehow, she raised her eyes to meet his again, and when they met, Dex smiled at her. She was nearly certain he was moving her way to kiss her just as Addison came back in with the icepack. But her father just continued standing up and thanked her.
"You're welcome!" she said cheerfully.
"And it's long past your bedtime, honey. Can you give Mercedes a hug and tell her goodnight?"
"Uh-huh," she said very pleasantly as she reached out for one more hug.
As the little girl pulled away, Mercedes wasn't sure what made her say it, but she gently held Addison's arm then said, "I love you, sweetheart."
Addison smiled and immediately said, "I love you, too!" before giving her another hug.
She then hugged her dad and went to get ready for bed.
 That's all I ever wanted," Mercedes said.
"What's that?" Dex asked.
"A little girl just like Addison. Or a boy. Or one of each maybe."
She forced a smile then said, "A child. That's all. But someone else always came first with my ex-husband."
"Himself?"
Mercedes nodded then said, "I've kept you both up so late, and I'm sorry. Please go to bed. I'll be fine. Really."
"Just let me put some fresh towels out for you in the bathroom."
"Okay. Thank you, Dex. So much."
"If you need anything. No matter what. You wake me up, okay?" he told her sincerely.
"Oh, I need to be at work by 8am. Is that okay?" she asked.
"Seriously? You're going to work tomorrow? You can't take one day off to recover?" he asked without sounding accusatory.
"I can't risk it," she told him. "And I can't afford to miss a day's pay, either."
Dex knelt back down then asked her if she'd let him take care of things at work, too.
"No offense, but I don't think you could do my job. Not that it's all that complicated."
"No. That's not what I mean," he told her with a smile.
"I'm really loopy from the medication and from being up this late. I'm usually in bed by ten, so if I'm not making any sense, at least you'll know why."
"It's okay. Just let me take care of this. And you. Okay? Will you let me do that?"
"Okay," she told him very quietly.
"So no alarms. No worries about waking up. Just rest. Whenever you do wake up, we'll get something to eat and then take a look at that ankle of yours."
Dex knew women cried, but Mercedes was tearing up again. He didn't ask why, though. He just waited to see if she wanted to talk.
"I wasn't completely honest a minute ago. When I said all I wanted was a child."
As tears ran down her cheeks again, she said, "I wanted this, too."
"This?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"Yes. This. Someone to care about me this much. Someone who didn't just occasionally tell me he loves me in a birthday card, but one who took the time to show me he did. Someone I could love back just like that."
Dex knew how lucky he'd been. That had never been an issue where his marriage was concerned. There was never a time when he or his wife ever wondered whether or not they were loved. That Mercedes had never experienced that was something he couldn't imagine.
"Well, you're here where people do love you, okay?" he said as kindly as he could.
"I've noticed," Mercedes said as dried her eyes yet again as she tried to smile.
"All right. I'm gonna go check on Addison then go to bed myself. But I meant what I said. Call me if you need anything. I'm a light sleeper, and I'll hear you if you just call out my name, okay?"
"Thank you, Dex. Pleasant dreams."
"Goodnight, Mercedes. Same to you."
Mercedes fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Dex couldn't sleep. He set his alarm so he could get up and call Dr. Andrews's office, but he couldn't relax even though he was exhausted.
He lay there thinking about Mercedes having never felt what he'd essentially taken for granted, her warm, helpful ways during his eye exam, the way she laughed and smiled so easily, and yes, he couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was or that she could possibly be 50 years old. And that's when he made one of those decisions where his intuition told him he was right.
Dex was so groggy when his alarm went off at 8am, he had no idea where he was for a few seconds. His eyes were stuck shut with sleep, and he had to pee so bad he couldn't lay there and slowly come to life. As he stood in the bathroom getting rid of what needed to go, he remembered having set the coffee pot to start at eight, so at least it would be ready when he got to the kitchen.
He tiptoed past Mercedes's room then Addison's then got to the kitchen and poured a huge mugful of the hot, dark brew and took two quick sips before sitting down and trying to think.
He had the next couple of days to himself, and if necessary, he could hold off taking another project for as long as necessary. He made more than enough money to do that, and he knew he could take a lot more time off and still make a decent living.
In effect, work had become a kind of solace from the pain of his loss, and although he enjoyed his job immensely, he often wondered if he was being fair to Addison, who rarely complained about the amount of time he spent with her. Since it was summer, he knew she should be doing more of that, but work had become an ingrained habit, and unless he dealt with it, nothing would change.
He was on the phone the moment the eye doctor's office opened up, and Lisa answered when he called. He explained the situation then asked to speak to Dr. Andrews.
After telling Dex how busy he was to fend him off, Dex politely said, "We both know you don't have patients yet, and I really a minute of his time."
Reluctantly, she transferred him, and evidently explained why Mr. Hall was on the line.
"Dex. Hey. I understand you have one of my girls held captive."
Dex laughed politely then let him know what happened and why she was there.
"That's really putting me in a tough spot," the optometrist said.
Dex held the phone out and looked at it as though it might explain why Dr. Andrews had made this about himself.
"It's not like she planned this, you know. And with any luck, she'll back tomorrow. Worst case she misses two days, takes the weekend off, then comes back in on Monday ready to go."
"You said she's staying at your house, didn't you?" Dr. Andrews asked even though he knew the answer.
"Yes. That's right. Why?"
"Well, I thought you should know that uh, she and I kind of have what you might call...an understanding."
"An understanding?"
"Yes. An unspoken understanding that she and I are, well, more than just employer and employee."
"Ah, okay. I see," Dex replied knowing that was anything but true.
"I just wanted to make sure you know that. It's not like I'm concerned she might be interested in someone as young as you are, mind you. It's more just letting you know not to waste your time because, well, you know why."
"Okay. I'll keep that in mind," Dex told him as he shook his head.
"And if you can get her back here tomorrow, that would be much better than Monday," the eye doctor told him.
"Well, let's let her recovery dictate that, okay?" Dex said as cheerfully as he could.
"Right. Yes."
When Dr. Andrews didn't say anything else, Dex thanked him for his time and hung up.
"Who was that?" he heard Mercedes ask as she hobbled in on her crutches.
Dex stood up, smiled, then went over to her.
"Hey, good morning, and why didn't you call me to come help you?" he asked as he took her crutches and helped her sit down.
"Dex. I can walk, you know?" she told him with a sleepy smile.
"I know, but...you..."
He was looking at her rumpled blouse then said, "You slept in your clothes last night. I could have helped you with that, too."
"I'm fine. Really. But a cup of coffee would be very helpful," she told him, the smile a little brighter.
"Sure. Coming right up. How about your medication? Do you need a pill?"
"Yes, but I want to eat something with it. Those things make me kind of nauseous—and loopy."
Dex knew that was true for many people, so he just poured her a cup of coffee and asked what she'd like in it.
"Just black, please," she said very sweetly.
"My kind of girl," he said.
She smiled at the 'girl' comment and thanked him for the coffee.
"Oh, this is so good!" she told him.
"I was on the phone with Doctor Andrews," he let her know.
"How did that go?" Mercedes asked with a little wince.
"Okay. He knows you won't be in today and could miss tomorrow, too."
"He couldn't have been too happy about that," she mused.
"Not really, but he seems to think the two of you are, um...an item, maybe?"
Mercedes almost choked on the sip of coffee she was taking.
"What? That's insane! I've turned him down enough times he should know that's never going to happen even if it means my job."
"That's what I thought based on what you told me, but he was pretty adamant about it. He told me not to bother wasting my time."
"Wait. Wasting your time?" she asked.
"Yes. You know, trying to make a good impression on you so you might see me the way he assumes you see him."
"Oh, okay," she replied with a shake of the head.
Mercedes hesitated then smiled and said, "Like you'd even bother with that."
"Wait. Are you saying I couldn't make a favorable impression on you even if I tried?"
His deadpan delivery fooled her, and Mercedes thought he was being serious.
"No. I wasn't thinking that at all. Just the opposite. I was thinking there's no way a man as young and as handsome as you are would even think about something like that," she explained.
"Ahh, okay. But...that didn't answer my question," Dex said with a smile.
The feeling from the previous evening came back, and Mercedes looked down into her coffee cup.
"Oh, okay. I understand now," she said, feeling a little silly for having missed it.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't rule it out," she finally said after several seconds of silence.
Dex smiled but didn't laugh.
"I need more coffee. Are you okay?" he asked.
"I wouldn't mind a top off," she said, smiling back.
As he put the pot back, Dex brought up something Mercedes said late last night.
"I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. I kept thinking about how you said you wished you'd had someone to care about you or words to that effect."
Mercedes looked away before saying, "That wasn't my finest moment."
"But you did mean it, right?" Dex asked gently.
"I...I did," she admitted. "But I was exhausted and the medicine made me feel kind of giddy. And nauseous."
"That's quite a combination," Dex replied.
"I was only trying to explain," Mercedes said, as she once again had trouble following Dex's comments.
"Let me be more direct," he said very politely. "If you don't mind."
"No. I don't mind at all," she told him as she took another sip.
"Didn't you ever have that feeling? The one that makes you feel like you're the most important person in your spouse's life?"
He could tell she was thinking so he waited patiently.
"No. I don't think so. Early on, he just swept me off my feet, you know? He was very handsome and he told me how beautiful I was and made me feel so...special. He owed a business and had a lot of money, and he bought me things and wined and dined me, and I think I fell in love with that more than him."
"Did it ever get any better?" Dex asked.
"No. It actually got worse. After I said 'I do' even the romantic gestures stopped. At first, I chalked it up to him being busy with work. Then at some point I think I fell into a routine. Eventually, somewhere down the line, I mostly stopped feeling and caring because it was safer. I realized if I stopped having expectations, I could never be disappointed."
She waited for a few seconds then looked at Dex and asked, "Does that make any sense?"
"It does. It's hard to listen to, but it does make sense."
"I knew he liked to gamble when I met him, and maybe that was a part of the charm, you know? He was definitely a 'bad boy' and he seemed so exciting. So I accepted that as a part of who he was, and it never really affected us. He bought us the house I live in, we had nice cars, I had beautiful clothes, jewelry, spa days, and everything a girl could want."
"Except?"
"Right. Except. Except for...love and children," she said quietly. "The things most women really want."
She took a deep breath then said, "The really serious gambling began when he started in on sports betting several years back. He went to the dog track in Orange Park and the horse track in Jacksonville all the time, but he got in deep when he became obsessed with pro football which later spread to NBA basketball, and by the time I realized what was going on, the FBI was involved because he was embezzling money from his business to pay his debts, and..."
"What's bezeling?" they heard Addison ask.
"Hey, honey. Did you sleep?" Dex asked, unaware she'd walked in.
"Uh-huh," she said as she gave her dad a hug.
Without asking, she then went to Mercedes and hugged her, too.
"That's what I never had," she said as an end to the discussion.
Dex nodded then asked who was hungry.
"Me!" Addison said immediately.
Mercedes smiled then raised her hand, too, but only to about shoulder height.
"Three hungry people," Dex said. "What shall we have for breakfast?"
"Well, since we have a special guest, I think we should have French Toast," Addison said to her dad as she smiled at Mercedes.
"You are the sweetest girl ever!" Mercedes told her.
"I agree. French Toast coming right up!"
"Oh, let me help you, Dex," Mercedes said as she reached for her crutches.
"Addison? Can you take Mercedes's crutches away so she doesn't do anything foolish like stand up or try and help?"
His daughter laughed as she took the crutch out of the woman's hand.
"Sorry. You're not allowed," Addison informed her.
On the verge of tears again, Mercedes reached out and touched the girl's face then said, "Okay, honey. Whatever you say."
An hour later, they were done eating, the table was clear, and the dishwasher was running.
"I really need to brush my teeth," Mercedes said. "And take a shower."
She looked at Dex then asked, "Am I allowed to get up now?"
He loved the way she smiled at him, and it made him smile back.
"You are, but only with my help," he told her.
"Addison, can you give Mercedes her crutches back?" he said as he moved closer to her.
"Thank you, sweetie," she said as Dex helped her stand up.
She got the crutches in place then took one step and stopped.
"I wish they didn't hurt my arms so much."
"Hold on, then," Dex said. "Here, let me have those."
"I can't walk without them," she reminded him.
Mercedes was maybe 5' 6" and if she was 120 pounds she weighed a ton. Dex was 5' 10" and somewhere around 175 pounds, so picking her up wouldn't be an issue.
Addison took the crutches again just as her father reached down and put an arm under Mercedes's legs and scooped her up.
"Oooh!" she nearly yelped as he held her.
"This way you don't put any pressure on your ankle," he told her as her arms instinctively went around his neck.
"That's true, but what if you hurt your back? Who'll carry you around the house?"
"Don't look at me!" Addison said, smiling at them both.
"Well, it's not like you weigh a lot, so I think I can carry you without too much concern for throwing my back out."
Mercedes was smiling at him, and when he finished speaking, there was a moment of eye contact that caused a rush of very pleasant chemicals to be released in their brains. Neither of them mentioned it, but both of them definitely felt it.
"So if my daughter can bring your crutches, I'll carry you to your room," Dex told her.
Addison followed them in and leaned the crutches on the bed so Mercedes could reach them as her father gently laid her down.
"This is kind of embarrassing, but I can't get these Capri pants over my ankle by myself," she said rather apologetically.
"Oh. Well, I'm sure Addison could give you a hand with that, right, honey?" he said to his daughter.
"Sure!" she said immediately.
"Great. I'll be brushing my teeth and taking a shower myself. After that, I'm all yours."
"Don't you have work to do today?" Mercedes asked. "I don't want to keep you from doing what you normally do."
"No. I have a couple of rare day between projects. Besides, this isn't a normal day."
Mercedes assumed he somehow meant she was interfering and was about to apologize when Dex said, "Having a beautiful women in our home hasn't been normal around here for far too long."
Her concerns vanished as she smiled at Dex and told him that was very sweet of him.
"It's also true," he told her as he winked at Addison who smiled as her father walked out.
Dex closed the door behind him, and as he headed to his bedroom thought how nice it was to have a woman in the house again. Especially one as caring and polite as Mercedes. He also didn't mind that she was very attractive, something he couldn't get off his mind.
Addison helped her get the stretchy material over her ankle wrap, and Mercedes thanked her.
"You're welcome!" she replied. "Can I help with anything else?"
"Um...would you mind picking out something for me to wear from my suitcase?"
"Sure! Anything else?"
"Oh. Maybe carry my makeup bag to the sink?" Mercedes asked, feeling like she was starting to take advantage.
"Got it!" Addison said, as she grabbed it and took it in for her.
"You really are a wonderful young lady, Addison," Mercedes told her when she came back in.
"Thank you. So are you," she said sincerely. "And my dad thinks so, too."
"Oh. I had no idea," she said.
Addison was smiling and Mercedes asked why.
"Well, I probably shouldn't say," she told their guest.
"Oh. If it's a secret then no, please don't."
"Well...it's not really a secret."
Mercedes tilted her head and raised an eyebrow and waited.
"I can tell my dad really likes you," Addison said. "Not just likes you, but...likes likes you."
"Oh. How...how do you know that, sweetie?"
"Mostly because of the way he looks at you. I remember that's how he used to look at my mom. You know, all 'lovey' and stuff."
"I'm sure he's just being nice, honey. Your father is a very nice man."
"Yes he is, but he's also really lonely even though he never says it. But I can tell."
Addison got very serious then said, "It's my woman's intuition."
Mercedes somehow managed not to laugh as she reached out again to put her hand on Addison's cheek.
"You're going to be such a beautiful woman, sweetheart."
"Can I sit with you?" Addison asked.
Mercedes patted the bed next to her and the little girl jumped up and put her head on her shoulder. Mercedes put her arm around her shoulders and leaned her head on top of Addison's.
"I really like you," Addison said after a few seconds of silence.
"I really like you, too, honey."
The young girl looked up then said, "Do you know what I prayed for last night before I feel asleep?"
"No, sweetheart. Tell me."
"Well, I asked my mom, who's in heaven, to make my daddy fall in love with you."
"You...what?" Mercedes asked, as tears began welling up with tears again.
"I don't want you to leave," Addison told her. "So I asked my mom to ask God to let you stay. With us."
"Oh, honey! That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me!" Mercedes told her as she hugged this wonderful little girl.
"I don't know how long it takes God to do stuff, but he always hears our prayers, right?"
Mercedes hadn't been to church since she was maybe 17, but even so, she told Addison that was true.
"Just remember, though. God doesn't always answer our prayers exactly the way we want him to."
"Then why even ask him?" Addison said, her eyes wide open, hoping to hear a satisfactory answer.
"I...I'm not sure, sweetie. Just don't be too upset if that doesn't happen, okay?" she said as gently as she could.
"It will," Addison said, the smile coming back. "It will because my mom told me God always hears and answers our prayers."
Mercedes kissed her on the forehead then said she needed to take a shower.
"Oh, do you have a plastic bag and a rubber band?" she asked before explaining why.
Addison was back in a flash with both.
"See? I'm not even God, and I answered your prayer just like that," she told Mercedes.
"Yes. Yes, you did, huh?" the older woman said, now praying the little girl's feelings—and faith—wouldn't be hurt too badly when things didn't go the way she hoped they would.
 Addison was waiting for her father in the living room when he came out.
"Hey, there. Is Mercedes doing okay?"
"Yes. She's fine, but I have a question."
"Okay. Shoot," her father said as he sat next to her.
"Does God always answer our prayers?"
Dex was caught off guard to the point of being speechless.
"Where did that come from?" he asked rather than answer her question.
"I was just wondering. That's all," his daughter said before she gave her father a hug.
Then without waiting for and answer she skipped away.
It was another half hour before Mercedes came out, and when she did, Dex did a double take.
"Wow. You look...amazing."
"Addison chose my clothes," she told him.
"I like her choices," Dex said as he admired how nice she looked.
She was wearing a black, sleeveless knit top and a pair of white shorts, and Dex got a real look at her figure for the first time. He knew she looked nice, but between her hair and makeup being done again, and this very cute outfit that revealed a pair of very shapely arms and legs, it was obvious she was even more attractive than he'd thought.
"May I?" she asked as she looked at the couch.
"Oh, sure. Please," he said as she set her crutches down.
Dex offered her a hand so she could use one leg to sit down.
"Thank you," she said with a smile.
The smile was genuine but somehow...strained.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"I...I just think maybe I should go home, you know?" she said as she sort of looked over at him.
"Wait. Why would you suddenly want to go home? Did something happen? With Addy?"
"No. Heavens, no. Well, yes. Maybe."
She looked at Dex then said, "Sort of."
It took her a minute or so to explain what happen, and Dex let her talk without interruption.
"I just don't want her to get hurt, Dex. She's too young to understand that, you and I aren't...well, you know."
"No. I don't know," he said as he turned sideways to look at her.
"Well, we're not...we don't feel...you couldn't possibly..."
"Be attracted to you?" he said quietly.
He saw Mercedes look away immediately, but even so, he reached over and brushed her hair back then said, "Because I am."
"Dex. Please," she replied. "That's just..."
"That's...true," he said. "Physically, for sure, but every minute I spend around you, the more I realize it's more than that."
"I...I don't understand," she said. Her body was trembling, and she couldn't look at him, because if she did, she knew she'd do something she'd regret like...kissing him.
"Why? Why don't you understand?" he asked as he slid a little closer. "Why is it so hard to believe I think you're beautiful, Mercedes? Inside and out?"
"Because...because I'm...fif...so much older than you, Dex. That's why."
"Then why doesn't that matter to me? And why can't I stop thinking about you? For even one second?" he asked as he gently twirled her hair in his finger.
"I...I don't know," she said, barely above a whisper.
"Or why do I find myself wanting to..."
He leaned closer and moved his head forward so there was no way Mercedes could misunderstand what he was doing.
Her heart was pounding as she slowly turned to look at him, and when he did, he whispered, "Kiss you."
Everything was moving in slow motion as Dex pressed his lips against hers. Her body reacted not only to the touch of his flesh against hers, but to the words he'd just spoken along with the others he'd said before.
Slowly, she raised her arm and put her hand on his face then kissed him back. She was so lost in a sea of emotion she had no idea how long it lasted. She only knew her body was on fire, and that she didn't want it to end.
When it did, she sat there looking at him while he smiled at her.
"Now do you understand?" he asked her.
"I...I think so," she replied, barely able to speak.
"Then let's make absolutely sure, shall we?" he said as he kissed her again.
Mercedes put her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer as she kissed him back. Unable to stop herself, she offered the tip of her tongue to him, and to her delight, he did the same. When their tongues began to intertwine, Mercedes felt like she might cum for the first time in months without so much as the slightest touch 'down there' where such things normally originated.
And then she heard it. The unmistakable sound of little girl giggling.
She pulled away so fast it startled Dex who saw her sitting straight up with her hands in her lap.
"Hi, honey," her father said. "I take it you, um...saw us."
"Uh-huh," she said as she tried to stop giggling.
"May I ask why that's so funny?"
"I'm just so happy," she said.
"Oh, I see," her father said even though he didn't.
"I knew it would work. I just didn't know it would work this fast," she said as she turned around to leave.
"Hey! Where are you running off to?" her dad asked.
"I have to got thank mommy...and God!" she said as she skipped to her room.
"She's very happy," Dex said as he put his arm around Mercedes.
"That makes two of us," she told him as she looked at him.
"No, that makes three of us," he corrected her before kissing her again.
When it ended, she said, "Dex? Are you sure you want to...get involved...with someone my age?"
"No. No, I'm not," he said in his deadpan style.
Feeling nearly crushed, Mercedes tried to be strong.
"Oh. Okay. I didn't think this could possibly be..."
He gently put a finger over her soft, full, very kissable lips then said, "Shhh," before saying, "I'm not interested in any other woman your age. Or any age."
He took her pretty face in his hands then said, "I am, however, very interested in you."
"I...I don't understand why," she told him, "but I'm very glad you are," before kissing him even more passionately.
"May I tell you something else?" Dex asked once the kiss ended.
"Of course. Anything," Mercedes replied.
"I...don't want you to leave."
"All right. I can stay one more night," she told him, smiling more happily than she had in years.
"No. Not just tonight. I...I don't want you to leave...ever," Dex told her.
"Dex, you...you can't possibly know that," she said.
When he didn't answer she asked, "Can you?"
"All I know is I'm falling in love with you. So if you want to leave—temporarily—I guess that would be okay, as long as I know you're coming back."
He moved around in front of her then said, "Listen. I know how fast this is happening. But I also know I've only felt like this once before. It was right then, and I believe it's right now. So unless you want to leave...please stay...with us."
"I...I've waited all my life to feel like this," she told him, as a kind of emotional dam broke. "I'd given up thinking I ever would, but I never completely lost hope. And now that I've found it, I don't want this feeling to end, so if you mean that, if you really want me to stay...I'll stay."
"I do," he told her. "I very much mean it."
"Me, too!" they heard Addison say.
She'd walked back in so quietly neither of them heard her.
"Come here, Honey Bunches of Oats," her dad said.
She walked over and he put his arm around her and said, "Are you really okay with that?"
"Uh-huh. Of course I am," she told him.
"How come?" her father asked.
"Because I prayed and asked God to make her want to stay. Then he answered my prayers so how could I not want this?"
"She has a point," Dex said to Mercedes.
"Oh, yes. I mean, who wants to argue with God, right?"
"Not me!" Dex said.
"Not me!" Addison joined in.
"Well, I'm certainly not about to, either!" Mercedes announced.
Addison moved closer and gave the beautiful woman a hug and said, "I love you."
"Ahh! I love you, too, sweetie," Mercedes told her without tearing up.
"I love you, too, Daddy," she told her father.
"And I love you."
"And?" Addison asked with a smile.
Dex reached out and took Mercedes's hand and said, "I love you, too."
"And I love you," she said without hesitation as she reached out and hugged both of the Halls.
Mercedes never did leave. In fact, when Monday rolled around, Dex convinced her to stay home. For good. He even offered to call Dr. Andrews and tell him she wouldn't be coming back.
To his surprise, she said she wanted to tell him, and as Dex listened in, she said, "Oh, the reason I'm not coming back is because Dex took the time to make me give me cause to be interested in him."
She paused for effect then added, "And fall in love with him."
There was silence on the other end, and with that, she was no longer employed, and not the least bit concerned about it.
Mercedes slept in her own bedroom for another two weeks, as she and Dex really got to know each other. It wasn't necessary, but it seemed reasonable and prudent.
It wasn't necessary, because neither of them never once doubted their love after that moment on the couch, and both of them spent every day thereafter showing their love for the other person, and for the beautiful girl who would call this new woman in her life 'mom' for the first time just days later.
It was almost a joke at first, but Mercedes was so moved that it stuck. So when this eight-year old girl asked them why her 'mom' didn't sleep with her 'dad' a week or so later, they had no answer for her, and that night, after Addison fell asleep, Dex made love with Mercedes Berman for the first time.
As wonderful as their lovemaking had been, the most amazing part was waking up together the next morning and realizing it hadn't been a dream along with the knowledge they would wake up together just like that every day for the rest of their lives.
The weather finally cooled down in October, and when they finished trick or treating on Halloween, Dex asked Mercedes if she got any candy.
"You know I didn't," she told him. "Addison got all of it."
"Oh. Then what's this in the bottom of the little plastic pumpkin you carried around?" he asked as he shook the plastic container.
She gave him a 'what are you up to now' kind of look as she took the bait and checked.
When she looked inside, her body began shaking with her hands going first.
"What...Dex...is that...are you..."
Addison knew. In fact, she'd put the ring in there when her 'mom' wasn't looking.
"What is it, Mom?" she asked as she plopped down beside her.
Dex fished it out, and got down in front of her on one knee.
"So here I am in front of the two girls I love the most."
Addison put her arm around her mom and said, "Don't cry."
"I...can't help it," Mercedes said. "I love you two so much!"
"Enough to marry us?" Dex asked as he took her hand and slid the ring on it.
She was nodding and crying but not speaking.
"Is that a 'yes', Addy?" he asked his daughter.
She leaned forward and watched her mom crying as she continued nodding.
"Um, I'm pretty sure that's a 'yes'," she said as her father took her mom's hand and placed the beautiful diamond ring on it.
"Come here. Both of you!" Mercedes said as she pulled Addison in tight and kissed her fiancé.
"I couldn't be happier right now no matter what," she told them as she did her best to 'stop the leak' coming from her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm pretty happy right now, too," Dex said.
"Yeah. Me three," Addison said.
The soon-to-be nine-year old girl looked up then said, "Mommy? Thank you! I love you, too, and I miss you. Oh, and please God thank you for Daddy and me, okay?"
Mercedes gave up trying, and let the tears flow, and although he tried to hide it, Dex's eyes were a little watery, too. After all, he'd also given up ever thinking he'd be loved like this again. But here he was, happy and in love with a beautiful woman who loved him back with all her heart.
He didn't look up, but he did say to himself, "Thank you, honey. And God? If you're listening, thank you, too."
That week, Mercedes gave her house up to the bank never looked back.
That Spring, she became Mrs. Dexter Hall with his sister, Beth, serving as her Maid of Honor. And before school started the following year, she was officially Addison's adoptive mother.
At 51, Mercedes Hall couldn't believe how her life had turned around so dramatically after a handsome, younger man came in for an eye exam. Now, every so often, when she saw him on the computer, hard at work, earning a living for them, she, too, looked upward and said a silent, "Thank you," before walking over and putting her arms around her amazing husband and telling him how much she loved him.

Expanding Horizons byJMayes©

Fumbling around on the nightstand, an awkward hand found its way to the source of the incessant beeping and repeatedly pressed, squeezed, slid, and prodded until the damn thing finally stopped. The hand dropped to the warm bed clothes for a few moments before joining its partner, rising upward in a long, tight stretch. He yawned and pulled both hands behind his head on the pillow. His eyes opened lazily, making a ritual assessment of the ceiling. Still there.
Chris sighed, then nearly bolted upright—he would be late! Thrusting the covers aside, he swung his legs toward the floor and headed for the bathroom. He would not skip a shower this evening for the sake of timeliness, not for this date. In his reverie he had forgotten that only a short nap was in order before their night out. There was to be no yawning tonight, not the slightest indication, however mistaken, of any degree of disinterest.
The water coughed and spat from the shower head: cold, lukewarm, burning, then corrected to steaming. A safe-cracker could find the perfect temperature, but Chris had given up long ago. The water brought him closer to reality. Oh, yes, there was interest; plenty of it on both their parts. He tilted his head back as the jets of water irrigated his scalp and ran down his neck, a few rebels escaping over his ears and his face.
She was exciting. And beautiful. Not in a thin, wispy, Audrey Hepburn, "who, me?" kind of way...but in a full, sultry, smoking, Marilyn Monroe, "yes, me" kind of way. She had it and she knew it. Just the thought of her seductive eyes made his sensitivity heighten under the water.
Working a small amount of soap into his short, dirty-blond hair, he thought about the night at the Back Room. Kate's birthday party. And how they had ended up next to each other at the quieter end of the table. It was so loud; such a freshman bar, they could barely hear one another. Practically screaming in each other's ears, the conversation, albeit a slightly inebriated one, ranged from the idiots on the dance floor, TAs who couldn't make more sense of the prof's lecture than the students could, to TV shows and music. They had opposite tastes in nearly everything, and had a fantastic time discussing all of it. Hot liquid streamed through his hair, silky with suds. He ran his fingers through, slowly and repeatedly.
Almost ignoring the birthday girl and the rest of the group, their repartee had continued all night. Eventually it turned from laughter to discovery, serious moments of opinion, and not a small number of interesting looks and glances. By midnight he and Rachel were the idiots on the dance floor. Dancing to music he didn't like, surrounded by people he didn't like, up later than he generally preferred...he was captivated by her. He lathered soap in his hands, rubbing his neck and down the length of his arms, underneath, and worked across his chest. Fingers glided through thin hair and scrubbed over modest but firm pecs. Taking a quick inventory, he was fairly satisfied with his build. A lightweight just north of a buck fifty, and about five foot nine, he was no dream machine, perhaps. But his sinewy frame was lean and his muscles knew real work. He got things done. He scrubbed down his stomach.
The two had danced like fools and returned to the table frequently to quench their thirst. A slow song came on, and naturally it was one Chris could not stand. Nevertheless he extended his right hand with the left behind his back, bowing gently, feigning a gentlemanly poise, totally anachronous to their surroundings. Rachel giggled and, in kind, made a curtsy before accepting his hand and following to the dance floor. Like a high school mixer he placed one hand on her left hip, and with the other held her right hand out, half extended, and straightened his back. With arched brows, he tilted his head and led her through a few basic steps. To call it dancing would have been generous, but the effort was notable and received humorous encouragement from the others.
Laughing, Rachel took his hand from her waist and placed it behind her back, pulling the other down to do the same. Her hands then followed suit, embracing Chris' taller body. Leaning her face into his smooth shirt, they swayed gently to the music. Sensing her comfort, he squeezed lightly in a sort of hug, and she responded in kind. He let his gaze fall downward until his nose brushed the dark brown hair on the top of her head. It was smooth as silk, and cut rather short in a sort of pixie style. Her conditioner blended with the complementary scent of her perfume, the sweet smell of sweat on her brow, a dash of vodka with a hint of cranberry, and the passing aromas of other couples "waltzing" by.
Holding each other tightly, his hands grasped her back and shoulder blades as her soft bosom pressed into Chris' chest and stomach. Oh, her breasts... The boiling water seared his back as he finished scrubbing his legs. His hands returned up his thighs and tenderly slid over what had become a growing erection. Rachel had skin smoother than fine chocolate, more delicate than tracing paper, though you might try tracing it with your tongue.
Milky white and supple, she was not large in any way, and yet you could always dig your fingers in...gently nibble...both of which elicited from her a shudder of slight pain along with sighs and moans of encouragement. That smooth skin reached its full potential as it journeyed downward from her tender neck, across her chest, rising and falling, and forming into a pair of perfectly shaped, perfectly sized, perfectly sensitive breasts. Yielding to the touch, and to exploration, yet firming along with her growing arousal.
He could still feel the close dance and the smell of her hair as his left hand slowly caressed his now full erection. Up and down, simply experiencing the sensation produced by the memories. That song had ended and, true to the form of the establishment, abruptly exploded into the pile-driving rhythm of the next Top 40 remix. As though in a trance, they had both pulled away slowly, a little unsteady from the embrace, and saw in each other's eyes an unmistakable desire and longing. They slowly returned to the table, rejoining their companions, and managed somewhat normal conversation for the remainder of the night.
The last of the suds descended slowly down Chris' legs and fled toward the drain. He stirred from his daydream and killed the water, reaching for his towel. It was winter, and the jab of cold, basement air upon leaving the steamy bathroom was most unwelcome. Almost enough to dislike showering entirely.
5:30. Picking her up at 6:00. He had time. For him anyway, it never takes too long to get ready. Lucky blue boxers, dark jeans, a gray, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, brown leather boots, and a worn leather belt about his waist. A seldom-used full-length mirror leaned near the dresser, and Chris tilted it for a final view. Not that the image would prompt any change, but a little vanity before heading out on a date wouldn't be a bad idea. Wetting his hands in his hair, he rubbed a little gel together and ran his fingers through again. A gentle part, and straightening it out, he chuckled at the tendency of most folk to estimate him 8-10 years older. The grays didn't help. Turning a bit, all checked out okay.
Chris didn't really focus on fitness as a routine, but his part-time renovation job kept him extremely active. His height belied his legs, which appeared longer than they were. Though he despised the trending "wannabe cowboy" look, his mild ruggedness matched his attitude and his inclination for the outdoors. He swiped his keys from the dresser as he stepped briskly out, chatting a moment with his housemates, and embraced the winter darkness as he fired up the truck.
*****
"Trace, can I borrow your straightener?"
"What?!"
"Can I borrow your straightener?! My piece of shit just died and won't heat up!"
"You don't have to yell, damn...here," Tracy conceded, handing over the vital appliance. "All yours. Though I don't know why you're bothering. Your hair doesn't really curl, and do you really think he's gonna notice?" Rachel rolled her eyes; she knew Tracy was right, but her own nervousness was enough to require the process, and she wouldn't give her roommate the satisfaction of being correct.
"It never lays the way I want it to, it's not my fault your eye doesn't pick up that detail," she replied wryly.
Tracy smiled: "Mmm, and you never lay the way they want you to, either..." Rachel laughed and stuck her tongue out in response. Each with their faults and grievances, the two were ultimately fond of one another and had become fast friends since college orientation a few years ago. They couldn't appear more different, and yet they swapped clothes and accessories regularly. Rachel's chocolate hair was in stark contrast to Tracy's strawberry blonde. Her muscular frame made her a bodyguard to her friend's thin features. The latter often commented with only half-feigned jealousy on her roommate's voluptuous hips and derriere, which met Tracy's standard of attraction: light enough to work with, and just a bit more than a handful to play with.
Indeed, she teased Rachel, "If your pants were any tighter, you might have to give him take-home bags for anything that spills out!" She snorted in laughter, then shrieked as Rachel dropped the straightener and lunged for her midsection, tackling her friend to the floor before Tracy could react. The defendant cried out desperately for mercy. "All right, I—ha!—stop!—I'll—I'm gonna piss myself, fuck off!"
"Taught you to tease these hips, didn't I?" Rachel gently queried, climbing off her roommate with a haughty expression. "Next time you won't be so lucky that I should stop there."
"Oooohh, and you're all talk," Tracy teased, rolling her eyes comically and catching her breath. "In fact, I ought to whoop your ass right now just for saying it, now it's a fair fight and all." Rachel was half tempted to instigate another round, for her own reasons, but turned her dark eyes toward the mirror to finish preening; hopefully before Chris arrived.
"You'll just have to wait, missy," she replied. "You can have whatever fight is left in me after tonight." She smiled, sarcastically, with Tracy mirroring her expression before mocking disgust.
"Oh, yeah, great, because I really want to wrestle your sloppy seconds. Sounds amazing..." She turned toward the door: "Hey, call if you need a ride. Or, someone to be a stunt double when the lights go out." She winked, and Rachel just laughed.
"You're a true friend, Trace," she replied, sticking her tongue out again and smiling. Spinning through their apartment doorway, she pulled the door shut with an echo down the bright hallway. The text just now read that Chris would be there in ten. Heading down the stairs, she double-checked for her ID, purse, keys, and phone. Not a minute at the door and a dark red Blazer swung its headlights across the building as it pulled alongside the curb. It took every ounce of restraint she had to keep her shoes glued to the tile floor, a childish agreement with Tracy to prove just how many men had no concept of chivalry.
But Tracy had no chance; the dome light came on and the door swung open just as the truck came to a lurching stop. The engine died and the headlights darkened, the glow fading from the bulbs. She pretended to be absorbed in a flyer on the building's bulletin board so as not to appear so prissy as to be waiting for a man to escort her. Though, judging by the manner of his arrival, it seemed clear the type she was dealing with. Well, she thought, I hope he's not too gentlemanly... The front door opened.
"Miss Jones," Chris offered, extending an elbow.
"Good evening," she replied, with a tilt of her head. Enjoying the small acts of outmoded chivalry, she placed a hand daintily into the bend of his arm, and walked out to the truck.
The two listened to music, talking over most of it, on the way to the restaurant. To be fair, it seemed more of an elegant dining room than a restaurant. They stood just inside the doorway next to a narrow podium, awaiting the maître d', who approached quietly with a gentle smile.
"Good evening, sir, madame," he bent slightly, with a mild Italian accent, "may I show you to your table?" Chris gestured with his hand to lead on, adding a nod to Rachel to proceed ahead. She felt a little self conscious; there were only about ten tables in the dimly lit room, most of them booths. But her anxiety eased as it became clear that not a soul paid them any mind as they strode past. A lovers' dining room, she mused. The thin man spun on his heels across from a dark, candlelit booth, and bent sideways to invite them to be seated. This they did, comfortably, on plush cushions and gently reclined seat backs. Rachel realized they now could not see the other patrons, nor hear more than a low murmur of conversation. Quite the intimate setting, she thought.
The beginnings of a new train of thought were pushed from her mind as Madame Julia arrived to welcome them and offer libations. Even Rachel had to swallow and catch her breath, for this woman was simply gorgeous. A notch taller than Chris even, her arms were lithe, taut with muscle, and held a small menu describing the evening's courses. Her long, auburn hair was pulled straight back, severely, in a tight, low ponytail. The remainder was full and thick, drifting downward from the back of her head in slow waves, falling well below her shoulders into darkness. The slightly angled shoulders held a simple, black blouse across a very square and well-proportioned torso. Rachel noticed the outlines of her breasts, a touch smaller than average, perhaps, but quite attentive. A single open button revealed a thin, silver necklace, venturing just below her collarbone, and nothing more. Nor did it need to. Rachel's mind wandered a bit again, forgetting about the menu as well as her companion.
"Rachel?"She heard her name, and turned in a daze, seeing Chris and their waitress staring directly at her face, searching for signs of life. "Jesus, Rachel, would you like another glass of water, for your face, perhaps?" chuckled Chris. Rachel blushed red, and appeared to examine the brief menu. Julia blushed as well, breaking eye contact to study the abstract canvas on the wall.
Chardonnay. Merlot. Caesar salads. Toasted baguette. Garlic aioli. Shrimp and linguine. Steak de burgo. Refilled glasses. Giggling conversation in hushed tones over a mostly cleared table. Tiramisu to split. A half ration of gelato to accompany. Slowly the glasses surrendered their final drops, and the dining area felt quiet and close. A comfortable lull in the conversation allowed their eyes to introduce themselves properly. His warm and interested gaze held her face steadily, which returned a flushed and lusty smile. She blinked slowly, as if to briefly deprive him of the sight of her dark eyes, and searched his face for a reaction.
Fuck, he thought to himself, it's like our eyes are making out. He smiled and shook his head gently. "You have very captivating eyes, Rachel. Do you know that?" She nodded and replied without breaking contact.
"Oh, yes. I've become quite aware just recently." The bill was paid, and the front door closed behind them. Standing on the front walk, Chris puffed out his chest and appropriated a dodgy British accent.
"D'you know, dear, I believe we've rather missed our showing. Blast."
"'Ave we now, then?" she replied, placing her hands on her hips and doing her best to play at a working class drawl. "See, oy believe we's a right good chance of 'avin a foyn evenin' if we was t' battle on back to moy place, and pop in a pitcher of awr own."
Outdone, Chris burst out laughing, extended his arm, and they proceeded down the walk.
*****
Rachel's apartment, on the second floor, was clean and quiet. She was impressed that Tracy had not only picked up as promised, but had left on a couple small lamps. There was glassware on the counter. She could imagine the inevitable interrogation to ensue the next day, regardless of what happened.
Glasses on the coffee table with a fresh bottle of Riesling, they flopped onto the couch, jostling shoulders for position. She started the film, something based on a true story about a family surviving the wilderness. It didn't matter. She quickly made herself comfortable, leaning into Chris' chest. Presently he yawned, and in comedic fashion lowered his outstretched arms around her shoulders, pulling her close.
Her hair smelled so good, and the weight and warmth of her body against him was pleasant and welcome. Eventually he allowed his chin to rest gently on top of her head. She responded with a sigh, indicated by the rise and fall of her chest against him. He saw her left cheek, faintly blushing pink, and remembered the make-out session from last week...
~~~~~
It was so intense. And passionate, which he couldn't help but find interesting, as they had barely known each other. It had been just four months since the break with Mandy, which had not left him particularly desirous of a relationship, or any intimacy, really. However, chemistry is not a contrivance, but a law of a nature, and there it was. Soft, pillowy lips. So good to behold, so much better to explore. They were deep pink, as originally supplied, and the more their affections intensified, the more her lips took on a richer shade, almost to red.
He had leaned against her, pressing her shorter frame against the apartment door, their mouths totally connected. Tongues swirling, darting, exploring, the kiss refused to end. His hands moving up her sides, gently pressing in against the swell of her ample breasts. Her hands, digging fingernails into his back, crawled up and grabbed hold of his neck, desperately pulling his face closer. The taste of her lips. The smell of his chest and cologne...
~~~~~
He had lost the plot of the movie just now, in his remembrances, and focused now on his fingertips which had begun meandering up and down her forearm. Rachel's skin bristled at the sensation on her arm, and relished his scent. She had requisitioned a pillow to place on his lap, and now lay comfortably across it, on the right side of her head. Her arm lay alongside his left leg while the other rested its hand on top of Chris' thigh.
This did not go unnoticed by him, clearly, as she felt a couple times the slight shift of his hips in response to any movement or squeeze by her left hand. His breathing was just a touch deep, and Rachel wondered if he was even watching the movie at all. Not that she could judge. Her eyes had been mostly closed for the better part of the duration, simply enjoying the experience of being held and caressed. It was such a pleasant feeling, and a mix between gentle affection and sensual closeness. There was warmth in her, rising, and she very much desired this man; to be close...to kiss...to be experienced...to pleasure...
Rolling onto her back, still facing the screen, Rachel turned briefly to look Chris in the eyes, meeting his distracted gaze with a look not only of smiling contentment, but of pleasant desire. She turned forward again, only to feel a significant shift of the body beneath her. He bent far over to plant a gentle but lingering kiss on her left cheek. Electricity raced through her veins in search of escape, and her breath caught. His hand had, by necessity, moved to her stomach, and he had begun pressing the length of his fingers into her flesh, alternating, and moving his hand in various directions. She gave a firm squeeze to his thigh to affirm his activities.
He was encouraged. Allowing his right hand to stroke her hair, the other spread its fingers, palming and massaging her stomach. His thumb rubbed against the taut fabric of her underwire, detecting the unmistakable pattern of lace. Several light kisses graced her cheek before he tracked to the right, along the side of her face, and ever so lightly breathed across her ear. He could feel the goose bumps race across her skin, and let his lips caress the very edge of her ear. Closing them in a soft lip bite, he pulled gently. Opening and closing again around her tender earlobe. He could feel her shifting, yet not giving in and turning to him. He continued his torturous treatment.
 Her chest felt like it was heaving, and the sensations she felt through her ear were pure torture. And then he did it. Of course he did. As though he hadn't done enough. The warm tip of his tongue traced a gentle circle around the edge of her ear before slipping wetly inside. Fuses blew. The lights of her eyes flickered. Ripples of pleasure triggered a serious awakening, and she was helpless to his ministrations.
"Huhhhh," she moaned, unable and unwilling to keep it inside. This served to prompt further penetrations by Chris' ginger and delicate tongue. Rachel's body began to shift, and her nails now dug into his thigh, creating no shortage of shifting and positioning on his account. As she gained at least a semblance of consciousness she allowed her hand to alternate...squeezing his thigh and then sliding it...up and down...over and over.
Yes, he murmured to himself, turn me on. Do it. I dare you. His nerves were completely on edge, and no degree of squirming could calm them. Her fingers continued to explore new ground each time her hand traveled up his thigh. He returned the attention of his lips to her cheek, after a gentle nibbling of her earlobe, of course. She slowly reached her head back, giving in, and looked briefly into his eyes. She opened her lips to meet his.
Then he kissed her. Good and kissed her.
Despite the tight position, they connected hard, slamming into each other with force, warmth, and desire. They lingered slowly in those first movements, savoring the taste and the moment. His lips were strong, and not overly thick. Taking control of her pair of soft, luxurious kissers, he turned a little and pressed in again. She welcomed his return with parted lips and an exciting brush of her tongue. At this, he slipped his own into her mouth and the two danced sensually, circling one another, muscular and soft.
Each moaned audibly as their hands forgot their inhibitions. Chris' left moved up her stomach and made its way slowly over her lacy brassiere. Tracing the patterns with his fingers, he teased her rising and falling bosom before caressing the skin of her chest. Milky white, it yielded easily to his touch as he endeavored to awaken every square inch. Fingers traced up her neck and her throat, with a fingertip following her jawline from earlobe to chin, pressing upward on the latter, deepening their kiss.
These delicate and tender acts served only to increase her desire to feel more, to give more, to share more. On her back, however, she could not advance beyond running her hand beneath his shirt, her fingers gliding through the hair on his chest, and glancing over his nipples. She wanted more.
Rachel broke the kiss, gently turning her head away with purpose. Chris leaned back, awaiting her intent. She pushed herself up from his lap, giving him a light shove against the corner of the couch. Her left arm and elbow supported her on the arm of the couch, with her hips just against his left leg, facing him. Grabbing the back of his neck, and his shoulder, she leaned in and resumed their lip lock of passion.
With his hands freed, and Rachel's voluptuous figure leaned over his lap, Chris focused on exploring and pleasing her. His hands went straight to her waist as they kissed, and slid up her smooth sides, beneath the light sweater. Each palm gently grazed along the sides of her breasts, eliciting another gentle moan. Fingers began to trace the lace again, circling, then squeezed her right breast, beneath her bra. A warm tip slid over her hardening nipple, and she broke the kiss. "Mmm hmm. Yesss." She resumed their dancing tongues. In fact, the dance had become more of a street fight as their lips grabbed each other and their tongues struggled for dominance.
Sliding his right hand across her breasts, and squeezing gently, Chris' right hand found purpose behind her. Kneading along the way, he located the clasp of the brassiere, which served only to hinder their explorations, and with just a couple movements deftly disconnected and removed the article. The straps clung to her upper arms, and Rachel hesitated briefly at the thought of removing her sweater. Her confidence in her sensuality did not prevent her from being mildly self conscious about her midsection having a little more to love.
As though she needed a sign, Chris' hands came around her waist, lovingly caressing her hips, stroking her stomach, and playing with her navel, making her shudder. Breaking off again, she sat up and brought the bottom of her sweater up and overhead in a quick motion, letting her bra slide off her arms to the floor. Chris struggled somewhat comically to remove his close-fitting shirt, but the job was done, and each paused a moment, noticing and surveying the new terrain. Rachel's hands stroked his chest hair and held his muscles. She blushed as Chris returned his hands and eyes to her waist, caressing every curve, and advancing upward.
"My god, you are so beautiful, Rachel," he breathed. She let out a deep sigh, relaxing, and moaned as his hands slid up and over her full breasts, now sloping downward a little with their weight. Her taut nipples were a pinkish-red, hard at attention, and her large, brown areolas stood in contrast to her creamy skin. Fingertips circled slowly inward, around the soft mounds, teasing and finally touching and dragging over the hard buds.
"Uhhhhhhnnnn...yesss," she moaned, tilting her head back. She couldn't make out if she wanted to, her breathing had so accelerated and deepened. Abruptly, she let out a gasp and a high-pitched squeal of surprise, pain, and intense pleasure; his strong fingers had closed around each erect nipple, lightly pinching them, and twisting ever so slightly. Her head came back down, her eyes burning into his. They searched downward, desperate for payback. With her left hand supporting her body, her right hand left his chest, caressing his taut stomach, slipped over his belt, and landed on the swollen leg of his jeans...
*****
Squeezing his thighs down to the knees, and rubbing back up along his left inner thigh, she felt his body squirm, egging her on. She wanted to tease him, but could not resist. Her fingers atop his thigh, her thumb felt the bulge inside his pant leg which moved slightly as she slid the digit over top. Chris moaned and his head lay back against the couch. He continued to squeeze and caress her breasts, albeit somewhat distractedly, while her hand worked to fully discover her prize.
She pressed openly across the crotch of his pants, his legs now spread wide. She could feel his full erection, tight in his pants. Squeezing here and there, she stroked back and forth along its firm length. His eyes half open, looking into hers, she smiled with an air of empowerment. She ran the show, or so she thought. He licked his lips, beckoning for a kiss, and she leaned in to comply. Their lips met tenderly, enjoying the pleasant but less intense contact, as their hands explored.
Rachel's illusion of control vanished as she was reminded that her companion had both hands free, to do with as he pleased. His right hand lovingly massaged her chest, shoulders, and breasts, while his left slid downward over her pale stomach. Sure of his intent, her breathing grew more rapid. He allowed his fingers to drag over her hips, and just past her crotch, before exploring and massaging her inner thighs.
"Please," she whispered, all thoughts of teasing now seeming like criminal acts. "Please touch me." After months of being single, his attention reminded her of what a poor substitute her own ministrations had been for the excitement of a partner's touch between her legs. Chris needed little encouragement, and massaged back up her right thigh, pressing and sliding. Leaned over his lap, she was unable to open her legs much, but slid her right knee up and to the back of the couch, achieving the effect.
He felt the heat rise with every inch he moved upward, and as the side of his hand found the softness at the top of her leg, the warmth came with a dampness through her pants that made him gasp as much as she. With little ability to control his actions, like a teenager feeling her up for the first time, he turned the palm of his hand upward, squeezing fully over her crotch, fingers underneath, pressing into her, and thumb rising up and out.
"Aaaaahh, dammit! Yes!!" Her hand automatically clenched around the thick bulge in his jeans, and she thrust her hips forward toward his hand. The feeling of her fingers surrounding and squeezing him was such heaven. He felt the heavy pulse in his loins throb in response. The shift of her hips made him squeeze her warm crotch repeatedly, alternating his fingers underneath, while his thumb moved in circles against the smooth fabric of her pants just above.
It was so difficult for Rachel to hold back, as her arousal continued to build rapidly. With a hand full of his erection, and a hand pulling and squeezing her nipples, she ground down on his other hand against his thigh. A wave of pleasure raced through her body, radiating from and returning to her burning loins. Wait...not yet. Must stop.
With an aggressive kiss, biting his lip, she struggled to lean back. Looking into each other's eyes, they nodded in unison, clearly on the same page. Rachel reached back and quickly removed her strappy black heels, bright nail polish accentuating her dainty toes. Chris lifted his hips, releasing his belt, and undoing the button and zipper of his jeans. He paused briefly as he watched Rachel hook her thumbs into the waistband of her own pants, sliding them down over her wide hips. Noticing his gaze, she let her mouth hang open, breathing heavily, her tongue licking her lips, while slowly sliding the garment lower and lower. The retreating waistband clung to her skin occasionally as it moved over the swell of her hips, then quickly slid down the curve of her rear. Rachel sighed loudly again to draw Chris' attention up to the seductive smile she had adopted to go with her motions. She enjoyed how closely he watched the departing fabric. She could see his mouth practically watering.
Pulling her knees up, she pushed the elastic band and tiny garment the rest of the way down her legs, and used her cute, upturned toes to give it a playful fling off to the side. Her hands slid from her ankles to her shins, over her knees, along her thighs, and gave a squeeze to her own gorgeous hips and derriere as Chris lay still in a trance.
"Mmmhh," she moaned deeply, "see anything you like?" Awakened, he nodded vigorously.
"'Like' is an understatement. Those legs..." he trailed off, returning to the business of removing his jeans, quickly, but fumbling. As he pulled them over his feet, he felt a warm hand touch his waist and grab at his boxers; he drew a sharp breath. Leaning back again he locked eyes with Rachel as she moved without hesitation to remove them. Sliding past his hips, her hand rubbed slowly over his hard member, and the elastic band finally slipped past, allowing it to spring back in its full length. She sighed and gave a light moan while eyeing his very respectable package with obvious desire. He helped her finish pulling off the unwelcome boxers, and they both lay back together, allowing their warm flesh to press against each other. She noticed his tougher skin, the hair on his legs, the firm muscles. He felt the curves of her full breasts, and sharp points of her nipples, press against his chest. This woman was so voluptuous and seductive...
Hands slid around each other's waists as they pressed together more tightly. The warm length of his shaft lay against the thin hair of her soft mound, just barely rubbing against her damp lips. Chris couldn't believe how turned on he felt. The more he ground against her, the more he sensed the increasing dampness between her legs.
Each breathed heavier as their lips returned to one another. Kissing passionately in between sharp breaths, Chris moved one hand low and under Rachel's waist, settling on the wide, sensual curve of her ass, stroking it slowly, squeezing forcefully from time to time. The extra leverage allowed him to press harder against her gyrating hips, now in unison. He felt her warm hands cross his chest and the back of his head, pulling on his short hair to drive their lips together.
Her left leg rose and began to slide up his thigh. His fingers were rubbing along the smooth crack of her ass when her leg began to move, an intense heat radiating against his over-sensitive erection. With her leg raised over his thigh, the thick member slipped down between her legs and against her crotch. In this swift motion came the excited feeling of his twitching head pressing and sliding along Rachel's now glistening folds. The tip pressed just inside as it slid down and came to rest, pulsating between her thighs and against her smooth wetness.
"Mmmmm," moaned Rachel, the brief stimulation eliciting a heavy sigh of satisfaction. As if to savor and control their new position, she lowered her leg again, her strong thighs squeezing his rod against her lips, swelling open more and more. She loved the feeling of his warmth, slippery with her own wetness, stroking along her lips with every slow thrust. He was powerful, but moved slowly and deliberately, allowing them both to enjoy the height of sensation from their organs sliding together.
She reveled in the sharp sting of his fingernails digging into her left ass cheek as he squeezed hard, then dragged upward slowly. She let out a loud moan at the pain, rolling her head back. Her tender throat was seized by his hungry mouth, the strong lips clamping down beneath her chin, and sliding down. The warm tongue caressed the nape of her neck, the tip returning slowly upward, under her jaw, and then back down, gently biting down on her shoulder and collar bone. She could only whimper at these pleasant pains, her own fingers digging into his back with every tremble and shudder. She let out a long breath as her skin flushed at the attention.
"Yes...yessss..." she uttered, absentmindedly, encouraging his exploration. Withdrawing his erection from between her legs, his body shifted downward, and she felt his migrating mouth and tongue. His strong hands moved up her sides, returning to and caressing her breasts - gently cupping them from underneath, then squeezing them fully as he planted kisses down the center of her chest. His left hand held her right breast firmly as his tongue traced a line down the valley between them, then circled around the pattern of his fingers.
One firm areola felt the electricity fire through as the tip of his tongue circled closer. Her entire body shuddered as the strong, warm, rough tongue began flicking back and forth over her hard nipple. She moaned loudly and squirmed in her place. Her hands grasping the back of his neck and shoulders, she brought him ever closer.
Pulled in tight, he lost even more of his willpower to tease and restrain himself. Chris was infatuated with the practice of pleasing this gorgeous and sensual woman, and he needed more. His right hand quickly slipped down to her stomach, then her waist, and then slowly moved his fingertips through her fine hair toward her damp opening. She moaned in approval, having been frustrated by his earlier withdrawal.
To affirm her desire, she tilted her left leg upward again, opening herself to his will. Without hesitation the warm fingers traced straight south, rubbing intensely on either side of his wet prize. Only Chris' middle finger slowly moved back and forth, aiming lower, eventually grazing her upper folds and briefly sending shock waves from her sensitive clitoris outward through her entire body.
"Oh, fuck yes! Yessss!! Unnhhh!" she cried, thrusting her hips forward by instinct alone, wanting more. Still clinging to his slow and deliberate treatment, however, he kept his hand poised over her swollen mound, as just the tip of his middle finger delved softly into her dark, pink lips. Her cry of ecstasy was followed by a sustained moan, increasing in volume as he continued the journey downward. His finger now slid inside just a half inch or so, just barely spreading her wet lips apart and giving her a vague notion of what was to come.
*****
Just as she began to grasp the reality of his probing hand between her legs, she felt his warm breath intensify on her chest, and quickly her right breast disappeared into his mouth. Wide and wet, he took in a great deal, while employing his tongue in short flicking and circular motions over her hardened nipple. The intensity was excruciating. Each set of motions was followed by a firm sensation of sucking, and then more exploratory movements of his fingers down below.
Rachel slid her fingers through his hair, pulling his face to her breasts in pleasure. In response, Chris let his middle finger, moistened by her ever-increasing wetness, to slide deftly between the bottom folds of her lips, inch by inch, sinking completely inside her depths.
"Fuuuuuck! Oh, yes! Oh my god! Unnnhhh!!" She simply could not give a fuck about anything anymore except how she felt, and she was definitely going to ride this out.
"Yes, baby...yeah!" Chris could not help but encourage, her reactions turning him on as much as she was. Returning his mouth to her chest he began to treat her left breast to the same attentions, and let his lips pull on her throbbing nipple. The sharp sting of these gentle bites was quickly followed and soothed by circling strokes of his tongue. All throughout, Chris kept up a steady, circular motion with his finger buried deep within her warm vagina.
Thrusting her hips up and down, she had squirmed onto her back in order to spread her trembling legs wider to him, also freeing her hands. And not a moment too soon; with his left hand fondling her ample bosom, teasing her neck and ears, Chris slowly traced a long, straight line with his tongue - from the bottoms of her breasts, circling across her stomach, stopping occasionally for a wet kiss. Savoring the taste of her skin. Her intoxicating aroma was growing stronger by the minute, and his nose directed his attentions further down.
As the muscular tongue circled her navel before dipping inside, Rachel knew his intentions and could not begin to prepare herself. Quite comfortable with him so far, she still wondered if he would like it. Was she trimmed up enough? Would he mind the taste? Would he even be good at it? Only the low moans of encouragement were the extent of her ability to communicate. She pushed the worries from her mind; exhaling sharply across her waist, sending shivers through her body, Chris advanced lower and closer to his sweet goal.
Her fingers raked his hair as he brought his left hand down low now, focusing solely on Rachel's midsection, The strong finger deep inside her was alternating between sending a few slow strokes in and out, and then pressing upward within her smooth walls, stroking that special place, eliciting constant moans.
His nose now pressed against her waist, his mouth kissing softly over her hips, and his tongue beginning to explore through her light pubic hair. Indeed, she was neatly trimmed, enough to play with and generate excitement, but allowing delicate and thorough access. Her hands unconsciously pulled his face in tightly to her pelvis, pushing lower, desperately wanting to feel it. Now. Please.
For Chris, the scent was now overpowering. With his finger still working absentmindedly inside her, he could see her opening lips, glistening with moisture, and the small, hardened bud of her clit partly exposed, occasionally grazed by his thumb to her cries of ecstasy. He could not wait any longer even if he wanted to. And he did not.
*****
His left hand continued down her hip, over her thigh, under it, and slid under her right cheek, grasping firmly. Gently he withdrew his thumb and middle finger from their activities, much to her whimpering and gyrating protest. His right hand quickly slid under her left cheek, and with near full control over her upward thrusts, as well as her ability to retreat, he finally gave into the heights of her aroused desire and physical pleading. Chris leaned in again, looked up and waited for their eyes to lock, and let his tongue contact and slide down her soft hair. Swaying back and forth, moving continuously downward, breathing deeply, his warm tongue slid over and parted her pink lips.
 "Ooooohh my gooood - yess!! Yes, yes!! That! Mmmm..." Rachel trailed off into nonsensical utterances as the strong, firm tongue spread her lips open and found her stiff clit very quickly. Just a few firm, exploratory licks across it would have to do for now, giving her spasms of almost painful pleasure. The next wave crashed hard as Chris squeezed her full ass in both hands, pulling her up to his hungry mouth, which clamped down wide over her lips completely. She shuddered as she felt a gentle suction pulling her lips in, and his tongue sliding into her folds. Lapping at her reddened lips, now positively dripping with her juices, his tongue paused low - and entered her. No tease, no toying, no playing, just every inch of that wonderful, long, rough, dexterous muscle sliding straight into her red hot pussy, with his warm mouth humming its approval across her lips and clit.
Her vision seemed blurry. This was not the first time she had felt her vagina pleasured orally, but it was in fact the first time it could truly be considered the textbook definition of pleasure. Hell, she was pretty sure this was the definition of getting eaten the fuck out.
"Mm hmmm," moaned Chris, muffled by the soaking lips of her loins. The vibrations drove her insane, and he soon had moved his hands down to her knees in order to raise them up and back. Rachel felt open and vulnerable, and had never felt entirely comfortable this way. But his relentless and passionate attention drove all inhibitions from her mind as she obediently opened wider for him. With her legs wrapped around his head now, the angle allowed him to rhythmically push his tongue all the way in and out of her dripping wet slit. He could not get enough of her sweet and salty flavor. Only a hint of bitter, the aroma was so permeating, and kept his drive on edge. She continued to utter cries and moans of pleasure with every tongue thrust deeper and more powerful than the last.
Chris massaged her buttocks from beneath and slightly withdrew his tongue, tracing upward and along her lips. Rachel shook as the firm tip of his tongue reached her clit again. She convulsed when it jumped back and forth over the nub, and her own hands raced upward to return more attention to her sensitive, aching breasts. He continued to pull upward and push back as he glued his lips to hers, searching for the water of life, and zeroing in on her clit.
Now he struck up a slow and steady rhythm. Several strong strokes back and forth, alternating with gentler ones up and down, lifting the fine folds of flesh to expose and tease that most sensitive bundle of nerves. Then a gentle nibbling and sucking causing her to shriek in ecstasy. Truly unbearable, she could do nothing to stop.
Nor would he let her. His hands gripped her ass tightly, keeping her loins firmly in his mouth. Rachel's chest heaved as she breathed deeply and rapidly, moaning and squealing. Her pulse raced in tempo with Chris' tongue, and her hands massaged her full breasts. Muscular legs bent up in the air and over his shoulders, she felt his tongue licking wildly up and down the length of her vagina, flicking her clit, spreading her lips, and delving wetly inside. She half laughed and half mumbled nonsense at the mixture, and then jumped at the new and unexpected sensation of his strong tongue slipping down past her lips, perineum, and gently brushing across her pink ass. The shock was truly electric. Not so much good or bad at first, but a bolt of lightning, and lasting just as long. She caught her breath as he licked and sucked on her lips as before, keeping her burning, and yet she yearned to know how it might feel if he ventured down again. It was a nervous thought, but she did not have to wait for an answer.
His tongue repeated the dip down below her lips again, though with more deliberate action and attention. The tip passed straight back again, never breaking contact, and then pressed in a gentle but firm circle around her tight, sensitive ass. Her heart nearly exploded out of her chest in a mixture of pleasure and panic. She had never felt anything like this before! Of course the concept existed, she was no prude. In fact, her adventurous roommate had on multiple occasions described in scintillating detail several encounters where she had either performed or received such taboo actions, though Rachel had never really acknowledged it as an option herself.
That view was rapidly changing. Her nerves and apprehension had naturally returned, as she felt very self conscious in this position. But his deliberation and exuberance allowed her to eventually relax and trust that he enjoyed it too. She allowed her legs to open more, and pulled back, vulnerable to Chris' exploration as he proceeded with his lesson. After several return trips to suck gently on her clit, and slide his tongue deep within her drenched pussy, he made another wet pass downward, rotating the firm, pointed tip in small, tight circles as it found her taut ass again. With more than passing attention, he pressed firmly in these circles, causing radiating pulses of pleasure and excitement to shoot through her body.
"Oh, fuck! Whoa... I—oh yes!!" she stammered in disbelief.
"Mm hmmm?" he hummed, encouraged by her reaction.
"How do you...feel...ughh!! So damn good... Ah!!" Her words trailed off to squeals, as her need to communicate was quelled by his probing, muscular tongue. Nerve endings and pleasure centers were exploding between her cheeks where she had never been aware they existed. He continued for what seemed an eternity, opening a new world of sensuality for her, and driving their erotic connection ever closer.
*****
Finally he hummed his own approval at the quality service he had provided, and released his grip. Tongue tracing gently upward again, kisses landing here and there across her lips and thighs. Removing his hands from beneath her firm cheeks, he squeezed and massaged her hips and sides, traveling north to return to a position of full contact. Rachel had opened her eyes by now to revel in the sight of his strong, lean face buried between her legs. She chuckled lightly at his hair which, by her constant stroking, now lay in all directions.
"Ba...by..." Chris shook his head. "I wasn't sure you were going to let me come up for air."
"Um, sorry?" she smiled nervously. "I'll have to admit that I may not have been fully coherent. I mean, fuck...what have you done to me?" Chris lay his body down on hers, running his fingers in her thick hair, and looked straight into her eyes, smiling.
"Only a little of this, little of that," he replied. She sighed as they kissed once more, tongues greeting one another thoroughly. Rachel let her legs fall to the side so that he laid between them. As the solid length of his shaft came to rest against her exceedingly damp lips, she sighed and wrapped her legs around his waist. He moaned at the heat of her slick vagina against his smooth and sensitive penis. Their eyes locked. They gyrated together a little more slowly in such close contact, and the warm tip of Chris' erection slid down to press on and between her lips. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. So beautiful, so warm, so smooth. And dripping wet.
She noticed his eyebrows raise slightly at this most sensitive touch. It was a pause, and a request to proceed. Her body gave a resounding response in the affirmative, and her skin flushed red. Rachel was never one to be fast, and was careful with the messages she sent. But his attentions had been delicate, slow, and measured; responsive, and always with such emphasis and concern for her pleasure. Even the slow and steady rubbing of his head against her entrance, and his nibbling along her neck and shoulder just now, communicated the desire for intense lovemaking; or, at least, extremely passionate and thorough sex.
Yes, she thought, I want this. I want him inside me. I want to feel all of it. I want to give him all of it. See the look in his eyes when my lips surround him like he's never felt before. When I take him. Enough hesitating; though, what had seemed like forever was perhaps a minute. She pulled Chris' head up from his wandering activities on her chest, and brought his gaze squarely to hers. Instead of a nod or a word, she took the poor boy by surprise, taking exactly what she wanted. Given his weight and position over her, she rocked her hips up and back in a swift, fluid motion, with just enough twist to cause his wet and twitching member to spring inside her, followed by several inches of thick, instant penetration.
For Chris, it happened so quickly and unexpectedly that he couldn't even attempt to assert the control he had intended to maintain since the beginning. Her fiery eyes were fiercely locked with his, searching for every tiny reaction—which was immediate and unstoppable. Accustomed to the cool air, every one of the nerves in his pulsating dick began to light up and explode. The lights of his eyes flickered as the rolled back under their lids. The copious lubrication she provided allowed for a smooth and thorough entry, sinking slowly in, but did not counteract the firm and muscular squeeze that her pillowy walls exacted on every square inch of his penis.
Rachel had not broken eye contact with her prey, but even as she took him inside just as she desired, she was not prepared for the intensity and pressure of his presence within, quickly filling her up. She gasped noticeably, and inhaled sharply, her legs instinctively grasping his waist. They arrested the deft penetration and, as though waving through a checkpoint, relaxed open again to allow him to fully enter her. No, she thought, not allow. Encourage. Take. This is mine. Her legs wrapped around his waist again and pulled him closer against her widespread pelvis. His eyes still had not opened, and as she savored the full feeling of accepting every bit of his throbbing cock, she smiled devilishly at the obvious control with which she operated.
This was the look Chris received as his eyes finally joined the world around him, and his face lowered again to look the sensual and irresistible woman in the eyes. She bit her lip, slowly and fiendishly.
"I'm not sure if I'm entirely safe with that look in your eye, honey..."
"Oh, get used to it, you're gonna play by my rules now," she issued. The pair having relaxed a bit with these comments, Rachel rotated her hips up again while simultaneously shoving him down and inside with her powerful legs. He was helpless and they both knew it.
"Ohhh, fuuuuck mee!" Chris groaned.
"Well yeah, that's the idea, big guy. Mmmmm," she moaned with the expansive penetration. "I'm gonna do just that. You're not the only one with talent."
*****
His eyes rolled back again in disbelief and pleasure. What a woman. He was not accustomed to poor sex, by any means, but to be so turned on, so manipulated, told how it was going to be, the concept just—
"On your back. Now." Chris' train of thought was interrupted by the swift motion of one of Rachel's legs leaving his back, planting firmly to his right, and pushing him nearly over. He knelt beside the couch, regaining his balance, and Rachel quickly sat up to swing her legs off the cushions. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head impatiently toward the couch, where she had been laying. Obediently, Chris lay back on the couch, exposed to her hungry eyes and desires. He felt her eyes rake up and down his toned form, sighing, and exploring with her hands. Her expression took on an impish nature—he bit his lip in anticipation. Her fingers found and wrapped around the engorged object of her passion.
"Mmmmmm, ooh," she cooed, nearly seven inches of pulsating manhood filling her hand. "Now that's something I can work with." He moaned in submission to her squeezes, and whatever else she intended. Hesitation vanished; she knelt on the couch and straddled his thighs...then his waist, then his chest. The sight was phenomenal. Her strong legs, tapered shoulders, wide hips, sloping breasts, stiff nipples, and dark pink lips, parted, resting warm and wet against his chest. "Make sure I'm nice and slippery, would you, Chris?" she ordered with a smile.
"Yes, ma'am," he responded quickly, feeling just as obedient as he sounded. He moved his hands up her thighs, stroking her tendons and tracing inside, but was momentarily confused as her knees continued forward beyond reach of his hands. Her sultry eyes had bored into his until his face disappeared beneath her breasts, her stomach, and her hips. The last thing Rachel heard was a faint "oh my god" of realization when her spread loins finally lowered, suspended, over his mouth and tongue. She had other plans, to be sure, but fully intended to explore a good deal of what she could get away with in these moments of seeming authority.
She placed her right hand on the back of the sofa for support, and began to lower her hips. His warm exhalations danced over her glistening folds, and heard him lick his lips in anticipation. The sound made her shudder. Her left hand reached back to slide down his stomach and take a firm hold of his painfully erect cock. He began to moan loudly at her strong grasp, and at that moment she let the weight of her loins down, and set her dripping wet lips squarely over Chris' mouth, muffling his moans of pleasure and excitement. His head squirmed slightly to adjust, but he made no effort to push back or gain space. Instead, Rachel felt his mouth open to take her lips in and let his tongue slide out.
"Holy shit!" she cried out, as her wet folds opened for Chris' advancing tongue. Skillfully, it slid deeper inside than expected, deeper than ever before. He hummed into her dampness, inhaling deeply, breathing in her strong scent. "Uhhhhh..." was all she could muster as she felt a trickle of juices drop down his penetrating tongue. She felt almost helpless as he sucked powerfully on her swollen lips, and expertly flicked his tongue over her hard clit. Goddamn, she thought, I was going to ride the fuck out of him, and now I can't even make myself move. Ugh! It was nearly hopeless. She felt a trembling deep inside, and a wave of warm pleasure began to build. Shit, this is not happening, she thought. But I want it so badly... Fine, fuck it!
Chris disconnected briefly to take a full breath and to mutter something about how hot she was. But she shushed him quickly and found her stride. With a renewed grip on his erect and throbbing dick, Rachel told him to keep going as she ground into his mouth. Sitting fully on his face, rhythmically sliding her crotch forward and back, she rode him hard. Good and rode him.
She found herself on a rising tidal wave, growing in her loins and clearly heading for shore. He moaned, hummed, and licked into her sweet, juicy pussy as she reached out to grab her impending orgasm. At every grind, his tongue flicked and worked over her swollen clit, and at every retreat it plowed through her lips and firmly rubbed her pink asshole.
"Yes! Okay...fuck...don't stop! That's...oh my god. That's it...mmm...give it to me!!" Rachel's utterances were broken but demanding. Her voice wavered slightly in these later phases of sensual desire and need as the tidal wave reached shore and began to break. The tingling built to a crashing sensation, and she held fiercely onto the couch and Chris' cock as she began to shake violently. He kept up his powerful licking as Rachel exploded over his open mouth.
"Hoooolyyyy fuuuuuck!! Ahhhhh...YESSSSS!! Ummmfffhh, yeahhh, fuck meeee!!" She screamed in ecstasy and bore down hard, fucking his mouth hard and fast with her spasming and leaking pussy. Her neck and back arched sharply as she cried out, eyes watering from overwhelming pleasure, her body racked with intensity. Liquid flowed from her red, swollen lips, and trickled into his mouth and down his cheek. Her body shook and shuddered over, and over, and over again, as each crashing wave shattered her nerves. Eventually, the convulsions began to lessen in intensity. She slumped forward breathlessly, her loins lifting slightly from his lips. Her clit was over-stimulated and she could bear no more. FUCK, that was good, she thought to herself...
Rachel shifted back, away from Chris' shoulders, slowly laying her body in line with his. He reached up to her neck, pulling her down and delivering a passionate, wet, flavorful kiss. Full of desire, and laced with her own arousal and juices, it tasted surprisingly good. A flash of jealousy crossed her mind. The satisfied grin on Chris' face, however, was intolerable. Smug bastard. She had no regrets about enjoying a practically life-altering orgasm, but her outward attempt at asserting authority had been substantially derailed in an epic sexual coup. Breathing heavily, and regaining her senses as her body lay across her caressing partner, she wasted little time in resuming her campaign.
*****
Chris was overcome with various feelings of satisfaction and admiration. There was nothing like the feeling of helping to bring off such a powerful, quaking, violent event, and the taste in his mouth was a sweet reward. Plus, it was seriously fucking hot. Her kisses were distracted at first, clearly not 100% present yet, and he loved that.
Rachel had released her controlling grasp on his stiff erection as she returned her body tightly to his. Having caught her breath, she pushed herself up and off his chest slightly, allowing her lips freedom of movement over his. Her soaking crotch rubbed along his firm and gently twitching member, and she began to shift slowly forward and back, mimicking her performance on his face. She felt him harden a little more, and a couple sharp breaths indicated his arousal. She gave points for his sexual character as he gently held, comforted, and caressed her, making no attempt yet to get his own rocks off too quickly, focusing instead on ensuring that she enjoyed and savored her pleasure. He would be rewarded handsomely, she decided.
He felt the damp folds of her steaming pussy sliding along the length of his erection. Chris didn't want to rush or pressure too much, but was relieved that it seemed more action was in store. He sensed the shift in her focus, and as her labored breathing subsided, it was clear she had designs on him. He was excited and extremely turned on; not just from the advancing pressure of her wet sex, but at the general nature of their spicy back and forth. A fun and sexy struggle for naked dominance. And yet it would seem that dominance invariably meant the ability to provide pleasure, albeit with much teasing and delay, to the point of reducing or eliminating the ability of the other to move or react.
Rachel bore down on Chris' thick shaft, rubbing her wet lips deeper along the length. Sliding around both sides, she allowed the tip to repeatedly dip just a little bit inside her. After each of these, she felt the warm rod twitch and pulse beneath her, getting harder...hotter. His breath quickened as she laid her hips down on his stomach, bent her mouth to his ear, breathed deeply, tongued around the lobe and cartilage, and listened for the effects of her actions. In one smooth motion, she slid her body downward along his, and felt him tense up even more as the sensitive tip of his penis slipped inside her lips.
Pausing at every inch of progress, and backing off most of the way, she reintroduced his solid, pulsating cock to her warm and luxurious tunnel of love. He burrowed deeper inside her by grabbing her hips and trying to pull her down. His fingers dug into her ass cheeks, eliciting whimpers, but she immediately reached down, grabbed his wrists, and pressed them firmly over his head against the arm of the couch. She leaned up to make eye contact.
"Uh, uh..." she admonished. "Keep your fucking hands to yourself, dirty boy. My turn." Only a hint of satisfaction in her face diluted the otherwise stern and corrective tone of her command. And with that stern eye contact and the words "my turn", she backed herself down and eased the last few inches of throbbing meat into her hungry slit. 
 "Uhhhh...yesss," she smiled, with half-closed eyes. She struggled to maintain a determined expression to match Chris' heavy gaze. Her depths expanded to what seemed like the limit as she took him fully inside. Truth be told, it required all of her concentration not to cry out in pleasure and extreme physical fulfillment.
Chris could not hide the intense pleasure he felt as his long, hard dick was swallowed up in her tight lips, inch by inch. His attempt to advance the situation being met with forceful restraint, he breathed out a meek "yes, ma'am" once again, and put his hands behind his head. It was impossible not to thrust harder...to push deeper...to grab hold of her. As Rachel slowly began to rise up and gyrate her deep, wet pussy around the base of his cock, he stared hungrily at the taut nipples and wavering breasts in front of him. Throwing him a bone, so to speak, she leaned down a bit in her slow grinding, and pressed her full breasts into his face.
"Go on, hot stuff, lick 'em up. You like sucking on my nice, round tits, don't you?"
"Mm hmm," came the muffled reply from inside her cleavage as she felt alternating sensations of tonguing, sucking, and teeth dragging over her erect nipples. She pushed down to fight back.
"Yeah, you just try to pay attention while I ride the fuck out of you." In a few brief moments of self awareness, Rachel wondered just where in the fuck she had disappeared to, and who this randy sex fiend was that had begun speaking and acting for her. As she humped Chris' loins nice and low, getting good and fucked deep by his always-stiffening cock, she knew that her sex life was changing and that she has a lot on the horizon. His willingness, consistently demonstrated by ever harder sucking and enthusiastic thrusting, told her that at least for some time, this erotic connection was likely to play an important role in her sexual exploration. And if that was the case, she had every intention of discovering and developing her wildest sides.
Chris struggled to keep his hands back as Rachel sat upright on his lap, burying his shaft so fucking deep inside it was unbelievable. She leaned back and tilted her head to the side—he watched her lick her lips and slide one hand up to her breasts, fondling and squeezing them. Her tongue slipped out and licked a pinkish-brown nipple, eyes closing in obvious pleasure, and opening to look straight into his as she continued. Her round ass checks massaged his thighs thoroughly while she ground around on his dick in a clockwise circle, forcing it to bend inside, pressing against every fold and wall of her hungry pussy. They both moaned loudly as the tip bottomed out inside, deep within her.
Chris' hips thrust upward naturally, the pair of bodies working together automatically to achieve the deepest penetration possible. Continuing to massage her own perked up tits, Rachel maintained lustful eye contact with every deep push. Her upright posture provided such an intense angle against her G-spot that she simply worked it back and forth there, rhythmically. The angle also put a great deal of pressure and tightness along the top of Chris' cock, and his thickness contributed greatly to their mutual satisfaction.
There was no mistaking that she owned him now. That dick belonged to her, and she was working it like she would never let go. Still, the deep, quickening thrusts beneath her indicated that he was riding his own wave now—but she had other plans.
"Right there, baby, fuck...just like that!!" he cried out, and she needed no further clue to move to the next step. Right as he begged for her continuation she slid straight up and let his shiny, wet erection slip from her tight, clinging folds with a *smack*. "Ohhh, my god! Please!!" Chris could not help but cry out in disappointment, left on such an edge. She had moved back onto his legs and taking the twitching member in her hands, shooting him a sharp look of disapproval.
"Oh no, I definitely did NOT just hear you speak, let alone complain!" she reprimanded. Chris moaned again and squirmed. As soon as he made eye contact with her again, she held his gaze and bent down, lowering her head to his crotch.
"Shit...oh, shit!" was all he managed to utter in words as she bored into his eyes, and held the base of his long, pulsating cock, pointing straight up toward her opening mouth. She let her tongue drop out, and gave him one last instruction:
"Shut your mouth and come for me."
*****
"Holy fuck, you are unreal!" A stern look in return. "In mean, yes, ma'am, whatever you say!" And with that, she stared him down as her tongue contacted the bright, reddish-purple tip of his throbbing penis. She swirled the end of her tongue around his head, licking up several drops of precum. She felt his moans and squirms throughout his body and marveled at the lack of physical control she was able to produce within him. Putty in my hands, she thought, as she raised her eyebrows at him and then lowered her open lips onto his head, slipping it down just past the ridge, taking a nice, sensitive inch into her mouth.
Chris shuddered. He had never felt so turned on. Never been so encouraged and then denied. Never had he wanted anyone so badly. Never had he wanted to experience anything and everything with someone like he did now. At the shudder, Rachel moved her hands to his chest and slid her lips slowly down his shaft, taking inch after inch into her mouth, just as she had done so sensually with her pussy only moments ago. And, as a side thought, she took into her mouth no small amount of her own arousal, and felt her clit tingle at the sweet taste.
Owing partly to enjoying the taste of her own sex, Rachel lowered further and took as much of Chris' thick cock in her mouth as she could. Her tongue slid beneath it, licking up and down as her mouth surrounded it tightly. Lips closed tightly around the throbbing member several inches down, she sucked firmly inward while slowly retreating up toward the tip. Moans and cries of incredulity encouraged her repeating the motions up and down, taking his shaft deeper into her mouth. Over and over, painfully slowly. Looking into his eyes again, she tilted her head and took almost all of him inside. Too much, of course, but she continued until giving him the sensation of his head touching the back of her throat.
"Fuuuuck! Racheeeeel!! Oh shit!" he cried, trying not to squirm as she worked. She kept him there for only a few moments before her gag reflex forced her to retreat to comfort, playing with his head, running her tongue up and down his warm rod.
"Aw, you want it all, don't you? Sweet, little Chris?"
"Yes, please...all...all of it...want you," he stammered.
"Hmmm," taking him in fully again and then releasing. "I'm having so much fun with my new toy, I just don't know how I want to finish you off. I think I just want to keep edging you along," stroking slowly with her hand, "trying to make up my mind...I'd do anything at this point, you know." She grinned as her tongue played with his tip.
"Oh my god, fuck that..." cried Chris, his swollen cock now painfully stiff, having repeatedly been on the brink of orgasm.
"Aww, fuck what? You disagree? Think you have any say in the matter? Not while I have this..." She trailed off as she slid him into her mouth again. He moaned in pleasure, but couldn't wait any longer. This was sheer cruelty, now. If it was time to play games, then it was definitely his turn to deliver a game-changer. Rachel tongued the firm tip of his dick, enjoying the shivering sensation it gave him. He moaned and begged and began to announce how close he was. She encouraged him stroking his thickness in her wet hands, sucking his head. "Give it to me, baby, that's it, yes..." she growled.
"Oh yeahhhh...you're gonna take it, huh?"
"Mm hmmmm...any way you want, just GIVE it to me."
"Whatever you say, sexy..." he seemed to shrug. Her confidence shifted quickly to confusion as he rolled out from under her. Surely he didn't have the willpower to escape the adept attention of her tight lips and strong tongue, did he? Sitting up a bit, and turning slightly toward him, she was about to ask Chris what he had in mind, when he grabbed her sides and pressed her down and forward again. Her arms folded and her chest lay flat on the couch, her swollen nipples sparked from rubbing the rough fabric.
"Ughhh, what are you up to? I want to finish you!" Rachel moaned, turning her head to the side. Her curved buttocks were quite high in the air now, and she naturally began to lay forward. The strong hands pulled her hips back and up again while the warm, wet object of her desire pressed against her inner thigh.
"Not so fast," he admonished. Her soaking wet crotch felt very exposed and open as she considered what was to happen next. All at once, she felt Chris' hands grab hold of her cheeks, spreading them wide, and his warm breath sent electricity through her loins. Within seconds his lips were fully over hers, and his firm tongue dove deeply into her slick depths once more.
"Oh, fuck! Fuck, yes! What are you...ahhhh...I was...mmm!" Rachel's pointless objections were quickly cut off as the sucking lips and forceful tongue made their way up and down, flicking her throbbing clit, delving into her juicy lips, and then pressing against her tight, pink ass. "Oh my fucking god, eat me! Yesss! Don't stop...unnhhhh!!" She loved getting a good pounding from behind, but to be eaten so deeply, so thoroughly, and so intensely, this exposed position, was nearly unbearable.
"Mmm hmmmm," came another muffled acknowledgement from within her dripping pussy as she worked it back against his mouth. The sounds of his licking and sucking, along with his obvious inability to speak, only intensified the waves of pleasure racking her sensual frame. As she ground back hard against his face, she felt a hot and sudden bolt of pressure between her legs when a slippery fingertip massaged her tight rose in a couple circles before slowly sliding inside about an inch.
"Ooooohhhh my fuck!" she cried. "Ohhh my god. Okay. Easy...damn!" Her breathing was more rapid, with only a mild touch of panic. "Yes...just go slow...mmmm like that." Chris pulled his mouth from the thick lips of her dark pink vagina.
"Mmm yeah, you like that?"
"Yesssss..."she moaned, absentmindedly. "That's...ohhh, hmmmm," sighing as the slick finger moved gently in and out, before sliding nearly all the way inside her. The pressure was intense, it was obviously so tight, but not painful; more of an awkward discomfort at first. But the attentive finger stimulated so many new nerves, lit her on fire, and she couldn't believe what she was feeling; what was so clearly possible. Interestingly, the depth of his exploration helped her relax.
*****
"Oh my god, you're...out of control...just that I haven't...like this...fuck..." and Rachel trailed off again in a series of low moans. She felt the firm length moving slowly in and out, pressing around inside her, awakening her, teaching her. She could only moan her approval as Chris, smiling and leaning in to kiss her tenderly on the lips, pressed all the way in and worked her warm asshole thoroughly. Her body kept alternating between waves of pleasure, electricity, numb tingling, painful excitement, and a building accommodation.
"Yes," she said through the cushion, with her eyes closed softly. "Do me. I want...wanna know this. Mmm."
"Your word," breathed Chris, leaning over her hips and whispering in her ear and slowly withdrawing his finger to her whimpers, "is my command." She gasped as the tip of his penis dipped between her red lips, reminding her of the intense fucking she had recently delivered to him, with his fingertip still in her tight ring. She felt the thick shaft enter her slowly, and only briefly, sliding easily in and out of her dampness. Breathing hard at his penetrations, and the intense pressures, she squeezed and relaxed several times to communicate how satisfied she was, and how much she enjoyed the new experience. As if on cue, her pink lips held tightly to the sides of his shaft as she felt him withdraw, eliciting more whimpers of disappointment.
"Awww, put it back, please don't stop," Rachel objected.
"Don't worry," Chris reassured her. "You'll get all you can handle." With that, the firm head of his dick slipped up between her lips, dripping wet, and against his masterful finger, which finally withdrew completely. In the same instant, she gasped and gripped the cushions of the couch as the slick head pressed against her tight hole, already relaxed somewhat, but squeezing firmly at the new presence. All hesitation and uncertainty had gone out the window; she took on the goal of complete satisfaction, and made only a plea for mercy and gentle treatment.
"Ohhh...never felt this. I've—never done this. It's...hmmmm...so good. Intense. Just—oh!! Go slow...yeah...ahhhhh!" Chris nodding in agreement to her half-closed eyes; he would not have proceeded in any other manner, or without her encouragement, He could see her chest heaving against the couch, one hand holding the cushion, and the other was finding its way to her steaming pussy. Her fingers found her excited clitoris, in need of attention. His hands resting gently on her hips, he leaned forward slightly, and Rachel sustained a long moan as his thick shaft slowly began to ease forward inside her. The intense pressure and sensitive nerves resulted in a nearly disorienting mixture of pleasure and pain.
"OH. My. GOD... Oh my god. Unnnhhh, yessss. Easy...mmm." The nonsensical babble continued, occasionally interrupted by moans and a few squeals at the new and expanding presence within. Chris was almost in a similar state, and had lost all illusion of being in control. Her distracted mind was all that left him in the driver's seat. His long, reddened cock stood hard and pulsing with the head stuck just inside Rachel's tight ring. She could practically feel his heartbeat as the swollen member spread her asshole open little by little, and more of his thick shaft filled her. She breathed deeply and tried to relax, which in turn encouraged Chris. He eased forward, and began a slow and steady rhythm to help smooth things out.
"Mmmm, baby," he breathed, "fuck you are so tight around me...feels so good..." Rachel giggled softly, only slightly more aware of her senses.
"Yeahhh, you like that, sexy? Hmm?" Chris shuddered in agreement, leaning forward and burying his cock almost completely inside her round ass. "Ahhh! Oh! Oh, damn!! Yeah, that's it, oh baby...it's all yours, now...mmmmm." She took on a sultry tone of encouragement, almost daring him to push her. Entirely filled, and sensing the pressure and pleasure in every direction, the tension eased and she could really enjoy the new sensations.
And he might have pushed her, if Chris had been on this planet. Plunged deep within her, he was feeling all the smooth, velvety muscles that squeezed and pulled on his stiff rod. While deep, he maintained the slow, thrusting rhythm that had massaged her open and made them receptive and united in the experience. He savored each withdrawal as his cock pulled almost all the way out, and her tight, round muscle slipped past the ridge of his head, then felt his nerves explode as he drove forward again, sinking every thick, swollen inch of meat deep into her red, hot ass. As such, his pace, along with his pulse, quickened.
"Ooooh yeah, baby, yes. Mmmm, give it to me...so deep, fuck yess!!"
"Unnnhhh, oh yes. You feel so fucking good. You asked for it, and—unhh!—you got it. How do you like—that?" Chris emphasized and punctuated his moans and words with every thrust, plowing into her. By now, Rachel was seeing stars as she got into the rhythm with him. She felt her flexing asshole easing open more naturally to swallow every bit of his penetrations. She pushed back and he sank deeper inside, hard, his balls slapping firmly against her dripping wet lips, and her fingers that were busy stimulating her clit and pussy.
"Holy shit, yes! Oh my god, Chris! Yes!! Unnnhhhh!! Mmm, fuck meee!!, Yeah, fuck that ass!! Oh, baby, you like that tight little ass around your dick? Yeah? Ahhhh!!" Inhibition was nowhere to be found, and the two pounded together furiously together, his long, slick shaft now freely sliding in and out of her sweet, pink asshole. The deep pressure kept ramping up sensations of pleasure she had never felt before—had never thought possible—and combined in a single storm surge with the rapid signaling of another coming orgasm. Chris' dick throbbed and pulsed inside her as the squeezing sensations milked his shaft, bringing him right up to release.
"Oh god damn, Chris...oh honey...yes...I'm gonna...I'm gonna come...it's so...unnhh! Fuck! Give it...give it to me...oh baby, come with me! Oh...baby, please come with meeee!!" Rachel's fingers flew back and forth over her stiff clit and sopping wet pussy lips, rubbing his balls in the process and just barely stroking the base of his pistoning shaft.
"Yes, sexy, yes!! Oh god, I am so there...I'm gonna give it to you, right there. Mmm, yes! Right—there—yes!!"
"Yeeeaaahhhh!! Fuuuuck meeeee!!" she wailed as the wave began to flood her body and crash over her nerves, parts of her feeling electricity and others going through waves of numb tingling. The lightning began to strike back and forth as her body convulsed, all of her muscles clenching tight and her heaving chest gasping for breath as she came hard—so fucking hard—her orgasm feeling more like a roughly defined earthquake; a single event that simply would not end. "C—c—commmminnnnnngg!!" she screamed into the cushion.
"Unnnnhhhhh, fuuuuck!! Yesssss!!" Chris returned, grabbing her convulsing shoulders, leaning forward, and burying his cock completely inside her warm, tight asshole, now spasming and clenching around him as her pleasure raged on. Several huge, throbbing pulses built up quickly and resulted in an eruption in his loins; he held tight, working his thick cock deep inside her writhing ass, as he unloaded, finally, coming with brutal force and intensity.
"Goooooooodd!" she managed to utter, as she felt his trembling cock swell inside her, filling her to the limit, and spasming again and again. In the throes, she could feel jet after jet of hot cum shooting deep inside her tight hole, filling her with a warm, pleasant sensation, and extending her orgasmic tidal wave into a long train of shudders, convulsions, squeals, sighs, and pulses. The violent surges throughout her body, and his rigid cock, began to subside as sticky cum mixed with dripping sweat, and the scent of hot, passionate sex filled the room, overpowering their senses. Bodies stacked on the couch, united, Chris lay on top of her, still moving slowly and rhythmically up and down in short thrusts, deep within. Rachel moaned and continued to rock upward to meet his advances, and their heavy breathing continued for an eternity as their pulsing orgasms finally faded away.
Sweat beaded and dripped from their necks and foreheads. Hands stroked lazily along legs, arms, breasts, thighs. Warm semen slowly trickled from her ass and between his legs. Lips nibbled ears. A chuckle. A squeeze. A sigh. Exhaustion gave way to pleasant touching, caressing, and smiling. Smiles gave way to heavy eyes and relaxed limbs. Sensuality and satisfaction gave way to slumber.
*****
"Tracy! Get out of the goddamn shower! Are you writing a novel in there??" Rachel cracked the door to hurry her roommate along.
"Oh, well look who's finally out of bed! Goodness, I thought maybe you'd died in there," Tracy teased in a sing-song voice.
"And deprive you of my amazing company?" she gasped, feigning surprise. "Of course not!"
"Wanna do me a favor and fuck off? You're letting the cold air in!" Rachel promptly closed the door and leaned against the counter. "Oh sure, just come on in, why not," Tracy teased. "So spill it...how was he?" Rachel's mind began to retrace the night, trying to go to the beginning and not just straight to the juicy bits. She observed the distorted, peach-colored arms and elbows rising up behind the glass door, pulling and manipulating the mass of bright blond hair under the water. Head back, the outline of her chin could be seen pointing upward, and the curve of her neck and long throat stood in profile. Damn, she thought to herself, even through the shower glass she's hot.
 "Oh, you know, he's a charmer, what can I say? It was a great dinner, and ended up shutting the place down. Missed the show though, which sucks." Tracy's shampoo had a pleasant aroma, mixed in with the steam. "Just um, hung out here afterward for a while." The hands and elbows lowered down and swept over her friend's pert, shadowy breasts. In contrast to her own full endowment, the lithe figure in the shower was thin, but well formed. Rachel crossed her legs, leaning back against the counter. She was sore, practically bruised from the night's activities, and this simple shift was enough to rub her swollen lips together slightly.
"Hello-o-o, earth to Rachel! That all? No way you're spaced out that bad from a good night's sleep. Now keep your pants on, and out with it." Rachel considered the many sarcastic responses she would normally have made, but just now, they all seemed a bit too...honest.
"Yeah, yeah... Okay, so it was awesome. I mean, talk about attention."
"Yeah? He seems built, like he could do some damage. Yum."
"Oh, yum is right, you have no idea." A slender leg stepped forward as the blurry hands scrubbed slowly down it. Back and forth. Up and down. Rachel described his oral skills, and the detail he had employed. She felt her mouth hanging open, slightly, and shook her head. The long thigh, the bent knee, the toned calves.
"He did things, Trace, damn. Chalk up some new experiences, for sure." The shadowy hands slid up the other faint leg, disappearing below her hip for a while.
"Things, huh..." Tracy pressed, in a more distracted tone. "Do tell." The outline let its head tilt back a bit, but the extended leg and lowered hands remained unchanged.
"Yeah, new things. And, uh...I liked them." The air was heavy with steam, soap, and freshly scrubbed skin. Rachel's breathing grew deeper as a strange, almost automatic behavior took over. "Do you...do you mind if I get ready for my shower?"
"Of course not. Go for it," came the near-instantaneous reply from behind the clouded glass, still showing an almost motionless silhouette. Rachel uncrossed her legs again, sighing, and untied her pajama pants. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she lifted it up and over in one smooth motion. It dropped to the floor. No bra to remove, the sliding fabric and atmosphere of the close room made her nipples begin to stand on end. Fuck off, she thought, shaking her head again.
"Trace—you remember telling me about your friend from high school? Um, Sarah? The one you said you tried the uh...licking...back there?" She felt a little self conscious calling her friend out, and wasn't used to describing the lascivious acts that had just unfolded.
"Stephanie," breathed the shadowy figure, sighing lightly. The extended leg bent slightly, and the outline of a single hand moved up and grasped the shower door frame, as if for support. "I...definitely remember telling you." Rachel's pants were on the floor, now. She hooked her thumbs in the waist of her panties, breathing harder. This was crazy. Truly insane. And yet perfectly natural and unsurprising. The other shadowy hand remained low, down below the angular hips.
"Well. Turns out that, um...I like it. A lot." Rachel stammered out her admission. She heard mainly silence, causing her a mild apprehension, broken only by a couple of sharp breaths from the glass door. Her hands continued the journey downward, peeling away the thin garment. Perhaps they were damp with humidity, but her nose knew better. In addition to her obvious arousal, some remaining drops of last night's deposit lingered.
"You do," Tracy confirmed. "Well, that's—sigh—that's good, then. I hope it, uh...hope you can, uh..." she trailed off, as she saw the door slowly open to a curvaceous, nude figure in the steam.
Rachel took a deep breath and took a step—no, a leap—inside.
THE END
***
Dear Readers,
Thank you for coming along, I hope you enjoyed the night out...I certainly did. I'm a new author here, so please feel free to comment and/or contact me with your thoughts and suggestions.
Adieu,
JM