The Sweet First Night at the New Place

 The move had gone smoothly, but she felt pressure to get ready for Mercury's arrival.  Her new little cottage, though cute, was incredibly small.  She would spend the next few days into weeks trying to tetris her stuff into place.

It was incredibly bad luck that he happened to be in town the very day she had moved in, but at least she got to see him for a night.  She hadn't seen him in person since Christmas, but they had talked for hours every Sunday on the phone.  She'd talked to him through a small relationship he had, let him see that it wasn't right for him and then he had said he wanted to get together when he was in town.  She asked if he wanted to meet up with lots of people for drinks, but he said he'd only wanted to see her.

Interesting.

She was just putting on the last of her makeup when she heard him walk through the door and yelled out hello.  She gave him a big hug and he asked her if she was okay.  "This is a big hug." 

"I haven't seen you in 10 months, just let me be happy to see you."  They kissed, and it was like not a day had passed.  She let herself feel it, their tendency to cosplay as the perfect couple.  She sank into the safeness of the feeling, knowing he wouldn't shrink from her affections in public or ever make her feel bad about just being into him.

She said they had to leave before she didn't want to anymore.  They went to her favorite bar where her bartender greeted him warmly; "Well look who is back in town!"

They had a few drinks while catching up about the previous week.  He showed her adorable photos of his new nephew playing with a toy he'd purchased for him.  She got a bit more drunk than intended as she hadn't eaten at all yet that day.  When she told him that she hadn't eaten, he'd kissed her and passed his last cherry from his old fashioned to her.  Even though it was a cheap high school move, it made her smile like crazy.

As they made their way back to the car, she suggested they grab a late night slice from the NYC style pizza place.  They were about to close for the night, so they took the slices to go.  He laughed as she encouraged him to go faster as these slices tasted horrible after they got the least bit cold.

After pizza on the couch that was barely put together, they continued to kiss and flirt.  She pointed out to him that her welcome mat stated no shoes, so he took them off.  Then she told him that he couldn't see it, but on the other side it said no pants either.  Eventually they moved into the bedroom.  He asked for oral, something they hadn't done before.  Even though it had previously been her rule, she broke it for him and enjoyed it.  There was some regret after that it wasn't exactly safe with neither of them getting an sti test after their previous partners, but she decided it was a calculated risk.

Around 2am he said he had to go.  She negotiated 5 minutes of snuggling on the couch before he headed out.  She didn't ask him when they would see each other again, she assumed Christmas.  She also sort of assumed that by Christmas he would have found yet another girl that wasn't right for him.  Either way, she was content to just live in this moment and feel this happy for as long as she could. 

Sex Injuries

 It had been a whole pandemic since she had really talked to Nameless.  Every once in awhile she thought maybe he had been in an experiment that wiped his phone so she would reach out to him to catch up.  It was never more than a few exchanges and back to radio silence.

So she was surprised to see a text from him saying he was finally back in town for an experiment at the University and staying at a new hotel.  She flirted with him saying that she'd always wanted to see one of those rooms.

A few days later they were having dinner in the fancy restaurant at his hotel.  It was strange seeing him again after so long, but they quickly dropped right back into their usual back and forth.

Midway through dinner he said "You've changed.  You're sad.  What's going on?"

She joked with him that he just hadn't let her get a word in yet.  Then she said "One of the last times we saw each other was when I was moving in with that guy, KSL.  It was very emotionally abusive, and then the pandemic happened.  I've sort of been through it.  I'll be fine soon enough, I'm moving out.  But it's really been a lot and I haven't really been happy in awhile."

He asked about other relationships, and she told him that since him she'd only had one new sex partner.  He was shocked and told her she needed to get out more.  She laughed and she said "Maybe in-between pandemics I'll try."

They finished up dinner and headed to the hotel bar, which he found to be severely lacking in his favorite drink, whisky.  She smirked and told him to get into her car where she drove him to the new whisky bar.  He walked in and said immediately he was in trouble.  "Why did you bring me here, you are evil." She smiled, told him that she was driving so he could have all the fun he wanted.

He was about $150 into enjoying himself when he decided to strike up a conversation with the couple next to them.  After awhile she realized he was going to keep talking to the guy, so she struck up a conversation with his wife.  She was really enjoying the conversation when she saw he got up to go to the bathroom.  On his way back he passed her and smacked her ass.  Somehow she knew he was going to do that, and she smiled and said goodbye to the wife, as she obviously had to get him back to his hotel.

He was unsteady on his feet walking back to the car, so she looped her arm into his as they crossed the street.  He said he was worried that he'd gone too far drinking and "might not be much fun" once they got back to the hotel.  She said she had faith that even if they didn't end up doing normal things she was still down to spend the night.

He seemed to forget how drunk he was once they got to the room.  It wasn't long before the lights were out and their clothes were all over the room.  He seemed to worship her body in a way no one else had ever done, and she felt and enjoyed their connection while at the same time feeling nostalgia for it.  The way he touched her made her feel electric and desired, an emotion she wasn't ever going to get used to feeling.

It was sure to end at some point, but it had been almost 6 years since their first "date" and it had always felt like this, at least since their first sexual encounter.

After a bit of fooling around and trying some new things between them, he exclaimed he was a little too drunk to continue, but said he would most likely wake her up in the middle of the night and want to go again.

"Say no more" she stated.  He rolled over to go to sleep.  She felt funny sleeping completely naked, but all she was able to find in the dark was his shirt.  She slipped it over her head and fell asleep.

She was actually the one to wake up in the middle of the night and get a little anxious for more.  Snuggling up to his back, she started kissing his neck and biting his earlobes, something she knew for a fact drove him crazy.  He was instantly awake and he was excited he almost forgot the condom.  They were going for it for a second time in a row when he suddenly cried out and rolled off of her.  He exclaimed that he'd blown out his knee.  She asked if there was anything she could do, and she got him some painkillers from his bag and talked him through the pain.  

Once he was okay she laughed a bit.  "You got a sex injury.  Good for you buddy!"

They fell back asleep until her alarm went off to get back home for work.  She got dressed and used the bathroom as quietly as she could, then roused him a tiny bit, careful not to fully wake him up, to say goodbye.

"I'm heading out.  Bye." She dropped a kiss on the top of his head, the only thing really visible from under the covers, and headed out.

A Christmas Treat

 She assumed they would stop talking, drift off and it would just be a beautiful weekend she once shared with him.  He had been very clear about there being enough differences that a relationship would never work out between them.  She had made her own list of reasons, and frequently looked at it after they spoke on the phone, which they did, frequently.  They got along so well despite their age gap and...other issues.

She decided to ask him if he would come up a day early, before Christmas, to spend some time with her.  Since she didn't want an awkward repeat of her room, she'd get a hotel room for them.  He agreed.

The day before Christmas Eve there was a snowstorm.  She'd decided she would keep the room regardless, even if she ended up spending the night alone.  It would be a nice break from her living situation.

As it turned out, it only delayed him a bit.  She knew this might be the last time it ever happened, so she squeezed herself into the one dress that still fit her, grabbed some edibles, whiskey, and a bath bomb and readied the room.  She realized a little too late that he wouldn't be able to get up to the room, so she put on a face mask and went down to the lobby to meet him.

Masks prevented a proper greeting until they got up to the room, where she kissed him right at the doorway.  It was like no time had passed.

He put down his stuff and handed her a box with a red bow.  "I might have overdone it." he said sheepishly.  This was the Christmas gift he was giving her.  She told him she didn't want him to give her anything, but he insisted.  She was a little afraid to open it with the warning he'd given her.  "It isn't something super kinky is it?" she asked.  He laughed and just told her to open it.

It was a very soft stuffed bear.  He had no way of knowing her fondness for Theodore Roosevelt and therefore teddy bears in general, yet here this adorable bear was, with a red bow.  He gestured for her to hold it closer to her face, and she realized that he had just about drowned it in his cologne. "To remember me by." She laughed "you aren't DYING." 

She held it close to her and said "I understand where you were coming from.  It's very sweet.  It's too much.  Don't do this again for someone you aren't serious about and you'll be fine."

They decided to leave for dinner right away, or they'd get stuck in the room with each other being carnal. 

The meal was lovely, the conversation never dragged or stopped.  She offered to drive them to a bar for after dinner drinks, but with the temperatures getting down to freezing they decided to retire back to the room.

There they broke out the whisky and edibles she brought.  She lit the candle, he filled the tub in the room.  He threw in the bath bomb, and she watched him undress and get into the tub.  Eventually he convinced her to join him, and they kept talking as the conversation grew more simple as the whisky and edibles worked their way into their blood stream.

After fooling around in the tub proved to be a bit too much, they dried off and moved to the king sized bed.  It was the largest bed they'd ever shared, and they had sex all over it.  The memory of it was hazy, but parts stuck out in exquisite detail.  She could recall the taste of his lips and how they tasted like an amazing lollipop.  The edibles got her too into her head and she couldn't get into the sex, but enjoyed it anyway.  She remembered them laying there and him telling her that her fingers were really soft.  A tiny but beautiful compliment.

He got the munchies so they went downstairs for a quick bite, then went back upstairs for more edibles and booze.  Of course, more sex as well.  She had told him to buy 3 condoms as she intended to use them all.

She got loopy and knew she wasn't making sense, but also knew that he didn't mind.  She told him about her tattoo idea, and told him she wanted to have it on the side of her thigh.  He was also high but so excited about the idea, and put his hand on her thigh, exactly where she wanted it, and said "You have to get this tattoo."

They fell asleep, woke up, had sex, went back to sleep.  In the morning they walked to the parking garage together and shared one last kiss before parting ways.

"Merry Christmas"

The Weekend Affair, Sunday

A small bit of light was coming into the room.  Morning, almost.  Her last day.  Not even a full day, since she'd said she would be leaving around 3pm.

She felt him stir and reached out to him.  He responded in kind, and before she knew what was happening he'd brought her to an orgasm so great that without meaning to, she fell asleep on his chest.  He had said that he wasn't one to cuddle and sleep, so much later she awoke with a start and apologized. He said it was fine, he had fallen asleep too.  He smiled at her, and her heart both sank and soared.  She's gone too far.  She'd become attached, affected by his mere smile.  It was time to take a big step back.

They got ready and headed out to have breakfast.  It was a sweet little cafe on a hill, and they had a bit of a wait before they got it, but it seemed to pass quickly as they still had not run out of things to talk about.

After breakfast they drove around a bit, walked through a Harry and David and talked about the upcoming holidays and how everyone expected a basket from there usually.  He hadn't started his Christmas shopping yet, but asked if she also wanted a basket.  She smiled a bit thinking of him getting her a present for the holiday, but immediately reigned in her feelings.  "You do not need to do that."

Again, as she shopped and talked herself out of purchases like she'd done at the shop the day before.  She felt him being slightly amused at her, and she allowed herself to enjoy it.

They made their way over afterwards to a winery he'd picked out.  It was rustic and cute, but the conversation had halted somewhat.  They ended up assigning each glass in their wine flight to a male character from My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  They'd settled into an ease.  For her, at least, it felt like there was a finality to it.

They went back to his house and she gathered the rest of her things as he stayed out in the living room talking to his roommate.  She felt a little cold, as if he had already written her off and no longer wanted contact with her.  She thought about asking for one more round but her pride caused her to stop and just get her stuff out to her car.

He insisted on taking her bag out for her, and she mentioned that she might see him at Christmas.  He said "yes, if I can make time." Her heart twisted as she assumed the brush off.  This was it.

He walked her out, and they shared a good by kiss.  She had to force herself to pull back, told him goodbye, and got into her car.

She managed to make it out of the valley and onto the main freeway before tears started down her cheeks.

The Weekend Affair, Saturday

She was very happy to learn that Mercury was ready to go after some recovery time.  They woke up and had sex again.  While basking in some afterglow, she said they should lean in for the weekend, since it would most likely not be happening again.  Just sort of pretend this was a weekend long relationship. 

He made her breakfast, they each had a shower, then they left for walking around downtown.  He parked and they wandered around, grabbing coffee, and looked through record shops, and various other shops.  He seemed to be amused by the fact that she talked herself out of every purchase.  It  got progressively more rainy and cold, and a shop they ducked into had a hoodie that declared "I'm cold" with a mountain range.  He told her that the hoodie color, a slightly muted gem tone green, would go beautifully with her eyes.  She bought it immediately, giddy. 

They walked down to where their Shakespeare festival took place.  It was shuttered and on break, there would be no shows that weekend. He walked her around the vacant buildings, telling her where everything took place, shows he'd seen in previous seasons.  He mentioned that he was planning on buying them tickets to a show, but alas nothing was playing anywhere in town.  She stated at some point she would love to see one, as the place looked like it would be quite festive right before a show.

They stepped into the gift shop where everything was on sale because they were moving locations soon.  He was amused as she walked around, talking herself out of every purchase because she was excited about everything.  Eventually she went to the register with a magnet for herself, and gifts for everyone else.

"You know, we should have a rendezvous." He said.  "Meet back here at the beginning of October next year.  Look at the fall colors, take in a few shows.  Go to the wineries.  Stay at one of the cozy bed and breakfasts down the road." She said that she doubted he would be single and willing by this time next year, but she would be willing to consider it.  The thought was quite romantic, like Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight.  He thought the idea reminded him more of One Day.

They moved the car and walked through the park a bit more, down to the new restaurant at the edge of the park.  They split a giant soft pretzel and enjoyed some cocktails while continuing their epic conversation.  They spent what felt like hours there, swapping stories and just "catching vibes."

Eventually they walked back through the park to the car. He tolerated her taking photos of  leaves and moss.  Then he drove around the neighborhood surrounding the park, checking out the multi-million dollar houses and deer just walking around the lawns.

They ended up back downtown, as his favorite bar had finally opened for business for the night.  They walked past a fountain of bubbly water.  He'd been talking about this all day, how it came from a natural spring and was considered a "delicacy" to the town.  He insisted people loved it and would go by and drink it all the time.

What he neglected to tell her was that there was a lot of sulfur in it.  He delighted in her nose crinkling and laughed when she tried to be nice and say that it was interesting.  It was apparently a trick that locals liked to play on people who hadn't been there before.  He took her hand and led her to his favorite bar for something that would wash the taste out.

The drinks were strong, and they became quite buzzed as they talked and flirted.  He became more loose and happy, and finally agreed to share his quiz results with her.  She gave him props for "finally letting them have fun" together.  What he wanted was something outside of her experience, but she was willing to try. After daring him to fool around with her in the bathroom, which he declined, they headed back to his place.

His roommates were having a bonfire in the backyard, so they sat and drank whisky, talked theatre experiences as the ash fell around them.  She thought they would stay out there for awhile, but he suddenly grabbed her hand and said they were turning in for the night.

The sex was fantastic, switching back and forth for dominance. It was absolutely the best sex they had so far because he seemed so into it.

Even though he wasn't really into snuggling, he opened the window and then invited her into his arms.  She fell asleep unintentionally, and he did as well.  It felt so warm, welcoming, and comfortable that as soon as she woke up, she kicked herself for really falling for him.

The Weekend Affair, Friday Night

She had spent the entire 5 1/2 hour car ride talking herself into having a good time during this trip and not thinking about the fact that she had put on so much weight during the pandemic and it was impossible that he found her attractive.

No, no.  He'd invited her up here for the weekend.  He'd sent her a letter in the mail.  Well, it hadn't exactly gotten to her yet, but he assured her that he had put it in the mail, but it was lost.  It would hilariously show up returned to sender just days after she left.

She had convinced herself to not doom this.  To just live in the moment, not think about the future or what could be past this weekend.  She was determined.  Now to work on the nerves.

It was raining lightly when she parked by his house.  He came out to meet her and they hugged for a long time in the rain.  He looked like he wanted to kiss her but hesitated.  She wasn't bold enough to kiss him, so he grabbed her suitcase and they headed inside.  None of his roommates were around, so they sat for a moment on the couch and talked before heading out to dinner.

He drove her around downtown as the soft rain continued to fall, showing her the small town sights.  Eventually they parked at the restaurant and he made the decision to sit outside.  It was still raining a little bit so they avoided the wet spots and sat at the picnic table looking at the menu on their phones.

She chose a truffle sea-salt chicken breast and a blood orange margarita.  It tasted amazing, it was warm enough under the heat lamp, and they continued to talk.  It was a great conversation, and the rain had dissipated a bit by the time dinner was over, so they took a walk around.

They came across a bar his roommate had told him had a downstairs that was pretty quiet.  They headed inside and down the stairs to find another crowded bar.  Due to the pandemic it made her a little nervous, but they ordered drinks and sat down.  He apologized for the crowd, and she said it's fine, it was intimate, like the Great Gatsby quote.  He looked at her strangely and she said "I like large parties.  They're so intimate.  At small parties there isn't any privacy."  He smiled and her and said that quoting an actual book was pretty attractive.  She blushed a tiny bit.

After a couple of drinks, they decided to go back to his place after another short walk around the area.  It had finally stopped raining, but the air was still crisp and heavy.  It felt like a warm blanket as they walked along arm in arm.

He opened the car door for her and kissed her.  She melted a bit, a little more confident in what was to come for the weekend.

The roommates were home when they got there.  She was introduced to them and they talked for a bit, then he poured them some whiskey to take back to his room.  His roommates were both very nice to her, and were exactly what he had described.

Back in his room, he put on some great music, and they had sex twice before going to sleep.

Situational Candoodling Part Two

After the bar closed they spent an hour talking with the owner and mixologist of the bar, telling all the great stories and having a good time.

Finally they were kicked out and walked around a bit looking for another bar but finding them all closed.  He expressed very much wanting to go back to her place but she was nervous.  Not only had it been a little too long of a time since she'd had sex, but she also had never had what she assumed would be a one night stand.

Eventually they did head back to the apartment, had a drink, and were making out on the couch when KSL came back home.  He made a weak excuse of offering Mercury the couch to sleep on if he wanted to, then retiring to his room.

"Obviously I don't want to lead you on, we are in different locations and although I really like you, I can't really promise this will go anywhere past this night." Mercury said to her, with as much reverence as she'd ever heard when discussing such matters.  She told him she completely understood, and even though she really liked him, there were no expectations on her end except that she wanted to be his friend.

After a few minutes, they went into her room and had some quick sex.  Then they kept talking, until there were only two hours left before he needed to head back and have a full day before going back.  She told him he needed to try to sleep, but he never fell asleep.  She didn't either.

He expressed joy in the fact that he'd finally was able to sleep with a member of his hometown theatre community.  They both had a good laugh about that.  She walked him back to his car and kissed him goodbye.

Three weeks later she found her upstate visiting him for the weekend at his invitation.

Situational Canoodling Part One

Mercury had come to one of The Roommates movie nights back in August.  He and KSL were old friends and Mercury just gone through a breakup.  He had "escaped" back home to get perspective, and seemed like such a sweet guy that she did her best to cheer him up throughout the evening.

Even though they'd just met that night, he seemed different.  She could feel him paying attention even when she was talking to other people.  She could tell he was taking notes in his head, trying to figure her out.  She dismissed it.  He was going through a breakup and needed a weirdo like her to concentrate on, most likely.

At the end of the evening they exchanged social media, and he went back home, which was north about 5 hours. After some time Mercury gave her his number and they texted for awhile, but it seemed to run it's course.

Then he posted that he would be back in town.  Her heart did a flip and then she checked herself.  He was just coming into town, it had nothing to do with her.  But they texted each other at the same time about getting together for a drink on the Friday night that he was in town.

There was a miscommunication and she assumed he had wanted it to be a group hang, so she scrambled to find other people to join them.  Ultimately she was unsuccessful, save for KSL who joined them for a drink before heading to another social gathering.

Once they were alone, she felt the energy change.  He had "turned up" and her empathetic self turned up as well.  She hadn't had fun in so long, or a good conversation in so long, and it was electric.  She was actually happy.  She forgot what it was like, to laugh and enjoy a moment in time.  She allowed herself to get lost in it.

Getting lost in it led to more drinks, dragging out the evening.  The conversation got more flirty, and didn't stop.  Just before midnight, he kissed her.  It was sweet, and soft.  And completely unexpected.

Later, he would tell her that he came in with a plan.  They were going to go for drinks, flirt, walk around downtown, he would make the first move, and it would end at sex at her place.  She admired that he had been a man with a plan, even if it hadn't gone exactly that way.  First of all, he ended up making the first move at the bar.

This was done, he explained, because she had been flirting physically.  How exactly, she asked.  Her body pointed towards him, open, she had a comfort and ease touching and hugging, and had exaggerated gestures while making contact with him.

Meanwhile, she'd just been happy living in the moment.  Who knew that her happiness translated into flirting?  A power she would have to work on harnessing at a later date.

Retired Habits Die Hard

"So what time should I be there for your boss' retirement party?" Mel asked via text.

There had been a miscommunication.  She had sworn he had said that he couldn't come, that he would be busy.  "No, that was earlier this week.  I'm free."

She scrambled and got her plus one back on the same day, and told him it was supposed to be pretty fancy.

He showed up on time, looking great in a suit as always.  His new mountain man look sort of negated his nice suit, but at least he was there.  He had, in fact, showed up for her for once.

"You look so beautiful tonight!" He said upon seeing her.  She blushed, said that it wasn't really her at all.  A friend had done her makeup and her hair, she couldn't take responsibility for any of it.  "Hey, you look beautiful.  Just you."  She smiled at him and they headed inside.

As they sipped their beverages and caught up during cocktail hour, she mentioned to him again that she really liked seeing him in a suit.  He smiled and said "I like getting dressed up and going places with you.  I'm really glad you asked me.  I've missed you."

She knew it was a bad idea at the time, but when speeches were happening, they held hands under the table.  Both of them wished there was coffee, and suddenly after dinner coffee was served and they both basked in the glory of a caffeinated second wind to the night.

The band started up and she decided that was a good time to go to the ladies room.  He followed suit and they met up and went to the bar where he ordered another cocktail, and she just grabbed her water to sip on as they listened to the band.  Her boss was very excited to perform, but she was distracted by all the signals Mel seemed to be throwing her way.

He looked into her eyes and restated: "I've really missed you." His gaze darted from her lips back to her eyes, silently asking permission.  She leaned in for a small chaste kiss.

"You wanna get out of here?"

"Yes"

Mel had recently moved into a new place, and gave her instructions on how to get there.  She ended up following him most of the way, and was surprised in how close it was to her apartment, just down the hill.

His dogs jumped all over her in greeting, and she used his bathroom to change into a more casual outfit than the semi-formal dress she had on.  He had recently been to the spot they went to last Autumn and picked up some apple wine which they tried to enjoy with the dogs climbing on top of them.

They listened to some of his vinyl records since his wifi hadn't been set up yet, and waiting for the dogs to calm down before they resumed their kissing and fooling around.  Once it got a little too hot and heavy and he said he "I really want to take you back there to my bed" that she pulled away.  She had work the next day and had to be going.

And she wasn't about to get disappointed by their lack of sexual chemistry again.  They might be great make out partners, but they would never be any more between them than that.

Sex In A Different Bed

She and Nameless decided to go to the bar at the base of her old building, since it was so close to where he was staying.  She assumed incorrectly that they had a good beer menu, and he decided to order a cocktail when he realized she'd been wrong.

After arguing about Marvel movies, who was the best Batman, Why a movie was a best Batman, the differences between "masculine" and "feminine" and him bullshitting with the bartender, he asked her if she wanted another drink.  She declined, again stating that at some point she was going to need to drive home.  He was again disappointed that she wasn't staying, and she told him with all the last minute she didn't have time to prepare.

He had one last beverage, she enjoyed her water, and then they walked back to the hotel.  The evening had been so wonderfully nice; good food, good conversation, great drinks. He listened to her, respected her opinions, but was able to debate and throw down when need be.  Even though their hang out sessions had been rare, they had finally maintained an ease.  She leaned into his towering 6' 2" frame as they got into the elevator, and he maintained the closeness.  She wasn't used to someone not pulling away, emotionally or physically.

She checked out the view, which was just her old view but closer to the ground.  They were suddenly kissing, the act was so fluid she didn't even remember it starting.  It felt so familiar and warm, as if they had been doing this all along.

Emotionally and physically they both knew where the other one stood.  He would only be in town occasionally, the worry of any sort of relationship was alleviated by the fact that he no longer lived in town.  It was the perfect casual encounter.  He was attentive both before, during, and after.  It was exciting, wonderful, and she felt like her heart was also in a safe place. 

When she said she should be heading home, he again chided her for not packing a bag, then walked her out to the corner where her car was parked.  He gave her a quick kiss goodbye, and she road the high for a long while.  They tried to meet up again the same week but the schedule didn't work out, so she said to just let her know a week beforehand in the future so she could clear her schedule.

Then the radio silence started up again, but she didn't mind at all.

Rekindling

It had been a bear of a week, and she took off work early and texted Piz, wondering if he was in town and wanted to grab a drink.

He was in the library at the university writing a paper, and asked her if they could meet up in an hour.  She said sure and headed home.  As she walked in the door she got a call from Piz saying he couldn't concentrate any more.  When he walked through the door, he was smelly and looked very tired.  He'd been at school working tirelessly and had moved into a trailer with his dad for the last few weeks of school.  "Do you need a shower?" She asked, half joking.  "Yeah, and maybe I could crash on your couch tonight."

They had trouble deciding what they wanted to do, so he headed over to her apartment where they talked for awhile before deciding on the local bar at the base of her building for the cheap drinks and apps.

She talked about how her grapefruit beer and avocado fries combo was a favorite of her and 21's, but with him being in England she never got to get it.  When they were out last week they had an amazing conversation where she called him a coward and he told her she never took any risks.  They survived that, and it was so nice to be with him again.  After a few more stories and a second beer for him, they decided to go to the Speakeasy they had attempted to go to a couple of weeks ago.

They were a little disappointed that they didn't ask for the password, they just walked right in.  Piz mentioned the password to the bartender, as it was a drink he had quite a bit when he was stationed in Brasil for awhile.  The bartender was obsessed with flavor profiles, and pointed out that they had meatballs for customers as well by the bar.  They each had a couple and agreed they were great, although the drinks were so strong that she could barely taste them anyway.

The BBQ meatball seemed to invigorate him, and he perked up for the first time all night.  She couldn't help but keep smiling at him, he was such an adorable child when things made him happy, it was infectious.

He noticed her smiling and asked "What?"

Her smile lowered a little bit, and she said "I'm just going to miss you when you leave.  I know you won't be coming back."

He looked at her, and she held his gaze.  "You were just an important part of my life, and now it's over."

"I know I've said this before, but your eyes are so pretty.  I could stare into them forever."

She melted.  The spark was still there between them.  She wasn't sure if it had always been that way or not.

They walked across the skyway back to her apartment.  She grabbed for his hand to lead him inside, and they stopped by the saunas for a minute and talked about going in but couldn't reach a decision.

"I don't know Penny...what do you want to do?"

She looked him, and said "I want to go upstairs.  What do you want to do?"

He searched her eyes, then leaned down to kiss her before answering.

"I want to fuck your brains out."

Free Weekend Part 2

"Let's go walk back to the other bar." JJ suggested.  Even though it was pretty cold, she decided a quick walk wouldn't hurt.

Less than 10 feet from the bar she regretted her decision.  Though he was only wearing one thin white t-shirt, JJ took off his jacket and put it around her.  She tried not to accept it, but he insisted he ran hot anyway.

A few steps later, she was suddenly flat on her back on the ground.  Her glasses were off of her face and she had no idea what happened.  JJ was helping her up, and she was reaching for her specs and relieved to find them unharmed.

"I was literally turning around to tell you about the black ice on the ground.  Are you okay?"

She took inventory and realized she'd put out the heel of her left hand down to catch herself, and all of her weight had come down on it.  It was already starting to swell.  They got back to the bar and she ordered a drink strictly to put on her hand.

She told the bartender about her fall, and he kissed her palm better.

"Who is this guy?  And what happened to your other friends?" The bartender asked.

"He's my friend!  The other ones went home.  I'm not allowed to have friends now?"

He smirked and shook his head.

She and JJ continued to drink and play arcade games, and sat around kissing for a little bit before her hand swelled up more and she felt she had to drive home while she still could. 

"I have to go home.  My hand hurts so bad."  The bartender's cute smile turned downward, and he extended his hand to her good hand to hoist her upper body over the bar, and he tapped his cheek for a kiss...and turned in at the last moment.  She laughed at him, knowing he was just doing it because JJ was standing right there.

She drove JJ back to his car, and his kiss seemed slightly more urgent than the last.  She laughed to herself...looks like her bartender friend had his desired effect. 

Free Weekend Part 1

"I know it's sort of late notice, but if you and AB are free, let's go to the arcade bar tonight!"  She also texted JJ, thinking that there was no way he was going to respond.

It was Saturday night, and she was finally out of enough depression to want to see the people that she really cared about.  Banana was mysteriously missing from her place at the bar, wooing a potential new partner elsewhere.

The group of introverts soon grew overwhelmed by the din of the games mixed with the growing crowd and decided to walk over to the other bar for some quiet conversation.  They talked about the poor crowds in the new BFF's new theatre space, how things weren't going well over there.  They thought she knew about it because of Banana's involvement, but in reality she and Banana talked more about interpersonal relationships than actual business. 

JJ was getting tired, starting to yawn, when JJ walked in.

"Just to let you know, I was just saying we were about to take off, so it has nothing to do with your arrival."  PJ said to JJ.

She and JJ decided to stay at the bar, and said goodbye to AB and PJ.  After a couple of drinks they made their way upstairs, mostly because there were comfy couches where she'd made out with two other guys before.  She thought maybe JJ found that to be a challenge, because she'd mentioned it earlier. 

Soon they were chatting and making out occasionally upstairs.  They had the chat they always had, about how he was incapable of a real relationship, how bad he was at communication, and the potential for a threesome between them and Mel.

"You wouldn't have done it!" He teased.

"I don't know, I was drunk enough.  But you missed your window, I got tired."

"Well, next time I'll ply you with booze and some protein bars."

After some more making out he said "Your laugh is always tinged with sarcasm.  I never know if you are laughing because you are amused or you are laughing AT me."

She answered him by kissing him and laughing ambiguously.  He was too emotionally needy to be satisfied by her. 

Valentine's Day

Both she and Mel had to work late on Valentine's day, and he accidentally made reservations for a time when they both were not going to be off work yet. 

As a last minute surprise he got a room at the hotel they had spent time in before, and brought her a large bouquet of white roses.  "I know you kinda think Valentine's Day is stupid, and that you think stuff is stupid...but this is the one day of the year where I have to do it.  I had to get you these, I wanted to."

She kissed him, and they went downstairs to check out what restaurants were still open.  They watched the Olympics at a fake Mexican Cantina and marveled at all the tequila on the walls.  He was trying to take a break from alcohol and she was drinking water in solidarity.

They went back up to the room and debated going to the closing night of a local bar, but then got involved in a late 90's movie on TV while looking for the Olympics.  It was a long movie, and towards the end they ended up fooling around.  She stopped him as he reached for her underwear, and he continued to protest.  She reminded him that he had a very easy task ahead of him, just a small test before she was going to let him go further.

"I'll go on Tuesday."

He'd said that before, so she didn't really pay it any mind.

On Thursday he sent her a text; "I peed in a cup then got stabbed."

She texted "I'm proud of you."

He responded "Now I'm off to Planned Parenthood."

She laughed out loud, then got a little nervous.

Stewed

"I was in a bad relationship, and I thought I found someone who put up with my ranting and craziness and laughed at my jokes.  So I kissed that person.  And I got scared."

It had been almost two years.  It was like the storm had finally passed through the town of her soul, and a quiet had finally come over, like after a great snowfall.

She wanted to say to him that he did find that person.  She was glad that he had been there to listen to her and help her through one of the hardest moments of her life.  She did find his rantings and craziness amusing, and wholeheartedly laughed at his jokes.  She still did.

But she hesitated.  She didn't want to tell him all that.  He would take it as a come on, as a want on her part to be with him, and that wasn't what she wanted to say.  That wasn't important or relevant at this moment in time.

So she stayed silent, and he fell silent as well.  She had her answer.  He got scared.  So many things fell into place from the past, and she finally felt like she could move on.  Move forward, not be stuck wondering why.  She finally had understanding, and closure.

It wasn't until a few weeks later she suddenly realized how it all must have felt from his side.  He followed his emotions and felt something for her, and kissed her.  Then she freaked out the next day.  was in her head, figuring out how to end her relationship.  So he tried to backtrack, to make her feel better.  Told her the kiss didn't mean anything, which ended up upsetting her further.

It was even more doomed from the start than she realized.  She still didn't regret a minute of what happened, and still cared for him deeply.  But she knew she cared for him far more than he cared for himself, and that wasn't likely to change anytime soon.

They did end up getting a little physical that night, but ultimately she stuck to her rule and they didn't have sex.

Back From the Burn

"Sushi date tonight?" came the text from Mel.  He was back earlier than she anticipated, and she was embarrassed to admit she'd missed him.  She wasn't sure if it was going to be weird after so much time together.  Maybe he'd met someone at Burning Man.  Had sex with them.  Was no longer interested in her.

It was possible.

He was waiting to pick her up in the back alley again, leaned up against his second vehicle.  It bumped around like the back wheel was about to fall off at any moment.  She laughed as they went around the corner to hop on the freeway.

They were waiting at a stoplight and the car in front of them suddenly put their car in reverse and back into them.  He got out of the car and yelled a little too loudly and the lady who was clearly not from the country.  She had a strong accent and didn't seem to understand what the problem was.  It was a weird interaction but eventually they were back on their way and he seemed to cheer up.

He was full of Burning Man stories, from this year and year's past.  He seemed tired but happy. Everything felt like it was on the right track again with them, and she smiled at him over wasabi and other amazing and spicy fish.

They were too tired to see a movie, again.  It didn't matter, they were both okay with how much time they'd spent together.  He was still decompressing and tired, and she forgave him.  The kiss was still just as passionate as the first time, and she looked forward to the future.

The Trouble With Mimosas

He looked like a scruffy Theo Huxtable, and they had been writing novellas to each other on the dating site.  Their compatibility was only 35%, but the way they could write back and forth was promising.  She figured that the guy tried hard enough, she might as well meet up with him and give him a chance.

For the first date, he decided on a breakfast buffet with bottomless mimosas.  In fact, he was so eager that he already had their second and third date planned before the first one came up.

She felt his eyes on her body as soon as she walked up, and it made her self-conscious.  Even when she was stick-thin she didn't think her body was anything to write home about.  She felt herself being reminded of Piz and how desired he had made her feel.  So far, this wasn't quite the same.

As the breakfast wore on they kept talking, he kept flirting.  He mentioned that he was wearing some satin PJs one night, and she challenged him to wear them on their first date.  He said he'd only wear them if she came in a tank top and leggings, which is what she was wearing in the sexy dream he had about her.

They loaded up on mimosas, and only had one plate of food each.  Their conversation never experienced pause, and eventually they ended up holding hands over the table.   As an ENFP he put her completely at ease.  His need for words of affirmation were a little overwhelming for her, but she found herself feeling so comfortable with him.

They ended up sharing their first kiss at the table.  His lips were full and sweet, and he was, as promised, a good kisser.

A haze filled swirl of booze and sexual chemistry later, and they ended up in her bed.  They ended up going much further than she ever intended, she wasn't sure what had come over her.  He was just so sweet, comfortable, and just the right amount of teasing.  She couldn't get over how fast it all had gone.

12 hours after the date had started, they had shared a late dinner and she drove him home.  He had already planned out their next two dates.

Goodbye Breakfast Dates

Mel didn't want to leave for 10 days not seeing her, so he asked to take her to breakfast the morning before he left.

He'd worked a graveyard shift and was blurry eyed when he texted that he was at the base of her building.  His sunglasses covered half his face, and he was leaning casually against the side of his car.

He apologized for the traffic that had made him late, and she leaned into him and reached up for a kiss.  It was sweet and playful, and any anger he might have had towards the traffic melted away.

The conversation was fun and easy as always.  She was always worried they were a few sentences away from not having anything to say to each other anymore, but something interesting always came up.  She would always laugh and tell him when he did something stupid, but how cute he was.

She realized he had never taken any of her quizzes and how crazy that seemed.  She made a mental note to have him take it when he got back.

He pulled up across the street from her work and parked the car.  He sweetly reached for her and kissed her gently, then more intensely.  It floored her how sexually charged they were when she hadn't given him a second thought a couple of months ago.  She told him to have an amazing time.

She sent him a message that she was already missing him.  He sent back "Awwwww, I'm gonna miss you too."

Loveish Triangles

It was 9PM when she got dropped off from drinks with a friend.  Still tipsy she entered her apartment as her phone went off.

"What are you up to?"  text from JJ.  "Nothing just got home from a couple of drinks."

"Want to go to a house party?  I'm just getting out of the show and they are all going."  He asked.

"Ummmm, well I'm still a little drunk so you'd have to come pick me up." She said, figuring that would be the end of it, and she sat down on her couch.

"I'll be there in five."

Crap.

She brushed her teeth and came downstairs.  As she walked out the front door and looked for him, she spotted him outside of his car on his phone.  He looked up and smiled his adorable schoolboy grin and opened the door for her.  She made a comment that she knew how to get into a car and he stopped her saying that it was the gentlemanly thing to do.

He promised a friend fries so they went to a drive through that took a long time to get through.  While they were waiting he brought up how he didn't like the fact that he was talked about as being a fuckboy on her podcast, anonymously of course.

"Explain it to me.  How are you not a player, a Casanova?" She smirked at him.

"I enjoy the company of people, in general.  I think they are interesting, and I like getting to know them.  Women just aren't used to being treated right."

"You can say that again.  There's a whole stand-up about it.  I'm not used to it at all.  There's a thin line between being yourself, your own person, not needing anyone else...and letting someone do things for you."

"Just accept it.  You deserve to be treated well...just let it happen."

Still, in her mind, she resisted.  She could hold doors for herself.  Getting her own drink was fine.  And yet, her main love language was and is Acts of Service...why wouldn't she let herself accept the love she should feel she deserved?

When they arrived at the party she got up to get a drink and JJ stopped her and asked what she wanted.  She said that she just wanted some water but she could get it herself.  He said he was getting it, and they both said at the exact same time: "We just talked about this."

She sighed and sat down, allowing him to grab her cup of water with tons of ice.  It was going to be a hard road to just let him be a gentleman.

She managed to let it ride the whole night.  He got her water, flitted around talking to everyone but always came back to her.  She was on her phone and he asked who she was talking to, and she said Banana was out downtown with some of her drunk high school friends.

"We could go there."

So they said goodbye to all the remaining people and got back into his truck.  Making their way back downtown, they talked more about him not wanting to ever be tied down to one person, actually be in a relationship.  He said he'd never want to be in one, and sex just wasn't all that important to him.  She smiled as Mel had told her a slightly different version of the story, but she firmly put it into the "not her business" category in her mind.

They got to the bar and realized Banana's friends were beyond wasted.  She was trying to get them all to go to the next bar, but it was like herding cats.  She and JJ followed them around for awhile, holding hands and he made fun of her hand holding.  "You don't interlace the fingers, you hold hands like mittens?  My thumb goes on top!" She laughed and they walked until they had round up all of Banana's friends and moved to the next spot.

They spent some time with Banana at the bar, until one of her friends made an insensitive joke.  JJ took a minute and stepped outside because he was angry at the joke.  She brushed it off because not only was the joke not funny, but he was too drunk to know what he was talking about.  JJ came back in and ordered a water, drained it quickly, and then put his hand on her knee.  He played with the fabric on her dress until he had moved it aside and caressed her bare knee.  Suddenly, he squeezed it playfully to get her attention.

"Ready to go?"

It was around 3:45 in the morning, so she figured it was time.  They had raged hard enough, even though she felt perfectly sober.

He held open the door of his truck for her, and they breezed along the half mile to her apartment.  He hopped out of the car, opened her door for her, and grabbed her hand again as he walked her to the front door of the building.

He reached out and kissed her, and they made out for a little while.  She was glad to have the redemption of another round of kissing where she wasn't sloppy drunk, but she found his kisses to be...not as bold as she would've liked.  Still, it was pleasant to have a guy who wanted to kiss her, even if it wasn't ever going to go anywhere.

She was smiling as she went upstairs, got on her PJs, and put her head hit the pillow.

Then her phone rang.  It was the intercom system for the building.

It was 5AM.

She hesitated, then answered.

Chill 3rd Date

The maybe romance had been whirlwind.  Already on their third date, he said he felt like they should go on a normal one and get dinner and a movie.

They decided on a pizza place next to the theatre and got to talking about his upcoming trip.  His eyes got excited as he talked about it, and how he'd love to take his kids someday.  A little piece of her twinged, knowing that they'd never really end up long hauling it because she was pretty much past child bearing age at this point.

They missed the movie again, and he said he could just take her home or they could go out for a drink.  She said she was down for either one, but sensed he just wanted to go home.  Instead, they stopped at one of her favorite bars to get a drink.

They sat outside and amused themselves by watching the drunk people walking by.  After one drink he said he would take her home.

In the car, he confessed he started not feeling well in the middle of dinner.

"Oh my gosh, why didn't you just tell me so that you could've just taken me home?  I feel bad!"

He grinned shyly and said, "I wanted to spend more time with you."

She blushed.  "You are so cute."

"I'm just gonna stop in the alley way and give you a quick kiss goodnight, is that okay?" He asked.

It was.

Later on she realized it was the last time she'd see him for a couple of weeks.  She got a little sad.