“Well, not personally. You know the night I told you those guys got after me in the bar?”
“Yes,” I lean back so I can look at him.
“He was the one who punched me. He also remembered me from high school, so he had double reason to be mad at me, and now I guess I’ve given him a third one.” He puts his arm around me.
“Oh no, were you at Rascal’s?”
“Yeah, how’d you know that?”
“That’s where they hang out. My dad was probably there and saw the whole thing.”
We walk from the cab to his apartment holding hands and get into the elevator. Neither of us say anything and I can’t help but smile a little at how awkward it still is between us. His hand skims my back slowly when we ease to a stop and the doors open up letting us exit. I’m entering his territory. His space and I’m ready for this. I want this and as he pushes me gently against the wall beside his door, he fumbles for his keys. A vibration bleats between us as we stand my right side to his pocket and my hip, not near enough my center to tease me, but I think the dark thoughts waiting, no, anticipating his next move like a chess player.
“Damn.” He reaches for his phone, fingers grazing me and I whimper waiting. Always waiting it seems.
“Who is it?” I breathlessly mumble as I toy with a curl of my loose and frizzier by the minute hair.
“Unknown number.” He frowns and I feel myself pursing my lips in a pout. Denied again it seems. It’s almost laughable because this time it isn’t me putting things off. Charlie opens the door and guides me inside. I don’t get to speak before he’s checking the phone and lost in his own thoughts.
“Make yourself at home, I need to take this phone call.” Charlie kisses me on the forehead and walks purposefully toward what I assume is his study. His apartment, if one could call it that is huge. Enormous. Ridiculously so. Much bigger than my place and all done in tastefully rich decor that screams designer hands. Hands that make me jealous though there isn’t a single feminine touch to the apartment. It’s full-on bachelor pad. It’s all dark masculine wood and chrome finishes on all the surfaces followed by leather sectionals and heavy linen curtains that open just enough to let the view and twinkling stars peek through.
“Sounds great,” I mumble dropping my purse on the side table at the door and inching my way into his domain. I slip my shoes off and walk under the threshold barefoot. My toes curl on the bare floor. Nerves fray my senses like electrical impulses and I’m drawn to follow Char
lie. I can hear muffles of his voice beyond the hallway and watch him pace inside his study raking a hand through his somewhat spiky dark hair. His fingers pull as if he’s annoyed and I figure it must have something to do with work or his dad. I don’t know and for some reason it makes my stomach clench. My hand floats down to cover my belly to steady the butterflies swirling inside.
“Ada, why don’t you pick a movie or something?” Charlie peeks his head out from the study smiling and nodding toward a remote on the coffee table. I think about the rest of the evening and how to move things along naturally without coming off as obviously innocent or too slutty. Is there ever a natural halfway point? Maybe he’s trying to distract me from everything that happened tonight. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just wonder what’s so important it pulled him away from me.
“Sure,” I say.
He winks and pulls the door shut blocking me out. I hear him say, “No George, and stop suggesting it.”
I casually saunter absorbing my surroundings. I wonder who George is, I can’t help myself. My fingers touch the cool surface of the bar top counter and then move toward the imposing leather sectional. I plop down and sink into butter-soft leather that caresses the back of my bare thighs under my dress.
I hoped Charlie would have admired it earlier seeing as how the color makes my eyes pop, but he seemed intent on dinner and drinks making me think sex was off the table. It should have been after my last episode. I was surprised wanted to be around me alone again after my freak out and hiding in the bathroom. Well done, Ada.
I pick up the remote and turn the television on figuring I can scan for the nightly news or the weather channel. What I don’t expect is to see a full-frontal porno taking up the entire flat screen television. Gasping I look around and Charlie is still behind closed doors. The scene is graphic but also fascinating. I find I can’t tear my eyes away.
I turn toward his office again waiting to get caught and nothing. Back on the screen, there’s a man fully erect and a woman with pebbled nipples and hair as dark as mine. It’s erotic and sweet the way he traces his lips down her neck leaving wet kisses and down her belly to lick her. I swallow back my own arousal and lean into the couch. I’ll give it a minute, maybe less before I shut it off and Charlie catches me. Now that would be embarrassing.
I watch the man who has pushed her back on the bed and spread her legs wide. The camera angle leaves nothing hidden and his mouth works her over as she writhes on the bed. I think about my last encounter with Charlie if only I hadn’t been a freak if only I tamped my nerves down enough to let him continue. We could have been past this awkwardness by now. My legs feel warm on the couch and I rub my thighs together. I’m wet and achy and if I touch myself now it’ll only get worse.
When the man has his hands cupping her breasts and squeezing them I feel a hand snake down my collarbone to cup my breasts. I don’t scream when I recognize its Charlie.
“Oh, Charlie.” I moan letting his hands slip under the top of my dress to pinch my nipples over my lace bra. My eyes flutter shut feeling instead of seeing. It’s exquisite and exactly what the man on screen is doing except his partner is naked. I want to be naked too. That is a surprising thought.
“Caught you, Addy.” He leans forward to suck on my neck as one hand slips farther cupping my mounds while the other moves down to slip a finger under my panties spreading the slick juices between my legs. Now I am embarrassed the porn turned me on and it’s obvious.
I clear my throat. “Watch a lot of porn, do you?”
His teeth graze my ear until tears prick my eyes from the sting. “Only when some certain brunette leaves me hanging.”
“I…” I don’t have an answer or a good reason for why I freaked out like a teenager. I’m a virgin, but I’m a woman all the same.
“Come on, I think we can do better than my couch sweetheart.” His hands leave me just as quickly as they found me and I find myself following him like an emotional drunkard on unsteady legs craving my next drink.
He gives me a hand and we stumble rush into his darkened bedroom. We don’t bother with turning the lights on and I’m fine with that. I’ll check out his room later.
“Charlie, I need to-” I don’t get to finish because he’s pulled me in close and then he’s pulling my dress off in one swift motion so smooth I almost don’t even miss it.