A Little More Wine

"Hey, what are you doing Friday night?"

It was a text from my friend Jack. I was happy to hear from him. He'd been busy lately so we hadn't seen much of each other; he had a lot going on with the final workings of a divorce that had dragged out well over a year. His two small daughters took up a lot of his spare time, and rightly so. The divorce was far from amicable, and he had custody almost every full weekend.

I was surprised at his question, though. He and I had hung out a handful of times over the past few months, but mostly it was lunch or a weeknight movie. A Friday night suggestion was new. That meant it was one of his few free weekend nights. I felt a little flattered.

"No plans. What did you have in mind?"

He suggested coming over to my house to cook dinner, and offered to bring a bottle of wine. That was even more surprising. Jack and I were just friends. Had been for 7 or 8 years. In fact, we'd first met because his older sister is one of my best friends. I'd encountered Jack and his soon to be ex, Crystal, years ago when they were newlyweds. Jack and I instantly clicked, but only enjoyed a little witty repartee, appreciating how well we got along. It didn't seem appropriate for us to hang out alone since he was married and I was single, so our interactions were based on seeing each other a few times a year at various gatherings.

Which is why his suggestion of wine and dinner at my house took me by surprise. "Has he been out of the dating loop so long he has no idea what that implies?" I thought. Figuring que sera sera, I agreed that he should come over. He responded enthusiastically and said he'd be over at 6pm on Friday night.

***

"What do you think he meant?" I asked Cora over the phone that evening. "Do you think he's just naive?"

"Are your legs waxed?" she asked. "Are they?"

"Jesus, easy! No, I'm due for a bikini and full leg wax on Saturday, actually."

"Oh my God, what if he makes a move?"

"Well, unlikely as that is, then I guess he'd have to deal with a less-than-perfect woman," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I really think he's just clueless."

"Isn't this the guy who used to tell his sister that he wished you were a dude so you could hang out without it being weird?"

I laughed. "Yeah, and when I dyed my hair black and cut bangs, he told his wife I was a 'babe'. He has a problem with boundaries."

"No kidding. But he's cute, right?" Now I blushed.

"Um, yeah, he's really good looking. And tall." I paused and pictured Jack's curling brown hair and wide smile. I did like his height, 6'1, not too tall, but enough that I felt petite beside him. God, did I have a crush on him?

"YOU LIKE HIM!" Cora shouted, as if reading my mind through my pause.

"Well, who wouldn't?" I said, imagining my blush deepening and burning through the phone. "He's accomplished, smart, funny as hell and, well...hot. But," I took a deep breath, "he's made it really clear that he's just looking for a friend right now. And that's cool. He's not even divorced yet. And if he doesn't like me that way, I'm fine with it. Can't hurt to have a fun guy friend, right?"

"Leah, you're 33. Enough guy friends!"

"I can't force someone to like me, Cora."

"You need to start dating again. You broke up with Leon nearly 2 years ago!"

I cringed at his name. "Why does everything come back to Leon with you?"

"Because you haven't had more than two dates with the same guy since then." I snorted.

"Can I help it that only basement dwellers with mommy issues are attracted to me?"

"No point shifting the focus!" she said. "Get yourself waxed and be sure to exfoliate."

"For Christ's sake!" This was getting out of hand. "It's just a goddamn dinner with a friend," I grumbled. "Can you please let up?"

She huffed. "Fine. Sorry. But text me during. I want details!"

***

The next evening I raced home after work and tidied the house. Then I tidied myself. I didn't bother to switch my waxing appointment despite Cora's suggestion. There was no point. But even though I knew Jack was wasn't interested in me that way, I figured it couldn't hurt to make sure I felt and looked good in the company of an attractive man.

I redid my makeup, making sure to apply extra eyeliner. Then I dressed in leggings and a long, striped t-shirt that hugged my curves and exposed some cleavage, but felt comfortable and looked casual. I stood in front of the full length mirror and examined my reflection. I wasn't trim by any means. Hips, boobs and a full ass. Quite a few extra pounds for sure. But I knew I was sexy. I ran my hands up and down my body, enjoying the feel of my curves under the soft fabric. As my fingers grazed the tips of my breasts, a tiny twinge shot down to my groin. I bit my lip and found myself imagining Jack pressing me up against the wall, his face buried in my neck, his knee pressed between my legs and his hands sliding up under my shirt, fingers working my skin, moving slowly across my stomach to graze the undersides of my breasts. I imagined feeling the muscles in his back, pulling him into me further and the heat between our bodies causing us to gasp as the hardness of his...

"FOCUS!" I said out loud. I shook my head and came back to reality. As I moved toward my bedroom door I realized that brief fantasy left me slightly wet. I exhaled slowly and went downstairs to the kitchen. If I didn't keep my thoughts in check I wouldn't be ready when he arrived.

At 6:02pm the doorbell rang. A nervous panic went through me and I wondered again why I was reacting this way. Sure, Jack was handsome and fun, but he was my friend's brother. And still technically married!

"Easy," I told myself. "Just have fun and be yourself." Easier said than done, mocked my insecurities. Taking a deep breath, I went to the door. Jack stood there in jeans and a polo shirt, holding a bottle of wine and a bag of groceries. I felt myself turn red, felt the heat in my face and in my groin as he smiled at me.

"Hey Leah!" I smiled back and let him inside. My brain was running a steady track of "omigod omigod omigod". Seeing him at the door confirmed it: I had never thought of Jack as anything other than a friend, but now that the thought, however unrealistic, of something more was there, I fully acknowledged that I was seriously attracted to him.

"I brought some stuff over so we could make dinner." He busied himself taking groceries out of the bag. "Pasta? Salad?" As he laid the ingredients out on the table, I studied the way the jeans hung on his hips and how he'd let his hair grow. He usually cropped his light brown curls in a near buzz cut, but the new length was a good look for him. I flushed. He had stopped talking and was looking at me quizzically.

"Awesome," I said hurriedly, trying to recover. "I've got some good cheese and olives for an appetizer."

"Oh, and I brought wine!" He pulled out a bottle of white. "I have no idea if it's any good, but it was kind of expensive, so that should count for something, right?"

"Definitely." I smiled. "Thanks for bringing all this, you didn't have to."

"Hey, I'm a free man now, I can do whatever I want." He waggled his eyebrows. "And I wanted to have dinner with a smart, sexy lay-day."

"Well, let me know when she gets here and I'll clear out." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Jesus, don't be so hard on yourself, Leah."

"Oh, you know I'm kidding." He shook his head at me.

"You aren't. You're always so self-deprecating. I know you're awesome, I just wish you did, too." Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Dude, we gotta get you out there dating. You've obviously been watching a lot of talk show reruns with all your free time." He laughed.

"Noted. I'm starving, let's get cooking."

Dinner preparations helped me relax. My initial anxiety over my attraction to Jack eased and I allowed myself to have fun with him. We drank wine while boiling water for pasta and toasting the garlic bread. Conversation was easy, that was my favourite thing about Jack. Once I calmed down and behaved like a normal human, the banter flew back and forth. I was having a great time. Jack's 'smart and sexy ' comment had taken me aback a little, but I appreciated such a great compliment from a friend.

Although, it was getting really difficult to keep thinking of him that way. I tried to ignore my attraction to him, but it wasn't easy. He made his way around my kitchen as if he'd cooked there a thousand times, closing drawers with his hip and rummaging in the fridge. Trying not to stare, I watched the small muscles in his hands and forearms ripple as he tore lettuce and chopped tomatoes. And when he reached for a bowl on a high shelf, his shirt raised, showing a glimpse of his flat stomach and a line of dark hair that disappeared at his belt line. The attraction and comfort I felt with him was becoming a distraction. I decided to solve it temporarily with more wine.

***

Jack groaned. "That was delicious." We had polished off the pasta, salad and garlic bread, not to mention the entire bottle of wine. I could feel the heat in my cheeks and the slow burn through my whole body as the alcohol took effect. With a full stomach and a few glasses of wine in me, I felt sensual and ridiculously happy.

"I feel amazing," I said, stretching my arms above my head. "And full. You're going to have to roll me to the couch."

"Come on," he said, grabbing plates and deftly moving them to the sink. He quickly moved most of the dishes out of the way. "We'll clean up later, let's go digest."

I retrieved another bottle of wine I had stashed (you can never have too much wine) along with our glasses and we moved the reverie to the living room.

"A little more wine?" I asked.

"Of course!" His eyes had taken on a liquid quality that pinged in my lower belly, but I ignored it and poured us each another glass.

I asked how his divorce was going and he pulled a face. "I don't really want to talk about it, but thank you for asking." He sighed. "It's going nowhere, honestly. We can't agree on anything, but mostly I'm worried about how it will affect the girls. They know we don't like each other and it's confusing for them." He shook his head. "Never mind, it'll work out, somehow."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, completely sincere. "But they must know how much you love them."

"Well, I try." He shrugged. "I want to make the most of my time with them. I don't just want to be a guy they have to stay with every week. I'd like to have good relationships with them."

I smiled. "Sounds like you're on the right track to being a great dad

The level of liquid in the bottle dropped steadily over the next hour. I was very drunk, but still remarkably coherent. We found ourselves talking about our failed relationships, my most recent breakup with Leon and his with Crystal.

"I loved Leon, I really did," I said. "But we just weren't a good match, and we spent the last 6 months together trying to recapture the excitement and interest of the first 6. It was doomed from then on."

"I get that," he said. "Crystal and I ended up having really different expectations for how to live our lives and we realized that we were too different to be a good fit any longer."

"That sucks," I said. "It seems like such a waste. I know, I know, you learn and grow and have all these experiences when you're in a relationship, but then you break up and there goes 3 years you could have been with someone else." I laughed. "Not to mention three more years of age and wear and tear. I was smaller three years ago. My ass and face now wouldn't land a geriatric millionaire!"

"What are you talking about? You're hot," he said, touching my knee.

"Awww, you're sweet," I said, touching his knee back. Oh, he's drunk and flirty, I thought. That's so cute.

"I have to be honest, though, I really miss the sex." That comment took me by surprise.

"What, you mean you aren't out trawling the bars getting laid every weekend?" I teased him.

"Well, maybe three years ago I would have been, but with all the beer I've been drinking, this ass isn't getting any smaller or seeing any action." The cheek of him!

"Haha, very funny."

"But honestly," his voice took on a serious timbre and he touched my knee again. "I haven't told anyone this. Crystal and I..." He blushed and looked away. "We've had sex twice since we split." Oh God. Why did that make my stomach sink?

"Well it happens," I said, mustering a matter-of-fact voice. "Ex-sex is a totally normal thing. Leon and I did it for three months after we broke up. You know, 'hey, let's go for coffee' and it turns it to frantic humping in the backseat of a car outside of a Best Buy at 1am." That got a laugh.

"Seriously? You and Leon fucked in the back of his car?" The injection of 'fuck' into our conversation made something twinge down low in my belly.

"I will neither confirm nor deny," I said, holding my chin high. "But really, don't feel bad about the sex with Crystal. It's what we do to ease the pain. I mean," I tried to keep my voice even, "you're not going to get back together with her, are you?"

"Oh, God, no. And I don't want to have sex with her again. It's too complicated." He drained his glass. "Are you seeing anyone right now?" The flutters started in my stomach again.

"Nope!" I smiled, hoping to keep things light. "Flying solo, keeping my options open."

"It's crazy you managed to stay single this long."

"It's only been 2 years since Leon!" I said. "I've gone on dates but nothing's stuck."

"Only 2 years? That's a long time." He paused and looked away from me. "Don't you miss...being with someone?"

"Do you mean, sleeping with someone?"

"Well, partly."

I blushed. "Well, yeah, of course I do."

"What do you miss about it?" His voice lowered as he spoke, and my breath caught in my chest. Did I want to do this? Of course I did. I took the bait.

"I miss...well, the feeling of skin on skin the most, you know? Being naked with someone. The weight of a man on top of me. And also..." I trailed off, embarrassed.

"What? Tell me!" He had moved slightly closer and his hand was on my knee again. Oh my God, is this actually going to happen? I thought.

"I miss having someone go down on me," I said, phrasing it as tactfully I could.

"I miss that, too."

"You mean you miss getting blowjobs?" I said, grinning.

"No, I mean, I miss eating pussy."

"Jesus! You've never said anything like that to me before."

"Sorry, is that not okay?"

I smiled. "Well, it's actually kind of hot." I put my hand on his thigh and moved my thumb in a circle. "And honestly, it's pretty much my most favourite thing ever."

All of a sudden, Jack launched himself at me and we were kissing. He hadn't shaved in a few days and his stubble rasped my face. He tasted of wine and garlic and something else musky that I couldn't pinpoint. It was insanely hot.

Pressing me against the arm of the couch, his hands roamed my body as we made out, and I managed to gasp between kisses "This is a surprise." He moved his lips to my neck, biting and sending shivers directly to my core. "I told you I was bringing wine and I was touching your knee," as if that was an explanation. It was good enough for me. He was a fantastic kisser, our lips and tongues meshing in a perfect mix that made me insanely wet and filled with a raging desire I hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Can we go upstairs?" I asked after I was dizzy. He grabbed my hand and I pulled him behind me up the staircase. At the landing he pressed himself behind me and I felt his hard dick against my ass. "Do you want me to eat your pussy?" he half murmured, half growled into my ear. My mouth fell slack and I could only nod.

In my bedroom I pulled off my shirt and took off my bra so I stood in front of him in only my leggings. It was dark, but in the moonlight coming through the window, I saw the look in his eye as he pulled me to him. He kissed me again while weighing and squeezing my right breast in his hand.

"Gaawwwd," he moaned into my mouth. "I've wanted to feel your tits for so long, Leah." Gently moving me backward we fell on my bed where he massaged and sucked my boobs til I groaned and pushed him off me.

"Not fair I'm the only one shirtless," I said. He grinned and took off his, and unbuckled his belt while he was at it.

"Come here," I said softly, and we lay together, wrapped in each other's arms, skin to skin. I could have kissed him forever, it was amazing how well we fit. I ran my fingers through his chest hair as our tongues slid together.

"I have to, I can't wait," he finally said, and he moved to my feet while tugging at my waistband. I let out a squeal and helped him as fast as I could. I was so nervous but not so much I didn't desperately want his tongue to take me.

Propped up on my elbows, I could see him stare and stroke, then he gently positioned himself between my thighs. My nerves at him seeing me so vulnerable vanished as he looked at me and I saw the almost feral need on his face. He stroked my outer pussy lips and dipped his head to brush them with his own lips.

"Lie back," he said. I did. When he first applied his tongue to my clit I let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a yell. And I continued to make all kinds of noises as he slid the tip of his tongue up one side and down the other, then sucked and lapped and swirled. He stopped to wipe his face. "You have such a fucking gorgeous pussy," he said. I loved that he had a dirty mouth on him, something he'd managed to hide from me until now.

"Please baby, don't stop," I said. As soon as I said it, I felt unsure about calling him 'baby', but it just came out.

"Do you want me to make you come?" he said.

"Yes," I whispered.

"I can't hear you," he said, a note of teasing in his voice. "Unless you tell me what you want I can't do anything."

"Fuuuuck," I groaned. "Please, Jack, make me come!" And so he did, applying a myriad of strokes and rhythms to my clit until I came in a sharp explosion that made me arch my back and let out a long, plaintive wail.

He scooted up the bed to lie next to me while I recovered, the orgasm rendering me mostly paralyzed. As I came to, I curled around him, gently kissing him and tasting the faint salty tang of my pussy on his mouth. I loved it.

"You. Are. Amazing." I said between kisses. "And why are your fucking pants still on?" He laughed and yanked them off, along with his underwear in one pull. I noticed his socks had come off at some point as well.

As we lay entwined, warm and naked, I didn't feel frantic or nervous or giddy, just calm. Partially because he'd just blown my mind with an explosive climax, but I felt safe and as if I was in the exact right spot for that moment in time. It was heaven.

I reached my hand down and took his stiff cock in my hand. Is there anything better than the soft skin of an eager dick? He inhaled sharply as I moved my fist in a slow yet firm grip, up and down. It was an average size from what I could tell, and that was fine with me. I suspected he knew exactly what to do with it.

"I think it's your turn now," I said, pressing him onto his back and kissing him deeply. I let my tits rest on his chest and he ran his hands up and down my back and ass, squeezing and stroking.

"God, you're so luscious," he sighed. "I can't wait to properly fuck you."

"Not yet," I said, although I couldn't wait either. But I wanted to return the favor. I glanced down and his dick lay against his stomach, waiting, slightly glistening at the tip. I slid down and positioned myself so he could watch, moving my hair away from my face. I picked up his hard cock and held it close to my lips. I felt his hand on the back of my head, lightly pushing me toward his erection and I snapped back up. "NEVER do that!" I said, "Not unless you want my jaw to clamp down and lock."