It had been a tiring conference. It's not that the subject matter was boring...that wasn't it at all! Rather, it was the schedule. The time from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon was filled with crowded sessions, small group discussions, all designed with keeping one's mind going full-speed ahead...all while the body just sat in one place. It being January and cold outside didn't help matters. Oh, it helped the conference out -- not too many stragglers outside sitting in the green grass! But the chilly winter weather only added to feeling of being cooped up for a while. There's only too much information a mind can retain in a short time, there's only so many words ears can hear and memory can absorb, and only so long you can sit and stay indoors. Sigh...
I stretched in my seat and looked at the clock -- 5 minutes to go before we break for the day. It couldn't come soon enough. Afterwards, I had no plans, but perhaps to tag along with some people I'd met at the conference, grab a bite to eat and "talk shop". "naaaah", I decided. I wanted to do something more fun, more escapist. Something more refreshing than all the intellectual blather that made my head swim.
I made my way to a hallway where the wi-fi signal was strong...these buildings of steel and brick were a cellular black hole. I got online and checked out what movies were playing at some of the local theaters. There were definitely a couple of movies I wouldn't mind seeing. It's always strange, I thought, to go see a movie alone, however, because I saw it as an admission that you had nothing better to do with anyone else...though in reality you went to a movie to watch a movie and not to talk. Maybe it was the shared experience that made it more enjoyable. But hey, what did I expect? I was at a conference -- ALONE -- and had to make the best of it.
But that was O.K. The area was familiar -- Though I lived a couple hours away now, I'd gone to college here, and lived on the outskirts of this city for about 10 years. I could easily find something to occupy my time. Almost ready to venture out and make my evening happen, I paused to also check my email, and Facebook, and noticed, among all the other usual junk and inane Facebook updates, a message from Elaine, a good friend I'd kept in touch with since I'd moved away five years ago. She -- yes, SHE -- was actually going to be in the area doing some shopping and other errands. I had informed her I'd be at the conference. Now, she wondered if I had some time afterwards to connect, she'd have her cell phone with her. All I had to do was call.
"Well, now," I thought to myself, "that changes some things." To hang out with her for a few hours would surely beat going to a move alone, shopping alone, sitting at the bookstore alone. Heck, it would even beat hanging around with an entire crowd of conference-goers. I copied the number and prepared to give her a call. I couldn't help but smile to myself. We had kept in touch because during the few years before I had moved we had increasingly enjoyed talking about what we discovered were many common interests: movies, music we enjoyed listening to and music we playing (she could play one mean piano and I enjoyed the guitar), foods, and more. Our tastes -- culinary and otherwise -- overlapped in many areas. Our friendship had grown to one that I would say was based on a strong mutual respect. It had really gone no further than that, although there were moments that our friendship veered towards the flirtatious. Just innocent fun that added to the enjoyment we found in each other.
Since I'd moved, she'd also gone through a bout with cancer. Breast cancer. She had been a trooper through the entire process, but had weathered some serious changes in her life: a mastectomy, chemotherapy, feeling lousy, losing her hair, and later, a hysterectomy. We'd kept in touch through that time as well, and I'd always been impressed with how she handled it all -- with faith, courage, and poise.
It had been a while since we had seen each other, so I dialed her number with nervous anticipation. She answered on the third ring.
"Hello"?
"Hi there, Elaine, it's me, Todd! I got your message...I'm glad I check it as often as I do, or else I might have missed it."
"It's so good to hear your voice! Yeah, I figured you'd get my message sooner than later. So how are you? How's the conference?"
"Ohhhh, not toooo bad, but I've been sitting and listening to lectures and discussions long enough. I'm glad it's over for the day. To think, I've got another day and a half of this to go."
"Well, at least you're done for tonight.", she offered. After a brief pause, she continued, "So, what do you think? I'm in the area...got some time to get together? To perhaps grab a bite to eat or something...?"
"I think it sounds great!", I responded enthusiastically. "I'm sure we could think of something we'd both like."
"Mmmmmmmm, I like the sound of that, something...ummm...mutually satisfying! Heh..."
There it was...that flirty attitude we both enjoyed and felt at ease with.. I could almost see her ear-to-ear grin on the other side of her cell phone. I felt myself almost holding my breath as I pondered her statement. "Ahemm...So, where would you like to meet? What are you in the mood for?"
Without skipping a beat, she answered: "Whatever satisfies your deepest hunger!"
"Well", I answered, "I'm in the mood some good food because I'm really hungry. How about Chinese? There's one just down the road from where I am...they also have a sushi bar, and from what I remember, some decent saki. Game?"
"That sounds great. Where are you at? I'll pick you up and we can go together."
I gave her directions, and within 15 minutes I was in her car and heading towards the restaurant. Over the next hour or so we had a great time catching up, trying different foods, daring each other to eat the things that looked completely inedible, such as the miniature octopi in the salad bar. In comparison, the offerings at the sushi bar were delicious, and teaching her to use the chopsticks properly made for an entertaining evening.
As we finished our meals I nodded towards the last piece of sushi on the plate in front of me. "This is for you if you want it, I don't think I can eat another bite." She looked down at the morsel of salmon, cucumber, and avocado wrapped together in seaweed and rice, and then up at me.
"I'll have it," she said, "only if you feed it to me. Besides, I don't know if I'll EVER get the hang of these stupid chopsticks."
We laughed together as I took the two smooth bamboo sticks in front of me and gently picked up the tasty morsel. I added a sliver of ginger and a dab of wasabi sauce, I dipped it in the soy sauce and raised it towards her mouth. Before it reached her lips, I couldn't help but notice how soft and full they looked as she opened them, ready to receive my offering. I must have been staring a little too hard, because her next words were:
"Is anything wrong?"
Her words jarred me from my trance-like stare, but made me drop the sushi in the process. Fortunately, it landed right on the plate in front of her.
"No, nothing's wrong" I answered, "I was just zoning out for a second...umm, noticing how nice you look tonight".
Those lips slowly spread wide in a nice smile, as her face beamed. "Why thank you, Todd! I dressed up just in case I got to run into you. But you still have to feed me that piece of sushi." Regaining my focus I repositioned the chopsticks for a second try.
"Forget the chopsticks...just use your fingers."
"If you insist", I answered as I wiped my fingers with the napkin, and picked up the piece between my thumb and index finger. Elaine gently took my hand in her warm, soft hands and guided the sushi into her mouth. As her lips closed around it they also managed to embrace my thumb and finger. I felt a slight buzz at the base of my head, and a shiver run through me as I felt the gentle warmth of her flesh envelop my own. With that same smile on her face she chewed the sushi, allowing a slight moan of delight to escape her lips in the process, before she swallowed.
"Mmmmmm, that was very good, but your fingers are still dirty."
"No problem", I said as I reached for the napkin with my free hand.
She noticed the movement and then said: "Oh, you won't need that."
With her hands still embracing mine, she locked her eyes on mine as she slowly, tantalizingly brought my soy-soaked finger to her slightly parted lips, enveloped it, and began sucking slightly, in a very teasing way.
