When Jake and Laura woke the following morning, Natalie was already up, and enticing smells of coffee and cooking wafted from the kitchen. They looked across at each other, both struggling to find the right words. "What the fuck did we just do?" Laura asked.
"Yeah, um... Things definitely got out of hand," Jake said. After a moment, he added thoughtfully, "She is really something, though," immediately wishing he hadn't.
Their uneasy reflection was interrupted as Natalie appeared, carrying two cups of coffee. "Would you like some?" she offered in a warm and inviting tone, and they gratefully accepted. "And breakfast?" she added. "Yes, great," they readily agreed.
Natalie looked at both of them and said sincerely, "Thank you both so much for last night. It was wonderful. The lovely Laura and the handsome Jake. I don't get much downtime these days, and I hardly ever meet fun and interesting people." Then, gesturing at the luxurious surroundings, she added wistfully, "All this comes at a price," then continued, "Can I see you both again? Soon?"
Jake answered quickly, without consulting Laura, "Yes, we'd love to! Um... would you like to come to ours for dinner?"
'Wow, Jake's moving quickly,' thought Laura, smiling to herself.
"Yes, that would be great. I can do Wednesday at 7 p.m. or next Tuesday," Natalie replied, checking her calendar.
"Wednesday is perfect!" Jake confirmed enthusiastically, then gave her their address.
After dressing, they joined Natalie in the kitchen where her chef was preparing breakfast. The meal was delicious, but soon after, Natalie excused herself, apologising that unfortunately she had to work most Saturdays. As she saw them to the door, Natalie kissed Laura softly, whispering, "You're so lovely." Then turning to Jake, she smiled and said, "You're lovely too, Jake," before kissing him hard on the mouth -- a passionate and controlling kiss leaving him in no doubt of her will.
Natalie's driver returned them to Jake's house, and on the way Laura broke the silence. "Do you have any idea what the fuck is going on?"
"Nope," Jake replied. "Do you?"
"Nope," she answered hopelessly, and the rest of the trip passed in thoughtful silence, both of them gazing out the window, trying to make sense of it all.
Laura was thinking that, beyond the amazing sex, she actually really enjoyed Natalie's company. She was intelligent, funny, charming, understood people, and was seemingly a decent, caring person. But it was still not clear what she wanted from them. It was possible she just wanted to party and fuck, but the tenderness of her kisses implied more than that. And what the fuck was she doing to poor Jake? She messed with his mind and his cock. Laura thought she knew what buttons to push with Jake, but, with an unexpected pang of envy, realised that Natalie had found a whole new set of buttons and was hammering them down hard.
Jake was equally concerned. Natalie was the most sensual yet intimidating person he'd ever encountered, and he found himself drawn to her in ways that felt both thrilling and unwise. She was intelligent, beautiful, undeniably sexy, and powerful. She was also apparently gay -- a fact he couldn't reconcile with her behaviour. Perhaps she felt she needed to keep him happy so she could remain close to Laura, but then she genuinely seemed to enjoy him too. It all didn't quite add up.
The early part of the week flew by, and Wednesday arrived before they knew it. Jake had ordered a selection of finger foods from a local restaurant -- neither were great cooks -- and stocked up on some quality wine.
Both of them went to extra lengths to prepare for Natalie's visit. Laura took great care with her makeup and then slipped into her best black lingerie set beneath a classy but revealing dress, pairing it with stockings, heels, and a spritz of her favourite perfume. Jake admired her as she walked past, a vision of elegance and allure. Yet, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he realised she wasn't dressing for him tonight; she was dressing for Natalie.
Jake also took care with his appearance, trimming his beard to a neat stubble, applying some aftershave, and putting on his sharpest outfit: tailored blue jeans, a crisp white shirt, tan brogues, and a fitted blue jacket. As he caught his reflection in the mirror, he realised that he wasn't dressing for Laura either.
They opened some wine before Natalie arrived and sat on the sofa together, thinking of what the evening ahead may have in store, when Laura broke the silence, asking, "Are we on a date? With the same woman?"