Meg

Meg sipped her lemon drop and smiled as her cousin Kirk joined her table. She hadn't seen him in over a year, since he lived in California and she lived in Massachusetts. Weddings were always welcome, because she got to see him. She'd been trying to convince him to move to the east coast for years, but he loved the year-round sunshine in California. They were the last single cousins, and as Meg's family members kept having children, she felt like she had less in common with them. Kirk was the only one who she could talk to honestly.

"Pictures seem to be wrapping up," Kirk said. They had just taken their big family picture with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now their cousin Sophie was posing with her new husband, Raymond, outside the wedding hall. It had been a little rainy that day, but the weather had cleared enough to take pictures on the damp lawn.

Meg was glad the pictures were almost done. She'd nibbled some cheese and crackers, but her stomach was ready for dinner.

People began trickling to their seats, and someone dimmed the lights. The music changed and the bridal party started walking in.

"You think I have a shot with her?" Kirk asked Meg as a groomsman and bridesmaid entered arm in arm. The wedding colors were red and plum. The bridesmaids wore long purple dresses with a halter top. The men wore red vests and bow ties.

"I thought she brought a date," Meg said.

Another pair walked in. "He's cute," Meg said. "No wedding ring."

Kirk chuckled and looked over the bridesmaid. They had played a version of this game at Meg's sister's wedding, but this time, Meg wouldn't feel weird hitting on a groomsman. If she had hit on one of her brother-in-law's friends, she would have to hear about it at every family gathering. Kirk, however, had made out with one of her sister's friends after a few drinks.

The music changed to I'm Yours by Jason Mraz as Sophie and Raymond walked in. Sophie, always beautiful, looked stunning with her blonde hair curled in ringlets. Her white lacy skirt trailed behind her as she walked.

"Now introducing for the first time as a married couple--Mr. and Mrs. Hudson," the DJ said.

Meg glanced in the corner where the DJ stood in the shadows, and she almost spit out her drink. It had been over five years, but she knew that face, the square jawline, long eyelashes, narrow nose. Even though she couldn't see him closely, she remembered his mint green eyes, his long fingers, the taste of his lips.

She must have been staring at him for too long, because as Sophie and Raymond danced, Alex looked up from his equipment and saw her eyes fixed on his. Meg lowered her eyes and looked away, blushing. She focused on her cousin and Raymond, swaying on the dance floor, but she felt Alex continue to look at her.

After dinner, the dancing started. Meg and Kirk both went to the dance floor. Meg had been watching the groomsmen at dinner, and she focused her energies on one who didn't seem to have a date. He was tall, with short, dark hair and blue eyes. After a few songs, Meg managed to dance just with him. He was emboldened by the music and the look in her eyes, and he put his hands on her waist as they danced, touching the silky material of her blue knee-length dress.

As another song came on, she said, "My name's Meg," over the music.

"Luke," he said. She had remembered his name from the introductions earlier.

After a few more songs, they went out onto the deck of the dance hall to get some fresh air. Meg held a glass of champagne and Luke sipped a beer.

"You're related to Sophie, right?" Luke asked her.

"Yeah, we're cousins," Meg said.

"She has a big family."

Meg nodded. She had a lot of cousins, and the whole family was close. Most of them lived in New England, and she was able to attend christenings, graduations, and birthday parties. She knew other people barely saw their families, but she liked the closeness.

"It was a nice ceremony," Meg said.

"Yeah, it was all right," Luke said. "This is the fourth wedding I've attended this year, so they get a little boring."

"Four? What, do you have a big family too?"

"Nah, they're all college classmates. Most of them got together when we were in school together. Now I'm the odd one out."

"I'm one of the last ones in my family to still be single," Meg said. "I get it. I mean, it's not like I'm not looking, but I can't just snap my fingers and find the perfect person."

"Right? I dated in college, but no one worked out. And now I don't meet many people through work."

Meg shrugged. "Well, being single definitely makes weddings more fun. You want to go dance a little more? I really like this song." She could recognize the beginning of Fireball playing through the open door.

"Sure," Luke said. He drained the last of his beer. She took his hand and led him to the dance floor.

*********************************************

Meg excused herself to use the restroom. On the way back, she steeled herself and walked to the corner where the DJ stood.

Alex looked like he'd been expecting her. She wondered if he'd been watching her all night.

"Hi," she said breathlessly.

"Hi," he said. "You look really good."

"It's the dress," she said, touching the folds of her blue skirt. "You look good, too. I like your hair better this way."

In high school, his hair had fallen in scraggly curls down his back. Now, it was shorter and softer, like he had learned about conditioner.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say hi," Meg said. "I should be getting back. I want to get some cake."

"Would you be okay meeting up sometime? To catch up?"

"You have a pen? I'll give you my number."

He handed her a pen and scrap of paper, and she wrote down her number. He started switching the songs, but he smiled at her as she slipped the piece of paper towards him and gave him a small wave.

She got a slice of cake and joined Luke to eat.

The night slipped by, with those who were older leaving earlier, and those who were younger dancing until midnight. Meg slipped away from Luke to say goodbye to her parents, her sister, Danielle, and brother-in-law, Ken. Danielle was very pregnant, and she didn't stay long after cake. Her dress bulged in front of her with Meg's future niece.

At midnight, Alex played a last song and then packed up his equipment. The lights came on, and Meg helped the bridal party collect presents and gather them in the best man's car. As Sophie gathered her purse, Luke came back to her with a helpless look in his eyes.

"I'd invite you back to my room, but I'm staying with another guy," he said.

"I have my own room," Meg said. His eyes lit up. "I mean, if you want to come over."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be nice. Did you drive here? Because I hitched a ride."

"Yeah, c'mon," she said.

The hotel was deserted when they went in besides the tired host at the front counter. In the elevator, Luke put his arm around Meg's waist. He had a large palm that settled over her hip. His fingers trailed along her upper thigh.

Meg was eager to close her hotel room door behind them. Then Luke was kissing her, pressing her against the locked door, and Meg locked lips with him, getting to know him through feel. She ran her palms against his torso, satisfied with the firmness of his stomach and chest.

"Give me a moment," Meg said, coming up for air. "I want to close the shades."

Luke let her slip away to close them. He was hard underneath his black dress pants. He sat on the bed as he waited for her. She came to him and sat on top of his lap. She could feel his bulge under her skirt as she kissed him again. She slid her hands under his coat and slipped it off his shoulders. It fell onto the bedspread. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and his hands were so large that she felt tiny in his embrace.

She broke away with a sudden thought. "Do you have a condom?"

"Yeah," he said. "I wasn't expecting to use it, but I figured, just in case."

"Thank goodness," she said. He kissed her and leaned backwards so that he was lying on his back and she was on her hands and knees atop him. He found the zipper at the back of her dress. The straps on her dress slipped off her shoulders, and one of his hands explored the shape of her breasts.

Meg started undoing the buttons on his shirt. His breath caught as her fingertips trailed from his collarbones to his belly button.

He rolled her onto her back so he was kneeling over her. He pulled off his shirt and tie, then kissed her again, tongue flicking in and out of her mouth, palm running down her thigh. She touched his chest, his shoulder blades, the back of his neck.

She reached to undo his pants and touched him, impressed with his length. Her fingers teased him, never taking a full grip.

He pulled back and got off the bed, pulling down his pants and underwear so he stood before her completely naked. His penis stood at attention, calling to her, and she obeyed the summons, getting off the bed and kneeling before him. She took his cock in her mouth, slowly letting her lips caress every inch of him. She started bobbing her head, and his fingers twined in her hair.

When she finished, Luke pulled her to her feet and slipped her dress off her. She laid on her back on the bed and he went down on her. At first, he just played with his tongue, flicking back and forth, but then he slid a finger inside of her. The finger stroked her insides, feeling the parts of her that he couldn't see.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, she growled, "get the condom."

He obeyed and slid it on his shaft, then crouched over her and slowly slid inside her.

She stiffened a little as her insides stretched to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. She swiped a tear away.

"Yeah," she said. "It's just been a while."

"Yeah, me too," he said. "I'll start slow."

As he worked his way into her, her hands wandered over his torso. She wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled his head down to her level so she could kiss him. She tasted the beer on him, and the slice of cake.

As his rhythm increased, he stopped kissing her and focused on pushing deeper inside her. She watched him, mesmerized. His penis seemed to hit her at angles she'd forgotten were there.

And then, with a sudden burst of speed, she found herself going into a frenzy, and her hands gripped the sheets as she cried out and he erupted inside her. He slowed, panting, and she melted into the covers. He pulled out and lay on his back beside her, and they both stared at the ceiling.

"Good wedding," he finally said.

"Yeah," she said.

After a few minutes, she got up and collected her dress to hang in the closet.

"Can I stay tonight?" he asked her.

"It depends," she said. "You going to do me in the morning?"

"I can if you want me to."

"Then yes, you can stay," she said.