"To friends, old and new!" The lithe hand of Danicka Ellis raised a delicate crystal glass filled with rosé, beckoning the others at the table to join her, "And to being able to find to reconnect, and strengthen those bonds!" The table of six women echoed her toast, cheering before taking big sips of their drinks, bursting with spicy bubbles.
Josie looked around at the other women at the table. They were all strangers to her, save for one, but even Lila, the woman from work who invited her, was barely what she'd consider a friend. Josie had been feeling very down as Valentine's day was approaching, another one she would spend alone. She had been engaged once, but for the wrong reasons. They both knew it and called it off, and ever since then she had been focused entirely on her work and nothing else. But still, every time Valentine's day rolled around, a melancholy would come over her that was hard to miss.
"Listen, Jo, I think I've got just the thing for you this year," Lila said at work a few days earlier, adjusting the big circular frames of her fashionable glasses. Josie was always a little jealous of Lila's style, always managing to ride the line between dressing appropriately for the office and showing off what appeared to be a wonderful figure. "Every year since college, my girlfriends and I have gotten together on Valentine's day to have a nice, classy dinner. We laugh, we drink, and we celebrate each other and what we've accomplished, and we treat ourselves. I think you should come this year." A big smile pushed through her plump lips.
"I don't know, Lila, I don't want to impose..."
"You wouldn't be, not at all! Every year one of us gets to bring someone new, and this year it's my turn. I'm choosing you." Her hand lovingly draped itself across Josie's. "Please come. You'll love it. You deserve it."
And so there she was. The only instructions were to dress in whatever made her feel the most confident and sexy, so she chose her favorite calf-length skirt, white blouse and blazer combination. Confident? Maybe. Sexy? Not so much. She wasn't even sure what made her feel sexy anymore, it had been so long since she had even considered it. Looking in the mirror after showering, she remembered the body she used to have, the body she had in college, the body whose best years she gave to her ex who turned out to not to be the person she thought he was.
She had never been an athlete, but she was blessed with one of those bodies that never seemed to need exercise to look good--full hips, flat stomach, nice breasts. She had always been fairly reserved and shy, but she had her share of dates, and eventually ended up with the man she thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. She had given up a lot for him, including moving across the country to a new city, and foregoing her favorite sexual activity: giving head.
She had always enjoyed oral sex, ever since the first time she had done it, the summer of her 18th birthday. She was a late bloomer to full intercourse, so head became a reasonable substitute, one that never failed to get her aggressively wet. However, for some never explained reason, her ex didn't like it, and so with him she didn't do it. Their sex had been pretty good overall, but for Josie it was always missing that extra little bit of excitement. It should have been the first indication that maybe they weren't right for each other.
After the breakup she dove headfirst into her work, and now, 4 years later here she was, still single on another Valentine's day. Her body was a little plumper than she remembered, but even she could admit that the weight seemed to go to all the right places. Even still though, memories of times past couldn't allow her to recognize what was good about her present. She hoped the party that night would help her loosen up a bit at the very least.
Lila met her at the door, a big bold smile shining from beneath her dark-rimmed glasses. Josie didn't know her that well, but she could tell that she was a little spitfire, always giving a smile and a shimmy whenever she was excited. Tonight, it seemed, she was all smiles and shimmies.
"Oh my God, I'm so glad you came!" she exclaimed as Josie came into view, "I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!"
"Are you sure?" Josie opined, "I really don't want to be a fifth...or 9th wheel..."
"Listen, Jo," she said, stopping them at the threshold of the impressive house, "I know this feels kinda weird, but trust me, they are all going to love you. Trust me. Ok? And if at any point you're not feeling it, we can go." she reiterated that last point with a touch of Josie's arm. "ANY point."
That smile is deadly, Josie thought. She bet Lila didn't hear the word no very much, and tonight would be no different. Josie nodded and smiled back. Lila excitedly bit her bottom lip and knocked on the front door.
"You are going to have an amazing experience tonight, Jo," Lila said, her shimmy returning, "you have NO idea."
****
The door opened, and they were met by a very well-dressed man, and welcomed inside. He was extremely cute, Josie thought, his black, tousled hair cropped just so, framing a sturdy, dimpled face. "Hello, Lila," the cute man said, "it's so great to see you!" he opened his arms as he welcomed them into the house. Lila obliged and gave him a big hug
"Heeey Scotty!" she said, drawing out the first word. She kissed him on the cheek, then gave him an excited squeeze the freshly-kissed flesh. Josie chuckled quietly at the display. It was extremely cute. She also couldn't help but notice how low on her back Scott's hand was drifting. It made her wonder how well they knew each other.
"And you must be Josie," Scott said. She was slightly surprised that he knew her name. She nodded, and shook his extended hand, and he turned hers over and kissed the back of it. "It's great to meet you." Josie felt herself blush.
"Scotty's our servant for the day," Lila said with a big, evil smile and a bite of her tongue.
"Today is all about you ladies," he said with an embarrassed smile, "I'm just happy to be of service." Josie noted a knowing look between Scotty and Lila. it piqued her interest, but that interest was redirected when Scotty gestured toward a deep, silver bowl on a pedestal in the middle of the foyer. "Don't forget to fill out your card before you join the others!"
"Oh, I would NEVER, Lila said with a cocked eyebrow, eagerly scrawling her name on the card and dropping it in a silver bowl in the middle of the foyer. "Go 'head, Jo, toss your name in the hat," she said with a smile.
"What is this, some sort of raffle?" Josie said, filling out her card.
"Something like that, yeah." Lila was beaming. Her hips shimmied deliciously.
Before Josie could ask what that meant, Lila grabbed her hand and pulled her into the lavish house. "Come on," she said, "let's go meet the ladies."
Her hand held tightly in Lila's, Josie was whisked through a whirlwind of style and taste, barely able to take in the beautiful interior of the home. All she knew was that it was expensive. Passing through a grand doorway, they entered a large main hall of the estate, where all the other guests were gathered around a long, luxurious table, covered with a royal feast of delectable brunch items.
The girls all turned to meet them, cheering at their arrival. Lila threw her hands up and shimmied her hips, and then quickly got lost in a barrage of hugs and cheek kisses. Josie couldn't believe it--each one of them was more gorgeous than the next, all sexy, confident women. She felt herself drifting toward the wall as the old friends caught up with each other. This was a bad idea, she thought, she was intruding, and had nothing in common with these gorgeous women. She was just about to turn toward the door when she heard Lila's bright, bubbly voice.
"Everyone?" she said, throwing her hands up like a conductor, "this is Josie. She's my friend from work, and she is the best. She's smart, she's beautiful, and she's just what this party needs!"
Josie couldn't help but flush a bit at the compliment. Lila was a good one. She smiled and waved meekly, and then a statuesque brunette goddess stepped toward her from the crowd. Rocking a deeply unbuttoned blouse that exposed her generously busty cleavage, this Amazon warmed Josie's cold feeling with a smile brighter than the sun.
