I grew up in a pretty restricted environment. As a religious Jewish kid in the city it was difficult to follow all the rules while surrounded by so much temptation. I did the best that I could: Ate the right foods, listened to my parents and dated girls within my community. The fantasies were powerful though. If only I could step out of my shoes for just a little while, what could happen? But I never thought that I would actually act on something that far out of bounds.
Having just dipped in and out of yet another fruitless and boring relationship with a girl my cousin recommended, I was in a bit of a funk. That Saturday night my friend Justin practically begged me to go to this girl, Aliza's birthday party. We'd gone to school with her and would probably know most of the people at the bar. Two factors that I did not find appealing, but who can resist the powerful pull of peer pressure, right?
So off we went. It was a chic place on the Upper East Side which meant it was jam-packed with young professionals looking to meet someone of the opposite sex. Typical meat market and I was not in the mood. I'm told that I am very good-looking – six feet tall, light brown hair and blue-green eyes that all of the girls I've been with have absolutely adored. I work out regularly and eat well. But a funk is a funk, and I was not having any of it tonight. Or so I thought. I deposited my sorry self on a couch near my friends and settled down to wallow in a good old storm of self-pity.
I'd barely even begun when the most beautiful creature I had ever seen walked into the bar. She was tall – about five-seven perhaps, with dark-brown, straight hair that flowed luxuriously across her shoulders. Her features were divine, angelic even, supple lips and deep, chocolate eyes and a light tan. She entered with a group of people and headed for my area! Our eyes locked as she crossed the crowded lounge and after saying hello to a few people nearby, she sat down right next to me on the couch. She was even sexier from up close. She was wearing a fitted tank top with a simple gold pendant around her neck. Tight jeans accentuated shapely hips and a perfect ass. For a moment, I couldn't say a word. I'd never felt like this! Why was I feeling so shy?
Finally, I sputtered, "So I guess you're friends with Aliza, huh?" and pointed over to the birthday girl at the next table.
"Who?" she asked. "Oh no, I'm here for another party, I guess. That guy over there," she pointed, laughing.
I'm a little embarrassed now, but try not to show it. "Feel like dancing, anyways?"
"Sure," she surprised me, "Why not?"
Without another word I stand up and offer her my hand. She looks up at me and dazzles me with her smile. Then she takes my hand and I feel like I've been shocked. The merest touch of her skin on mine made me catch my breath. What was happening? No time to think though, we were already squeezing our way onto the already tight dance floor. No room to be polite either. Immediately we found ourselves pushed up against each other, gyrating to the music. I had thought that her hand was incredible, but that was nothing compared to the way I felt with her body pressing so close to mine. It was hard to tell if she could really dance because there was so little room, but we both definitely had a lot of rhythm and began to explore each other with our hands and bodies. I felt myself reacting in a way that I knew was inappropriate, I don't even know this girl's name and I was getting hard on the dance floor! I could not believe what was happening to me! I leaned down to ask her what her name was and found her looking up at me with a mischievous smile.
She stood on her toes and whispered into my ear, "It's Jessica, and I feel you getting hard." Oh god, now I am absolutely mortified and I feel my face turn bright red. Mr. Happy doesn't go anywhere, of course, and there's nowhere to hide. Noting my obvious shame, Jessica laughs and says, "I think you're the hottest guy in the room, do you want to go somewhere more quite to talk?"
I could not believe my ears. The most beautiful girl I'd ever seen just picked ME up. And aggressively, too!
Now it was my turn to bend down. "Yes. I'm Dave," I whispered into her ear. Suddenly, feeling brazen, I tilted her chin up towards me with my hand and softly kissed her on the lips. Completely out of character for me, I don't usually even kiss someone until the second date at the very earliest. Something was going on!
I could not believe my luck. Who would have thought that I'd meet such a pretty girl at a birthday party? And so for the second time in less then half an hour, our hands clasped and Jessica led the way out.
Once outside, we began to walk. Aimlessly, I thought, not realizing that she was taking us to her apartment nearby. We talked for a while about nothing in particular, the city, friends, work, and then I asked her, "How religious are you, by the way?" Actually, a relatively typical question in my community.
