Chapter 4- For Catharsis
Putting away my groceries, a thought popped into my head. I quickly texted Claire,
Would you like to go out to dinner first?
I wondered if that would make the evening nicer or more 'personal' for her, and I felt a little bad about not asking sooner.
A few minutes later, she replied,
Thanks, but no. Trying not to make this more than it is. OK?
I wrote back,
Got it.
It was just as well. I didn't want this to be anything more, either. And going out to dinner with Claire, knowing what we would be doing afterwards but still having to wait, would be worse than hanging around my apartment, waiting for it to happen. Even after a cool shower and dinner, I still had an hour to wait.
I probably checked the time every other minute from 5 o'clock on. I tried to find something to do- I scrolled through news online, I planned out some work for the week, I did a few push-ups, I plugged in my bass. Anything to keep myself from jerking off to relieve the sexual tension I felt. Finally, it was two minutes before 6. I figured that was close enough, and I headed down the stairs.
Claire answered shortly after I knocked. We were both wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, and her full, dark hair was held back in a ponytail. I had figured it would be something like this- no make-up, no candles and music, nothing special. This wasn't about her, it was about me- my lust, my desire.
"Hey," she said, "sorry about...dinner. I mean..."
"I get it," I assured her. "I just didn't know what would make this easier for you."
"Aside from changing your mind?" she said jokingly, but not without a hint of hope.
"Aside from that."
"It's fine. I can do this. It's just not my first choice, you know. Nothing personal, it's just..." she trailed off.
"I get it. Really," I said, not quite sure I did, but willing to fake understanding if that helped her.
"Thanks. You really are a sweet guy," she said, leading us back to the bedroom. "But I guess that's partly because you want to keep getting laid."
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, right?" I joked.
"Or don't upset the pussy that fucks you," she added, using cruder language than I had heard her use before. I tried to picture Claire getting drunk at a club, hanging on obnoxious guys, grinding against a stranger, trying to decide if she was going to go home with someone. The image just didn't fit with the Claire I knew. I got comfortable on the bed while Claire made her arrangements to settle in after the deed was done. She had trail mix in a bowl and a glass of tea for each of us.
I started to think about the other girls I'd seen in clubs and how I so quickly judged them. How many of them were more like Claire most of the time, but trying desperately to stop feeling lonely for a few hours, just like I was? What was Dominique like the rest of the week? Did she cry after she left my apartment? Did she go back out the next night, vainly trying again to fill that hole in her heart? Was she ever tempted to do what Claire had done, and just give up?
"So what'd you do today?" she asked casually, climbing onto the bed next to me.
"Tried not to think about tonight," I said without missing a beat. Claire laughed, and I said, "Seriously, though, I went to the batting cages for a while, and Marco's boys joined me after a while."
"Oh, nice. You play ball?"
"Used to. But I ended up in landscaping. Go figure."
"Speaking of baseball," she said, "a funny thought occurred to me today."
"What's that?" I asked.
"Do you realize were running the bases backwards?"
I gave her a quizzical look, not understanding what she meant at first.
"The bases...you know. Penetration is a home run, but we did that first." Casually sliding off her sweatpants, she said, "Then we moved on to touching below the waist- third base."
I pulled off my shirt, and catching on, I smiled and said, "Ohhh, and second base was Friday night- I touched boobs."
"So eloquent, aren't you?" she joked, pulling her shirt over her head.
I looked at her breasts for the first time. So simple, so flawless. I put my hand gently on her side and moved it slowly up. "Sorry, blood is leaving my brain and relocating to more urgent regions of my body. Words not working right."
"Men," she said with fake disdain.
"So...what about
first
base?" I asked, curious. "I know it's off limits tonight, but..."
"Kissing? I think that's going to be a firm line in the sand. I really want you to respect that, OK?"
"That's fine, Claire. I can respect that," I said, meanwhile thinking that sand is a bad place to draw a line.
*******
After giving me a few moments to stare at and caress her chest, Claire said softly, "Come on, come on. I'm starting to get self-conscious here."
"Sorry...it's just..."
"I know, I know. This might be the only time you'll ever see them and you want to take it all in."
That wasn't what I was thinking, but no need to correct her. With a hand on her shoulder, I firmly guided her onto her back, then spent an eternity drinking in her body. I took full advantage of the permission I had to touch everywhere. My lips went from her neck down to her hips, then from her toes up to her inner thighs. When I got there, she said softly, "It's up to you, but I'm not crazy about the idea of oral tonight."
Like I said before, I don't mind it, but I much prefer intercourse, so I was happy to act like I was conceding to her wishes. My kisses trailed back up her abdomen and landed around her breasts. My hands, meanwhile, had been gripping her tight thighs, but now were firmly planted on her lower back.
"Do you work out?" I mumbled in between kisses. I was concentrating on the bottom of her breasts, exploring the area where her chest began to curve out. "I can feel your muscles. You're really toned."
Claire put a hand on my head and said, "It's mostly just good genetics. But I do Pilates and yoga a few times a week."
"What would it take to convince you to do a round of naked yoga for me?"
"Get me pregnant, and I just might consider it a fitting reward."
"Hmm," I hummed, my mouth around a hardening nipple.
"Want me to use the vibe now or after?" she asked.