"Anna," Erik said wearily.
"Hey stranger. What do you say we get together tonight?" said Anna-Marie, otherwise know only as Anna.
"I'd love to Anna but I've had a hellish week. In fact I just got home from work right now. Gonna hit the shower and then get some much needed sleep."
"Oh I think I know the perfect way to help you relax baby. All you have to do is lie back and enjoy."
"I'm afraid I have to skip on our arrangement. I'll give you a call during the week ok."
Erik chose his words carefully. He had to remind Anna that theirs was an "arrangement" of sorts. Nothing official. Nothing promised. Just convenient.
"Well ok, I'll talk to you later then. Goodnight." Anna replied, disappointed and all the sultriness gone from her voice.
"Goodnight Anna."
They both hung up.
Anna-Marie or Anna, was taken aback by Erik turning her down. He had never done that before. She wondered if he had started seeing someone -- in which case, she'd have to find out who and up her game. After their break-up she had worked way too hard to keep him interested to lose him again! In her mind, they were going to get back together.
"But he did sound tired. Maybe he really did have a bad week/day," she thought to herself.
She quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to second guess herself. She resolved to find out exactly what he's been up to lately.
Erik, on the other hand, was wondering if the time had come to end his arrangement with Anna-Marie Vorster. She was one hell of a fuck and had bailed him out a couple of times as his date for work functions but he was not interested in re-kindling their failed relationship. They had dated for just over a year -- with the last few months of their relationship year spent breaking up and making up as she attempted to move herself into his house and pressure him to marrying her. During their relationship they had talked about getting married. Actually, she had, and he had merely agreed with her, not wanting to upset her. Although he had loved her, he just wasn't ready for marriage. When he eventually came clean she understandably walked out on him only to come back a month later. By then Erik had resolved that the break up was in her best interests as she deserved better -- someone who would give her the type of commitment she wanted.
Anna-Marie, on the other hand, had realized that Erik was the most suitable husband material of all the men she had ever dated in her life, and thus worth swallowing her disappointment of him not being too keen to get married.
When he rejected her attempts of reconciling, instead of letting her emotions get the best of her, Anna used her body, something he always had difficulty resisting, to keep him close. And so for the past four months since their break-up, they were "friends with benefits".
Before Erik fell asleep that evening, he wondered if he was getting way ahead of himself with Thina, and if cutting Anna off was a good idea: Yes, he wasn't interested in having a relationship with Anna again, but she had her advantages.
Thina on the other hand had his attention but was "uncharted waters". And he if admitted the truth, he was a little scared of whatever it is that he might be getting himself into. He acknowledged the fact that he was a little confused. That meant not being in control. Not good.
**********
The following week Erik did two things that gave him some form of control:
He sent Anna a nice apology gift and resolved to try and stay in her good books without actually sleeping with her until his got his head together. This way he still had her to fall back on if Thina didn't work out.
The second thing he did was to spend more time with Thina. In his mind, he was looking a moment that would either confirm that Thina was more than an attraction, or that she was a passing infatuation.
That moment didn't occur that week.
Instead they had a lunch dates, exchanged a crazy number of text messages and nightly phone conversations. She was like a drug...one hit/lunch date/text message and he wanted more. Yet, when he had a break from her his head was filled with thoughts of why he shouldn't go there.
Thina was loving the attention though also still apprehensive. She liked the fact that he did the calling, inviting to lunch, etc. And she appreciated that he was so considerate: asking her where she would prefer to eat, offering to collect her from her office and then drop her off after lunch. This was all new to her. In her books, this not only meant that he was interested, but was a gentleman as well -- very different from guys who'd simply inform her where and when.
But she still had her reservations. In addition to their work relationship and his race, she had in the previous week also learnt that he was 13 years older than her. That was too old. What could he possible want from her, other than a good time with a younger woman. A younger black woman.
As yet another Friday rolled by she told herself she'll address these issues and then move on, one way or the other. That "address these issues" moment never came.
That same evening, after seeing a movie at the local art house cinema,they had a night cap at a local hangout.
"Have you met with Stella lately? How's the campaign going? When are we seeing the creative stuff?" Eric fired at Thina.
"Yes, I did meet with her, twice actually. Don't take this the wrong way but I think you should ask Stella about that. She's my client and your company's marketing director. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to give you an update. It's just that you and I --"
"- I understand. No need to explain. I actually admire your work ethic. No worries, I'll ask Stella," Erik interjected.
"I'm just curious, that's all. Stella and her team do a great job. With your agency's assistance of course," he added.
Thina was relieved. She wanted to keep work out whatever was happening between her and Erik Bekker. Nor did she want to tell him that they had actually finalized the campaign creative approach and were going into production the following week. She had gotten the impression that Erik, although a banker by trade, perhaps wanted to be more involved in the campaign. Not a good idea - Thina knew from experience. It just spelled disaster.
The evening wore on and it was time to head home and somehow it had become routine for the two to find themselves kissing each other goodnight in parking lots.
It was meant to be a goodnight kiss. But this particular kiss was after three weeks of both of them realizing then trying to fight what was going on between them - and failing. This particular week had started with both of them wanting to establish something...wanting to confirm the realness of the attraction...wanting to address reservations...subconsciously looking for a way out. And yet there they were, in another parking lot, their bodies filled with lust.
Thina was standing on her toes, and Erik had bent down to her. As he was sucking her lower lip his one hand rested on the side of her car, his other cupped her butt, firmly pressing her towards his body. Thina's arms were around his upper body, also pulling him towards her. As she made contact with his erection Thina let out a moan, her arousal deepening. The dampness she had in her panties turned into a flood. She moaned deeper as his tongue explored her mouth. Then he let go of her ass, instead caressing her breast and gently pushing her back against her car. She had to fight the urge not to guide his hands to her ass so that she can wrap legs around his waist and feel his erection all the way up against her again. Luckily some of her sense came back to her -- they were after all in a public area.
Erik's thoughts were not far off Thina's. What he actually wanted to do was to unzip himself, lift her to his waist, pull her panties aside and have his way with her against her car. With that image in his mind he started caressing her soft breasts. His entire hand covered one as he rubbed his thumb over a hardened nipple.
