23 comments/ 31796 views/ 2 favorites The Reasons for Cheating Ch. 01 By: sk11 Author's note: This is my first story for Loving Wives, so be easy on me. This first chapter doesn't deal with adultery on the wife's part, but it'll come up soon enough in the series, which is the reason I've submitted it to this category. This is a work of fiction and any semblance to actual people or places is purely coincidental. xxxxx I still don't know why I did it. I'd like to say that it was a mid-life crisis or that I was shit-faced drunk, but neither of those is completely true. So, I'm stuck wallowing in my despair, as I know there was absolutely no reason for me to have cheated on my wife. Let me explain: last night was the weekly "guys' night out". Well, guys plus one. You see, I work at a small clinic as a nurse -- the only male nurse among two dozen of my fine colleagues. As a result, I've obviously had to suffer through much abuse, especially at the beginning, but luckily I always had one person on my side: Chloe. Chloe never really fit in herself with the other nurses and we naturally banded together as the sole outcasts. It quickly became quite obvious to me why Chloe felt out of place with the other ladies: she was practically a guy herself. Now, don't take this the wrong way, as anatomically speaking, Chloe certainly had all the parts. She stood at a tall 5'10" -- I know because I'm her exact height -- was perhaps a B-cup in the bust department, though she rarely bothered to wear a bra, and had wide hips, a tiny waist, and a tight ass toned from countless hours of sports. But in all other ways, Chloe was a guy. Sure, she dated now and again, but more often than not, she ended up being friends with the guy. That's because of Chloe's inherent nature: she always calls it like it is, isn't afraid to chug a beer or wolf down a burger, and is possibly the most knowledgeable sports compendium on the planet. Hence, she gets along better with men than with women. Anyway, I was no exception to the rule, and as I mentioned, we gravitated to each other at work, then later outside of it. She joined my pack of old friends as if she'd always belonged there and we shared many a drunken evening together. Yesterday night was shaping up to be no different and we were hanging out at MacGibbs watching the game. It was game seven of the playoffs and it was not pretty. Our team was only the eighth seed, but they'd battled hard all series only to piss it all down the drain when the going got rough. The game wasn't even halfway through and their defeat had been all but sealed; consequently, my friends and I just kept the taps flowing. Once again, I'd like to repeat that I was not that drunk, so that was not the cause of my extra-marital tryst: scout's honour. However, I cannot say the same for Chloe. Remember how I said that Chloe was our portable encyclopedia for sports? Well, most people who have that sort of knowledge are die-hard fans of one or more teams. So it was that on this fair night, her trademark dirty blonde pony-tail threaded through the opening at the back of her favourite cap, Chloe was getting hammered to deal with the massacre that hit close to heart. The final game of her team's season was coming to a close and Chloe had already drunk herself into a stupor. Most of the other guys were not any better off, so I knew it was up to me to make sure she got home safely; besides, I had brought her into the group and she was closest to me. So, I got up and nudged the head that was currently lying face down on the table. "Come on, Clo, time to go." "5 more minutes," she muttered. I laughed, then nudged her harder. "Fuck!" This got her awake and I knew from experience that she was not the most pleasant person while inebriated. Nevertheless, I calmly put my hands under her armpits and hoisted her out of her chair and onto unsteady feet. "Where we goin', Chahhhlie?" she questioned, still indignant, but looking like she just wanted to appease me so as to finally be left alone. "Home, Clo. Come on." I slung an arm across her shoulders and made her do the same. After quick goodbyes, we were on our merry way, zigzagging a path down the sidewalk towards Chloe's apartment a couple of blocks away. She became strangely silent as we walked, though the cool night air may have sobered her up some. I was thinking about how much of a pain in the ass she would be tomorrow at work, when suddenly we reached her apartment. I managed to pry the key out of her hand after several failed attempts on her part to slide the piece of metal into the lock, looking for the world as if she was trying to solve the universe's greatest mystery. My efforts, however, only earned me a sarcastic, "My hero." Once we made it past the threshold of her home, she immediately made her way to what I knew was her liquor cabinet. I at once strode across the room, hot on her heels. "Stop it, Clo. You've had enough for tonight." As I tried to get around her, she just shoved me back with both hands. "Stop being a meanie!" she yelled. Yup, an angry, sarcastic, childish drunk. Oh joy. I sighed in defeat, as I knew it would be probably be wise to compromise a little: better to let her drink a bit so she could nod off, rather than get her angry, which would probably result in furniture being thrown in my general direction. "Want a glass?" she asked, pulling a couple of them out along with a bottle of some cheap red wine. "Sure, why not," I muttered resignedly, conceding the battle on this night. I was surprised to see her able to pour the wine without any spills and I applauded her after her success. She glared at me in response before handing me the glass. She then sauntered off to the couch and removed her cap, throwing it onto a chair. I wordlessly followed, putting my glass on the coffee table before flopping down beside her. I always did that and she knew me well enough to be prepared; hence, no spillage once again and I can honestly say I was impressed. "Asshole," she said, but with no malice, as I could see a hint of a smile -- I was guessing she'd sobered up some. She lay her head on my shoulder, her legs curled up underneath her, as we lazily watched Conan on TV. He cracked us up now and again, but weren't really paying attention to the show. "Don't you have to go back home to Mary?" she asked, somehow sounding hostile; hadn't she been sobering up? "No," I answered cautiously, "She's away on business." The swapped gender roles my wife and I enjoyed was frequently a point of ridicule among friends, as I worked as an aforementioned nurse and did all the cooking, cleaning and laundry, while Mary brought home the sweet, sweet dough. However, Chloe never seemed to join in the fun with my other friends on that point, though God knows she was always mocking me otherwise. She seemed to soften after my answer, laying back comfortably on my shoulder. We quietly sipped away at our wine, which was making me sleepy, but only made Chloe seem more and more on edge, as if she was warring with herself. As I said, I was getting tired, so I wasn't letting anything concern me too much. Finally, Conan ended and I got up to show myself out; we did have to go to work tomorrow, after all, even if it was during a later shift. "Why don't you stay for a little while longer?" asked an almost timid Chloe, and I wondered where this new side of her was coming from. "You know we've got the second shift tomorrow, Clo, and I don't want to be a zombie at work." "Just stay for one more drink," she argued as she made her way to the liquor cabinet again. It was like history repeating itself as I once again made my way across the room to stop her. And, once more, she didn't allow me to. "Stop it Clo, you've been drinking all night. It's time for you to get some rest, and then you can drink some more tomorrow." I'd never seen her act like this before and was honestly starting to get worried for her health. What was puzzling me, however, was that she hardly seemed drunk at all. I tried to wrestle the glass out of her hand without breaking it, but she finally elbowed me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. "You don't want to do this," I managed to gasp out. "No," she replied, for a moment sounding completely clear of mind, "I need this." She then chugged the glass of wine and set it on the table. Before I could react, her lips were suddenly on mine, hungry and burning with desire. I'd like to say the reason I didn't react for upwards of ten seconds was that I was still winded, but honestly, I was just too completely shocked to do anything. When I finally snapped out of it, Chloe's tongue had managed to push its way into my mouth and after tasting that sweet nectar mixed with wine, all thoughts fled my mind. I pulled her lithe body against mine, ravaging her mouth with helpless abandon and she returned my attentions in full. As she grinded herself against me, pulling on my hair to get our faces closer together, I could feel my arousal straining painfully between us, and I knew she could as well. I dove my head into the crook of her neck, pressing kisses onto her slender neck before sucking on her pulse. As she let out a long moan, she dipped her head down to gently bite my earlobe before whispering in my ear, "Take me to the bedroom." I responded by grasping the firm cheeks of her ass and pulling her up. After a squeal of delight, she wrapped her legs around my waist and I proceeded to carry her to her bed, kissing her passionately all the while. "Come on, Charlie -- fuck me!" she yelled, as I deposited her onto the bed. She'd removed her hair band and with her long hair spread out around her, she was a vision of beauty. I stared into those wonderfully bright green eyes, never breaking my gaze as I carefully removed each of the buttons on her blouse. I don't know where this sudden self-restraint came from, but I just knew I wanted to make the experience with this goddess special. When all the buttons were undone, not a word had been said between us. "May I?" I asked, grasping the shirt on each of its two sides. She smiled and nodded. The beauty I slowly unravelled before me was beyond words and I could only stare down at her speechless. Chloe blushed prettily, before saying, "I hope it's not disappointing." That snapped me out of my reverie. "Clo, they're perfect -- you're perfect." Her blush only grew, but the look in my eyes could tell no lies. I gently caressed her breasts, discovering they fit just right in my hands, and experimented, trying to find what gave her the most pleasure. As I squeezed her breasts while tweaking her nipples, she let out a short gasp, arching her back to make more contact. Finally, I brought my mouth to one stiff, rosy pink nipple and sucked hard. Her scream spurred me on and I swirled my tongue all around her areola, delighting in the small bumps that I found there. I repeated my ministrations on the other breast, while using one hand to make sure the one left behind was still taken care of. I slowly slipped my other hand down her panties and towards the burning furnace I could already feel. Seeing Chloe's eyes closed and her body shuddering in pleasure, I gently clamped down on her nipple and moved a couple of fingers right along her slit. What followed was like fireworks, as Chloe let out a shriek that could have broken glass and her whole body seized in euphoria. As I watched her come down from her high, pleased I could take her to such heights so easily, I quickly undressed and then removed Chloe's pants, leaving her pink panties as the only item of clothing left on either of us. I brought my lips to hers again and our tongues danced together, delighting in the new yet somehow already familiar taste. I would have been happy to continue on like this forever, but Chloe eventually broke the kiss off. "Please, Charlie. I need you." She moved her panties down her hips and once again, I could only stare at the utter beauty before me. The tufts of hair were a soft golden brown and sparsely populated the region above her smooth pinks folds. I could see how wet she was and that only heightened my desire. I kissed her tenderly, looking deep into her emerald eyes only to find the same fire that undoubtedly burnt in mine. Then, I entered her. She was unbelievably tight as I made my way deeper and deeper inside of her, kissing anything I could find with reverence. I knew I wouldn't be able to last long, but that didn't seem like it would be a problem -- as soon as I bottomed out and started moving in and out of her, her moans became more and more constant. I drove hard and deep into her, but still controlled my pace, knowing the end result would be all the sweeter. "Faster," Chloe let out breathlessly, and I grunted in consent before upping the rhythm of our coupling. It seemed completely timeless as we shared kisses and looked into each others' eyes, completely unaware of our surroundings. Our combined sweat mingled and our hands never ceased in their exploration of each other's bodies. Finally, I could take it no longer and plunged as hard and as fast as I could past the slick walls surrounding my cock, causing a wide-eyed look to appear on Chloe's face as her moans became increasingly loud and desperate. Relentlessly, I pounded into her, knowing I was close. When I knew I was about to come, I simultaneously sunk my cock fully into her, bit down on one of her nipples gently, and slid my index over her swollen clit. We both exploded at the same time, our screams as in tune as our bodies were, and I was lost in ecstasy for at least a minute before I realized I was still on top of her. I quickly rolled over, then smiled as I watched her flawless face, still with an expression of elation plastered on. Suddenly, my phone rang and the spell was abruptly broken. I jumped out of bed and dug into my pants pocket to take out the phone. When I saw the name on the caller ID, my gut clenched in guilt. "Hi, honey, why are you calling so late?" I answered, trying not to sound nervous. "Hi, darling. I won't get a chance to call later because I'll be stuck in a meeting, and I just wanted to say hi, 'cause I know you'll be busy all day tomorrow. I hope I didn't wake you," she added. "No, I was just watching Conan, then ugh.... ESPN," I lied. "Okay, then. I know you're probably about to turn in, so I won't keep you up. Bye dear, I love you." "I love you, too," I responded automatically before ending the call. When I turned back around, I could see Chloe sitting up in bed, her hair a beautiful mess, the sheets covering her naked body. Tears were streaming down her eyes. "Clo..." With surprising agility, she was on her feet and rushing towards the bathroom. "Clo, wait!" I yelled, but she was faster than me and slammed the door in my face. I don't know what I would have said to her anyway, as I stood there with my head down against the door for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I turned around and walked out of the front door of her apartment, with only one thought in my mind: I'd made a huge mistake. *** As I got off the plane and tiredly made my way to the arrival zone, I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, exhausted and jetlagged after a long trip. As soon as I found our familiar white Corolla waiting for me right in front of the doors, my mood instantly brightened. Charlie quickly got out to help me with my bags once he got sight of me, and my heart filled with the same love I've felt for him for over ten years. As I stood up on tip-toes to give him a peck on the lips in greeting, he seemed oddly jumpy. "Hi, dear," I said with a smile. He immediately smiled back, before returning a "Hi" himself. He threw my bags into the trunk and I had to smirk, as he'd always been careless that way since the day I'd met him. But those little things were what made him the man I loved, and I wouldn't have changed them for the world. "Have a good trip?" he asked, as we settled ourselves into the front seats. I started recounting my time in California, the normal routine between us. He listened quietly, nodding now and again, but was otherwise acting strangely detached. "Is there something wrong?" He nearly jumped out of his seat, responding, "No...why do you ask?" "You just don't seem to be acting like yourself." "Guess I'm just tired." He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but finally just shook his head slightly and focused on the road. I didn't buy his explanation, but I'd let it lie for now. As I put my hand comfortingly on his thigh, searching his eyes, his own hand reflexively grasped mine protectively and my uneasiness was relieved a bit. When we reached our small, quaint house, Charlie quickly got out to open the door for me. "Thank you," I said, genuinely thanking him for his constant thoughtfulness. "You're always welcome, my love," was his automatic response, something I'd heard countless times before, yet it still made butterflies flutter in my stomach. We walked hand in hand to the porch, before he finally released mine to unlock the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief as we entered our familiar home, truly glad to be back. I made my way to our bedroom, as I was always dead tired after my trips, and Charlie soon followed after he got my bags from the car. We both went through the motions, cleaning ourselves up in the bathroom before changing into our sleepwear. As I settled myself comfortably in his arms in our queen-sized bed, snuggling up into his chest, I contentedly listened to his heart beat and felt his steady breathing. He was gently massaging my neck, relieving the tension I didn't know I had there and I purred in delight. He slowly moved down to my shoulders, giving them same attentive rubs, and I could feel my whole body melting, molding to the shape of him. I could feel myself getting aroused and my tiredness was forgotten for a moment. Just as quickly as he started, however, he stopped, causing a whimper to escape my lips. "Mary, I have something to tell you," he said, and I could feel him tensing underneath me. "No, don't stop," I replied, tugging at his hands to encourage them to continue their wonderful work. He complied, but I could tell he hadn't relaxed in the slightest. "It's important, Mary. While you were gone, I...I..." "Shh," I quieted him by moving my lips over his, pouring my love for him into the gesture. I rubbed my breasts across his chest, moving my hand down to grab his stiffening member. "Fuck, Mary!" he suddenly yelled when he felt my hand. He jumped out of bed, looking apologetically down at me before saying, "I'm sorry. I can't do this..." Before I could gather my senses enough to formulate a response, he grabbed a shirt and pair of pants then left the room. A moment later, I heard the sound of our car leaving the driveway. My mind was wide awake now, but my body wasn't willing. We only had one car, since the clinic Charlie worked at was within walking distance, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't follow him. Eventually, my weariness finally caught up with me, and I slid into an uneasy slumber due to the anxious thoughts still occupying my mind. Something was very wrong and if he wasn't going to come out and say it, I would get to the bottom of it. Tomorrow, I thought with a yawn, we'll talk about it tomorrow... *** I woke up early to get to work on time, already dreading what was bound to happen. For the past week, ever since "the night", relations between Charlie and I had been...strained, to say the least. We shared almost all the same shifts, and what had once been a blessing was quickly becoming my worst nightmare. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending my time with Charlie; on the contrary, since the day I'd met him, he'd always been caring and compassionate with the patients and the other staff, and that had never changed. However, the way he looked at me now -- or rather, didn't -- and kept things as professional as possible just felt like a vice on my heart whenever I was around him. I could look but not touch, since he'd scamper away from me at the slightest contact. I wondered for the umpteenth time whether it would have been better if that night had not happened at all; then at least, we could continue being friends. I knew from the way he acted that he certainly wished to have nothing to do with me any longer, but I...I wanted so much more. I'd gotten a taste of paradise and I didn't know how I'd ever find anything comparable with someone else. I was shown a glimpse of what could be only for it to be snatched away just as swiftly, and the cruel reminder of that fact stared me in the face every day as soon I walked through the sliding doors of the clinic. The Reasons for Cheating Ch. 01 Today was no different, and I almost laughed when I saw how quickly Charlie managed to close the folder he was looking at and hastily walk away as soon as he caught sight of me. I probably would have if it were not for the hurt that still clamped down on me whenever he looked at me with those eyes. Those damned eyes! The first day I'd met him, his soft brown eyes had captivated me and that was one of the reasons I had prevented the other nurses from torturing the new scrub. However, the more time I spent with him and the more time I saw him work with the patients, the more I realized the kind of heart he possessed. He didn't hesitate even a second to bring me into his group of friends and make me feel welcome among them. I can honestly say I'd never felt more comfortable than when I was with them...well, mostly with him. When I'd found out he was married, a sudden jealousy had gripped me and I was more surprised than anything as to why I was feeling it. We were just friends, after all, right? I mentally chastised myself for starting down that thought process again, as I knew we could never be anything more. I was not going to be the girl who steals another woman's man, and from the few times I'd met Mary, I knew she was a good person who also genuinely loved Charlie. Wait a second, also?! Geez, I have to get these thoughts out of my mind. It can never be, I thought sadly, looking at the back of his retreating figure. The sooner I realized that, the sooner I could move on. But as the morning passed, my feelings didn't change and if anything they grew -- as they had this whole past week. Finally, I managed to corner Charlie during lunch break so we could finally talk about what we had been putting off for so long. "Don't worry, I don't bite," I said, with a hint of scorn. "Hey, Chloe, what's up?" he answered with obviously fake cheer. "Seriously? How do you think it's been? You just bang me one night and then forget about me the next?" He was visibly taken aback by the comment and as soon as he'd fully absorbed what I'd said, the remorse was evident on his features. "I'm sorry Clo, I really am...God, I'm such an idiot." "Yes, yes you are." "I should never have done it -- " I could feel my heart drop in my chest. " -- but I can't forget about it either." And just as suddenly, it was back up. "Really?" I said, the hope barely concealed in my voice. Realizing his choice of words, he hastily said, "No! I mean, yes! Fuck, I can't even talk properly anymore." I giggled, and after a moment, his laugh joined mine. Suddenly, we were both laughing our heads off like during the times we'd shared what seemed like eons ago. Finally, I calmed down, and continued seriously. "We still have to talk, Charlie. I can't say I wasn't hurt by what has happened and I just want it to be clear where we stand and where we go from here." "I can't agree with you more. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you." I was touched by his words and I returned the sentiment. "Of course, neither do I, you dork. How about we get together after our shift so we can finally get some closure on this whole screwed up mess?" "That sounds great, Clo," Charlie responded with clear relief. We left the lunch room with smiles on our faces, the tension already noticeably diminished between us, and we were able to work well together throughout the afternoon. *** The guilt was still eating away at me, but at least my relationship with one of the two most important women in my life was looking to take a turn for the better. I just hadn't known how to approach Chloe after that night at her place. How do I make sense of her tears right before I left? And more than that, how can I explain my reaction to that? All I knew was that I had never wanted to hurt her. She was my friend, after all, so that was a natural response, right? I knew deep inside, though, that there was more to it than that, but there was no chance in hell I was going to come to terms with it. I thought back to Mary and my guilt was renewed. I had literally run away from her last night after I couldn't confess my infidelity. There was no way I was going to have sex with her before getting that in the open, as I wouldn't be able to live myself with that kind of deceit. I knew my wife and I knew she would badger the truth out of me eventually and for some reason, I was sort of glad: I'd been living with the guilt for a week but already it felt like I'd aged considerably in that time. Time to face the music, I thought to myself, as I smiled at Chloe and went off to face the first half of the problem I'd created. *** I spent the day at home working out how to confront Charlie about what happened last night. Luckily, I had a day off today and was patiently awaiting Charlie's arrival home from work. He should have finished around now, I wondered, as I anxiously got up to check the time again. He was coming home, wasn't he, I thought with growing apprehension. I had decided that we would come to terms with what was plaguing him as soon as he got back. I was certain that we would be able to work out whatever it was that had gotten him so bothered together. It was thirty minutes past the time Charlie usually came back and I finally decided to take the Corolla to try to find my husband. *** We took a bus to MacGibbs, as both of us were too exhausted to walk after a long day's work. Unfortunately, we'd both forgotten about the inevitable crowd during rush hour and we ended up having to stand and be packed like sardines. As the bus made a hard turn, I lost my footing and suddenly I found arms circled around my waist. I looked up to find soft brown eyes looking down at me and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Charlie was the first to tear his gaze away and then attempted to disentangle his arms, much to my disappointment. The bus came to a stop and I was abruptly pushed against Charlie's body. I could smell the mixture of his natural scent, his sweat and his deodorant, and I could feel my nipples stiffened against his hard chest. As the bus started up again, I did not change my position and was surprised to find that Charlie didn't push me off either. Instead, I could feel a distinct hardening pressing between my legs and I got excited. At every minor bump in the road, I pushed up and down against him, my highly sensitive nipples brushing against the thin cotton t-shirt he was wearing, and I could practically feel his skin against mine. As the ride wore on, I wasn't waiting for the bumps to move up and down against Charlie, but unabashedly grinded against him, my arousal growing and my wetness soaking my panties. I could tell Charlie was in a similar position, as the firm rod between us jumped at every smallest contact. "God, we shouldn't be doing this," he gasped out. I didn't answer, instead just turning my gaze downwards and staring at the prominent bulge in his pants. My mouth watered in excitement and I seriously considered just pulling his pants down right then and there, before the rational side of me realized where we were. All of a sudden, Charlie grabbed me by the shoulders and before I could grasp what had happened, I'd been guided out of the bus. I noticed then that we'd arrived at our stop. We were both breathing hard and blushing after the realization of what we had just done sank in. As soon as we made it into the bar, I excused myself to go to the washroom, and Charlie seemed glad for the temporary distance. As I stood in the bathroom, struggling to get my breath back under control and to return normal colour to my reddened cheeks, I reflected on what had happened: I had excited him. Plain and simple. And he had liked it, was even a willing participant. I should be feeling guilty for doing it, but instead I was just proud and pleased that I'd been able to draw that sort of reaction from him. I stared at the reflection in front of me and didn't see what it was that got his interest. Sure, my body was toned and my breasts were a decent, proportional size, but I'd seen his wife and I couldn't hold a candle to her. She was a petite woman, probably not much taller than five feet, but she had a natural beauty about her that I couldn't help but be jealous of. She had dark brown hair that fell in ringlets down her back and light blue eyes to frame a pixie-like face. I, on the other hand, rarely grew my hair very long, as it became a mess and too high maintenance for me. I reached into my bag and removed my make-up kit, considering what I was about to do. Just earlier today I said I was not going to be "that" woman, yet here I was actively trying to steal his attention. There was no two ways about it: I knew what I was trying to do and I accepted it. What had caused this sudden change? All I knew was that when I had seen that look in his eyes on the bus, it brought me back to the time we'd made love and I knew then that he was the who I wanted and no one else. I'd been denying it for a week, but seeing his eyes today had snapped me back to the reality I'd been rejecting and forced me to acknowledge that I loved him. Being friends with him was not enough any longer; now I wanted so much more and I was going to fight for it. Hence, I wasn't embarrassed by what I was about to attempt, but rather, by my inexperience in using the contraption in front of me. I mentally scolded myself for not paying attention to my mother so many years ago when she had tried to teach me (she had quickly given up when she realized I rarely bothered with it); I could probably count the occasions for which I'd applied make-up on one hand. Nevertheless, I understood the basics and I just focused on not putting on too much, as I knew that could quickly end up being a disaster. After five minutes of analyzing the job I'd done, I smiled, satisfied: a light pink eye shadow blended well with my complexion, mascara highlighted my green eyes, and some lip gloss made my lips look delicious, if I did say so myself. Looking at my image, I decided certain things would not do, and I removed my customary baseball cap and shoved it in my bag. My hair band soon followed and I struggled to brush my hair and tame the beast that was the mess on top of my head. Gritting my teeth, I managed to straighten it for the most part and I re-examined myself in the mirror. Not bad, I thought. Just one thing missing...with a blush, I quickly undid the top two buttons of my blouse, revealing the cleavage of my breasts unhindered by a bra. I left the room in a whirl. *** I'd almost considered asking another woman to check up on Chloe, since she'd been gone for at least fifteen minutes and I was getting worried. Usually, she never took more than a couple, if that. As I was about to ask someone, I abruptly saw her and I became transfixed to my bar stool. I swear she sauntered up to me and when I gulped audibly, she grinned widely. "Cat got your tongue?" When I didn't immediately answer, she laughed at my discomfort before sidling up to the bar stool beside mine and patting my cheek affectionately. A blush rose up in my cheek as I answered. "Damn, Clo. When did you become a babe?" It was her turn to blush, now. "Seriously, though. Why the sudden makeover?" I asked, regaining some of my composure, but still feeling decidedly uncomfortable with all that had happened in the past hour -- the past week, for that matter. "Oh, no reason," she replied, averting her gaze. When she turned to look away, I caught sight of the mouth-watering cleavage not a foot away from me -- so much for that composure. She of course noticed what I was doing and just laughed at me more as the blush returned to my cheeks. "Are you going to stare all day?" But she didn't seem to mind; rather, she seemed quite pleased by it. "Sorry," I muttered, re-establishing eye contact. However, that was another mistake, as I soon got lost into those beautiful emerald orbs. I found myself unconsciously inching forward, slowly getting closer and closer towards her face... "What do you think you're doing?" The clear, unmistakable voice came from the entrance of the bar. xxxxx Thanks for reading and please remember to vote (5 if you want more!)