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Erotic Potential

By: TexasFarmBoy



By nature, I am an introvert. That doesn't mean that I am unfriendly or uninterested in things going on around me. It does mean that I am more of an observer than a participant and a thinker/processor more than a mindless impulsive player in whatever was going on in the center stage. In short, I am not a major source of entertainment at parties and get-togethers; I am the guy sitting on the side watching and smiling while others are going overboard to impress the others. My wife on the other hand has an outgoing personality and can charge up an audience large or small with her charm and wit. I admire her talent to be able to do this but it isn't my style at all. But then that is perhaps why she is in sales management and I am in accounting.

My wife Lidia and I live in a medium sized suburban community of about 50 houses on half acre lots. The community has a clubhouse and pool at which the homeowners association hosts a monthly party or pot luck dinner which were both popular with the residents. As you might expect, my wife was a member of the entertainment committee while I chaired the cleanup and community appearance committee. The entertainment committee had fifteen members and usually had twelve or thirteen in attendance at their monthly meetings. My committee had twelve members and usually had three or four attend our monthly meetings. The saving grace was that I could bring a six pack or two and the three or four of us who showed up made sure that the meeting lasted until they were all in the recycle bin.

With my wife being one of the leaders of the entertainment committee, I frequently was volunteered to act as grill master, bartender, or parking attendant. It goes without saying that I stayed late and oversaw that the trash was cleaned up and the chairs were returned to the storage area. She on the other hand, was always greeting people at the door and especially taking any new comers to the community in hand and introducing them around to everyone and making them feel welcome.

Our April party was to be no exception. We had experienced a bad winter for our part of Texas with multiple freezes interspersed with non-seasonal warm spells. The trees and plants were definitely confused by the constantly changing weather. As a result, many of the people were also restless and this party was the first of our "Spring Season" and people were more than ready to get together and have a good time. My job was bartender since one of the recent newcomers wanted to show off his skills on the grill. The invitation from the committee specified for folks to bring kebobs of your choice and a vegetable or salad. As usual, the bartending job consisted mainly of keeping the beer cold and both red and white wine bottles open and ready to pour. My job was mainly to just to stand around but tonight I felt a little more energy and used it to walk around and refill wine glasses as I noticed them empty.

This led me to a very nice looking woman sitting alone on the outside of the main event watching people closely. She and her husband had been newcomers three months previously but I couldn't remember her name or much about her. Her husband was one of the principal figures on the center stage but I couldn't remember his name either or what he did for a living. I had always found it ironic that we recognized people by their name or their career but seldom by other redeeming qualities. Many people only remembered people by their name attached to a profession such as 'Rob, the doctor' as opposed to 'Rob, the banker'. One of our neighbors was notorious for her short summary of people with three attributes; 'that's Rob, the doctor; he's rich'. For her, the profession and his or her economic status clearly defined every person she met. I never knew how she thought about me if she ever did. If she did, it would probably be "That's Dan, he's married to Lidia; she is going to be vice president of her company soon." I guess that accurately describes my redeeming social value in the community.

Regardless of what my status was or wasn't, I took pleasure in seeing that people enjoyed themselves at our gatherings and tonight was no exception. So I approached the young woman whose wine glass was almost empty.

"Excuse me; I noticed that your glass is almost empty. Would you like a refill?"

The young woman looked at me and smiled, "Thank you Dan; I would appreciate it." I poured her another glass of merlot but felt bad because she remembered my name but I couldn't remember hers.

I covered as best I could. "Are you having a good time tonight?"

"So far, so good. I just hope that the grill guy doesn't burn all of the chicken kebobs. Most guys cook the chicken like they do the beef ones and they end dry and not really very good."

"I'll go out and make sure that he takes care of the chicken ones just for you."

She giggled. "I'll go with you. Most guys don't like a woman invading their private domain." She stood up and I left the wine bottles on the bar as we walked outside to the grill. Sure enough, the guy at the grill had the chicken ones right over the hottest part of the fire with the beef ones.

"Hi Dan and Natalie; is that right?" We nodded. "Will you watch the grill for a minute? I need to go the rest room."

"Sure, take your time." He left and I immediately moved the chicken kebobs to a cooler area of the grill and basted them again with some marinade.

Natalie looked at me and said, "That solved that."

I grinned and replied. "I think I can salvage the chicken for you."

"And you were reminded of my name to boot; how fortunate." She grinned back at me.

"Ok, sue me. I can remember a sixteen digit numerical password for a computer but I can't remember the name of a beautiful woman to save my life."

She laughed. "I thought I recognized a kindred soul in you when we first met. I am Natalie Reynolds and my husband is Greg, He works in sales management at Consolidated and I stay at home and do a bunch of different things. Remember now?"

"Of course; I remembered you and excuse me for saying this but your husband is mostly forgettable. I deal with his type often and I seldom remember their names after a meeting. They all want the same thing and that is to find a way to juggle the books to make things look better so that their bonus can be bigger."

"You just described Greg to a tee. Fortunately, he makes enough that I can pursue my passions."

"Which are?"

"Gardening for one; cooking for another; and writing for a third."

"So you write about gardening and cooking?"

"Those and other things."

"Interesting. Why don't you get your plate; I don't think I can do any further damage to the chicken."

She smiled, "Why don't I get us each a plate and you can regale me with your life among the boring while we eat. You are more interesting than the floor show."

Now that caught my attention; no one including my wife ever accused me of being interesting before. "I think that I would like that. Why don't you add salad and some veggies to the plates and I will be ready for you when you return."

"That's a deal. I'll put my wine on the table over there and will be right back."

As she walked away, I took another look at the woman who thought I was interesting. She was indeed very attractive in a natural way. She wore little makeup and her hair hung naturally. She was wearing a sweater and a skirt which hid much of her body but based on her legs and overall image, she appeared to be about 5'6" and weighed in around 130 lbs or so. She moved with the easy grace of a confident woman and didn't appear to have any severe affectations. Her smile was natural and free and her eyes flashed with interest.

She returned with her smile firmly in place and held out the plates as I placed three chicken kebobs on one and one each of beef, chicken and shrimp on the other. She said, "Oh a man with eclectic tastes. I like that." I turned a shade of pink and didn't have a response to that comment.

She carried the plates to the table and produced two sets of eating tools from a pocket and a beer from the other. "I wasn't sure if you were drinking beer or wine; so I gambled on the beer since not many men seem to be drinking wine."

"Damn; you have a flaw." I said lightheartedly. "I only drink beer when I go to a baseball game and I doubt that one will break out here tonight." I smiled at her. "I'll take this back and bring out a special bottle I reserved for special people and special occasions."

"Ah, the man is full of surprises." She responded as her smile expanded. I went inside and returned the beer to the cooler and dug out the wine I was saving for my meal. I carried two clean cups and returned to the table where I poured two glasses.

"It is red but I think that it goes especially well with food regardless of the rules." 

Natalie took a sip and her eyes sparkled. "Oh, yes; this is very nice. Thank you. Are you a wine connoisseur?"

"No. I like to cook also and have tried a variety of different wines with different things. I just found this one a couple of months ago and really liked it. The other thing is that it is relatively cheap compared to some of the other so called gourmet wines."

"So, did you make any of the kebobs?"

"You are eating the chicken ones and the shrimp ones are mine. I'm not sure about the beef ones but I don't think so. This is a little tough."

"So meat is your thing?"

"Hey, I'm a guy. Meat and bread are my two passions. I bake bread from scratch and try all sorts of things with meats. Mostly, I grill them, even in winter; but I will broil them if the weather is really bad. What about you?"

"I'm a girl so I mostly do vegetables and casseroles. You are eating my vegetables. I get them from the farmer's market and try to make them interesting."

"No wonder they taste so good. How big a garden do you have?"

"Since we just moved, I am still developing it but right now, I am planning on about 4000 square feet. That is about half our back yard. My husband wants to put in a pool and a patio so I am working around that. Before we moved, I had a small ground garden but grew a lot of things in containers. We had a townhouse and there wasn't a lot of ground to work with. I am excited to get a big garden going."

"You said that you thought we had kindred souls; what did you mean? I'm curious."

She smiled her million dollar smile again. I felt that it was becoming addictive.

"When we first met, I could see that you weren't a party animal but that you were really a nice guy. Then last month, we didn't even say hello but I watched you closely and saw that you are like me in that you like to stay busy rather than chit chat and strut your stuff. I saw that you aren't a people person but a person person. You like individuals but aren't terribly comfortable in groups. And that pretty well describes me. So this month, I decided to get to know you better and so far you have lived up to all of my expectations. Comments?"

"Well you pretty well have me labeled and I will admit, you have my attention tonight. So where do we go from here?"

"For starters, tell me about the exciting things that go on in your head. A quiet man like you must have many, deep thoughts rolling around in there."

"Ah, you want me to bare my soul and then strip myself naked in front of you. Maybe, I am not ready to do that."

"No, you probably aren't; but tell me, when was the last time someone, anyone, asked you to just talk about yourself and was willing to listen?"

"Let's see; counting today, it has probably been about thirty years ago now."

"Unless I miss my guess, that would have been your mother who asked and you were about 5 years old and she wanted to know what you wanted to be when you grew up."

I grinned. "You are partially right. She wanted to know why I was fascinated by how someone hit a baseball. She didn't know the answer but then, none else knew the answer either."

"Oh, that is simple. The batter has to swing at precisely the right moment and has but a fleeting second to adjust the swing so that it is on the same plane as the ball. If he does this successfully, he hits the ball. If he doesn't, then he has a strike against him." She smiled. "Let's face it; that is really a tough job. The best hitter in baseball was Ted Williams and in his best year he hit safely 4 out of 10 at bats. So 6 out of 10 tries, he sat back down to try again later."

"And a good hitter today sits down 7 out of 10 tries. If my batting average in accounting was .300, I'd be in the unemployment lines."

"Your wife is in sales; what do you suppose her batting average is?"

"She says that if she can give her presentation to the right people, she closes about 80%. If you throw in all of the other efforts, it is probably in the 30% range because a lot of projects don't materialize."

"So if a batter today could discount all of the calls the umpire missed, they would all be hitting .400."

I shook my head and smiled. "You know your data and statistics. Are you sure you aren't a mathematician?"

"Actually, that was what I trained to be but then I found out that I would rather cook and garden and write rather than play with the numbers. So, you are an accountant. What part of that do you enjoy the most?"

That was also a novel question; most people assumed that I just liked to play with the numbers. "Actually, the part I like best is when someone comes to me with a box of stuff and asks me to turn that box into something meaningful. I guess I like to turn chaos into a coherent story best. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense; that is what I love to do with my writing. I take a scenario and create a plot around it and try to build it into a plausible story. When I succeed, I am floating on cloud 9."

"That's interesting. I always thought writers dreamed up some idealistic statement of the human condition and then wrote a story to illustrate it."

"Some writers try to do just that. I'm not one of those. I guess that I write to create a story and if I am really lucky, I generate a tale that includes that broad statement of the human condition. I usually just think of myself as a storyteller rather than a moralist."

"Give me an example. This is fascinating."

"Hmmm. Ok, look over there. There is my husband sitting with a woman who isn't his wife. What are they talking about? She could be hitting him up for a job. He might be trying to find a way to get in her panties. Or maybe they are discussing the differences and similarities between today's conservative and liberal politicians. Which scenario would make the best story?"

"The last one might make a good essay but would be a dry story. The first one could be the basis of a story but there would have to be more subject matter to make it interesting. So I guess a story of a man trying to seduce a woman in close proximity to his wife and her husband would be the most potentially interesting one of the three."

"You added two important details but you are right. It wouldn't be quite as interesting if her husband was out of town and his wife was working. Then it boils down to do they want to fuck each other. But with both spouses present, there is an element of suspense and unknown that enters the plot. That is what I call the erotic potential. Even if they both want to fuck each other, they probably can't get away with it today. They might arrange to meet later tonight or tomorrow or next week. They risk getting caught or seen by others. They might change their mind before they can actually get together. There are a host of things that can come between the want to and actual doing it. That is where I find the interesting story; building on that tension and leading to some form of ultimate resolution. In my mind, it is sort of like your box of receipts and trying to make the chaos into a coherent story."

"So you write porno?"

"I guess that it is in one sense but not really. I write about erotic potential; the actual sex act is fairly limited in scope and is usually the result of the buildup of the erotic potential. I do write other stories but honestly, I seem to find a lot of erotic potential in many scenarios. So yes, I do write a lot of 'adult' stories. Does that bother you?"

"No, not at all. I guess I thought that most adult stuff was written by men."

"The hardcore stuff usually is although there are women who write really hard stuff too. In general, women tend write softer, more romantic pieces. At least that is my experience."

"Do you try to sell them?"

"Actually, I have three novels published by one of the e-book companies and they are doing fairly well."

"A published author! Congratulations."

"Thanks. I am proud of them but I do write under a pen name. I still like my privacy. But I also have a published cookbook under my own name and so far, it is doing fairly well."

"Give me the name of one of your erotic stories; I'd like to read it."

She grinned, "So you are a dirty old man after all."

"Only if you admit that you are a dirty old woman too."

"Let me get your e-mail and I'll send you one of the ones that I am just about to release. No one has read it yet."

"Doesn't your husband read them?"

"No; he doesn't know that I write things like this. He knows I write about cooking and gardening and they don't interest him."

I grinned, "But he might be interested in your more erotic ones."

"Probably not since he would recognize himself in most of them. A lot of my stories are based on his activities."

"Really! I mean does he play around or do you just build stories around him and the people he comes in contact with?"

"He is definitely a flirt and tries to make a favorable impression on the women. Look over at them now. Do you see any changes in them since we started talking?"

I looked. They appeared to be sitting in the same position but they now appeared to be talking easier and laughing more. She occasionally put her hand on his arm as she responded to something he said. His eyes were focused on her although they wandered over her body rather than just on her eyes or face.

"It looks pretty much the same except that they seem to be more comfortable with each other." I said.

"Good observation. But now I would say that they have broken through the formality barrier and are into a more intimate place. She is touching him now and his eyes are wandering over her checking her out. If her blouse had two more buttons undone, his eyes would be glued on her tits. I would think that before long, they would take a break and go back inside and maybe dance a little. Then it would move from casual intimacy to more personal contact intimacy."

"So you really think that would happen? I mean you are here watching and her husband is probably inside and could come out at any time."

"The reality is that everything is probably fairly innocent right now but the erotic potential has increased as they have gotten more comfortable with each other. Let's take our plates inside and see what else we might see."

We stood up and gathered our plates and glasses and took them to the kitchen. From the look of things, clean up would be long tonight. There were a lot of plates and silverware filling the sink tonight. I frowned, but Natalie pulled me away from my upcoming chores and led me into the main room. We refilled our wine from the bottle on the bar and took a seat on one of the vacant love seats in the room. Music was playing on the stereo and several people were already dancing.

"Look at the people dancing. Which ones do you see who have the most erotic potential?" She asked as she leaned over to me and spoke softly in my ear.

I looked at each couple. It was then that I realized that my wife was dancing with one of the neighbors named Stan. They usually danced together several times during our parties but I had never thought much about it before. Now, I looked with a different outlook. They were dancing close to each other as it was a slow song. He was whispering in her ear and she was smiling. As they turned, I saw that his hand was below her waist but on the upper part of her ass, not terribly low. His other hand held her hand close to her body but his knuckles were definitely pressing against her breast. She had her abdomen pressed firmly against his and would undoubtedly know if he was at all erect. Previously, I wouldn't have thought a thing about it but now, I could certainly see the potential, the erotic potential. No one else caught my attention at the moment.


Erotic Potential



"So, what are you thinking?" Natalie whispered in my ear. "They look very comfortable together, don't they? Can you see any erotic potential?"

"Yes." I barely squeaked. Natalie's hand was on my thigh.

"Come dance with me." She stood up and took my hand. We didn't move too far from the love seat as I took her in my arms. She melted against me with her body pressed against mine. I had my hand on her waist and our other hands were against our chest. My knuckles were pressing her breast. Her free hand was around my neck and she started teasing the hair on the back of my neck.

We danced for a few moments before she whispered, "What do you think he could do that would arouse her?"

I whispered back, "If he kissed her neck just below her ear. That would probably do it."

"How would she respond?"

"If she responds like she does with me, she would move and straddle his thigh a little."

"Like this?" Natalie moved just a couple of inches and her mound was pressing against my thigh.

"Yes, just like that."

"A little vicarious thrill to spice up the evening?"

"I guess. I have never seen her do anything like that with anyone else before."

"Have you ever paid attention before?" She pressed a little harder against my thigh.

That was a jab to my pride and my ego. "I....."

"I didn't say that to be mean or to hurt you. It is natural to overlook a lot of little things when you trust someone. These are the kind of questions I have asked myself about my husband. It isn't easy to face the possibility that he might be aroused by another woman. But the fact is that people are attracted to others all of the time. It doesn't mean that anything will happen but that there is the potential for something to happen. I doubt that your wife has noticed that you have been with me for most of evening. And my husband hasn't noticed anyone but that woman all night."

"But you have noticed both him and my wife. I guess I am not as observant as I ought to be, huh?"

"Hey, nibble my neck just under my ear." I did as she asked and was overwhelmed by her sweet smell. "Hmmm, that's enough. Your body temperature has risen enough for now."

I pulled back and asked, "Are you just teasing me or what?"

She smiled at me and replied, "Yes, I am teasing you but for your information, I have never talked or acted this way with anyone, ever. When we first met, I felt something about you; a connection of some kind. Tonight, one thing led to another and I have told you more about me and what I do than I have ever told anyone. And unless I missed the signs, you are getting caught up just like I am. Am I wrong?"

"I'm a little confused and overwhelmed but I won't say that you are wrong. I'm not sure what I feel right now."

"Then why don't you pour us each another glass of wine while I go to the ladies room. Then we can go outside and talk some more." She smiled and caressed my cheek. Then she went towards the restroom.

I stood still for a moment and looked around. My wife was still dancing and Stan's hand was now resting lower on her ass and she wasn't resisting. She also had his thigh rubbing against her mound as he gently nibbled on her neck. I couldn't be certain, but it also appeared that his fingers were extended and stroking her breast. I broke myself away from that scene and went to the bar to pour us another glass of wine. From this vantage point I could see Natalie's husband dancing with the woman he had been talking to. He made no pretense of hiding his efforts. His hand was on her ass and was caressing it aggressively and he occasionally kissed her lips. Her hand seemed to be under his pullover shirt and caressing his chest. If this has been going on for some time, I really had been oblivious to what was going on around me and that didn't sit well with me. Natalie had opened my eyes to the potential for things happening.

Then I felt a hand slip around my waist. "Are you having fun?" It was Lidia.

"It has been different tonight."

"I noticed. Are you having a good time talking to Natalie? I had a feeling that you and she would get along well together. Maybe you can invite them over for dinner next weekend so we can get to know them better."

"I'll talk to her about it. Are you having a good time?"

"Yes; I think I was ready to get out after this lousy weather we have been having. I'm going to the restroom. Have fun." She kissed my cheek and went toward the restroom.

I guess that being oblivious was a condition that didn't afflict just me. She knew I was talking to Natalie but was unaware that we were watching her. Natalie wasn't back yet so I took our wine near the back door and ate a couple of items and turned back to the room and looked from the other side. I had probably known that several others were friendly with non-spouses but I never thought that there might be erotic potential going on with others.

Stan's wife was dancing with another guy and they appeared to be as tightly clutched as her husband had been. Several other couples were involved to a varying degree. Another couple was sitting on the love seat we had vacated and had their arms around each other. I had failed to notice that someone had dimmed the lights somewhat so that there was a more intimate setting. Oddly, there were only a few people just sitting around. 

I turned to look out on the patio and found a group of men talking and a group of women also clustered. Obviously, I had missed that a number of people had already left. I was musing about my change in outlook when I felt two hands on my sides again but I knew that these weren't Lidia's hands.

"Did you miss me?" Natalie's sweet voice whispered in my ear.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I was just looking at everyone with the new eyes you opened for me tonight."

"Interesting isn't it?"

"Yes; and maybe a little disturbing too. I'm still not sure about that."

"I hear that we are having dinner at your house next weekend. Are we going to prepare the dinner together?"

"I'd like that. I guess that you met Lidia in the restroom."

"Yes and we talked for several minutes. Let me have a sip of wine and then let's dance again before we go outside." I handed her a cup of wine and took a sip of my own. Then I put them in a place where they were unlikely to be disturbed.

I took her hand and led her back to the dance floor where she once again came easily into my arms. This time her head went straight to my shoulder with her arms around my neck. I had both of my arms around her waist holding her close to me. She felt so natural like this and once again I was lost in her charms. Since she was taller than Lidia, she fit against me more naturally and I didn't have to lean over as far to hold her. That also meant that she didn't have to move as far to have contact with me. Her lips kissed my neck just below my ear and then whispered, "Notice anything different about me?"

"No, I don't think so. You look pretty much the same as you did before."

"What could I have done that would have increased the erotic potential between us?" She kissed my ear again.

I thought a moment and then said, "There are a number of things but I guess that if you had taken off your bra that would increase the potential without actually doing anything visible."

"Good guess. What made you think of that?"

"I think that most men are enchanted with a woman's breasts and that even if they can see or know that they are bare, they are aroused just by knowing that."

"Excellent; but wouldn't it be the same if a woman wasn't wearing panties? Ultimately, that is the dream of every man too."

"True, but that almost takes it out of the realm of erotic and into the area of overt sexual openness, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I guess it could. But even if you couldn't touch or see, wouldn't it be erotic just knowing that the woman you were with was commando for the night? You don't have to answer that; I can feel how you are responding to that possibility. So did I do either of those things or perhaps something else?"

"Since you are wearing a heavy sweater and skirt, it is kind of hard to tell without checking." I ran my hands up and down her back but could only feel the heavy knit of her sweater.

"True. I'll give you a hint. I did virtually the same thing that Lidia did. You might want to check her out again."

We were dancing about ten feet away from them and in the dimmer light, I couldn't tell much; so I maneuvered us closer. Lidia's head was turned away from me and I gave her a close look over. She appeared to be the same as before. Then I took a closer look. His hands were still resting on her ass and he was gently squeezing her cheeks. Her blouse was tight across her back but I couldn't discern a bra strap. Then she pulled away from him to say something in his ear and I saw that his hand was definitely cupping her breast and her nipple was poking through her blouse. As I watched her whisper in his ear, I saw his hand unbutton another button on her blouse. When we arrived, she had one button undone. This one made the third one undone. I had little doubt that when they closed again at least his fingers would be touching her warm flesh.

"She's putting on quite a show for you, isn't she?"

"Is she doing that for me? I would have thought that it was for her or his benefit."

"It is hard to say for sure but she obviously wants you to see at least something. So she isn't afraid for you to witness her erotic explorations. That in itself is erotic, don't you think?"

"I guess that is the part that I am not sure of. When we walked in tonight, I would have told you that she had never strayed or gone outside of our marriage. But now, I'm not sure."

"And you haven't either but you have thought about it, haven't you?"

I started to lie but then shut my mouth and replied, "I guess if I am totally honest, I have thought about other women but I have never acted on it."

"If you have those erotic thoughts, why can't she? It is fairly normal to be aroused by someone you are attracted to."

"But acting on it takes it to another level and that breeds consequences."

"Ah, you have found the magic word; consequences. Of course there are consequences and that is what changes the erotic potential into erotic participation. Has she done anything tonight that you are going to get angry at her about?"

I just stared at Natalie for a moment trying to decide if I was or could be angry. "At this level, I guess not. So far she has mostly just received attention and hasn't given any and it has been minimal. What about your husband; he has been the aggressor with that woman and it could lead to more. I don't know yet if Lidia will allow things to go any farther."

Natalie smiled at me. "It used to bother me that he would rather play with someone other than me but then I realized that he is a salesman and when all he does is give a sales pitch, he isn't happy. He wants to close the deal. So I quit worrying about him."

"You're kidding! You know that he plays around on you and it doesn't bother you."

"I didn't say that it didn't bother me; I said that I quit worrying about him. He travels a lot and there is no way that I can know what he is doing when he's gone. When he is home, he mostly ignores me. So I turned my feelings into my writing and observing other people. So far, I have no regrets."

"You'll have to explain that to me better."

"Let's get our wine and go outside and find a quiet place to sit and I'll try." 

We left the dance floor and I picked up our wine cups as I followed her out the door. We walked past the two groups still talking on the patio and went around the corner to a bench sitting under a tree. It was much darker there as I sat down and she sat next to me.

She held her hands in her lap and looked down. "I met Ron in college and we had a whirlwind romance. I was shy and introverted; he was the big man on campus. When he showed interest in me, I was shocked. We got married right after we graduated and he started working for the company he is with now and I went to work for a startup company that couldn't pay a lot but did offer us a nice stock ownership plan. If the company did well, then we would do well also. Ron's family had some property that he was due to inherit so he wanted a pre-nup to protect the land. I didn't see the need but he insisted, so I signed it. Part of it was that my stock options were separate property for me. By the end of the first year, he had discovered that he was a really good salesman and traveled a lot. Initially, it was overnight and he just drove but later, they began sending him all over with a big expense account. The second year he was the second top salesman and in the third year, he was the top salesman and has been one or two ever since. He makes good money but he also likes to spend it. We had a townhouse that he liked because he didn't have to do yard work and maintenance. I wanted a garden but couldn't very well have one there. In any event, things were going along fairly well except that as his reputation grew, so did his ego."

She paused and took her breath while she collected her thoughts.

"He had been very loving when he came home from his trips but after a while things slowed down. I wondered if he was playing around while he was out of town and it kind of became an obsession with me. After a year or so of worrying about it, I asked myself what I could do if he was. Would I divorce him or yell at him or what. What I finally came to realize was that there really wasn't much I could do to stop him. I could threaten him or divorce him but so what? All that would do would be to make him more careful or make our lives miserable. So like I said, I quit letting it worry me. I don't like the idea of him messing around but I am not going to let it cause me to lose sleep over it. So I began focusing on the side of what if he did? What would she be like and how would they meet and hook up. He is usually only in one place for a short period of time; so things would have to happen quickly. I wrote my first novel based on what I thought might happen. It has sold pretty well. That is what I meant by not worrying about it."

"I see. So do you think that he is playing around when he is gone?"

"I don't know for sure but I would expect that he is. Like I also said, he is a salesman and he isn't happy until he closes the deal. Just flirting wouldn't satisfy his ego. I don't think that he is a serial seducer or anything but if an attractive woman came along, his interest would skyrocket."

"Hmmm. And you have been happy since you made this realization?"

"Yes; I am happy but not because of that. That realization freed me up to focus on what was important to me. I focused on work, I focused on gardening and cooking, and I started writing. The combination of those things has made me happy. The only shortcoming in this is the loss of some of the personal intimacy I previously felt. I had friends at work and a few girl friends to hang out with but there wasn't any real erotic potential going on in my life. Everything was just vicarious dreams and wishes."

"That sounds like a pretty big hole in your life to me."

"It was; but I think I have solved that."

"Oh, do you want to tell me about that part or is that going someplace you don't want to talk about?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it totally yet but let's just say that there is the potential for erotic potential in my life. But let's talk about you for awhile. You were a little surprised at Lidia tonight. Have you not thought about what she does or might do when she travels?"

"No, I didn't really think about that. She usually calls me at lunchtime when she is out of town and she is usually very open about who she is with and what they are doing. She travels to the same places regularly and stays for four or five days. She tells me when they are going out to dinner or out to a club. I haven't seen any signs of anything out of the ordinary. But from what you have said, I guess that the possibility exists that something might be going on or at least has the potential to happen. But you are also right in that there really isn't much I can do to stop her if she really wanted to do something. I tend to get wrapped up in my work so deeply that I haven't thought about it."

Natalie smiled, "So you have a hole in your life that you haven't realized yet, don't you?"

I thought for a moment and finally replied, "I guess I do. I just fill the void with work usually."

We sat silently for several minutes. Then we heard someone coming off the patio and walking around the side. I was about to make our presence known when I heard a familiar voice.

"Come on Lidia; you've got me so wired up tonight I am going crazy."

"Stan, I told you before and I'll tell you again; I am not going to mess around this close to home. A little light flirting and necking is ok; your wife is doing it too. But nothing else. I am not going to mess up my marriage for a quickie."

"But you agreed to meet Greg in Nashville this week."

"We are both going to be there on business and we are going to dinner Wednesday night. That isn't the same as screwing like teenagers."

"But you saw the look on Greg's face. He wants you badly and your reaction to him says that you were receptive."

"Look, Stan, come to Nashville this week and maybe we can get together but nothing is going to happen here tonight. Let's go back inside and find your wife; you are pushing me too hard."

They went back the way they came. Both Natalie and I looked at each other for several more minutes before I broke the ice. "I guess that both of us are going to wonder about the erotic potential going on in Nashville Wednesday night, huh?"

"I have a better idea."

"What's that?"

"You take me to dinner Wednesday night and we won't worry about them at all."

I looked at her for a moment and then grinned. "Would you like to go out to dinner Wednesday night? I know a very nice little Italian place that has good food and wine and a nice atmosphere."

"Oh, this is so unexpected but I'd love to go out with you. Since you didn't know, Wednesday is my birthday and this would be really special. Thank you. What time and what shall I wear?"

"Let's say, I pick you up at 7:00 and you choose the dress."

"Alright, I will wear a sundress since I want to impress you."

"Then I'll wear a turtleneck and sport coat. And we will make a happy birthday for you."

"As long as you don't ask me how old I am."

"Deal. I guess we better get back inside; it is probably about time for me to start cleaning up."

"If you can give me a ride home, I'll stay and help."

"You better say that quietly; if someone hears you, you will be on the clean up committee permanently."

"And the problem with that is?"

I grinned at her. "The problem is that when you are on that committee and you can't get off of it."

She laughed as we entered the clubhouse again. Most of the people had left except for a few people who were still talking. These included Greg and Lidia. Two of the regulars on the committee were starting on the dishes so Natalie and I started gathering glasses and plates from various places and took them to the kitchen. As we neared the talking group, Greg asked Natalie if she was ready to go. She replied that she was going to stay and help clean up and that I would give her a ride home. He nodded but Lidia grinned at me as if to say, "You naughty boy."

Shortly after that, they left and we continued cleaning up. It took about an hour to finish putting the last trash bag out to the pickup area. Natalie and I each took a cup of wine as I locked the door and led us to my truck. As I pulled into her driveway, Natalie leaned over and whispered in my ear. "I wasn't wearing a bra tonight at all but I took my panties off in the restroom earlier. Now you have something to dream about tonight." The she kissed me on the lips and got out of the truck and went inside. I sat there for a moment digesting everything she had said tonight. Then I drove the short distance to my house. Lidia was already in bed asleep.




Erotic Potential



I knew that Lidia slept naked and the clothes that she had been wearing were lying on a chair but there was no sign of her underwear. There were none in the hamper. On a whim, I went to the kitchen and peeked in her purse. There was her bra and panties rolled up in a ball. The panties were definitely damp in the crotch. I nodded as I realized that Natalie had indeed opened doors for me to consider. I went to bed and thought things over again and then fell into a dull sleep still trying to sort this out. Sometime early in the morning, calmness settled inside me so that when I woke up, I actually felt relaxed and rested. The image I held in mind just before I opened my eyes was an image of Natalie.

Lidia was already up and was washing clothes to get ready for her upcoming trip. I poured a cup of coffee and sat at the breakfast table and thought about what to fix for breakfast and if I should talk to Lidia about last night. I didn't have to make that decision.

"Good morning sweetie. I hope you had fun last night? I really enjoyed getting together with the neighbors again. It has been such a strange winter. If you are up to it, how about waffles with strawberry jam today?"

"I'll do that after I have my coffee and yes, I did enjoy last night. It looked like you and Stan enjoyed dancing again."

"He is a really good dancer but he can also be a little pushy sometimes."

"Oh? In what way?"

She looked a little embarrassed. "He lets his hands roam a little sometimes. It's nothing I can't handle but...... well you were there and so was his wife."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Oh no; nothing like that. He is a good neighbor and all but I think I won't spend so much time dancing with him in the future. Maybe I'll dance with Greg more next month. Did you enjoy dancing with Natalie? I know that you enjoyed talking to her. I don't think you talked to anyone else all night."

"I enjoyed dancing with her and she and I do seem to share a number of things in common."

"Good. I always worry a little about you at parties and then when I am gone. You get so wrapped up in your work that you don't really have a friend or friends to just hang out with."

"You wouldn't mind if I talked or saw her while you were out of town?"

"Not at all. She nice and is also very pretty too. I would rather you have a friend like that than some drunk who took you to strip clubs or bars. Besides, you know that when I am out of town, I usually go to dinner with the people from the office there and we go dancing and stuff too. So why shouldn't you?"

"You don't worry that something more than that might happen?"

"No more than you worry that something might happen with me. There is always temptation but I trust you just like you trust me. So, why not? Besides, she is married to Greg and if we become more friendly with them, I doubt that anything would happen."

"So how do you deal with temptation when you are out of town?"

"Mostly, I just let the guy go on like I did with Stan and then cut him off before things get out of hand."

"But aren't you tempted sometimes?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted occasionally. There are some really hot guys out there; but, I just tell them no and that is that."

The whole tone of the conversation left me more confused than before. She seemed so calm and in control of herself and she had shut Stan off the night before. Well, not really shut him off but put things very far out of reach. If she was somewhere else, would she shut herself off that way on principal? Would she shut herself off when she was with Greg Wednesday night? How would I know? How could I find out? She had minimized the things with Stan, so I had no doubt that she could minimize almost anything that really happened. I could see what Natalie meant about how worrying about it could consume you. But could I really just let go and not worry about it?

I started the waffle mix while I thought things through again. Obviously, every trip she took had erotic potential. There was nothing I could do about that. And if she gave in to temptation, there wasn't anything I could do about that either since I would be many miles away. So, how could I tell after the fact? Did I want to know after the fact that she had given in to temptation? I almost burned the first waffle trying to answer that question.

We finished breakfast and I put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then I went outside to do some cleanup work in the backyard and patio. It was going to be a nice day and I spent an hour cleaning while thinking about Natalie this time. Regardless of anything else, I decided that I would try to make her birthday dinner a nice one. I thought that flowers and candy would be a nice treat and some sort of gift. I didn't feel I knew her well enough yet to pick something personal but I could find something, I felt sure.

I went into the kitchen to make a glass of iced tea and heard Lidia doing things in the living room next door. I was about to go outside when I heard her answer her phone. "Hello. Hi, Greg. Yes, I can talk; he is outside right now."

She paused to listen for a few moments. Then she said, "Yes, I am really looking forward to seeing you Wednesday too. I'll have to take a few people out for dinner but you can join us there. They will leave after dinner but we can go out if you want." She paused again. "Look, I know but Stan was really hot last night. He's been after me for some time and I couldn't just blow him off. He was so hard all night and it got even worse when I took my bra and panties off. He finally begged me to finish him off. I thought about jacking him off but I told him no because there were too many people around. Next month, I'll spend time with you."

She listened and then giggled, "You are so naughty. I don't usually go out to dinner with no bra and panties but if that would make you happy, I'll do it. Now listen, we stay in my room this time in case Dan calls. He usually doesn't, but if he did, I would want to be there to answer. No, I don't think he suspects anything; I'm very careful. What about Natalie?"

"Now you really are naughty going out with another woman on her birthday. You will owe her a big guilt gift when you get home."

"Yes, I noticed that she and Dan spent all evening together. I wonder what they talked about; probably cooking or something. Who knows, maybe they will end up having an affair." She giggled. "I doubt that but you never know. I told him this morning that I wouldn't mind if he hung out with her or took her to dinner. Maybe I'll suggest that he take her out Wednesday night too although I doubt that their celebration will be quite like ours."

"Alright, I'll call you Tuesday night to confirm when you arrive. Yes, our reservations are next door to each other unlike last time. Take care."

I stood there holding my tea as the realization sunk in that Lidia was playing around and that she even planned it in advance even with people we knew. I felt the need to go out for awhile to let things settle down. I got my wallet and keys and started toward the front door only to be met by Lidia.

"Honey, Greg just called and he is going to be in Nashville this week too. We are going to dinner Wednesday night. I hope you don't mind. I would like to get to know him better." I had to keep my mouth shut to keep from saying what I felt about her getting to know him better. "And Wednesday is also Natalie's birthday. Why don't you take her out to dinner and maybe get her a little gift. She would probably like that."

I managed to squeak out an answer. "I'll... call her and see. I'm going to the garden store and get some things for the yard."

"Have a nice time. I am going to pack and do some work. My flight is an early one tomorrow."

"Ok." Then I went out to my truck and drove off. I couldn't think of any place better to go than the garden center, so that is where I went. I wandered around for about thirty minutes looking at things without really seeing them.

I was staring at a display of tomato plants when I felt two arms encircle my waist and I heard Natalie's voice.

"Are you going to buy me a bunch of tomato plants for my birthday?" I didn't move but she moved around and looked into my eyes. "Ooops, bad day. Let's go get a cup of coffee and talk about it. You look far away." She took my hand and led me toward the café next door. I hadn't said a word and didn't know what or how to say anything.

We sat down and our coffee was delivered when she looked at me and said, "Out with it."

For the first time I looked at her, most specifically her eyes, and then just began talking. I had no plan or agenda; I just told her what had happened since I got up in the morning. I told her that Lidia had given me permission to see her often. Then I told her about the phone call and that Nashville might not be their first get together. When I finished, I felt exhausted. I probably talked for less than ten minutes but I felt like I had been talking for over an hour.

When I finished, I realized that Natalie was holding my hand and stroking it gently. "And what did you say or did you?"

"I couldn't say anything. I think I just nodded my head."

"I guess neither of us has to wonder or worry anymore. Can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure; as long as you don't recommend a double murder or something like that."

"Ah, he is waking up. Rumor has it that you have a date with a beautiful and sexy woman this week. I suggest that you focus your energy on making that a memorable date."

I looked up and saw the smile on her face and couldn't help but return one of my own. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but this morning I woke up with an image of the woman I have my date with in my mind. I hope that I can find a way to make the date memorable."

There was a sparkle in her eye when she heard that. "Oh I think that you are fully capable of making a memorable date with her unless she is almost dead. Unless I miss my guess, you already feel a little erotic potential towards her. Focus on that feeling and you can't miss."

When she said that, a thought or rather a series of thoughts came to me. I smiled.

"And what brought that smile back to your face?"

"If I told you, I would have to silence you afterwards. Some secrets are better left unsaid. Let's go buy some plants and then go do some other shopping. Do you have to be home at a certain time?"

"Not really. What do you have in mind?"

"I don't want to go home anytime soon and the thought of spending time with you is very desirable today."

"You have something else on your mind, don't you?"

"Could be. Are you up for it?"

Natalie grinned, "Only if we could get in trouble for it."

"Then let's go."

I paid for our coffee and we went back to the plant store and bought a number of tomato, pepper, and herb plants along with bags of compost and manure. I had the bags loaded in my truck while Natalie put the plants in her car. As we drove to her house to unload, I fleshed out a series of ideas that I hoped she would like. 

As we began unloading, Greg came out and said, "Hello Dan; what's going on?"

"I ran into Natalie at the garden store and helped her get some things. Then she is going to help me do some shopping. I hope you don't mind." Natalie looked at me with a sly grin.

"No, no problem at all. I'm not a gardener at all so any help you can give her to get her garden started would be greatly appreciated. You two have fun. I've got to finish packing for my trip. What are we going to do about dinner tonight, honey?"

Natalie replied, "I'll think of something. You take care of your stuff. We'll be back before dinner time." Greg looked a little unsettled but nodded and then went back inside. Then Natalie looked at me and asked, "So you are going to be a little naughty with Greg, are you?"

"Unless you tell me to stop, I guess two of us can plant seeds and see what grows."

"I'm not going to tell you to stop. So where are we going?"

"There is an arts and crafts show going on in town. I thought we might go wander around there for awhile."

"Oh, I like your idea of being naughty. Let me go change and I'll be right out." True to her word, she was back out in ten minutes wearing a pair of shorts and a halter top along with her winning smile. We got in the truck and as I pulled out of the driveway, she said, "Mr. Lover Boy wanted to know where we were going. I told him that we were going to an art and craft show. I wonder if he will call Lidia tell her about that."

"And if he does, I wonder how Lidia will react and what she will do. But as someone told me recently, let's don't worry about it."

Natalie grinned and responded, "That's one of the things I like about you; you think things through and then act on something. Let's go have fun."

And that is what we did. We wandered around the show for several hours. We would stop and admire some things and then argue the merits of other things. By the time we decided to leave, I had learned a lot about Natalie's likes and dislikes and felt comfortable finding a birthday present for her. As I pulled out of the parking lot, my phone rang and I saw that it was Lidia. Before I answered it, I asked, "Are you still up for being a little naughty?"

"You bet."

I answered the phone, "Hi. What's going on?"

"I just wondered where you were; you've been gone all afternoon."

"I went to the garden center and ran into Natalie. We got some things for her there and then went to an arts and craft fair for awhile."

"Oh." She had a slight strain in her voice but then brightened up a little. "So what about dinner? Do you have something in mind?"

"Yes, I do. Why don't you call Greg and have him pick you up and meet us at the seafood place on the highway? We'll meet you there."

"Ummm... It will take a while for me to change but I'll call him and see."

"Take your time. We'll shoot to be there around 7:00."

"Alright. If something comes up, I'll call you."

"Great."

I disconnected the call and looked at Natalie.

"You really are a naughty boy. Both of them are now wondering what we are up to. So what is next?"

"We have two hours to kill; your choice of what we do."

"Turn right on Main Street and I'll tell you when to stop."

I drove for about ten minutes when she told me to slow down and get in the left lane. Then she pointed to a turn off that went down a small road for about half a mile. We came to a place called the Storyteller Lounge and parked in a lot that was about half full. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"A friend of mine from college owns this place. It is kind of a like a karaoke bar but for people who don't sing. They come and recite poetry or tell stories. On weekends, she usually has some folk singers come in and perform. It is a very laid back kind of place that I really like. Ron hates it and I can't get him to come any more. I hope you like it."

"I'll let you know when I have tried it."

"Be prepared for most anything. I haven't seen Angie in quite awhile.

She led me inside and as she promised, it was very laid back. There were a few tables but mostly sofas and love seats of no particular design. There was a bar along the back wall and a small stage on one end. As we walked in, a man and woman duet were performing on the stage on guitar and banjo. The room smelled of fresh bread and other things. As we entered, a woman about Natalie's age smiled and came towards us. She threw her arms around Natalie and hugged her deeply.

"You bitch. You don't come see me for six months and you wander in here with a new squeeze without letting me know that you are coming. I take it that you finally dumped dick for brains and found a real man."

"Hush, Angie. This is Dan and he isn't exactly my new squeeze. He's a friend and.................."

"Right; but it is just a matter of time, I can tell. Come on in. Do you want a platter?"

"Dan, do you like white, wheat, or rye bread?" Natalie asked.

"Rye is my favorite."

"Mine too. Angie, the rye platter will be great. Are you singing today?"

"I might but I will if you will join me." Angie looked at Natalie with a sly grin.

"Maybe one song and only one and only after I have a glass of wine or two."

Angie looked at me and asked, "Do you sing too?"

"I did a little choir singing in high school but no solo stuff."

"Great; we will need a backup singer. Nat will talk you into it I am sure. Come on; let's get you seated."

She led us to a sofa with a small table and went to the bar. A few minutes later, she returned with a platter with a number of slices of several rye breads, cheeses, and fresh butter. She also brought a bottle of Rhine wine and two glasses. "I'll be back in a little while. Enjoy."

Natalie looked at me and said, "I warned you. You don't have to sing if you don't want to."

"I don't mind. I've never sung solo but I always liked to sing backup. If you sing, I'll try and not mess it up for you. I take it you and Angie used to sing together in college."

'Yes. Actually, she had been dating Greg for a while and we sang in a variety of local clubs and made a little bit of money. She dumped Greg because all he wanted to do was fuck. Then he asked me out and the rest is history. That is another reason that he doesn't like to come here. Angie always reminds him that he is an idiot."

"Both of you are beautiful women so he landed on his feet I guess. I am surprised that you perform though. You said that you were more private than that."

"I have both sides. I can open up when I am with people I am comfortable with. Angie and I were roommates for three years and we kind of bring a lot out of each other. She got me to sing with her and I found out that I liked it. I wouldn't want to pursue it as a career but it is fun as a sideline."

"I guess that is what I felt too. I liked singing in the choir at church and school but never really wanted to be the front man."

"See, I knew that we were compatible and that you had a creative side. You keep getting better and better as I get to know you. Now try this bread. She bakes it all fresh and makes the butter too. The cheeses are from a shop that specializes in international things. You might not like some of them but some are really good."

I poured us each a glass of wine and tried one of the slices of bread with the butter. It was almost like eating cake with a sweet buttery icing. The second slice I ate with a slice of white cheese which proved to be just as good. By the time, we had poured our second glass of wine, I had discovered that I like all of the breads and all but one of the cheeses. It was a great and not filling appetizer. Natalie and I shared our preferences as we ate and listened to the music.

It was then that Angie walked on stage and announced that she had a special treat for everyone and introduced Natalie as Nat Kovaks and me as Nat's friend Dan. Natalie looked at me and said, "Well?"

"Let's give it a shot. You two do your thing and I'll just do what feels right."

She grinned, "You're on." We rose and went up on stage where Natalie took her place at an electric piano while Angie stood next to her with a guitar. I just took a place on the other side of Natalie. Without even talking to each other, Natalie started playing a song which Angie obviously knew as she began playing along. Then the two of them started singing together in harmony. It only took me a few minutes to get the feel for the rhythm and basic tune. I began a light vocalization on a non-existant baritone harmony line. Natalie looked at me and smiled while nodding. She never missed a word or a beat but she let me know that I was in sync with both of them.

In spite of Natalie's words, one song turned into two and then three. The second song was one that I knew and could add a little more to the song than a vocalization. The third song was another unfamiliar one to me and I once again just added whatever seemed right at the moment. When we finished this song, Natalie stood up and took a quick bow to the audience who all applauded. Then both Angie and Natalie motioned to me and I took a simple, shy bow. Then we went back to our seats and quickly drained our wine glasses. As soon as we sat down, Natalie took my hand and squeezed it.




Erotic Potential



"That was wonderful. You added a nice touch to all three numbers."

"I'm glad you think so. I didn't know the first or third ones so all I could do was just make something up."

"That is because I wrote the words and Angie wrote the music. We haven't sung either of those in a long time. But you really added something nice to them; something was missing."

Angie came over with a big smile on her face. "Nat, can you and Dan come back later this week say Thursday or Friday?"

"I can; what's up? Dan, what about you?"

"Thursday for sure; Friday is a maybe. Someone should be returning Friday night."

"Ah, yes; I forgot. Angie, let's make it Thursday night."

"Great. Doing that song with Dan making up background gave me an idea. I want to write it down and see how it sounds."

"That sounds like old times."

"I was surprised that we just picked right up again. Maybe now you will show yourself more than once a year from now on."

"We'll see; I still have a major stumbling block."

"But now Dan can be your excuse. I've got to go get busy. I'll see you guys on Thursday night." Angie scurried off.

I said, "As a matter of fact, we need to get going too. As it is, we will be a little late when we get to the restaurant."

"Ooops, then let's go. I hope you enjoyed it here."

"I did and I especially enjoyed the company."

"Yes, Angie is really super."

"She's nice but she isn't the one I was referring to, dingbat."

"Are you going to start calling me Edith now?" Natalie grinned.

I just smiled and said, "Maybe."

"You are in so much trouble now. You just better be careful."

I paid our check and opened the door for her. By the time I got to my seat, she had lifted the console and slid over to sit next to me. As I started the engine, she grasped my chin and turned my head towards her and then she kissed me gently on the lips. "Consider yourself punished for your misdeeds."

"I think I'll have to act up some more; I might just get to like your punishment."

"Then I will punish you some more this week."

"I'll try to be bad for you."

"You being bad is really very good. Let's go see if our other halves are behaving themselves."

"Do we have to?"

"That's bad; I'll punish you for that when we get there. Now go."

We both laughed as I pulled out onto the street and headed for the restaurant. When I pulled into the parking lot, we both saw Greg's car in front. I pulled to the side and parked and as I looked into the window, I saw Lidia and Greg sitting next to the window side by side facing toward the front door. I motioned to Natalie and she giggled. We both noticed that they were sitting right next to each other and Ron's arm was around Lidia's shoulders. Lidia's arm seemed to be directed toward his lap rather than hers and they were both laughing.

Natalie said, "Punishment time." I turned to her and she planted a full open mouth kiss on my lips. I slipped my tongue between her lips and met hers. Our tongues were very friendly with each other for several moments. When we broke the kiss, she smiled at me and said, "Consider yourself punished."

"I don't know; somehow, that didn't feel like enough punishment for the crime. Maybe you should redo it just to make sure it takes."

"Alright; but you will have to ask for it when you are ready." We grinned at each other." I held her hand firmly until we walked in the front door. We noticed that now there was more distance between them than there had been and Greg's arm was now resting on the table.

"Hi there." I said. "Been waiting long?"

Lidia smiled and answered, "About twenty minutes. We are one wine up on you. Where have you been since we talked?" There was a slight edge in her voice.

"We went to a place that Natalie knew of. It was quite interesting."

Greg said, "She took him to the place owned by that dyke she used to room with."

Natalie snapped back, "She isn't a dyke, Greg; she just told you that to keep you away from her."

"Whatever." He said in disgust. Lidia was looking on with interest in this interchange and then changed the subject.

"So, let's order some shrimp as an appetizer and a bottle of wine. Then we can order dinner."

The waitress took our order and Lidia continued, "Did you find anything interesting at the arts and craft show?"

Natalie answered, "I saw several nice things but your dear husband wouldn't buy them for me."

I grinned and replied, "I couldn't see you wearing a vest made out of recycled spoons."

"It was cute; all of your taste is in your mouth."

Lidia weighed in, "It sounds like it would be heavy and bulky."

"Yes, it would; it was made out of silver spoons and also cost over $200." Greg choked.

"Aw honey, you should have bought it for Natalie. Remember it is her birthday this week. Did you ask her out for Wednesday night?"

"Yes I did but she hasn't given me an answer yet." That earned me a firm pinch on my inner thigh.

"I told you that I would think about it but that you would have to ask my husband for permission to date me."

I tried to put on my sheepish look, "Um... Greg, may I have your permission to take your wife out on her birthday. Since you and Lidia will be together, I thought that it might be appropriate." That earned me another pinch.

Greg looked uncomfortable but replied, "Sure; why not? Honey, I am sorry that I won't be in town for your birthday. I'll make it up to up next weekend. Maybe Saturday night we can go out."

Natalie replied in her most innocent voice, "That's ok; it's not the first time you have been on the road for my birthday. Besides, next Saturday, we are going over to Dan and Lidia's for dinner. Dan and I are cooking together. We are going to see who is better in the kitchen; me or him." That earned her a pinch on her inner thigh.

For some reason, it felt really good teasing Natalie in the presence of Lidia and Greg. I knew that their plans were fixed in concrete and Natalie and I were just playing around but it still felt rewarding. I liked teasing both Natalie and them.

With that settled, we all slowed down and enjoyed dinner. The talk went back and forth between work and traveling and local things. By the end of our meal, I couldn't sense any of the tension that I felt earlier.

Lidia then asked, "On the way over here, Greg and I discussed going to a club and dance a little since we are both leaving tomorrow. Would the two of you like to go?"

Natalie responded before I could open my mouth. "Let us pass on that. Instead, why don't you two go and we will stop and pick up a dessert and meet at one of our houses for coffee and dessert?"

Greg raised an eyebrow along with his smile when Lidia replied, "Sure. That sounds great. We should be there around 10:00. Let's meet at our house."

I nodded and Natalie grinned. We rose and Greg magnanimously picked up the check and left a hefty tip. We walked to Greg's car together before we parted and then we walked around to my truck. As I started the engine, Natalie said, "Wait a moment and follow them for a couple of blocks."

"Ok. Why?"

"If they go a couple of miles and turn right, there is a dance club a couple of blocks down the road that Greg goes to sometimes. If they turn left, I expect that they are looking for a quiet place to ramp up the erotic potential." She grinned at me.

I followed Greg's car from a distance and saw the tail lights turn left.

"So what do we do now?"

"We can follow them and see if we can see anything or we can go get a cake and go home and make coffee."

I thought for a moment and then said, "I doubt that we would be able to see anything and I would rather go home and maybe dance with you until they get there."

"I like the way you think. Take me to your house, Danny." Natalie scooted over and sat next to me with her hand on my thigh. I felt like the erotic potential in my truck just increased a pleasant notch. 

We stopped at a late night bakery/sandwich shop and bought a carrot cake and then drove to my house. We decided to wait an hour or so to make the coffee; so I poured us each another glass of wine while Natalie turned on the stereo and found a station that played nice dance music. We each took a sip of our wine before I took her in my arms and we began to move with the music. She molded herself against my body and we moved as if we were one. Her hand was on my neck and she was teasing the hair there while I caressed her back.

When that song ended, she pulled away and said that she would be right back. Then she disappeared into the guest bathroom. I prepared the coffee and had it ready to start when I heard her return. Her smile told me that she had done something but I wasn't sure what. She looked the same as she had but the look in her eye told me otherwise. She turned off a couple of lights before she came back into my arms and we resumed dancing. I returned to stroking her back and quickly discovered what was different; she was no longer wearing a bra.

"You were a naughty girl." I said.

"Any complaints?"

"None."

"I have one."

"What is that?"

"You have been stroking my bare back and all I get to feel is your shirt. Why don't you unbutton it and let me feel your skin."

"You could unbutton it yourself, you know?"

"I could but that would be very forward of me wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would. But if I unbutton it, I won't be holding you and I like that too much to let you go."

"Oh, you like what you feel, huh? I guess I will have to take things in my own hands and be forward."

"Be my guest."

She looked up at me and grinned. "You already think I am naughty; now you will think that I am really bad." Her fingers were between us and easily undid the buttons one by one.

"I guess I didn't tell you that on you, bad looks pretty damn good to me."

"Oh a charmer. There; now I can feel your strong body all I want." Her hands went under my shirt and stroked my chest. "But now I have been naughty and you have been Mr. Perfect. Aren't you ever naughty too?"

"I was taught to be a nice guy but for you, I might just try to be naughty for once."

"That would be nice. What naughty thing would you do?"

"I wouldn't tell you in advance; I'd surprise you."

"Oh, ok; surprise me then." Her hands went backaround to my back and she laid her head on my bare chest. We danced for several minutes as I continued caressing her back and she was doing the same to mine. When I was sure she was relaxed, I slid my hands up her back and took the ends of the halter top tie and pulled each one. The ties came loose and I left them dangling down her back.

"That was more than naughty, Danny." She said but I could hear the smile in her voice. "Now, if I move back from you, my halter will fall down and you will be able to see my breasts. If I don't move, the halter is going to get all wrinkled and you will have to explain how it got that way to your wife and my husband. Oh, what should I do?" She didn't move one way or another and neither did I. "I know what I will do; close your eyes, you very naughty boy."

"They're shut."

"Liar." I felt her pull back and do something with her top and then she moved back to me and I felt her two bare breasts press against my bare chest.

"I think you just became a very naughty girl yourself."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not in the least. I just wish you had let me open my eyes,"

She swatted my ass. "Do you mean you didn't even try to peek?"

"You told me to close my eyes; I do what you tell me to."

"You are so full of shit. Shut up and dance with me."

We continued our dancing as before except that there was more movement in our chests as she dragged her breasts and nipples across my chest. I likewise, moved to insure that her firm nipples touched my sensitive spots. I discovered that we were very compatible. 

We were just getting nicely aroused when we heard a car pull into the driveway. Natalie muttered, "Shit." I didn't say it but I was definitely thinking it too. She pulled back and put her halter back on but I got a nice view of her perfectly shaped breasts and aroused nipples for a brief moment. I buttoned my shirt and we went into the kitchen where I started the coffee and she began cutting the cake.

It took longer for Lidia and Greg to enter the house than expected but when they entered, they both had smiles on their faces. Lidia took control, "I hope that you two have been good boys and girls while we were gone." Her smile was fixed.

To save Natalie the awkwardness of responding, I said, "We have been perfect angels just like I am sure that you and Greg were." That got me a light jab in the ribs from Natalie with the hand that was invisible for their sight. "We have carrot cake and coffee. Do you want brandy in your coffees?" I asked pleasantly.

Lidia replied, "We would like that. I am going to change quickly and then I think we will have our coffee and cake on the patio. It is such a nice night. Greg, why don't you go on out and pick where you want us to sit." Without waiting for a response, she went down the hall to the bedroom and Greg went out the patio door.

Natalie turned to me with a puzzled look on her face. "What was that all about?" She said in a low voice.

I lowered my voice to reply, "Lidia is doing her dominatrix thing. I expect that she will sit next to Greg and then tell us what to do as if we are servants of something. Sometime, she will let us know by some means that she suspects us of doing something behind her back. She does this when she is feeling like she has lost control. Just do as she asks and play along and don't be surprised at anything I say or do."

She looked at me for a moment and then said, "I trust you but we are going to talk about that this week while they are gone."

"That is a deal. Now, I don't know what is up her sleeve or what she will say or do, but just don't go ballistic on her. I also don't know how Greg will act or react. Right now he looks confused to me."

"He will go along with anything she tells him to. He is aggressive in pursuit of a woman but is also putty in the hands of a strong woman."

"Then let us see what we shall see." Natalie caressed my side gently and that told me she was there with me. That gesture made me feel really good.

Lidia breezed out a moment later wearing a loose caftan. Based on the way her breasts moved, I knew that she had removed her bra. "Bring us our dessert, will you please?" And she was out the door before we could respond. 

Natalie looked at me with a sly grin. "Do you have any rat poison but chance?"

"Yes and no, I'm not going to tell you where it is. Just take her the cake and coffee and curtsy like a nice girl. I will do the same to Greg. By the way, I put a little extra dose of brandy in their coffee."

"You naughty boy; but I am getting to like your naughtiness a lot." She took a plate and coffee and walked in front of Lidia and handed her the cup of coffee and the cake. She remained slightly bent over and she said something to my delightful wife. What I didn't realize until then was that Natalie's top bloused away from her and Lidia had a full look at Nat's perfect breasts. 

As she returned to the kitchen, I took Greg's cake and coffee out and did a similar routine with him. When I was about to go back to the kitchen, Lidia said, "Danny, Greg and I need to talk about something. When you and Natalie finish your cake, bring your coffee out so we can have a talk." She turned to Greg before I had a chance to reply. I had been dismissed.

I went inside and Natalie handed me a piece of cake. I smiled at her and said, "Let's eat in here. Milady wants a moment of private time with the Lord and Master before we have a talk."

"Are you fucking me? Will you hate me if I just take the rest of the cake and shove it up her ass or down her top?"

I laughed. "The image of that is terribly intriguing but right now I think we ought to see what is on their minds. I have a suspicion but let's see first."

"If she goes over a line, I might just go over a different line and you might not like me anymore."

"I will like you whatever she does but listen closely; I think that you may be in for a laugh."

Natalie looked at me closely and then said, "Alright; I trust you. But when we are alone again, you owe me and I fully intend to collect."

"Come on. Let's go see how this tragic-comedy is going to play out."

I took her hand and led her out the door. Lidia and Greg had their backs to us, so I led her to the two other chairs and helped her sit down.

The picture in front of us was almost comical. Lidia sat in an almost regal pose while Greg was hiding his eyes. His pants were unzipped and Lidia had a wet spot on her caftan. I heard Natalie try to stifle a snort.

"Is something wrong, Natalie?"

"No ma'am; I think Dan put a little too much brandy in my coffee."

"I see. Well that is what Greg and I would like to talk to you two about. You see Natalie, Dan is a wonderful person and a great husband but he is also an introvert and doesn't make many close friends. You are a beautiful young woman and frankly, I am very surprised that the two of you have gotten as close to each other as quickly as you have."

Now it was my turn to stifle a choke. A sip from the coffee cup did the trick. Natalie replied, "I am not sure I understand. Are you suggesting that I might be doing something with Dan that is inappropriate? We simple share a number of interests like cooking and gardening. I hardly think that these rise to the level of inappropriate behavior."

Lidia cleared her throat. "No, I am not suggesting that at all. It is just that Dan is...... no Dan is friendly but also a little naïve. A friendship with someone as attractive as you might and I repeat, might lead to something that neither of you want. That is Greg and my concern. So we decided to have this discussion and make sure that the air is clear."

It was my turn to speak. "So Lidia, what I am hearing is that you don't trust me or Lidia especially while you and Greg are gone on business trips. Have I ever done anything to betray your trust? I can assure you that she and I would never do anything that you and Greg wouldn't do while you are one the road."

Greg raised his eyes from his hand and showed a decidedly guilty look on his face. He responded, "We understand that Dan; don't get defensive. The thing is that Lidia and I both have business in Nashville Wednesday and Thursday and I am going to join her and others for dinner. That is all. We also decided that if you took Natalie to dinner Wednesday night that it would be very nice since it is her birthday. We will be doing the same thing; sharing dinner, me with your wife and you with mine. Nothing more and nothing less. And then next Saturday, we will come over for dinner and all of us will get to know each other better."

Greg was a horrible liar. Natalie replied, "Thank you dear husband; you are always so thoughtful about my welfare."

"I try Natalie; I try."

Lidia decided that she needed to have the last word. "So then it is settled; there are no hidden agendas here and the four of us understand each other completely. Correct?" Both Natalie and I grinned and nodded. "Good, now Dan why don't you pour Greg and I another cup of coffee and then take Natalie home. We will talk for a few more minutes and he will be home shortly.

I nodded and said, "Come on Natalie; let's walk home. It's a nice night for a walk." 

She grinned at me and said, "I think that is a wonderful idea."

We took the coffee cups inside and I poured another cup along with an extra shot of brandy. Then I told Natalie to go out the front door and around to the left side of the house and I would join her there. She glanced out the window and saw Lidia and Greg still looking away from the house. She leaned up and kissed me and then whispered, "You were right; if they hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed out loud."




Erotic Potential



"I'll take this out to them and I'll meet up with you. I want to hear what they say to each other."

I waited until Natalie was out of the house and had time to get around to the side and then I went out with their coffee. I placed the cups on the small table between them. "Um, Lidia; it looks like you spilled your coffee on your caftan." She glared at me. I continued, "I'll be back after Greg gets home." I turned and left before either of them could make a comment.

I went out the front door and walked quickly around the side of the house quietly until I found Natalie. I took her hand and led her to a spot where I knew that we would have a good look at the patio and could also hear fairly well. I had to hold Natalie tightly against me to keep her from giggling.

"So Greg, do you see why we needed to have this talk with them?"

"No; I don't think either of them give a shit. They are going to fuck each other tomorrow or Tuesday. Natalie will have his pants off and be sucking his dick before your plane is off the ground tomorrow morning."

"We'll see. Normally, I give Dan a going-away-fuck the night before I leave, but today he has been a little distant. Maybe a week without pussy will turn him back. That is why I wouldn't let you fuck me earlier; but now I think I want you to fuck me and then I'll offer him sloppy seconds. Get your damn pants off."

Greg struggled to get his pants off while Lidia took her caftan off. She was naked under the dress. Then she had to take his cock in her mouth to get him hard. After that, it was just a joke. I took Natalie's hand and pulled her away from the fence and we walked hand in hand in the general direction of her house.

"Are you alright, Dan? That was pretty gruesome to hear and to watch."

"Natalie, I guess I had already figured out that she was just using me but I wouldn't admit it. Last night and today have been eye openers. The only thing that is keeping me sane right now is you. Is it alright if I lean on you a little while I sort this crap out and decide what to do?"

"I have a better idea; lean on me a lot and I expect that I will be leaning on you too." I slipped my arm around her as we walked toward her house and stopped to kiss at least once for each hundred yards as we went. When we arrived, instead of going inside, we sat on a glider on her front porch and talked about her garden and cooking and anything but the events of the evening. We talked for about twenty minutes when we saw lights coming down the street and figured that it was Greg coming home.

He pulled into the driveway and stopped at a slight angle and short of where someone would normally stop. He opened his door and got out. It was then that I noticed that he was moving awkwardly. Natalie whispered to me, "I think the brandy got to him. He is usually just a beer and wine drinker." I nodded.

Greg staggered toward the door and stopped next to where we were sitting. "Lidia, told me to tell you to hurry home. She needs you." Then he went inside without saying a word to Natalie.

She turned to me and asked, "I'm not sure I like the sound of that; are you going to be ok?"

I looked at her and said, "Yes, I'm a big boy and maybe I've grown up a little this weekend although I don't think I am going to rush to get home. I need a little while to sort through things."

"I understand. I'm going to be busy with several things tomorrow but will you call me sometime? I just want to hear that you are alright."

"Sure; it might be early afternoon because I've got a couple of meetings in the morning myself."

"That will be great. I expect to be home after lunch and am going to work in the garden. I need to get the plants we got today in the ground."

"I'll call you for sure. And listen, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. Lidia was right; I am sort of an introvert and don't make close friends easily. It is unusual for me to get as close as we have this quickly."

"Last night I told you that I felt like we were two peas in the same pod. Nothing that has happened so far tells me anything different. I am the same way." She leaned over and kissed me gently and then we both stood up.

"Uh, we've been worrying about me going home; are you going to be ok tonight?"

"Oh yes, I expect that he is already asleep and I'll probably work on another story for awhile before I go to bed. Sleep well and I'll talk to you tomorrow." We kissed again and I started walking down the street toward my house.

Everything we had said was true. I am mostly introverted and don't make close friends very easily. Natalie was an exception for two reasons; we clicked very quickly and she was a woman. Most of the friends I had were men. To date, a lot of that had been because of Lidia. She pretty well dictated our social life and with her being the center of attention like she was, I was often at loose ends when we socialized. As I walked I wondered how long she had been screwing around on me. I admitted to myself that it had probably been going on for some time at least since she had started traveling.

She was good at her job and had earned her way up the ladder. Three years ago she became a district sales manager and began traveling around the state. A year and a half ago, she was promoted to regional sales management and began traveling for a week at a time throughout a six state area. With each promotion, her confidence level increased and so did her dominant attitude. Since she was gone most of the time, I usually let it slide as I was focused on my work. Most of the things she left for me to do were things that I had already decided to do anyway; so her attitude didn't really bother me.

But what had happened today was pretty blatant and obvious. She had crossed several lines and obviously intended to cross even more. As I turned the corner to my street, I finally asked myself the questions I had been avoiding. Did I care and what was I going to do about it? I didn't have an answer when I walked in the door but I knew that it was time to start addressing those questions in earnest.

When I walked into the house, I heard no sound but saw a couple of things. First, her caftan was still thrown over the back of her lounge chair. I went out to bring it inside and also noticed Greg's boxer shorts underneath his chair. First, I did as I tell my clients to do; I took a dated picture of it with my cell phone. Then I put the boxers on top of the caftan and put them both on top of the washing machine. She would notice that for sure. I turned off the lights and went back to the bedroom and was greeted by the second. She was lying in bed on her back and was sound asleep. Her breasts had several fresh bruises on them, probably from when they went "dancing." Her legs were spread and while she had made some effort to clean herself up, her pussy was still red and swollen and her thighs showed signs of drying fluids on them. I took another couple of pictures including a zoom of her breasts and the fresh bruises.

I made my first decision then and there. There would be no oral sex with her anymore. She loved me going down on her especially the night she came back from a trip. The idea of going down on her when I felt certain that I was not the last occupant of her pussy was not a path I wanted to explore. As for regular sex, the idea was also distasteful but I did need relief occasionally and she was a desirable woman. I would have to think about that for awhile. If I cut her off completely, I needed to be prepared to deal with the fallout and that is what I wasn't ready to do yet. I undressed and crawled into bed under the sheet. Normally, I would have rolled her over and spooned her but tonight that was not a desirable option. In spite of all that, I fell asleep quickly with an image of Natalie in my mind.

I slept later than I normally do and was alone when I woke. The clock said that it was 7:00, an hour later than I usually got up. I stepped into the shower and noticed that it was still wet. I cleaned up and dressed before I went out to the kitchen to face Lidia. She was dressed and her suitcases were sitting by the door. She had a slightly timid look on her face; I also head the clothes washer running. The evidence was going down the drain. That was no surprise to me.

"Hi." She said quietly. "Pour yourself some coffee; I need to talk to you before I leave."

I poured myself a cup and wondered what she was going to reveal or say. I sat opposite her and sipped my coffee, waiting for her to begin.

"There are two things I want to apologize for. First, I fell asleep on you last night. I really wanted you to make love with me last night. I'm sorry."

I just nodded and wondered if any part of that simple statement was still true.

"Second, I think I handled our talk last night badly. I am glad that you found Natalie and can have a friend nearby to talk with and things. I guess I feel a little jealous that she is a woman and a beautiful one at that. I didn't mean to sound petty but I guess I am a little concerned that with me traveling, you might get lonely and it would be natural to...you know... try to take care of that loneliness. Greg feels the same way about Natalie. She is a lot like you and keeps to herself and her projects. I hope that I didn't sound too petty." She looked me in the eyes for the first time. She was wearing a blouse and jacket which was her usual travel uniform but this blouse opened just enough for me to see one of the bruises on her breast. It looked like she had made an effort to cover it with some makeup but not totally successfully.

I ignored what she said and replied, "We talked about it and what you and Greg probably don't realize is that we think the same thing when you are gone. You are staying in hotels alone and are bound to get lonely too. It wouldn't take much imagination to see you getting picked up in a bar or him to seek companionship while on the road."

"Have.......have I ever given you reason to distrust me before?"

"No, but ....." I bit my tongue. "But it could happen at any time and you know it as well as I do. And this week, Greg is going to meet you for dinner....." I looked at her and saw her relax a little.

"I have business in Nashville and so does he. I will be taking my usual group out to dinner and I asked him to join us. That is all. Is that alright?"

"Fine. And I am taking Natalie out to dinner for her birthday. Is that alright?"

I could see that she didn't want this to go any farther as it might open doors that she didn't want opened. She let out a breath. "Alright, then we are agreed. Now I need to go. Will you put my suitcases in the car?" I nodded, picked them up and put them in the back seat of her car.

She came out with her briefcase and said, "Thanks. Have a good week and enjoy your dinner with Natalie. Call me sometime when you are free and be ready when I get home. I will want you to fuck me a lot next weekend since we didn't have time this weekend. Oh and Greg and I talked about it and we would love to have you do your ribs Saturday." She reached up and kissed my lips gently but I still felt a little hesitation. I kissed her back and then watched as she drove off to the airport.

I went back inside the house and heard the washing machine buzzing and announcing that it had completed its cycle. I went and opened it and found the caftan, Lidia's bra and panties from yesterday and Saturday night but no boxer shorts. I looked in the trash and found nothing. I decided that she must have taken them with her. I was building a new image of Lidia as a calculating manipulator rather than just a strong willed wife. Any other time, her little show this morning would have put me at ease. Now I wondered what else was going through her mind. I put her clothes in the dryer and turned it on and then went to finish dressing and leave for my office. My first appointment wasn't until 9:00 but I had to review some data before our meeting.

The morning went by and into early afternoon before my last morning appointment left. It was after 1:00 and I hadn't eaten lunch when my receptionist/ assistant came in and said, "Your 2:00 called and cancelled. One of her kids got sick so I rescheduled her for next week. You have the afternoon free, if you want it."

I thought for a minute and decided to call Natalie and see if she was up for lunch. But then I realized that I didn't have her phone number. "I'll tell you what Anna; I haven't eaten and I think I will just go home and eat and do some work there for the rest of the afternoon, if that is alright with you."

She smiled her cute college girl smile. "Of course, it is alright. I've got plenty to do and you deserve a little time off. Is Lidia gone again this week?"

"Yes; Nashville this time for the whole week."

"Business must be good; she told me once that Nashville was only good for a couple of days and that she usually tried to get out of there on Thursday morning." Anna went back to her desk.

This was news to me. Lidia went to Nashville about every six weeks and frequently didn't come back until Saturday mornings. She was also usually very loving when she came home from Nashville.

I drove home and on a whim drove by Natalie's house and saw her in the back digging in her garden with a fork. I smiled and went home and changed clothes, loaded my tiller in the truck, made a pitcher of tea and cut up some fruit and cheese and drove back to her house. She saw me pull into the driveway on the side of the garage and stopped her digging. She started walking towards me as I got out.

She was dirty and sweaty and her hair looked like she just got out of the shower, but she was just plain beautiful to me.

"Hey, you. I thought you were going to call."

"I was going to call and see if you were up for a late lunch but then I realized that I didn't have your phone number. I saw you working and decided to bring my tiller over and cut down on your backbreaking work."

"How thoughtful and what is this? Tea and things to nibble on? Let's eat first and then do the tiller. I haven't eaten either."

We went to her back porch and sat at their patio table. We didn't talk about last night or this morning until we finished.

I started, "So how did things with you last night and this morning?"

"Pretty much as I expected. He was asleep when I went in. So I wrote until about three and then went to bed. He was gone when I got up. That is what he usually does when he travels. He likes to catch an early flight. How about you?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

She looked at me closely. "Yes.....unless you don't want to tell me."

"I don't mind really. I am trying to sort all of this out still but I don't have problems talking to you about it. When I got home and went in, I found her caftan on the chair on the patio. I went to get it and found Greg's boxers on the ground so he probably came home commando last night."

"What did you do?" Her eyes were blazing.

"I did what any good husband would do; I put the caftan on top of the washing machine with the boxers on top."

"You didn't!"

"Yes, I did. Nat, I don't usually do impulsive things. On my walk home last night I decided that I needed to take things slowly but carefully and decide what I wanted to happen and how to achieve it. A confrontation last night or this morning would have been very uncomfortable for me because I'm not ready yet."

She looked closely at me again and replied, "I understand that completely. I have been doing that for some time myself. So go on."

"When I went into the bedroom, she was asleep on top of the covers. She had four or five fresh bruises on her breasts and her......well she looked like she tried to clean herself up a little but she wasn't terribly successful. I just crawled under the covers and went to sleep."

"That must have been tough."

"Actually, I fell asleep fairly easily because the image of a certain woman was in my head." She smiled at that. "So I overslept this morning and when I got up, she was dressed and ready to go to the airport. By the way, the washing machine was running." She grinned and nodded. "But she wanted to talk before she left. The first thing she said was that she was sorry for falling asleep because she really wanted me to make love to her last night."

"I'll just bet she did. Go on."

"Then she apologized about our talk last night. She feels that she handled that very clumsily. She said that she and Greg's concern is that you and I are so much alike that with them traveling that we might seek to lose our loneliness together."

"Unless you feel otherwise, they got that one right." She smiled at me; I returned the smile.

"I had to remind her that you and I have the same concerns about her and Greg being gone and staying in hotels and maybe getting picked up in a bar or something. She assured me that her dinner with Greg was just a coincidental thing and I assured her that I was taking you out for your birthday and that everything was innocent on our end."

She got a sly look in her eyes. "Just how innocent are you planning on being Wednesday night?"

"I am always a gentleman and I don't plan things in advance. We will go to dinner and then we will see what we will see." I grinned at her.

"You smug prick; I will tell you right now that our erotic potential is going to move forward Wednesday night."

"Oh really; I guess that I should alter my plans then." I tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Look you; if I wasn't so dirty and sweaty right now, I would ramp up the erotic potential right here and right now."

"I don't see any dirt or sweat."

"Grrr." She rose and plopped herself in my lap and kissed me. Then she took my hand and put it on her breast. "Now finish your damn story and your hand better not just sit there idle."

My fingers were not idle as I continued. "When I told her that we were just sharing your birthday dinner together, she decided to not pursue things any farther, so we stopped. Then I walked her to the car where she told me to have fun Wednesday with you, to call her sometime this week, and that she wanted me to fuck her alot next weekend, and that she and Greg decided that I should do ribs for dinner next Saturday."

"Oh good; I'll do hot German potato salad, slaw, and some roasted vegetables. So, are you going to call her this week and are you going to fuck her alot next weekend?"

"Actually, I am going to call her this week but I intend to do it in a naughty way. As for next weekend, I think that I am going to try to work out some excuses to avoid it. The idea of just filling a void for her satisfaction isn't high on my list of things I want to do."

"Damn your fingers feel good." Suddenly, she pulled her tee shirt up and thrust one of her breasts toward my mouth. "I decided that I need a hickey on my tit too. Give me one."

Being the gentleman that I am, I decided to test the area to look for a suitable place to grant her wish. I gently kissed her warm flesh and ran my tongue over the area. Then I let my tongue tease her nipple until she was wiggling in my lap. When I took her nipple in my mouth, she gasped and let out a moan. Finally, I settled on a spot right next to areole and sucked the skin there firmly. A moment later, she was sporting a nice, fresh hickey that would be obvious to anyone fortunate enough to see her wonderful breasts.

"You took your damn time, prick."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not in this life. For my birthday, I expect a double dose of that treatment and two more hickies; maybe more. We'll see."

"Your wish is my command. Now are we going to do your garden or are we going to sit here and make up excuses why we aren't seducing each other?"

She planted a huge kiss on my lips and replied, "We are going to do the garden. We don't need to make excuses about the other because I think that we both know that is going to happen and probably soon. We just need a little more time to get some things worked out."