This is a work of fantasy. It is not about real people, and if it
is, its not what they would do. (not that you are likely to know them
anyway). If you are under 18, go away, since I don’t like to get in trouble.
If you are turned off by perversion, what are you doing at asstr? In other
words, go away. If none of this applies to you, great! Read on! Have
fun! Let me know
what you like!
Oh, and I work hard on my writing…so guess what? Its mine.
That’s right boys and girls…its copyrighted…so if you want it? Just ask-
we’ll talk.
Dryad
****************************************************************************** Stood Up (MF, Rom)
Her fingernails tapped gently on the white linen tablecloth.
She looked around the quiet, tasteful restaurant, watching the Maitre D’s
podium. Still no sign of him. Well, damn. She took another
small drink of her ice water. Lily was too old for double dates.
That’s why when her friend set her up on a blind date, Carrie said she’d
make reservations for her and her new beau at the same time. Neither
hide nor hair of her friend, or of her supposed date.
Lily’s eyes started to wander, though still keeping half an eye
on the door. The fresh flowers lent a scent of freshness to the air,
along with wonderful food. The light was adequate, but subdued. When
she finished her perusal of the restaurant itself, noting the paintings and
plants, she began to study the patrons.
A couple by the door. Older, perhaps a retired professor
and his wife. Another couple near a potted palm. They seemed
to be out of place somehow; perhaps they were celebrating something. A group
of four, middle-aged; the men seemed to be in some sort of money field, perhaps
brokers. At least, that was Lily’s impression. Their wives both wore
fur coats and were wearing enough make-up to sink the Titanic. The
table next to hers was occupied. The gentleman sat alone, handsome
in a Spanish sense, very sauve, dressed impeccably; dark hair and sparkling
brown eyes the color of a very rich chocolate. Eyes that were looking
directly at her. He smiled at the recognition in her face, and raised
his glass in her direction. She bowed her head in acknowledgement,
her chestnut hair falling to hide her blush and quickly looked in another
direction out of embarrassment. But the lone gentleman kept intriguing
her, his charisma calling to her at even this distance.
The spell was broken by the waiter. “Miss, we know you are waiting
for your party, but we need you to order, or we’ll have to ask you to give
up your table.” Nodding her understanding, she asked for a moment to make
a decision, mentally cursing her friend up and down. She chose a beef
tenderloin dish smothered in a mushroom and wine sauce. Handing her
menu to the waiter, she sighed.
“It seems we are in the same predicament.” the gentleman addressed
her.
“Excuse me?” She was a bit confused, lost in her own thoughts.
“It seems we are in the same predicament. I seem to have
been stood up as well.” She snorted lightly, not imagining anyone standing
up this specimen of seductive male form. “I’m sorry, but it was hard not
to over hear your waiter.” Taking her snort as derision.
She visibly relaxed. “Its alright. My friend set me up on
a blind date. I thought it was foolish at the time, and you’d think
by now I’d know to go with my gut instinct.”
“Would I be too forward if I asked you to join me instead? Eating
alone is simply a miserable occupation.”
Would she sit with a gorgeous man? That and the fact that she
actually agreed that eating alone was horrible, she picked up her water glass
and joined him at his table. She stood up, and her soft grey cashmere
dress hugged her curves coming down to her knees, making her feel rather
feline.
Her newfound friend unfolded his tall, lean frame from his seat
and reached for her chair, holding it out.
“Thank you.” She smiled, surprised at the chivalrous gesture.
“I rather hate eating alone myself.” She sat down. “I guess I should introduce
myself, if we are going to be dining together. My name is Lily.”
He smiled, and it changed his whole persona, from somber sophisticate
to someone filled lively exuberance. “My name is Antonio.” His eyes
followed hers, seemed to read her thoughts through her eyes. From most
people it would have been disconcerting, but from him, it almost seemed as
though he already knew what he’d find there. Like she’d known him forever.
She confided a bit in him. “You know what is really funny?”
her fingers played with the pearls she had at her neck. “Carrie, my friend,
was supposed to be here with her date as well. She’s the one who made
the reservations. And I haven’t seen her either.” The waiter passed just
then, and she caught him to let him know of the change in plan. He
smiled, thanking them, as they were rather busy and could use the extra table.
Because of the distraction, she didn’t notice Antonio’s sputter.
What she did notice was his rather discomfited look. She smiled warmly
at him, and asked, “Something wrong?”
He chuckled rather nervously. “Carrie? Carrie Broder?” He laughed,
the mellow tones flowing over her as she nodded her head.
“You know her?” she looked at him slightly confused.
Antonio stared at her. “Ever get the sudden feeling you’d been
had?”
“When it comes to Carrie? Quite often.” She chuckled. “ She knows
I hate blind dates. Why?” Lily looked at Antonio ponderingly.
“Carrie is the one who stood me up.” He shook his head. “She’s
up to something, but I’m not exactly sure what. Any ideas?”
Lily stared back at him. “What a brat.” She snorted then
shrugged. “But you know what? I don’t care.”
“I have to admit to being very thankful to hear that.” He smiled
warmly at her; so warmly, she felt her insides begin to melt.
“Would you like some wine? I know you ordered the beef.”
She nodded, and he called discretely for the wine steward. He ordered
a bottle, though she didn’t catch what beyond a red. She watched him
surreptitiously, watching the way his long, strong fingers would move as
he elaborated on a piece of discussion. It took all her concentration
to focus on his words, and drag herself back to the real world, thinking
what such wonderful, expressive fingers would be capable of. If this
was a mistake, and Carrie sincerely missed this date, Lily wasn’t going to
care. Call it kismet. And Carrie, the ultimate believer in Fate
wouldn’t either.
They discussed inane topics as they waited for dinner to show.
The pull he had over her was incredible. It was like being in a dream.
The wine was brought with its usual panache. The wine steward showed
the bottle, uncorked it and poured a small amount for Antonio to sample.
He tasted it, then nodded, letting him pour the two glasses. He raised
his glass.
“To Fate and unexpectedly pleasant surprises.” He looked directly
into her eyes.
She murmured a reply, and lifted her glass, never breaking eye
contact with him. The warm liquid flooded over her taste buds, flavor
of bright summer days hidden within a dry oaken flavor. The longer
it settled in her mouth, the more complexity could be discerned. Thankfully,
the waiter put their plates in front of them, and it took them a moment to
realize their food was there. They smiled at each other sheepishly,
and began to eat.
Lily smiled, eyes closed sighing softly over the exquisite flavor
of the beef and the sauce. He looked up at her sigh, watching at her.
She smiled at him. “Would you like a taste?” Nodding mutely,
he looked at her. She raised her fork, laden with beef and mushroom.
His hand enveloped hers, holding the fork steady. She watched as he
closed his lips over the food, then slowly released her hand. She shivered
at the gentle touch. Flustered, she picked up her wineglass and took
a sip. Okay, a gulp. Some must have been on her lip, because he reached
over and wiped it with the tip of his finger. She nearly sighed out
loud as he put his finger to his mouth.
“Much sweeter than what I have in my glass.” His low timbered
voice sent her body trembling, and she looked to cover it by taking another
bite of food. When she looked up at him again, he, too, was eating
his dinner, but had a slow smile that didn’t leave his face. The sexual tension
continued to build, even though her conscious thoughts were that he was a
stranger, and her best friend’s date, even if Carrie hadn’t shown up.
They made it through dinner, chatting about their respective jobs,
families, hobbies; the sorts of things you talk about with new people. The
desert trolley came and went, then coffee, then an after dinner brandy.
They prolonged the dinner as long as they could, continuing to feel each
other out mentally. Lily didn’t want to leave, not wanting to lose
this dream-like quality to the date.
“Would you like to go dancing?” Antonio asked her after their
brandies were finished. It seemed Antonio didn’t want it to end either.
She felt safe in saying yes, since he already knew her taste in
music. She didn’t like the average hiphop club music. Lily felt guilty
letting Antonio pay for dinner, since this wasn’t exactly your typical date,
but when he insisted, she felt she couldn’t politely argue. She agreed
to go in his car, since she had taken a taxi to the restaurant.
She slid into the older model Lexus. Obviously well taken
care of by the reflection off the leather in the dim streetlights, but it
showed her that while he might be able to afford quality, he wasn’t in it
for the flash. It was a nice quality in a person. Some men want
a new car every other year, just because it’s the newest toy. She peeked
at him as he drove, thinking about that.
“Here we are.” Antonio pointed through the windshield. He parked
the car on the street, and led her to a blues club that was in the river
district, only a few blocks from the river itself. She’d been there
before, as they played a good mix; blues, swing, even a bit of big band.
Stuff you could really dance to. The music changed to a rather decent
rendition of Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade”. One of those songs
that’s always heard playing in the background of some World War II movie,
but it was lovely to dance to.
Antonio took her hand and led her to the dance floor. With
nearly a foot between them, he placed his hand on her waist and the other
in her hand. She felt his heart through the jacket where she placed
her hand. She was surprised to find it beating so quickly.
She smiled up at him as he took her out on the floor. They moved around
in circles, listening to the music, as their bodies grew closer together.
By the end of the song, her head was resting on his chest, as if she’d been
doing it for years. She felt his breath stir the hair on the top of
her head. After the last note played, they separated grudgingly, clapping
politely for the band. But the next song was a slow number too, and the clung
together as they moved across the floor. Her breasts brushed his chest,
his thighs bumped gently against hers. They were feeling each other
out physically, in the socially approved method. It was a sleepy, intense
feeling, surrounded by the penetrating music, the soft clatter of glasses,
the smell of a thousand shots of liquor. The stale smell of smoke still
lingered, even though the club had had a no smoking policy for years now.
The waft of someone’s perfume reached her every so often, as they passed
other couples on the floor. Lily felt Antonio’s hand run up and down
her back softly, gently, as though petting a cat. It made sense since
she has the urge to purr. His fingers holding her hand would move just slightly,
caressing the backs of her hands. The man knew how to dance, how to
use dance. She was falling under his spell, but she didn’t care.
They danced for what seemed forever. The crowd thinned,
the music slowed, and still they danced. Finally, the announcement
was made that they were closing up. Hand in hand they walked out of
the club. Lily hummed a few bars of a song they had danced to, and
Antonio swirled her in his arms. She giggled, delighted, as they made
their way, unspoken the few blocks to the riverfront. They settled
on a park bench, listening to the flow of the river, the far off sound of
a water fall. His arm settled around her shoulders, and she rested her head
against his chest. They began to talk about the serious things, religion,
deep beliefs, old hurts; things that can only really be talked about in the
dark. They gazed out over the river, watching the stars, noticing the blush
in the east that heralded the rising of the sun.
“I can’t believe we’ve been up all night.” She murmured. She felt
him kiss the top of her head.
“Neither can I.” His arm squeezed her closer. Their hands
found each other, and they watched the sun come up. The sky blushed
lavender, then watched the stars disappear one by one. The reds and
oranges of a fiery sunrise quickly followed, swirling into each other. The
view changed by the second, and nature’s display matched their feelings.
Once the sun had broken the horizon, he asked, “May I take you to breakfast?”
The fatigue and the dancing made her dinner seem like years ago,
rather than hours, and she readily agreed, knowing sleep would have to come
soon enough.
They walked back to his car, and drove to a small mom and pop
diner the kind where pictures of the grandkids hung up behind the cash register.
They forgoed the coffee, but ate voraciously of homemade Belgian waffles
smothered in strawberries. The tension grew as they skirted what to
do next, neither wanting to leave the other; desperately needing sleep, yet
not wanting to take a blind leap. When the finished, they paid and
left a tip on the table then headed out to the car. They both sat for
a few moments.
“Where do you…”Antonio started.
“What if…” She began.
They both laughed. Lily gave him her address, still thinking.
She knew he lived farther out than she did, and quite frankly, not ready
to let him,
this
whatever it was,
get away.
“Antonio, why don’t you just crash out at my place? You’ve been
up just as long as I have. I’d worry about you driving.” While that
was true, they both knew the real reason.
They drove up to her condo, parked next to her car. Her
cat looked out the window lazily. Antonio reached into his trunk, where
he had a gym bag, then followed her to the door.
Lily pat the cat as she passed. “Sheba, meet Antonio, Antonio?
This is the Queen of Sheba.” To underline that, Sheba turned her tail to
Antonio. He smiled tiredly. Both of them were running on fumes, so
she led him upstairs. They each took a turn in the bathroom, using
the conviences and changing into sleeping attire. Antonio changed into
shorts he’d had in his gym bag.
Lily closed the blinds in her bedroom. The filtered sunlight
made dim shadows on the pale green wall. She curled up under the comforter,
and Antonio slid in beside her. She pulled his arm over her, holding
it under her breast. She was asleep before he whispered in her ear.
She sighed deeply, stretching slightly. A wonderful dream.
She felt his arms wrap around her side, his gentle fingers resting under
her breast. His breath gently ruffled her hair, and she felt his heart
beating rhythmically against her back. She curled her fingers around
his, holding them tightly, her bottom pressing into his center. Definitely
not a dream.
To be held. That is what she needed. She could feel
his murmur in her hair. She felt her body relax into his. That is all it
really is. Breathing. Up and down, in and out; control and release.
Deep relaxation and high-pitched excitement.
The phone jangled her awake.
“Lily! Where in god’s name have you been? I’ve been trying and
trying to call you to see how things went with you and Antonio!”
“hmmm. Carrie. That was a rotten trick.”
“Yeah I know.” Carrie replied totally unrepentant. “So, how did
things go?”
“Just a minute, Carrie.” Lily covered the mouthpiece and nudged
Antonio. “ ‘tonio..its for you.” She smiled as she handed him the phone.
Then choked back the roll of laughter as she could hear Carrie screeching
into his ear. She took pity on his poor hearing and took the phone
back.
“I’ll call you later, Carrie.” She smiled into the phone.
Then a surprising turn, Antonio hollered loud enough for Carrie
to hear. “Better start looking for a bridesmaid’s dress.” With Carrie’s
shriek, Lily hung up the phone.
Lily nudged him. “That wasn’t very nice to her!” she giggled.
“Not in the least, but at least decent payback.” He kissed her
neck, sending shivers through her skin. “ Not that I was entirely lying.”
Lily rolled to look him in the face.
He was totally serious. Hell, so was she, who was she kidding.
They knew it was right from the moment they saw each other. Nothing
needed to be decided that instant, but he looked so concerned. She
leaned up and kissed him softly, her arms wrapping around his neck, her fingers
working through his thick, dark hair.