Prologue:
He tapped his fingers on the desk. Tap, tap, tap. The sound of the rain and wind howled outside and he sat still, staring at the computer screen, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. It was a plan he had personally curated for himself for years now and he finally had everything in place - except for one final step. He was smart- very smart, and he knew that people around him had no idea this was the case; he was so good at hiding it. He knew that if someone could figure out the last piece of the plan, it would be him - but why was it so damn hard?
Maybe it was because he was attached to her now. He’s watched and studied her for so long that this was all he knew. It was like he was a part of her, like he was inside her, seeing the world from her perspective. But it was so different from how it really is, he was so far away from her that it killed him inside. He desperately needed her to know him like he knew her, desperately needed her to give him any form of attention he so desperately craved. But no, he was a patient man and if it took him a few more years to master the plan at hand, he would. Only someone like him, someone with the patience like him, would be able to complete the goal he’s set for himself.
Tap, tap, tap. He thought of another idea, and started typing so he wouldn’t forget. He finished and pulled up another tab, a picture of her and her family smiling in their garden as if they didn’t have a care in the world. She was standing beautiful and tall next to them, proud of herself and holding a bouquet of roses. She was wearing a red dress that hugged her body tight, showing off her cleavage perfectly as her long wavy black hair covered most of her back. Her smile gleamed as the caption said, “Professor at River Thames University Discovers New Contraceptive”. She had given a speech that day encouraging women’s rights and how girls have the ability to do anything, giving a clear step-by-step guide of how to become a proper scientist and be successful like her one day. She was absolutely radiant; intelligent, graceful, and perfect - more perfect than any other girl he’s ever seen. He was obsessed.
He grunted abruptly and sat up, slamming his laptop shut as he couldn’t stand the sight of himself looking at her reflected from his screen anymore. Could he be more pathetic? He needed to better himself to be on her level, and the only way to do that was to become the perfect man for her. And that was what he was going to do. He walked over to the weights that were littered about the room, heavy against the dirty concrete floor. He took off his shirt in one smooth motion and threw it in the laundry pile, then turned on the radio as it blasted another song from the 60’s he was well familiar with. He lifted the weight over his shoulders in one loud grunt, his voice echoing against the walls of the room. With a scream, he lifted it above his head, something he wasn’t able to do with even one quarter of the weight a year ago. He was proud of himself, but he still wasn’t good enough. He needed to do better for her.
When he finished his workout, he grabbed a towel, wiping glistening beads of sweat from his body. He looked at the picture of her he had on the wall, one he took when he knew she wasn’t looking. It was his favourite picture of her, but now it just frustrated him. When would it finally be the time? He growled loudly and ripped the picture off the wall, slamming it on the ground. He stomped directly on her face, sighing angrily.
Tap, tap, tap. The sound of his footsteps as he grabbed his coat and left the room.
Chapter 1: Professor Sutton
“The female body is not one to be trifled with.” Professor Sutton said, raising her arm to point the projector remote to the device. The device turned on with a click, producing 3 identical screens demonstrating her powerpoint presentation of the day. The students shuffled around as they pulled their laptops and notebooks out of their bag, ready to take notes regarding what she had to say. Professor Sutton was a beautiful woman in her mid-30’s and completely mesmerizing to her admirers and equally oblivious to her charms. She had long wavy black hair and wore a simple dress coat and matching pants, a standard ‘work outfit’ she wore almost everyday of the week. She was used to wearing her hair up as a scientist but she liked to let it go when she taught her lectures, which was around 3 days a week. She had an upturned nose and high cheekbones which were complimented by two dimples on her cheeks when she laughed, which she felt hadn’t happened for a long time.
“Welcome to your first day of advanced reproductive science. I’m professor Sutton, and I’ve been teaching this course for a few years now.” She pressed her remote and the screen changed, demonstrating the syllabus for the semester. “I know most of you have already looked at how you will be graded, so let’s skip all the boring stuff and get to what you’ll actually be learning about during your few months with me.” She flipped the screen again.
“Most of this course will be regarding human female anatomy.” She continued, the screen showing a detailed drawing of a vagina’s outer and inner layers. “It’s a mystery that most scientists, like myself, still spend our entire lives trying to figure out. Estrogen-dependent cancers are still one of the number one killers of women out there. That is - breast cancers and cervical cancers. That is why it is so important for us to find out more.” She paced around the room, looking in the eyes of many of her students and smiling at them kindly.
“I’m interested in the sexual side of the human anatomy as well - one that many have avoided due to stigma against talking about such topics, and therefore most women think most of their personal problems are only happening to them. In fact, many women never experience orgasms in their lifetime, and this is mostly due to the fact that they never consult anyone to help them.” She coughed, looking around. “My research helped contribute to an oral contraceptive that encourages women to have a better sex life as well as feel more secure about not getting pregnant if they do not wish to be, letting them fully be able to explore what they like and dislike in their own private lifes.”
She flipped the slide again as she sat at her desk, crossing her arms ahead of her in concentration. “What I will be discussing everyday in this course is not something that should be funny to you, or something that you take lightly. Reproductive science is still an emerging field, and I take it very seriously. Please let me know if you have any questions - in my professional opinion, no question is a dumb one.” She smiled again, and as she finally finished her speech, she began her actual lecture. The class scrambled to write notes down due to how fast she taught, and she spoke methodically, knowing exactly what she wanted to speak about without having to consult any notes. It was obvious to all the students she knew exactly what she was talking about and that she would be an incredibly proficient professor to deal with.
The class seemed to end in an instant. Her students waved goodbye to her and a few stayed back to ask some questions about the course outline and whether or not she can make an exception and register them in the course even though it was already marked as full on the school website. She answered every question patiently and then left, taking her usual path back to her office. The school campus was beautiful; full of trees that turned all kinds of colours during the autumn and students wearing shorts and laughing as they played different games during the summer. She loved working at the university and she wouldn’t change her career for anything in the world.
As she arrived in her office, she immediately glanced at her office phone, which was ringing off the hook, screaming at her to answer right away. She dropped her purse on the table and grabbed it. “Professor Sutton’s office, how may I help you?”
“Oh my god Mia I’ve been trying to get a hold of you like crazy.” The other voice screamed over the phone. She held it away from her face, cringing. “Where have you been?!”
“I told you I’m teaching a class today... and will be every Friday. What do you want?” Mia said, and started organizing her desk as she leaned the phone on her shoulder.
“I got invited to a party tonight and I need to bring someone with me.” It was her friend, Josephine. She was a wild one, still living back in her teenage days trying her best to drink as hard as she could before she saw another piece of white hair on her head. Since her divorce from her husband the year before from cheating on her, she had been trying to get laid as much as possible - especially from men much younger than her. Mia was, yes, a little jealous. But that didn’t stop her from judging her friend and continuously telling her to calm down.
“I’m not going to a party with you tonight, I’m exhausted.” Mia replied, sitting on her chair and sitting back. She loved that chair - she had it specially ordered since it was incredibly comfortable for her to sit and work on her research all day.
“Yes. You are.” Josephine insisted. “What if someone attacks me? You’ll regret not being a good friend for me then.”
Mia breathed out a dramatic sigh. “Okay. Fine. What time should I come over?”
“Hmmmm…. Come at 7 so we can dress up and start drinking together. I’ll make your favourites- Piña coladas! Then we can order a taxi and start partying! See you later! ” Josephine replied, and hung up before Mia could change her mind.
“What have I gotten myself into?” Mia groaned, pushing her hand through her hair as she thought about going out with Josephine. She didn’t like going out with her alone that much- especially to a place that had dancing and served alcohol. Josephine was used to finding the first decent young man that looked at her and bring him home for the night, leaving Mia alone to find a taxi to go home to her own husband. She didn’t even know why Josephine wanted her to come so bad if she just abandoned her immediately. She was a bad friend, but she knew that Josephine would do anything for her in a heartbeat - she was loyal, and that loyalty had lasted their friendship almost a decade.
That afternoon, she could barely focus on her work. All she could think about was drinking all the alcohol Josephine would force down her throat and then having a pounding headache the next morning. She grabbed her bag and decided to just go home and get ready; there was no way she could come up with anything remotely intelligent for the rest of the afternoon.
She drove, tapping her hand on the wheel as her mind trailed into her subconscious. She couldn’t help imagine what she actually wanted to happen that night. It had been too long since she had a proper fuck, something deep and hard and made her forget her name and all of her thoughts. Her husband made the time to touch her gently every day and they had sex at least once a month, but it wasn’t the same as when they were young. They were too busy with their own careers to see each other much, and when they did they discussed what they did for work and asked each other for advice as well as had discussions about their daughter- who was now 18 years old herself. She had a feeling that he preferred to go golfing with his brother and friends way more than spending time with her, and if she told her younger self that - the little girl who fell for her best friend - she would’ve never believed it.
Her mind wandered, and she imagined that she would meet a beautiful young man just like Josephine always did. He would show her a life she could never have believed otherwise, exploring her body from head to toe and then teach her all the new techniques the young folk have thought up. He would have the strength and endurance to put her in her place and last for hours, satisfying her fully. And then she would get home to her husband and daughter and live her normal life, meeting him in the cover of the night and then forgetting he ever existed. She was getting wet and fidgeting in her seat just thinking about it.
It didn’t make her feel guilty thinking of these thoughts, she had a feeling that most women her age couldn’t help but lust for something different as well. No matter how happy they were with their husbands, they must long for something different after being with them for so long. It was natural, and it was okay to think about once in a while. She wouldn’t have to act on the fantasy, after all.
Chapter 2: The Eccentric Friend
She finally arrived home, slamming the door of her car and sighing loudly as she thought again about how unsatisfied she was. She unlocked the door with a quick pin password, and called out, “I’m home!” There was no response. That was weird, usually someone would be home to reply to her. She stuck her head into every room, looking for her husband. The family was wealthy. They lived in a grand manor, with 5 bedrooms and a movie lounge with a huge wine cellar in the basement. The walls were filled with ceiling to roof glass, making the natural light enter in and make the home appear even larger. The high ceilings had ornate wood ceilings, one that Mia had picked out herself. She prided herself on decorating the house as beautifully as she could, and had spent a lot of evenings from work designing it to each immaculate detail. “Honey? Are you home?” She turned around the corner, and saw him standing out in the backyard in a deep conversation on the phone.
She smiled, and slid the door open, opening her mouth to speak. She stopped when she heard what he was saying, “Yeah. I can’t wait to see you tonight.” He glanced up to look at Mia, and said, “Okay. Bye.” Before hanging the phone up abruptly.
She narrowed her eyes, “Who were you talking to?”
“Francis, of course. We’re going to be seeing each other tonight.” He looked down on the ground.
“You never talk to your brother like that. Why would you be excited to see him?” She asked, crossing her arms to indicate she didn’t believe a word of his lie.
“Because there is a huge golf tournament tonight, we’ve been talking about it for weeks!” He insisted.
“Um. I’ve never heard you talk about any of this.” She relented a little, but was still doubting his motives.
“Of course I have. You must’ve forgotten since you’re so busy with your new class.” He approached her, and kissed her on her forehead, hugging her slightly with a light caress. She hugged him back automatically, putting her face in his chest for a second before he pulled back. “What are you doing tonight?” He asked, bringing his sleeve up to check the watch on his wrist.
“Oh, Josephine wants to go out and party again.” She said, giving an exasperated look.
“I thought you told her last time you didn’t want to go to those things anymore.” He didn’t approve of her friendship with Josephine. She was too much of a bad influence, and had become worse since her divorce. He wouldn’t dare tell Mia that though, she was very protective of her best friend.
“She guilt tripped me. Telling me someone might attack her.” She said, groaning.
“This girl…” He replied, then shook his head. “Okay, okay. I’ll probably see you tomorrow morning then.”
“You’re leaving already?” She was feeling a bit upset, it had been a week since they had had any personal time together, and even then it was just a quick dinner before they both fell asleep from exhaustion.
“Sorry. Francis keeps rushing me to get going.” He ducked into the house before she could ask more, but came back slightly to say, “Hey, if you’re out too late tonight you should just sleep at Josephine’s place. She has an extra bedroom anyways right? I don’t want you to drive home drunk.” He had always been a worried person, hence the balding that was starting on his head.
She was a bit touched by him being worried about her, and nodded in agreement. She had originally planned on hailing a cab or uber home, but this made more sense anyways. She just hoped Josephine wasn’t planning on bringing a young guy home. She wouldn’t want to have to hear their sounds of moaning all night. Since she had nothing better to do, she spent the afternoon planning out her outfit. She stood at her large walk-in closet, thinking about how slutty she wanted to go tonight. She was still a bit horny from her thoughts earlier in the car, and imagined which dress would be able to seduce the most number of guys, make them not be able to stop looking at her with their dark gazes. After trying on a couple of dresses and showing off in the mirror, she ended up choosing a form fitting tight black dress with gold accents down the side of her body. It had a heart shaped neckline in the front, showing off her breasts well but not too well. She put on a matching gold necklace and earrings as well, and started on her makeup. She was never the type to put too much makeup on herself, and learned the subtle art of highlighting her eyes and lips, making them irresistible to touch but not too gaudy. She only wore simple eyeliner and mascara to work, as it was the policy in the lab to not have much makeup on. Finally, she made sure her wedding ring was in place and packed extra panties and a toothbrush for staying over. She didn’t bother asking Josephine if she could stay, she knew the answer would be yes.
She was still early, but she knew Josephine would want to drink a few rounds of drinks before heading to the party. She drove to her house in silence, listening to the news and trying not to think too much-, which was a bad habit of hers. She was worried about a few things- first, that one of her students may be there and tell the entire school, and her reputation would be destroyed. Second, that Josephine would abandon her and she would be too embarrassed to dance alone and just head home by herself. Third, that she would be too old compared to all the younger, sexier women and no one would even bother talking to her. Why did she care anyways? She had a perfectly fine husband at home whom she loved dearly, why wasn’t that enough for her?
She arrived at a normal looking cul-de-sac in a fairly pricey neighborhood. Josephine had received a lot of money from the divorce and immediately bought a house for herself to celebrate. She had an interior designer decorate it beautifully, not caring much about how it looked or the expense- she just wanted people to be jealous of her. Without knocking on the door, Mia opened it, looking around to see if she could find her best friend immediately. There was no one on the second floor. She walked slowly up the stairs, looking at the mess all over the ground; Josephine’s clothes and bottles of alcohol, and sighed deeply. Honestly, she considered just staying home and cleaning this mess up rather than going out to the party. “Hello? Anyone home?” She called out, rounding the corner to come face to face with an opened bathroom door and music coming out softly from inside. “Josephine?”
“Hey baby!” A voice called out, and her best friend ran up to her to hug her, her hand holding onto a glass as she giggled. “What took you so long?” She was already drunk. Josephine was beautiful and aged wondrously, she was the talk of the town when they went to University together, and she still attracted many young men’s attention when she started to dance. She had long wavy brown hair with streaks of grey throughout- which she rocked without having to hide it. Her teeth were whitened a few degrees lighter, and stood out against her maroon lipstick, which she loved to wear all the time. Her eyes were hazel, the only sign of her real age through her years of wisdom. She liked to hide her intelligence, but Mia was one of the only people in the world who knew how smart she really was- she got most of the money from the divorce, didn’t she?
“I’m here early!” Mia called out, laughing already. “Are you already drunk?”
Josephine lost her footing when she let go of her, and leaned against the door, giggling. “No…” She put her index finger against her lips and shushed her.
“Maybe you should slow down a little.” Mia said, raising her eyebrows judgmentally. “We still have a whole night ahead, you know?”
“I don’t wanna!” Josephine cried out.
“You’re not a teenager anymore. You’re going to damage your liver and regret it.” She tsked, pulling Josephine’s pina colada from her hand and setting it aside. She brought a clean glass from the bathroom sink and poured some water into it, handing it to her and forcing her to drink the whole glass. “There, isn’t that better?”
Josephine pouted at her, but drank the water anyways. When she was finished, she glanced at Mia, immediately knowing something was up. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She replied, glancing up.
“I know that look, we’ve been friends forever. Tell me.” She grabbed Mia’s hand and pulled her out of the bathroom, where she was putting on piles of makeup to hide any wrinkle she had. They bounced on the king-sized mattress together, and she stared at Mia until she relented.
“Okay, okay.” Mia sighed. “I think my husband is cheating on me.” She revealed.
Josephine gasped dramatically. “What? Peter?” Mia nodded. “I really don’t think he’s the type that would do something like that- he’s so boring, you know?”
Mia swatted her in a friendly way. “Hey! Don’t call my husband boring!”
“Okay, okay. What makes you think he’s cheating?” Josephine asked, her head tilting to the side.
“I heard him have a suspicious phone call about going out with a girl tonight.” Mia gulped, wondering what Josephine would think. “How did you find out about your husband? Was it something like this?”
“He was just an idiot… he was so bad at hiding it. I didn’t even have to lay traps to figure it out. But yes, having secretive phone calls does sound a little… weird.” She concluded. “What did he talk about?”
Mia thought for a few seconds. “Um… something about being excited to see them tonight. He said it was talking to Francis when I asked.”
“Ah. I always thought Francis was really hot… too bad nothing happened between us. It would’ve been too weird. We’re like sisters, you know?”
“Can you focus!? Do you think this means he’s cheating?” Mia said urgently, grabbing onto Josephine’s hand.
“Honestly… I don’t know.” Josephine sighed. “I would have to learn more about it to tell you. But really, do you even care that much?”
Mia gasped. “What do you mean?” She got up from the mattress, pacing the room rapidly, deep in thought.
“You just haven’t been… so happy recently. You don’t talk about Peter as much as before, and you’ve lost that spark in your eyes. That heat in your body. I just don’t think you love each other anymore.” Josephine replied honestly.
Mia stopped, looking at her with widened eyes. “How long have you been thinking this?”
“A few years now. Your daughter is a teenager, you’ve been together for decades. It happens… sometimes the love just fades away if both of you aren’t trying anymore. You’re also both at the peak of your careers, it takes a toll on a person.”
“Are you sure you’re drunk right now? Why are you so smart?” Mia joked, trying to change the topic.
“Hah. I’m the wisest when I’m tipsy, okay?” Josephine grinned widely, and stood up dramatically. “Speaking of which, you need some alcohol in that gorgeous body of yours. I need you on my level tonight.” She pulled on her best friend’s arm, and they ran down the stairs together, Josephine pulling her all the way to the kitchen to grab more of the cocktail she premade in the blender.
They spent the next few hours enhancing each other’s make up and complaining about their husbands, when Josephine decided she was finally drunk enough to ‘party hard’, they called an uber. Mia stood at the porch, clutching onto her purse tight in nervousness as Josephine swayed side to side with a drink in her hand, laughing at her neighbors, an elderly couple who was on their nightly walk with their german shepherd.
Chapter 3: The First Meeting
The uber driver was silent, taking lefts and rights methodically and dropping them off in their destination within a half hour. “Where are we?” Mia asked, poking her head curiously out the window.
“I heard about this party at work today, there seems to be a new night club that’s really popular right now - and hard to get in.” She winked.
Mia frowned. “I thought you said you got invited to this and needed my help to get through it!”
“Girl, I say all kinds of things to make you party with me. You should know that already. Anyways, I do need your help. With our ages we raised the average age of the party by at least 5 years, I need you to help me blend in. Be incognito.” She grabbed Mia, who awkwardly stepped out and onto the tarmac, her heel hitting the floor roughly.
“And how do you suggest we get into this ‘hot new party’?” She asked sarcastically. She was kind of relieved now that she knew they wouldn’t be able to get in, and she would be able to stay at Josephine’s house like she always did when they were kids- except with a lot of booze.
Josephine winked at her, “follow me.” Mia reluctantly followed, groaning as she did. They followed the line, which had a few groups of guys ahead of them and two young blonde girls. They watched as the line moved forward, the security guard checking ids and matching them with the list he had on hand. He moved a group of guys forwards, then received the ID of the next set.
“Sorry. No more room tonight.” He grunted.
“What do you mean?” He pointed to the piece of paper he was holding. “We’re clearly on the list!”
“There’s a cap for guys every night. We just hit the cap with the last group.” He replied, waving them off.
“But we paid top dollar to get in! That’s so unfair!” One of the guys cried out.
“Sorry man, try again tomorrow. Next!” The two men reluctantly walked off, glaring at the line on the way to their car. The two girls followed next, grinning at the guard.
“Here you go, kind sir. You’ll find that we’re on the list.” One said, smiling up at him.
He nodded. “Yes. Everything checks out. Go on in.”
Mia glanced at Josephine and whispered. “Hey… are we on the list? Didn’t you just find out about this place?” She waved her off, and approached the guy with the widest grin on her face.
“Hey Hey.” She said casually.
“IDs?” He asked. They both opened up their purse, pulled out their wallets and handed their driver’s licenses to him. He scanned the list, then looked up at them. “You’re not on the list. Next!” He called out.
Josephine grumbled, and fingered her purse, looking for something with a serious expression. A second later, she pulled out a fat envelope, covered in some lipstick. She slid it down the board he was holding, and grinned at him. “Would that put us on the list?”
He roughly fingered the hundred dollar bills in the envelope and glanced up at her. “You would have had to sign up months ago.” He commented.
“Look harder.” She insisted. He flipped to the first bill in the envelope, and took out a polaroid picture of a clearly naked picture of Josephine. “Like what you see?” She winked.
He grunted loudly and slipped the photo into his jacket pocket. “You may enter.” He nodded. “Next!”
“See, I know my way around guys.” She smiled back at Mia as they walked into the building.
“You just spent hundreds of dollars for one night at a stupid club?!” Mia cried out.
“Listen. One day, and very soon, we’re going to die. I have no kids, man. What am I supposed to do with all this cash? Might as well enjoy my life while I can, you know?” Mia was completely speechless. “C’mon, let’s go have fun.” The night club was dark at first, but high-end LED lights revealed themselves as the two girls sauntered in. Mia blew out an impressed whistle as they glanced around, the dance floor filled with people in their 20’s, jumping up and down to a song neither of them knew. There were two bars on either side of the dance floor, an upstairs area with closed rooms and VIP areas, and an outdoor bar and hangout area for people who were done with dancing for the night and wanted to socialize. It was impressive to say the least, and already much better than anything they’ve seen in their younger days. “Let’s go!” Josephine called out, grabbing her friend and running up to the dance floor.
“Oh no, no.” Mia replied. “I need a few more in me to be able to dance with a crowd like that.”
“You’re such a party pooper.” Josephine said, and ran off on her own, waving Mia goodbye as she walked backwards onto the dance floor.
Mia glanced around nervously, though already knowing beforehand that her friend would abandon her to do her own thing as soon as she could. Why did she say yes to this again? She walked up to the bar, waiting for anyone to pay attention to her. “Hello?” She called out- but the two bartenders currently serving a wave of customers were too busy to pay attention to her. “Hello?” Was it maybe her age?
When one of them turned around and spotted her, she called out, “One strawberry basil cocktail please!” She ignored her, returning the change to someone else before helping another customer. Mia rolled her eyes, and walked off defeated.
She would have to try the bar outside, there were far less people around. Her heels clicked against the shiny marble flooring as she did, and opened the door to let the fresh air in- it was way too stuffy in there for her liking. She decided she really didn’t need a drink anymore, and sat down at one of the leather couches surrounding the small campfire in the centre with a water display. She looked around at the few groups of people chattering quietly, then at the couple by the bushes making out fervently. She sighed, her eyes honing in on the fire, which was radiating blue hues against the water around it. She knew it would turn out like this, but she came anyways, just to be a good friend. What did she expect? Guys to fall all over her and tell her how hot she is despite her age? Why wouldn’t her husband just slam her against a wall and worship her like he used to? Devouring her body inside and out and exploring every part of her.
Maybe he was tired of her. Tired of exploring. The hunger in his eyes completely gone from him, replaced by an intense focus on his work and career rather than her and their daughter.
“Hello Miss.” A gentle male voice said behind her, making her jump slightly. She turned around, looking at a face illuminated by the flames in front of her. He was breathtaking- a young man looking to be in his late 20’s, with short silky jet black hair, which matched the shirt he was wearing perfectly. It was unbuttoned a few rows down, showing off a little bit of hair from his chest. His shirt was tight enough to display the muscles in his arms, bulging slightly but not too much- indicating he worked out, but didn’t go overboard with it. He had a piercing on one ear, a small diamond that would be inconspicuous if she didn’t study him in every detail, and thin biteable lips, which she immediately wanted to sample just looking at him. She stared at the slight stubble on his cheeks, wondering what that would feel like if she rubbed her face against it.
He cocked his head to the side, staring at him like somewhat of a predator. “What are you doing here alone?” He asked.
She shook her head, and looked down at her lap, feeling immediately nervous. “It’s really none of your business, is it?” She replied cheekily.
“It’s always my business when a lady such as yourself looks so lonely and disheartened.” He replied, his silky voice almost a whisper.
“And what makes you in charge of taking care of lonely women?” She replied, raising her eyebrows.
“It’s a self-proclaimed role.” He said, before sitting down next to her on the leather couch, placing a cocktail glass on the table- which she had not noticed him holding until now.
“And what is that?” She asked, tilting her head towards the glass he set down.
“Strawberry and basil cocktail.” He replied. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
What a stalker. She thought, glancing at him, then at the glass. “How did you know that was the drink I wanted?”
“I was in the club when you were. Spotted your friend abandoning you, and then the bartenders ignoring you. You’re not having a great night, are you?” He chuckled.
She fumed at him. “I didn’t ask you to rescue me. You don’t even know me.”
“I would like to know you.” He said, moving closer to her. She moved back instinctively, half her ass almost hanging off the couch they shared.
“No thank you. And I’m not drinking that drink, either. How do I know you haven’t drugged it?” She asked.
He thought for a second, and then picked up the drink. Her breath hitched when she saw his beautiful lips press against the glass, sipping on it. His Adam's apple bopped up and down as he did, and he looked up at her with a darkened gaze before setting the glass back down. “See? No poison.” He pushed the glass towards her. “I’m just a benevolent guy.”
She rolled her eyes, but took the glass anyways, her throat already parched from his experience. She chugged the whole glass down, and slammed it on the table before glancing at him again. “Thanks for the drink, I’m going to go now.” She said, feeling incredibly uncomfortable at him as well as her own tangled up feelings.
He grabbed her wrist as she stood up, plopping her back on the couch again. “Stay and talk to me. My friend abandoned me, too, and you’re honestly the most interesting person I’ve seen so far.”
She pulled her wrist from his hand, the touch alone already burning hot on her skin. It felt like a sin, like she was cheating on her husband despite not having done anything wrong. “And why am I so interesting?” She asked.
“They all dress the same, act the same, look the same. They all try to act so different from each other that they all end up doing the same thing. I can tell you don’t really want to be here, that you’re just trying to be a good friend, but where’s your friend now? Trying to be just like the rest of them.” He said darkly.
She felt many emotions at once- processing this information overload. She felt angry at him for making fun of Josephine and comparing her to all these people he hated. She felt surprised that he could read exactly what was going on despite her not revealing anything about herself, and she felt completely shocked that the words coming out of his mouth seemed to match word for word what she had complained about many times before. She realized she hadn’t spoken in quite some time, and glanced up at him. “You shouldn’t talk about my friend like that.” Was all she said.
He leaned back on the cushions, and his smell wafted towards her, a musky sandalwood scent that made her want to come closer. “I know everyone has flaws. I’m sure she’s lovely otherwise, I have no malice towards her.” She nodded at him, and reached to grab her drink again to break the silence but realized she had drank it all. She brought her hand back quickly, biting her lip awkwardly.
“Your lips look very biteable.” He commented casually, his gaze seemed to be grazing against her body despite not touching her.
She gasped. “You can’t say things like that to someone you don’t know.”
“I’m just speaking the truth.” He replied as he turned his body to face her. “I know you’re thinking the same thing about me.” What a conceited asshole.
“What did you want to talk about?” She asked, trying to change the topic.
He thought for a second. “What’s your name?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s none of your business.”
He chuckled. “Are you famous or something? Why can’t I know your name?”
“Because I don’t want to tell you.” She crossed her arms. “That should be enough for you.”
He raised his hands defensively. “Okay, okay. I’ll respect your privacy.”
“What’s your name?” She asked, smirking at him.
He faked an appalled expression. “Excuse me but how dare you ask me my name?”
She laughed out loud. “You asked me mine!”
“It’s Oliver.” He put his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
She thought for a second, and put her hand out as well, gripping his palm tightly to show him she wasn’t scared of him. There was no way he would figure out she was a professor at the local university just from a first name, right? “I’m Mia.” He took her hard grip, and loosened his, his index finger trailing from the back of her hand up to her knuckles, up and down in a simple motion but so lightly she could barely feel it. She shivered slightly, and let go of him- he won this time- but she wouldn’t be touching him again.
“That’s a beautiful name.” He said breathlessly.
She shrugged. “Thank my parents.”
He scooted closer to her, and reached to touch her, his finger coming close to her cheeks. She moved back instinctively, almost falling off the couch as she did. “What are you doing?” She whispered urgently.
“Your skin looks so soft.” He admitted.
“Again, you can’t talk to people you just met like that!” She scolded, feeling like this mom. “Also… I’m married.” She moved her hand up, revealing her wedding band, which she had on her at all times.
“I know.” He replied, looking quite guilty.
“Then you know this is extremely inappropriate right?” She said.
He bit his lip. “I can’t help it. I feel this attraction to you I can’t explain. I saw you from across the club and knew I had to talk to you. And I can see all your thoughts in your eyes, all your internal arguments with yourself about what is right and wrong but I know you just want to touch me, too. For once in your life, go with what your body is telling you- live the life you know you deserve.”
She stood up abruptly. “Don’t assume anything about me. You have no idea what my life has been life, and don’t try to appear like you can relate to any of it. You’re just an asshole at a club wanting to get laid, and I’m not going to fall for your stupid pick up lines.”
She regretted it immediately, seeing his genuinely hurt expression and look of distress - he knew he fucked up, and didn’t know how to fix it. She wasn’t really that angry, just didn’t want him to do the same to other women- he needed to learn a proper lesson. Before she could say anything else though, Josephine appeared, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hey! I was looking for you everywhere. Why aren’t you dancing with me?” She asked, tilting her body slightly as she tried to find her balance.
“I didn’t feel like dancing.” Mia said, shrugging slightly.
Josephine glanced at Oliver, who was still sitting on the couch, his arm draped over the back. “Hi! Who are you?”
He stood up, and shook her hand gracefully. “I’m Oliver, Mia’s friend.” He smiled.
She whistled. “What a beautiful friend you have, Mia! Why didn’t you introduce us before?” She grinned.
Mia rolled her eyes. “Because he’s not actually my friend.” Josephine studied the two of them, and dragged Mia to the side. “One sec.” She said to Oliver, holding her index finger up at him. He nodded, his eyes widening from the intrusion- Josephine was a lot to handle at first before you got used to her.
They pulled off to the entrance of the club, Josephine staring at her with wide excited eyes. “When were you going to tell me you found a complete hotty? You going to bang him tonight?” She asked, mouth gaped open.
“Josephine. What are you saying? I’m married.” Mia replied.
“You and I both know your marriage is going downhill. And you just said today you think he’s cheating on you! This is the perfect opportunity for you to take your revenge.” She grinned, swaying side to side.
“I told you I don’t really know if he’s actually cheating on me.”
“Enough of this.” Josephine waved her hand at her. “I came here to tell you I found a man for tonight.” She winked.
“Excuse me?” Mia asked, her eyebrows shooting to the roof.
“What’s so surprising about that? You know the whole point of going out tonight is so I can find my next catch.” She winked again.
“So you’re just going to abandon me?” Mia demanded angrily.
“It’s not abandoning you if you already found a hot boo yourself.” She waved at Oliver, who waved back in confusion.
“But--” Mia started.
“Listen.” She grabbed her shoulders. “You need to take care of yourself. It’s your choice whether or not you pursue this, but I suggest as your friend that you need to do this. Okay? I’m heading out now. Good luck!” She waved as she strutted awkwardly on the grass with her heels, her steps digging into the dirt with every step.
Mia watched her leave, and jump when she heard his voice behind her. She could almost feel his body heat against her back. “Did she just leave you?” He asked. She nodded without turning back. “What kind of friend does that?”
“Do you want me to get angry at you for assuming things about my best friend?” She murmured.
“I’m sure you’re a little angry at her.” He commented. She turned back, glancing at him.
“Do you want me to take you home? I promise I haven’t drank anything tonight.” He lifted his arms, showing her his palms.
She bit her lip, deciding on whether or not she wanted to accept that request. Should she really listen to Josephine on this? Do what her body is telling her to and give in to this guy? She could almost roll her eyes and how conceited if she gave in and let him use her body. She wondered how many girls he wooed the same way, and felt a tight constriction at her chest.
He lifted his fingers to graze his hand against her lips, and she gasped slightly. “Those lips look so delicious.” He commented.
“When you do things like that how can I trust you to drive me home? Or trust you at all?”
“I know you can tell that I’m a good guy. I’m intelligent, composed, and I feel something for you I can’t control. I’ve already explained this. Please, just do me a favour and let me make sure you’re home safe tonight, that’s all I want, okay?” He put his hands to his side, giving her the space she needed for once. She thought about it, but felt her ability to think properly simmer to nothing. She just wanted to explore this, to see what would happen next. To see how far she could push this thing. And before she could tell herself ‘no’, she nodded at him.
He grinned widely. “I won’t disappoint you. I promise.”
“You make a lot of promises you can’t keep.” She commented, and walked off to the parking lot, leaving him to catch up with her.
Chapter 4: The Ride Home
“Where did your friend go, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“She found her guy for tonight.” Mia shrugged.
“Does she do this every night? Hunt for young men?” He asked, genuinely curious.
“Not every night. No. She’s just… lonely.” She frowned at him, daring him to say something worse about Josephine.
He didn’t. “That’s really sad. I hope she can find someone proper one day. Someone who can really care for her.” Mia nodded in agreement, and neither said a word until they reached the car. He parked at the end of the parking lot, a blue truck that didn’t stand out against all the expensive cars scattered around it. He opened the door for her politely, and she stepped in, studying how clean the space was. It was immaculate- she felt like she was sitting inside a brand new car, the fragrance a subtle oak smell. She questioned whether or not he had a girlfriend that cleaned it for him, did he seem like the type of guy to be this immaculate?
“Where to?” He asked.
She thought about it. Would she give him the address to Josephine’s house? What if Josephine also brought her guy to the same place and she walked in on them naked? It would’ve been very disturbing. She couldn’t possibly give him the address to her house, she knew Peter would be expecting her to stay the night at Josephine’s, and she was worried about what she would find if she did go home. Would there be another woman around? Did her daughter know about this and keep it from her?
She also couldn’t give him the address to a hotel, because then he would think she was coming onto him, and she was not going to sleep with him tonight. She shook her head, removing the swirling thoughts in her mind and said, “I’ll give you the directions. Turn right here.” She pointed. She would just go back to Josephine’s house- it was highly unlikely she brought the guy home to her address. She was a smart girl, and would be cautious about a stranger knowing her address, she would’ve brought him to a motel or hotel for the night and left it at that. Mia felt some kind of comfort she would be alone in the large house that night, alone to think about everything that happened that night. She would need some time to process it all.
He followed her directions, silent for once. Maybe he understood she needed her personal space? When they finally arrived half an hour later, she held onto her purse nervously, waiting to see what he would do. Her heart was pounding. Would he expect her to ask him to come in for the night as repayment for the drink and the drive? Would he want to do something in the back of his truck? She hadn’t had to worry about these thoughts since she met her husband at a young age, the only guy she’s ever been with. Having these thoughts now, even at the age where she had her own teenager daughter, was both troubling and thrilling at the same time.
“This is it.” She said finally.
He nodded at her. “It was a pleasure meeting you.” She turned to face him, was this it? Was this all it was going to be? She felt a little disappointed. He reached into his pocket, and took out his wallet. He fingered it, and took out a stack of cards. “This is the card for my business.” He said. She looked at it. On top, in bolded Arial font were the words ‘Milton Road Home Repair Co.’ “Call me anytime.” He continued.
She glanced at him, “You repair houses for living?”
“Yeah, just something I was good at and then decided to do as a career, opened up my own company and now it’s doing pretty well.” He said.
She raised her eyebrows. “You own your own company at this age?”
He chuckled. “I had some help from my parents.” He leaned in on her, stared at her darkly. “You know, I don’t appreciate you talking about our age difference this much. Age is but a number, as they say. What matters is the connection between us, and how mature I am as a person. All we have to do is have a mutual understanding between us, and that’s all that matters.” She was shocked at the fact that he was scolding her, but couldn’t help but admit he was correct.
“Okay. I’m going to go now.” She said, holding onto the car door handle.
“Wait.” He said, and she turned back to stare at him. “Please tell me you’ll call me. I’ll be too distressed if you don’t call.”
“I’ll think about it.” She replied, biting her lip again.
He moved towards her, closing the gap abruptly and placing his hands on her cheeks. It was warm- incredibly warm. She could feel her temperature rise immediately, her body telling her to get more. His lips moved closer and closer to her, so close that she could feel it graze against her. Her body reacted strongly, she wanted to close in, to open her mouth and let him in, let him explore her from head to toe and do what he clearly wanted to do to her. “I can tell you’re scared.” He whispered, his lips brushing against hers.
She nodded. “I’m scared.” He moved to put his hand behind her hair, holding her firmly on her neck- though it felt more reassuring than anything else.
“I’m not scary.” He chuckled, the noise coming deep from his throat.
“The idea of you is.”
“I’m not going to do anything without your consent. I want you to tell me what you want.” He said.
She nodded, and then couldn’t think properly anymore. She closed in on the kiss, breaking the tiny gap between them in an instant. He moaned abruptly from the sensation, his body moving against her instantly as he pulled her tighter to him with the hand placed on her neck. She opened her mouth wide, exploring his soft lips and then his tongue as they intertangled against each other. She felt heated, more hot than she could ever feel. She felt like she was descending into hell with her desires and needs, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself now. He pressed his chest against hers, and entered her mouth even deeper. She groaned out loud, the many nerves on her lips tingling from want. He moved away, and gave her a small kiss on her chin, then down her neck. Small little pecks down into her collarbone, feeling her soft skin against his lips. She moved her head up, giving him access to what he wanted. Suddenly, he sucked hard against her skin, exactly where her neck curved out to her shoulders. She gasped out loud, not feeling these sensations for quite some time. With her husband, all they did was minimal foreplay and then got into the sex. There was no playfulness or heat anymore.
He sucked hard, putting his jaw to work to play properly with her skin. He then moved back and explored her lips again. She accepted him greedily, taking in everything he was willing to offer. She adjusted against him to get comfortable in the car, and pulled on the fan switch in the process. They both stopped abruptly to turn to the loud air conditioning, which was now set at the max volume. She was immediately pulled out her spell, and she glanced at his swollen red lips, not believing she just lost control like that.
“That will never happen again. I’m so sorry.” She said, grabbing the door handle again.
“Don’t leave me like this.” He said, sounding more upset than he’s ever been.
“I can’t possibly do this. I’m not that kind of woman. I won’t cheat on my husband.” She said, her voice cracking on her but still firm and determined.
“It’s not about what kind of woman you are, but about the connection between us.” He emphasized again, not able to contain his emotions any longer.
“I just-- I can’t.” She said, and left, slamming the door behind her and running up to the house. She opened the door with the spare key and locked it tight, leaning against the frame and gasping loudly. She couldn’t believe she just did that. She was completely in over her head, and going to hell for sure. She was one of the women they talked about at church, who cheated on their husband because they couldn’t control their desires, letting the devil take over their minds. Oh, god. How would she be able to reprimand her daughter in the future knowing that she did such a horrible thing? She had a restless night, turning side to side thinking of the horrible act she had committed. She now wished Josephine was around to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but she had disappeared the whole night, ignoring all of Mia’s messages.
Mia woke up past dawn, something she wasn’t used to doing as a working mom. She flipped open the bedsheets to reveal a soaked bed and soaked panties. She gasped, immediately judging herself. She couldn’t believe she had a dream like that about a guy she just met. She had dreamt of him ravishing her on her bed at home, demanding that she worshiped him in return and explored her every bump and crevice with his tongue. He continued by entering her, she screamed out over and over as he did, making her his in every position possible, enjoying her squirming and panting beneath him. It was the hottest dream she’s ever experienced, and she desired it to come true desperately. She couldn’t believe the thoughts he brought out of her just from a few touches.
She immediately jumped out of the bed, running to the bathroom to take a hot shower and remove all of his scent from her body. Josephine arrived as she came out of the shower, grinning the widest she’s ever seen. “How did it go?” She asked.
Josephine pumped her fist in the air. “Everything I needed. I came soooo many times.” She laughed.
Mia rolled her eyes. “Good for you. Thanks for abandoning me. Again.”
“Girl, we've been friends for years now. You know I always make sure you’re safe- and you’re very safe with that guy I met.” She emphasized.
“Excuse me but you don’t know anything about him. He’s the opposite of safe.”
“Does that mean you did something with him?” Josephine poked Mia’s stomach over and over, making her laugh out loud and remove the frown from her face. She immediately forgave her for leaving her.
“No.” She blushed furiously.
“You’re lying.”
Curse Josephine for knowing her so well. “I swear we didn’t do anything. I would never cheat on my husband.”
“He would cheat on you.” She replied quickly. Mia ignored her, grabbing her purse and her clothes from Josephine’s guest room.
“I have to go home and see my family now.” Mia said.
“C’mon. You know you want to.” Josephine grinned. “My life has been so much better after I left my husband.”
She wanted to tell her she had to leave him because he was cheating, but she didn’t want to be rude, and just waved goodbye before entering the car. She’s driven back home a million times now, and let her mind disappear as she did. She couldn't stand to be in her own thoughts any longer. She dropped her purse on the counter, and glanced around.
“Peter? Are you home?” She missed her daughter, Isabella. She would be home in a few days for her summer vacation, and it had been months since she’s seen her. There was no response again, and she gathered the mail which was littered on the table.
It was boring- letter after letter indicating bills, an invitation to a charity event with lawyers… and a letter hand written for Peter? It smelled like roses, the person who sent it to him clearly wanted him to open it. She bit her lip, and couldn’t help herself. She grabbed a letter opener from her desk drawer, and slid it open slowly. Could this be what she had guessed this entire time? Inside was a letter and a photograph. She flipped the letter open. It was pink, and had beautiful cursive handwriting. “Looking forward to the trip. Thinking of wearing this. XOXO.” She flipped onto the picture, which was a polaroid photo of a girl’s body, her face cropped from view. She wore a sexy pink lingerie, which did a bad job in hiding what was underneath, her nipples and crotch completely exposed as the thin lace travelled around it.
Mia gasped, and immediately pushed everything into the envelope, sealing it as carefully as she could and placing it back on the table. She ran upstairs to her room, looking around fervently, not knowing what to do next. Finally, she ran into the master bathroom and turned on the shower to the highest heat possible. She stepped into it, then sat on the floor, letting the water soak her like it did every time she went through emotions like this when she was younger. It was a way she dealt with problems she didn’t know how to properly deal with, and the burning sensation against her skin made her think more clearly than she ever could.
When she sat long enough for the water to be cold, she exited and placed a towel on her body, not bothering to wipe herself properly. She grabbed her phone from the bathroom counter, and took out the now soaked card from her dress pocket. ‘Milton Road Home Repair Co. CEO: Oliver Davis.’ His number, address, and email were on the bottom. On the back there was additional space to write down an appointment date. She entered the number rapidly, not letting herself doubt her will any longer.
“It’s Mia. I changed my mind. Let me know when.”
To be continued.