Monday
Harold stood at the door and looked around. On the flipchart at the front of the room someone had written ‘Management Skills for the IT Environment,’ so he was in the right place. There were probably twenty other people milling about the room or already seated at one of the tables, some were talking and others just staring into space. Everybody looked so young. Harold felt out of place. He took an empty seat at a table near the back and joined those staring into space.
At the front of the room a woman dressed in a business suit was alternately surveying the room and fiddling with papers on the lectern. She was obviously the instructor for the four day course, not only because of her air of authority, but there was a little white rectangle on her chest that said Janet Mason, Instructor. When she saw Harold at the back of the room a little smile appeared.
“Good morning everybody,” the instructor said looking around the room. An incoherent mumble was the crowd’s weak reply.
“My name is Janet Mason and I’ll be your instructor for the next four days. I’m going to have to assume that the reason each of you are here is because you want to be the best manager you can be. Well, this course will introduce you to the skills necessary to lead and motivate the technical staff of your IT environment. You will practice these skills and behaviors in small groups and learn how to lead with vision, motivate and empower your staff for success, facilitate effective communications both horizontally and vertically, and delegate the decision making process to individuals and teams. By the end of the week you should have a solid foundation for everything you will need as a manager of IT professionals. Now, before I start with this morning’s lecture we need to do a couple things. First, I want each of you to introduce yourselves and tell me a little about you. Second, we need to break up into groups. Each group will have four team members and you will stay with your team for the duration of the course. Okay, we’ll go around the room for introductions.”
Everybody said who they were and where they were from. Harold was last.
“Hi, my name is Harold Carson. I work for Syntex Pharmaceuticals in Philadelphia. I’m an IT project portfolio coordinator and over the last thirty years have done just about every IT related job imaginable, all except actual management that is.”
Janet smiled at the end of his introduction and said, “Mr. Carson it’s good to see you again. Okay, now class we need to break up into groups and while you were introducing yourselves I set up five groups of four and when I call your name and point to a table I want you to move to that table. That will be your group table for the week.”
It took a few minutes for everybody to rearrange themselves. When everybody finally settled down Harold found himself sitting at the same table with two young women and a young man who looked about as old as his oldest grandson. Everybody quickly introduced themselves: Bob was the young man and Natalie and Angel were the two women. The instructor started in on her lecture.
At the ten o’clock break Janet came up to Harold.
“Mr. Carson, it’s good to see you again. What brings you to my class? You aren’t planning on taking over for me and teaching the class next time are you?”
“No, nothing like that Janet. I’m here at the insistence of Bob Szymanski, you remember Bob don’t you? Well, he signed me up for this class I think to get me out of the office for a while. I haven’t been concentrating on things very well for some time now and I think he’s planning on moving me somewhere where I can’t do any harm. The rumor has it he’s going to make me the manager of the systems planning group. If I’m a manager then I’ll have good people to bail me out when I screw up.”
“Aw, that’s not true Harold. You were the best group leader I’ve ever seen. What’s been happening that makes you think you’re not doing a good job?”
“Well, ever since Jane died I just haven’t had any ability to concentrate. I think I’ve lost any ability to care. It’s been a tough few months.”
“God Harold, I’m so sorry, I had no idea. I hadn’t heard much from anybody at Syntex since I left. I hadn’t heard about Jane. She was a good woman. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Yeah, she was everything to me. I feel so lost without her. I think that’s why Bob sent me here, to get me away from work for a while and do something that might rekindle the flame to allow me to focus on my work again. That’s why he chose this class, I think. San Antonio is beautiful and there’s a lot to do on the River Walk after class. And I’m sure he knew that you were the instructor. I think this is company paid R&R actually. But, I promise to do my best and learn everything you have to offer.”
“I’m not worried about that Harold. You could sleep through everything and still do better than anybody else. You just do what you want to do and feel free to interject anything into my lectures that could be helpful. Well, I’ve got to get things started again, so just relax and enjoy. We’ll talk more later.”
At noon the class broke for lunch. The hotel’s catered lunch was in an adjacent meeting room where everybody went to eat. It was interesting that each team sat together at lunch just as they did in the class.
They ate quietly, but as they finished the conversation started.
“Harold, I apologize for eavesdropping but I overheard your conversation with Janet at the break,” Natalie said after she finished wiping away the last traces of the lemon meringue pie. “You and Janet worked together?”
“Actually, I hired her straight out of college as a project leader. She was good, so good in fact that I quickly realized she wouldn’t be around very long because we wouldn’t be able to promote her fast enough to keep her interested. She stayed at Syntex for five years and then moved on to a management position with one of our competitors. She stayed with them for a few years and then became the CIO of a Fortune 500 banking conglomerate. And somewhere along the way she got married and had a couple of kids. She’s knowledgeable and a really great person. Oh, and don’t play poker with her, she’s very good and very tricky.”
Bob lifted his head from his dessert and put his napkin over his mouth to stifle a burp. He looked at the two women sitting across from him and gave each a slight grin with one eyebrow crooked upward. He was obviously admiring the two women’s attributes and wasn’t paying close attention to the conversation. What he didn’t know was that he had a little piece of chocolate cake in between his two front teeth. Everybody else noticed but didn’t say anything.
Natalie continued. “Harold, I overheard your response to Janet about why you’re here and I’m sorry about your wife. I understand about losing a spouse and think that concentrating on your work is a good way to get past everything.
Angel sat listening to everything but remained quiet because she hadn’t overheard the conversation between Harold and Janet, so she didn’t understand what it all meant. She was a shy woman anyway so she just listened. Bob on the other hand was looking Natalie up and down. He never even noticed Angel.
After lunch Harold sat back to observe during one of the lectures. His eyes wandered over each of his teammates and his mind made judgments about what he saw.
Bob was probably just out college and hadn’t yet purged all of his college fraternity habits so that meant he hadn’t yet learned manners, communication skills and all the niceties and decorum usually found in an office full of professionals. His little ponytail was neat but not something you’d see on a manager. It didn’t even match his clothes. He slouched and he spent entirely too much time checking out the women in the room. On one occasion Harold could see him move in his chair to get a better look at Natalie’s legs. Harold dismissed him and gave him the nickname of ‘God’s gift’ because that’s what he obviously thought he was for women.
Angel had that deer in headlights look. She sat straight in her chair and took copious notes. Every so often a little frown appeared on her face saying that she was having trouble understanding the topic. When they worked together as a team on an assignment, he noted that she wasn’t stupid, just overwhelmed with the topic. Also, on occasion she would smile for no apparent reason. She had a beautiful smile. It complimented her big brown eyes. Her conservative page boy style haircut looked nice with her brown hair and the bow on one side gave her an air of innocence. But when she smiled her whole face changed. She appeared to be in her twenties but he wasn’t sure. Her one most noticeable characteristic was that she was a large woman. There are many ways to describe her; overweight, big boned, large, fat, but none of these seemed appropriate. She was a beautiful woman and would be beautiful at any size. As Harold looked at her he saw her beauty not her size.
Natalie was in a different league altogether. To say that Natalie was gorgeous was the same as saying that Mozart was a good composer. The first thing you noticed was her hair. It flowed in waves and ripples over her shoulders in long black strands. Her bangs almost covered the tops of her brown eyes but when those eyes peered out from under the hair and looked at you they sparkled like the Milky Way and drilled holes right through your soul. Her smile was quick and electric. Her voice was soft and melodic. Everything from the neck down was gorgeous too. Her legs were those of a dancer, muscular and strong. Her bottom was soft and shapely. Her breasts neither overwhelmed nor disappeared on her chest, they were appropriate and prominent. She might have had a Hispanic background but Harold wasn’t sure. She could have been Italian or Mediterranean but whatever she was, she was spectacular.
Harold felt so out of place as he looked at his teammates. He felt so old. Here was a 60 year old man with graying hair and non-descript features. There was nothing spectacular to see, nothing that would make a woman’s head turn and look, nothing like Paul Newman or Harrison Ford who looked better as they aged. Average was the best description for him.
Harold sighed and concentrated on the lecture.
When the class was over Harold suggested that everybody get together and go somewhere nice for dinner.
“Can’t man,” Bob smirked. “I heard of a little bar down the way that has the three most important ingredients in life: good music, good drinks, and good women. I’ve got a date with all three. See you in the morning.” He left in a hurry.
Angel looked tired and confused as she looked from Harold to Natalie and back again. “I don’t think I can. I only understood about half of what we did today and I’d better go back to my room and study. I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned and hesitantly walked away.
“Well I guess that just leaves you and me,” Natalie said with a smile. “Why don’t you pick a good place and we can meet in the lobby in a half hour. By the way, I’m partial to anything fattening.”
Thirty minutes later, after changing into a nice casual shirt, sport coat, and denim pants, Harold met Natalie in the lobby. She looked fantastic in a simple flower print blouse, black slacks, and sandals. Of course, she could probably wear a burlap sack and still look great.
“Hey there, so what have you decided?” Natalie asked.
“There’s a restaurant within walking distance that’s said to be one of the best restaurants in the state. It has steaks and seafood with a Texas accent. How’s that sound?”
“Absolutely wonderful. Lead the way.”
They strolled along the tree lined walkway beside the river and past dozens of small and expensive looking shops. Once in a while Natalie would stop suddenly to look in a window and Harold would slam on the brakes so he didn’t lose her. They talked about nothing important and smiled a lot at everything. Thirty minutes later they came to the restaurant and because it was a weekday got a table right away, without a reservation.
Natalie dug into a large plate of the house specialty beef tenderloin causing Harold to wonder how she stayed so thin if she ate like this all the time. Harold had the bouillabaisse primarily because he loved seafood but also because he had an expense account, so lavish meals were okay. During the entrée their conversation turned to more serious topics.
“Harold, tell me about your wife,” Natalie queried between bites.
Harold’s fork holding a large scallop stopped half way to his mouth. He just sort of froze in space with a blank expression on his face. Natalie worried that she may have taken the conversation where she shouldn’t have.
“I’m sorry,” Natalie said. “I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to say anything.”
Harold put down the fork and put his elbows on the table interlacing his fingers over his plate. “It’s okay, you aren’t prying. I don’t talk about her much now but I think about her all the time. I’ve known Jane for almost 40 years. We were married for 37 of them and I’ve got to say we were happy for most of them. I loved her from the very first day we met. My younger sister asked if I would drive her and her friend to the library and since I had nothing better to do I said okay. Her friend didn’t say much, she seemed to be very shy. But I caught her looking into the rear view mirror at me from the back seat a couple times and when our eyes met she quickly looked out the window. I thought she was cute. I sat reading magazines while my sister and Jane worked on whatever project they were working on. A little while later my sister found me and said that her old boyfriend was there too and he wanted to take her home so they could talk and would I mind taking Jane home. When the time came to leave we didn’t go straight home. I suggested that we stop at a little burger joint. We ate and talked for hours and the more we talked the less shy she became. When we finally got home she was laughing at my silly jokes and holding my hand. I think from the moment she took my hand in hers she also had a hold of my heart.
We have a son who’s grown now with a family of his own. He named his oldest daughter Jane and my wife thought that was the nicest thing anybody ever did for her. When he was growing up he had problems in school and was a challenge at times. It frustrated her to no end. But she never gave up on him. For a while there she spent more time helping him and giving him whatever he needed than she did with me. I think I was a little jealous. The day he left for the Army she cried like a baby and she did the same thing four years later when he mustered out. The two of them had a special kind of relationship that only a mother and son can understand.
Jane was a beautiful woman. She may not have been as outwardly beautiful as someone like you but she had an aura about her that made people see beyond her physical appearance and look at the woman inside. She had the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen, a triangular shaped face with the cutest little crooked nose, and when she was younger her hair was the color of chocolate. In later years it was pure white and she wore it proudly that way.
The one thing that stands out in my mind more than anything else was her smile. She always had a silly little smile on her face. People would often comment on it and ask her why she was smiling all the time. Her standard reply was ‘because I’m happy’ but I felt that there was more to it than that. I can remember waking up in the morning and seeing her stretching out the kinks from the night and there was that silly little smile. She would say goodbye to me in the morning with that smile. Even as she was drying her hair after her shower the smile was there. Only a few times were the events of our lives bad enough to make her lose that smile. One of her friends said she looked foolish and another said she looked like she was up to something. I think she looked beautiful.
She died last January after a long fight against breast cancer just a few weeks shy of her 60th birthday. Up until the end she still had that silly little smile. It faded away as death took her.”
Harold became silent and tilted his head to look down at the remnants of his meal. He didn’t want his companion for the evening to see the tears in his eyes.
Natalie had stopped eating and had been listening to his story with rapt attention. When he stopped she realized that she hadn’t eaten a bite since he started describing his wife. She too had a tear in her eye. She did the only thing she could think of. She reached over and placed her hand on top of his, and waited.
The quiet, tender moment was rudely interrupted when the waitress appeared and asked how the meal was. Each took their napkin and wiped their eyes. Harold was able to mumble and nod that their food was good and the waitress left them to pick up the pieces of their conversation. There was a long silence as they continued eating.
After a few minutes of awkward silence Natalie looked up and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Your description of her was beautiful. She must have been a wonderful woman.”
Neither said another word until both plates were empty. Harold was again in control of his emotions enough to talk.
“It seems like I’ve been the one talking all night,” Harold admitted a bit sheepishly. “Tell me a little more about yourself, more than the class introductions this morning.”
Before she could start the waitress took away their plates and left the dessert menu to ponder over. When they had ordered the richest, most fattening, chocolate desserts on the menu she started.
“Well, let’s see. I’m 32 years old. I live not too far from here just outside Dallas with my two kids and two cats. My mother lives across the street. I’m divorced. I work 60 hours a week just to keep our heads above water and the cats fed. I’m here this week to strengthen my resume so that when a management position opens up I’ll be a bit better qualified.”
Their desserts arrived and each took their first bite. Their eyes rolled to the ceiling with the first mouthful and almost in unison they said, “You’ve got to try this.” Harold took a small fork full of his chocolate mousse and fed it to Natalie and then she fed him a bite of her German chocolate cake in a cup. After that they both were taking bites of both desserts as they wished. They were so focused on the chocolate and sugar before them that they were lost to the world. They both sat back stuffed with an obscene amount of calories and sipped their coffee.
Harold spoke over his cup. “Your description wasn’t much more than in class. You’ve got two children? What are their names?”
“My daughter Lorena is ten and my son Ernesto is eight. Lorena is the intellectual of the family. I think she’s going to be a doctor or a lawyer or something big and important. She studies all the time and brings home report cards any parent would proud of. Now Ernesto is a bit of a puzzle. I don’t know what his future is going to be. He kicks a soccer ball around quite well and can outrun just about everybody else in the neighborhood, so maybe he’ll be the athlete in the family. It’s too early to really tell but I have hope for both of them.”
“You said that you’re divorced,” Harold asked when she stopped again. “Can you talk about what happened?”
“It’s been two years now so I’m over the pain and all the crap of the divorce. My story is simple. He had a girlfriend that he preferred and left me for her. It was out of the blue. I never saw it coming. One day I’m happily married and the next day he’s gone and I’m sitting in the kitchen crying and wondering what I did wrong. It was a hard time but I survived and I think it made me stronger, at least that’s what I tell everybody. Being a single parent can be tough at times, but I manage. I work hard and don’t think about my problems.”
“So that’s what you meant when you said you understood about losing a spouse and think that concentrating on your work is a good way to get past everything?”
“You remembered that? I’m impressed. Yeah, losing my husband because he walked out on me doesn’t compare to your loss though. He was a bastard and I’m glad to be rid of him. Your wife was wonderful and would still be with you if it wasn’t for some God-awful disease. We both lost someone we loved so in that way I understand your pain.”
“Natalie, I want to say something and I hope you don’t take the wrong way. It’s just that I believe there are a lot of stupid people in this world and your ex-husband must be one of the stupidest. For any man to leave someone like you he has to be crazy. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re articulate and you have great taste in desserts. Why anybody would give that up is beyond me.”
She just stared back at him and quietly said, “Thank you. I needed that.”
They left the restaurant and walked slowly along the river walkway. For the longest time nobody said a word. As they passed an art gallery Harold suggested they go in. They spent the next hour in the gallery discussing art, music, philosophy, and life in general. They both came to the conclusion that their opinions and tastes were similar. Not the same exactly, but similar enough that they mostly liked and disliked the same things. They left and sat on a bench by the water and watched the sun set beside their hotel.
At the end of the pleasant evening they entered the hotel elevator and discovered that their rooms were on the same floor. Standing in the hallway Harold pointed to his room one way and Natalie pointed the other.
“Good night Harold. Thank you for a lovely dinner. I’ll see you in class in the morning.”
She leaned forward and lightly kissed his cheek before turning and walking away.
Harold stood and watched her walk down the hall and disappear around the corner. He touched his cheek where she kissed him and smiled before turning and walking to his own room.
Tuesday
At breakfast everybody looked fresh and ready for the day, all except for Bob that is. He looked like he hadn’t had much sleep. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was still damp from his shower, and he sat pushing his breakfast around the plate.
Harold asked the group, “So what did you do last night?”
Angel smiled. “I think I now understand what we were working on yesterday. It was around midnight that I had a breakthrough. I celebrated with some late room service and fell asleep with my books.”
Bob realized that all eyes were on him and it was very silent. It must have been his turn to talk. “Man, that bar was awesome! It was a blast! The band wasn’t to my liking, a bit too much rockabilly for me, but the booze was out of this world. I met this chick early on and we danced and drank and danced some more. I think it was about one o’clock that they closed everything down and kicked us out. We just went outside and sat under some trees and talked. She said she’d meet me there again tonight. She was beautiful, man. Long blond hair and long legs that went all the way up to… well, you know. She had these two enormous… yeah, well, you know about that too I guess. Anyway she was beautiful and if I’m lucky tonight I may get lucky. Did I say that she was beautiful? Well, she was. Not the same type of beautiful as you two lovely ladies but young and sexy and hot as hell. I can’t wait for today’s class to be over. Did I say that she was beautiful? Man, if…”
“Uh, Bob, may I interrupt for a minute?” Harold asked.
“Sure man. Go ahead.”
“Bob, I know it’s not going to be covered in the class this week but if you want to be considered management material you have to learn one very important thing. You’ve got to learn when to shut up. Now would be a good time to practice.”
“Uh, okay, sure man. Thanks.”
The two ladies smiled and kept on eating their food.
All day long everybody worked hard and concentrated on the traits that make a good IT manager. They did role playing and modeling and even some brainstorming on a particular problem having to do with mishandling of several projects by their development teams. Angel didn’t look as awestruck as yesterday but she still absorbed the concepts at a slower pace than the others.
When class was over Bob disappeared first. Angel looked relieved but still a bit bewildered. She picked up her books and wished everybody a good evening and left.
“I guess it’s just the two of us again tonight,” Natalie said from behind.
Harold turned and faced her and said, “How about something light to eat and then take one of the riverboat cruises? Maybe we can go over to the Alamo too. I’ve never been there and want to see it before I leave.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you in the lobby in an hour. I want to take a shower first.”
Once freshened up and outside they walked to where the riverboat tours started. For the next hour and a half they sat with other tourists in a little flatboat and toured the city’s fanciest public park and recreation area. Afterwards they walked over to the Alamo and found they were too late: It closed at 5:30. So they walked back to the River Walk area and found a little Greek restaurant. They ate quite differently than the day before. Greek salads and Greek drinks were ordered. The aperitif was strong and two glasses had both of them acting quite silly. When they left they walked arm in arm, not because it was intimate but because they needed the other to help them walk steady. They found the same bench as the night before and sat to watch the sunset again.
“Natalie, do you have a boyfriend?” Harold inquired.
“No I don’t. But why do you want to know?”
“Just curious. I can’t believe that someone hasn’t grabbed you up. You’ve got everything a man could want. You would make someone a wonderful wife.”
“Well, I’m not sure if I want to get married. I’ve had one bad experience and don’t want to be sucked into that whirlpool again. Once burned and all that. Besides, can’t a woman be a good provider and a nurturing mother and a strong friend without having to be a wife? I don’t believe I need a man to help me or protect me or make me a better person. I can do it all by myself.”
“Don’t you miss having a man around the house?”
“Miss picking up his dirty underwear? Miss watching him pick his teeth and listening to his loud belches after eating a meal I put my heart and soul into? Miss having him slobbering and pawing all over me in the middle of the night as he does what he laughingly calls ‘making love?’ Having him lie and cheat and steal from me and then go over to his girlfriend’s to share her bed? I think not!”
“I mean, don’t you miss love?”
“Love? Love?? I have love with my children and cats. I didn’t have love when I was married, I had someone that slept in my bed and snored. I don’t even know what love is anymore. I don’t have to be married to have love and I don’t need love if I’m going to be with someone I can’t trust. Hah! Men are pigs!”
“Whoa, I’m sorry I asked. Why don’t we just change the subject?”
“No, let’s not change the subject! I can see that your old fashioned way of thinking about women only includes two things: marriage and sex. You want marriage to feel secure and have someone to show off to your buddies. And you want sex just to satisfy your primal urges. You don’t care anything about how a woman feels. You won’t even try to satisfy a woman. You just want to get on top, shoot your load, and then roll off and go to sleep. No, that’s not for me. I don’t want anything to do with a Neanderthal and his ways. I’m me and I’m happy being me.”
After the last tirade the tension was palpable – quiet but palpable.
Natalie stood up, crossed her arms, and looked down angrily at Harold. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” She briskly walked away.
Harold sat back on the bench and wondered what he did to stir up that hornet’s nest. And he thought about what he could do to apologize. Slowly, he rose and walked back to the hotel.
Around ten o’clock he had an idea.
“Hello, room service? I’d like to order a large piece of German chocolate cake and a small bottle of white wine, a Riesling if you have it. Send it to Ms. Natalie Paredes’ room. She’s on the ninth floor, but I don’t know the room number. And, could you please include a note with it for me. I want it to simply say, I’m sorry. And sign it The Old Pig. Just put it on my room tab. Thanks.”
Satisfied that he either made things better or he made things worse, he turned on the television and watched the news.
As the news was ending a knock came at his door. He looked through the little peep hole and saw a waitress with a tray standing there. But when he opened the door it was no waitress.
“Hi,” said Natalie. “I feel so ashamed of myself. I was way out of line earlier. I think it may have been that ouzo we were drinking. I’m here with a peace offering. Would you like to share my cake and wine with me? Please?”
A big smile came to his face and with a flourish of his hand he beckoned the red faced woman in.
As she set the tray on the table and began struggling with the wine, Harold sat at the little table and started his own apology. “I have to apologize too. I haven’t had the pleasure of the company of any woman, let alone someone as beautiful as you, for a very long time. I’m afraid my communications skills are a bit rusty.”
She sat down across from him and poured the wine. “That’s the second time you’ve called me beautiful. I like hearing it. Do you really think so?”
He moved his chair around next to hers and looked deeply into her eyes. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to describe what I see, but the word beautiful is the best I’ve got. Simple, precise, and one-hundred percent correct. You are beautiful.”
She blushed. They shared the slab of cake. They drank their wine. Nothing was said for a long time.
With the last bite Harold looked over at the beauty sitting beside him. He reached over and took a napkin from the tray and wrapped it around his finger. With the tip of the white cloth he wiped the last remaining morsel of chocolate cake from the side of her mouth and moved it to his own for a final taste. Then he did something he hadn’t done for a very long time. He slowly leaned over and put his lips on hers; gently at first, but as the seconds went by more vigorously, until their mouths seemed to be joined as one. His tongue was the first to start the exploration of her mouth but was soon joined by hers. They kissed until they could feel the other’s body heat and then they came up for air.
Natalie looked into his eyes and communicated her wishes without uttering a single word. She had just experienced the most passionate and erotic kiss of her life. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted more. So did he. Without a word Harold stood and took her hand in his. He pulled her up in front of him and put his arms around her waist. He gently pulled her body to his. They could feel the heat of their bodies again and their hearts beating in unison. They pressed their lips together again and allowed their tongues to explore the depths of each other. Natalie could now feel the strength of his passion pressing against her. She responded by pressing her hips harder into his feeling a stiffness in his lap that wasn’t there moments before. A shudder ran down her spine.
When they broke their kiss minutes later Natalie felt weak all over. Her knees felt like they were on the verge of buckling but his strong arms around her body held her tightly against him. She laid her head on his chest and let out a sigh. They held each other tightly.
It was Natalie who moved first. She stepped back and took his hands in her own and led him across the room to the bed. She turned him around so that his back was to the bed and stepped forward into an embrace and kiss more passionate than the previous. This time their hands moved up and down their backs rubbing and caressing tenderly. With a gentle nudge she pushed his upper body over until the two lovers fell back onto the bed, their lips never parting.
When the kiss ended each scooted, squirmed and sidled onto the bed until they were completely prone, lying next to one another. Somewhere during all the twisting their shoes fell to the floor.
Harold pushed himself up onto one arm and looked down into Natalie’s eyes. Her long black hair created a frame around her beautiful face and he intertwined the strands around his fingers. He leaned down and kissed her more deeply than before. One hand moved to stroke her stomach and slowly traced its way upward until it cupped her breast. A gentle squeeze caused a slight moan to come from her throat and into his mouth. The breast filling his hand was at the same time firm and hard as well as soft and malleable. With each caress she moaned. When their faces parted their eyes fixated on each other. He moved his hand between her breasts and started undoing the buttons of her blouse. When he unbuttoned the last his hand slid down between her legs and he pressed into the soft mound in between. That caused her to press her head backward into the bed and open her mouth to let an even louder moan escape.
When the moan was done she lifted her head up to his and hungrily forced her tongue deep into his mouth. He moved his hand up and pulled the fabric of her blouse to the sides and fingered the bra between her breasts, twisting and squeezing until the hook sprung open. With a single motion the fabric of her bra was moved aside exposing two of God’s best creations. The smooth taut skin and hard nipple moved under his palm as he fondled each breast in turn. Moan after moan escaped from her throat into his as his palms kneaded the tender flesh and his fingers gently rolled the nipple between them. The pace was quickening. She was becoming more demanding. But Harold was in control. Everything that she wanted and needed he would give her in his own time. He was like a virtuoso playing her body like a Stradivarius violin.
After a couple twists of her shoulders and torso Harold removed the blouse and bra and tossed them onto the floor. He lowered his face to one breast and pulled an erect nipple deep into his mouth. Another moan filled the room. The pulling and sucking and licking occupied her mind as he slid a hand under the waist band of her pants and slowly slid down to the soft hairy mound between her legs. As his fingers explored the wet folds and his mouth pulled on her firm breast, Natalie writhed in delight under his masterful touch. When a single finger found its mark and slid deep inside her hot box a quiet gurgling sound accompanied the moan.
With both hands Natalie pushed his head up off her breast. She sat up part way and looked down to see one hand deep down into her pants. She grabbed the sides of her pants with both hands and pulled sharply downward, pulling them down to her knees exposing the one hand now pressed tightly between her thighs. After kicking the pants to the floor she thrust her legs apart as wide as she could to allow his hand free reign over all parts of her lower body. She collapsed back onto the bed pulling his face back to the nipple that she had just evicted him from.
Minutes seemed like hours as the sucking, caressing and intermittent kissing continued unabated. When he moved his mouth from the rock hard nipple and kissed her stomach below the breast her eyes shot wide open. She exhaled violently. He kissed lower. She mumbled and thrust her hands backward grabbing handfuls of the bedspread. He kissed lower again just above the strip of hair at the juncture of her legs. This time she growled “Oh God!” When his face moved to feel the heat between her legs he blew a gentle stream of cool air at the hot, swollen lips. She jerked in anticipation. When he moved forward and pressed his lips against hers she again exclaimed “Oh my God!” but louder this time. The kiss of her lips between her legs was as passionate and as lustful as the kiss of her lips on her face. When his tongue moved forward to find the little button nestled between the folds she moaned, jerked, and again cried out “OH MY GOD!”
The ministrations between Natalie’s legs continued with full force for what seemed to her to be an eternity. She twisted, jumped, and cried out again and again until the built up pressure within her body exploded in a violent eruption of passion. She moaned and cried “GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! OH MY GOD! PLEASE, PLEASE, DON’T STOP! PLEASE!!!”
The crashing orgasm continued until she couldn’t endure the pain any longer. She grabbed the sides of his head and pulled his face from between her burning thighs. He looked up seeing her face all contorted, panting mightily, with sweat running down from between her breasts to pool at her belly. He smiled watching her exquisite agony.
The convulsions subsided as quickly as they came. Natalie fell back onto the bed with her arms and legs splayed out and mumbled incoherently. Harold took that opportunity to stand and remove his clothes. When naked he moved quietly from the foot of the bed, up between her legs and started kissing the hot, sweaty body of the supine beauty. The kisses started at her thighs and upward to her belly and to her breasts and finally to her throat. By the time his tongue was searching for hers his body covered every inch of her. As they kissed deeply and passionately the hard manhood down below was searching for a home between her legs. Smoothly and effortlessly his cock slid between the folds that only moments before wrapped around his tongue. Without even thinking Natalie wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled tightly impaling his cock as deeply as it could go.
“Ahhhhhhhh,” emanated from her throat into his when she was completely penetrated. Time froze. Activity froze. The only movement was a pair of hidden tongues competing for supremacy. Slowly Harold withdrew from between her legs and when almost completely withdrawn drove back to the hilt sharply. He repeated the in out movement again, and again, and again. The repeated upward withdrawals and downward thrusts spawned a passionate rhythm of bodies lustily crashing against each other. Each plunge generated a guttural sound from Natalie adding to the chorus of sounds coming from the bed. The slowly building crescendo of movement and noises built until neither could contain the built up energies within.
Natalie broke their kiss and turned to bite down on her lover’s neck. Between her teeth she growled “Oh God! Please don’t stop! Please don’t… Harder… Please! OH GOD… PLEASE…” And then there was absolute silence as her eyes went wide looking toward the ceiling, her mouth wide in a silent scream, and her whole body tensed on the verge of a mighty explosion.
She let out a primal scream into Harold’s shoulder. “OHHHH MYYYYY GODDDD!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Harold never slowed his pace. He kept thrusting deep inside and withdrawing completely before another deep thrust. Natalie’s mind was gone, she existed in a maelstrom of sights and sounds as the man above her brought her to one orgasm after another, each better than before. Time didn’t exist. The only thing that did was each glorious explosion in her body.
With one single deep thrust between Natalie’s thighs, Harold lifted his head and emitted his own moan of orgasmic delight. He halted all hip movements and pressed her body hard into the mattress with his hips. For a time both bodies were frozen like statues, melted together in a mass of intertwined arms and legs. The only movement was the rising steam from the spent, sweaty bodies. The only sounds were two hearts rapidly beating in unison.
In an indeterminate amount of time Harold came back to reality and looked down at the beauty passed out beneath him. He smiled at her face, seeing the true inner beauty and innocence she possessed when asleep. Slowly and with care he lifted his body from atop hers and moved to one side, leaving an arm and a leg draped over her. She never moved. Harold propped himself up on one arm to look at her. Her hair was all twisted and thrown over the bedspread. There was a pool of sweat in her concave belly. The hair between her legs was matted and covered with his semen. One foot quivered as she dreamt of the recent glorious orgasms. She was completely spent but she was absolutely the most beautiful woman in the world.
Harold laid his head down next to hers and closed his eyes. He joined her asleep.
“Hey sleepy head,” the gentle voice whispered in his ear.
He opened his eyes to see a vision looking down at him. “Hello. Do I know you?” he answered with a smile.
“You’d better,” she answered with a laugh. “You just screwed my brains out. I’m never going to be the same again. I think you ruined me.”
“Aw, you’re just being nice because you want another round.”
“You’re damned right I do, just as soon as I regain some control of my arms and legs. But this time I’m going to start on you before you have a chance to drive me out of my mind. I don’t know how much energy I’ve got left but whatever I’ve got I’m going to use making love with you over and over all night long. We may never make it to class tomorrow. Now it’s your turn. Lie on your back and enjoy what my mouth and tongue can do to your cock.”
They were completely exhausted and completely satisfied when they fell into each other’s arms one final time as sleep overtook them. Harold came three times, once in her gentle but demanding mouth and twice deep in her pussy. Natalie’s orgasms were a lot different than she had ever experienced. She came continuously for what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes. But it was one long continuous orgasm, not a climb up to a peak, the orgasm, and then the fall back down. Once she reached her peak she remained there forever. When Harold allowed her to relax and come down to earth again she did. And when she did she passed out, her body tingling with delight.
The shrill sound of the alarm woke them. A ray of sunshine stabbed through the window hitting the wall just above the bed. Harold fumbled to find the alarm and silence it before it woke his bedmate.
“Good morning lover,” she purred, stretching her arms and legs as she spoke.
“Good morning yourself,” he replied placing a gentle wet kiss on her shoulder. “I think we’ve got to get up. I’d rather stay here with you all day but we have obligations that we can’t avoid. Would you care to join me in the shower?”
“As much as I would like that I think I should go back to my own room and clean up.”
She turned and dropped her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.
Grumbling, she said, “Oh God. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Help me up will you?”
Harold got up and walked to stand in front of her to help her to her feet. Once standing she wrapped her arms around his waist to steady her legs and to draw his body close to hers one last time.
“Ummmm, you know, staying here in bed all day does sound nice,” she purred into his chest. “But we can’t. Damn!”
After disentangling herself from his arms, she gathered her clothes from around the room and walked to the bathroom closing the door.
“Uh, don’t stay in there too long,” Harold yelled. “I’ve got to go too.”
Wednesday
Natalie sat next to Angel and put her breakfast plate down.
“Good morning,” Natalie sang.
“Good morning yourself. My God, what happened to you?”
“Oh no, what’s wrong? Is my make-up on wrong? My hair? What?”
“Girl, there’s nothing wrong with your make-up or your hair. Your face is what’s wrong. You are positively glowing. And that smile makes you look silly. What, or might I say WHO, got into you?”
“Is it that obvious?” she said blushing.
“Obvious? If it were any more obvious you would be wearing a sign around your neck saying ‘I’ve just had my brains fucked out.’ Now tell. Who was it?”
“Ummmm,” Natalie’s mind drifted to last night and all she could say was “Ummmm.”
“Hello ladies, may I join you?” Harold asked standing behind the empty chair next to Natalie. All she could do was look up at him and smile that silly little smile.
“Please, join us,” Angel said.
As he sat down, Angel looked back and forth between him and Natalie a couple times before the light bulb came on. She smiled and kicked Natalie’s leg under the table.
“Him?” she asked moving her lips without a sound.
Natalie slowly nodded up and down and took a bite of her fruit, the smile never leaving her face.
Angel giggled and went back to her own breakfast.
After a few more bites Natalie noticed Harold staring at her. He had stopped eating and was looking intently at her face.
“What?” she mouthed silently.
He leaned over and whispered into her ear, “You have that same silly little smile on your face that my wife had for as long as I knew her. You look just like Jane. It’s kinda’ eerie.”
She looked up, turned ten shades of red, and went back to her food, all with that smile.
Class started as usual with Bob coming in late looking even worse than the day before. His brain was fried too because he wasn’t thinking about IT management anything until just before lunch. Natalie never lost her smile. Angel was constantly giggling. Harold tried to be a professional and bring the group together in spite of all the distractions. It was a long day.
At the end of the class Bob vanished faster than he had before. Everybody else just sat back and stretched with a feeling of satisfaction because the work they did as a team was excellent and they and their accomplishments were given high praise by the instructor.
“Angel, do you have any plans for dinner?” Natalie asked.
“No, not really. I just thought I’d go down to the sandwich shop and have something and then take a stroll by the river.”
“Why don’t you join us? We passed a little café with tables along the river and thought we’d try that tonight. You’re welcome to come.”
“Yes, please join us,” Harold added. “It would be a real ego boost to have two beautiful women sitting next to me tonight. Please come.”
Angel blushed looking down at her hands. “Okay, I think I will.”
“Great!” Natalie said. “How about we meet in an hour down in the lobby?”
All hands agreed and took the elevator to their rooms. By chance all three were on the same floor but in different directions.
Harold was the last to get to the lobby. When he got there his ‘dates’ were already sitting on one of the sofas talking and giggling like little girls.
“Hello ladies,” he said approaching from behind. “Ready?”
They both stood and for the first time Harold was able to see the side of Angel that wasn’t professional and work oriented. Se was relaxed now. She wore a casual mid-calf brown skirt, a short sleeved denim shirt, cowboy boots, and a Texas Rangers baseball cap. Her face was also casual without the strain and anxieties of work. She was a big woman, tall and wide, but no matter what someone thought about her size, she was absolutely beautiful, different than Natalie, but still beautiful. Now Natalie had on the print shirt and dark pants from the first night out on the town. And she still had that little smile. Standing together it would be a difficult choice to say that one was more beautiful than the other. They both were stunning, each in their own way.
They slowly meandered down the walkway window shopping and checking out the restaurants before stopping at one with tables along the river that had a diverse menu. They ate and talked about trivial matters. Occasionally Natalie’s hand would brush Harold’s arm or his hand and she would feel shivers all up and down her spine. They laughed and played all during the meal, at the end feeding one another from the three different desserts they ordered. Just as the sun went down and the accent lights came on they left and strolled from shop to shop looking through the windows and in general just enjoying each other’s company. Once back at the hotel they went up to the poolside lounge and each ordered a glass of wine. It was just about closing time when Natalie’s cell phone rang.
“Excuse me, I need to take this.” She walked away and started talking.
“Angel, I’ve had a great time tonight,” Harold said. “You seem different when you’re away from class, which is nice, but I don’t know much about you, except you’re a Texas Rangers’ fan. Tell me a little about yourself.”
Angel lowered her eyes almost too embarrassed to talk. Quietly she answered, “I don’t talk about myself that much. I’m not that interesting really. I work, I take care of my mother and father, and I go to the Ranger’s games whenever I can. But that’s about it. Pretty boring, huh?”
“It’s only boring if you’re not interested. I’m interested. So are you married? Children? Vices?”
“No, I’m not married and don’t have children. I want kids someday but right now, well… I’ve never had many boyfriends. I’m 27 years old and have only had one steady boyfriend since high school and he moved away because of his job. We were really good friends but not really serious enough to make him stay with me. Some men look at me and see that I’m overweight and think I’m desperate for companionship or a bed mate for the night. I’m pretty selective in the men I date. I don’t want someone that thinks I’m a pushover. I want what every woman wants, love and affection. I want a man who cares for me; the me inside, not the one everybody sees in my size 14 dress. I get frustrated sometimes. But I’m holding out for mister right. Yeah, right.”
“Angel you’re wrong. Not every man sees you the same way you think about yourself. You said that you’re fat, well I see you differently. I see a woman of beauty on the outside with soft curves and spectacular, well, attributes for lack of a better word. And tonight I got to see a beautiful but somewhat insecure woman, on the inside. You are a lot more normal than you think. My wife wore a size 14 dress and when she entered a room all eyes were drawn to her. Not because she was big but because she was beautiful. No, not all men will judge you as harshly as you do yourself. I certainly don’t. But I do believe that there are a lot of stupid people in this world and probably the majority of them are men. They’re stupid because someone like you is walking around without a husband or a boyfriend. Any rational, sane man would give his right arm to have you beside him. I know I would.”
Angel just stared at him with her mouth open and cheeks red enough to see in the dim light of the lounge. A small smile grew and grew as she began to understand his words.
“That’s so sweet of you; I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had my attributes called spectacular before. I hope you’re serious because I think I’ve had a little too much wine and I’m feeling all warm inside. I don’t know if it’s your words or the wine.”
“I’m serious as I can be,” Harold said lifting his glass in a toast to her.
“Hey guys, I can’t stay,” Natalie spoke as she walked up to the table. “There’s some crisis at home with my kids and I need to go to my room and call them back. My cell phone’s battery is dying. Damn technology. Anyway, you two stay here and enjoy the night and I’ll see you at breakfast.”
She walked around behind Harold, hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “You two have fun tonight,” she whispered in his ear.
Harold and Angel sat looking at the lights of the town from the balcony of the lounge sipping the remnants of their wine. The waiter came by and notified them that the lounge would be closing in fifteen minutes. Harold signed the bill that he left.
“I’d like to take a short walk before I head back to my room for the night,” Harold said. “I need to walk off some of the alcohol or I’ll never get to sleep. Would you care to join me?”
“That would be nice, thank you,” Angel answered returning to her shy demeanor.
As they walked they realized that they were wavering a bit so Harold linked his arm with her’s. That put a smile on both of their faces. They walked out to the river walkway and stopped on a bridge crossing the water to watch the people coming and going in the night. Some were holding hands and others were embracing. The night air was warm and refreshing. The alcohol in their bodies had dissipated enough and they headed back to the hotel. Exiting the elevator on their room floor they just stood not knowing what to do or say next. Neither wanted the evening to end.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Harold asked. “I have a coffee maker in my room. I don’t know how good it is but at least it’ll be hot.”
“That would be nice,” Angel answered. “Thank you.”
As the coffee was brewing Angel looked around the room and out the window that took up almost the entire wall. It overlooked the poolside lounge they left a little while before and from there she could see the lights of the city much more clearly.
“Wow, this is a great view. And this is a great room. It’s much bigger than mine.”
“My secretary made all the arrangements. I guess my boss told her to book a suite to make me feel important. It is nice isn’t it?”
“Yeah, my room overlooks the parking garage. I guess I got the corporate rate.”
When the coffee maker stopped gurgling and fizzing Harold poured two cups and brought them over and put them on the little table in front of the couch.
Angel sat down and sipped her coffee. Her face scrunched up and she set the cup down.
“Yeah, it is pretty bad isn’t it?” he said with a smile. He took their cups, poured the vile brew in the sink and found a bottle of water in the little refrigerator. He sat down next to her, opened the bottle and gave it to her.
“Sorry about that. Here, wash the taste out of your mouth with this.”
She drank and smiled back at him. She sat quietly looking at the cityscape out the window and the man sitting next to her. She was getting a little nervous; after all being alone with a man in a hotel suite was uncharted territory for her.
“Uh, I think I should go,” she mumbled. “We’ve got class tomorrow.”
“Please stay,” he begged.
“I… I don’t know.”
“Please? I just want to sit here and look at you for a while.”
“Why?”
“Because you remind me a lot of someone I loved for a very long time. Your eyes and your nose are very familiar to me. Every curve of your body seems familiar. Even your lips.”
The deer in headlights look returned. Her face slowly morphed from fright to delight and a broad smile grew. But she quickly looked down at her hands not knowing what else to do.
“No, please, don’t look down,” he said as he reached out and put one finger under her chin and lifted her face back up. “I want to see your pretty eyes.”
The finger under her chin remained as he looked deeply into her eyes. The finger moved from her chin upward tracing a line back and forth under her bottom lip. Then it moved back under her chin and gently guided her face forward toward his. Their lips met. A chill ran all through Angel’s body as she felt the warm moist heat of his breath and his tongue gently trailing back and forth over the inside of her lips. His tongue was seeking hers. She opened her mouth to let their tongues explore one another. Their kiss was gentle, tender and loving.
Their kiss broke and Harold sat back to look at her. She remained still, leaning forward with her eyes closed unable to end the feeling of the kiss that had just ended.
“Hey,” Harold whispered.
Surprised at hearing a sound, she opened her eyes and looked at him smiling and holding her baseball cap. When she realized what she had done her cheeks turned red as she smiled and looked down at her lap.
“I would like to do that again,” he asked. “May I?”
“Oh yes, please,” she replied.
Harold reached out and took her hand in his and stood up. It took her a second to realize that he wanted her to stand also and when she did she stood up almost body to body with him. She could feel the warmth of his body as she stood there. She could see his eyes looking down into hers. She wanted him to kiss her again but instead he stepped back and led her over to the large window overlooking the city. He moved his arms around her waist and pressed his hands into the small of her back pulling her soft body into his. He leaned forward and kissed her again and she immediately responded. She seemed to melt into his arms. They remained together kissing and exploring, both lost in the moment.
Harold ended the kiss and moved his lips to her chin kissing the delicate skin underneath her mouth. Several kisses later he moved to her neck where he kissed and licked up and down the side of her throat. Angel shuddered as he kissed and bit her sweet neck. All the while his lips were concentrating on her neck his hands had moved down to her ample bottom where each hand found a cheek to massage. He ground his pelvis into hers, letting her know how excited he was to have her in his arms.
Angel was limp in his arms. She was a rag doll permitting him total access to all of her. She regained her strength when he stood back to look at her. She wanted him to hold her, to feel her body against his, to feel his tongue against hers. But he just stood there looking at her, smiling. She felt his hands on each side of her neck gently rubbing the fingertips against the sensitive skin, then move down to the top of her blouse and its top button. With a lifetime of practice he unbuttoned the first button, then the second, third, all the way to the bottom. She stood still, looking into his eyes, allowing him to do anything he wanted, because she wanted it too. As he finished his fingertips brushed lightly against her stomach causing another chill. He traced his fingers upward between her breasts and to the collar. Instead of moving the garment backwards as she had expected he stepped to her side and then came up behind her allowing his hands to trace the curves of her body as he moved. Reaching his hands around in front he moved inside to cup her large breasts over top of her bra. A squeeze of each magnificent mound caused a stiffening of her body. He grabbed the fabric of the blouse in each hand at her shoulders and pulled backwards and down allowing it to fall at his feet. Tracing patterns on her shoulders and neck he found the clasp of her bra in the middle of her back, twisted and turned it until all hooks were released from their eyes. The garment moved by itself under the weight of her breasts as it relaxed forward. A simple push forward of the shoulder straps propelled it to the floor. She stood topless facing the window with his arms around her waist as he kissed the back of her neck and shoulders. When she realized that she was exposed for the whole city to see she covered up her breasts with her hands.
Harold turned her around to face him.
“No, don’t cover yourself. You’re beautiful and I want to look at you.” He moved her hands to her sides exposing her breasts to him.
“No I’m not,” she groaned. “I’m fat.” She tried to cover up again but he held her hands at her side.
He leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. It was a short kiss full of tenderness and reassurance.
“You are Venus. Rubens painted Venus several times and used you as his muse. Your image is in museums around the world. You’re soft and smooth and a real woman full of life and detail. I wouldn’t be here now if I thought otherwise. I want to see every inch of you. I want to touch you all over. I want to explore you. I want to kiss you all over. I want to make love to you.”
They kissed again deeply and every doubt she had went away.
As they kissed his hand went to the zipper of her skirt and pulled it down, allowing gravity to pull it around her feet. Their kiss broke and he looked down to find the last remaining garment. He put his fingers under the elastic on the sides and pulled it down past her knees and allowed it to fall to the floor atop her skirt. She stood naked in front of him. She was beautiful. Now a shudder went down his spine.
Harold stepped back and stopped. He looked at her from her feet to her head drinking in and memorizing each inch of her body. He couldn’t wait any longer; he had to have her now. He pulled the polo shirt over his head and let it drop beside him. Then he unbuckled his pants, stepped out of his shoes and let them fall. He reached down and pulled off his socks. He put his fingers under the bands of his briefs and looked over at her. She had watched every move he made. Now her eyes were glued to his hands as he was poised to remove the final piece. She was nervous. When he stood up again after pulling his briefs to the floor her eyes got wide and the deer in headlights look returned. “Oh my God,” she silently mouthed as she looked down at his very hard penis.
He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her body pulling her into him again. They enjoyed another deep, long kiss all the while his pelvis ground into hers. She was hot and ready.
They walked hand in hand to the bed and he stood at the side as she got in and laid on her back waiting for him. He just stood there admiring her beauty.
“Please?” she begged with her arms out toward him beckoning him to join her. He crawled up on the bed next to her and ran his fingers up and down her body, stopping occasionally to squeeze her breast or to twirl the hair between her legs around one finger. They kissed and he kneaded her breasts and then moved down to suckle first the left then the right nipple. They kissed again and he traced circles around and below her navel in a prelude to sliding his hand between her thighs. The area between her legs was hot and moist and his fingers explored her folds and caverns. A finger inserted deep inside caused her back to arch upward. When a second finger joined the first she grabbed a handful of skin on his back and squeezed. As he moved the two fingers in and out of her wet cavern, her mouth sought out his. Her kiss was demanding now. She wanted him. She pulled back from the kiss.
“Make love to me,” she pleaded. “I want you inside me.”
He looked back into her eyes and smiled.
“No,” he said.
“NO?” she asked almost in a panic.
“No. I want to eat you first. I want to lick every inch between your legs. I want you to cum in my mouth.”
“Uh, yeah, okay. Now? PLEASE?”
With a smile and a kiss on her lips, Harold slowly kissed down over her breasts, over her belly and down to the soft, warm, wet pussy below. His tongue licked first one thigh then the other as she stiffened in the bed and put her hands on the back of his head. The tongue licked up and down the outside folds and around the clit between but never actually touching it. He repeated everything over and over until she couldn’t stand it any more.
With her eyes closed and her head back she begged, “Please, please, eat me. Make me come. Please.”
He licked toward her nub and around and around as she lifted her hips off the bed to force it into his mouth. When he hit the target she jumped and pressed his face harder in. He inserted two fingers up inside her again and she jumped. She was on fire as he licked and probed. His efforts were soon rewarded as she lifted her hips again and grunted several times before her whole body went rigid.
“Ah, Ah, Ah,” she repeated over and over until her climax hit and the world disappeared. Her body quaked and she became silent with her mouth agape and her eyes slammed shut. She rode his tongue and her orgasm until she could take it no more. When it was enough she let go of his head and let her arms and legs fall to the bed, completely spent.
In time she became aware of movement but her mind wasn’t yet working to understand what was going on. When she felt warm air on her face she opened her eyes to see his beautiful face above hers. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently but passionately. He eased his body down onto hers as they kissed and the warmth they shared could be felt by both. His kisses moved to her chin and then to her neck and finally to her ear. She could feel his hard penis on top of her legs begging for entry. She smiled knowing what was coming and spread her legs and lifted her knees. He could feel the warmth and wetness on his cock as he moved his hips upward. Moving again he could feel the folds open as his cock entered and slowly slid all the way in. She gasped and held his body tightly. They rocked back and forth both making love to the other simultaneously. They started slowly and gradually increased the pace, but neither was in a hurry. They both wanted it to last forever.
But lasting forever was just a dream. Both felt the building explosion within and their pace quickened in anticipation. Soon they were both on the edge.
“Come inside me, please, don’t worry, just fill me up, please,” she gasped out between strokes.
Their orgasms hit at the same time. Her arms and legs wrapped around his body pulled him tighter into her all the while pulsing and contracting around his cock. He shot his seed deep inside while his body contorted on top of hers. When it was all over they slowly relaxed into each other’s arms. He kissed her lips but she was already passed out, so he had to settle for a smile and a little kiss on her nose, before he too passed into oblivion.
Before the night was over they made love again. She was inexperienced in oral techniques so he guided her and taught her how to suck and lick his cock until it exploded. At first she was leery about licking the cum from his chest so he didn’t force her and got a warm washcloth to clean up their sweaty bodies. They fell asleep in each other’s arms and slept until morning. At dawn they made love again, tenderly saying good morning with their bodies.
Thursday
Natalie sat next to Angel with her breakfast plate.
“Good morning,” Natalie said looking at the silly little smile on Angel’s face. “Looks like someone had a fantastic night.”
Angel blushed and dropped her fork putting her hands over her face. They laughed and giggled both knowing what caused the smile. Each has the same silly little smile.
“Good morning ladies,” Harold said as he joined the table. “Did everyone sleep well?”
All three broke out in raucous laughter, the other tables looking over to see what the commotion was all about. When they managed to gather some decorum about themselves they started eating their breakfast, but they couldn’t stop smiling.
At the end, as they were walking to class, Harold stopped Angel in the hall.
“Angel, I just wanted to let you know that I had a wonderful time last night. I looked into your face this morning and saw that silly little smile that my wife always had. I saw it yesterday too on Natalie. I never realized just how much I missed it. I hope I can see it on your face again some time.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t stay tonight. I’ve got to get back home and back to work tomorrow. Natalie and I drove up here together and we’ve got a six hour drive ahead of us. I loved every minute of last night. I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life. I don’t know if I’ll be able to concentrate on our class work today, so if you feel a hand on your thigh under the table, just slap it away. I want to say goodbye properly before I leave so can we go up to your room for a few minutes at the end of the day? I’ve already checked out and checked my luggage. I want to be alone with you for a few minutes.”
“Absolutely. I’m not going to let you go without a proper send off.”
Class started with Bob conspicuously missing. He showed up thirty minutes late with a silly little smile on his face. Everybody looked at him as if he was an alien of some sort and started laughing under their hands. Even the instructor noticed the smiles.
At the end of the day everybody thanked the instructor and said their goodbyes. Natalie went to retrieve their luggage while Angel and Harold took the elevator up to his room. When the door closed Angel threw herself into his arms and enjoyed one last kiss. When it was over there was tears in her eyes.
“Look, you have my number, call me and I’ll come down for a visit,” Harold said wiping away her tears. “I don’t want this to end. I want to see you again.”
“What about Natalie? You enjoyed her too.”
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t mind seeing her again too. But, you’re special. I felt different when I was with you than when I was with Natalie. With you there was more something inside. I can’t explain it but for the first time since my wife died I felt alive. Natalie made me realize that my life wasn’t over and I could enjoy being with people again. She also made me realize that I can still make love; I’m not over the hill yet. But you made me feel like a whole man again. Yeah, I lost someone I dearly loved but you made me feel like there was still more life to live. Maybe someday I can find it again: Maybe with somebody as beautiful and as warm as you.”
She threw her arms around his neck and gave him one last kiss.
“Well, I don’t want to but I’ve got to go,” Angel said with sadness in her words.
They met up with Natalie in the lobby. Their car was waiting out front and already had their luggage in the trunk. Natalie gave him a tender kiss, on the cheek, and promised to keep in touch. Angel kissed him tenderly one last time before waving and going out the door. As they pulled away she turned and waved, the smile still there.
“So, did you create those silly little smiles I saw this morning,” the voice from behind said.
He turned and saw Janet, his old friend, coworker, and class instructor standing there with a smile on her own face. It just wasn’t the same as Natalie and Angel had.
“I’m responsible for two out of the three. I haven’t a clue where Bob got his. He didn’t say much today.”
“Well, I’m jealous. How would you like to put that same smile on my face?”
He just stood there speechless, understanding what she was saying but not knowing what to say. When he got his wits about him again he was able to reply.
“Janet, as much as I would love to, I can’t. You’re married and I wouldn’t ever do something like that and disrespect your husband. When we worked together you were single and I was the one married. I wouldn’t do anything with you, or any other woman for that matter, that would hurt my wife. I thought about you, but I left it there, in my imagination. Now you’re married and I’m not. We just seem to have incredibly poor timing I guess.”
“Whew, for a moment there I thought you were going to take me up on my offer. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if you had. I’ve never cheated on my husband but you are very, very tempting. I might have said yes if you said yes. I’ll just do what you did and keep what might have been in my imagination. It’s was nice seeing you again. I hope our paths cross again sometime soon.”
Janet kissed him on his cheek and turned to leave. He just stood there with a dazed expression. Janet turned around and faced him again.
“I just wanted to say one more thing before I go. Judging by the smiles I saw on Angel’s and Natalie’s faces, and what I believe could have been between us, I know for sure that your wife must have been the happiest woman in the world. She was a very lucky woman to have you.”
She kissed her finger and put it to his lips then turned again and left.
Harold walked out to the park bench where he had enjoyed the sunset with two of the most beautiful women he’d ever known and sat down. He wondered if his boss had in mind exactly what happened. He wondered if he would ever see Angel or Natalie again. But one thing he knew for sure, he was now alive again and his work wouldn’t be such a problem any more. And he sat with a silly little smile of his own.