“Hey, don’t—”
“No, seriously, I was a terrible housewife. I could barely keep anything clean and my cooking skills are scary. Raising Meredith was the only thing I could get right… at least, I hope I haven’t scarred her for life.”
“Stop beating yourself up. Meredith is amazing and come on, a marriage takes two to makes things work. And I sincerely doubt Tom is sitting around berating himself for the role he played.”
He had a point. Tom never admitted when he was wrong. I wasn’t the only one that made my marriage suck. Tom had been absent, emotionless, and distant. At the end of the day, I think we both knew we shouldn’t have gone down the road of matrimony, but we’d both done what was expected of us, and look how that had turned out.
“So no more negative talk,” Carter said. “You need to be more positive.”
“I’m like the Grouch from Sesame Street, I don’t know how to be happy.”
“You’re not the Grouch, you’re more like Elmo… or Big Bird.”
“Thanks, Carter. I appreciate that. Such a sweet compliment to be compared to a giant yellow bird.”
“Well, you are sort of on the tall side,” he said, and I swatted him with my menu. He caught my hand and held it. We stayed like that with our hands linked until dinner arrived.
The restaurant had a seasonal menu which meant it was limited. We ordered whatever our hostess recommended which for us was almost everything.
“Oh my God, that was so, so good,” I said, patting my stomach an hour later as I sat back against my chair. I was stuffed and I didn’t even feel guilty about it. We’d had a mix of meat, rice, and veggie dishes. The ingredients were familiar but the spices and seasonings used transported me back to our Caribbean trip. Everything had tasted authentic and fresh and left me wanting more although I was stuffed.
“Any dessert?” Ann, our hostess asked us, as she brought us the bill. “Our baker is Cuban, and she makes the best flan in town.”
“I don’t doubt it, but I’m stuffed.”
She turned to Carter. “I’ll take one, but to go,” he said.
My eyes widened. “You still have room for dessert after all that food?” It was no exaggeration that every plate on our table was empty. We’d even eaten the vegetables that were supposed to serve as decorations on the plate.
He shrugged and gave me a smile. “I’m greedy and I have a sweet tooth.”
“Aww… I’d forgotten about the sweet tooth.”
We stood up and Ann mentioned something about dropping dessert off for Carter downstairs. I didn’t think anything of it and then he said. “I hope you’re ready for some dancing.”
I really didn’t think I was. My belly was too full, but dancing was my guilty pleasure while I’d been married to Tom. To relax or to feel happy, I would dance around our living room in my underwear. But dancing had always been my escape from a tense household. Growing up, I’d participated in all the free dancing gigs that I could.
In college, I’d been part of an informal dancing team and had even flirted with being a dancing major, but my mom had quickly squashed that idea.
“We didn’t send you to college so that you could major in dance and be poor,” my mom had said succinctly.
And so, I’d just majored in marketing, but dancing had been my passion. Ironically, I hadn’t pursued my passion and I’d still ended up poor.
The music was louder now, and the band was playing classic Bob Marley. The dance floor was filled with couples having a great time and we quickly found ourselves doing the same.
Even though Carter was a terrible dancer, I found myself laughing more that night than any other night I could remember. Carter was a ball of energy so I could forgive him for all his really embarrassing NSYNC and Backstreet Boys moves.
No wonder no one bought his reggae album, I thought to myself with a giggle.
I tugged on his arm and shouted over the music, “I need to get some water. Let’s take a break.”
He nodded, grabbed my hand and we made our way off the dance floor.
“You looked great out there. I guess you never lost your touch in the dance department.”
“I stayed up to date by watching YouTube and dancing around my house when Tom was at work and Meredith was at school.”
“Sounds like a good use of time to me,” he said non-judgmentally as he reached for a bottle of water and handed one to me, as well.
“I probably should have been cleaning or cooking... you know, actually being productive at the time. No wonder I was such a crap housewife.”
“Hey, remember the rule, no negative talk.”
“Fine, fine,” I said. “You were always annoyingly positive. Always being nice and trying to save the world.”
He nodded. “That’s me.”
“I’m joking.”
He looked at me and smiled. “I know. Someone had to be positive in our group. Piper always had her head in the clouds, you were always moping, so I was Mr. Optimistic by default.”
He was right. Piper had been a little bit of a space cadet and I’d been a bit of a fatalist in college. Maybe that’s why I’d married Tom. Maybe I thought I just couldn’t do better.
Oh gosh, maybe I was still a fatalist and didn’t know it. It was time to turn over a new leaf.
“Do you want to head home? You look a little tired.”
“I do have to go to work early tomorrow,” I said, feeling like a drag. I wanted to stay out and enjoy the nightlife, but I already found myself yawning. Clearly, I wasn’t as young as I used to be.
“Come on, let’s get you home. You’re tired.”
“No,” I protested and then immediately yawned again. “I want to stay.”
“One more dance and then I’m getting you home.”
“Okay,” I said as he again took my hand.
The evening was ending as the band switched from upbeat dance music to slow rhythms.
I wrapped my arms loosely around Carter’s neck and he wrapped his around my waist and pulled me close. He was a great slow dancer.
I felt heat radiating between us. I was getting turned on feeling my breasts pressed against his body and so I snuggled up closer to him. He felt warm and inviting and I just wanted to stay in his arms forever.
“This is nice,” I mumbled against his chest.
He grunted in reply, pulled me even closer and rested his chin on top of my head. He began to stroke my back and the motion was hypnotic as he rocked me to the beat of the music around the dance floor.
His sex was growing firm against me and I couldn’t help but rub against it. But he was the perfect gentleman and pulled away just enough so that the evidence of his desire didn’t press against me.
I wasn’t a gentleman, and I leaned forward again, deliberately rubbing myself against his sex. He pulled his head back just enough to look down at me and said, “Keep doing that and I won’t be able to control myself.”
I arranged my smile into what I hoped was a contrite expression and then naughtily pushed my hips against his.
He sucked in a breath and said, “I think we should get out of here.”
“Good idea,” I said, sounding breathless to my own ears.
He took my hand and led me to the car. Ours was one of the few that remained, and he didn’t even wait to get inside the car before he roughly kissed me, pressing my back against the door as his lips possessively made their way across mine.
While we kissed, my hand made its way to his crotch and I began to rub against his hardness, changing my grip as I stroked him through the material of his pants.
His breath caught, and he bit my lower lip gently which made me gasp. He took advantage of that gasp to put his tongue in my mouth and I sucked on it gently, remembering the feel of his tongue between my legs, knowing how it felt to be penetrated by it.
I shivered at the memory, knowing I was growing wet.
“I want you,” I murmured as he pulled his lips away and planted hot kisses near my ear an
d down my neck.
I couldn’t help myself as I fumbled with his zipper to release his sex. He pulled away from my neck with a groan and stilled my hand with his own. “Not here,” he said breathlessly.
He opened the car door and helped me in and then quickly climbed behind the wheel. As soon as he turned on the ignition, I snaked my hand between his legs and deftly released his sex.
I stroked him as he did his best to focus on driving us home. His cock was warm, long, and the tip was a little wet from pure lust.
I couldn’t wait any longer, so when we paused at a red light, I lowered my mouth to his crotch and licked the drop of moisture I found there. He groaned, put the car in park and gripped my hair, keeping my head between his legs.
I sucked the tip of his cock into my mouth and then swallowed an inch more before releasing him slowly. I repeated the motion, taking in an inch of him at a time until I was able to get most of him in my mouth.
The car was silent other than his sighs. All we could hear was the noises I made as I sucked and licked his cock.
He became harder as I quickened the pace of my rhythm. His breath was rougher now, and I knew he was on the verge of coming.
I lightly trailed my teeth across his dick when a loud horn blasted behind us. Startled, I raised my head and Carter swore, put the car into drive and drove off.
I kept my hand on his dick, playing with it, rubbing it, keeping him hard. We didn’t talk, didn’t utter a sound and then before I knew it, we were at his place. As soon as he turned off the car, I was moving into his lap, positioning myself above his cock, ready to take him in.
He was more than ready for me and he slid his hands up my thighs, raising my mini-dress so that it gathered around my waist.
He placed his hands on my hips and I pulled my panties to the side and slowly lowered my waiting wetness onto his hard, pulsating, dick.
I moaned as I sheathed him fully inside me. I rode him hard. Greedily focusing only on reaching orgasm as quickly as possible. It didn’t take long. As he filled me, and my sex greedily pulled at his cock, I was already beyond the point of no return. And within seconds I was coming, moaning his name as he played with my breasts and I began to grind against him over and over, trying to get him deeper as he came too, and I could feel his warm seed spill inside of me.
And as soon as it had started, it was over. And we stayed in that position, surrounded by the interior darkness of the car. Not a sound could be heard minus the panting of our own breaths as we sat there still connected. He lazily stroked my back and applied kisses to my shoulders and face. I lay against his shoulder and just breathed, moaning from time to time at the aftershocks that made my inner muscles clench around his cock in quick succession.
I could feel him growing hard again inside of me and so I began to move again, teasing his dick with each of my movements.
And so, we did it again and this time, I felt myself dozing as I nestled against his shoulders and reveled in the aftermath of our lovemaking.
He wrapped his arms around me and said gently, “Do you want to come inside?”
“I’ve come enough in one evening, thank you very much,” I said with a sleepy yawn.
He laughed and stroked my back as I continued sitting in his lap, enjoying being connected to him. I felt our connection was more than physical. Being with Carter this way felt more than just sexual, it felt emotional. And finally, I understood what it felt like to be one with someone. His heartbeat echoed my own, his breaths were timed with mine. Our bodies and finally our hearts were on one accord.
Being with Carter was like being home. Carter was my home.
I slowly slid off him, immediately missing the feel of him inside me and the warmth of his arms.
“I would love to stay, but I have to get to work early tomorrow.”
“What time?” he asked, stroking a hair out of my face.
“Seven.”
“How about you spend the night and I’ll wake you up at six?”
“You promise?”
He held up a hand as if he were a boy scout and said, “I promise.”
I straightened my dress and he zipped up his pants. He then got out the car, walked to my side and opened the door for me.
He treated me like a lady when I certainly hadn’t behaved like one and I adored him for it. He closed my door, held my hand and looked at me and smiled; I returned his smile. We didn’t say anything, but there wasn’t anything to be said.
Our bodies had done all the talking for us.
Feeling happier than I had in a long time, I let Carter lead me into his house, happily anticipating falling asleep in his arms.
Chapter Eight
I stretched gingerly and ignored the ache between my legs. Carter and I had made love most of the night and then again in the shower before I’d finally forced myself to go to work.
He had been a loving, sweet and caring lover, taking his time with me once I told him that I was a little sore from our shenanigans in his car.
Just thinking about our evening together gave me goosebumps and I could feel myself growing wet again as I lay in my cold bed alone, waiting for my alarm clock to go off.
I hadn’t seen Carter in a week since he’d gone out of town to some sort of conference. I missed him so much.
I reached for my phone and texted him that. Almost instantaneously, I received a text in response that said, “Missing you too.”
It made me smile and I had a feeling that if it could, my heart would be smiling too.
Humming, I made my way to the kitchen. Meredith surprised me. She was already up and when she saw me she gave me a big grin.
“Do you know what today is?”
I looked at her quizzically. “Hmmm let me think… let me think. I don’t know… is today something special?”
“Mommmmmm,” she said giving me a disappointed look. “It’s a week before my birthday.” She smiled up at me and said, “Sooooo what do you have planned?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “If I tell you then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hands excitedly. “I knew it! I knew it! A surprise party!”
She hugged me around my waist and squeezed tightly. “Thank you thank you thank you. It’s going to be the best surprise party ever.”
I realized then that maybe she didn’t get the whole concept of what a surprise party was meant to be, but she was only five and I didn’t want to burst her bubble.
“Get ready for school, we don’t want you to be late.”
She skipped off humming, but then she turned around quickly and said, “Mom… um… you did invite Daddy and Becca to my party, right?”
I nodded. “Of course, sweetheart. Daddy and I love you very much. Of course he’ll be there.”
“And Becca too?”
I wanted to sigh but repressed it. Becca, for all her sweetness, was still not my favorite person. I knew that I was just jealous of her because she was nineteen, skinny, and beautiful. I felt petty, but she was Miss Perfect while I was Miss Kind of Good Enough.
“I’m sure Becca wouldn’t miss your party. She loves you too much to miss it. You’re like her number one person.”
Meredith beamed and then suddenly ran to me and gave me another big hug. “You’re the best mom. Danny Schultz’s mom won’t even let him see his dad. She’s crazy.”
I shook my head. Danny Schultz had lots of stories to tell. I was glad Meredith wasn’t exchanging crazy mom stories with him. Yikes.
“Well, that’s too bad. I’m sure Danny misses his dad.”
“I think he’s in prison. I think he robbed a bank.”
“Well that explains why she drives that fancy car and can afford private school,” I said to myself and then instantly remembered that kids repeated EVERYTHING. “Honey, please don’t repeat what mommy just said. It wasn’t nice.”
She looked confused but just shrugged it off. “Okay. I don’t know what you’re talking about anyway.�
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The conversation already forgotten, she skipped to her room and shut the door behind her.
I dropped Meredith off at school and was pleased to see Carter there. He was in a deep discussion with the woman whose car I’d hit. When she saw me, she gave me a little wave. I guess she was done hating me.
Carter excused himself and made his way to the drop-off line and stopped at my car.
“You have plans for this weekend?” he asked.
I smiled and shrugged flirtatiously. “Maybe… depends on who’s asking.” And then I immediately stiffened up, I did have plans for the weekend. I was such a dope.
“I mean, I actually do have plans. It’s Meredith’s birthday this weekend. We’re throwing her a surprise party at Piper’s house.”
Piper and I had patched things up pretty easily. We both hated to be mad at each other so after a few “I’m sorry’s” and a few tears, we were right back to being tight friends. She had offered to host Meredith’s party at her house months ago. At the time, I’d been barely speaking to Tom, so Piper’s house had been considered “neutral” territory.
“Oh, she’ll love that.”
I nodded, “She’s excited about it already, so it won’t be much of a surprise.” I brushed my bangs away from my face. “You should come. I’m sure Meredith would love to see you there.”
He nodded. “It’s a deal. I’ll see you then.”
He made his way back up the front steps and into the school and I found myself thinking about how sexy he walked. I was caught off-guard by my thought process. It seemed now every time I thought of Carter the word sexy popped up in my head.
Like lovesick teenagers, we called each other every day. We talked about nothing important, but I frequently fell asleep with my phone next to my ear, drifting off after we’d talked for hours on end. Sometimes it was almost daybreak before we got off the phone.
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