by Hope Stone
“I’m not busy and I kinda like helping people. I guess that’s why I became a firefighter. So I’ll see you there at 2 pm?”
“Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it,” she said, realizing that she couldn’t argue anymore.
I got in a quick shower and made myself something to eat before going to pick up coffee from my favorite local coffee shop. I got myself a black coffee and her a vanilla latte. I figured she seemed like the type to enjoy something sweet.
When I arrived at the apartment, she had clearly already boxed up quite a few things.
“Hey.” She smiled, looking up from the box she was taping up.
“Hey.” I smiled back, handing her the coffee. “You’ve been busy.”
“Yeah… I just want to get this part over and done with. It’s weird, it’s like it doesn’t even feel like my apartment. It’s just a place with a bunch of things that look familiar.” She reached out and took the coffee. “Thank you.”
Chapter 4: Alice
I took a sip of the coffee, not expecting the sweetness of vanilla. It was a pleasant surprise.
“Mmm, vanilla. How did you know that was my favorite?” I asked, genuinely impressed.
“I have a knack for figuring out people’s coffee orders,” he joked. “It’s kind of my superpower.”
“And here I was thinking that your superpower was saving people’s lives,” I laughed.
“That’s just my cover. During the day I fight fires, but my secret superhero identity is ‘coffee guy,’” he joked. “About your apartment,” he went on, “it’ll feel strange for now and even stranger when you move back in. But once it’s all fixed up and you put your things back where they belong, it’ll feel like home again.” He bent down and started taping up boxes without any hesitation.
I watched the muscles in his arms move as he pulled the tape across the cardboard. I knew I shouldn’t be checking him out, but it was hard not to. The fabric of his T-shirt wasn’t exactly straining against his chest and arms, but it was definitely showing off the amazing definition. His curly black hair was an inch away from being unruly and his five o’clock shadow was already beginning to show. He was attractive in every single way.
“Thanks, I actually needed to hear that. It’s been a weird week,” I said, trying to stop myself from thinking of how gorgeous he was. I glanced down at his ring finger and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was bare.
Suddenly his phone rang and he excused himself. He didn’t go far enough away for me not to hear him and I tried to stop myself from listening, but I failed.
“Hey, little Suzy, how’s the holiday going?” he said into the phone.
I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but I could hear that the voice on the other end sounded young, like maybe a pre-teen girl.
“You don’t have to worry about me, I’ve got plenty of things to do without you here to bug me, kiddo. I’m just kidding. You couldn’t bug me if you tried. How is Disneyland?”
The person on the other side seemed rather chatty and Sean was quiet for a time before he said, “Well, that’s great, I’m really happy you’re having a good time. I love you, little one. I’ll see you when I get back. Be nice to your mom and Alex, okay?” He put down the phone, but he was still smiling when he came to sit down.
“My niece,” he said as he packed his phone away in his pocket. “We usually spend Tuesday afternoons together, it’s been our ritual for years, but she’s away with her mom and stepdad.”
“It’s really great that the two of you are close,” I said, kind of relieved to find out that he wasn’t secretly married with a kid.
“Yeah, her dad passed away when she was only a year old and I moved in with them to help out. We’ve been close ever since. She’s now 11 and a great guitarist, and I couldn’t be prouder. My sister recently remarried a really nice guy, but it’s been difficult for Suzy, even though he’s really great with her. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this,” he said, shaking his head at his overshare.
“It’s okay, I like hearing it.” I smiled reassuringly. “I love listening to people’s stories. My sister thinks I should have been a therapist.”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t actually asked, but what is it you do?”
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m an art director for a local ad agency… not quite as cool as running into burning buildings,” I joked.
“Oh, I don’t know… I think being a creative person must be amazing. I’ve heard the industry can be tough, though.”
“Yeah, it can be really cutthroat, depending on where you work. The overtime can be a bit much, but I have a cool boss, so it’s not that bad. Plus, I get to do something I love every day, which is great,” I said, feeling a little silly calling my industry cutthroat to a man who fought fires daily.
“Did you study advertising?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested in me.
“No, I studied fine arts. But I didn’t feel like being a starving artist, so I got into advertising.” I pointed to a painting that I’d removed from the wall. “That’s one of mine. I finished it a few months ago. I don’t have as much time for painting as I used to, but I do it when I can.”
“Wow,” he said, getting up to look closer at the painting. “This is amazing. You’re really talented, you know that?”
I just smiled back, feeling myself starting to blush. I couldn’t figure out why this gorgeous, genuinely lovely guy was paying so much attention to me. Was he like this with every person he saved from a fire? He couldn’t possibly be that great.
“You know, uh, I don't usually get this involved with people I meet… through work. I haven’t done this in a while and it’s completely okay if you want to say no, you don’t owe me anything… but I’d like to take you out for dinner.” He seemed unsure of his words and sort of stuttered out the last part.
I couldn’t believe he was asking me out. He was so nice and good looking. Sure, I knew he must have been in his mid-late forties, but that didn’t bother me. I realized I’d been quiet for too long and I needed to reply.
“Yes, I’d like that.” I meant it as a statement but it sort of sounded like a question.
“I don’t mean to rush anything, but how about tonight? I’m working the next three night shifts.”
I smiled, “Yeah, I’d like that. I don’t exactly have a kitchen to cook in, anyway,” I laughed.
We were finished packing and he helped me load the boxes into the back of his truck. I told him I was planning to just do a few trips with my small car, but he offered to help me with his truck… which had a lot more space.
He insisted on doing most of the heavy lifting and I couldn’t help but watch the way he lifted heavy objects without even breaking a sweat. I didn’t think that I had a thing for particularly muscular men, but with him, it didn’t even cross my mind.
Chapter 5: Sean
I hadn’t asked anyone out in a long time and I was really nervous. Usually, I was so calm and confident, even when talking to beautiful women… but with her, it was different. I wanted her to like me because I already knew that I liked her. I even enjoyed helping her move. In fact, I just liked being around her. She was truly someone special.
I left her at her sister’s place so I could go home and take a shower before our date. I’d worked up quite a sweat moving heavy boxes, but to be honest, I liked showing off for her. And she was so grateful.
I made a reservation at this little Italian place down the road. It was this sort of hidden gem. If you didn’t know about it, you would never find it… but it was almost always fully booked. Luckily, the owner was a family friend and I could easily persuade him to get me a table.
I picked up Alice at 7 pm. My jaw almost dropped as she walked out. To be fair, I’d only seen her in her pajamas, in a hospital bed, and packing up boxes. She was wearing a black dress that accentuated her beautiful curves. Her curly blond hair was down and perfectly framed her face. Her big brown eyes were sparkling and she was weari
ng this bright red lipstick that almost drove me insane with desire.
I looked down at my jeans and collared shirt and wondered whether I’d put enough effort into my appearance.
I opened the car door for her and smiled. “You look stunning.”
“You look pretty damn good yourself,” she replied, blushing a little.
The restaurant was buzzing when we arrived, but, as promised, our table had been reserved. It was a corner booth, perfect for a date.
We were there for less than two minutes when George, the owner, arrived to welcome us.
“Hey, Sean, it’s good to see you.” He turned to Alice. “Hi, I’m George. You must be someone truly special for Sean to bring you here. We never see him out on dates… not since… ah, never mind. It’s good to meet you.”
Alice introduced herself with a laugh. “So he doesn’t bring all the girls here?”
“Ah, honey, there are no girls. He’s too busy saving the world.” George winked. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”
Moments later, a complimentary bottle of wine was sent over. I smiled and poured us each a glass. “George always has the best taste in wine, so this is bound to be good.”
Alice was looking through the menu that I knew by heart and asked, “So you come here often. What’s good?”
“The spaghetti alla puttanesca will very likely change your life. It’s definitely my favorite.” I smiled.
Alice paused for a second and then laughed. “I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to look good eating pasta in front of you. I mean, is it even possible to not look like an idiot eating pasta?”
“How about I order it too, and then we can both look idiots?” I replied with a big smile on my face. I liked how refreshingly honest and funny she was.
The meal went by really fast as we talked, ate, and drank. Eventually, I noticed that the restaurant had emptied out. We were the last people, but I didn’t want to go home yet… not alone, anyway. I was having too much fun with her.
“It looks like they’re ready to close. Do you want to grab a drink? I know a place near here that has a pretty good wine selection and it doesn’t close,” I asked.
She agreed without hesitation.
As we drove the short way to my apartment, I thought that maybe I was being too forward taking her to my place. But as I parked my car outside the building, she didn’t seem uncomfortable in any way. I guess she got my joke about it not closing. From talking to her all night, I felt like she understood me more than most people.
We went inside and I was grateful that I’d cleaned the place the day before. Living alone and working long shifts meant I didn’t often get a chance to clean properly. But I didn’t tell her that. I went to pour us drinks while she looked at my record collection.
“Do you collect vinyl?” she asked.
“Yeah, I know it’s easier to just have a Spotify playlist these days, but I really like the way it sounds. See anything you like?”
“You have great taste in music. Can I put something on?”
“Sure. What do you want to listen to?” I asked.
“How about The Cure?” she asked, holding up their Greatest Hits record.
“Of course. I didn’t think you’d know who they are. I mean, they’re a little old school.”
“Let me guess, you thought I listened to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber?” she laughed.
“Hey, don’t knock Taylor,” I joked. “Sorry, I just thought… you know, you’re a lot younger than me and I don’t exactly listen to Top of the Pops or whatever,” I said.
Just Like Heaven by The Cure started playing in the background.
“I’m 28… not exactly a teenager. I know good music when I hear it. Also, I was raised by my sister, who taught me everything I know about music. She actually manages up and coming bands and her husband is a record producer.”
“That’s really cool. When you said you had an overprotective sister, I kind of imagined that she was an uptight accountant or lawyer or something.”
“No, my sister is definitely only uptight when it comes to me,” she laughed.
I handed her a glass of wine just as she reached for it and the red liquid ended up all over my white shirt.
Chapter 6: Alice
I apologized profusely after spilling the wine on his shirt. He said it really wasn’t a problem and nothing a little laundry detergent couldn’t get out. But I knew that was a lie because there’s no way a little soap was getting out the blood-red wine that I’d spilled on him.
He took his shirt off and I caught myself staring and quickly looked away. But not after I’d seen him half-naked. His muscular chest was even better when it wasn’t clothed. He had an old-school tattoo of a snake wrapped around a sword on his chest. I blushed so badly that I could see the redness spreading to my chest and ending where my dress began.
“I’d better go get a clean one,” he said softly as he walked toward the open door of his bedroom.
I don’t know what gave me the sudden confidence. It might have been the wine or maybe it was the drop-dead gorgeous man who seemed to actually really like me.
“Wait… I mean, you don’t have to put a shirt on… I’m not complaining,” I said with a smile on my face.
“Well, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” He grinned, walking back to me.
I laughed and he wrapped his arms around me, slightly lifting me off the ground, and kissed me deeply. I could feel his muscular chest against me as I kissed him back. I’d never experienced a kiss like that before, it was so intense and full of passion. My ex-boyfriend was the last person I’d kissed and it was never like that. Sean kissed me like the guy always kisses the girl of his dreams in movies.
His hands moved down to my thighs as he began to kiss my neck. I moaned a little and I could feel him grinning into my skin. He began to pull the material of my dress up and I was suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. He must have realized that as I stiffened up a bit. He pulled back by an inch, still standing close, but his hands were at his side.
“You okay? We can take it slowly, we really can. I don’t mind,” he said sweetly, touching the palm of my hand.
“No, I’m fine. Really, I want this. I’m just… a little insecure, I guess.” I stumbled over the last few words.
“You have no reason to feel insecure. You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met. But if you want to slow down, I’m happy to do that.”
I stepped forward and kissed him again, “No, I want this,” I said softly as I lifted my dress over my head, suddenly filled with confidence again.
He smiled broadly and took me in, looking at me in a way I’d never been looked at before. I felt like I was on fire. And then he pulled me close to him again and went back to kissing me. He made sure I was enjoying myself and then put his hands underneath my ass and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me through to his bedroom. He didn’t seem to find it at all difficult to lift me.
Sean put me down softly on the bed, kissing my neck, my chest, my breasts, and my stomach. He pulled down my underwear and kept on kissing me, going lower and lower each time. And then he was between my legs and I was moaning, softly at first but getting louder as his tongue flickered against my clitoris. Suddenly I gasped as his two fingers made their way inside me. I thought I was going to explode with pleasure right then and there.
It didn’t take long before he had me writhing in ecstasy on his bed. He waited for the aftermath of my orgasm to die down before he pulled himself back up and kissed my lips again. With him on top of me, I could feel his erection through his jeans. I unbuckled his belt and pants and he removed them. He was already fully hard and ready. I couldn’t believe that I’d already climaxed and he hadn’t even taken his pants off yet.
He kissed me deeply as he entered me. I gasped. He was big, bigger than I’d expected... or rather, bigger than I’d experienced before. It was a little painful, but only in a pleasurable way. I began to mo
an again and I could hear him groan as he pushed himself all the way in and then out again.
He built up rhythm, taking his time, making sure we were both having the time of our lives. I dug my nails into his shoulders as I lost control of my body once again. He pulled me up so that I was straddling his cock and we moved in unison, our hips grinding against each other.
Soon, I was moaning so loud that it was almost a scream, but I couldn’t stop myself. He smiled and groaned as he became even more turned on by the noise I was making. Eventually, we came together and our bodies fell in a heap on the bed. I was wrapped up in his arms and trying to catch my breath. I’d never felt like that before.
He quickly fell asleep and I lay there thinking how lucky I was. I’d only just met him, but he was special. I could tell that he was different. I’d given up on love since my ex-boyfriend had left me for someone who I’d thought was a friend. I’d thought I wasn’t worth loving. But when I was with Sean, all of those doubts and fears… they disappeared. I smiled to myself, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. It was weird; we’d only just met, but I felt like he truly knew me.
Chapter 7: Sean
I woke up around 6 am. That was pretty late for me. I was an early riser and usually got up at around 5 am to go for a run. But I didn’t feel like getting out of bed with Alice in my arms. I didn’t feel like doing anything except be with her. I went back to sleep for as long as I could, enjoying the moment.
About an hour later, I got up to make Alice and myself some breakfast. Just as I was scrambling the eggs, I heard her phone ring from next to her purse on the couch. The screen said “Jane,” which I knew was her sister’s name. I normally wouldn’t have answered anyone else’s phone, but I didn’t want to wake up Alice and I also didn’t want her sister to worry about her as she hadn’t gone home the night before.
“Hi, Alice’s phone,” I said as quietly as I could.