by J. A. Rawls
Mike signaled the waiter for the check. He escorted Jana back to the casino floor, “I’ll let you play for a while. I’m not much of a gambler so I’ll walk around and check out the sights. Don’t worry about moving around; I’ll find you.” He kissed her, deeply, with more passion than he ever had before and then turned and walked through the casino.
*****
Jana picked up her ringing cell phone, “Hello.”
“Where are you?” Mike hollered over the noise of the casino.
“I’m in the room, waiting for this young stud muffin who promised to find me in the casino, but when he never showed I came up to the room hoping he would be here.”
“Sorry, jeez, I met a friend at the bar and lost track of time. I’m on my way up; do you want me to bring anything?”
“Yes, a cold bottle of water if you don’t mind.”
“I’m on my way.” Mike stopped cold when he opened the door to the room; there was a rose petal path leading to the bed. Faux electric candles were lit all around the room. Jana lounged on the bed, surrounded by pillows. She wore only a satin and lace mauve nightgown, the sides split to the waist, and the neckline meeting the waist band in the front. Delicate ties at the shoulders were all that kept it on. “Do-do-you want this–water-now?”
“No, it can wait.” She curled her finger and beckoned him forward. “What I want right now is you, naked,” she purred.
Mike didn’t wait to be asked twice. Within seconds he was climbing the bed from the bottom up, slowly trying to determine exactly where she wanted him. He kissed her toes, sucking each one as he massaged one foot and then the other. Jana’s moans confirmed she enjoyed his foot worship. He continued to take little nips and placed kisses along her legs and up her thighs. Mike moved up her entire body spreading her legs with his knees. He kissed each breast, taking the nipple through the fabric, and using his teeth to pull it toward him. Every touch was sensual as he moved further up her body, nipping at her neck and finally reaching her mouth. He made love to her mouth, using his tongue to attack hers. They couldn’t get enough of each other. Mike eased the pillows out from behind her, laying her down on the bed as he entered her slowly. He paused every few seconds, and though he could tell by her movements she wanted him, he made her wait. Fully plunging into her, he felt her gasp and then relax, letting him fill her. He pulled almost completely out of her, held for a second and then entered her again, stronger, deeper.
Jana moved from side to side trying to meet his movements, trying to get him to make love to her and not torture her, but she couldn’t get his attention. She moved her hands to his chest rubbing his nipples and twisting them with her fingers. This didn’t stop his teasing, it only intensified his moves. In, almost out, back in. God, it was pure torture, of the most exquisite kind. Slowly her energy built as her orgasm surfaced. It shattered her, making her cry out in pure joy.
Mike waited while Jana gained control. He was hard again, and ready for another round. He rolled her over on top and she took charge, riding him like a rodeo star. She flexed her muscles, not allowing him to move unless she did. She was definitely in control, moving forward and back, rotating her hips and allowing him to fondle her breasts. He untied the gown and let the top fall open. He greedily took one and then the other of her breasts into his mouth while she rode him hard.
Jana felt him begin to shudder, so she slowed and encouraged his attention to her breasts. He was confused and didn’t know exactly what to do, but his hips never stopped moving as she bucked up and down, round and round. Jana felt him shudder as she climaxed, but he never missed a beat. His attention to her breasts never faltered, even when he allowed her to move off him. His hand moved between her legs and he stroked the same area his cock had just vacated. She squirmed against his hand, riding it in a similar fashion while he continued to lick and suck at her breasts. Moaning, she climaxed once again and Mike felt the contractions against his fingers. He pulled her close, holding her in his arms.
“Sleep now,” she whispered.
“Sleep now, indeed,” he replied as he reached down and pulled up the covers. “Jana, are you asleep?” he whispered.
She didn’t answer, but snuggled closer into his arms as she eased into sleep.
“Marry me, Jana,” Mike whispered.
She heard him, but she couldn’t answer. She couldn’t make herself answer; instead she closed her eyes and bit her lip, a tear falling down her check.
Mike waited for an answer, received none, and assumed she was asleep. He’d ask her tomorrow and he nodded off beside her.
Jana lay awake in his arms for an hour without moving. She didn’t want to get married, but she didn’t want to hurt Mike. She needed to be honest and upfront with him if he asked again. Hopefully it was lust, the heat of the moment and he really didn’t mean it. Hopefully.
Nine
Jana woke to the sound of running water, and looked over to see what time it was. She had to get up, she had no choice. I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Still groggy, she walked into the bathroom. Mike was singing in the shower.
“Good morning beautiful.”
Jana moaned, “Yea, good morning. What are you so cheerful about?”
“It’s a beautiful day, and once I get done with my meeting we have the rest of the weekend together.” He stepped from the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He reached for Jana, pulling her toward him for a kiss.
“You’re getting me all wet,” she laughed as she wiggled away. “I’m going back to bed. You have meetings, but I don’t have any plans. Sam couldn’t get me a spa treatment, so all I’ve got to do today is find a dress for Sami’s wedding. Do you need me to get you anything?”
“Could you see if the hotel can have my shirt laundered and my suit pressed? I was in such a hurry last night; I didn’t hang them up when I took them off.”
“I’m sure they can handle it. I’ll call you after I hear from Sami about what time the wedding is. I’ll leave a message on your phone. You said before you thought you would be back by four so that should work fine. I’d like to do an early dinner, and then we can see where we go after the wedding.”
He kissed her good-bye, “That’s fine with me. I’m out of here. Enjoy your day. I don’t need to worry about you do I?”
“No, I’m capable of entertaining myself. Granted it’s not as good without you, but I’ll manage,” she put her hand over her eyes in mock drama, “Good luck with your meeting. I can’t wait to hear how it goes. Hey, if I run into Charlie do you mind if I ask him to meet us for dinner?”
“No that’s fine.” She heard the door close behind him.
Sleep, I need more sleep, then shopping. She hugged the pillow to her chest and began to drift off to sleep. The ringing phone brought her straight up in bed. Grumbling, she answered, “What!”
“Jana, is that you?” Sami asked hesitantly.
“Yes, sorry, I was just getting back to sleep and the phone rang. What’s up Sami?”
“The wedding is at seven on a bridge over the Grand Canal amid the sights and sounds of St. Mark’s Square. It’s called a Ponte al di Piazza, Bridge Over the Square, wedding. It was David’s choice, as you must have guessed, because if I’d had my choice we’d have done one of those drive-thru jobs,” Sami laughed. “Even Charlie thought it was appropriate, that way if he didn’t want anyone to know he was part of the wedding party he could just walk off and no one would care. You don’t think he’d do that, do you?”
“No, Sami he won’t do that; Charlie loves you. Besides, he doesn’t want you to disown him. Is he here; have you spoken to him?”
“Yes, he’s here, I just woke him up with the same information. Maybe you two should get together as you’re both grumpy this morning. What happened to your young man; did he leave you high and dry?”
“My young man is none of your business,” Jana laughed. “Listen, I’ll see you tonight. I think I’ll call Charlie and see if he wants to hang out with me today since my young ma
n has plans. See you later Sami.” Jana called the front desk, asked for Charles Brandon’s room, and the phone rang.
“Mom, you’d better be dead,” Charlie grumbled.
“First of all it isn’t mom, and no, I’m not dead.”
“Jana, sorry, what’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem. I just got off the phone with your mom and she said she had awakened you too, so I figured I’d see if you wanted to join me for breakfast.”
“Doable, but it’ll take me an hour to get ready and I need to get the hotel to press my suit for tonight.”
“I’ll meet you at Bouchon’s in an hour. Depending on the time we can have breakfast or lunch.”
“Works for me, hey wait a minute. You want something, don’t you? I know you, you need someone to shop with you; is that why you’re asking me to meet you?”
“See you in an hour Charlie, don’t be late.” She hung up.
Jana arrived before Charlie and asked the hostess to seat her so she could get some much needed coffee. She definitely needed the caffeine this morning. As the waiter poured her coffee, she watched Charlie enter.
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You look well. It’s obvious this weekend agrees with you and it hasn’t even been a full 24 hours.”
“Yes it does, and don’t be an ass Charlie. It was a surprise to see your mom last night. You didn’t say anything about her getting married again.”
“Hell, I didn’t know until after you left yesterday. I left a message on your cell phone, didn’t you get it?”
“No, sorry, I didn’t notice. Well, anyway, glad you’re here and I know your mom is glad too.”
“She’s so cute,” Charlie said. “She’s afraid I won’t like him. What kind of young man marries a woman old enough to be their mother anyway? I told her it wasn’t a concern whether I liked him or not. Question is, does she like him? She says she loves him, and she knows he’ll make her happy. That’s really all I want as well. I don’t need a new father; I just want my mom happy. She works too hard and she definitely needs someone to grab her attention once in a while so she slows down. What did you think of him?”
“He’s very handsome and obviously loves her very much. He was really happy to think Mike and I had come here for the wedding and to learn that you were flying in as well.” Jana nodded to the waiter when he asked if she’d like more coffee. “I take it your mom wasn’t really intending to invite anyone?”
“That’s what she told me this morning. She said David wanted his family there. I guess his brother and his wife and his mom are here. Did you meet them too?” Charlie took a piece of the bread, added a large dab of butter and jam, and placed it in his mouth, savoring the taste.
“No, they weren’t with them. If I remember right they were going to meet them at the same time Mike and I were going into the Phantom, which by the way was great.”
“So where’s Mike?” Charlie mumbled through a mouthful of bread.
“You aren’t going to believe this one. Mike’s in a meeting with your mom. It seems Brandon, Inc. is looking for a new accounting firm to take on their business and she is interviewing Mike’s new company for the job. Mike was a nervous wreck when he put the pieces together last night, and it took me a while to convince him that your mom didn’t mix her personal life with her business. I also told him your mom didn’t do favors, nor hire people because of who they knew, I’m right aren’t I?”
“Pretty much, unless Mike can hold his own he won’t get the job. This is going to be fun. You know mom won’t make a decision on the spot, I mean she’ll have decided, but if Mike gets the job she’s going to make him wait for an answer. Is Mike planning to be your escort for the wedding?” Charlie grabbed the last piece of bread before Jana had a chance.
“Sure, Sami invited us both. She knew Mike was with me. But I have a favor to ask you, and it’s not just giving me part of that,” She pointed to the bread on Charlie’s plate.
“I knew it. You want me to take you shopping.”
“Yes, but only to the Fashion Show Mall. I just need to go to Nordstrom’s. I called them before I came down and they have this gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana stretch satin bustier dress with exposed boning that would be just right for your mom’s wedding. I have an appointment in one hour to get a fitting, and they guarantee me they can have it ready within an hour, so we need to eat and get moving.”
Charlie ate the bread, ignoring her request. “What else do you have to get, there’s always more.” He grinned, “I didn’t share this with you because I want to make sure you can fit into that dress.”
“You’re a rat.” She smacked him on the shoulder. “As for what else I need, I’d like to get a shirt for Mike and a tie and pocket hanky that will match my dress.” Watching Charlie grimace she continued, “Come on, it’ll be fun and you can get a new shirt and tie too. You like to shop almost as much as I do, admit it.”
“No one likes to shop as much as you do, but I could use a new shirt and tie and a pair of shoes. If you’ll help me pick them out then I’ll be your escort to the mall. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Quit whining, you know you love to go shopping with me. We have the best time when we do this. People always think you’re my son. I think I’ll look at shoes too as I doubt if anything I brought will match that dress.”
“Where’s a gun when you need it,” he laughed as he looked over the menu.
Jana finished her Croque Madame and Charlie his Salmon Baguette, and they sat back and enjoyed the delicious coffee. “Charlie, I’m worried about this Cougar thing.”
He saw the confusion on her face, “What do you mean-worried?”
“I mean, is this a smart thing to do? Here I am in a hotel with a man young enough to be my son. I’m not sure if I was the mother of that son, I’d be really happy with the circumstances of this relationship.”
“I guess that could be a concern, but Jana you need to quit putting your mid-west morality into this equation. Today is different than yesterday, and all you’re really doing is what men have been doing for centuries. How many men do you know who have left their wives for a young secretary, or had an affair with a younger woman?”
Jana reluctantly nodded, conceding Charlie’s point, “I know what you’re saying is true, but it doesn’t help me rationalize this in my public mind. In the privacy of our room this is fun, exciting,” she sighed, “and exhausting. But when we walk through the casino I notice folks looking at us, wondering what the old lady is doing with the younger man. I guess it’s just more accepted for men to do than women.”
“Again a true statement,” Charlie said, “but the barriers for this type of relationship are coming down all around us. As women become more dominant, more aware of their own worth and ability to make their own decisions, they are enjoying these type of relationships as much as men do. I have a recommendation for you, are you listening?”
“Sure, I’m listening.”
“Jana, enjoy your time with Mike. Enjoy the friendship, enjoy the sex, and when you two go your separate ways, say thanks for all that you’ve been able to give to each other.”
“I’ll try, hell I am trying, but it’s hard to have this type of physical relationship without the emotional involvement.”
“You’re not wired to just have casual sex. Whether you want to believe it or not, there is an emotional tie to Mike. But are you in love with him Jana? Is that what you’re saying here?” Charlie’s concern was evident on his face.
“No, I’m not in love, if anything I’m in perpetual lust. Is that wrong?”
“No, it’s not wrong, just take it a day at a time and enjoy your time with Mike. There are no rules that say you can’t have sex with any man, or woman for that matter, who is a consenting adult. I’m pretty sure Mike fits into that equation and I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to be with him as time permits.”
“Okay, thanks Charlie, I think I’ve got a handle on it. How on earth did you get so wise
for someone so young?”
“God, you’re making me crazy. I think you need retail therapy. Let’s go shopping.”
*****
Charlie and Jana enjoyed the Venetian limo ride to the mall.
Charlie whispered, “Jana we could have taken a taxi.”
“Why would we do that when this limo was sitting there doing nothing? He’s ours for the afternoon, so we can go anywhere we want.”
“I only want to go to the mall and then back to the hotel. I’d really like to get a nap in before the wedding if possible.”
“Mike was going to meet me for an early dinner, you want to join us?”
“No, I’ll pass. Think I’ll order a hamburger and a couple of beers from room service. There’s a ball game on later this afternoon I’d like to catch.”
In Nordstrom’s Jana went to women’s formal wear and asked for Nora, who appeared within seconds with the dress, a pair of matching shoes, and clutch in hand. “I didn’t know exactly what you’d need, so I came prepared,” Nora said breathlessly.
“This is fantastic, let me try them on and we can see where we go from here. What do you think Charlie?”
“It’s an exquisite dress. I hope the bride is as beautiful or you’re going to be the center of attention.”
“Really, is it too much you think?”
“It’s beautiful, go try it on. I’ll take a seat over there and wait for the fashion show.”
“Your mother’s very beautiful,” Nora said.
“Yes, she is, very beautiful,” Charlie said, his thoughts focused on his mom and the wedding. I hope you know what you’re doing mom. I really want you to be happy.
Jana walked from the fitting room, and shifted back and forth in front of the mirror taking it all in. “Well, what do you think?”
“It’s like it was made for you,” Nora responded.
“She’s right; it’s perfect,” Charlie said. “It fits well in all the right places, and I love the boning on both the front and back. The color is nice; it’s a beautiful shade of Camel. The shoes work well with it too; a great selection Nora.”