by Claire Adams
“Hey, you.” Her voice was like honey. “Sorry I missed your call.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
“What’s up?”
“Uh…nothing,” I said lamely.
“Nothing?” she repeated, and she sounded amused.
“I guess I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“You sound a little down?” she said gently.
“Not down,” I clarified. “Just…contemplative, I suppose.”
“Would you like some company?”
I smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I felt her smile. “See you in a few minutes.”
“Megan?” I said quickly, before she could hang up.
“Yes?”
“Maybe you could bring a few clothes over… In case you wanted to stay a few days or something?”
“I’ll do that,” she said readily. “See you soon.”
The line went dead, and I felt a little spark as my melancholy mood lifted. I moved around the apartment, thinking about my life up until this moment. I thought back through all my past relationships and realized that I had never had this feeling before. I had never waited longingly to see any one of my ex-girlfriends. I had never missed them when I didn’t see them for any length of time. And when each of those relationships had ended, I hadn’t felt a loss in my life.
Something told me that if Megan disappeared tomorrow, I would not only feel it, but I would be devastated. It wasn’t just her body that had me spellbound, it was her mind, her conversation, her smile and above all else, her laugh. She made me happy. She made me feel like it was possible for me to have a happy ending. And for a guy like me, that wasn’t just huge—it was transformative.
Megan
“Where are you going?” Brent asked rudely, as I put on my jacket.
“Out,” I replied, a little annoyed with his tone.
“Out where?” he insisted childishly.
“Just out, okay?” I snapped.
“Geez, what’s got your panties in a bunch?” he asked. “You on your period or something?”
“Honestly… I don’t know how you managed to make friends with someone like—”
I stopped short, not wanting to bring up Phil’s name. I had noticed how touchy Brent was with him over the course of the last few days, and I didn’t want to aggravate the problem. The moment I stopped talking, Brent narrowed his eyes at me.
“Oh, Saint Phil, huh?” he said. “Is that who you’re off to see?”
“None of your business,” I said, wishing I had come back at him with a better response.
“A little late-night booty-call, huh?”
I could sense from his tone that he wanted to pick a fight, and I refused to rise to the bait. He had been irritable and on edge lately and I couldn’t believe that the whole reason had to do with Phil. There was something else going on, but Brent was not in the habit of sharing with me. Every time I tried to ask him if he was okay, he made some crude remark that made me regret asking in the first place.
“Bye, Brent,” I said, rolling my eyes at him.
“That’s a lot of stuff you’re taking with you for one night.”
“I might stay with Phil a few days,” I said, heading towards the door.
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” I said, turning towards my brother. “Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
“What do you see in him?” Brent asked, as though he genuinely didn’t know.
“What do I see in him?” I repeated. “You mean other than the fact that he’s kind, polite, brave, and a complete and total gentleman?”
“Ugh…sounds fucking boring.”
“He’s a grown up, Brent,” I said. “Maybe you should try growing up one day, too.”
“I’m not a nobody, you know,” he said suddenly.
“What?”
“You heard me,” he said with venom in his tone. “You think I’m a little man, a nobody, but I’m not.”
I glanced at him for only a moment before turning away. “Goodnight, Brent,” was all I said as I left the apartment.
I was so preoccupied with Brent’s little outburst and his almost cryptic sentence as I had left that I almost forgot to pick up the cheesesteaks from this little pub restaurant that Phil loved. By the time I got to his apartment, I’d almost managed to shake off the conversation with my brother.
“Hi,” Phil answered the door before I could even knock.
“Hi,” I said, in surprise. “How’d you know I was at your door?”
“I saw you walk up to the building.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You’ve been waiting for me.”
He smiled, grabbed me around the waist, and pulled me into the apartment and into the circle of his arms. “Always.” He nodded.
He leaned down and kissed me passionately. I could feel his desire against my thigh. I pulled away just enough so that I could talk, but Phil seemed to have only one thing in mind. He continued to kiss my neck as I tried to speak without getting distracted.
“I…uh… I brought food,” I managed, feeling thrills of pleasure racing up and down my spine because of the way Phil’s tongue felt against the curve of my neck.
“Did you?” he replied, but it sounded like he wasn’t even paying attention.
“Cheesesteaks,” I said, breaking away from him and walking to the kitchen to set them down. “Your favorite.”
“No kidding,” he said, following me into the kitchen. “I made mac and cheese.”
“Sounds like a feast, then.” I smiled.
“The thing is… I have a different feast in mind,” he said as he grabbed me again.
My body slammed into his, and this time I didn’t resist. I let his hands run all over my body and I felt myself moisten instantly.
“The steaks will get cold,” I pointed out.
“I like my meals cold,” he replied, pulling me towards his bedroom.
My protests were weak, but the way that Phil had greeted me had completely erased my hunger. Or at least replaced it with a completely different kind of hunger. All I wanted just then was his body on mine. With his hands on my ass and his tongue in my mouth, we fell backwards onto his bed.
He ripped open my blouse, and I felt a button pop off. I was completely past caring, however, as he threw my dress to the floor and kissed my naked belly. I ran my hands through his hair as he went lower, teasing my panties off with only his teeth. I felt a moan of expectation overwhelm me, and then a second later, I felt his tongue against the hot wetness between my legs.
With my hands twisted back, I clung to the headboard and my back arched as his tongue slipped in between my lips. He made me feel things I never thought it was possible to feel, and suddenly, the world opened up and I was aware of so much more than my limited sight had allowed. It was like he was introducing me to myself. I was more than just a girl who loved old movies and indie rock bands. I was a sexual being, my body an instrument of pleasure, and it seemed Phil knew exactly how to play it.
My body shook as I came, and I felt the shivers run through my body in quick succession. Phil’s hand on my breast served to anchor me in place. As my body recovered from the violent orgasm, he squeezed my nipple lightly, and I let out a little gasp. A second later, he lay down beside me so that we were shoulder-to-shoulder, staring up at the ceiling.
He turned to me and kissed me softly on the cheek. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“Satiated,” I replied, with a deep sigh that revealed more than I had shared.
He smiled triumphantly and kissed me again.
“Is sex always like this?” I asked, once my breathing had slowed.
“It can be,” he replied. “With the right person. But it’s not common.”
“So this is kind of…kismet?”
He smiled. “I like to think so.”
“Has it been like this with any of the other girls you’ve slept with?”
I saw Phil’s expression change for a m
oment, and I wondered if he considered that an inappropriate question for me to ask.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said. “I just didn’t think you’d want to know about sex with my ex-girlfriends.”
“I’m not naïve,” I said. “I was a virgin, but I realize you’re not. So why ignore that fact?”
He smiled. “You are pretty spectacular, you know that?”
I gave him a wink and a sly grin. “Are you trying to avoid the question?”
Phil laughed. “I’ve had good sex before,” he admitted. “But it’s never been like this… And no, I’m not just saying that.”
“What’s the difference, though?” I asked. “What’s the difference between good sex and…this sex?”
“The difference is you,” Phil said, turning to me and cupping my face with his hands. “The difference is your smile and your voice and your eyes. The difference is knowing that our connection is based on more than just the physical.”
“That’s a pretty good answer.”
“It’s the truth,” he replied.
I propped myself up on my elbow and looked down at Phil as I traced patterns on his naked chest. I couldn’t help admiring the hard wall of muscle that adorned his torso. He truly was a magnificent specimen of man.
“So I’m thinking… I want to try something,” I said shyly.
“I’m very curious,” Phil said, with interest. “Especially because you’re blushing.”
I buried my face in his chest. “Oh, man.”
Phil laughed and forced me to look at him. “Come on, tell me.”
“Umm…”
“Wow, another blush?”
“Stop it,” I laughed, trying to wriggle away from me.
“You can tell me anything,” he said, holding me in place so that I had no choice but to look at him. “Don’t be shy.”
“Well, you know what you just did for me?” I started off slowly.
“Yes?”
“I’d like to do the same for you,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows. “You want to give me head?”
“Yes.” I nodded, feeling myself moisten again at the thought of sucking his cock.
“You don’t have to do that, Megan,” Phil said. “I mean, I don’t expect it from you.”
“I know that,” I said. “I know you don’t expect that from me. I want to do it. I want to taste you.”
As I spoke, I pushed myself onto my knees and then I sidled down lower so that I was kneeling naked between Phil’s legs. I saw a little life pop into his penis, and I saw him harden slightly as I lowered my face down to his cock.
I wrapped my hand around his dick and started rubbing slowly, in gentle, comforting motions. I saw Phil’s eyes close slightly as I increased the tempo. When I felt the time was right, I lowered my head down and took his whole cock into my mouth.
“Fuck!” I heard Phil gasp, as though taken by surprise.
I wondered if I should have eased into it first before taking his whole dick into my mouth. I could barely manage. He wasn’t just blessed with length, he was blessed with girth, too, and fitting the length of him in my mouth was a challenge. I started sucking on him like he was a lollipop, and as the seconds ticked by, I grew more comfortable. I started moving faster, enjoying the taste of him and feeling moisture trickle down my thighs.
Phil seemed to lose control at one point, and then suddenly, he sat up, forcing me to release him. He grabbed me suddenly and threw me down onto the bed in a fit of passion before pushing into me so hard that it might have hurt had I not been soaking wet at that point.
Then he fucked me vigorously. He fucked me so hard that the bed started groaning in complaint as it smacked up against the wall it was pushed against.
Our moans provided the background music to our simultaneous orgasms and Phil and I collapsed against one another in a frenzy that was made up of limbs and sweat and cum. Once we had calmed down, he walked me to his bathroom, and we had a hot bath together. He held me the whole time, soaping me up and washing me down tenderly and patiently. Once I had returned the favor, we dried ourselves off and donned comfortable clothes. Phil opted for soft boxers and I wore one of his older shirts.
We cocooned ourselves in his bed with both the cheesesteaks and the mac and cheese he had made. We ate off one another’s plates and exchanged our favorite scenes from our top-ten most-watched movies. I sat next to him, staring at Phil from time to time, wishing that I could freeze this moment forever, right where we were so that we would never have to leave his room.
Nothing had gone terribly wrong in my life and I was grateful for that, but nothing had gone terribly right, either. But now, after having met Phil, it seemed my luck was changing. And now something was going right—and I was terrified that I would lose it. More importantly, I was terrified that Phil would wake up one day and realize he was too good for me.
So I clung to the present, trying to commit every detail to memory, just in case time moved forward and we left the safe haven of this moment behind.
Phil
“Brent?” My tone was cautious—and with good reason.
Things had been strained between Brent and me for the last couple of weeks. It was more awkward because of the fact that nothing major had happened. It’s not like we’d had a disagreement or anything. We bickered lightly, but it was all just teasing and joking, so I had no real explanation for the strange new strain that had crept in between us recently.
I wondered if Brent was just pretending to be okay with the fact that I was dating his sister. But I couldn’t understand the reason he would pretend at all. I had known him for a few years now, and I figured if he had a problem with anything, he was the kind of guy who’d just come right out and say it. There must have been another reason he was so sarcastic and snappy with me, but I was determined to do my best to keep our friendship, particularly because I was starting to see a real future between Megan and me.
I thought back to the day I had returned Brent’s coat and found pot in the jacket pocket. Did that have something to do with it? I knew Brent smoked up regularly, I had been with him a couple of times when he was high, but I thought it was merely recreational use. And, I also knew he smoked up maybe a couple of times a month. Lately, however, I actually thought he had cut down. Maybe that was the reason he was so moody with me…withdrawal symptoms or something like that.
“Yo,” he said, in his old tone.
“Yo,” I said, back.
“What are you doing now?” he asked.
“Uh… I was—”
“Don’t say you were going to meet my sister.”
I paused. “We don’t actually have plans, but—”
“Good,” he said, cutting me off. “Then you’re free?”
I suppressed a sigh and decided to throw the guy a bone. I figured spending some time with him might also help me figure out what his deal was. I knew he had quit his job months ago. He had mentioned starting up something on his own, but my life had been a little too hectic, and I had neglected to ask him any more questions about his business venture, as he liked to put it.
“Sure,” I replied.
“Excellent.”
“What do you have in mind?” I asked. “And please…no strip clubs.”
“Are you sure?” Brent asked. “There’s this club I know that serves a mean breakfast buffet.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope, good food and great entertainment all in one place.”
I shook my head. “How about we go down to the courts and shoot some hoops?” I suggested.
“Okay, I’m game,” he agreed willingly.
“I’ll meet you down at the court in twenty minutes?”
“Sure thing,” he agreed.
I went back into my room and changed into sweats and a hoodie. It had been a while since we’d played basketball, and I decided this meeting was necessary. I knew that Megan’s relationship with her parents wasn’t the easiest one and Brent was t
he only sibling she had, so I wanted to make the effort with her family. I would have done as much even if I hadn’t known Brent at all. In fact, it might have been easier had I not known him beforehand.
On my way out, I grabbed my phone and started texting Megan my plans for the day. “Hi, beautiful,” I wrote. “So I wanted to surprise you and show up at your doorstep with a muffin and the offer to drive you to work, but your brother called and asked to hang. Hopefully I’ll see you tonight, though?”
I had just gotten into my car when I heard a message alert. I grabbed my phone to read’s Megan’s answering message.
“You are too sweet…but I think it’s a great idea to hang out with Brent today. He’s been a bit mopey lately and I’ve been worried about him. Maybe he just needs some guy bonding or whatever…and maybe…I don’t know, you could advise him a little? He says he has this business he’s trying to start up, but he’s so shady about it, and I still don’t know what he’s really trying to do. So maybe you could ask about it? Only if you think the timing is right. Hopefully I’ll see you after I get back from work. Other than that, have a great day!”
I was about to wish her a good day back, but something stopped me. Something about that seemed too formal for our current relationship status. I realized that there was something else I wanted to say to her and the urge was banging me over the head. I didn’t analyze the desire too hard. Instead, I pulled I wrote back quickly and sent the message before I lost my nerve.
“You, too,” I replied. “I love you.”
I stared at my message and I watched the two little ticks next to my message turn blue as Megan undoubtedly read it. I waited for a moment, with baited breath, wondering if she would reply back immediately or send back an emoji in order to avoid answering back at all.
I started to panic suddenly. What if this was too soon? What if she didn’t actually feel the same way about me? What if… My doubts were endless, and I was starting to feel like an idiot for sending her that message.
At that moment, my phone rang, and I knew instinctively it was Megan without even looking down at my screen. I almost dropped my phone in an attempt to answer it.