by Amy Polino
When I fell asleep I was hugging the pillow that she’d rested her head on. There was a faint trace of her perfume on it, and I pretended that it was her, still in my arms.
Soon, I knew, it would be.
Chapter 10
The next morning when I woke up, I felt kind of headachy and more than a little bit concerned about what had taken place the night before. I knew very well that Susan had been half drunk, and it made me wonder how much of an influence that had had on her behavior. I hoped it had been very little; I loved the idea of us being intimate.
I took a shower and got dressed for work before entering the kitchen. There I found my father just finishing his daily bowl of oatmeal, and Susan standing at the stove. She was cooking eggs, something she normally did only on Sundays. My father mumbled good morning to me, and I repeated it to him. When Susan heard me there she turned with a smile, looking adorable in her little blue nighty, her hair still messy from sleep. I wanted to go to her and hug her so badly, but I knew I couldn’t.
“Good morning, birthday girl,” she said happily.
I smiled. “I hate to tell you this, but my birthday is over for another year.”
“That may be true. But I made you a little birthday breakfast anyway.” She’d made me pancakes the day before, and now eggs. I’d have to be careful or I’d end up putting on weight.
“Are you trying to fatten me up?”
She giggled. “It’s just a couple of scrambled eggs and some rye toast. I know you like it on Sundays, but I figured you deserve an extra little treat. Call it your post-birthday breakfast.”
“Thank you, Susan. It smells wonderful.” I walked to the counter and poured myself a cup of coffee. I was standing very near her, and we glanced at each other with a knowing smile as my father scraped the last bits of oatmeal from his bowl with a noisy clatter. I was so tempted to touch her, and was quite certain she felt the same way.
“You just sit down. I’ll bring it over to you.”
“Okay.”
As I pulled out a chair, my father stood up. “Eggs and toast,” he said. “Good hangover food.”
“I don’t have a hangover. I only had a little wine.”
He grunted, pushing his chair in. Then he carried his bowl and spoon to the sink and set them inside. “Are you two done with the bathroom for the next few minutes?”
We both acknowledged that we were, and he grabbed his coffee cup and left the room.
“What a nice fellow,” I muttered.
Susan giggled and finished scraping my eggs onto a plate. As soon as she set the pan down she spun around and came to me, her arms opening in anticipation of a hug.
I still hadn’t sat down. I moved toward, my heart pounding, and wrapped her up in my arms. We embraced tightly and held each other there, the sunlight streaming through the window and painting a warm rectangle over our legs. It felt so good to have her back in my arms that I actually got goosebumps. She squeezed me and rocked back and forth, making me so happy I wanted to cry.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
It was almost too much for me. I buried my face in her soft blonde hair and inhaled deeply, my hands roaming over her back. “I missed you too, Susan.”
“I wasn’t sure... how you would feel about me this morning.”
“I was wondering the same thing. About you.”
She straightened up, loosening our embrace. She looked me in the eyes, smiling, and I swear I never saw anyone look so beautiful. She was perfect, and I wanted so much for her to be mine. “I feel the same, Amy. Everything I said last night... I meant every word. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
I nodded, my whole body lit up from within. She had my heart and I loved her, so much. “I don’t even try to stop thinking about you anymore. There’s no way to do it.”
Her smiled widened and she pressed her nose to mine. “You’re so fucking sweet I can’t stand it.”
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. “Is that bad?”
“No, baby. It’s wonderful.” Then her mouth was on mine and we became engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. If possible, it was even sweeter and more exciting than the ones we’d shared the night before. Holding her there in the kitchen, her tongue exploring the inside of my mouth, and mine hers, our hands caressing each other’s bodies; it was enough to send my arousal soaring to new heights. I had to be careful or she’d take me right over the edge again.
“Susan...” She sucked my tongue into her mouth and crushed me against her, making me literally dizzy with lust. I moaned and leaned into her, our bodies molded together from knee to mouth.
“I want you so much,” she whispered.
“I want you too.”
She kissed me all over my face, making me smile. “It’s not fair,” she said.
“What’s not?”
“I should have married you instead.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry at that. Instead I did neither and hugged her to me, loving the feel of our hearts beating so fiercely and so close. “I love you, Susan.”
She held me, rocking me back and forth again. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
The words pierced my heart. Did I hear her right? I straightened up, looking her in the face, and just as I did the bathroom door crashed open and my father was marching down the hall.
We broke apart quickly. I sat down in my chair, grabbing my coffee and taking a small sip. Susan stepped back to the stove and found the butter knife, beginning to butter a slice of toast just as my father walked into the room. He glanced at us as he crossed to the sink and set his empty cup inside.
“Bathroom’s free,” he announced. The availability of the bathroom was always a big issue with him in the mornings since Susan had moved in.
“Alright,” Susan replied. “Thank you.” She stepped over to the table and set my plate down in front of me. “Enjoy your breakfast, Amy.”
I smiled up at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She brushed her hands together. “Well, I guess I’d better take a shower.”
My father nodded. “We got any more of that birthday cake?”
“Sure,” she said. “There’s still half a cake in the refrigerator.”
“Good. Any chance of me getting another piece of that tonight?”
She shrugged. “It’s Amy’s cake.”
“It’s fine with me,” I said. I picked up a piece of toast and took a bite.
“Okay. Good.” He stood there looking back and forth between us for a moment and then left the room again, most likely to check his email and the pre-market stock report.
I had to leave before either of them. I picked up my coffee and took another sip as Susan stepped up right beside me. She leaned over, kissing my ear. “Have a nice day at work,” she whispered. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I turned my head and quickly kissed her on the mouth. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 11
That day at lunchtime, I downloaded a Kindle book onto my new phone and spent twenty minutes or so reading. I loved the phone and I especially loved the photo of Susan hovering in the background, reminding me of the night before when she’d been wearing her black dress. I had a little bit of trouble concentrating on the book I was reading and kept switching back to the main screen so that I could look at the picture again. In the photo, her lips looked so full and sensuous, and they were parted just ever so slightly with a happy little smile. I stared at them, remembering how soft and sweet they were. God, I couldn’t wait to get home and see her again!
After lunch I returned to my spot behind the register, relieving my boss. She chatted with me for a few minutes and then stepped away, going off to cut some fabric for a few special orders. As soon as she walked away I heard a peculiar little chirp and spent a moment or two trying to figure out what it was. I was about to give up and forget about it when I realized that it might have been my phone.
I reach
ed into my front pocket and pulled it out. When I activated the screen, I saw that there was a new icon there which was apparently informing me that I had a text message. I pressed the icon and it opened up a message center. There was only one person who even knew I had a new phone and was capable of sending me text messages. My face broke into a smile when I saw Susan’s name there, and I eagerly read what she had written:
Hi Amy! Hope u r having a nice day at work!
Want anything special 4 dinner?
Miss u and can’t wait to c u!
My heart rate seemed to double as I read the message. I felt like I had a girlfriend again. I did have a girlfriend again. Didn’t I? I quickly hit the respond button and typed her back:
So nice 2 hear from u!
Anything u make is perfect.
I miss u 2, and will c u soon!
I hit the send button, and off it went. I suddenly felt happy. It was a very unusual feeling, but I liked it and knew I could get used it to.
* * *
The rest of the workday went quickly. My mind was filled with all kinds of fun little fantasies involving Susan, and I knew that at least some of them had a very real chance of becoming reality. I hadn’t felt so good since the summer I’d spent with Dianne two years earlier.
When I got home from work, I was delighted to see that Susan’s was the only car in the driveway. My father would undoubtedly be home within twenty minutes, as usual, but at least that gave me time to greet her properly. I parked behind her car, leaving the left side of the driveway for my father and climbed out quickly. I practically ran to the steps and up through the door, my heart pounding and an expectant smile on my face.
As soon as I got inside, the delicious smells of chicken parmesan filled my nostrils. She was at it again; my sweet little Susan could cook anything, and do it perfectly every time. I walked hurriedly into the kitchen and saw here there, her back turned to me as she stood at the sink scrubbing a frying pan.
I thought about walking up to her and slipping my arms around her, but I didn’t want to scare her. I loved her too much for that. Instead, I leaned against the refrigerator and said softly, “Honey? I’m home.”
She turned with a grin, easing the pan into the sink and rinsing off her hands. She dried them quickly on a dish rag and then immediately came to me, wrapping her arms around me. I felt every molecule in my body sing with happiness as we embraced. She was still dressed from work, and I slipped my hand under her shirt so that I could feel her soft skin against my hand.
“Oh, Amy,” she moaned. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
“So have I.”
“I’m starting to get a little worried,” she whispered.
“About what?”
“About how much I think about you. And how I feel about you. I’ve never even considered being with a woman before, and all of a sudden...”
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I loosened my hold on her and looked her in the eyes. “You mean... you don’t want to...?”
“No!” She kissed me hard on the mouth. “I do want to! That’s just it!” She smiled, sensing my apprehension. “Don’t worry, honey, it’s not a bad thing. I’m just trying to explain to you how much you mean to me. I mean, I’m honestly falling in love with you.”
The words were like salve. I felt elated and promptly gave her a soft kiss. “Oh, Susan. I love you so much.” Then I squeezed her to me, holding her as tightly as I could.
“I never thought I’d feel this way about someone again,” she whispered. “You’re so sweet, and so gentle, and so loving. You’re exactly what I’ve always dreamed of.”
Every word she said made me feel better and better. “Really?”
She giggled. “Well, except for the being a woman part. I always pictured a man for some reason.”
“Does it bother you? That I’m a woman?”
She squeezed me tighter and kissed my neck. “Of course not, Amy. I think part of what I’m starting to understand is that... that’s what I like.”
“I’m so glad.”
We held each other for several minutes, and then Susan shifted in my arms and nuzzled her face against mine. “God, Amy, I wish I could take you to bed right now.”
The desire I felt surged through me; I wanted the exact same thing. “Maybe... later tonight...”
“Maybe.” She grinned at me and then found my mouth with hers. We kissed deeply, lovingly, and I sensed that everything was different now. Susan was mine, and I wasn’t giving her back.
When our kiss ended, she smiled at me and playfully bit my nose. “I really want you.”
I could feel myself growing wet. “I want you, too.”
“Maybe we could get a motel or something. I want to experience you without having to worry about any... interruptions.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
“Would you like to spend a whole night in bed with me?”
My heart was hammering in my chest. “Of course I would. I’d like to spend the rest of my life in bed with you.”
She giggled, making me want to take her right there. If I felt any more love or lust toward her, I was going to explode. She pressed her pelvis against mine and swiped her tongue over my lips. “Do you think we have time to hop into your bed before he gets home?”
I was breathing very fast. I couldn’t seem to formulate an answer.
“Maybe we shouldn’t risk it,” she said.
“Maybe we should.”
She kissed me again, rubbing herself against me, and we both heard the sound of my father’s car pulling up in the driveway. “Son of a bitch,” she muttered. The look of disappointment in her eyes mirrored my own. It made me realize that she couldn’t possibly love my father anymore, if she ever did in the first place. Their marriage had been a complete mistake, but of course it had benefited me. It had benefited Susan, too, just not in the way she’d expected.
I kissed her again and took her hand. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll get together later on, when he’s burrowed into his briefcase.”
She laughed and kissed my forehead. “Okay, sweetie. Maybe you can invite me into your room again.”
“You’re always invited.” I raised her hand to my mouth and kissed it. Then we hugged again, briefly, and kissed one last time before I stepped away and headed for the bathroom to wash up.
* * *
The chicken parmesan was terrific, the best I’d ever had. Susan also made thin spaghetti and a big tossed salad with Italian dressing and croutons. We sat around the small kitchen table, too busy eating to talk much. Susan and my father didn’t seem to talk at length very often any longer, and he and I never had; he had that effect on everyone, I suppose. Me and Susan, on the other hand, had plenty to discuss, but it would have been insane to do so in front of my dad.
He always sat in the same seat while at the table, whereas Susan and I moved around, sitting wherever we felt like it. On this night she was sitting beside him and I was directly across from her. I picked that chair on purpose so I could watch her as she ate. I had a lot of fantasies, and in this one we were out at a fancy restaurant on a date; I pretended my father wasn’t there, which was relatively easy to do.
As I was stuffing a piece of chicken into my mouth and savoring the tangy, homemade sauce, I felt something brush against my leg under the table. It spooked me at first, but then I realized it had to be Susan. I looked at her and she was smiling mischievously at me as what I assumed must be her foot slid up along my leg a bit further, finding its way into my lap.
I looked down, grinning, and saw her blue toenails peeking up at me from between my legs. I reached down with one hand and began playing with her toes and rubbing the bottom of her foot in a gentle massage. I smiled at her and she winked and blew me a kiss.
“Chicken’s really good,” my father muttered. He put another piece into his mouth and chewed it up.
“Thank you,” Susan said.
She also ate another piece of chicken and then dug her toes into my crotch, causing me to gasp and almost drop my fork.
“You okay?” my father asked.
I nodded, my arousal skyrocketing as Susan continued to press her foot against me. “It’s just so good,” I moaned. “I love it.”
Susan giggled and kept it up. If she was trying to make me come, she was doing a very good job. I grabbed her foot and tried to hold it steady as her toes wiggled around, touching me through the thin fabric of my jeans. “Have some more,” she suggested.
I was breathing very heavy. “Maybe I will.”
She laughed, unable to contain herself.
“What’s so funny?” my father asked. He didn’t seem suspicious so much as confused.
“Nothing,” Susan answered. “I’m sorry.”
He grunted and continued to eat. Between my legs, Susan’s foot slipped away and was quickly replaced by her other one. She poked it against me, rubbing me through my pants which were probably now sporting a wet spot. I decided to do her one better and unbuttoned them. I slid down the zipper and tugged my panties to one side, adjusting her foot so that her toes were rubbing against my sex.
She grinned at me, sensing the change. She nudged me, almost expertly, touching me in all the right spots. As she danced her toes along my sensitive folds, I felt an orgasm gathering deep within me. I swirled some spaghetti around my fork and stuffed it into my mouth to silence my moans, at the same time sliding forward in my chair to increase the pressure on my swollen nub.
“How’s the pasta?” she inquired.”
I grabbed her foot and held it against me as the dam broke. Ecstasy raged through me, almost taking my breath away as I quivered in my chair. My father glanced up at me, the look on his face one of real concern. He must have thought I was having some sort of medical emergency. I shuddered, holding firmly to Susan’s foot as the tremors finished working their way through my body.