by A. K. Evans
“Getting close to completion on the first round. Expecting sometime late January on those.”
“I’m ready when they are ready.”
I nodded to him.
Stone asked, “We’re meeting four o’clock at the resort, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there already so just meet me at the pipe.”
“Why are you going early?”
“I’m giving riding lessons to someone,” I answered, a smile tugging at my lips just thinking of Charley.
“Does this have anything to do with Blondie that Zane told us about?” Luke asked.
“Zane’s got a big mouth apparently. Her name is Charley. And yes, I’m giving her lessons.”
They both grinned at me.
“We were curious why you had so much interest in riding again. He figured she had something to do with it.”
I didn’t answer.
“Alright, man. Good luck with your lessons. Catch you at four o’clock.”
I did a chin lift and they both walked out. I got back to work for the next few hours, left for lunch, and made my way to Parks Ridge. When I got there Charley was just pulling in to her spot. I drove up and pulled in next to her. I looked over at her and she smiled. Fuck, she was beautiful.
I got out of the truck, walked around the back of hers, and met her at her door. I opened her door and she hopped out.
“Hi, gorgeous,” I said, and then kissed her on her forehead.
“Hi, Wes,” she replied and then the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen spread across her face.
“What’s got you in such a happy mood?”
“I get to see you ride pipe today! I can’t wait,” she answered.
Fuck. That felt good. Really fucking good. There was a time when I hoped to find someone who would tolerate the hours that I’d put into work and understand that I might occasionally want to get out and ride, but Charley was not only interested in learning to ride, she was also excited to see me do what I loved.
I smiled at her and we walked to the back of the cars to get our gear. After we made our way into the lodge and up to the mountain we got on the lift. We decided to do a bit of trail riding so that Charley could ride before she watched me. We went down a couple of trails and I was so impressed at how much she had improved since the first lesson. She really didn’t need much instruction throughout the entire time we rode.
With a little time left before her shift started we walked over to the pipe. I showed her to the best place to watch from and then made my way to the spot from where I'd drop in to the pipe.
I finished my run and made my way over to Charley.
“Holy crap!! That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. You are so good!”
I couldn’t help but smile at her. She was so excited and I hadn’t even done anything too crazy since I hadn’t really trained in quite some time and only recently started riding again. Of course, it was a bit like riding a bike, but I didn’t want to risk it and try to be a hero. Clearly, Charley thought what I did was more than impressive. And again, it felt so fucking good that she was so fired up by it.
“Thanks, baby,” I said and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips. “Ready to head into work?”
“No! I really want to see you do that again. Promise me you’ll do it for me another day?”
“Charley, I’ve told you before that anything that makes you smile like that is worth doing again.”
She beamed a bright, beautiful smile up at me. Yep, definitely going to do that again for her.
We walked back toward the lodge so Charley could get to work. Since she only had a few minutes left before her shift started I told her I’d take the gear and put it in my truck and give it to her tonight when I walked her to her Jeep. I let her know I’d be on the mountain testing out some boards tonight and that I’d see her when her shift was over. We kissed, she got to work, and I went out to the pipe to meet the guys.
A couple hours later, Stone, Luke and I had finished testing the boards. As I had expected he would, Luke managed to break one. Thankfully, it was only one board and I had a feeling that if one would fail, that would be the one. We knew what the issue was so it was a simple enough change that needed to be made. Otherwise, it went well and we had a blast. I knew, after riding for the first time in months with Zane about a week ago, that I missed riding. After going out with Stone and Luke tonight and having spent so much time with Charley teaching her how to ride I knew that I needed to continue to make riding a priority.
The guys left and I made my way into the lodge right as Charley had finished up. When she got to work Hannah was there, but Charley closed alone tonight.
“Hot chocolate with whipped cream?” she asked as she held out a cup.
I smiled at her and took the cup. “Thanks. You ready?”
“Yep.”
We walked out to the parking lot.
“What are you up to tonight?” I asked.
“Quiet night at home with Emme. Girl time.”
Damn. “Ok, then. Tomorrow night?”
She bit her lip. Fuck.
“I’m sorry. Emme and I have had plans for a couple weeks now for tomorrow night,” she said and then continued, “But I might be able to forego laundry on Sunday…”
“Sunday morning. Breakfast. I’ll be at your place at nine. That work?”
“That works, Wes.”
We made it to the cars. I put my hot chocolate in the truck and I pulled Charley’s gear out of the back. I put it in the back of her Jeep while she leaned in over the driver’s seat, stuck the key in the ignition, and turned it on. She turned around as I walked up to her door.
I put my hands to either side of her face and leaned in to kiss her gorgeous, plump lips. She tasted like hot cocoa. I worked my tongue into her mouth and she sucked on it. I groaned. She moaned. I stepped toward her and pressed her up against the Jeep. Despite all the layers of clothing I knew she could feel my arousal pressing in to her belly. I wanted her to know just how hard she made me.
She broke the kiss and whispered out of breath, “Wes.”
I looked down at her while she looked up at me with her big, blue eyes. I really wanted to just pick her up and take her home with me. “Sunday is a long fucking time away.”
She bit her lip…again. “I’m sorry.”
“This mouth, gorgeous. Next time I have you in my bed I want this pretty mouth wrapped around my cock.”
Her eyes grew wide and she licked her lips.
Fuck me.
I kissed her again, picked her up, and put her in her Jeep. “Sunday morning. Goodnight, Charley.”
“Goodnight, Wes.”
I watched her drive away. Then, I got in my truck, drove home, got in the shower, wrapped my hand around my dick and stroked while I imagined Charley’s mouth wrapped around me.
Chapter 10
Charley
“Well? How was it?” Emme asked.
I was sitting on the end of the couch in the living room while Emme sat at the other end. I had just gotten back from work, showered, and was now consuming a glass of wine along with my dinner. Emme was an excellent cook and had made chicken fried rice.
“Wes didn’t take me out for dinner last night,” I told her.
Her eyebrows drew together and she said, “What? What happened? You weren’t home when I got back last night so I assumed you were still out with Wes. I heard you come in not long after I had gotten home. I was already wiped out otherwise I would have tried to get the details as soon as you walked in.”
“I was with Wes, but he didn’t take me out. He took me to his house.”
Emme’s eyebrows went from scrunched together to raised. “Oh my.”
“Yep. He cooked. And for the record, he’s good at that. We had nice conversation. I had moments where I would change topics because I knew the conversation would go somewhere I didn’t want it to go. Then, after dinner we had sex. And for the record, he’s really good at that. I dozed off for
a bit, woke up to him wanting to eat dessert in the form of me. And for the record, he’s really, really good at that. Then, we had sex again.”
Emme sat there staring at me with her mouth open. I continued talking.
“I haven’t had sex in nearly two years and then in one night in a matter of a couple hours I have three orgasms. How is that even possible?”
“Maybe because he’s apparently really good at giving them? Wow, Charley. How are you feeling about all this?”
“Honestly, I’m freaked. You know, Em. For more than a year before everything happened I hadn’t really been in any sort of relationship, serious or otherwise. It wasn’t for lack of trying. I just wasn’t meeting anyone worthwhile. Then, nine months ago life changed and I had no desire to form any relationships. We come here to have a fresh start. I had absolutely no intentions of getting close with anyone, but then I meet Wes. I can’t explain it, Em. It just feels right with him…comfortable. Most of all, he encourages me. And that? That’s what makes me so scared. For example, I told him I had wanted to learn how to snowboard and he goes and decides to give me lessons. I have had an awesome time learning over the last week and then yesterday I rode down my first real trail without falling. Had he not encouraged me and pushed me to do this, I honestly never would have done it.”
“He’s helping you live life again, sweets. Let him. Enjoy it and try not to think too much about it.”
“That’s the problem. I really like him, Emme. I’ve only known him a week and I already realize how much it would hurt if he wasn’t around. The butterflies I feel in my belly every time I know I’m going to see him are crazy. And then, when I’m with him I mostly forget about all my reasons that would stop me from pursuing this. It’s when I’m not with him or when he says something that makes me think of those reasons that I realize how bad it will be if I get in deep and this ends.”
“Charley, you can’t do this to yourself. He’s making you happy right now. You’re going to be twenty-five tomorrow. You have your entire life ahead of you and you can’t spend the rest of it not living because you are thinking about the possibility of something bad happening,” Emme said.
I sat there, sipped some of my wine, and thought about it. Then, I realized I wished I could tell her to take her own advice. Unfortunately, I knew it wouldn’t be nearly as easy for her. I just hoped that one day she’d get her piece of happiness.
Emme snapped me out of my thoughts. “So, three orgasms in one night, huh?”
“Emme, I’m telling you — he’s really good at everything I’ve seen him do. But orgasms, he’s really fucking good at giving those. And tonight, when he walked me to my car after work he told me what would happen the next time he had me in his bed. Ugh…I’m in so much trouble.”
She giggled and then topped off our wine glasses.
“So, when are you seeing him again?” she asked.
“I told him that you and I already had plans tomorrow so he said he’d be here Sunday morning for breakfast at nine o’clock. I think I want you to meet him, Em.”
“Whatever you need, sweets. It’s your birthday weekend!”
Emme and I spent the rest of the night chatting, watching a movie, and drinking wine. Afterwards, we went to bed and I fell asleep with a smile on my face thinking that I liked the idea of enjoying my happiness while I had it. I just hoped that it wouldn’t be ripped away.
*****
The doorbell rang.
I reached over to my phone on the nightstand and looked at the time. It was six thirty in the morning. On a Saturday. When I hadn’t schedule myself to work. What. The. Fuck.
Then I heard Emme scream and I bolted up out of bed and ran down the hall. When I reached the front door I, too, screamed.
Standing in front of us were Nikki and Monroe.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked.
“From the time we were in elementary school we have celebrated every single birthday together. Just because you and Emme moved a thousand miles away doesn’t mean that changes,” Monroe explained.
My eyes filled with tears and I did not even try to stop them from falling. These three women were my life.
“I can’t believe you girls came all the way out here,” I said.
“Well you bitches better believe it because here we are,” Nikki answered.
Emme and I laughed and then let them in. We caught up over eggs, avocado toast, fruit, and mimosas. Nikki and Monroe filled us in on all the latest news and happenings in Ventura while Emme and I brought them up to speed on our lives in Rising Sun. I left out Wes. I was not ready for that conversation with them. Emme knew and I already had too many conflicting thoughts about it. I needed to see where it was headed before I told Nikki and Monroe.
“So, what are the big birthday plans for this evening?” Nikki asked.
“Charley and I thought we’d keep it low key. Go out for dinner and drinks then head back here for a quiet night with some movies or something,” Emme answered.
Nikki and Monroe looked at each other then to Emme and me.
“No way. It’s your twenty-fifth birthday, Charley. You need to get out and do something fun. Other than last weekend when you went out for dinner and drinks, when was the last time since you’ve moved out here that you two had any real fun?” This came from Monroe and I knew where this conversation was headed. It did not matter what I said, they weren’t going to let me off the hook.
Taking our silence as an answer, Nikki said, “Exactly. You have not done anything to let loose in the last six months. Not even once. You are both going out tonight and we aren’t taking no for an answer.”
I broke my silence. “I don’t know. I just don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”
Nobody said anything for a beat and then Monroe came over, sat next to me, and hugged me. She pulled away, cupped her hands on either side of my face and said, “Honey, nobody understands more than Nikki and I what you and Em are going through. We get it. Trust us. But, you two are our best friends and you’ve moved away and are keeping yourselves secluded. You both just spent the last hour telling us about your lives here. They pretty much consist of working constantly. We realize you are trying to occupy your minds, but you need to have a little bit of fun. We are going out tonight. If it becomes too much you say the word and we’re out of there.”
That’s when Nikki chimed in and shocked me. “Besides, if Monroe and I are going to move away from the sunshine and sandy beaches of southern California to the snow-covered and cold mountains of northwestern Wyoming you are going to have to do something to convince us that it’s worth it. We love you both, but it’s fucking cold here!”
I jerked my head out of Monroe’s hands and looked to Nikki then to Emme. Emme was smiling so big. It was the first time in a very long time that I had seen her truly, genuinely happy.
I would do anything to see that look back on her face all the time.
Shit.
“Ok, we’ll go out tonight.”
Nikki and Monroe looked at each other, smiles on their faces, and high-fived.
Upon inspection of my closet Nikki decided I did not have anything worthy of a twenty-fifth birthday celebration. At that discovery, she insisted we were heading out for the day. The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent shopping, having lunch, and being pampered. We managed to find a dress for me that they all approved of and insisted upon regardless of the reservations I had about it. Emme also found a dress that looked killer on her so she splurged as well. I guess the two of us silently decided that if we were going to do this we might as well do it right. Food was an absolutely necessity, so we grabbed a light lunch at a local burger joint. And then, as a birthday present to me, the girls treated me to a mani, pedi, and facial. Of course, they joined in on that action and treated themselves as well.
After being pampered we made our way back to the condo. On the drive back, I called Hannah. Without ever having really experienced the nightlife here in Wyoming, I was not sure
where to go for a night out. Hannah grew up here so she knew all the best places.
“You want to go to Lou’s,” she said.
“Lou’s?”
“Yep. Actually, it’s technically called Big Lou’s Restaurant and Saloon. As you can imagine it’s a restaurant and saloon in one. They make the best food and offer live music, occasional karaoke, and a great time. The place is always packed, but you are guaranteed to not be disappointed.”
“Sounds great. Thanks, Hannah!”
“No problem. Have a great time and enjoy your birthday.”
“I will. See you Monday.”
I disconnected the call as we pulled in and parked at the condo. We all went in and started getting ready.
Nikki works as a hair stylist and makeup artist back in Ventura so she took charge of everyone’s hair and makeup. Monroe, owner of a dance studio, insists that any night out preparations should have great music playing in the background so our bodies are primed for a night of dancing. Emme, as always, insists on capturing our memories so she breaks out the camera and snaps candid shots the entire time.
We were finally ready and I had to admit we looked damn fabulous. I was all dolled up in a sleeveless black mini dress. It was banded at the hem and fit snug around mid-thigh, but the bodice was loose with a scoop neckline. I added a pair of four-inch black patent leather stilettos and the combination made my legs look long and lean. Nikki had kept my hair straight and sleek and given me mostly natural make up with a smoky eye and pink tinted gloss on my lips.
Emme wore a green body con dress also with a scoop neckline that showed off just enough of her ample cleavage. She had a tiny waist and a generous booty so the form fitting dress worked with her curves. She finished the look with a pair of black booties. Nikki put loose curls in Emme’s long hair and a little bit of shimmer on her face with some gold tones.
Monroe opted for a champagne colored sequin mini skirt with a cream-colored spaghetti strapped plunging v-neckline top that just covered her midriff. She wore that with a pair of pale pink sandals that had one band across the toes and one band around her ankle and a three-inch heel. Monroe had great legs from all the years of dance and her outfit showed off her muscular calves and thighs. Her legs were tied with her plump, pouty lips as her best physical features. Her chestnut colored hair came to mid-back and had natural loose waves in it with hazel eyes that were accented by her subtle makeup. There was only a bit of shimmer to compliment her skirt.