Big on Education

by Laurie Ames

  Liza rested her head on her arms and nodded miserably. “I don’t know what to do, Luna. I was looking for a relationship but not with someone that works at the same place that I do.”

  Luna looked at her sympathetically and said, “Well, I can’t tell you what to do but you know some of the coworkers will eventually take notice. But if you decide to keep going and see where things lead, at least your secret is safe with me.”

  Liza shot Luna a grateful smile. “Thanks Luna, really.”

  “Any time,” Luna said, patting Liza on the shoulder before leaving her alone in her office. Letting her head fall forward to rest against the cool veneer of her desk, Liza let out a deflating sigh. It was just her luck that a person she finally connected with would happen to be hired by her employer. She doubted they would be able to figure things out over dinner. The company had strict standards when it came to having relationships with others from work.

  Chapter 5

  “Mom, that’s great!” She blurted into the phone. “It’s about time you dated somebody. Are you going to see him again?”

  “Yes Monica, tonight we are seeing each other for a second date.”

  “Is he hot?” asked Monica eagerly.

  “Let just say I’m very passionate about him, dear.”

  “Let me guess, he’s a lawyer or some kind of executive, right Mom?

  “Noooo, not quite.” Liza paused momentarily on the phone, trying to find a suitable response.

  “Well, what is he? Don’t hold me in suspense.”

  “Actually, he’s a performer.”

  “Mom! What does that mean, he’s a performer?”

  “He’s a musician.” Replied Liza hoping to skirt the truth. One thing she would never do is lie to her daughter. Their relationship had always been based on honesty and openness.

  “That so wild. You dating a musician? Wow, that’s so unlike you. What kind of musician? Classical? Pop music?”

  “Umm, not exactly. Mostly punk rocker type stuff. Anyways, enough about me. So, what are you doing this weekend dear?”

  “Oh, no you don’t Mom. You’re not changing the discussion that easily. Where did you meet him?

  “At the Docks nightclub. He was the performer musician; he has an incredible show. We had a few drinks and really hit it off.”

  “Is he around your age?”

  “Umm, a little younger.”

  “What does a little younger mean?”

  “Twenty years younger, if you must know.”

  “Oh my God! You can’t be serious. My Mother is robbing the cradle!”

  “Liza sighed into the phone. “I know what you are thinking. I know it sounds odd, but we have really hit it off. There are real intense feelings involved here, a chemistry between us that I cannot explain.”

  “Mom, wake up, he’s a starving performer and probably just after your money. What else didn’t you tell me about him?”

  “Liza feigned a fake laugh. “You may as well know, he also an exotic dancer.”

  “A friggin stripper! Please tell me your joking.” What are people going to think? What are my friends going to think?

  “I know it sounds bizarre but there is a genuine connection between us. And he is no gold digger. The truth is, I really didn’t want to tell you about him. But he’s so special, and I need to talk with someone about this.”

  “There nothing to talk about. What’s Grandma going to think? You’ll give her a heart attack!”

  “I know dear, but the moment I see him tonight, I just know I will melt like putty at his good looks.”

  “Mom, you are looking for my advice, right? Text him and say you can’t make it tonight. Just don’t go. Do anything to get out of your date tonight.”

  “I could never just dump him like that. But there is more I need to tell you about him.”

  “Oh Mom, really?

  “Yes, to make matters worse, he just started working at the Bridge. The company has very strict rules about dating co-workers.”

  “Okay if he’s a co-worker, then politely see him tonight and tell him to his face that you are breaking the relationship off.”

  “As usual, you are right dear. I’ll think about it and let you know how it turns out. Gotta run, talk later Monica, luv you.” Her shoulders slumped as she hung up the phone. Her eyes stared down cast in a mournful gaze. It felt like three persons were having a meeting inside her brain.

  One was as dark and negative as a demon on a toad stool, advising against this move saying, “you will fail” and “you look like a fool.

  The second voice was sunlight multiplied, “Hey, it’s a beautiful day, and all is fine. Full steam ahead. You’re in the winner’s circle.”

  The third voice was relaxing on the couch. “Look, this is going to take a lot out of you, in time and effort. Why rush? Sit back, chill out and take it easy.

  ‘What the fuck am I going to do now?’ Liza placed her hand dejectedly onto her forehead and sighed … ‘Monica is wrong … Nobody can tell me who I can and cannot date. There are no limits on what is or isn’t appropriate. I can love the whole world, I can love any person of any age, gender and background. Love flies on wings and I am lucky to again feel it running through my veins. Oh, how did I get myself into this horrible mess?’

  Chapter 6

  Liza took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly through her nose as she stared at the door to Gigi’s. It was a cute neighborhood restaurant that she had been to a million times before, but tonight was different. Tonight, she knew as soon as she walked inside, she was going to have a difficult conversation about both the future of a relationship and her career.

  “You didn’t want to go in yet either, huh?”

  The voice startled her, and she looked over to see Maddox hovering just behind her. He had a wry smile on his face, and she blushed a bit at being caught standing outside. When she didn’t respond right away, he said, “I don’t blame you. Trust me, this is not the way that I envisioned this date going either.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at the comment, shaking her head. Maddox looked at her thoughtfully and said, “Maybe we could reset, just for a bit. Pretend this morning didn’t happen, talk about whatever we would have talked about if we didn’t have this hanging over our heads.”

  Liza weighed the idea in her mind. On one hand, it seemed cruel to get to know each other better when they didn’t know how it could end, and it felt wrong to not address the elephant in the room head on. But on the other hand, she couldn’t deny that the opportunity to have a regular conversation with Maddox was enticing, and she rationalized that maybe it would be rash to make any decisions without knowing more about him. After all, if they didn’t mesh, it made her decision about whether to end things much easier.

  “That sounds really nice,” she replied, and Maddox’s face split into a genuine grin. “Well okay then,” he said. “Would you do me the honor?” He offered his arm to her in an imitation of old-fashioned chivalry, and she laughed as she took it. “It would be my pleasure.”

  The next few hours passed in a heady blur of conversation and food, and Liza unexpectantly found herself falling hard. She learned that while Maddox could play a multitude of instruments, his favorite was the guitar. He rambled on about a local luthier who was known across the country for the innovative work they were doing with guitars and gave her a brief music theory lesson to try to help explain what he was saying. Surprisingly, she found that she was actually interested in what he had to say, and the conversation wound around numerous topics.

  By the time they were looking at dessert, the topic of conversation had shifted to focus more on her, and Liza was once again surprised to find that Maddox was an attentive listener. She shared bits and pieces of her life, then gauged his response. While he clearly couldn’t relate to some of what she was saying, he still made a point of validating her comments and asking questions.

  It had been a long time- longer than she cared to think about- since someone had seemed so
genuinely interested in learning about her. It was very gratifying to see that he was intrigued by her. When they finished dessert and had sipped their last coffee, she paused as she realized she didn’t want the night to end.

  “Do you want to go back to my place?” She asked, before hastily elaborating, “Not like that- I mean, we could watch a movie and I’ve got some wine.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Maddox smiled. They paid the tab and made their way towards her condo. It was a bit of a long walk, but the evening air was crisp, and she was enjoying the walk. Their shoulders occasionally bumped as they walked, and she had to fight back a smile every time. She led him up the stairs to her flat, giving him a short rundown of the nosey neighbors as they approached her door.

  She was glad that she had cleaned over the weekend as she ushered Maddox inside, closing the door behind them. “I’ve got sparkling water, wine, beer, and tap water if you’re interested in any of that,” she said as she walked past him to set her coat down on the countertop.

  “I’ll have whatever you’re having,” he said, clearly distracted as he took in her luxury condo. “This is such a large open place; yet it feels homey and comfortable.”

  “Thanks,” she said, shooting him a quick smile before turning to get the wine glasses down. “The remote is on the couch if you want to look for something to watch.” She poured the wine and turned around before stopping to appreciate the scene in front of her. Maddox was on the couch, flipping through options on the remote, and the thought that this could be a regular occurrence brought up an unexpected swell of emotion.

  Clearing her throat, Liza crossed the room to sit next to Maddox on the couch, leaving a respectable amount of distance between them. “Thanks,” he said as he took his glass of wine. “Do you have any preference about what we watch?”

  She shook her head. “Nah, as long as it’s not the news we’re good.”

  “Hey, what about this documentary?”

  Liza’s mouth went dry as she looked at the screen and saw the documentary on musicals she had watched over the weekend. The things she had imagined about Maddox while watching it rushed through her mind, and she barely managed to croak out a strangled, “Sure.”

  “We don’t have to,” He frowned.

  “No! No, let’s watch it. I actually started it this weekend but got distracted and didn’t get very far into it,” Liza hastily replied. She didn’t mention that what distracted her was how turned on she got from imagining Maddox performing instead of the people in the documentary. It was playing with fire, but as the opening clips filled the screen, she decided that she liked living on the edge.

  It didn’t take long before she began to question her decision, however, as she found that her arousal was only amplified when Maddox was sitting mere inches away. His running commentary on the documentary wasn’t helping matters, and she could barely manage mumbled responses at the appropriate times. She shifted in her seat, stifling a groan as the movement put just enough pressure on her core to be torturous.

  “You okay?”

  The innocent question made her jump, and she tried not to look guilty. “Yeah! Yeah, I’m good, just getting comfortable.”

  He nodded and returned his attention to the screen, leaving her to stew in her juices, as she tried to stem the tides of desire. A few minutes later, she was startled when he shifted closer and rested a hand on her knee. Trying her best not to pull him fully on top of her, she settled for covering his hand with her own so that he couldn’t pull away. She nearly crawled out of her skin when his thumb started rubbing gentle circles on her leg, and she cursed herself for wearing pants instead of a dress.

  Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she saw him still intently focused on the documentary. He occasionally rattled off facts or additions to the content, and she silently groaned at what he was unconsciously doing to her. His fingers were sliding slightly higher on her leg, and she tried not to be obvious as she subtly moved her legs to give him more room to work. The ascent up her leg continued at a maddeningly slow pace, the circles still slow and with just enough pressure to drive her crazy. All the while, not once did she see him look away from the screen. Liza had to bite down hard on the inside of her cheek to contain her desire. She desperately wanted to move his hand to where she really needed it.

  Finally, she shifted her position as she tried to relieve the growing pressure at her core. In that exact same moment, he had attempted to slide his fingers just a tiny bit higher. The result of their combined movement had his fingers suddenly brushing against her clit, and they both froze. Liza clamped her eyes shut and willed herself not to come, while Maddox turned to look at her, gauging her reaction.

  He went to move his hand away when she didn’t say or do anything, misinterpreting her lack of response as disinterest, but Liza’s legs slammed shut, trapping his hand to keep it where it was. “Please,” she begged, “Don’t stop.” When she got a nod in acknowledgement of her words, she leaned back on the couch and relaxed so he could shift his hand again.

  Maddox started out slow, watching her every move in fascination as the slightest pressure elicited full-body reactions. Her hips rolled against his hand, seeking more friction, and he suppressed a grin at her neediness. Taking pity on her, he adjusted his own position and began to slide her pants and underwear off. Liza lifted her hips to make it easier, wordlessly encouraging him to keep going.

  When she was fully exposed before him, he stopped everything to drink in the view. He looked at her in a way he had never looked at a woman before. He gazed upon her mature naked form, her skin glistening with a sensual sweat. Older is so hot, he told himself, and this woman is a masterpiece. She was so wet that he could see the sheen coating her inner thighs, and he licked his lips at the sight. Liza whined, needing him to touch her, and he nudged her, until she was propped up against the back of the couch with her legs hanging off. Sliding onto the floor so he was kneeling in front of her, he settled between her legs and slid his arms under the backs of her thighs for leverage.

  Liza tilted her pelvis towards him, the warm puff of his breath driving her mad, and he laid an apologetic kiss on her inner thigh. Licking a trail up towards her center, he groaned low in his throat at the tang of her essence coating his tongue. He flattened his tongue as he reached his destination, dragging a line up her slit until his tongue was pressed against her clit. She thrashed above him, and he used his hold on her thighs to steady her.

  Liza was now gasping incoherent words, but the tone in them was clear- don’t stop. Maddox needed no persuasion as he let the tip of his tongue trace circles around her clit, his chin shiny with her wetness. He could feel the muscles in her thighs tensing and knew that she was already close, and he sped up his tongue. With a few more strokes Liza came undone against his mouth, quaking and crying out.

  Before she had a chance to finish riding out the orgasm, Maddox suddenly thrust two fingers inside of her. The sudden fullness made her tighten instantly, and she reached down and wrapped her fingers in his hair, trying to ground herself. Maddox wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked, lashing her clit with his tongue as he did so, and the unexpected stimulation sent her crashing into a second orgasm before the first had even subsided. She wailed as she came, fingers tightening in his hair until it was almost painful, and Maddox tensed as a small orgasm of his own washed over him. He shuddered into her, moaning, and the vibrations made her tremble as aftershocks rolled through her. When he was sure that she was done, Maddox pulled his fingers out and pressed a final kiss to her thigh before climbing back up onto the couch. Lying back, he drew her up until she was resting on top of him, and she pressed a small kiss against his chin.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life and I’ve been around the block more than a few times!” Liza panted, still trying to catch her breath. “I’m pretty sure I couldn’t move right now if I tried.”

  Maddox smiled down at her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Good. That
was the goal.”

  “But what about you?” Liza asked, and Maddox felt a swell of affection at the sleepy tone creeping into her voice.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said, “I already came, and besides, this was for you.”

  Unable to formulate a complete sentence in response, Liza simply nodded and nestled her head in close to his chest, breathing in the heavy scent of their combined arousal. Maddox listened to her breathing as she drifted into sleep, then pulled her just a bit tighter against him. He knew they hadn’t resolved anything, and he sensed Lisa was still hesitant about a long-term commitment. This unknown settled heavily in his stomach. He could only hope that they would figure things out, because after tonight he wasn’t sure he would be able to walk away.

  Chapter 7

  Liza lay in bed, trying her hardest not to move while Maddox was still asleep. She didn’t want to wake him and break the spell they had cast upon themselves earlier that night. At some point after she had fallen asleep on the couch, they had moved to her bed, but they had both quickly fallen back asleep after cuddling close once more.

  She truly hadn’t intended to sleep with him when she had invited him to her place. Her only goal had been to spend more time together and discuss their relationship issues. Going back to her condo had seemed the easiest way to do that. But now, the afterglow long gone, she wondered if all she had done was make the relationship harder for them. After all, they had carefully danced around the topic of work all evening, and after a second incredible night together Liza knew saying goodbye to Harper wouldn’t be an easy proposition.