She smiles teasingly.
“I’m twenty-five, Mr. Marshall. Are you sure it’s only been for a couple of years?”
This woman knows me inside out.
“Okay, more than a couple. Since before I should have been noticing you, let’s put it that way. But given that we’ve already … ahem, “met” at the Cube, I don’t see any reason to stop now. Do you?”
She quirks her head at me.
“What do you mean?”
I shrug, trying to look casual, even if this is the most important part of the conversation.
“You love your friends and your parents, and you work hard to meet your goals. You’re smart. You are stunningly beautiful. And you fuck like your life depends on it. We obviously get along great physically, and the attraction is definitely there. So what do you think?”
She blinks several times, before she asks, “You mean, like dating?”
This time, it’s my turn to shoot her a wry smile.
“Like definitely dating, sweetheart. What do we have to lose?”
She bites her lip.
“But Harlow.”
I stop her.
“My daughter is old enough to understand, and besides, she’s married to a man who’s twenty years her senior. She’s not a problem at all.”
Jane giggles and nods then.
“You’re right. Let’s do it.”
Those words flow over my soul, making me incredibly happy. On impulse, I lean over the table, take her face in my hands, and kiss her right there in the middle of the diner. But Jane is no shy pansy. She bites my bottom lip and it drives me wild. I want to ravish her, right now, right here, but this isn’t the Cube. This is Roscoe’s, and we’d be arrested for public indecency.
Instead, I sit back reluctantly, even as I stare at her with hungry eyes.
“You won’t regret it, sweetheart. I’ll make sure this is worth your time.”
Jane merely smiles cheekily at me again.
“I know you’ll make it worth it, Mr. Marshall, because I’ve had a crush on you for a long time too.”
Now it’s my turn to bolt forward.
“Are you serious?”
She giggles and nods.
“I feel like it’s been forever. My friend Harlow’s hot dad? The one who’s always in the yard with his shirt off? Oh yeah, I’ve been noticing you for a long time too.”
With that, my heart lurches and I stare at the curvy girl with unabated hunger. She likes me, and doesn’t think I’m some sick perv! I grab her hand again and take a vow, right there in Roscoe’s.
“Let’s see where this goes, sweetheart, and I promise you it will be good.”
The curvy girl merely laughs and blushes again, but never was a sound so sweet to my ears.
5
Brent
* * *
All I can think about is Jane. It’s silly, really. The whole thing is ludicrous. She practically grew up in my house, but I feel like I’ve never really seen her until now. Jane Cuesta, my daughter’s best friend, is now my lover. The things she can do in the sack? Ah-MAZE-ing.
Then again, I shouldn’t have a hard-on at work. I have to stop thinking about her because my prurient thoughts are going to get me in trouble, I swear. I glance around my office and try to focus on the details: the polished granite beneath the floor-to-ceiling windows, the pictures of landscapes, the way she moans when I slide into her. FOCUS, dammit!
This isn’t good. I can’t keep seeing her, can I? She’s twenty years my junior, for crying out loud. More than that, if I count carefully. But all I can think about is the curve of Jane’s lips when she smiles. The way my heart swells when she giggles. The way her rump jiggles when I smack it. God, I need to put this behind me.
Suddenly, a text comes across my phone, and it’s from Jane.
Movie this Friday?
I’m smiling instantly. I can’t help myself as my heart leaps. That’s how much I’ve grown to like her in the short time we’ve been seeing each other. We make plans to see some horror sequel she’s into, and pick a theatre three towns away, just to make sure no one will see us together. Afterwards, we’ll grab a bite.
Holy hell, I have a date on Friday night.
Even more, I’m looking forward to it. This isn’t going to be a forgettable date with a woman whose name I can’t even remember. This is Jane Cuesta, the woman I’ve been lusting after since forever. The film is the fourth in a series I have never seen, and I should probably watch the first three in the series to catch up, but you know what? I don’t care. The opportunity to spend time with her is what I want, and now I can’t stop smiling when I think of the curvy girl.
I knock on Jane’s apartment door. When she opens it, the sight of her takes my breath away, even though she’s dressed in jeans and a tank top. The denim hugs those wide hips, and her white top shows off her big breasts and tiny waist. I swallow hard and say, “Hi, sweetheart. You look amazing. This is for you.” I hand her a tiny aloe plant in a white pot.
She smiles and reads the black words on the pot, “Aloe, Gorgeous.” Jane snort-laughs and then blushes. “Oh my god, you have to stop making me do that with your corny puns.”
I shake my head, “Absolutely not. I love making you laugh.”
She grins and says, “Come inside. How do you know I keep succulents by the way?”
I grin.
“Because I’m awesome.”
She rolls her big brown eyes and sets the aloe with the rest of her succulent garden on her windowsill.
“Would you like a tour before we go? I don’t think you’ve ever been to my place.”
There’s only one door off the living room, so I assume that’s her bedroom. If we do the tour thing and end up in her room, we’ll definitely be missing the movie. I have to do this right.
“Sweetheart, I have been to your place. I helped you move this coffee table in remember?”
She stares at me, and then realization dawns.
“Oh, wow, yeah, you and that truck. I didn’t remember because it was so long ago, but yeah. Five, six years ago, right?”
“Sounds right. Besides, we need to get going for the film.”
She grabs her keys and purse, then smiles and takes my hand.
“Let’s go then.”
Once at the theatre, my paranoia about other people seeing us together dies because honestly, I don’t care that much. Being with Jane feels right, and it feels nice to have her by my side. She seems to unclench, too. As we wait in line, I ask lightly, “Do you think they’ll bring Bill back for the sequel? Or will it be another killer?”
Her face brightens and she asks, “You’ve seen the series?”
I nod wryly.
“It’s better than most of the horror that’s come out lately.”
“Oh my god, exactly! Like most horror series get exponentially worse as the series goes on, but Supernatural Activity gets better each time!”
“Yeah, the kills are getting more creative, and the stalking scenes are more complex. It’s breathing fresh air into the genre.”
Jane begins to wax rhapsodic about horror movies in general, but all I can think of is the passion in her eyes as she talks. She’s speaking dynamically and gesturing with her hands. This girl is a true horror junkie, and it shows. Can I live with that? Hell, as long as she keeps wearing these low-cut tank tops, I can live with anything.