The Babysitter Beta 04

Friday arrived, and before I knew it, I was preparing to leave for Happy Hour with my coworkers. Bill’s once-a-month tradition wasn’t always regular, but he did it often enough that the practice had its regulars. I wasn’t one of them. I attended a few times early on when I was trying to get to know my coworkers. After Charlie passed away, I stopped going, and Bill stopped asking. I’d become a recluse. I was only going tonight because Svetlana, or Lana as she preferred I call her, invited me. 

O’Grady’s wasn’t far; it was a ten-minute drive with a pretty straight shot once I turned out of the neighborhood. I picked up my keys by the door and peered into the living room to say goodbye to Penny and Abby, who were cleaning up Abby’s toys by making it a game. 

“Hey, I’m off to the happy hour. I should be back before bedtime, but if I’m not, you know the routine, right?” 

Penny smiled up at me from the floor where she was playing with Abby. “Yup! Have fun on your date with Lana! I’ll clean up after I put Abby down for the night if you want to bring her back here. Just text me and keep me updated. And remember, if you strike out, I'll be here to help you feel better. So there’s no pressure. You can relax and be yourself!” 

I laughed, a bit awkward at her insinuation. “It’s not a date. Just some drinks with coworkers.” 

“So it doesn’t count for our wager?” Penny asked. She tilted her head and smiled at me in such a mischievous and cute way I knew better than to trust. 

“Okay. It's not, not a date.” I admitted. I couldn't think of it as a date, or I'd get nervous. My performance anxiety wasn’t circling around whether I’d get laid so much as entirely based on the prolonged socialization. Charlie and I had been together long enough that I didn't know how to date anymore. I'd proven that with my bungling of the apps already and the one terrible date I’d been on. 

Penny smiled. She seemed happy I was going on a date with another woman, which confused me. We had yet to talk about her almost sleepover or our Netflix and Chill sofa session. Now, she looked up at me from the floor with an expression that looked proud rather than jealous. Then, something else overtook her features: disgust.

“Is that what you're wearing?” Penny asked. 

I looked down. “Uh… yeah?” 

I'd exchanged my typical work clothes for my typical hang-with-friends clothes. A gray T-shirt, jean shorts, and sneakers. The T-shirt was sun-faded, but the outfit was casual and presentable. 

“On a date?” Penny asked, still surprised. “I know it’s supposed to be casual, but…” She trailed off as if the end of her sentence was self-explanatory. 

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked, still not sure what she was seeing. 

Penny sighed. “Come on, Abby! Let’s go play dress up with your dad. We have to help him get ready for his date!” 

“Yeah!” Abby eagerly agreed, though she eagerly agreed to most things Penny suggested in a specific tone of voice so long as they weren’t bedtime related. 

I followed Penny with Abby on her hip to the bedroom. My walk-in closet was small, not large enough for all of us to fit in, so I played with Abby while Penny went through my clothes. She emerged from the closet after several sounds of disgust and laughter, with hangers in her hands. 

A deep purple button-up shirt. A pair of dark gray slacks. Black shoes. I rolled my eyes. “Can I at least wear my lucky socks?” 

“Black dress socks?” Penny asked, already knowing the answer. 

I sighed. 

“Put these on, then come say goodbye before you leave.” Penny said, scooping Abby off the floor and leaving me behind. I watched her go. Her shorts and cami top made that an eventuality. 

I shook my head. “I should boss you around. See how you like it.” I muttered. 

“I’d love it!” Penny called from the hallway, giggling. 

I blushed, embarrassed that she’d heard me, and changed into the clothes that she laid out. I added a sleeveless undershirt and a belt since the slacks were loose. Presenting myself to Penny at the bottom of the stairs, she tilted her head and made adjustments. She rolled my sleeves up to below my elbows. 

Standing there, looking down at the crown of her head as she stood so close I could smell her shampoo. Her fingers grazed my forearm in gentle sweeps as she rolled the cuffs and tucked them tight. 

She lifted her eyes to mine as she moved in front of me and opened the top two buttons of the shirt. The opening showed off the start of my chest hair and the necklace I’d put on, with mine and Charlie’s wedding rings. 

Penny paused and looked like she might kiss me, but she smiled instead and stepped away. She took me in with her eyes, re-examining my look for her ultimate approval. 

“Are you sure you want to wear that?” Penny asked, eyeing the rings on my necklace chain. “It makes it look like you’re not ready.” 

I smiled softly. “I’m ready.” I said. “It’s just… even if I’m dating again, my past is still a part of me, you know? Anyone who dates me should know what they’re getting.” 

“They’re getting one hell of a man.” Penny said, patting my chest. “And a fantastic lover.” 

I laughed and awkwardly tried to play off her compliment as a joke. “Can I use you as a reference?” 

Penny smiled. “Absolutely. I’ve got your back.” She patted my butt on her way past as if to prove it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I left Abby in the high chair and need to feed her before the screaming starts.” 

“Okay.” I said, nodding. “Have fun. Bye, Abby!” 

Something that sounded like goodbye echoed from the kitchen, and Penny waved farewell at the kitchen door as I walked out the front and strode to my car. 

Penny’s dad, in his driveway in the yard next to mine, waved as he came home from work. I waved back. 

“Good luck with your work thing!” He called over. 

I laughed. “Thanks! I’ll let you know!” I couldn’t say why I said that, but I was glad the interaction was brief. I didn’t think I’d be able to look Tim or Mandy in the eye after my experiences with their daughter. Why was it so much weirder than with the former in-laws? Because things with Penny were strange. The age difference, the casual sex, the power dynamic, and their daughter's lust for me. None of it was typical or commonplace. Maybe that was why Penny enjoyed it so much. For me, that was what made it terrifying. 

I drove out of my neighborhood and turned onto the main road, cruising toward O’Grady’s. When I arrived, several stop signs and traffic lights later, I could see the parking lot was nearly full. O’Grady’s had become something of a hot spot over the years, and their happy hour was well-known for its savings with some of their delicious drinks and apps. The coconut shrimp were my personal favorite, but they were usually out of them when I asked. 

I’d begun to think I was cursed. 

I entered the bar/tavern/establishment to zero fanfare until I made my way to the bar and nodded hello to Bill. 

“Holy shit!” Bill exclaimed, slapping me on the back. “I was starting to think I’d never see you in real life again.” 

I laughed, almost wincing at the force of his strike. “ Ha, no, I’m… I’m here!” 

“I’m surprised! I didn’t know you even knew when this was.” Bill said. “You were mister mopey the last time you were here, brought the whole place down. Then you stopped showing up.” 

“Well… yeah, I guess.” I said, confused as to what he expected to happen after my wife died. I hadn’t been particularly good company, and I’d avoided alcohol for a while after her death. The last thing I needed was to drink a depressant while depressed. 

“I’ll tell you what, if my wife keeled over, I’d dance a jig for joy!” He slapped my back again, and I staggered forward with the force. Bill was not a tiny man, and I was starting to suspect that he did this as a power move. 

“That… might just be the saddest thing I ever heard. Is everything okay at home, Bill?” I asked with sincerity in my tone. 

Bill paused for a moment, then exploded with laughter. “Get this man a drink!” He slapped me again and pointed me out to the bartender as he shook my shoulder. “What are you having?” 

“Uh… Blue Moon.” I said, fancying a pleasant summer beer in this June heat. 

Bill waited with me at the bar. “So, how’re things?” He asked. “Are you back on the horse yet?” 

“What?” I asked, genuinely confused. “I never stopped drinking.” 

“Dating, he means.” Randy said, coming up to my other side. 

“Hey!” I said, offering Randy my hand for a shake. He shook it and nodded toward Bill. 

“Oh, yeah.” I said, nodding. “I started putting myself back out there recently.” 

“Good for you!” Bill said. “I’m jealous.” 

“Well, I’d go out with you, but I don’t date married men.” I said. 

Bill looked taken aback, but Randy laughed with me as the bartender brought me my beer. I drank it and nearly snorted it as Bill’s tone turned disgusted. 

“You’re queer now?” Bill asked. 

“No.” I said, annoyed at his disgust. Though, that was more tact than I expected from Bill and his ‘good ol’ boy’ nature. “You?” 

Randy continued laughing. Randolph, or Randy as everyone called him at his request, started at the company at the same time I did. He and his wife met at the office when we had one and started dating during lockdown. 

“How are things with you? Rebecca joining us tonight?” I asked, only to see her coming through the door with the woman of the hour, Svetlana. 

“Yeah, she’s–oh, there she is!” Randy said loudly enough to pull their attention toward us at the bar. 

I turned my eyes to Lana and suddenly felt very self-conscious about my clothes. The two of us had overdressed slightly. Bill was in jeans and a short-sleeved collar shirt, his Timberland boots steel-toed, and his outfit screaming blue-collar. Randy was in a t-shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals on his feet as if heading to the beach this weekend. Rebecca was in mid-thigh jean shorts and a fit V-neck T-shirt. 

Lana wore a sleeveless sundress, white with blue flowers. Its scooped neckline and backless top showed off her summer tan. The tied cinch around her high waist gave her torso a tapered indentation in her middle. Her dress’ flared skirt fell three inches above her knees, showing off the start of her thighs and long, shapely calves in criss-crossing strappy sandals. She’d painted her fingernails and toenails a lovely summer sky blue, and her silver necklace matched her earrings. Her curly black hair fell in ringlets beside her face, giving her head an almost spherical appearance. 

She waved when she saw me, smiling. 

I waved back. 

My coworkers looked at me. 

“Oh, so that’s why you’re here.” Randy said. He laughed and nodded. “Good luck.” 

“Dibs.” Bill said, not giving me a chance to react before he strode forward to greet the girls. 

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the back of Bill’s head as if it might hold an answer other than ‘Where does Bill sunscreen at least.’ The red, peeling skin there answered that question without anyone asking. 

“He’s kidding, right?” I asked Randy, who shrugged and kissed his girlfriend hello. 

“You came!” Rebecca said, giving me a hug. “Welcome back to happy hour.” 

I laughed, keeping the hug brief as Bill blocked Lana from joining the rest of the group. “Thanks.” I said, smiling. “Lana invited me, so I figured it’d be rude not to show.” 

“Oh, did she?” Rebecca asked, looking over her shoulder and waving Lana past Bill to come and join her. “I’d introduce you, but I guess you two already know each other. Still, since this is your first meeting in person: Julio, this is Lana; Lana, this is Julio.” Rebecca made the introductions, and I didn’t inquire how Rebecca knew we hadn’t met in person before. 

Lana smiled at me and offered her hand. “A pleasure to meet you, officially, Julio.” 

“Yeah.” I said, more than a little nervous. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.” 

“Weak.” Bill muttered. “What are you drinking, little lady?” He asked, clapping Lana on the back. 

Lana staggered and stepped forward when Bill’s hand remained on her back, forcing him to drop his arm or hold it in the air. This brought her a step closer to me, a toe across the line of my personal space. “I’ll have a Mai Tai.” She said softly. 

“One Mai Tai.” I repeated her order to the bartender, who nodded and started making his drink. 

“Make that two!” Rebecca called to the bartender as she slipped her arm around Randy. “Should we get a table?” 

“Sure.” I said, nodding. 

Bill gestured to the table for the bartender’s benefit, and the five of us sat. Bill sat on my right at the head of the table, with Randy on my left. Rebecca sat across from Randy, which put Lana directly across from me between Rebecca and Bill. 

“So, Lana, how have you been settling in?” Bill asked. “You get the lay of the land alright?”

Lana nodded. “Oh yes, everyone’s been very helpful, especially Julio.” She gestured to me. 

My lips quirked into a smile as my eyes dove into the menu in an attempt to hold off a blush. “Oh, I’ve just been training you to take over for me when I retire.” I joked. “Sometime in the next sixty or seventy years.” 

They laughed. 

“Hey, that’s right, ain’t you sitting pretty since your wife died?” Bill asked, making Randy and Rebecca visibly wince. “All that life insurance dough, you probably could retire!” 

I tried not to make a big deal of it, but I remembered now why I’d stopped coming to these. Tact was not Bill’s middle name. He likely couldn’t even find the meaning of the word with two hands and a Google search. 

“Well, I paid off the house, which helps, and there was enough left to cover the funeral expenses and start a savings account for Abby’s college.” I said. 

“Oh, you’ll get cheated on that.” Bill said, scoffing. “The more you save for your kid’s college, the less financial aid they’re eligible for, and the more they gut you. Besides, the costs rise so quickly that there ain’t a savings account around that can keep up. You might as well drink your money away, quit your job, and Abby can get all kinds of financial aid to help cover the costs.” 

I stared at Bill. There was something to what he was saying. Savings account interest was a pittance. Investments typically returned somewhere between nine and ten percent on average, but that was an average. One lousy year could decimate a stock fund, and every day was a gamble. 

Meanwhile, tuition costs increase steadily between five and eight percent every year. Costs could quadruple by the time Abby enrolled. In order to have a hope of even keeping pace, much less outpacing, I needed to make wise investments and have an inordinate amount of luck on my side. Still, that struck me as a better option than not trying at all. 

“I don’t think it’s quite that bad.” Rebecca said, shaking her head at Bill. “But speaking as someone who’s still paying off her student loans after having already paid back twice what I initially borrowed, anything you can do to avoid student loans is a good idea.” 

“I’ll second that.” Randy said, smiling as the bartender dropped off Rebecca and Lana’s Mai Tai’s. 

“Those look good.” I said, admiring the flair of the liquid and the garnish. 

“Do you want a sip?” Lana asked, offering me the glass. 

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean to–” 

“It’s okay. I’m not a germaphobe.” Lana said, still offering me the glass. “Besides, there’s so much alcohol in here. Even if I were a germaphobe, it’d be safe.” 

I raised my hand to decline. “I’m good, I’ve got my Blue Moon.” 

Lana nodded and withdrew the glass, taking a sip. Her lips parted and took in the cocktail straw, and her cheeks indented as sucked. She set the glass down and licked her lips, which I noticed had a waterproof lipstick on them, the shade of the cherry in her glass. 

“Do you want my cherry?” Lana asked. 

Bill coughed, turning his face away as he pounded his fist against his chest. 

Lana ignored him and pulled the fruit from her glass by its stem between her long, slender fingers. She offered it to me. 

“I don’t like them.” She explained. 

“Oh, sure.” I said, taking her cherry with my hand. I opened my fingers palm up, and she gently placed it on my flat fingers. I lifted it to my lips and plucked the stem off as I ate the cherry. The maraschino cherry was delicious, as always. 

“I used to know a girl in college who could tie a cherry stem with her tongue.” Bill said. “She was quite talented and pretty, too.” 

“Oh, I always wanted to learn how to do that.” Rebecca said. “It’s one of those neat party tricks you always think about learning but never learn.” 

Lana winked at me. “I used to know how. But that’s why I don’t like cherries anymore. I ate so many trying to learn that I got sick of them.”  

“Prove it.” Bill said, far quicker than the rest of us had any time to say anything. 

Lana rolled her eyes and took the cherry stem from me. She placed one end between her teeth and closed her lips with the rest of it in her mouth. Then she swished her tongue in her cheek a few times and scrunched her nose in concentration. It was the cutest expression. 

Sure, the act itself was supposed to be sexually suggestive, but I wasn’t even thinking about that. I was thinking about how her dark hair framed her bright red, smiling lips and how her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief when she looked at me. Kind of like Penny’s. God, this was weird. 

She pulled the stem from between her teeth and held it high between her thumb and forefinger. There was a tiny knot where the green twig hugged itself around its middle. 

Rebecca applauded. “Can you teach me how to do that?” She asked. 

“Order a bowl.” Lana said. “It might take you a few tries, but sure.” 

Randy laughed, and I smiled. Bill seemed to think this was the most remarkable, sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He leaned forward, mouth agape, watching Lana put the cherry stem on the table. 

“So, little lady, you got anyone special at home?” Bill asked. 

“That’s not an appropriate question for you to ask.” Rebecca said, glancing at me for some reason. 

“Oh, come off it, we’re off the clock. Besides, you and Randy hooked up at one of these things, right? I’m just trying to get to know the little lady better.” Bill said, defending himself with what appeared to be a well-prepared argument. 

“Does your wife know where you are right now?” Rebecca asked, her voice icy. 

Bill grumbled and took a drink of his beer instead of answering. 

The waitress’ arrival saved him, and we ordered our apps, another round of drinks, and a bowl of maraschino cherries. Rebecca was excited to finally learn, and the rest of us let her and Lana take the lead on the conversation until it lulled. 

“So, how did your presentation go?” I asked Lana. 

“Oh, it went well!” Lana said. “They’re going to review my proposal and answer me next week sometime.” 

I nodded, knowing that was code for our boss figuring out how they could frame it as their idea. The others at the table recognized the terminology as well. 

“No work talk.” Randy said, shaking his head. “We’re at the bar, fun stuff only. That’s the rule.” 

“You can’t make rules about fun.” I said. 

“Sure I can.” Randy said. “Otherwise, that becomes a rule and a paradox! Only the Sith deal in absolutes, Anakin.” 

I laughed, surrendering to his logic. 

“So…” Rebecca said, picking up the conversation. “You’re dating again? I noticed your ring is on your necklace instead of your finger.” 

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Well, kind of. I went on one date so far and was terrible at it. I talked about Abby the entire time, and the poor woman couldn’t get away fast enough.” 

“Fat, eh?” Bill asked, either only catching the last part of the sentence or trying to make a joke that neither Rebecca nor Lana appreciated. Neither were overweight, but still. 

I shook my head and sighed. “At least I’m better at it than Bill.” 

That got them laughing. Even Bill chuckled, shaking his head and wagging his finger at me as if I’d scored a point on some invisible board. 

“So you don’t have anyone that you’re in a committed relationship with?” Rebecca asked. “You’re single and looking?” 

Penny was my first thought, but we’d both made our relationship with the other clear. We were not in a committed relationship. We played with each other and used each other, but not at the expense of each other until we found what we were looking for elsewhere. That was the goal, right? 

Though, I was kidding myself if I thought I understood what Penny wanted at any given moment. I didn’t know what to think when she first came onto me. Any guy would have killed me to take my place. I know Bill would. Then we’d had that evening on the sofa, and she was so much a part of my life that I couldn’t imagine her going back to college in the fall and walking out as breezily as she’d stepped in. 

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s me.” I said. “Though I’m terrible with dating apps.” 

“Well, maybe we can set you up with someone.” Rebecca said quickly without missing a beat. “What kind of woman do you like?” 

“Oh, uh…” I glanced around. “I don’t know. I don’t really have a type.” 

“Dark hair, light hair?” Rebecca asked, and I immediately thought of Penny’s brown hair. 

“Hair color?” Randy asked. “That’s a type of woman to you?” 

“Well… I don’t know.” Rebecca said, glancing at Lana. “It’s a place to start, anyway.” 

“You need someone who’s hot, down to fuck, and young enough that she won’t push you to settle down.” Bill suggested before drinking more of his beer. 

“Gross.” Rebecca wrinkled her nose. 

My thoughts of Penny became tinted with guilt. She was young, hot, down to fuck, and didn’t want to settle down. She was terrific, but we could never work out long-term. Knowing that and what my coworkers would think if I announced I was dating a nineteen-year-old, I kept quiet. We weren’t dating anyway, just fucking. Sometimes. 

That Bill would have been the only one enthusiastic at that news made my gut turn sour. 

“What?” Bill asked, incensed. “Look at him. He could totally be someone’s sugar daddy. If I had life insurance money, I’d spend it on someone who wanted that kind of quid-pro-quo arrangement. Like a wife you can fuck.” 

“Seriously, Bill, just… stop.” Randy said, noting how uncomfortable Rebecca and Lana were. “Julio’s not like that anyway. He and Charlie were couples goals for me and Becks. He’d never pay someone for sex like that. He’s not that kinda guy. He just needs time to find a nice, respectable woman he really clicks with.” 

Was what I was doing? Paying for sex? I paid Penny as Abby’s nanny. I never paid her for the other things we did. Yet, that was our relationship. I was her neighbor and employer. I should not be her lover, and yet she was all I could think about as I sat across from this beautiful woman who I flattered myself to think was flirting with me. I needed to find someone else. I needed to let Penny go and move on to something more realistic and acceptable. 

“Lana…” I said, not giving myself time to contemplate or restrain the impulse. “Would you like to go out sometime? I mean, just you and me on an actual date?” 

Lana smiled. “I… thought this was a date.” She said, as if admitting guilt. “I know it’s an informal get-together, but when discussing it, I got the impression it was… I mean, I wanted it to be a… I thought maybe you’d think of it as a group date?” 

I smiled, relaxing in my chair, when I realized Lana was even more nervous than I was. 

“I guess it is.” I said, not trusting myself to look at anyone but Lana. “Do you want to get out of here?” 

Lana glanced at Bill, then returned her gaze to me. “Absolutely.” 

“You’re leaving?” Bill asked, surprised. “But we just ordered food!” 

I shrugged. “Enjoy my coconut shrimp.” I sighed, knowing I would one day get to eat them again, but today was not that day. I pulled some cash out of my wallet and left four twenties on the table, more than enough to cover myself and Lana’s drinks and food. 

“And you were going to teach her how to tie a cherry stem with her tongue!” Bill protested. He gestured to Randy. “You don’t want to miss that, do you?” 

“Another time!” Rebecca said, playing the perfect wing-woman. “I can learn another time.” 

Lana gave her a small, thankful, and apologetic smile as we stood. Her willingness to leave surprised me, but it wasn’t as if we were strangers. She knew me from work, she trusted me, and there was security in knowing that the others knew we were leaving together. 

The summer sun outside stifled my enthusiasm to leave the air-conditioned bar behind, but what was done, and was done, and we both seemed relieved to be rid of Bill. 

“I forgot how much of an ass Bill can be.” I admitted as we hesitated by the doors.  

Lana laughed. “Rebecca warned me. But, I’m glad you suggested heading off on our own.” She smiled. “What would you like to do?” 

I hesitated, having not thought this far ahead. “There’s a park nearby. Care for a walk?” I asked. 

Lana squinted at the sky and fanned herself in the heat. “I don’t suppose you’d consider a walk in a mall? Some air-conditioned place?” 

“How about a bookstore?” I asked. “I can buy you dinner at the cafe?” 

Lana nodded. “Though we can go fifty-fifty since you already paid for Rebecca’s lunch tomorrow.” She gestured behind her, where the others were likely eating or taking our food home after the waitress delivered it. She had a point, so I nodded. 

“Fifty-fifty then.” I said, not arguing the point despite it not being how my parents raised me. “There’s a Barnes not far from here. I can drive us there, or we can take separate cars?” 

“If you could drive us, that would be best. I Ubered here.” Lana explained. 

“Really?” I asked, pointing out my car and starting for it. 

“Well, I wasn’t sure how much I’d be drinking or where I’d end the night…” Lana said, then turned sheepish as if she realized she shouldn’t have said that last part out loud. “I thought it’d be easier.” 

I nodded, smiling slightly. “Well, I can drop you off at home, so you don’t need to Uber back.” 

Lana seemed surprised but nodded. “Let’s see how this date goes.” She said. “Try not to plan too far ahead. I like this spontaneous side of you, Julio.” 

I laughed, shrugging. “Okay, spontaneity it is.” I opened the passenger side door for her and closed it after she climbed into my jeep SUV. 

I hopped into the driver’s seat and turned on the air conditioning as I drove us to the bookstore. 

“So, is this your move?” Lana asked. “You take all your dates to the bookstore?” 

I laughed, shaking my head. “I don’t think I have a move. I’m not very good at dating.” 

Lana shook her head. “Neither am I. I’m still single, after all.” 

“No ex-husbands or anything?” I asked, surprised. 

Lana laughed. “I had a pretty serious live-in boyfriend for about… nine years?” She approximated with her hands. “We lived together for five, but he refused to grow up.” 

I raised an eyebrow. “You mean he didn’t want to get married?” 

“Well, no, he wanted to get married.” Lana explained. “But he was not husband material. He was… like a big child. He didn’t want to take care of me, but he wanted me to take care of him. He wanted a woman to clean his apartment, cook his food, and share his bed, but he didn’t want to have to take any responsibility. He wanted to play video games, watch movies, and slack off all day.” 

I nodded, recognizing that she was building up steam to vent something she’d likely vented before but had her momentum going for another release. 

“He was a kid in his thirties. So I broke up with him, and he moved back in with his parents.” Lana said, shrugging. 

“Were you the breadwinner, then?” I asked, surprised. 

Lana nodded. “He had a minimum wage job at a craft store, which he spent on video games, and that was all he wanted. My roommates and I covered rent, so he just mooched off me the entire time.” 

I nodded. “So you live with roommates then?” 

“Two other girls.” Lana said. “We have a house we rent not far from here.” 

“Nice.” I said, and meaning it. Renting wasn’t ideal, but not everybody had gotten in on the housing market when prices were low. Post-pandemic? They were too high to contemplate, especially in our affluent area. 

“How old are you, by the way?” Lana asked. “If that’s not a rude question.” 

“Thirty-nine.” I answered. 

“Really?” Lana asked. “You look much younger.” 

I smiled somewhat sheepishly. “Is that an issue? How old are you?” 

“Thirty-two.” Lana said. “And no, it’s not an issue. So long as you act your age. I find maturity very attractive.” 

I smiled slightly, glad to know we were at least in the same decade as each other. Sure, the age gap was more significant than some, but the years didn't mean as much once you were out of your twenties. There wasn’t as much difference between a thirty-nine and thirty-two-year-old as there was between a twenty-nine and twenty-two-year-old. Not to mention a thirty-nine-year-old and a nineteen-year-old. 

We pulled into the bookstore parking lot to find it mostly empty. Most people had better places to be on a Friday night. 

Lana opened her car door before I could get around the car, so I stopped at the trunk’s hatch door and waited for her. She pulled her purse over her shoulder and held it under her arm as we walked into the shop together. An older gentleman held the door for us as he exited, and I held the interior door open for her. 

The backlessness of the dress she wore surprised me, but it was a pleasant surprise. Though, it seemed to suggest she wasn’t wearing a bra. I silently cursed Penny for giving me a dirty mind. I shouldn’t be thinking about that kind of thing right now. I should focus on getting to know this woman. Not what her backside might look like without that dress. 

“So, what kind of coffee do you drink?” I asked, heading toward the cafe. 

“I like their shaken oat milk espresso drinks.” Lana answered with a smile. “What about you?” 

“I’m a latte kind of guy.” I answered. “Do you drink the oat milk for an allergy?” 

Lana shook her head no. “That’s just how they offer the drinks, and I enjoy the taste.” 

“Cold or hot?” I asked. 

“Today? Iced. When the weather cools, hot.” Lana answered. 

“Same.” I answered as we joined the back of the queue. 

“So…” I said, unsure of where to take the conversation. “Your accent… are you from the States?” 

“I was born in Russia.” Lana answered. “But my parents moved here when I was very young. What about you?” She asked. 

“Oh yeah, I’m from here. My parents live about an hour from here.” I said, shrugging. “They’re from here too, and so on. I think a great-grandparent emigrated back toward the end of the 19th century? We’ve been here ever since.” 

“Nice.” Lana said. She smiled. “I like the melting pot, but I wish people could get on board with being American first and whatever else second.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked, curious but also cautious. Talking politics was dangerous, if necessary, territory for a first date. 

“Well, I’m Russian-American. You’re Latinx-American. Other people are other things. They focus on where their family came from instead of where they are.” Lana explained. “I think it’s good to be proud of where you came from and your family, but it's better to be proud of who you are. Other countries do this, but here? We lack unity.” 

“I guess I never really thought about it.” I said, which was true because I hadn’t considered the social science of ethnic-origin politics in some time. “But you have a point. I mean, we’re all Americans, right? Or at least, that’s how it should be.” 

“Exactly.” Lana said, patting my arm. “You get it.” 

I smiled and watched as she stepped forward to order her drink and food. I ordered mine, and we took seats across the cafe from the windows, against the small half-wall separating the cafe from the book aisles. 

“So, what do you read?” I asked, glancing at the books in the row beside us where the new releases were on full display. 

“I love fantasy books.” Lana answered. “Especially those based on fairy tales.” 

I nodded. “Have you read The Crane Princess?” I asked, thinking back to the last fairy-tale-based novel I’d read. 

Lana frowned and shook her head. We continued trading titles of series we’d read or loved. Our coffees came, our food came, and we drank and ate. The Cafe food was not as good as bar or restaurant food, but the atmosphere was far more relaxed, which we both seemed to appreciate. Lana was a fascinating person in my eyes, and she seemed interested in every word I said, which I found flattering. 

After finishing our food, I took the dishes to the drop-off and returned to the table. 

“What should we do now?” Lana asked. 

“I have an idea.” I said, offering her my hand. 

She took it, and I brought her to her feet. Her hand was soft in mine, and the touch made my pulse tango. She smiled at me and stepped closer than necessary. She looked up at me with her hand lingering in mine. 

“What’s your idea?” She asked. 

I swallowed. “You wanted to go fifty-fifty, right?” I asked, verifying. 

She nodded. 

“So you can say no if it’s too much, but what do you say now that we’ve discussed what kind of books we enjoy and dislike… what if I buy you a book based on your tastes that I enjoy, and you buy me a book you like that you think I’ll enjoy?” 

Lana’s eyes sparkled. “I love it.” 

She turned so quickly that her dress’ skirt slapped my thigh, and she was gone before I could say another word, waving to me from the escalator. 

I laughed and chased after her, walking briskly. The book I wanted was on the second floor anyway. I stared up at her as she turned to face me on the escalator. She crossed her ankles, her hand on the railing. She waved at me, then turned around and stepped off the escalator when she reached the top. 

She went left, and I turned right. We met again at the escalators, holding the books behind our backs. I offered to let her go first, but she gestured for me to proceed. I slipped the book in front of me, keeping it a surprise as we descended. We laughed at ourselves, standing in line for the cash registers, trying to hide the books from each other with little to no success. 

After buying them, we swapped bags at the exit and left for my car together in good cheer. After getting into the car, I pretended to be surprised when I opened the bag and peered inside. I’d seen the title and the author at the register, but this wasn’t one she’d mentioned before. 

“What’s it about?” I asked. 

“Read it and find out.” Lana said, her smile turning devilish. “Let me know what you think.” 

“Okay, I will.” I decided, and closed the bag to slide it behind my seat. 

Lana opened her bag and smiled, pulling out the thick fantasy tome I’d chosen for her, and stared at me. 

“I think you’ll like it.” I said, smiling to match her. 

“What’s it about?” She asked. 

“Read it and find out.” I echoed her. 

“Okay.” Lana said, putting the bag at her feet. “So…” She looked around her, the sun creeping toward the horizon after the hour plus we’d spent in the bookstore but nowhere near setting yet. “Let’s go to my place.” She said.

“Your place?” I asked. 

Lana nodded. “Is that okay?” Then, she seemed to realize why that might be disappointing. “Not to say goodbye.” She said. “Unless you want to. Or would you rather go to your place?” 

“No, uh…” I swallowed, hope reignited. “Your place.” I said, nodding. I started the car, hoping the air-conditioning would wick away the sweat my nerves had started dripping against my skin. 

Lana strapped her seatbelt on and plugged her home address into her phone, letting me use it as the GPS for the journey. To my surprise, it didn’t take us long before we arrived. 

“Give me five minutes.” Lana said, unbuckling as I put the car in park in front of a two-story house. “I just need to let my roommates know and give them a chance to clear anything embarrassing out of the bathroom.” 

I laughed. “Sure, go ahead.” 

Lana smiled and dashed inside. I reached behind me and pulled out the book she’d given me. A retelling of Hades and Persephone in a modern myth, a contemporary romance that alternated between the two perspectives as the two immortals sought to escape their family drama. 

I was two pages in when Lana returned and knocked on my car window. Bent over, I did my best not to look down the top of her dress despite the view she offered. I closed the book, turned off the car, and followed her inside. 

The tour was brief, seeing her living room and kitchen before she took me by the hand and led me upstairs. I recognized the wall behind her desk from our meetings and saw her workspace with her laptop. Her queen-sized bed surprised me, taking up a quarter of the room. Beneath it, she’d arranged bookshelves that slid out like drawers, and I couldn’t hide my reaction to that being the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. 

“So uh…” Lana said, standing awkwardly in front of me. “This is my place.” 

I laughed. “I see that.” I looked around again, noticing her nick-nacks and decorations. The pictures on her walls were of friends and family, and her room made my bedroom look undecorated by comparison. 

“Do you uh…” I hesitated, unsure of how to progress beyond this point. We had a great first date, fun and spontaneous. Would it be better to end things here? Should we continue things? I was standing in her bedroom, primarily for privacy’s sake, I thought, from her roommates. Should I suggest something intimate? Or…

“Do you want to read our books?” I asked and held up the copy of the book she’d gotten me. 

Lana stared at it, then at me. Her eyes crinkled, and she tried her best to restrain her smile, but she only managed it for a few seconds. She laughed. Melodic, low, and sounding as if she were saying ‘ha, ha, ha’ when she did it. 

I smiled a bit awkwardly. 

“I’m sorry.” She said, trying to recover. “I just… I brought you up here, and I thought… I mean. The date went well, didn’t it?” 

“It did, yeah.” I said. “I thought so.” 

“And I know it might be a little early, but… I feel this… connection between us. Yeah?” Lana asked. 

I nodded. “Yeah.” 

“And you’re so handsome and attractive.” Lana said. “Are you… do you like me that way?” 

“I do.” I said, answering quickly. “You’re… I mean, you’re very attractive.” 

“So when I bring you up to my bedroom, alone, and show you my bed… you want to read?” Lana asked, putting my book on her desk and closing the distance between us. “We can read later, Julio.” She said, taking my hand. She stepped away, pulling me toward her bed. “Right now? Right now we fuck.” 

“We–” Her words caught me off guard, but I didn’t have time to react as she stepped into my arms and pushed her lips against mine. The kiss was pleasant and soft at first. She grew hungrier with each passing moment until we were breathing hard, holding onto each other in the center of her bedroom. 

“Are you okay?” She asked. “Do you want this?” She asked. “Do you want me?” 

“Yeah, I do.” I said, not sure which question to answer first or whether my answer was motivated by my lust in the moment or my rational brain. My consternation must have shown on my face as a studious expression. 

Lana smiled. “Don’t overthink it, Julio.” 

I almost laughed. Here she was, the second woman in a week telling me to let go and enjoy myself with sex. Was this a bizarro world? Since when did women become so sexually liberated? 

My conscious brain wanted to overthink it. I don’t know why. I might never understand why my brain wanted to ruin moments like these with questions. Here, a beautiful woman in a sexy dress wanted us to spend the night together, or at least a few hours of it. My body was down to fuck. I wanted to take her, rip that dress off, and hear her scream my name in that husky, smoky accent. 

My brain? It wouldn’t shut up. It wouldn’t stop asking questions. She was my coworker. Would I be able to face her on Monday? What was this? Was this a one-and-done? A one-night stand? Or was this the beginning of a deeper relationship? What if she wanted to be exclusive after this? What would I tell Penny? What would Lana think if she knew about Penny? What if Lana didn’t like kids? What if Lana and Abby didn’t get along? Did Lana even want to be a mother? Was there any long-term viability for this? Should we be doing this? 

“Julio?” Lana’s voice broke me out of the spiral, her hand on my cheek and her thumb on my chin. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I…” I hesitated. “Is this a one-night stand for you?” 

Lana shook her head. “No. This is… part of getting to know you. If we’re sexually compatible, it’s better to know now, yeah?” 

I followed that logic, at least to a point. 

“I really like you, Julio.” Lana said, pressing her body against mine. “Your sense of humor is great, and we click really well. I… I just want to see what you’re working with and if we’re good together in a way that’s really important to me.” 

I laughed awkwardly. “No pressure, huh?” 

“Some pressure.” Lana joked. “But it’s on me, too.” She put her hand on my chest. “Tell me what you like, Julio. Are you into anything kinky?” She kissed my neck. 

“Uh… no, not really.” I said, unable to shake my head with it tilted and her lips kissing my neck, sucking and biting me there. “Never was into the whole bondage thing or sado-whatever. I wouldn’t want to hurt you.” 

Lana pulled away from kissing my neck and smiled at me. “So, what are you into?” She asked. “What kind of porn do you watch?” 

“Oh, uh…” I had to hesitate there, and not just because her fingers were undoing the buttons on my shirt. “You know… the usual.” 

Lana smirked, looking up at me with shy eyes. “I watch lesbian porn the most.” She said, shrugging. “What kind do you watch?” 

“Oh, uh… wait, really? Are you…” I hesitated, feeling dumb asking the woman with her teeth on my neck and her hand on my ass if she was a lesbian. 

Lana giggled. “No. But I find it has softer themes than most porn, and even in that category, there’s usually a man involved. A lot of porn where two lesbians have sex with a man.” 

“Threesome porn?” I asked, my voice hitching as her hand slid from my ass to my crotch. 

Lana smiled, rubbing the front of my slacks as my dick grew against her hand. “You like threesomes?” She laughed. “Do you wish there were two of me?” She kissed my neck again. 

“Uh…” I tried. My brain kept short-circuiting. The thought of two Lanas was enough to short-circuit any brain. I also felt guilty that she’d been setting the pace so far. I started contributing more, letting my hands roam, embracing her, kissing her, and kissing her neck and shoulder. 

“Want me to get one of my housemates?” She asked, but I could tell from her tone she was teasing. Penny had made these kinds of comments before and even suggested she might join me and Lana if Lana was hot and down for it. Whether she’d been serious, I had no clue. 

“You don’t think that makes me… a pig?” I asked. “Wanting a threesome?” 

Lana laughed and kissed me. “It makes you human. We all have fantasies.” 

“Fantasies. Right.” I said, nodding along. “What’s your fantasy then? Besides threesomes?” 

Lana undid the last button on my shirt, tugging the tuck out of my pants. She opened the shirt and pushed it over my shoulders. She pulled the undershirt out next, and I whipped it over my head. 

“I’ve always wanted to fuck a stranger in some public place.” Lana said, whispering her answer. “Like, some handsome stranger I meet on a train. We share a look, and I follow him into the bathroom where we…” She gasped as I kissed her neck, nibbling her with my teeth. “You?” 

“I’ve… always enjoyed office porn.” I said, deciding to answer honestly. 

Lana cracked a wicked smile. “Want me to turn on my computer and pretend to work?” She asked. 

I laughed, shaking my head. “No, thank you.” 

Lana fumbled with my belt buckle, and I kicked off my shoes, realizing I was already half-naked and she was still fully dressed. 

I peeled the straps off her shoulders, and the upper half of her dress fell away. She wore no bra, and her full, C-cup breasts hung low and round on her chest. I licked my lips and lowered them against her collarbone, kissing her freckled flesh and bending my knees as I scooped her breasts and brought her nipple to my mouth. 

“Oh, a breasts man?” She asked. 

I answered her by sucking one into my mouth, and her legs shook. 

“Oh!” She gasped. “That’s…” 

My tongue swirled her ruddy nipple, twirling and flicking it while I sucked. 

“Oh, my god.” She pushed against me, clutching my arm. 

I switched breasts and repeated the process. She clutched at the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair and holding me against her breast as her eyes shuddered shut. Her breathing hitched. 

“That’s not… they don’t usually… how are you doing that?” She asked. 

I smirked and kissed her, wrapping my arms around her and tugging the drawstring, cinching her dress loose. Untied, the fabric of her dress loosened, and the rest of it fell away. Her soft, black panties weren’t terribly provocative, but they were nicer than typical. Respectable but sexy. 

“Do you have a condom?” 

Her question stopped me in my tracks. 

“I…” I hesitated, looking at her. “I didn’t plan for success.” 

She laughed, which ruined the mood, but not further than the sudden halt had. 

“Get naked, and get on the bed.” She said, pointing to it. She pulled her dress up but didn’t retie it. 

I looked at her, confused, but I sat on her bed. 

“I’ll be right back.” She said, holding up a hand. “Stay there. Stay in the mood. Stroke yourself. Do whatever you have to do. I will be right back.” 

I nodded and watched her leave. She closed the door behind her. 

I sighed and looked around. Deciding to follow through, I removed my pants and left my boxers on. My hard-on stuck through the hole in them, and I stroked myself idly. I didn’t have long to wait. She rushed into the room a minute later with a foil packet in hand. I presumed one of her roommates had some on hand. 

Lana rushed forward, and her eyes lingered on my dick. 

She didn’t look disappointed, which I took as a good sign. 

“Let me.” She said and moved my hand away. She stroked my dick and knelt before the bed, parting my legs so she could pump me in her hand. When she was confident I was as hard as I was going to get, she opened the foil wrapper and rolled the condom down my cock. 

I swallowed and shifted back on the bed. She stood, reached under her skirt, and pulled her panties down. She stepped out of them, and the smell of her arousal passed my nose as she tossed them to the other side of the bed. 

Lana climbed on top, straddling me. Looking up at her, I watched her peel off the top of her dress again. Her breasts and torso were exposed, and the dress slid low on her hips, but its skirt covered us where we met. I shifted and slid against her. The lube on the condom made it impossible to tell if she was as wet as I thought she was, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

She circled her hips like rolling a hula hoop, notching me against her. Then she slid back slightly, and I pushed into her. She put her hands on my shoulders, bracing herself. I groped her breasts, sliding my thumbs over her nipples as she panted. 

“Oh, God.” She gasped. “Julio…” She moaned my name, and I shivered with anticipation. I closed my eyes, and she sat up, filling herself with my cock as she lowered herself and ground against me. 

I moaned, putting my hands on her hips as she straightened and her breasts moved out of my reach. 

“Now…” She whispered, rolling her head back. “Just imagine there’s another me sitting on your face.” 

I grunted, lifting my hips and causing her to moan. 

“Would you like that?” She asked, grunting as she ground herself against me, riding me now. “If I told you I had to… offer a threesome to my roommate, to use one of her condoms…” She grunted. “Would you want her to join us?” 

I groaned. It wasn’t one of her unmet housemates I imagined joining us; it was Penny. I imagined that buxom young woman sitting astride my face, letting me eat her as she and Lana made out above me. Lana squeezed me inside her, and I ground my teeth together, holding back my orgasm as I clenched to stave off my release. 

Lana increased her rhythm, pumping my cock with her body and slamming into me. She rode me for what felt like an eternity as the minutes ticked by. Not knowing what else to do, I reached for her and slid my hands across her hips to her thighs until my thumb pressed against her clit. I pushed and rubbed, and Lana suddenly folded forward, catching herself with her palm on my pec. I winced at the impact but pushed through the pain. 

She quivered against me, and I kept up my gentle assault on her clit, rubbing her, groping her breast with my other hand, and fucking her as she straddled me. The concentrated effort paid off, and Lana moaned low in her throat, then high. 

“FUuuuuuck!” Lana cried out, scratching me as she folded forward, her face careened toward mine until we kissed and her breasts pressed against me. She shook and shivered, cumming on my cock as we made out. Her orgasm squeezed the hell out of me as if her pussy was pumping my cock itself. I went still, but my hard cock ached. I started rocking again. 

“Stop.” She panted. “I can’t… take anymore.” 

I went still, dropping my hips to the mattress. She panted, breathing heavily as she pushed off me and rolled to the side. She collapsed in a heap of limbs and curly black hair. Her hand was on my chest, and she stroked my chest hair gently. 

My erection pointed straight toward the ceiling, wet with lube and juices, still condom-clad. 

“You didn’t cum?” She asked, her voice drowsy and her eyes half-open. “Even with… with all that?” 

“I… no, I didn’t.” I said. 

“Well… give me a minute.” Lana said. “And we can go again.” 

“Okay.” I answered, unsure of what else to say. She lay beside me, and I waited. Silence fell, and I listened to the sound of Lana catching her breath. Before long, Lana’s breathing shifted. I wasn’t sure at first, but when a gentle snore escaped her, I realized she’d fallen asleep beside me in the bed. I almost laughed at myself and the comical nature of my predicament. Weren’t the guys supposed to cum first, then fall asleep? 

My cock ached, and I knew I wanted relief. I could masturbate into the condom, I supposed, but… I thought of Penny. She’d made that joke about blue balls, but she'd still be there if I went home right now. Would she be willing to fuck me? Maybe. If not, I could always masturbate at home, in the comfort of my own bed or bathroom. 

I looked around the room. The lights were still on. I looked at Lana. She was out. I shifted, and she didn’t wake up. I slid off the bed, and still nothing. She continued making the same gentle, adorable, snoring noises as I slowly and quietly took off the condom, threw it away, and dressed. I folded the blanket on her bed over her and left the book I’d bought for her on her desk with a note tucked inside. 

“Lana, thank you for the best date I’ve had in a long time. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and I would love to see you again. - Julio” 

With my work done, I closed her bedroom door behind me and left.