Personal Trainer Lydia Trains Zach Ch 12

The indoor skydiving was fun. They each took pictures of the other suspended in mid-air, and the attendant was happy to snap shots of them, hair completely askew, as they posed in a "Yeah — I just fake-jumped out of an airplane" stance in front of the place where the column of air had provided a few minutes of exhilaration cheating gravity. Lydia also purchased the package of pictures the establishment offered all patrons, including some photos of the two of them together, suspended in the column of air.

I want

every

keepsake from this day!

she thought.

When they'd put themselves back together and said good-bye to the attendant who had helped them, Lydia again was the perfect date, ushering Zach to the passenger side of her SUV and opening the door for him.

"Boy, I'm really getting the royal treatment," he said, grinning as he climbed in.

"You have no idea," Lydia said, locking his gaze for a mysterious moment before her own grin appeared.

"Now, you see?" Zach said as Lydia slid into the driver's seat and fastened her seat belt. "That's the kind of comment a horny guy could easily get excited about. You just can't stop yourself from teasing me, Lydia Tanner."

She didn't look at him as she focused on the rear-view mirror to back out of the parking space. But the entire time she was backing up and maneuvering out of the parking lot, eyes on everything but Zach, Lydia couldn't refrain from more of the same: "It is kind of fun, Zach. I've never been the type of woman that would be this flirty, so maybe it's just new to me, and that's why I'm enjoying this — feeling safe with you to try out new things."

She let that comment hang in the air for a second before continuing as she shifted out of reverse. "And no matter how many comments I make as a flirtatious tease, Zach, no matter what surprising thing might come out of my mouth tonight, I am not going to be leading you on like some women are known to do."

She caught his quizzical expression out of the corner of her eye. It begged more explanation, and it thrilled Lydia to provide a follow-up. "You know . . . leading you on throughout an entire date and then not following through on sexy time."

When she'd pulled to the exit of the parking lot and was waiting for an opening in traffic, she turned toward him and said, "I'm not going to withhold anything from you tonight, Zach. No frustration for you, no coy half-promises."

His gaze was locked on her face as she spoke the words.

"Tonight we're going to make our phone sex into a reality."

She pulled into traffic.

Zach groaned. "Lydia! Is that one of the new flirty things you're trying out to say?"

She reached her right hand to his lap, leaving it there. "And this, too," she said, her fingers snugging a bit into his crotch. "This is a naughty new thing for me, too. I've never done this on a date, either."

"Oh, my god," he harumphed. "Promise me that I'll make it through dinner without your comments and touches causing the biggest embarrassment of my life in public. Promise, Lydia! No hard-ons in my slacks, and god knows, no wet spots on my crotch because you are saying things that kickstart an erection and pre-cum I can't prevent."

She glanced at him as she continued driving.

"So you haven't been to

Rinaldo's

yet, is that right?"

Zach only shook his head and sighed. "Noting the abrupt subject change that means you haven't promised anything . . . no, Lydia, I haven't been to

Rinaldo's

yet."

A small grin started on Lydia's face. "Well, one of the reasons I thought it would be a good dinner destination is that there are some booths that offer a decent amount of privacy."

She withdrew her hand from his crotch and replaced it on the wheel. "And the food is really good, and they have some dishes that two toned, in-shape, handsome human beings can enjoy without consuming mass quantities of calories."

Zach leaned his head against the headrest. Smiling, he said, "I surrender. I can see there's no way this evening is going to proceed in a way that won't have me so hot and bothered by the time we get back to my place that I don't know if we're going to be able to enjoy my dessert together."

"Your horniness arouses me, love," Lydia said. "You want me to be aroused tonight, right?"

"I want you to be any way you want to be, Lydia," he answered.

"Thank you. That settles that. Now the date continues, and I am literally and figuratively in the driver's seat."

She cast a glance at her passenger. "I'm sorry, Zach. I'm trying to be good. And I can promise you that I'm trying to be pure Lydia and no Ms. Tanner tonight!" She smiled sincerely at him.

"I know, I know," he answered. "Your rules and all. You're very smart, Lydia. And I have already loved every second of this date, and I know I'll love every second to come."

He leaned as close to her as the seatbelt would allow and said softly, "But that Ms. Tanner . . . she's an intriguing gal."

Lydia's nipples hardened a bit at the comment.

She thought of the little jump drive in her purse.

***

"Yes. Here it is. Reservation for two, Ms. Tanner. Right this way."

Rinaldo's

hostess ushered them to a booth that seemed strangely situated, almost the only seating in one alcove of the restaurant's layout. Zach's logical mind understood why — the booth afforded another place for four more patrons in the restaurant by creatively using what many people might have thought would only be good for storage or some other utilitarian usage.

Lydia's creative mind understood this was the

only

booth in the restaurant she would settle for when she made the reservation. Planning every detail of the date that would culminate in making love to her man meant she'd asked specifically for this booth when she made the reservation. The second time she and Connie had been here they had been seated in this relatively isolated booth, and she remembered it, knowing it would be perfect for her date with Zach.

"Thank you," Zach said to the hostess, who was waiting for them to sit before she handed them the menus. He then stepped back to motion Lydia into the booth.

"No, Zach. After you," she said motioning him into the seat.

"Oh . . . um, yeah, of course." He slid in and grinned at the hostess. "I'm getting special treatment tonight."

Lydia gave the hostess a knowing look. She slid in next to Zach instead of sitting on the bench seat on the other side of the table, surprising him again. He scooched farther over on the bench seat to allow Lydia room to sit next to him.

"This is nice and cozy," she said, reaching for the menus as she turned to smile briefly at Zach before looking back at the hostess. "We'll be just fine like this. Thank you."

Handing the menus to Lydia, the young woman who had seated them said, "Your waitperson tonight will bring you water shortly and introduce herself." She smiled warmly at both of them and then was gone.

"I wanted to be next to you," Lydia said. "But I also want to see your handsome face, Zach. We can kind of half-turn a little bit, right?" She indicated with her own body position what she meant, and he was happy to reciprocate. "Nice. Very nice," she said, smiling.

Shanise was their server's name. She brought two glasses of water and another of

Rinaldo's

employees' smiles. "If you don't know, we pride ourselves on the bread we make here. Will it be okay to bring some while you look at the menu?"

Zach started to answer but remembered Lydia's intent to pamper him tonight, so he short-circuited what would have been his normal response while out on a date at a restaurant.

"That'd be great," Lydia said to Shanise. "And could we get a small plate and some oil and vinegar, too?"

"Certainly. I'll get that right out." Shanise hurried away.

"So I'm a kept man tonight, huh?" Zach asked, doing a bit of teasing himself.

"No, I wouldn't say that," Lydia answered. "Just . . . 'taken care of' — does that work?"

"Whatever you say, Lydia. You're the boss."

The phrase had become almost an instant hypnotic induction for Lydia.

Did you say that on purpose, Zach?

she wondered. The little shiver that went up her spine when he spoke the words was noticeable.

"Get a chill?" he asked.

"Um, no," she answered, looking into his eyes. He was having that effect on her, and she knew what was happening. "When you said, 'You're the boss,' I had an involuntary reaction, that's all."

Lydia did not break her gaze into Zach's eyes, and she continued. "You said that a couple of times the first workout, and a few times since. I think it connects in my subconscious with me seeing you naked, with me as the one . . . well, um . . . the one who's in charge, as in saying what to do, and the other person does it. Sexually, I mean," she admitted, "as in saying the other person should strip naked, get a hard-on as she watches . . . you know — that kind of thing." She searched his eyes. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"

He shook his head slowly and answered softly. "You enjoying yourself is never a bad thing, Lydia. Whether it's a shiver of anticipation or a satisfying orgasm."

Oh, yeah. This man is going to be the best lover!

Lydia thought. "Well, just hearing you say, 'You're the boss,' can get me . . . uh,

interested

. As in, my nipples starting to get all tingly."

Zach was searching her eyes. He dropped his voice to an even softer level. "Is this one of the times tonight when you've planned to say something that will start getting me hard?"

She surreptitiously slid her hand onto his crotch, leaving it there, gently lying against his zipper. "Not that I planned, but I like the opportunity," she answered. "Zach, I don't know myself sometimes, like right now, in a restaurant, feeling like the most natural thing in the world is for me to have my hand on my man's crotch, alert to any motions his beautiful cock might be making."

Silence was the proper reaction, Zach knew.

I'm listening,

he thought. R

"I've said before that you've awakened things in me that have never, ever been part of Lydia Tanner in her whole life. I love those things, but they still surprise me, and I still haven't figured everything out. I have finally reached the point, though, where I know I should just go with the flow as the absolutely perfect thing to do." Searching his eyes for a couple of seconds, she continued, "Including this." And she gave a little squeeze, a little insinuation with her fingers that she would like to find the outline of Zach's cock underneath his pants.

"Whether you planned it or not, Lydia," Zach said, leaning in for a kiss, "this is one of those times I was talking about."

Lydia felt his cock plumping as she returned the kiss. After a delicious few seconds, she drew her face back from his to again look into his eyes. "Before you, Zach, I didn't even know what I was missing. It was like there was some hidden appetite I had, but I didn't know it — or I didn't

let

myself know it."

He was listening intently, tracking the motion of her eyes with his own.

"But since seeing your naked backside that first incredible moment when I looked at you through the doorway of your workout room, I've had an insatiable appetite for seeing your handsome, completely nude body. I just love seeing your chest, your shoulders, your strong legs and arms, your sexy butt and your gorgeous cock, especially when it's hard and throbbing. I just have to see it, linger my gaze on it, then your balls, then your ass, then all of you again. You are so-o-o sexy. I can't wait to have my hands all over you, my mouth all over you."

She felt him stiffening even more. The effect was powerfully erotic.

"I'm turning myself on just saying these things, but they're true," Lydia said. "And here we are in this restaurant, and the only thing I can do with my mouth is to kiss you."

She leaned into him, her hand now insistent at the crotch of his slacks, and sealed her lips against his in a passionate kiss.

Breaking the kiss, Zach had to rearrange himself in the booth.

Lydia knew why, and she removed her hand.

That second pair of panties was a wise decision,

she thought.

Just then Shanise returned with bread and the other things requested. "Allow me," she said, after putting down the small cutting board on which the bread sat along with the oil and vinegar. She poured a little of the two liquids onto the plate. "Ground pepper?" she asked, indicating the wooden grinder that sat alongside the salt.

"Please," Lydia answered. "I think the bread will serve as our perfect appetizer as we look at the menu, Shanise."

After grinding pepper until Lydia said, "Thanks," Shanise smiled and was once again away to her other serving duties.

"I'll try to behave for a little while," Lydia said sincerely. "But that was a pretty intense revelation, Zach. It's the first time I've even said that out loud. Hearing myself say it turned me on, and you, too, I guess." She grinned apologetically, noticing that Zach was still trying to adjust things. "Let's relax and enjoy this bread while we figure out what we're going to order."

"That will be a relief," Zach said, simply.

***

It was a wonderful meal. Lydia got a spinach and salmon salad that was delicious, and Zach's choice of a chicken breast marinated in what Shanise described as

Rinaldo's

special blend of herbs and spices along with perfectly prepared vegetables delighted him.

And dinner

had

presented some opportunities for Lydia to learn more about Zach, and for him to learn more about her.

"Well," he said, answering one of her questions, "my job keeps me pretty busy. Thank goodness things are at a place now where I can turn over some stuff to Emily, our chief operating officer. She's been with my company for several years, almost from the beginning, and I have complete confidence in her to make good decisions. But, as the CEO, I have to keep a hand on the wheel, especially for the strategic planning." He looked at Lydia. "So, no, not really a lot of long-term relationships, or even a lot of women period, in my past. There just hasn't been time. I've dated a few women for a while over the years, but I guess I can't even say I've had any serious girlfriends for the last year or so."

"I hope you don't think I'm prying?" Lydia said, a crease of worry between her eyebrows.

"No, of course not. I'm flattered you're interested in learning more about me."

Relieved, Lydia said, "Emily sounds like a big help to you. Was she someone you crossed paths with by accident?"

In spite of Lydia just saying she didn't want to pry, hearing a woman's name as the number two at Zach's company prompted thoughts that he would have to spend a lot of time with her.

What kind of relationship is it?

she wondered, even though she completely believed Zach's statement about no serious girlfriends for quite a while.

"Oh, no," Zach answered. "It wasn't accidentally that I found Emily. I was quite intentional in hiring her. She had a résumé that stood out when I created the position. She has a software engineering degree, but she had also worked for a while at a company she started but which ultimately went under when she couldn't maintain a client base. That failure was a learning experience the way I see it, and she was clearly extremely intelligent and motivated, so I hired her. She's been great. With a husband and two kids, she likes the flexible hours I'm happy to accommodate because she always gets the work done, and for her, finding a local place to work was high on her list of preferences."

Yes!

thought Lydia. She was ashamed of her reaction, though — Zach had just confirmed he was not a stereotypical dot-com start-up bro, and she knew he was a stand-up guy.

But I'm still relieved

, she admitted to herself. "Emily" was a mom who was probably running to soccer practice and band practice as she and her husband juggled family life. She couldn't have designs on Zach after all the years working in his company.

And Lydia knew all about how exhausting being a mom can be. In those years of getting Stephanie and Simone to bed after a day's work at her job, there was barely enough energy left to do anything but try to relax for at least a few minutes before slipping into a pre-bed snooze. Even before the divorce, with a husband who at least occasionally helped in the parenting, it was tough. Being single with kids just about sucked the desire away to find the time to date.

Lydia would enjoy meeting Emily. She sounded like a sharp, with-it COO as well as mom and wife.

Good for you, Emily!

Zach knew about Stephanie and Simone from his first date with Lydia. He enjoyed hearing Lydia's answers to his questions about them.

"They obviously take after their mom in terms of having their act together," he said, nudging into Lydia's shoulder as they sat in the booth. "Sounds like they're making good choices and are headed for success." He paused, looking at her. "I can't wait to meet them."

He knew it might be a presumptuous statement, but he was intensely interested in Lydia's response.

I

am

going to be around long enough to meet them, right?

was the silly thought that ran through his head.

"You didn't really think I was going to keep that from you, did you?" Lydia answered, laughing. "They're already quizzing me every time I call about 'mom's mystery guy' ever since I told them about you a couple of weeks ago."

She's told her kids about me,

Zach thought.

That is a very good sign.

"I still can't believe you have two daughters in college, Lydia," he said. "Like I said on our first date, it'd have to be the case that anybody seeing the three of you lined up next to each other would be hard pressed to pick mom out of the line-up."

"Flattery, Zach," she replied, "is going to get you into my panties."

"What else would you like to hear as flattery," he answered, grinning. "I can think of lots of ways to flatter you." Taking her lead from her comment, he leaned close and said, "For instance, I think your body is fantastic. I mean, your sexy nipples that poke through your top, the gorgeous curve of what must be fantastic breasts, that sexy ass that drives me crazy every time you bend over in your workout leggings, your beautiful face and pretty smile, the way you can edge a guy into sexual oblivion just with your dirty talk, the way-"

"Good god, enough!" Lydia said, giggling. "Now when you get into my panties, they'll be wet."

The conversation had become intimate. They still had some of their meals to finish.

"Good," Zach said, forking a bite of chicken into his mouth. "I want them wet, and I want you really wet when we make love tonight."

Lydia almost choked on her bite of salad. Raising her napkin to wipe her mouth offered the opportunity to drop her other hand discretely to Zach's lap, working her fingers into the fabric, searching for his cock. "You're being naughty," she said, "saying such things." She found her target, cradling his plumping cock into a half-grip through his slacks and briefs.

She watched him swallow, then rippled her fingers along the outline of his cock. "I've been wet ever since the first glance at your sexy pictures."

Zach rolled his eyes. Squirming a bit in her grasp, he said, "Those pictures. They're going to haunt me, aren't they?"

She responded quickly, hoping he didn't mean 'haunt' in a bad way.

"If you mean they are going to make me horny to get my hands on you, then yes. That's the truth. But I wouldn't necessarily say that's a haunting."

They both laughed.

"Neither would I," Zach admitted. "I just meant that those pictures are always going to be around for your private alone time, and that I need to get used to that. Maybe they'll become the 'Ghost of Ms. Tanner's Private Training' or something." He grinned at her. Lydia felt his cock lengthening in the confines of his pants and her grip.