Remember When We Were Just Friends

For Nadine

"Don't you want to make love to me, Jerry?" Marlena had that same pleading look she used to give him when he'd avoid dancing with her at their parties.

"It's been my wildest dream for two years!" Jerry retorted.

"Then why haven't you even touched me? It's been two weeks!" Marlena stepped up to the lone window in her narrow bedroom and gazed out at the late autumn sunset over the rooftops. Already looking like she'd stepped out of a Laura Ashley catalog in a new angora sweater and blue floral print skirt, now she reminded Jerry of some sort of country living meme in the dying sunlight, despite the rooftops of the city outside. From his wary position in the bedroom doorway, Jerry was torn. He longed to rush over and hold her, but something held him back.

"Oh, geez." All at once he knew just what that something was.

Marlena turned to look at him, and he saw tears glistening in her eyes. "What is it?"

"I just realized the answer to your question," he said. "Why I haven't even touched you."

"Then could you please explain yourself?" She sat down on the window-seat and crossed her legs. "I thought after that day at the coffee shop, there wouldn't be any mind games."

"It's not a mind game," Jerry said, gingerly stepping into the room; he sat on the bed and curled one leg under himself to face her from a safe distance. "At least not one I'm playing with you. Maybe with myself."

Marlena looked a bit more forgiving, and even laughed lightly. But she wasn't satisfied. "Just what does that mean, Jerry?"

"I've spent the past two years reminding myself I'd never get to touch you, that's what," Jerry said. "And that didn't just switch off that moment in the coffee shop. As beautiful as that was, I mean, I told you..."

Marlena nodded. "I know. All those times you wouldn't ask me to dance at our parties, or the times you didn't show up at all, I thought you were just shy - and you know, I was too when I was a girl, so I never held it against you."

"It's what you

were

holding against Jens," Jerry quipped. "I was ever so careful never to even imagine it!"

He feared Marlena, who blushed at feminine hygiene commercials and routinely said things like, "It's hot as Hades out there," would be furious at that comment. He was equal parts relieved and confused when she dissolved into laughter instead. "Oh, Jerry, I can see why you didn't want to think about that!" She jumped up and opened her arms. "Come here."

Jerry stood up and let her envelop him in her embrace, which he more than happily returned. He still got that wonderful bursting feeling in his heart every time it happened, and he wondered just how much longer that would linger. "May I ask why you can see that?" he asked as he stroked her back, wondering if she minded his fingers' awareness of her bra beneath the thin fabric of her top.

"Well, I can think of two reasons," Marlena said. "One, it would have hurt to think of someone else making love to me - especially that creep Jens..."

"You don't have to say that just for me, you know."

"I'm not saying it just for you. You do know he had a girlfriend back in Denmark all along?"

"I heard rumors. Sorry, I figured it was none of my business..."

"It's okay! You're right, it wasn't. And the only one who owes me an apology is Jens."

"Thank you. Now, the second reason?"

"Jerry, being a teacher is a lot like being an actor. I'm good at playing the part of someone as innocent as my kids are. But please don't think I'm like that with my boyfriends!"

Now Jerry let her go and stood back a bit. "I mean, I won't, Marlena, but..."

"But what, Jerry?" She looked at him with the same longing she used to give him at their parties when she hoped he would ask her to dance (which he never had - a taste of honey's worse than none at all).

"I believe you," he made sure to say upfront. "But, I mean, it's hard to believe it was all an act, the way you were always so demure. I mean, Tim and his dirty jokes, and Rochelle..."

"Tim was a thirteen year old boy in a man's body, and Rochelle - well, did you like the way she threw herself at every man she met?"

"Every man except me," Jerry corrected.

"The better for you, Jerry, you know that. Especially now!"

"Truer word was never spoken. But...Marlena, you still acted like that when you moved back here. Two years on and Jens was history, but you - you were still the same."

Marlena sighed and looked a bit exasperated. "Jerry, do you think you were the only one with secret feelings?"

"Oh my God." Jerry squeezed his eyes shut and flopped down on his back on the bed. "Why did I never think of that?!"

"You said it yourself, you spent two years not letting yourself think that way. And I spent those same two years, when I was out in California, remembering you always holding me at arm's length. Honest to God, Jerry, I never had any idea you had a crush on me! If I had..."

"You wouldn't have moved back here?"

"I'd have moved back sooner. And I wouldn't have acted so coy when I did come back. Look, even if I had known how you felt about me before, I wouldn't have guessed you still did. You did have a girlfriend in between, after all."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Jerry's ex hadn't treated him any better than Jens had treated Marlena. "So you're saying, all those times over the summer..."

"I kept telling myself if it were going to happen, it would have two years ago, and don't mess things up with the best friend I have in town. I figured you thought of me as your kid sister, Jerry."

"Kid sister?" Jerry wondered whether he ought to remind Marlena that she was three years older. He did not.

"Well, we got along so well, but we were still so circumspect. Now I know why. Now, look, Jerry, if you want to go back to being just friends..."

"I don't!" Jerry got to his feet again and took both her hands in his. "I told you that day at the coffeehouse, I love you, Marlena!"

"Then show me!" She let go of one of his hands and rubbed his chest playfully. "Maybe I'm a little old fashioned, but it's not like I'm a nun!"

They both laughed, and Jerry pulled her close and nuzzled her neck a bit. Before he knew it, she'd turned her head and their lips met and opened. Marlena darted her tongue in and over his teeth, leaving no doubt his kiss was welcome.

She also drew her arms back and he responded in kind, only to find she wasn't letting go all the way. She rubbed his sides playfully. Jerry set about doing the same, wondering if she was ready for more. He soon found she was, for she stopped rubbing long enough to take his hands and place them on her breasts. "They like it," she whispered reassuringly. "I like it!"

Presently be saw just how much they liked it, for his gentle caresses brought her nipples poking through the soft cloth while her breathing grew heavier and more intense. "Oh, that feels so good, Jerry!" she cooed in his ear between kisses. "I've been imagining it for two weeks!"

"Try two years!" he reminded her.

"You said you didn't let yourself think of this!"

"Not specifically," he whispered, and opted to leave it at that. It was about time he took the lead on something, he decided, so gingerly he started pulling her top up. He did it slowly enough to give her all the time in the world to stop him.

Instead she raised her arms. "My bra too, while you're at it!" she giggled. So he had but a moment to admire her lacy peach-colored bra before following her order and unfastening it.

Marlena's breasts were small but supple, and they felt as delightful as they looked. "So much for just friends!" she said with a chuckle as she watched him caress them. Then her joking tone melted into intimate joy as she let out the most intense moan he'd ever heard from her before. "Knew you'd be magical with them, Jerry!"

"Did you?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled his shirt off as well. He'd been trying to lose weight without much success, and could only hope she didn't find his belly as repulsive as he had lately. Right away he learned she did not, as she welcomed the first opportunity to rub it playfully, making him giggle a bit.

"So you're ticklish too, are you?" On that note she gave his belly an active tickle, which got the desired laugh.

It also emboldened him to pull her down onto the bed, where he straddled her and set about kissing her between her breasts, under them, over them, on the edges, everywhere except the nipples just yet. Marlena's moans grew louder and more intense by the second, and he opened his eyes to see she was pinching her nipples with both hands. "Oh, you beat me to it!" he said.

"Couldn't wait anymore," Marlena said huskily.

"Well, let me help you." She dutifully took her hands away, and he latched onto her left nipple and gave it a flicking, teasing lick. Then another slightly harder one, and then a long, luxuriant suckle while he rubbed his thumb playfully over her right one.

The next noise Marlena served up wasn't a moan, it was a yelp. "Auuugh! Jerry! So good!"

He looked up from her breast in wonder. "You mean you can come from just..."

"Yes!" she said. "But don't do it yet. I want to come with you inside me!"

So much for just friends indeed, Jerry thought as he gave her breast a final, long and hard kiss, and then sat up and gathered her skirt up. As he did so, Marlena thrust her hips up. "Unzip it, Jerry. Take it off!"

Marlena's panties matched her bra, but they were now a few shades darker with her arousal. Jerry rubbed the damp cloth and felt her fleshy wet lips under it, and felt her body go rigid as she let out more wonderful nothingness of pleasure. He rubbed in a few playful circles, forgetting for the moment her directive about when she wanted to come, and then carefully peeled the wet panties down. She playfully kicked them off and spread her legs wide, and gave him a welcoming look.

"Oh, no." Jerry froze, his hand poised just over her vulva to give her another playful caress.

"What's wrong?"

"Haven't got a condom."

Marlena pointed at her bedside table. "In the drawer."

"Should've known you'd be prepared," Jerry said, sliding off the bed to open the drawer.

"They've been there for two weeks," she purred, and Jerry looked over at her to see she was fingering herself in his absence. "And yes, I've been doing this for two weeks, too, now that it was finally safe to imagine you here."

"God, I'm so sorry, Marlena..."

"Stop apologizing and bring your hard cock over here!" Marlena ordered.

Jerry looked at her in disbelief as he opened the condom wrapper, and they both promptly dissolved into peals of laughter. "All right, I deserved that!" he admitted. He set the open wrapper on the table and hurriedly unbuttoned his pants, and shoved them and his boxers down in one fell swoop. The subject of Marlena's demand sprung out and flopped about as he kicked his pants and boxers off, and he welcomed her admiring gaze at it.

He handed her the condom. "Want to do the honors?"

"And how!" Marlena sat up and took the condom out of the wrapper, and took his penis in her hand. Before rolling it on, she kissed the tip and then took it in her mouth and tickled it with her tongue. Now it was Jerry's turn to let out some noises she'd never heard from him when they were just friends, and he had to grab onto her shoulders for balance.

"Would a nun do that, Jerry?" Marlena quipped as she let him out of her mouth and set to rolling the condom on.

"Not as well as you did it, anyway."

"Good answer!" She lay back again and spread her legs wide. "Now, in you go!" As he climbed on top of her, she smacked his buttocks playfully and then took his hardness in one hand to guide him inside her.

Jerry pushed in as far as he could reach, and paused there to look in her eyes. Two years ago she'd broken his heart, last summer he'd apparently broken hers, and now...

"Oh, that's beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered.

Jerry answered not with words, but by pulling back and gently back in, as slowly as he'd ever made love to anyone. Savoring the gentle wet embrace of her vagina, he pushed ever so slowly in and out of it again and again, only just aware of her equally gentle hands up and down his back and her warbling moans.

He could have enjoyed that moment forever, Jerry was quite sure. But he could feel himself getting dangerously close to coming, and it wouldn't do to leave her hanging. He sped up, just a little at first, and was rewarded with his demure old friend voicing her approval in no uncertain terms. "Oh, yes, harder!" she said to his near disbelief. And so he went at it harder, and Marlena gripped at his sides as if she were afraid she'd fall off the bed. "Ooooh! Gonna come!"

"Do it!" he managed to say through his own near-orgasmic haze.

"Make me!" she ordered, humping up with her hips as best she could.

An order is an order, Jerry admitted, and he set into flailing as hard and fast into her as he could. He could feel his own orgasm about to bring everything to a sudden halt. But she got there just in time, throwing her arms around him and bringing him down hard on top of her as she roared in pleasure. It was all he needed to bring him off as well, and he came to a stop once again as far inside her as he could go.

The silence was thick and wet and wonderful. After a few intense seconds, it was broken by Marlena crying.

Jerry scrambled up on his elbows, making no effort to pull out although he felt her close her legs around him just in case he tried. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, Jerry, it's just so beautiful and we almost lost out on this twice!"

"I know," he said. He couldn't help but think of how hard it had been to see her and Jens out and about hand in hand, and the dark places that had sent him to in his mind back then, and he could only just stand to imagine he might have ever put her through the same. "But aren't you glad we didn't lose it this time?"

Marlena looked up and laughed at him through her tears. "And to think we both didn't dare imagine this!"

"I don't know about you, but I never could have imagined it would be this good anyway."

She reached up and caressed his cheek. "God, what an awful line, Jerry! But..."

"But what?"

"But you're right."