The Soiree

Author’s Note: My deepest, most sincere appreciation goes out to Whispersecret and Tinman for taking the time to edit and critique my story. Without their help, "The Soiree" would not have made it to Literotica in its present form. I also want to thank my boyfriend for being so kind and understanding all those times I told him I’d rather write than go out with him – it was nothing personal. I hope you enjoy reading "The Soiree" and please email me with your comments. CN

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Kayla wanted to cancel the party that was scheduled for Friday night. She’d been forced to work overtime all week long because two of her coworkers were out sick with the flu and she just didn’t feel like dealing with a bunch of people. Nevertheless, her fiancé Brad would not listen to her protests. He insisted that the party go on as planned.

That’s why, at quarter after five on Friday, Kayla found herself rushing through the grocery store grabbing whatever she could find that would be quick and easy to fix. There would be no crab puffs or any of the other elegant hors d’oeuvres she usually made when she had plenty of time; everyone would just have to make do with simple snacks. As Kayla placed her purchases on the conveyor at the check out, a pouch of bite-sized carrots fell from her hands onto the floor.

"Damn it," she snapped, trying to maneuver the cart out of the narrow aisle so she could reach the wayward bag.

"Here, let me get that," a familiar voice said.

Kayla looked up to see Brad’s cousin Dave reaching for the carrots. Flashing her a grin, he deftly scooped them up and tossed them onto the conveyor. Kayla returned Dave’s smile, admiring the sexy little cleft in his chin and the tiny gap between his front teeth.

Kayla had always been attracted to Dave, in spite of the fact that he was her fiancé’s cousin. Back in college, when Kayla and Dave had first met, a casual flirtation had developed between them, but it had never amounted to anything. Kayla’s parents had been dead-set against their daughter getting involved with Dave because he was a guitar player in a rock-and-roll band, and the black sheep of his family to boot. They had done everything they could to discourage Kayla from associating with him until she had finally caved in – like always – and accepted an invitation from Brad, instead. At the time, Kayla thought going to dinner at the country club with Brad seemed a better alternative than hanging out in a nightclub watching Dave’s band perform because it kept her parents off her back. There were times now though when she had second thoughts. Who knew what might have happened if she’d defied her parents and chosen differently?

Dave brushed a lock of his long, honey-colored hair away from his aquamarine eyes and asked, "Are those carrots for tonight’s party?"

Caught daydreaming, Kayla blushed. She had allowed herself to be distracted by the sensual contours of Dave’s mouth and the strong lines of his handsome face. "Uh, yeah," she stammered. "Pickings are going to be unusually slim. I’ve been really busy all week and I haven’t had the time to prepare for our little soiree."

Kayla was glad Dave wasn’t telepathic, because she couldn’t seem to control her wayward thoughts; images of him making love to her had taken over her mind. Her fingers ached to explore his lean form, to caress every inch of it. She wanted him to enfold her in a passionate embrace and kiss her with his firm, full lips until she was left breathless. Her pulse raced as desire swelled within her, tightening her nipples and causing her pussy to tingle.

Stop it, Kayla told herself, you’re engaged to Brad. Sure, Dave is attractive, but you’ve made your decision and there’s no turning back now. What would Mom and Dad say if they knew you were still lusting after that "scruffy musician" they despise when you’re only months away from marrying Brad? You know image is everything with them – they’ve told you often enough.

Dave chuckled, interrupting Kayla’s thoughts. "You have such a way with words, Kay. Soiree’s a pretty fancy expression for a group of people sitting around listening to CDs and getting smashed."

"What do you expect? I was an English major before I switched to Business." Kayla took some money out of her purse and handed it to the cashier who finished ringing up the purchase. "So, what are you doing here anyway?"

"I stopped by to pick up beer on the way to your apartment. What else would I be doing on this side of town? Certainly not grocery shopping; you know I’m not the domestic type."

"Well, you may not be the domestic type, but if you were a gentleman you’d hurry up and get to the apartment so you can help me get ready for the party. Brad’s gone to the airport to pick up Todd; he’s flying in from Berkeley to visit until his next term at the university begins, and you know how those two are when they get together. There’s no telling how long it might take them to come home, so I’m going to need a hand getting ready before everyone else shows up."

"Well, sure, Kayla; I wouldn’t want to ruin your image of me as a knight in shining armor. Is there anything else you need me to do before I come over?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can pick up some hot wings. That will save me some time. Okay?" Kayla accepted her change from the cashier and returned it to her purse.

"Yeah, no problem, I can do that; if you’re sure that’s all you need."

There is one more thing I need, Kayla thought, and then blushed again. Is my mind in the gutter today or what? Oh, well, maybe if Brad would stop holding out on me and give me a good, hard fucking I wouldn’t be so horny. It’s been over a month since the last time we did it. I should have waited until after the wedding to move in with him; he was more attentive when I wasn’t so accessible.

Kayla quickly put a stop to the direction her thoughts were heading. Things were a bit difficult between Brad and her at the moment but it wasn’t something that couldn’t be worked out. With a little wave, she said, "’Bye, Dave. See you in a little while," and pushed her cart toward the exit.

Dave watched Kayla walk away, staring appreciatively at her firm ass and the sexy way her hips swayed beneath her skirt as she moved out the door into the parking lot. He felt his cock stir in his pants. Down, boy, he thought, turning toward the aisle where the beer was located. She’s Brad’s woman; show some respect. But Dave’s cock was not in the mood to listen and Dave couldn’t seem to get the image of Kayla out of his mind.

As he left the store, Dave thought about his relationship with Kayla. She’d been a freshman at college while Brad and he were sophomores. She had started hanging out with them because one of her friends was dating one of their dorm-mates. From the moment they first met, Dave had fallen for Kayla. He was constantly flirting with her but the timing just never seemed right for him to really ask her out. When he finally did, he was too late – she’d already accepted an invitation from his cousin Brad.

Dave had thought about competing with Brad – he was certain he could win Kayla away from his cousin if he tried – but he stood to inherit a quarter of a million dollars from his grandparents when he reached the age of twenty-five and he didn’t want a stupid rivalry with his cousin to jeopardize that. Thanks to Dave’s mother’s scandalous behavior and Dave’s own illegitimacy, he was already on shaky ground where his grandparents were concerned, and Brad just happened to be their favorite grandson. So, Dave had decided to respect Kayla’s decision and not interfere, thereby protecting his future. Nevertheless, he thought it was a mistake for Kayla to date his cousin because they had absolutely nothing in common. Brad was totally wrong for her; Dave knew it, and so did everyone else – except Kayla and her parents, who seemed to think the Sun and the Moon and the Stars all revolved around Brad.

Dave also felt sorry for Kayla sometimes because he knew what a two-timer Brad was. Brad could never be satisfied in a monogamous relationship; he always had to have a string of women on the side. His latest conquest was Denise, the new temp at his office. Brad had boasted about the affair to Dave and some of their other buddies the last Sunday they’d all gotten together at Hooters to watch football. He’d said he’d been so busy in the past month fucking Denise that he hadn’t bothered to give Kayla any. Brad had even said he was going to invite Denise to the party under the guise of having her there as a date for his brother Todd.

Dave shook his head. The bastard had some kind of balls. And everyone thinks I’m no good, Dave thought, just because I’m in a band and I had a mother who liked to sleep around. Compared to my freaking cousin Brad, I’m a paragon of virtue. Well, okay, that’s not exactly true; but at least I know the difference between right and wrong.

How can Kayla not realize what’s going on? I can’t believe she lets him get away with that crap. If she were mine, I’d worship the ground she walks on.

Kayla was in the kitchen cutting celery sticks into strips when Dave finally arrived. He kicked at the door and shouted for her to open up because his hands were full. She quickly put down the knife and hurried to let him in.

Dave was carrying a twelve-pack of beer under his left arm, another twelve-pack in his left hand and balancing two large boxes, which oozed orange-tinted grease from their bottoms, on his right hand. Kayla took the boxes and carried them into the kitchen.

As Dave followed her through the luxurious apartment, he glanced somewhat enviously at the leather couch and matching chairs, expensive entertainment center and wide-screen television that filled the living room. Brad had allowed Kayla to redecorate when she moved in and Dave knew that it had cost them almost more than Dave made in a whole year. Compared to the apartment where Dave lived, Brad and Kayla’s place was a veritable palace.

Well, that’s what happens when you spend every single penny you have on guitars and stuff for the band, Dave thought. You don’t have money left over for leather couches and wide-screen TVs. You’ll have to get used to it, at least until Grandma and Grandpa come through with the trust fund.

"How much do I owe you for the wings?" Kayla asked, as she placed the boxes on the counter beside the sink in the kitchen.

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll call it even if you let me crash on your new leather couch when I’m too fucked up to find my way home later," Dave replied, grinning. He set the beer down, grabbed a dishtowel off the counter and wiped the grease from the hot wings off of his hand.

"Of course, you can sleep on the couch anytime; you are family after all. Besides, I’d rather have you do that than see you get thrown in jail for public intoxication like your cousin Brad is so fond of doing."

"No shit. So, what’s left to do?" Dave tossed the dishtowel back onto the counter and glanced over at the celery sticks Kayla had been slicing.

"Well, you can start by frying some hamburger for the cheese dip. It’s in the refrigerator along with the cheese, and the canned tomatoes that I use are in the cupboard. Mix it all together and microwave it until the cheese is melted. Then, you can finish slicing up the celery for the relish tray and …"

"Hold on, babe. You know I burned out all my brain cells back in college. Just give me one task at a time. Okay?"

Kayla giggled. "You did not. You graduated with a higher GPA than Brad and me combined."

"That wasn’t hard. Brad nearly flunked out because he hardly ever showed up for class and I majored in Music. How could I fail doing what I do best? Besides, you’ve got the really good job while I’m still working at a music store waiting for my band to get its big break."

"Yeah, some great job, being a publicist for a multinational corporation. Whoop-de-do!" Kayla waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. "That’ll set the world on its ear."

Dave caught Kayla’s hand and squeezed it gently as they stood together beside the sink. "What’s wrong, Kay? You sound kind of bitter. Aren’t things going well at work?"

"Oh, work’s all right. I’ve just been a little stressed lately from all the overtime." Kayla tried to ignore the thrill of excitement that rushed through her body at the touch of Dave’s hand. The calluses he had on his fingertips from playing guitar were rough against her palm as he unconsciously caressed her tender flesh. Dave’s mouth was only inches from hers as he stood looking down into her eyes. All she had to do was rise up on tiptoe and their lips would meet.

Suddenly, Dave seemed to realize how intimate their contact was and let go. Kayla felt disappointed – albeit irrationally so. In spite of the attraction she felt toward Dave, there was no way she would ever cheat on Brad; it just wasn’t right – but damn, it was hard to resist when the mere touch of Dave’s hand against hers practically turned her into a nymphomaniac.

"Yeah, overtime sucks. But hey, we’d better get our butts in gear. It will be time for everyone to show up and nothing will be done," Dave said with forced levity.

Kayla nodded and went to find a serving dish that would hold all of the chicken wings, thankful to have gained a respite from Dave’s presence. His easy familiarity made her feel too comfortable around him; made it seem too easy for her to forget that she was engaged. Kayla firmly resolved to ignore the feelings she had for Dave, but in spite of that decision, while they were working together in the kitchen, she found herself imagining what it would be like if they were lovers.

Later, after they had finished their culinary preparations, Dave stood on the balcony sipping a beer while Kayla showered. It was really too cold to be outside but Dave needed something to help clear his head and suppress the desires that threatened to overwhelm him. It would be so easy for him to tell Kayla that Brad had been cheating on her. Dave knew she’d leave Brad in a heartbeat if she found out, but what would that accomplish? Would she immediately fall into his arms, or would she want to kill him for being the bearer of bad tidings? There was no way of knowing, so Dave decided that it was better to maintain his silence than risk a Pyrrhic victory.

Dave heard the sliding glass door open behind him and turned. Kayla stood there shivering in a thick powder-blue terry-cloth robe, her jade-colored eyes wide with surprise. Her ash-blond hair was still damp from the shower and there was a healthy pink glow to her freshly scrubbed cheeks.

In spite of the cold, Dave felt himself heating up with lust. Apparently, Kayla didn’t realize just how sexy she looked or she would have gotten dressed before she came looking for him. Kayla had always been very modest and conventional. That was one of the things Dave liked about her. It was hard to find a girl in this town who had old-fashioned values like Kayla; most of the girls Dave knew, especially the groupies who followed his band, were as immoral as alley cats. However, Dave had to admit he wouldn’t mind too much if Kayla threw herself into his arms and begged him to have sex with her.

Typical male attitude, Dave thought, we’re always looking for whores in good-little-girl’s clothing; or maybe that was supposed to be wolves in sheep’s clothing. Whatever – I’d just like to see Kayla naked.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Dave?" Kayla demanded. "You’re going to catch pneumonia."

"I’m just checking out the city," Dave fibbed. He gestured with his bottle of beer at the buildings beyond the balcony where they stood. "I don’t have this kind of view from where I live."

"Oh, Dave, you know Brad and I couldn’t live like this if it wasn’t for his father."

"Yeah, Uncle Gary sure does know how to take care of things," Dave replied, sarcastically.

Kayla frowned at Dave’s remark. She didn’t like it when Dave reminded her of the tensions that existed within his family.

Kayla’s expression of unhappiness made Dave feel worthless. It wasn’t her fault things were the way they were. "If he hadn’t taken me in when Mom died, I don’t know where I would have ended up," Dave added, trying to sound grateful to his uncle for Kayla’s benefit. "It’s not like I’d ever be able to find my real father. Hell, I’ll probably never even know who he was. Mom didn’t narrow it down for me much when she told me that he was with a band that was big in the seventies. It could be anybody from Jimmy Page to one of the BeeGees."

Kayla laughed. "I don’t think your Dad’s a BeeGee, Dave, but when you get your inheritance from your grandparents, maybe then you’ll be able to find out who he really is."

"Who knows? Stranger things have happened." Dave stared at Kayla, a wry grin quirking up the corners of his generous mouth. Reaching up, he brushed away a lock of hair the wind had blown across his face, and then shook his head to settle it back into place. Another gust of wind blew around the balcony and caught Dave’s hair once again, causing it to swirl around his face and shoulders.

God, it drives me crazy when he smiles at me that way, Kayla thought. And he’s so absolutely gorgeous standing there against the backdrop of the city with the wind whipping through his hair like that. If I didn’t love Brad, I’d … No, you would not, Kayla told herself sternly. Don’t even start thinking things like that. What was it Grandma used to say? – "A minute between the sheets, a lifetime on your conscience."

"Strange things like what?" she asked Dave, attempting to put those unsettling thoughts out of her head and continue the conversation.

Dave almost didn’t believe the look Kayla had just given him, as if she wanted him like he wanted her. Was it possible after all these years that Kayla was still as attracted to him as he was to her? Dave wanted to laugh; a love triangle between Brad, Kayla and him – the situation had all the elements of a soap opera on daytime television.

Although he knew it was wrong and would probably cause him nothing but trouble, Dave impulsively crossed the balcony and leaned against the doorjamb just inches from Kayla. Something about that look she’d given him made him feel reckless. "Strange things like two people admitting their mutual attraction and acting on it," he replied, softly.

Taking a step backwards, Kayla clutched the collar of her robe tightly closed with her left hand as her cheeks flushed crimson. The enormous diamond Brad had given her when the two of them got engaged gleamed brightly on her ring finger, almost as if it were admonishing Dave for his bold behavior. Dave sighed, somewhat vexed by Kayla’s reaction. He hadn’t expected her to immediately accept his implicit proposal, but he wished she hadn’t reacted so negatively. Dave had always been a romantic, and in spite of the fact that Kayla was engaged to his cousin, he had been clinging to the hope that someday, if Fate was kind, he might have a second chance with her. "Damn it, Kayla, I’m sorry," he said quickly, hoping to patch up any damage he’d done to their relationship. "I didn’t mean to come on to you like that. It’s just that you’re looking so beautiful, and it’s been such a long time since I’ve had anybody to, well … you know." Dave hung his head. Kayla probably didn’t want to hear about his fucked-up relationships, but he couldn’t stop his runaway mouth. "Andrea got back together with her ex a couple of months ago and I just haven’t been able to find anyone else who has piqued my interest since then. I am seriously horny and I need to get laid, but you know how I hate those freaking groupies that follow the band and they’re the only thing that has been available lately."

Flustered, Kayla continued to back away from Dave, stammering, "No, no, it’s okay, really. I mean I’m flattered. What girl doesn’t like to be told she’s beautiful and desirable?" My God, Kayla thought, is he psychic? Can he read my mind? Does he know what’s in my foolish heart?