Hey guys. It's been a long time since I've published anything, and this is my latest. I'm introducing a new girl, a chick I went to high school with ages ago named Heather. I've always had a thing for her, and I'm pretty sure she knows it. We've never dated, as much as I've wanted to, we're just good friends. I asked her out once ages ago and she friend zoned me right then and there, and that was it (long story that I'm not getting into). The background behind this story is all true but the sexual stuff is (unfortunately) fictional. She did actually get coffee with me and come to my house and hang out with me, as you'll read about, but I made all the erotic stuff up. Hope you like it. Here we go.
"Matt? Matt! Hello! Yo, you still with me?"
I looked up from the table where I was absentmindedly stirring my coffee. Heather was waving her hands in front of my face, trying to get my attention. She sighed. "You are totally out of it today, man. You sure you're alright?"
The reality is, I have never been less fine. Let me give you a bit of background. I've had a rough few years, and that's putting it mildly. I flunked out of college my sophomore year, and dumped my girlfriend Olivia after 4 years of dating around the same time. We got back together over a year later then broke it off again. Whether permanently or not remains to be seen, but I'm single for now. Then around the same time I left college, my aunt was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, and seeing what it did to her, both physically and mentally, really fucked me up. She fought it bravely and won, then it came back two years later in April 2017 and killed her six weeks later. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, gone. Forty seven years old. No one truly gets how fucking awful cancer is until a loved one succumbs to it. As I type this (June 2017), it's been nearly a month since she died, and it still hasn't really hit me. I wrote her a letter saying goodbye and thanking her for all our good memories, and I can't tell you how hard it was to write.
It's sitting on my dresser right now sealed, and maybe one day once I've come to grips with her death, I'll read it again. She meant a lot to me, and I'm tearing up as I write this. I had 22 years with her and it wasn't enough. I've since gone back to school, just finished my second year of an engineering degree, pretty much the only thing I've ever wanted to do. I'm also drowning in student loans, and academically it's been the most punishing year of my life. Engineering is no joke, and I've learned through experience most of the horror stories you hear in this major about whole classes flunking exams and 60-70% drop-out rates are spot on. All this stuff has put me under a lot of mental pressure, trying to balance work, school, finances, my love life, friends, all that shit. I think it's been affecting my health. I've lost a ton of weight and become a bit more withdrawn and snarky. My hands shake constantly from stress. I think it might be depression honestly. I've been seeing a therapist for it but I'm not sure if it helps. Long story short, I've changed a lot over the years, and not necessarily for the better. Now back to the story.
I was sitting at a Starbucks with Heather, just catching up. I hadn't seen her in god knows how long. I've mentioned I've been into her for as long as I can remember, since our high school days 4+ years ago. We text a lot. I enjoy talking to her, and she's one of the few people I trust with just about anything. We've been friends for years and been to parties and got drunk together. Plenty of fun memories. I'm rambling on now, let me continue the story. Heather sighed and leaned back in her chair, and said, "You are totally out of it today, man. You sure you're alright?"
I looked up at her, coming back to reality. I had been spacing out, just thinking about all the shit that had happened to me lately. "No, I'm not ok. I've never been ok," I said softly. "Look at me, Heather. I'm a mess. I don't sleep at night. I'm up to my eyeballs in debt, my aunt just died, I don't know what the fuck to do with myself. I have no one to turn to. My parents know jack shit about how hard college is, and how I'm feeling in general. They like to think they do, but they don't. I just need someone to talk to. Someone to be there for me."
She sat up and leaned in, staring at me. "You're hurt, Matt. It's ok. I can see it in your eyes. You say you're good but you aren't. And it's ok. Really, it is. You have my number, I'm always here."
I just stared at her, trying to hold back tears.
She picked up her coffee and sipped it. She set it down on the table where we were sitting and leaned in again. Her dark eyes were boring into mine. She was usually always smiling and playful, but now she was dead serious. She said quietly, "I think in therapy, you might find the help you need." She pulled out her wallet and threw a few bills on the table. "I'm buying this time."
I smiled faintly, "Thanks." I could see my reflection in her glasses, and I looked as rough as I thought. I had a three-day beard, and my gray eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. My tiny black earrings glinted in the reflection. Shit, I thought. I look terrible.
We left Starbucks a few minutes later and walked out to the parking lot. Heather turned to me with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me to come get coffee."
I pulled her into a tight hug, and we stood there swaying back and forth for a while. "No, thank you! For coming with me." She smelled amazing. Whatever perfume she had used was mesmerizing. I wished I could stay like that forever, holding her and breathing in that scent. I finally looked down at her. "You're one of the very few people I can talk to honestly and openly. No one else understands what I'm going through." Looking down at her, I had the overwhelming desire to kiss her violently, shove my tongue down her throat. The one thing stopping me was I wasn't sure how she would react. I resisted the urge.
She was looking up at me. I couldn't tell if she could sense that I wanted to kiss her. She was a decent height for a girl, about 5'5", only 3 or 4 inches shorter than me. She would have been at the perfect height for it too. Agh. She smiled again. "Of course, Matt. Anytime. You know I'm here for you. Text me soon and let me know how you're doing." I released her and she walked to her car, a 2014 Chevy Cruze. God, she looked so attractive. She opened the door and waved before starting the car and driving off.
I walked over to my ride and jumped in. One of the few pleasures in my life right now is my car that I bought last November, a dark red 6-speed 2007 Saab 9-3 Aero, Saab's top of the line model before they went under a few years back due to General Motors' bullshit ownership. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I had to sell it, it's one of the few things that makes me happy these days. I own a silver 2003 as well that I've had for years, it runs fine with no issues but it has about 235,000 miles on it, way too much to continue to daily drive it, so I got a newer one.
I went back to my house and proceeded to do absolutely nothing. Literally stared at a wall. I've said before I think I have depression, or a mental problem at the very least, and these are the times when I think so. Whenever I lie in bed at night, I start overthinking about stuff, my student loans, my recently deceased aunt, all negative stuff. Needless to say, later that day I texted Heather saying I still felt awful and needed to talk. She responded pretty much instantly, as she usually does. God, why couldn't she be mine?
I wound up asking her to come over and chat, even though we had just done that at Starbucks the same day. My parents were away for the night visiting my aunt in the neighboring state, and my younger sister Nicole was at work bartending. I can't say exactly where I live for privacy reasons, other than America, but no more specific than that.
Heather arrived at about 8:30ish. I was sitting on my couch drinking a Heineken when I heard her coming down my basement stairs. She appeared with a smile, and instantly I could feel a boner coming on, even though I'd asked her here for legitimate, non-sexual purposes. Her long black hair was shiny and stopped at her shoulders. She was wearing a black tank top with a hot pink bra under it, and white shorts, showing off her amazing, tanned legs. She was part Syrian, so she got really dark in the summer. She was on her university's dance team (and had just graduated with a psychology degree), so she was in great shape with a rocking body and a hot bellybutton ring.
"Thanks for coming," I said finishing my beer and sitting back. "Can I get you one?"