In The Pursuit Of Coffee

This is my first attempt at erotic fiction. I welcome constructive criticism.

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Jim looked at his wristwatch for probably the fifth time in the last two minutes, and for what was probably the seventh time this morning, berated himself for setting out on this morning's venture. He was a creature of habit, and this was a deviation from his Saturday morning routine that wasn't going altogether well. Normally, it was: rise late, make an excellent cappuccino with his up-market espresso machine, then have brunch out on the back porch. His routine definitely did not involve standing in a chain coffee-shop waiting for a barista to make him a sub-par cappuccino before he drove almost an hour away to an antique furniture auction. It wasn't as if the store was busy. Jim glanced around at the other patrons also waiting for their order. A couple of frat boys who were way too loud for this time of the morning, what appeared to be a uni student staring intently at her mac book, a (presumably) married couple who kept glancing nervously at their child-filled car in the car park, and a handsome woman standing slightly apart from all the other customers.

Jim tried his best not to stare, but the woman was rather striking. She wasn't overly tall...maybe a couple of inches over 5 foot? Long silken black hair, white long-sleeved blouse tucked into jeans that hugged her like a second skin, and black stiletto heels which not only made her legs exceedingly shapely, but gave the woman another three to four inches in height. As she started to look in Jim's direction, he rapidly glanced at his watch in an attempt to hide his intense examination of the only attractive thing in the entire shop.

It was at this moment that the young man behind the counter called out his name. Thankful for the subtle change in circumstances, Jim took a couple of hurried steps towards the counter to grab his coffee, only to bump into the woman he had surreptitiously been admiring less than a minute ago.

The two people uttered "um, sorry" almost simultaneously while they regained their balance. When Jim looked around to see who had bumped into him, he looked directly into a face that robbed him of any additional thoughts. Her big brown eyes looked right back at him, and he watched as her slight frown of annoyance morphed into raised eyebrows above a slightly amused little smile.

"Sorry, but that's my coffee." she said.

"Um, I think he said my name."

The woman turned her gaze upon the young man behind the counter, who instantly blushed and looked like he would much rather be anywhere else right now. Preferably a distance that was measured in miles. He definitely did not want to be the center of everyone's attention, nor did he want this attractive woman starting at him and silently waiting for confirmation.

"Did you say "Kim"?" she asked.

"Or did you say "Jim"?" Jim chimed in.

The young man's voice cracked as he said "Cappuccino for Jim". Jim tried to keep his amusement at the young barista's obvious discomfort hidden, but he was only partially successful. In an attempt to recover his composure, he tried to smile as a means of reassuring the fellow behind the counter. "Thanks", Jim said.

Turning back towards the handsome woman still standing beside him, Jim said "It's an easy enough mistake to make. Kim....Jim..." He shrugged slightly. "My mistake" said Kim. "Sorry".

"Please. Don't. The pleasure was all mine." said Jim with a grin, only to realize a split-second later that his comment could be taken as either an attempt at humor, or as a sarcastic commentary about the woman's error. Looking at her pretty oval face, Jim saw one eyebrow arch slightly and the smile faded ever so slightly.

Jim, you idiot, fix this. Think quick!

he thought.

"Err... I mean, without that understandable mistake, I'd never have bumped into you. I mean, met you! Um.."

Jim

, he thought,

you're a 55 year old man. You are not a thoughtless teenager. This woman is much younger than you. Stop stumbling over your words like a complete jackass!

Kim's expression changed back to one of amusement at the older man's obvious discomfort. Once again, the young barista came to Jim's rescue: "Excuse me, miss? Your cappuccino?", he said as he held out a cardboard cup. Kim retrieved her coffee from the youth behind the counter and then turned to face Jim again. Maintaining eye contact, the younger woman said "Let's try this again, shall we?" She extended her hand, saying "Hi. My name is Kim. Pleased to meet you."

Jim looked down at the woman's proffered hand, noticing her long well-manicured nails painted in the same shade of red as her lipstick. He stared for only a moment before recovering his composure somewhat.

"Hello Kim. I'm Jim. Jim Peterson." he said as took her hand and shook it. Jim was a little surprised when Kim's handshake was firm yet brief. She leaned slightly forward as if to sip her coffee, reconsidered at the last moment, and gently blew on the surface of the coffee instead. Raising her eyes to peep over the brim of the coffee cup, she noticed Jim's intense stare. She silently laughed to herself. She wasn't unused to men looking at her. Without a shred of vanity, she knew that she was reasonably attractive. But this man wasn't staring lewdly. He looked a little like a deer staring at the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. Innocent, yet somehow mesmerized.

"So, Jim, cappuccino is your preferred style of coffee?" said Kim.

Jim shook his head briefly, as if to try and wake up. He grimaced slightly. "Yes, however, this..." and he lifted his cup a little ".. barely qualifies as a cappuccino. I much prefer making it myself, but I didn't have time this morning."

"Do you live locally, Jim, or are you just passing through?" Kim said.

"A little of both. I live closer to the city."

"If you like good coffee but don't want to make it yourself, you should try Tazzina di Caffè on 4

th

Avenue. They make really good coffee there. And pastries." Kim lifted her hand to her mouth with her finger tips close together, and blew a 'Chef's kiss'. "Belissimo!". She grinned up at Jim, and he smiled back.

"I'll have to try that some other weekend, but not today...I'm on my way to a furniture auction..." Jim suddenly glanced at his wristwatch. "Oh damn! I'm going to be late if I don't hustle! Kim, it has genuinely been nice to meet you, but I'm afraid I have to go." Jim took a quick step backwards and then hesitated. He turned again to face Kim, who was watching Jim's flustered actions with laughter in her eyes.

"It really was a pleasure to meet you, Kim." he said.

"Perhaps we'll bump into each other again some day?" Kim replied.

"I doubt I could be that lucky twice!" he grinned back, and then rushed out the door. Jim climbed into his aging Ford pickup, and turned the key in the ignition with a silent prayer.

Please don't embarrass me,

he pleaded. The engine hardly hesitated, and Jim blew a sigh of relief. He backed carefully out of the parking space, and gingerly maneuvered through the car park before turning onto the main thoroughfare and headed South.

Kim watched the pickup thoughtfully as it merged with the traffic, and lifted the cardboard cup to her lips absentmindedly. She frowned slightly with her first sip. Jim was right. This was a pale excuse for a cappuccino.

But beggars can't be choosers

, she thought to herself,

and it will have to do for now.

Her heels clicked on the pavement as she made her way to her Buick convertible. She guided the gleaming black two-door out onto the thoroughfare, and headed North toward the city.

-----------------------

Jim's Ford slid into it's usual resting place beside his Model 3, and he yanked on the parking brake before killing the engine. He glanced up at the rear-view mirror at the round antique dining table that resided under a tarpaulin in the bed of the pickup.

I'm going to need help with that

, he mused.

Maybe I can convince Mike to help me again?

He wondered whether a six-pack of beer would be sufficient to entice his neighbor to once again help shift yet another piece of heavy furniture into Jim's townhouse. Deciding that the table could wait long enough for him to grab a bite to eat, Jim made his way inside and went straight to the kitchen. He pulled out some deli meat, cheese, and butter lettuce and set about making himself a sandwich. It was as he returned to get some mustard and caught sight of his espresso machine that Jim remembered the woman from the coffee shop this morning.

He sighed somewhat wistfully. She had obviously made a memorable impression, as so many details came readily to Jim's mind. He recalled her face: the full lips, painted in that glossy red lipstick; her long black hair that fell straight down her back; her big brown eyes that seemed to notice everything - including his own ineptitude. He sighed again. Damn! He'd probably never see her again. He tried to rationalize away his slightly melancholy thoughts.

She probably has a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, or a husband

. There is no way she was single. And why should a woman who was probably in her mid-thirties be interested in a man almost 20 years her senior?! He straightened up and nodded once. Definitely not a person he should be thinking about. It would only serve to reinforce his solitary lifestyle.

He looked around his townhouse. It was tastefully decorated, with polished floorboards, leather couches in the lounge room, and sturdy antique furnishings throughout. But it was obviously a bachelor's pad.

A widower's pad

, he thought as he silently corrected himself. Carol had passed away some time ago now. What was it? 10? 12 years? Their daughter was doing well in university, but she was going to Georgia State, while he remained in Ohio, so he'd become used to the idea of being on his own. Jim looked around the lounge room at the various photo's that were dotted around the place: pictures of his late wife, pictures of their daughter... happy times, to be sure.

Maybe I should try dating?

he mused.

No. It's unlikely I'd find anyone, and besides.... The ways people date these days has changed so much since Carol and I started dating.

Jim took a bite of his sandwich. He tried to convince himself that there were definite upsides to the solitary life, and set about finishing his lunch.

-----------------------------------

The following week passed relatively uneventfully. Saturday morning arrived, and Jim awoke in his bed in a tangle of sheets. His pillow lay on one side of the bed while the spare pillow had somehow managed to prop itself on the opposite bedside lamp. Without the support of his pillow, his neck was somewhat stiff and sore, and he tried to ease the discomfort by stretching. However, all he managed to do was to aggravate the crick in his neck, so he decided that a hot shower was in order. He disentangled himself from the bed sheets, and sat briefly on the edge of the bed before standing upright with a groan.

I'm getting too old for this shit

, he said to himself with a wry smile, and shuffled toward the en-suite shower. He turned on the water, and the turned to look at himself in the mirror while he waited for the water to reach a sensible temperature.

Rubbing a hand across the slight stubble on his cheek, he cast a critical eye upon his reflection.

Y'know, Jim... for a guy in his 50's, you don't look too bad.

Yes, his hair had more silver in it than the chestnut brown of his youth, but his face didn't have many wrinkles - if he ignored the smile lines at the corners of his eyes. His frame was still unbowed by the years, although he could probably stand to lose a pound or two. He patted his slight belly a couple of times and chuckled to himself. What do they call this physique these days? A "dad bod", wasn't it? His gaze wandered lower to his groin. No sign of white hair there, he thought with satisfaction.

Maybe

, he mused,

I should shave it again? Carol used to like my cock 'sans hair'...

He gave his cock a brief stroke, and he smiled softly again. Maybe shave himself, and then lay down again for a long, slow wank? His dick slowly thickened and began to rise at the thought. Why not, he thought to himself. He turned his head slightly to look back at the big empty bed in the bedroom, and his neck spasmed sharply. Ouch! Yeah, that's why not! Cock-blocked by a literal pain in the neck! He slid beneath the stream of hot water in the shower, and gently rubbed his neck, waiting for the hot water to give him some relief.... albeit not the relief he'd been thinking of only moments before.

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Jim emerged from his bedroom 90 minutes later, scrubbed clean, clean shaven, and with minimal neck pain. He had decided that he deserved a little bit of a treat after a somewhat disappointing start to his weekend, and a late breakfast out seemed just the thing! He had put on a long-sleeved shirt with French cuffs and the silver cuff links that had been a birthday present from his daughter. Blue jeans, and black leather oxfords to complete the ensemble. With a brief glance in the hallway mirror to check that all was in order, Jim headed down the stairs to his car. It wasn't until he was seated in the Model 3 that he realized that he didn't know where to go for his breakfast. He tried putting "coffee shop" into the car's navigation system, but the resultant mess of icons that featured a lot of chain coffee shops brought a frown to his face.

Wait! What was the name of cafe that lovely woman from last weekend had recommended? Tazzi-something or other.

He cleared the search results from the screen and entered "Tazzi" + "cafe", and was rewarded with just one search result. He accepted the suggested destination, and followed the instructions from the car's computerized voice.

Roughly 30 minutes later, Jim stood in front of the cafe. The scent of freshly roasted coffee and baked goods was heavy in the air, and it smelled heavenly! He found an empty table near the back of the cafe, picking up a menu as he made his way through the throng of people waiting for their to-go orders. As he ran his eyes down the menu, he heard a voice in his ear say "Wow, they'll let almost anyone in here!". He turned quickly to find himself staring at a pair of breasts that were barely contained by a red-checked gingham blouse. Looking up, he saw Kim grinning at him with a notepad in her hand.

"Do you see anything that takes your fancy?" she purred with a Cheshire-cat grin. His eyes flickered briefly back at Kim's obvious cleavage, before looking back up at Kim's face and swallowing awkwardly.

"Um. Yes, I... um..." he hastily grabbed the menu again and tried to desperately make a selection quickly. He didn't want to appear like he was some lecherous old man, even though Kim's bosom had made his mouth water and his cock swell.

"Cappuccino?" Kim said with a knowing smirk. "And perhaps a danish, or a croissant?"

"Yes!" Jim replied, a fraction too loudly. A few of the closest patrons turned a disapproving stare at this interruption, which only served to make Jim feel even more awkward. "A cherry danish, and a cappuccino, please." he said as he held the menu out to Kim. She moved to stand in front of Jim, gently plucked the menu from Jim's hand, and put it back on the table with a slight pat. Her short stature did not require Kim to bend down to reach the table, but she did so just the same....and in so doing, presented her cleavage to Jim in all of it's barely contained glory.

"Just in case you decide you're still hungry afterwards." Kim said with a sly grin. "You know... in case something else.... takes your fancy."

Jim couldn't look anywhere else but directly at Kim's breasts. She was standing so close, he could smell her perfume, and her tits filled his vision. He stared at the wondrous sight before him, and his blood filled his cheeks and reddened his face with his embarrassment. His blood filled his cock as well, and it ceased merely twitching and proceeded to stiffen rapidly. He glanced up at Kim's face, dreading the look he expected to find there.

Kim's visage was not one of offense. Far from it. Her face reflected confidence....and something else. Something Jim couldn't quite grasp at this moment. Licking her lips briefly with just the tip of her tongue, Kim presumably jotted down Jim's order on her notepad before she flashed him another cheeky grin and, spinning quickly, headed for the kitchen. Her skirt flared with the speed of Kim's turn, revealing stocking-clad legs, and he watched her hips sway slightly as she disappeared from his sight.

He shifted uncomfortably as the signals from his trapped and engorged dick finally registered in his brain.

For fuck's sake, Jim,

he thought. He looked around surreptitiously in case anyone had noticed his prominent erection. And, of course, no one was paying him the slightest bit of attention. Jim tried to subtly push his cock into a more comfortable orientation, but with only a minimum of success.

Several minutes later, Kim returned with his cappuccino and danish. Once again, she stood directly in front of him and, bending forward more than was strictly necessary, placed his breakfast before him. Tearing his eyes from the mesmerizing vista that was Kim's cleavage, he smiled at Kim and thanked her. Kim returned Jim's smile, then promptly pulled another chair from a nearby vacant table and sat with an audible sigh.

"Er... aren't you going to get in trouble if you sit down with a customer?", he asked.

"Oh, I don't actually work here!" she replied, grinning. She gestured vaguely toward the kitchen, saying "I just help papa when he's short-staffed."

"Your father owns this cafe?"

"Yeah!" Kim replied with obvious pride. "Family owned and operated for over 20 years. I actually work downtown at a legal firm. But I'll do anything for papa." Kim looked at Jim with a sultry smile and a twinkle in her eyes. "I mean, what else would you expect from a Daddy's girl? I'd do

anything

for my Daddy..." she said softly. Jim looked at her face, blinking rapidly while his mind raced.

Did she just say.... Is she inferring...Does she mean...

Jim struggled with the possible implications of Kim's statement. However, his cock had no misconceptions whatsoever, and throbbed within the confines of its denim prison.

Rising suddenly, Kim gestured at the food in front of Jim. "Enjoy your breakfast! I'll come back to check on you in a bit!" And with that, she spun around and disappeared into the kitchen. Jim slowly picked up his danish, and took a bite while he tried to sort out his confused emotional state.

She couldn't be hitting on me!

he thought.

That couldn't possibly...I'm much too old for her!

He finished his mouthful and picked up his coffee. The rich aroma from the cappuccino poised under his nose helped to bring him back to the present. With a little hesitation, Jim turned his attention to his breakfast and discovered with delight that Kim had not been exaggerating. The food and the coffee was excellent!

As he was finishing the last of his cappuccino, Kim returned to the table. Once again, she bent over and leaned on the table, and smiled mischievously.

"Do you want anything else..... to eat?" she said quietly.

"Um...no." Jim replied, blinking. "Maybe just the bill?"

Kim straightened quickly. "You sure? I can't tempt you with something else?" She stood with her arms straight and her hands clasped, forming a "V" and pushing her tits together. She swayed gently back and forth, seemingly unaware of her blouse's struggle to contain her breasts. She batted her eyelids at Jim, and tilted her head slightly to the left. Her obviously feigned innocent appearance was the complete opposite of her behavior throughout his meal, and the message she was trying to convey was suddenly received with vivid clarity. Jim could barely believe what he said next... it was as if it was someone else speaking.