"A medium latte for here please," Laurel said as she sifted through her purse in search of her wallet. A small line had formed behind her at the café counter as she fumbled, clumsily plucking her credit card from her wallet. Her hand shook when she reached over the counter to take the debit machine from the barista.
Laurel was feeling antsy, perhaps a bit on edge, in anticipation of her coffee date. Maybe it was the beat of the Top 40 music blaring through the cafe, or the stress of knowing she had held up the line of people just trying to get their caffeine kick for the day. Laurel's usual anxieties felt heightened, though this could have been brought on from the way her pantyhose hugged her waist and hips under her dress. Normally she'd wear slacks and something less binding, but today wasn't just any normal day.
Today Laurel had forgone her usual effortless look in exchange for a more feminine flare. She sported a long, silky, slimming black dress with a plunging v-neckline that exposed her ample chest. The buttons down the front of her dress made it contour around her curvy torso and delicious C cups, only to end halfway down her thigh, leaving a sinful slit along the rest of dress' length. She wore a pair of slender ankle boots with a small pump to give her legs and ass a boost. The bottom of the dress flowed freely as she grabbed her drink from the counter and found herself a seat.
It was rare for Laurel to wear form-fitting clothes, but she felt confident that her look would not go unnoticed. She wanted to be more than easy on the eyes. She'd slicked her wavy, chestnut coloured hair back into a neat ponytail so her neck and chest would be on display, leaving only a few tendrils of hair to graze the apples of her cheeks. She wore light layers of blush-toned makeup on her heart-shaped face: some rosy eyeshadow, light pink highlights below her temples, and a bold, fuchsia lipstick, which was her favourite way to draw the eye in. She'd learned in her 24 years of life to not be afraid of her own power to turn heads if and when she wanted to.
She retrieved a compact mirror out of her bag and sat up straight to take a quick look at her upper half. Laurel put on a gentle smile so her eyes would lighten up. She turned her head from side to side, admiring her own makeup artistry. Just as she closed the mirror, she heard a deep voice say, "well, don't you look lovely."
Laurel's face felt hot and flushed. She looked up to find the source of the sound and her eyes quickly met Jonathan's, sparkling and blue. "Calm down Laurel!" she thought to herself, as she put the compact away and stood nervously to give Jonathan a hug. She'd arrived about 10 minutes early to avoid a situation like this; she wanted to look natural, calm, and much less vain when he arrived. Anyhow, here the moment was. Here he was.
Jonathan was Laurel's former colleague, and though it had been some time since he left the ad agency for an exciting role elsewhere, it took no time at all for them to pursue a relationship outside of work, free from the confines of professionalism reserved only for colleagues. This had turned into a friendship, yet Laurel felt that it was ripening into a very tempting (but forbidden) fruit.
"Hi Jonathan," she said while giving him a hug. His 5'11 towered over her 5'4. He smelled so fresh as she brushed up against his body. His frame was full and solid. Intoxicating to her. "I'm always trying to look my best for you," she joked as they unlocked their hug. She rolled her eyes at him while he smirked her way.
"Why thank you Laurel," he said as he stared her up and down, "nice to see you. You're looking great. I'm going to get a drink."
Laurel felt her blush subsiding, but the wave of nerves moved deep into her stomach. She was learning to refine the art of subtle and not-so-subtle flirting with Jonathan. She had no trouble pretending she was keeping things professional, but she enjoyed doing things like biting her lip while listening intently to his stories, or flipping her hair to one side to reveal her neck and shoulders.
She loved noticing Jonathan's eyes dart straight to the exposed patches of her skin, if only for a split second. It made her wet when she noticed him scanning her upper body; she knew he was taking in her breasts, shoulders, and face. Laurel would apologize for fidgeting while he spoke, but she desperately wanted him to think of nuzzling his face into her neck, getting lost in the smoothness of her skin and the smell of her thick hair. She'd even felt her panties moistening just from their chemistry and the ease of their conversations alone. She'd go home only to touch herself while imagining some of the things she'd want to do with him.
"Ugh, fuck, Jonathan—" Laurel would moan to herself under the sheets, as she rubbed her clit with increasing speed. She'd climax to the mental image of having his face and head of brown hair buried between her legs. She would cum thinking about his tongue on her pussy, and come back to earth with the sobering reminder of how off-limits he really was.
Jonathan was a 40-year-old married man, but that never stopped Laurel from wondering how it might feel to have him touch her. She often wondered if he ever thought of her that way too. She was a single, 24-year-old junior graphic designer from the office. Even if the thought occurred to him, she figured he was too nice to ever act on it, though there were moments of possibility marked in her mind. The two had a friendly rapport in the office when they worked together, but there was that time they were the last two shutting down the office happy hour on a Friday night, carried away in a flirty, intellectual conversation. Laurel had downed some generously-poured gin and tonics all too quickly; the kind where you pour the booze straight into your cup without measuring it.
"Well Laurel, it's nice shooting the shit together. I hope I'm not keeping you," Jonathan said.
"I've got nowhere to be," Laurel replied, which was, frankly, a complete lie. She was meant to go home to make dinner with her roommate, but here she was, caught up in her first time alone with Jonathan, under the influence. His influence. "And I'm enjoying our conversation." That night he'd even asked if she wanted to go for more drinks at a bar. This was the invitation she'd dreamed of, but she was sober enough to be a good girl and say no, to her own chagrin. After that night, Laurel always wondered "what if?"
Attraction is a funny thing. Laurel was most attracted to Jonathan's style. There wasn't a day in the time she'd known him where his dark brown hair hadn't been well coiffed, though never over-styled. He wore designer glasses that framed his blue eyes. He wore flattering suits with interesting colour combinations. Sported sweaters with high quality knits. Leather satchels and slick briefcases. Laurel loved a man with style, and she couldn't get enough of the way Jonathan carried and dressed himself. It helped that he had wide shoulders and a medium stature that made her just want to sink into his arms. She buzzed around him the most when he'd take notice of what she was wearing, like he had today.
Jonathan returned to their table with his drink, instantly breaking the ice. "I thought about you this morning, Laurel. Are you still planning to go to Los Angeles in June? I found an article about a chef there; they say he makes the best French omelet outside of France. I can forward it to you."
A grin escaped Laurel's face. "Yes, I just booked my trip! I love French food, thanks Jonathan," she said, "I'll take a recommendation from you any day. I wouldn't have had half as much fun as I did in New York last year if you hadn't sent me so many great spots to check out." She was smiling knowing that he had thought of her. "What's new with you?" she asked.
"Laurel, I'll be honest with you. I've been pretty stressed out. My wife's out of town, and I have to find a new tenant for our rental property while she's away."
It was a bit wrong of her to read into it too much, but Laurel perked up knowing that Jonathan had asked her to meet him the week his wife was away. "Wow, thanks for taking time to meet me anyway. I didn't know you had a second place! What's it like? Does your wife normally take care of those things?" Laurel sipped her latte, looking into Jonathan's eyes.
"Yes, she does," he said, "I'm always more than happy to make time for you. I just don't trust my own judgment when it comes to choosing tenants. I actually have a viewing scheduled for right after our coffee. Would you mind coming with me for the viewing? You're a good judge of character. It's in an apartment building that's not too far from here."
Laurel also felt a little like a sloppy second next to Jonathan's errand, annoyed that their coffee date she'd dressed up for was being overshadowed by this viewing. Still, she was keen to spend her break with him, so she went along with it.
"Okay, sure, let me finish my drink and we can head over," said Laurel. She gulped down the rest of her latte, wiped her face with a napkin, and quickly reapplied her lipstick, puckering her lips. "That colour suits you," Jonathan said, clearing their mugs from the table. She tried not to show how pleased she was by his comment, replying with a short and bashful "thanks" as she put on her jacket.