Meg

Meg hadn't gone out to see a band in years. She remembered a time in college where she and a few friends went to see a band in the city and danced in a crowded bar. Those days were far past, but she found herself at a bar this evening, sipping a margarita. She'd even dressed up a little, wearing a white floral dress and a pair of pink high heels.

She wasn't sure what to expect. After all, she'd only heard Alex in the concert band. He used to hang out with guys in high school who listened to metal in the band room during lunch, music so heavy she couldn't understand a single lyric.

When Alex's band came out, she was surprised to find this music softer, gentler. It was some form of alternative rock, with electric guitar and bass, a grooving rhythm by the drums. The words were poetic.

She found her foot tapping to the beat of many of the songs. She recognized the two young men with Alex as the ones in pictures with him on Facebook. The bassist was the lead vocalist, a skinny guy with black hair and downturned eyes. The guitarist was taller, bulky and muscular, but he had nimble fingers.

Meg ordered a chicken and pesto sandwich with a side of fries, and she was finishing her food as the band wrapped up their set.

After they had packed up, Alex came up to her stool.

"I didn't think you'd come," he said.

"I wanted to hear you play," she said. "You guys were really good."

"Thanks," he said. His smile reached his eyes, momentarily stunning her. "Come sit with us. I want you to meet the guys."

She took her second margarita from the bar and joined them at a booth in the corner. They already had a big plate of nachos on the table.

"Joel, Roy, this is Meg. She's a friend from high school. Meg, this is Joel and Roy."

"Nice to meet you," she said as Alex gestured to each. Roy was the guitarist, Joel the bassist and singer. She slid into the booth next to Alex.

"So you went to school with Alex?" Roy asked. "What was he like, really?"

Meg smiled. "He was sweet," she said. "Maybe not the best student, though."

"No, that was you," Alex said. "You guys, she was in this club called Academic Decathlon, where she chose to study extra subjects and took tests on the weekend for fun."

"I can't believe you remember that," Meg laughed. "Yeah, I won medals in that club. Mostly in mathematics."

"Nothing wrong with being a geek," Joel said. "I was the editor of the literary journal at my school. Even now, on days off, I'll be reading a new book while these losers play video games."

"Best way to spend a day off," Meg said, taking a chip. "What do you read?"

Alex and Roy chatted on their own while Meg and Joel talked about their favorite books. Joel read a lot of dystopian novels, and she preferred romance, but they both liked nonfiction and had read some of the same classics. She was particularly happy to hear him say he liked the last page of A Tale of Two Cities as much as she did.

"I know it's not a romance novel, but that is like the epitome of love," she said. "I tear up every time I read that. I have to read it once every few years, because it's just so marvelous."

She only ate a few chips, and the guys wolfed down the rest. Alex wasn't as skinny as he was in high school, but he still looked like he could eat his body weight and not gain a pound.

"Can I get you another drink?" Alex asked when she finished her margarita.

"No, this is my second," she said. "But if you're getting up, I could use a water. I do need to drive home," she laughed.

Roy rolled his eyes at Alex as he returned with a glass of water and a beer for himself; Joel and Meg were still deep in conversation. Alex spent a few minutes just watching Joel and Meg banter back and forth. He gave up on their conversation as a lost cause and started talking with Roy again.

After a while, with the buzz of the drink gone and Meg's stomach comfortably full from a second round of nachos, she yawned and said, "I need to head out."

"I'll walk you out," Alex said, sliding out of the booth before her.

It was cooler outside, but the humidity of summer still hung in the air.

"You seemed to get along with Joel," Alex said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, what books have you read recently?" Meg retorted.

"I read a little," Alex said. "You know I like Stephen King. But no, I don't read nearly as many books as you and Joel do. Anyway, I wanted to ask you. Some people from Wilmington are having a bonfire next week. You want to come?"

"Oh," Meg stammered. "You really think anyone would want me there? I was probably the least popular person in band. And considering band geeks were unpopular, that's saying something."

"That's not true," Alex said. "You talked with Jesse a bit. I mean, he's not going to be there, but he always said nice things about you. And I know I did too." They reached Meg's car, and she fiddled with her keys.

Meg blushed. "I'll go if you want. I can always leave early if I need to."

"You'll have fun," Alex said. "I'm sure someone will talk about books with you."

Meg rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll see you next week then. What day?"

"Saturday. I'll text you the address later."

"Okay. Bye then."

She unlocked the car and Alex held the door for her as she climbed in. She blushed. She couldn't remember if he had done that for her when they were dating, but she liked that he did it now.

Alex watched her pull out before returning to the bar. As Meg drove home, she thought about her time in band. She remembered one of Alex's drummer friends laughing at her because she didn't know what 69 was. And then he had started miming it, laughing at her the whole time, and Meg had stormed away, Alex running after her, laughing a little at her too in spite of himself. No, she didn't think anyone missed her, but she did like spending time with Alex, so it couldn't be terrible. She had no plans for Saturday anyway.

***

Meg got a text from Luke as she got ready for work on Tuesday morning.

"My roommate will be out tonight. Come over?"

Meg looked down at her outfit and immediately stripped. She exchanged black pants for a knee-length skirt and her plain white underwear for a yellow silk pair. She also packed a small overnight bag, remembering when Luke had come over.

After work, she followed her phone's GPS to Luke's apartment. He lived in Winchester, only ten minutes from her own place. He had a bag of Chinese food set up on a small wooden table.

"You okay with Chinese?" he asked.

"Yeah, Chinese is great," Meg said. She dropped her bag by the door and slipped off her shoes.

"Come eat," Luke said. "Beer?"

"Please."

Luke brought her a bottle and a plate. She loaded the plate with lo mein and ribs.

"How's your week been?" Meg asked Luke.

He sighed. "Long. I need to start looking for a new job, because my boss doesn't listen to anything I say. I mean, numbers don't lie, that's the beauty of them. Anyway, what about you?"

"Fine," Meg said. "Pretty uneventful, really. I saw my parents last night for dinner. But work is same old."

"Nothing wrong with that," Luke said.

Luke fiddled with his phone as they ate, and Meg realized he was setting up music on his speakers. A song by Pitbull started playing.

Meg didn't stuff herself the way she normally did with Chinese food. She didn't want to be bloated as they made their way to the bedroom.

His bedroom was sparse, but not without charm. He had a couple of potted succulents on his windowsill. At a small desk, he had set his laptop and a notebook with gold-lined pages.

Luke sat on his bed and pulled Meg onto his lap. She straddled him and kissed him, tasting ribs and fried rice on his breath. His hand immediately crept up her skirt, finding her silk panties.

"The thought of you got me through my day," Luke whispered in her ear.

She had been thinking about him most of her day, too, and she already felt the electricity before his finger slipped inside her. Her head flung back as she gasped.

"I was thinking about all the things I could do to you," he murmured in her ear as his finger slowly moved in and out. "All the positions I want to put your body in."

He gripped her strongly with one arm, holding her steady as he slid a second finger inside her.

Meg's lips found his again. He moved his fingers back and forth inside her, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his body.

"It feels like you've been thinking about me, too," Luke murmured in her ear.

"Mmm," Meg murmured.

She pulled his penis from his pants. It sprung out, eager to be let loose. She rubbed her thumb over the tip, swirling the precum around his shaft. Then she closed her fingers around it, rubbing up and down.

Luke took his fingers out of her and pulled off her blouse. He unclasped her bra and threw it to the floor.

"Damn, I want you," he murmured.

"Then do something about it," she challenged.

He tossed her onto the bed on her back and lay over her, almost possessively. Then he got to his feet, stripped his clothes in the blink of an eye, and put on a condom. Meg pulled off her skirt and panties.

Then he was atop her again, kissing her neck as he slowly slid inside her.

"Damn," he murmured. "This is exactly what I needed."

He moved in and out slowly as her walls adjusted to his bulk. Then he picked up the pace and Meg's fingers clawed into his shoulders as she held on. She lost herself in the creak of the bedframe, her eyes glazing as she stared up at the white ceiling.

He pulled out and flipped her on her front. She lifted her hips for him and he entered from behind. He started slowly again, tracing her spine with his fingertip. She reached down to touch her own clit, and she wiggled her hips as she did so, encouraging him.

He picked up his pace again, gripping her hips with his large hands, creating a loud slapping sound as he pushed deeply inside her. She jerked her hand back and forth, giving herself that extra pleasure to drive her to the edge.

"Fuck," Meg said. "Right there. Right there. Right there."

She melted into the bed and cried out as he finished inside her. As he pulled out, she slid flat on her belly and laid her head on a pillow.

After resting for a while, murmuring about nothing in particular, they washed up and ate some Oreos Luke had in his cabinet.

Meg thought back to the wedding where they had met, and the time they had spent there. She found herself disappointed in this evening compared to their first night, and she wondered if her expectations were too high. Maybe this was growing up - things that were once exciting lost their shine.