As soon as I stepped through the entrance, I made a beeline for the ladies room. I had been in and out of the heat all day, trying to find a house for a couple that had no idea what they wanted... or even if they wanted... and I desperately needed a little time to freshen up... try to mask the odor (smell) of perspiration (sweat) emanating from my body. My deodorant had broken down hours ago. I dabbed a little perfume in strategic places, vainly attempted to smooth the wrinkles out of my skirt, checked for runs, ran a brush through my hair, put on a little lipstick, took a deep breath and headed out to the gallery. I probably looked and smelled like a French whore who had been turning tricks every 30 minutes for the last twelve hours but it couldn’t be helped. I wasn’t dressed quite properly for this kind of affair, but I didn’t have time to go home and change. I had made a commitment to attend this exhibit over a month ago and it would be easier to put in even a token appearance than have to answer questions concerning my absence.
Just as I had taken the first sip of champagne, snatched from a roving waiter, I heard, "Hey, Mutt."
I turned and saw my best friend Agnes, alone in a corner, motioning me over.
"Hi, Jeff," I said as I approached.
We had been best friends from the first grade, 24 years ago. In high school we were tagged with the nicknames, Mutt and Jeff, due to the difference in our heights. Agnes is barely 5’5" and I am 5’10". An odd pairing, I’ll admit, but we were virtually inseparable until we each married. Agnes was still happily married with 2 kids and in the eighth month of pregnancy again while my short venture into the much less than blissful state of matrimony had ended more than 8 years before.
"Oh, Lorna, I am so glad you could make it."
"Well, I did promise, but I would rather be soaking in my bathtub sucking on a cold beer right now... or something else."
"Aw, the sacrifices we have to make for the advancement of the arts," She said with a wink, "The real reason I am so glad you are here is there is someone I want you to meet."
"Agnes! Please don’t tell me you are matchmaking again. You know it is a waste of everybody’s time and energy".
"Your love life needs all the help it can get, but this is the last time, I promise."
"My love life is exactly the way I want it... nonexistent, and if my memory serves me right, you made the same promise after that clown from Dallas."
"How was I supposed to know he was looking for a mother. Everyone’s entitled to an occasional mistake."
"But yours aren’t occasional... they’re continuous."
"Come on, I‘ve got the real thing for you this time. " She said as she grabbed me by the arm and herded me into another room.
Across the room I immediately noticed a tall, deeply tanned man in conversation with Agnes’ husband. He was dressed in gray slacks, open necked knit shirt, blue blazer and expensive appearing cowboy boots. "Probably a drug store cowboy" I thought. It was easy to see the wide shoulders, broad chest, narrow hips and long legs. He had a broad face with a wide mouth, high, prominent cheekbones and a nose that appeared to have been broken, at least once. He was not at all handsome but very masculine... masculine enough to cause my heart rate to increase a little.
Stopping Agnes, I whispered, "Is that your latest discovery talking to Gary?"
"Yes, it is," She replied with a mischievous grin.
"He’d better not be some Neanderthal just in from the sticks."
"What do you care if he is or not. Don’t you see the bulge in his left trouser leg?"
"No," I lied. It was hard for me to keep my eyes off of it, "And that’s the last thing you should be looking at considering your present, and all too frequent, condition."
"Well, a girl can dream can’t she. I’ll bet you a hundred dollars that that thing between his legs is bigger than your pet dildo," She giggled.
"You can save your money. I’m not the least bit interested in finding out," Lying for the second time.
I grabbed another glass of liquid courage and followed Agnes. As we approached, I forced my eyes to his face, still thinking the object that was creating a sensation in my body that I had never felt before. It took me a couple of seconds to recognize what it was... lust. Oh, I had experienced lust before, but not the pure unadulterated animal lust that was currently captivating my mind and body. Occasionally, I would run across a man who could lift his eyes above my breasts while conversing that I found interesting enough to take to my bed, a total of 4 in the last 8 years, the last one over a year before. But none of them had come anywhere close to creating the current stirring in my loins.
"Lorna, I would like you to meet John Taylor. John, this is my best friend in the whole wide world, Lorna Dunne."
As his giant work roughened hand swallowed mine, I looked up and was mesmerized by the deepest, darkest, sexiest eyes I had ever seen. Even in three inch heels, he was a at least 5" taller than me. His height combined with his size actually made me feel petite.
"Glad to meet you. Lorna Dunne... that’s an unusual name," He said with a slightly crooked smile.
"Yes," I replied as I broke eye contact long enough to inhale the glass of champagne and grab another one from the waiter. Every nerve in my body was in full alarm "My father loves cookies and has a warped sense of humor. "
"I’m a cookie lover myself," He replied with a widening grin, the innuendo obvious.
"I’m sure Agnes has told you my life’s story," I said, glancing quickly in her direction, "She has been trying to fix me up with men of various types over the last eight years and since I knew nothing of your existence until a couple of minutes ago, I would like to know up front which type best describes you... closet homosexual, mama’s boy, God’s gift to women, married or in search of a meal ticket?"
"Well," John replied laughing, "I’m afraid I’m not as exotic as any you have mentioned. I’m just a poor cowboy with a ranch that the bank lets me call my own and a few head of scrawny cattle."
"My God, I am in trouble," I thought, "Even his laugh is sexy. "
"Lorna, he’s fibbing. John just bought the Crandall ranch out west of Weatherford and is starting up a registered Angus operation," Agnes declared.
"Well, John, that makes us almost neighbors," I said, remembering that the Crandall place was over a thousand acres, "My father owns the adjoining spread. "
"Good, next time you are visiting your father, maybe we can do some riding."
"I‘ll give that some thought, John," I replied, trying desperately not to telegraph the kind of riding I would really like to do, "Are you an art lover?"
"Not really," He replied looking me directly in the eyes with that crooked grin again, "But I do appreciate real beauty when I see it."
He actually made me blush for the first time in years and made me a little more uncomfortable. When I looked down in order to break eye contact, I noticed that my jacket had slipped a little, showing the effect my left nipple was having on my blouse. As I, as casually as possible, adjusted my jacket, wishing I had put on a bra that morning, I "accidentally" noticed that the bulge in his slacks was more prominent than before. That called for another glass of bubbly... anything to cool the desire that was beginning to take complete control of me.
"Since I’m new in the area, I thought that this would be a good opportunity to meet some of the local folks."
Noticing that Agnes and Gary had disappeared, deliberately of course, leaving me to play hostess, I said, with a mixture of apprehension and delight. "Let’s mingle and I will introduce you around."
I knew that the more time I spent with this man, the chances of doing something foolish increased... but at the same time the idea sounded wickedly delicious.
As I guided him around, introducing him to the people I knew, his hand was in constant contact with either my arm or the small of back, with an occasional, all too brief, move down to where I actually wanted it to be. He was making me so hot that for the first time in my life I wished I were wearing panty hose. I just knew that liquid verification of my horniness was running down my leg. Occasionally he would whisper some comment in my ear, his warm breath making my knees weaken. It took all my will power to maintain a discrete distance from his side when what I really wanted to do was get as close to him as I could and touch him... feel him... fuck him.
Ever since I had started to outgrow the other girls my age, and a lot of the boys, I had done everything I could , spending tons of money I the process, to look and act feminine, but had never felt that way. It is hard to do when you are always the largest heifer in the herd, but being next to John was making me feel feminine for the first time in my life.
After mingling for about an hour, I was more than ready to leave. I was having a little trouble with articulation and walking... plus my panties felt like I had wet myself. It wasn’t the champagne as much as it was the intense craving to get naked with this man and do wonderfully wicked things.
Agnes, appearing from nowhere, said, "Lorna, I think you’ve had too much to drink. In fact, you exceeded your limit 30 minutes ago. Maybe John would be willing to drive you home."
That idea frightened... and thrilled me at the same time.
"Don’t worry about me, I’m alright. I’m just tired and I am perfectly capable of driving myself home. Besides, I need my car tomorrow. " Hoping my excuse didn’t sound as lame as it was.
"I’m not worried about you. It’s the innocent citizens of Fort Worth I’m concerned about. We can deal with your car in the morning. Just be a good girl and let John drive you."
