Ella pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out the shower, shivering as the cool air hit her warm, damp body. Grabbing her towel, she wrapped it around her body, and picked up her toothbrush. She began to brush her teeth, wandering into her bedroom to pull out tonight's outfit from the wardrobe and onto her bed. Ella was meeting a guy tonight, Ben, someone she'd met on Tinder, a dating app. He looked good in his photos, tall, dark hair, broad shoulders... and they'd been texting for a few days and she really felt as though they had a connection. Ella wasn't looking for a relationship as such, but it would be nice to see someone, and recently she had been feeling lonely during the nights. She missed having someone there to wrap her arms round in her sleep, to intertwine her legs with and press her face against. But most of all she missed having someone to hold her down and fuck her, and she thought Ben might fulfil that role quite well.
Fresh and clean from the shower, Ella pulled on a pair of black lace panties, the kind she reserved for nights like these because they made her bum look peachy and round. She had been feeling horny all day with the anticipation of tonight and its possibilities, and she gently rubbed her pussy through the lace absent-mindedly. She really hoped she fancied him in person, because she needed this. The last thing she wanted to happen was for the evening to be a flop because she wasn't attracted to him. She didn't feel concerned that he wouldn't like her: whilst she knew she probably wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, she was attractive and she knew men liked her. She loved to laugh and had a nice smile, and her eyes were dark and warm, framed by long, thick lashes, and she had pink, full lips. She pulled on the rest of her clothes and hastily applied some make-up to her face, emphasising her features.
Ready to go, Ella grabbed her bag and coat, slipped on her shoes, and made her way to the bar they were meeting at. She felt confident in her looks, but she couldn't help the butterflies rising in her stomach; dates always made her a little bit nervous. She hoped there wouldn't be any awkward silences. As she walked, she took deep breathes, trying to calm the squirming in her stomach, and prevent the prickle of sweat she could feel under her arms. Instead, she reaffirmed some positive mantras in her head: you are funny; you look good; why wouldn't he like you? She checked her phone; she had a message from Ben, letting her know that he had a seat in the bar by the window. She was almost there and had to pause for a moment to compose herself: knowing that he would be able to watch her approach had made her even more nervous.
Reaching the bar, she saw him instantly, sitting in the window. He looked exactly like he did in his photos, which was a relief. He'd already spotted her and he raised his hand to acknowledge her, smiling. She waved back, and opened the glass door, suddenly terrified she was going to trip or stumble in her heeled boots. She walked towards him and he got out of his seat, kissing her on the cheek.
'Hey,' he croaked, and then coughed. 'Sorry. Wow. You look amazing.'
Ella could feel her cheeks warming, and laughed. 'Thanks, you look nice too. I'm glad I spotted you right away, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to see you and that I'd embarrass myself.'
Ben laughed too. 'Me too, that's kinda why I took this seat. So I would have time to spot you... Did you want a drink?'
'Um, yes please. I actually feel really nervous! I wasn't expecting to feel like this.'
Ben looked a little taken aback by her honesty, and then laughed. 'Don't be nervous. This will be fun, I promise. To be honest, I was a bit nervous too.'
'Good,' Ella replied. 'Well, I'm having fun already.'
'So what would you like to drink?' Ben asked.
'I don't mind! I'll just have whatever you're having.'
'Well... I just had a beer but I thought I might move onto a G&T, if that suits you?'
'Yeah that's perfect, thank you.' She smiled at him, and he walked over to the bar.
Ella breathed out. The part she had been worried about was over, and now she could relax and enjoy herself. There was a mirror on the wall opposite their table, and she glanced over at herself, checking she looked okay. She crossed her legs, uncrossed them, and then crossed them again, trying to look sexy, yet relaxed. She looked over at Ben, who had his back to her, talking to the bartender, presumably ordering their drinks. She took the opportunity to assess him, taking into account his broad shoulders and slim hips, his hair, which was honey-brown and thick. As she was looking, he raked a hand through it, pushing it back, making it stand up a little. She had an urge to run her own hands through it. He was wearing a khaki shirt and black jeans, and she admired his style, casual, but somehow still smart and sexy.
Ben returned to the table, holding the drinks. He smiled at her. 'Okay?' he asked. She was surprised by the intensity of her initial attraction to him: obviously he was a good-looking man, but there was something in his eye, the way he looked at her, that drew her in.
She smiled back, and relaxed into their conversation. He was 28, and in IT recruitment. As he was explaining the stresses of his job, she couldn't help but gaze at his face whilst he was talking, the smoothness of his skin and the stubble around his jawline, his dark eyes that were staring into hers... His knee bumped into hers and she felt herself blushing. She really didn't expect to be having a reaction of this intensity, but he was really attractive. As she answered questions about her job, his knee stayed pressed against hers, and that tiny point of contact between his body and hers felt better than anything else had all week. Glancing down, Ella tentatively ran her hand lightly over his knee, and then traced the grain of his jeans with her finger. She looked back up; Ben's eyes were so dark and deep that she felt dizzy. He shifted forwards, pressing more of him against her: now his thigh was alongside hers. He reached down and brushed his fingers over hers: they felt cool against her fingers, which were hot with the sexual excitement that was coursing through her body.
They continued talking for a while, but both of them were becoming increasingly distracted. Eventually, Ben leaned his head closer to hers, and murmured, 'So what do you want to do?'