"It's been such a long time," he said as they parted from the embrace. "I've missed you."
"I know. It feels like forever," she agreed. The only reason they were even together now was because she was in town for a business convention. She had been to the city in the past for various reasons, but there was always an excuse not to look him up. If they were to make plans together, circumstances and time would have to allow for anything that may happen when they were reunited. Until now, their paths hadn't crossed for five years.
The old friends took their seats at the balcony table overlooking the harbor. They shared a leisurely meal catching up on the past several years, during which their correspondence had been limited to sparse electronic communications. Afterwards, the pair caught a cab to his apartment. She was sharing a hotel room for the convention, so the promise of privacy at his place was naturally more attractive.
True privacy was a luxury they had never previously enjoyed. Their past romantic trysts had always been hurried, knowing they had to be cut short or easily concealed in the event of discovery. Truth be told, they had never actually made love; their few passionate moments did not amount to much more than heavy petting in their college years. Their friendship had always been dappled with sexual tension; however, due to career paths and relationships taking them in different directions, they had resigned themselves to friendship status, awkward words and moments notwithstanding. But...tonight was different. Over dinner it was revealed that neither of them had any romantic partners or prospects on the horizon. The two of them being simultaneously unattached was something that had not occurred in the entire decade that had passed since they had shared their last kiss.
She found herself a bit more excited by this news than she expected. She arranged this meet-up prepared for anything -- or nothing -- to happen. She was eager to catch up with her old friend all the same, even if she found him married and happy by now. On the other hand, her mind had certainly considered more titillating possibilities. After all, she was no longer a nervous teenage virgin, and memories of him had occasionally taken the stage in her self-pleasuring fantasies over the years. In all honesty, they had sometimes even crept into her mind during sex with a partner. She wondered if the same thoughts ever went through his mind as well.
In light of this new opportunity, she found herself taking greater interest in the physical changes in him. She couldn't help but notice the sharper cut of his jawline and the improvements to his physique from five years before, visible even through his button-up shirt and khakis. He was of average height, slim but muscular, with broad shoulders and a slim waist and hips. She had always found him attractive but the last few years had obviously treated him very well and she found it difficult not to let her eyes linger away from his as they spoke.
She had prepared for this evening fraught with possibility, and made sure to look great for the night out. She wore a blouse that showed a tiny hint of cleavage, a flared knee-length skirt, and cute heels. The outfit was comfortable and respectable enough to be worn with a cardigan for all the air-conditioned meetings during the day, but it also made her look and feel confident and sexy. Not for the business meetings, she also wore a matching bra and panties set -- just in case, of course.
When they arrived at his apartment, he took her into his arms for another hug, the nature of which she attempted to gauge. It seemed to linger a bit longer than a normal friendly hug, but really, almost every hug they had ever shared in their years of friendship came with some unspoken conversation.
"Something to drink?" he asked, breaking her contemplation. He strode to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of dessert wine, holding it up in question. She nodded and smiled to herself, wondering if he was also hoping for a more 'exciting' evening. She wasn't positive, but she doubted too many men in their twenties, albeit the later ones, had bottles of fancy dessert wine chilled and standing at the ready in the fridge.
She was not planning to get drunk, but a glass or two would at least calm her nerves. She had fantasized so many times about how this evening might go, but she didn't honestly expect it to even get this far. Really, she thought, having a glass of wine with an old friend is not "far" by anyone's definition, but that didn't keep the butterflies out of her stomach.
He handed her a glass and she followed him to sit on the couch. He sat in the middle seat, which she chose to interpret as confirmation that something physical would indeed take place. They talked and laughed more freely without a balcony full of other diners around. It was wonderful to know that even after so long, they could fall right back into their comfort zones with each other. They had always clicked so well, which was great in the friendship; however, the mutual physical attraction was what had always complicated things in the past. As if on cue, with a little more wine in him, she noticed his eyes roaming on more than just her face, though still attempting not to be caught in the act.