This was a pretty strange feeling. She had never been in the south in the early summer, and she was enjoying it already.
When her friend extended an invitation for her to come visit, she didn't have to think very long or hard. It had been what seemed like years since they had seen each other, and even though she was nervous, she accepted and flew to stay with him.
Their first meeting after so long was innocent enough, and all that day he had shown her the sights, introducing her to the area. Everything was so green and the sense of life was overwhelming. They had a light dinner, and just chatted about inconsequential things, catching up, and having a very nice time over all.
She had a room to herself, and when she went off to bed she kept thinking, and had trouble sleeping.
With her slinky nightgown on, she went onto the deck and relaxed in the screened in porch. The air was around 70, and a little humid. It felt wonderful on her bare shoulders, and it teased her skin through the satin fabric of her nightgown.
She relaxed in her chair, putting her feet up and listening to the late night sounds. There were so many sounds here that were unfamiliar. Crickets she knew, but there were a ton of what her friend said were actually tree frogs making one hell of a racket. They were loud, but as she got used to them, they began to relax her. The sounds of the night started to surround her, and she found that she seemed to be floating in them. When she heard the screen door to the house softly open, it took her by surprise.
"Don't get up," he said, "I thought you had gone to sleep, and wanted to just sit out here for a bit."
She recovered herself and said, "It's wonderful. I was just kind of lost in all the sounds."
"Can I sit with you?" he asked, "I'll go back to bed if you want to be alone."
"No," she said smiling, "I thought I wanted to be alone, but I think I'd like to have you here with me. All these sounds are too much not to share them."
With that, he pulled another chair close to hers and sat down beside her. After a few minutes, she felt him reach over and take her hand, and just hold it, comfortable with the contact and the night.
Her mind started to race a little with his touch. She was, and always had been, attracted to him, but since she arrived he had been nothing but polite and sweet. She didn’t know what she wanted, or what to do if he did anything else.
“You’re shivering,” he said, “Would you like a light blanket or something? I can go grab you one.”
“No, I’m OK. Just, well, a little nervous I suppose,” she replied, “But I’ll be fine.”
She squeezed his hand gently to support what she had said and sat back to enjoy the quiet again. After a little while, he took his hand from hers, and slowly moved up the length of her arm, touching lightly with his fingertips. This soft touch alone gave her goose bumps. As he continued to her bare shoulders, he brushed his hand through her hair, and behind her ear. He then laid his arm behind her shoulders and left it there. She found that their chairs were close enough together that it felt natural to adjust herself in the chair and snuggle closer to him. She could smell him then. No specific scent, and no cologne, just a musky scent that made her more aware of him. Before she really knew what she was doing, she had put her head on his shoulder and started to relax. It felt so nice here, with his arm around her, now pulling her in a little closer. As she relaxed, she let out a long sigh.
“What was that for,” he asked, “That long sigh?”
“This just feels nice. Been a while since I felt so safe.” She turned her head to look at him. “Thanks for inviting me. It’s very nice here, and it’s great to see you.”