Dan pondered, was Mae's drunken challenge worth taking? In the brief silence in the conversation Dan looked out at the lights twinkling across the bay and at the harsh street lights of the harbour were reflected down the coast. The gentle verbal sparring continued on the now moonlit sea front seat outside the Mae's flat on the empty promenade.
Dan smirked at the now outright flirting from Mae. Mae's flirting had become decidedly more intense on the return to seat outside her flat. The topic of conversation had moved from the earlier relaxed revelations about the physical attributes, or lack of, from previous partners onto what Mae did best. Dan was struck by how brazen she'd become now compared to the comfortable, work related chat, some hours earlier. Was that due to the drink? Mae sat on the bench facing the sea, smoking her last cigarette and looking at Dan beside her. "Sorry Dan, I must go in for a pee, I can't put it off any longer!" A good time for Dan to accept the offer of a cup of Coffee he thought before the drive inland.
Dan, now single, could leave after coffee having had a nice night of conversation, a head full of stories and images that Mae had revealed. The slow consumption of her birthday gift, a nice bottle of Italian Prosecco, had made an evening stroll along the promenade far more entertaining than Dan had expected. Mae had even offered Dan a beer, instead of coffee, and the opportunity to sleep on the sofa. Dan dutifully followed Mae into the seafront flat still unsure of what was being offered? Dan struggled to understand woman, here was a classic case. What it the sofa or possibly her bed?
Inside the compact flat Mae put on the kettle and went to the bathroom. Dan stood resting against the kitchen, looking across the open plan living space, and out of the large square window. It's a great room with a huge window looking out to sea. Dan had enjoyed looking at the sea views from it earlier that evening. The sky was now a deep navy blue, the sun had set, the beautiful skyline views that the window revealed now faded, just a faint reflection of his nervous self could be seen in the glass. Dan was struggling, he was now single, he'd no reason to leave other than to go to his own bed. His heart pounded in his chest. Just as the kettle gurgled to its steaming climax, the bathroom door burst open, the little blonde dynamo that is five foot Mae came back into the room. "Shall we have some music? Yes we must! You must listen to Alt-J. They're brilliant!". Mae moved over to her Mac in the corner of the room, made a few clicks and instantly the space was now gently humming with the pleasing sounds from the small speakers on the computer desk.
Dan was still at kitchen worktop and stared at Mae. She was petite, long blonde hair, had nice legs, wore great boots and had a lovely bubbly laugh. Dan's thoughts were running amok in his confused head. Whilst outside on the sea front Dan had just a taster of the Prosecco yet here he was head spinning, confused and pulse raised. Sobriety and temptation were scarey. No alcohol to loosen up his inhibitions, no tingling belly, no beer goggles to assist his recent battered self-confidence.
Mae returned to the kitchen worktop and looked at Dan and asked did he want coffee or tea? Dan looked down at Mae and was knocked squarely out by what he saw. Outside in the darkness looking into each others eyes wasn't possible, it was dark and the street lights cast harsh shadows across Mae's face. Inside with the softer, even low lighting in the room meant Dan could see the sparkle in her lovely blue eyes. She was drunk, happy and quite unrestrained. She had some strange magnetic feminine power and Dan was still trying to figure out how to control it.
Dan's marriage had ended, quick, blunt, painful and now he was working on a new life. Here he was, just matter of months since the break up, chatting to a beautiful woman who flirts. This new experience was exciting enough for Dan. Flirting was fun. But in the transition from the intensity of the promenade to the flat had the flirting abated? Had the move inside changed their playful mood? Dan gazed down at Mae and said "Come here". He reached out and bent down and kissed her. Mae soft lips were an instant relief to Dan. With just one familiar pair of lips, not kissed recently his only reference point. Now the new soft lips of Mae caressed his, what a difference! Their tongues touched and they explored each others mouths with gentle arousing strokes. Dan pulled back to savour the light touch of Mae's tongue on his lonely lips. No stopping and complaining of a kiss being to "sloppy", like his wife would, just a slow long constant French kiss from Mae. Dan was lost in this totally distracting kiss. A beautiful, head energizing kiss that wasn't frantic, frenzied but slow, gentle and relaxed. Dan really liked this. They broke for air and Mae said in her chirpy tone "We must drink our tea!". Dan thought must we? Inside his head Dan was floating, swooning from the tantalizing kisses and tea drinking wasn't his main thought.
Dan despite being six foot tall, fit and in good health, stood at the worktop dazed, punch drunk from just their two pairs of lips touching. His brain hadn't experienced the intense rush of emotions and natural chemicals like this for a very very long time. Mae drank her tea and Dan could not resist another kiss. He leant down and scooped Mae up into his arms and Mae offered her hot persuasive tongue, still warm from the tea, Dan laughed mid kiss. He liked the sensation of her warm tongue on his. He'd missed kissing with this relaxed slow pace and passion for so long. Dan was still leaning against the kitchen counter with feet apart and Mae with her head at his chest leaning into him. She could feel his heart beating fast and Dan could feel Mae's body heat. Dan's pulse was racing, blood flowing strong and fast, his body responding to the passion that these kisses ignited. Dan felt Mae body rest against his hips and against his growing erection. In that moment Dan was blissfully happy. And why not? All this emotion and feeling from just a kiss in the kitchen. He smiled and laughed as he held her. Dan rested his chin on top of Mae's blonde head. "My hair must stink of cigarettes?" she said. It didn't. It smelt more of the sea breeze, more of Mae, no hint of smoke. Dan wrapped his arms around Mae intoxicated by the moment. He didn't want to leave for home, not just yet.
Mae said briskly "We should sit on the sofa!" as she peeled herself away from his arms and took the two cups, of now lukewarm tea, across to the small table by the sofa. Dan sat down on the low sofa and looked at Mae. He was smiling and trying to process all these simple basic pleasures and store the memories. File the new good memories away inside his head and throw out some of the new painful memories of the last few months. Dan needed to keep these new memories safe, to cherish them. This is what he missed from a relationship, simply the act of kissing that re-ignites his battered senses.
Mae was beautiful, feisty, funny and sat onto the sofa beside him smiling. For a while they chatted and drank there tea and just held hands fingers intertwined. Mae took off her boots and socks and was barefoot. Dan slipped out of his shoes and socks. Keen to slide his feet against the daintily painted toes of Mel stretched out beside him. Mae's small smooth feet felt glorious to Dan after his cramped sandy shoe. Dan loved women's feet, especially their shoes and here was a friend willingly letting him hold, stroke and touch her tiny feet. Another memory folder was being opened in Dan's brain. Dan blissfully slid his feet all around hers. Dan giggled as yet another simple pleasure, absent for so long, was set before him. Mae giggled too, as she drank her tea. As soon as she placed her empty mug on the table Dan leant across and resumed kissing her, stroking her firm small thighs with his wide open fingers clasping them. Dan's hesitation and sheepishness from earlier waning and lust was now looming.