The Reluctant Partygoer

Part One

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Sarah sat in her office staring at the calendar, an uncomfortable nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Today was the 4th of December: exactly two weeks until the event she had once been looking forward to, but was now dreading.

Her colleagues in the offices of Morton, Grant & Partners seemed oblivious to her dilemma, and she kept her office door closed. The law firm that employed her was known to work its people hard, but it also rewarded them too, and the Partners took particular pride in the annual Christmas party.

This year was to be no exception, the ballroom at the five star Lakeview Hotel the venue for a dinner and dance on the 18th.

Sarah had loved the three previous parties she'd attended, but feared this year's would be awful. She played with her shoulder-length brunette hair whilst imagining the questions she'd get from everyone... why wasn't her fiancée with her at the Lakeview? Was he ill? Working? At another function? She tried to rehearse in her mind how she'd answer them.

Sarah had met Marcus at law school. They'd managed to get jobs in the same city, and had moved in together soon after.

Their relationship seemed to be going well, and everyone had said what a great couple they made - even her mother had liked him. So she was ecstatic when he'd proposed to her last February, on her 26th birthday.

She'd dreamt about him last night, as she had often done during the weeks since he'd announced, without warning, that he was leaving. Sarah had woken at just after 3 o'clock this morning from that dream, the old t-shirt of Marcus's that she slept in ridden up around her waist, her left hand buried between her slender, pale legs. Just for an instant, as she lay there in her semi-conscious state, she'd almost convinced herself that the separation had been a dream, but reality soon took over.

Unable to get back to sleep, she'd lain there staring at the ceiling, her eyes moist with tears. It still felt weird being alone in their bed, and Marcus was all she could think about, trying to understand why he'd left.

Sarah had had a few boyfriends before he'd come along, but none of them really compared. Sure, he wasn't perfect, sometimes disappearing for nights out with his buddies, and his romantic gestures were rare. However, he was attentive and, as far as she was concerned, great in the bedroom.

Sarah had loved that he had made sex about her, taking time to explore every inch of her skin, seeking out every pleasure point with his mouth or fingers. Of course he'd found the obvious ones, such as her small yet sensitive breasts or the sides of her neck. But it was the newly-discovered ones, like her ear lobes, or the backs of her knees, that sent little pulses of bliss coursing through her body.

His exploration would go on for ages, until she had to almost beg Marcus to do the thing he did that was guaranteed to make her climax. He'd just grin and, as she lay back on the bed, she'd watch his face disappear between her legs.

Again, he'd take his time - almost teasing her, his lips firstly kissing her inner thighs, each leg in turn, his mouth moving slowly upwards, leaving a moist trail. She'd run her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp whilst encouraging his head to move closer into her.

Sensing her eagerness, his tongue would move on to the crevice between the top of her thigh and her mound, her neatly-trimmed hair brushing against his cheeks. Then his tongue would move across to explore the mound itself, the delicate folds of her labia by now glistening, Marcus breathing in her scent, but not yet tasting her. Invariably, and involuntarily, Sarah's thighs would squeeze against his head the instant his mouth found her slit, her moans increasing in frequency and volume as he started to kiss and lick.

He'd known her body well, and soon he'd turn his attention to her engorged clitoris, her body squirming as he gently sucked, the tip of his tongue flicking against her. Then he'd move his upturned hand to beneath his chin, letting two fingers slip inside her, easily finding her special spot and massaging it with rapid, almost rough, movements. She never lasted long with that dual approach, and her body would begin to quiver and her face and chest become flushed as the orgasm claimed her.

Sarah's thoughts were disturbed by her office door flying open as her assistant, Nikki, burst into the room. Sarah liked Nikki and confided in her; she was one of the few people she had told that Marcus was now living with some woman from his office.

'Don't forget your meeting with Litigation in five minutes,' Nikki said as she fussed around Sarah's desk. A long, boring case conference was the last thing that Sarah needed, but maybe it'd temporarily take her mind off him.

Part Two

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'So Sarah, what do you think?' Sarah looked up, suddenly realising that she'd not been listening , preoccupied by her thoughts yet again. She fixed her eyes on James, her questioner. He was probably a couple of years older than Sarah, about six foot, trim rather than muscular, with piercing blue eyes and a crew cut that just added to his aura of smart efficiency. She'd seen him around the building and knew him to say hello to but, as he worked in a different department on a different floor, their paths rarely crossed.

'Well James, I think that's an idea worthy of further thought, leave it with me,' she replied, feeling her cheeks beginning to burn with embarrassment as the other seven pairs of eyes present at the case conference swiftly focussed on her.

'OK, maybe get back to me next week?' James said, a glimmer of a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. Sarah just nodded and scribbled something on her pad, mortified that he knew she'd not been paying attention.

As the meeting drew to a close, Sarah concentrated on gathering up her things so that her exit would be as swift as possible. She shuffled past a couple of people, heading straight for the door.

'Wait a second Sarah,' said a voice from behind her. Oh no, she thought, him again... did he want to gloat that he'd caught her out? 'Thanks for your input, I'm glad that's over - it sure is a dull case,' James continued, not a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

Sarah smiled and murmured something incomprehensible in response, just wanting to get back to the sanctuary of her office. She hurried down the corridor, expecting him to disappear, but she realised with some alarm he was keeping pace with her and aiming for the same waiting elevator.

They stood together in awkward silence, her jabbing at the buttons, both of them thinking of something to say. The elevator finally started to move.

'So, looking forward to Christmas?' James eventually blurted out.

'Um, well...' was all Sarah could say in response.

'Oh no, I'm sorry,' James said, his face reddening, realising his error. Does the whole building know, Sarah thought. 'I know it won't make you feel any better, but I'm in the same position,' he continued, 'I split up from my girlfriend in August... although at least we weren't engaged.' She looked up at him, startled by his insensitivity. 'Oh no, that didn't sound right at all,' James mumbled, 'I just meant that... well I meant that, that we weren't, um, too serious.'

Sarah forced a smile. 'Well, I think I know what you meant, apology accepted.'

'Eh? But I didn't apologise,' he said, his face creasing in confusion. Then the penny dropped. 'But I think I should've - sorry Sarah.' Then they heard the sound they'd both been waiting for - the ping as the elevator doors opened.

James stepped out, immediately turning around. 'Hey, I was thinking, maybe we could go to the Christmas party together? Unless you've got other plans, I mean. I hate going to those things on my own. Give me a call if you're interested.'

Part Three

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Sarah had already spent the best part of two hours getting ready... soaking in the bath, fixing her hair, then applying the little make-up she wore. Her dress was laid out ready on the bed. Yes, it was little and black, but the exquisite sequin detailing on the skirt would hopefully mark it out from all the others that would be at the Lakeview Hotel tonight. Its off the shoulder design meant she couldn't wear a bra with it, but her pert breasts would look good nevertheless.

She focussed on them now as she stood in front of the full-length mirror, wearing only her black thong and hold-up stockings. Warily, she allowed her fingers to glide over her pale pink nipples, watching as they reacted immediately to her touch. Her hand then wandered onto her stomach, her skin feeling so soft and smooth. Resisting the temptation to let it drift further down, she reached across for her dress and stepped into it.

The same question revolved around in her head: was she doing the right thing? Nikki, her ever-helpful assistant, had nagged her to call James after his surprising offer. She'd gone on about how Sarah shouldn't go to the party on her own, how quite a few of the girls in the firm fancied James, and how the 'date' (although Sarah subsequently banned her from using that term; 'arrangement' was the preferred word) would just be for a few hours.

Secretly, Sarah found James kind of cute, although she didn't want the complication of another relationship anytime soon and, in an inexplicable way, she felt a pang of guilt about seeing other guys so soon after Marcus. However, she didn't want to go to the party alone so, with trepidation, she had contacted James a few days after their elevator encounter to accept, hoping her voice hadn't betrayed her uncertainty.

Having finally finished getting ready, she sat in her kitchen nursing a glass of wine, her eyes constantly flicking up to the clock, hoping he wouldn't be late. At 6.59 pm, exactly one minute before the arranged pick-up time, her doorbell rang. She finished her wine with a gulp and rushed to open the door.

'Hi Ja... what the hell?' She was confronted by a huge bunch of red roses.

'Like them?' James said, his smiling face appearing over the top of the foliage.

'Wow, you really didn't have to, but they're lovely... thanks. Why don't I put them in some water?'

'Well,' James replied, the smile suddenly dropping from his face, 'I was rather hoping you'd carry them into the party with you, show them off to all your friends.'

'Um, they're lovely, but really, you think I should take them with us?' Sarah asked, looking hopefully at him, trying desperately not cause offence.

'Sarah, relax!' he said, his hurt expression cracking into laughter. 'You don't really think I expected you to cart them around with you all night? Unless you want to try to sell a flower to each couple we come across?' he said, winking at her. 'Oh, and you might want to put this in the refrigerator,' he added, producing a bottle of champagne from behind his back.

As she took his gifts, she caught sight of him properly for the first time. He always made a point of looking smart at work, but tonight he seemed to have made an extra effort: his tuxedo neatly pressed, his shoes gleaming, his shirt creaseless. She had to admit to herself, Marcus had never brushed up so well. But she also had to remind herself that this wasn't a date.

James escorted her out to the taxi, waiting for them in the chilly darkness. They passed the journey chatting, both of them perhaps being a little guarded. The floodlit Lakeview Hotel looked impressive as they arrived.

James took Sarah's arm in his as they walked into the ballroom, the beautifully dressed dinner tables surrounding a large dance floor. They circulated amongst the crowd for a while, exchanging pleasantries, trying to remember everyone's names.

Sarah was starting to relax, her fear that people would quiz her about Marcus seemingly unfounded. She suspected that her situation was already a lot more well-known than she had thought, and almost everyone was too tactful to mention it. Those that were too inebriated to be tactful just seemed to assume James was Marcus.

Dinner passed quickly, followed by a long, predictably un-amusing speech by the Managing Partner. Then the band started up, a few brave couples immediately heading for the dance floor.

'Well, come on then,' James said, standing to his feet and taking her hand, 'let's show them how it's done.'

'Really?' Sarah beamed. She loved dancing, but Marcus certainly hadn't. He'd always claimed some kind of sporting injury when she'd tried to coax him onto a dance floor, an excuse that would've been plausible had his only sporting activity not been video games.

Maybe it was partly the effect of the copious wine, but Sarah felt comfortable with James. She'd thought they'd drift apart during the course of the evening. After all, there was no real obligation for them to stick together. However, to her surprise, they seemed to really enjoy each other's company, and they made frequent visits to the dance floor together.

It was during the last of these visits that the tempo of the music suddenly slowed, signifying that the evening was coming to an end. Several couples hastened off the dance floor, clearly not wanting to get too close to each other.

Sarah turned to follow them off, but James gently pulled her back towards him.

'Where are you going?' he asked, smiling.

'Um, well it's the slow dances... I didn't think you'd want to.'

'Nothing else I'd rather be doing, if you'd do me the honour.'

She smiled back at him, their eyes meeting. They stumbled around awkwardly at first but soon found a rhythm, their arms wrapped around each other, her face resting against his shoulder.

They had been dancing for a couple of songs when it happened. Sarah wasn't sure initially, but all her attention was immediately focussed on it. Undoubtedly, she could feel something brushing against her stomach as they moved, a bulge growing uncontrollably in the area of James' crotch.

Sarah thought she should move away just a little. She didn't want to embarrass James, and perhaps he didn't realise his growing erection was making contact with her.

But maybe she left it too long to act. Clearly James was aware of the contact, and he seemingly took her hesitation as a signal that she liked it. To Sarah's astonishment, he moved his body even closer. There was now no doubt what she was feeling against her, but she was excited that she could have this effect on him. Her nipples stiffened in response inside her dress, although Sarah knew the thick fabric covering them would sadly prevent James from feeling them against his chest.

Part Four

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They didn't say much in the taxi back to Sarah's place, but they certainly sat closer to each other than they had on the way to the party. Sarah's brain was whirring as she tried to figure out what was happening between them. Clearly, their 'arrangement' had morphed into a 'date', and she hadn't had such a good time since Marcus had left.

Marcus... she realised that she hadn't thought about him all night, and any mistaken guilt she had felt about being with another guy had dissolved away.

She anticipated a nice long goodnight kiss on her doorstep, and she hoped James would oblige. But maybe she desired more than that? She was never a girl to go far on a first date, but the dull longing inside her reminded her of her enforced period of chastity. It was true that she'd missed sex since Marcus had left, and masturbation had been an infrequent and unsatisfactory substitute.

'I imagine that bottle of champagne will be nice and cold now,' James said, looking across at her as the taxi pulled up. It was as if he was reading her mind, or at least thinking the same thing.

'I don't know, maybe we'd better try it,' Sarah smiled back.

However, they didn't even have time to get the bottle from the refrigerator. As soon as Sarah's front door was closed behind them, James pushed her up against the wall, his lips quickly finding hers, their tongues greedily probing each others' mouths.

They shuffled along the small, narrow hallway, their mouths not parting, Sarah guiding them towards an ajar door. She pulled him through it, into her bedroom, any feelings of inhibition fading. He held her close, his lips moving downwards to kiss the side of her neck, his hands already seeking out the zip that secured her dress.

He swiftly undid it, crouching as he slid the dress down over her hips. Sarah was suddenly conscious that his face was now level with her chest. He looked up at her as he began to fondle her breasts, shyly moving his mouth towards them. She let out a muted gasp as his lips found her left nipple, firstly kissing it, then eagerly sucking and nibbling as it grew stiff in his mouth. It had been too long since someone had touched her like this, and she cradled his head in her hands as his attention began to alternate between her breasts.

Sarah grinned at him when, eventually, he straightened up in front of her. 'You're a bit overdressed, aren't you?' she said, running her fingers along the lapel of his tuxedo.

'Well, maybe I need some help?' was his response, an invitation that Sarah readily accepted. Together, they quickly removed his tuxedo, trousers and bow tie, and Sarah's fingers worked down his shirt buttons, exposing his lean torso, leaving him standing in just his boxer shorts.

He took her hand in his, guiding it towards the obvious swelling in his shorts, then slowly rubbing her hand along it. Sarah responded instantly, her fingers gripping him lightly through the cotton.

Without saying a word, she sank to her knees, keen to explore what lay beneath the white material. Her hands grasped his shorts and tugged them down, his hard cock springing up as the waistband passed over it.

She eyed his shaft for a few seconds, before taking it in her hand. Cautiously, she let her fingers move along it, as if reminding herself of the feel, a groan escaping from James as her hold tightened. Sarah let her tongue graze against it, permitting herself the briefest taste, before caving into temptation and taking his cock head between her lips. He ran his fingers through her hair as she took him further into her mouth, her hand still working along his remaining length.

After several minutes, she felt his hands move from her head to her shoulders, a gentle pressure from James encouraging her to get up. Reluctantly, she let his cock part from her lips as she stood.

'That was incredible Sarah... maybe too good, I want to last a little longer!' he said with a broad grin on his face.

She giggled at his veiled compliment, before turning from him and stepping away. Sarah pulled her thong off, playfully wiggling her smooth, pale buttocks at him before climbing onto the bed. She immediately got on all fours, looking back expectantly over her shoulder at him.

He manoeuvred himself so that he was kneeling behind her, his knees between hers. Sarah twitched as she felt his cock brushing against her moist, ready lips. He soon found her hole, and tenderly began to slide himself into her. She pushed herself back towards him, moaning quietly as his length filled her.

His hands took hold of her hips as he started to thrust; slow short movements at first, but soon becoming more urgent. Sarah's head hung down as the rhythm increased, his lunges getting faster, harder and deeper. She began to feel the waves of pleasure spreading out from between her legs across her body.

Sarah almost buckled when his right hand reached around her, finding her clitoris. He rubbed her there with a small, circular motion whilst continuing to pound her, and she knew she couldn't last much longer. Her vaginal muscles tightened and released their grip on his cock with increasing strength and frequency, trying to draw James towards climax with her.