I didn't realize seeing him would have this kind of an effect on my libido. Being single for the last four years and preoccupied with work had more or less killed any sex drive I'd had, not that I'd really had any, to begin with, so feeling this excited at the mere memory of seeing him last week was kind of overwhelming. It had been years, as in a decade or more, since I'd last seen him. In fact, it was probably graduation night itself when I'd last seen him. I didn't know then that I wouldn't see him again... I assumed I had an entire summer to flirt with him and let him know that I was interested. He hadn't told anyone that he was leaving for basic training the very next week, and as far as I'd last heard, he was still in the military, stationed somewhere far away and hadn't been back to our hometown since graduation.
Imagine my surprise when I ran into him at a coffee shop, of all places. Imagine my double surprise when I'd not only run into him, but he'd remembered my name without hesitation. My pulse pounded in my temples and for a second I thought I was hallucinating.
"Lucy, is that you?" He'd stood just to the right of the counter, waiting for his drink while I'd ordered mine. I hadn't recognized him until he said my name. I stood gobsmacked, staring at a vaguely familiar chiseled face with ever-changing hazel eyes.
"Jonathan." I breathed, "Hi. I ... didn't realize ... that you were in town?" I stammered out.
He smiled slightly with his wide, full lips. "Yeah. I am."
The woman behind the register cleared her throat and I felt my face flush for being caught out just staring when I should've been ordering. I stepped up to the counter and ordered my tea. Jonathan was just getting his drink when I stepped over.
"Well, it was good seeing you, Lucy. I'll see you around?"
"Uhmmm... yeah? I mean, yeah." Way to go, Lucy. Real conversationalist, here I muttered to myself as he walked away. I kicked myself mentally over my tied tongue and then felt my face flush again as I realized that my mouth had gone painfully dry and I was breathing heavily. Like, practically panting. What the hell?
I'd gone home thinking about Jonathan, and for the first time in a long time I'd pulled out my vibrator and indulged in a little fantasy work.
Still, a week later, and I'm just as flummoxed. I had come to the woods to take a walk and get some mental space and exercise. As my feet padded out a rapid staccato along the worn path, I became aware of another slightly echoing pattern behind mine. I looked over my shoulder and practically tripped over my own feet as I saw Jonathan strolling up behind me. I tried to side-step so I could turn and face him, and wound up tangled in my own legs, and then ass over tea kettle on the path.
"Lucy!" Jonathan crossed the final five feet between us in two long strides, extended his hand, and pulled me back to my feet. His pull was more forceful than necessary, and instead of just standing, I wound up practically falling into him. I swear, I'm not normally so uncoordinated!
"Uhm, hi?" I squeaked as I righted myself. I tried dusting off my ass but gave up after realizing that all of me was dusty, not just my ass.
"Are you okay? I didn't even see you!" he looked me up and down, seemingly assessing me for injury. He didn't realize that his assessing gaze was making me hot, not just from embarrassment, but from want.
"Uhm, yeah. I'm okay." I smiled at him a little lopsidedly, "what are you doing out here?"
"I wanted to take a walk. It's been years since I've been out to the woods, and the weather is perfect for it. You?"
"The same. Wanna talk together?" God, I sounded so juvenile to my own ears.
"Yeah, if I'm not interrupting you..." he gestured toward the path in the direction we'd both been walking as he took a step forward. I fell in line next to him. A companionable silence bloomed between us as we walked. I studied the crunch-crunch sound of our feet as we walked.
"So, are you-"
"Hey, listen-"
We both started talking at once. Gesturing for him to talk, I fell quiet as we kept walking.
"Listen, I know it's been years and I just sort of disappeared after high school, but I was wondering if I could ask you a question..." his voice faded off and he went real quiet. I peeked over at him because it almost felt like he'd just disappeared.
"Yeah?" I urged.