Previously submitted as merely a story (In the Beginning). "Allure" occurred decades ago. Based on letters, poems and journal entries written at the time, this work has been rendered as true to the reality of these moments as possible. The woman of "Allure" has read the whole of and concurs. "That's how I remember it," she said. I had worried time might have embellished its memory. I didn't want the words to color the moment. "They don't," she said. But, reality can harm. Thus, the man and woman cannot have names in this account to keep other lives from hurt.
In the Beginning
The woman leans the willingness of her form against the dresserβ-palms flat on the polished imitation veneer, fingers curling over the hard edge, eyes betraying nothing but her certainty--and lifts her right foot. "Take off my boots."
She does not command mastery over this man, though he would willingly grant her that if she asks. No, her words burrow deeper, claiming dominion over this moment and where it will lead. She has no choice. Soft kisses have brought them to this room where intimacy reigns, but yielding must come from her. Too soon and the moment will turn tawdry; too delayed and the moment might never be. She sets the tone; he must set the tenor.
He bows to her command, her boot-clad foot on his thigh as he sits on his heels before her, obeying only because he knows that whatever direction they will take must begin with an assertive touch. A reckless hand wraps around her calf, molding itself to the curve of the warm flesh beneath her faded jeans. A confident hand grasps the heel of her boot and tugs; the snug leather slips readily free. The other follows quickly.
How this man and this woman arrive in this particular place at this particular time matters little in this telling. The meeting nearly six months earlier, the words spoken since, the touches gentle that granted permission, the decision made without discussion--all have been prelude. Without this moment, the particulars can have no relevance. With this moment, the particulars of before pass into oblivion.
By inviting her into this space he shares with another, he takes a step outside his other life. In accepting this invitation, she takes a step outside her other life. Neither feels a need to consider where this steps leads. That will come later, or not. On this day, at this moment existing out of time, they explore the possibility of a beginning, content in the arousal that drives them, testing the measure of their resolve and calculating the passion each brings.
She wiggles her toes along the rug's rough pile and fluffs her soft rust hair and spreads her presence into the otherness of this space, accepts his willful opening of it to her as easily as he accepts her willingness to stride unafraid into it. She stands flushed, soft green sweater top curved to her form, faded blue jeans snug to her form, bright gold rings secure to her form.
He doesn't mind the reality of her rings or she of his. Her other life exists, as does his. They do not arrive at this moment in this place of intimacy oblivious of truths others ignore in less-deliberate circumstances: the anonymity of a chance meeting in a bar, the detached reality of a weekend conference, the freedom of intense strangers surprising each other in isolation.
Because he and she first arrived together in social surroundings, each knows of the other lives--the stable one of hers, the volatile one of his. They could no more hide the otherness of their lives than they could deny the ease in they arrive his bedroom. He will not notice her rings when she clasps her hand around his or when her fingers brush along his skin or when they wrap around his hardness, cool metal tugging at his pubic hair. She will not notice his ring when he clasps her hand or when his fingers brush along her skin or when one slips into her wet softness, hard gold pulling at her pubic hairs.
Her rings alone have no power to stop her from towering over him, from placing her form at his disposal, from allowing thoughts to become reality. His rings cannot stop him from savoring this reality, from placing his form at her disposal, from kneeling when she commands he remove her boots.
"You are quick to obey." She drops the softness of her words as reward, her voice husky, her tone enticing, her blue eyes focusing on his hazel eyes.
"When I want." He prolongs nearness, a hand softly pleading along the back of her knee and sensually inviting along the firm stretch of her calf. "I like your presence here."
She lingers accessible over him, hovers against the dresser, soft blue eyes following his as he traces the shape of her presence, finely softened red hair, pale skin, breasts rising gently beneath the comfort of her sweater, belly curving into the seductive fit of her jeans. Under his gaze, she makes herself form to become function. Because of her presence, he makes himself function to become pleasure. The direction certain: friends must become lovers.
"Do you enjoy what you see?" She slips her leg from his caress, pushes herself away from the dresser and crawls kneeling to the center of the bed.
"Very much." He crawls kneeling in front of her and runs longing fingers up her arms.
"My presence feels very much at ease here." She relaxes the flat of her hands against the thin firmness of his chest. "My presence feels very much wanted here."
"It is."
These words so softly spoken swirl about them seductive, bridge the gap between friends dabbling with danger and lovers embracing it with a first kiss--first only because the previous few have merely been expressions of possibility--the kiss several days earlier merely a step forward, others just moments ago in his study merely permission to continue the flow into lovers in more comfortable surroundings.
Knowledge releases and relaxes, lets them taste this danger they gather about themselves, turning the kiss explosively tender, barely touching, more a brushing of auras than a merging of flesh. Yet, his fingers wrap firmly expectant around her arms; hers burrow catlike into his chest.