A Serendipitous Reunion

I'm back! Honestly I have been writing the entire time but I just haven't been able to finish any of my works in progress. So when I do expect a lot of posting to happen.

As always I hope you enjoy the story. Don't forget to rate and comment!

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I took another deep breath and a long pull on my drink nearly choking on it. I twisted the book sideways so it could be seen. She'd told me to buy my favorite book, the hardcover, and place the payment on the dedication page and leave it on the table. Isaac Asimov was a boyhood hero of mine and he'd passed away last year.

I ended up here at this upscale Manhattan hotel because I couldn't take the stress of it any longer. I grew up a painfully shy introvert with a passion for reading and technology. I couldn't socialize with women so I finally sought the help of a professional. Despite the air conditioning I felt hot. I was about ready to give up on this whole idea as folly and go up to my room.

I looked over my shoulder around the room to see if anyone else had come in yet. It was early for the bar crowd and only one or two tables were occupied. Just as I was about to turn back a silhouette darkened the door and a beautiful woman walked towards the bar. Long brown hair with golden highlights laid gently over her shoulders. She wore a black dress cut well above the knee showing off her terrific legs. She didn't even glance at me but came up to the bar and slid onto the stool next to me.

The bartender arrived promptly to take her order. "A Cosmo please." He nodded and went to make her drink. She turned slightly and looked at the book on the bar next to my drink. "I, Robot. Reading the classics?" She asked, humor in her voice.

"Uh yea, I mean yes. It's a favorite of mine." I stammered.

She gave back a wry smile. "My entire science fiction knowledge is based on watching Star Trek on TV." She gave me a little laugh and pointed at the book. "May I?"

A feeling of cold dread went through me. If this wasn't Hannah, the girl I'd made the appointment with, then the money inside might raise questions I wasn't prepared to answer. If it was her she was far more beautiful than I had hoped for. Her blue eyes stared into mine as I thought for a moment that she looked familiar. She had a small beauty mark below her left eyebrow. The hair brushed from her face revealed three small freckles that always reminded me of a diagram of the constellation Triangulum. The recognition caught me off guard for a moment. The slight tilt of her head and raised eyebrows brought me back.

"Oh, certainly." I slid the book closer to her. She picked it up just as the bartender set her drink down.

"Thank you." She smiled at him as he nodded and walked away. She had turned the book over to read the back and set it on its spine on the bar and flipped open the cover to read the jacket blurb. "This sounds familiar. Isn't he the one that postulated the Three Laws of Robotics?"

I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Yes, that's right." I sounded surprised to my own ears. "In that book actually."

She flipped the flyleaf and then the dedication page. She held the back of the book up so the only ones that could see into the book were the two of us. She flipped through the bills and then flipped to the table of contents. "I should get a copy. I've always been fascinated by that idea."

It dawned on me that this was her, Hannah. "Take that one." I blurted. "I have another at home," I added with a laugh.

"That's very generous of you." She paused and it only belatedly came to me that she was asking my name, something she already knew.

"Paul Lawrence." I suddenly hoped that she wouldn't remember me. Her real name was Megan Duval and she was the student teacher that spent a semester teaching my eighth grade English class back in Hartford Connecticut. I remember her first day. Mr. Phillips had given us the lowdown on her the day before. She was a former student herself and was studying for a teaching degree focusing on English and was spending a few months interning at her old middle school. She was only six years older than most of us in that class, and it showed in her nerves. She was the subject of talk for every boy in class. She was a classic beauty, a sculpted brow over piercing blue eyes, high cheeks and a long narrow nose that led to full pink lips that often gave way to the warmest smile. Her wry sense of humor came out when the class clown decided to test her limits, which he did often. She quickly coined the phrase 'Shut it, Shawn' which made the whole class crack up.

"Are you in there?" She said drawing me back to the present.

"Oh I'm sorry..."

"Hannah." She said filling in the pause and held her hand out to shake.

"Nice to meet you Hannah." I played along and thought if I were any less of a wallflower I might have been remembered, but then I did the math and realized that was half my life ago. That would put her at thirty-two, though she looked years younger. She took a sip of her Cosmo and turned to me, a curious expression crossed her face.

"Have we met before?" She squinted then laughed.

I acted surprised as best as I could without being dramatic. "No. I would definitely remember meeting someone as beautiful as you."

Her smile was still just as sweet, a blush brightened her cheeks. "Thank you. So what do you do Paul?"

I bored her with a vague description of computer hardware engineering and processor design.

"Wow that's fascinating. I've wanted to get my own computer but they're so expensive."

"They are, but like all technology it will improve in price and capability before you know it. The key is to know when to jump into the pool. Buy leading edge technology so it's not obsolete within a month."

She finished her drink and the bartender had appeared as if by magic to inquire if she wanted another. She tilted her head and looked at me. "I don't know. I have a feeling I'm about to be asked to dinner."

I grinned and did just that. I paid for our drinks and Hannah stood and waited for me, book in hand with her clutch on top of it and looped her arm in mine as we walked out of the bar. I looked much more suave than I felt and I attributed it all to her. As we walked I realized how seamless she made this feel as if it was normal for a beautiful woman to walk up to me in a bar and strike up a conversation.

The maitre'd sat us at a table next to a small fountain in the atrium portion of the restaurant, a small bouquet sat in the center of the table with a candle jutting out the top which he lit after handing us menus.

"It's a good thing I took high school French." I said looking at the names. I felt a quick sense of dread after saying it hoping that wouldn't be the moment of recall.

"I took it in college and there are things on here I'd have to look up. Chef's have their own lingo." She laughed.

When the waiter arrived he recommended a wine to go with our appetizers and we both agreed. He returned with the bottle and opened it pouring glasses as the salads were set in front of us. We made small talk, mostly about what I was doing in the city this week. I was just seeing the sites, and she mentioned having never been to the top of the Empire State Building. A trip I had planned for the following day. I took a chance and invited her along. A smile spread across her face. "Maybe I will."

We finished dinner and the waiter poured the remainder of the wine and asked if we would like coffee, or dessert.

"Coffee would be nice. I think we have dessert covered." She said looking at me with a sly grin.

"Just coffee then." I said to the waiter with what must have looked like a goofy grin. I'd completely forgotten that this date was a sure thing. My heart went into overdrive as I thought about what would happen next. The sun had gone down and the sky had gone to twilight, the brightest stars began to show.

"I can't believe we've been here for so long. It feels like we just sat down." I said hoping my nervousness wasn't coming through. Her smile brightened in the candlelight. Her eyes darted around, the table next to us was empty but there was a group at the table beyond that.

"How is it that you're here with me and not with any number of women who would be glad to be here in my place?" She said softly.

"I'm sorry?" I said, genuinely confused. She laughed.

"That statement was very romantic and completely unrehearsed. I can tell. You have quite a knack for showing a girl a good time. I'm just sort of curious."

I found myself staring at the candle as it burned low. I was starting to get cold feet, compounded by the fact that she was once my English teacher, even if only for a few months. I looked into her eyes, the blue rimmed with a dark line making them sharp in their regard. Honesty rose from inside me unfiltered.

"Because, not only have I never done this, I've never..."

A moment passed and the awareness showed on her face as slight shock. "Never?"

I just nodded and looked away. Her hand settled on mine and gripped softly. "Hey, look at me. It's okay."

I did look back at her. There was no mocking in her expression. "I just never." I stammered. "I've always been very shy, and intimidated. College made it worse. I didn't think it could get that much worse than high school." I said, my voice remained soft but my frustration came through enough for me to notice and stop. Her hand tightened on mine.

Her smile was genuine. "You've been doing wonderfully all night. I'm sure you will the rest too." She winked at me. I paid the check and we went up to my room.

I'd only gotten a regular room not a suite but she didn't seem to care. Once inside she laid her book and clutch on the side table and walked up to me. She reached for my hands, placed them on her hips and she leaned into me, her lips neared mine and stopped. I leaned into her kiss, starting softly as our lips met. She pressed into it the tip of her tongue glided across my lip and I parted them letting her in. I focused on the feel of her in my arms, her hands running through my hair, my hands slid around her waist to pull her close. We parted with a sigh.

"Well I'd say you've done that before, or you are one hell of a fast learner." Her smile was all warmth and encouragement.

"Maybe you're a great teacher?" The ice cold stab returned. I closed my eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. I pushed her gently away.

"What's the matter?"

"I can't."

"Don't worry, I'll show you what to do." Her hand rested on my arm in assurance.

"That's not what I mean. I can't Megan. Ms. Duval." I let her go and stepped back. The look on her face was a mix of surprise and alarm. Her expression pressed me to reassure her that she was safe. "I lied earlier, when you asked if we'd met before. Back when you were in college, you came back to Hartford middle school to teach English for a semester in Mr. Phillip's class."

She stood there with her arms across her chest. The fear on her face subsided into interest.

"Sweet Paul?" It was my turn to be confused. "You were the one that wrote me that love story." Her hand went to her open mouth. "Jack asked me if I wanted him to have a chat with you over that." She stepped back and sat on the bed. "Oh my God you must have been mortified when you realized it was me." She fell back on the bed her hands over her face. "I don't blame you if you've lost any and all respect you may have had for me."

"I'm not going to lie. I've been wracking my brain trying to think why you would be doing this. I would have expected you to be teaching by now."

"I do. Do you have any idea how poorly teachers are paid?" She let out a chuckle at that. "There are other reasons." She took a deep breath and let it out and sat up, leaning back on her elbows, her expression shifted back to seduction. "As much as I'm torn to just thank you for dinner and go on my way with a recommendation for a friend of mine that could help you out. I'm more of a mind to offer you the opportunity to fulfill your 'Hot for Teacher' fantasy. Mostly because I need the money and I'm not above admitting that to you. The fact that you've been an absolute charm all evening is just a bonus."

It was my turn to rub my hands down my face and turn towards the window. "You know I wasn't going to say anything, doing just that, but deep down I felt really shitty for even thinking about it. I had the biggest crush on you." I stood staring out the window, hands on my hips.

"I can't believe you never got laid in college. You're genuinely sweet, and you're pretty easy to look at, you know, without the acne and pocket protector." She added with a chuckle.

I turned to her smiling. "You know I still have it, wear it to work every day. You've changed a little too." I said, my eyes taking her in as she reclined on my bed. "No more maroon corduroys, turtleneck, and button down Oxford shirts."

"Don't forget the wool socks and clogs." She said laughing.

"You were still hot, despite how nerdy that sounds now."

She fell back with a groan. "Ugh, so much for the illusion of me being in my twenties."

"You could easily pass as twenty-something. Most people think I look older than my age."

There was a pause as we just looked into each others eyes. Both of us deciding what to do next.

"What's the money for?"

"Medical bills. My dad's cancer treatment has gone way above and beyond his shitty pension insurance. I didn't realize what financial shape they were in. They had to sell their house and move into an apartment last year. My mother went back to work to help them stay afloat."

"Listen, I know how weird this is for the both of us. The book and everything is yours. I fully understand, if you want to go."

Her eyes held mine and bored into me exposing my need. She sat up and reached down flipped off her heels and tossed them aside before she stood. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck drawing me into her kiss. "What if I don't want to go?"

"Then you're going to make me very happy." I smiled and kissed her again.

She leaned back slightly and I dropped my hands to let her back away but she put them back on her waist and reached up pulling the knot of my tie. Her little smirk was catching as I felt it spread across my own face. She unbuttoned the top buttons of my shirt before she slipped my tie free and dropped it. Her hands went to the lapels of my jacket and pushed it off my shoulders. I had to let her go to take it off, I dropped it on the chair behind me and turned back, taking her in my arms again. Her hands rested on my shoulders as our lips met again. She giggled as she felt my hand moving up the zipper of her dress looking for the top.

"Are you sure you've never done this before?"

"You don't know the performance anxiety I'm going through right now."

"Please don't." She placed her finger on my lips. "Besides, I'm your teacher, I'll show you what to do, and I'll correct you if you make a mistake." Her smile beamed in the dim light of the room. I kissed her finger and she leaned in replacing her fingers with her lips. I fumbled through her long hair finding the zipper and began pulling it down. "Ow!" She tilted her head back and laughed.

"I'm sorry!" It's just you have so much beautiful hair now, not like the short bob you had in college." She nodded and turned around, dragging her hair over her shoulder exposing the zipper. I took the tab again and began slowly pulling it down. As it parted revealing her pale skin I leaned forward and kissed her neck. I felt her sharp intake of breath and realized I'd hit a button so I did it again before trailing kisses across her shoulder. The zipper hit bottom appropriately at the top of hers.

"May I?" I whispered. Her head turned and she gave the slightest nod. I reached up and pushed the straps off her shoulders. She slipped the straps off her arms and the fabric pooled around her ankles. She reached behind her back to unhook her bra and I put my hand on hers to stop her. I whispered in her. "I want to see you first... like I imagined you beneath all those turtlenecks and sweaters."

She let out a soft laugh and turned in my arms. "Do I meet your expectations then?" I stepped back to size her up in black lace lingerie. "Was this the image in your mind all those years ago?" Her smile was impish and sweet, not mocking at all.

I smiled and nodded. "Right out of a lingerie catalog."

Her smile faded and she reached up bunching her hair as she put one foot in front of the other. "Like this?" She said posing like they did in the glossy pages so many teenage boys obsessed over. Her figure was fantastic and worthy of a cover. My body reacted the same way now as it had back then when I felt a twitch in my slacks.

"What did you do next?" She let her hair go and it cascaded around her shoulders like brown-gold silk.

"Truth? I masturbated furiously." I said laughing.

Her grin spread even wider. "What if you didn't have to? What would you do next?" She stepped out of the dress and used her toe to kick it aside. I closed the distance again and took her cheeks in my hands and kissed her again. My eagerness barely contained. I jumped in surprise at the feel of her hand on the front of my slacks. She giggled again. "You're overdressed." She began on my shirt buttons, then tugged it free from my slacks and dropped it on the floor. She grabbed my belt and pulled me against her again tilting her head up and kissing my jaw, her hands began on the buckle, unhooked my slacks and pushed them off my hips. Her hands rubbed up the front of my boxers with a hum of approval and gave me a little squeeze. I reached around her shoulders and fumbled at the hook on her bra eventually getting it undone.

"Are you ready for the reveal?" She whispered into my ear.

"Oh yes." I gasped as she kissed down my neck.

"You first. Off with the under shirt." I tugged it over my head and tossed it aside. She ran her hands up my chest. "Nice." She said, looking up at me and smiling. I reached for the shoulder straps of her bra and pushed it off. She let her arms drop and it slid off. She was just as gorgeous as I had imagined. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath and held it. "You know, a little reciprocation would be appreciated." A wry grin crossed her face as she took my hands in hers and place them on her chest. She leaned into my hands and I stroked gently, her nipples hardened under my palms. I ran my hands down her sides.

"You are stunning."

She leaned into me our chests touched as she took my lips again. The feeling her pressed to my chest was incredible, our bodies melted together. My hands found their way to the small of her back pulling our hips together. A soft moan escaped her lips as she ground her body against mine. I wasn't going to be able to take much more of this before I exploded. I slid my hand lower over the satin of her bottom and gave it a firm squeeze.

"If you don't fuck me, and soon, I'm going to lose my mind." She purred into my ear. I don't know if it was what she expected but I grabbed her by the hips and tossed her on the bed. She let out a yelp as she landed and I reached for her panties dragging them off. She was grinning now and watched me as I went to my suitcase and pulled out the box of condoms I'd brought. She scrambled off the bed and tossed the throw pillows aside, yanked the duvet and blanket off completely and tossed them on the floor before resuming her position in the center of the bed. I must have been staring too long because she parted her legs and ran her fingers down the cleft between. "Are you going to stand there all night? Or are you going to take those off and get in bed?" Her eyes roamed down my body stopping to stare straight at my crotch, she licked her upper lip and an impish grin lifted the corners of her mouth. "Let me see it."