Tasha took a blouse out of her closet, eying it closely as she weighed her options. She knew she wanted to look her best, even if it was just for a friend. She hadn't seen Rick in nearly eight years and it would be insulting to not go beyond her typical outfit of t-shirts and jeans. She held it in front of the mirror; hazel-green eyes and dark brown hair framing a thin, pale face stared back at her. He always did like to see her looking good. Even if they were just friends, she told herself again.
She slid the lace top over her tiny breasts, too small for a normal bra so she generally went without, and felt it tickling her nipples. It felt good and her sensitive body responded to the gentle brush, but she ignored it. She was constantly ignoring the messages her frustrated body sent her; she had other, more important things to focus on at the moment like finishing picking out her outfit for the evening. She pulled out a pair of low-rise jeans and a pair of short black heels. With the blouse, they looked fantastic... sexy even. Not that it should matter.
Tasha was desperately trying not to think about one of the last times she saw Rick before he moved to Annapolis. Tasha and her boyfriend of many years Evan had just broken up with their first serious girlfriend in devastating manner and ended up commiserating with Rick and his now ex -wife Dora in their favorite bar. As the most (in)famous free-love advocates in town they were well suited to the task. A few rounds of drinks later and the conversation had turned increasingly personal. Rick and Dora became bolder, suggesting the possibility of exploring a relationship between the four of them. It wasn't long before Rick and Tasha were in a dark corner of the bar kissing while Evan and Dora had slipped off somewhere of their own.
The memory of those kisses was bittersweet. She could remember the feeling of his mouth on hers, with just the right level of firmness, and the way his tongue probed in all the right places building and combining with the sensation of sinking into the arms of another man. As Rick's hands began to roam down to the top of her jeans she had begun to feel the growing warmth between her legs and little beads of moisture began gathering on her quivering labia. Just as his hand was about to offer relief she felt another, rougher hand pull them apart.
"How dare you expose your sin and shame in public you little whore!" a vicious voice spit at her as a group of hateful men and women gathered around them. Tasha, without another look at Rick, had run out of the bar crying. She was shamed beyond belief, having felt attracted to a man other than her boyfriend for the first time ever and horrified at the reaction others had to it. She still had never been with any other man but Evan. They had discussed the possibility several times, but it had never happened and after that night she figured it never would.
So they had remained friends. Rick and Dora moved to Annapolis. Evan and Tasha moved in together and occasionally had a fling with another woman, but after that scene in the bar neither of them was too keen on being that overt with their sex lives. They kept out of the public eye and Tasha slowly became increasingly withdrawn. More recently, Dora had left Rick and now Rick was facing his annual trip back to town alone, being single for the first time in years. Tasha in the meantime had become almost totally socially isolated. She was almost unbearably anxious just to be out in public at her old haunts and potentially around her condemners, let alone the prospect of seeing Rick again.
That was the problem. Why should she be nervous? Tasha bit her lip in consternation. After that night it had never come up again, which was surprising considering Rick had been trying to get in her panties almost since the moment they were introduced and that was before she and Evan had even gotten together. She suppressed a giggle at the memory of the night they met; damn he could be so arrogant. He thought she would fall right into his arms and bed. The other women around had warned her about him within minutes. He was notorious for trying to sleep with pretty much everyone around. One of her old acquaintance's words from that night rang through her head. "Oh he will be after you forever, but eventually he will show up at the exact right time and it WILL happen and you won't regret it. No one ever does "But it was over. They lost their chance. And it was for the best, wasn't it? Their friendship was what mattered. Their friendship and not being labeled like Hester Prynne.
A pair of blue eyes below dark hair appeared in the mirror behind Tasha. Evan came in close and put his arms around her slender waist. "You look gorgeous Sash," he said, using his pet name for her as he twirled her around for a kiss. Evan's kisses were wonderful too, they always started soft as down, the softest touch she had ever felt on her lips, before he got worked up and started to dive into them
"I'm a little scared. It's been a long time since I've been out," she mumbled into his shoulder.
"It'll be fine Sash. It's just one night and Rick really wants to see us. A lot of his friends have screwed him over since Dora left him and he needs a good time."
"Yeah I'm familiar with the type of good time Rick is looking for," chuckled Tasha. But not with her she thought. He always had several women around to take his pick from. Why did that bother her? It wasn't the thought of all the other women around which was actually rather arousing to Tasha. It may have been a while since she had acted on it, but she was still attracted to women. Was it the thought that it wouldn't be her at all? It couldn't be. They were friends. She kept repeating it to herself. They were just friends.
The second she saw him again she knew, if nothing else, that the last eight years of separation were meaningless. Her hazel eyes locked on to his deep brown ones the moment they spotted each other and didn't break for several heartbeats. He had put a few pounds on and greyed a bit at the temples in a rather fetching manner, but otherwise was exactly as she remembered him; tall, espresso brown hair, barrel chested and still sporting inexplicable facial hair. He pulled her in for a friendly hug and whispered, "You look great, beautiful." Tasha blushed at the compliment, but felt gratified he had noticed the effort she had put in to look so good that night.
"You look pretty great yourself," she answered with a smile. Within moments she was pulled into a group of people talking and laughing as if nothing in the world had changed from the days of them all hanging out, trading drinks and stories.
"The Beatles have always left me cold. I can't get that into them. Whenever one of them had a good idea they ruined it by overthinking." Rick was off on one of his favorite pontificating rants again. Just like old times Tasha thought.
Rick could come off awfully full of himself, but anyone that knew him well enough took his somewhat overbearing qualities in stride with his intelligence and humor. There was also no denying that he was so talented it made his arrogance at least somewhat justified. He was holding court like a visiting noble in one of the handful of booths in the place and the position suited him. Over a dozen people were crowded around him hanging on his every word. He looked as happy as Tasha had ever seen him.
