Author's Note: Thank you for all the feedback I've received regarding Sigrid and the dilemma she is facing in her life. I'm looking forward to continuing her story here.
This story is set in the fictional country of Nordland, a small island nation in the North Sea between the UK, Norway, and Denmark.
Please note that this story is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places described in this narrative are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All comments and feedback are welcome.
HF
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The sun was setting over the New York skyline as Sigrid stepped out of the taxi and stood in front of the modest apartment building in Chelsea. The street was still filled with a mix of people coming home from work, young families with children and shoppers heading home for the evening with their purchases. The young Nordic woman glanced at her phone to confirm the address that Marcus had given her: 123 West 23rd Street, Apartment 4B. Steeling herself, she made her way towards the front door of the apartment building and the intercom system next to it.
She pressed 4B and waited a moment. Marcus's voice came through the small speaker. "Hello?"
"Hi, Marcus...it's Sigrid," she replied in English. "Sigi, come on up" she heard him say, she could almost hear his smile in his words. The door buzzed and she pushed it open. Making her way up the staircase she noted that it was an older, but still well-maintained building. Despite them having several long and in-depth conversations since they had first met, she idly wondered what Marcus's life was like in reality; she was now about to find out. I guess I should have asked him more questions instead of fucking him, she thought wryly to herself as she ascended the stairs.
Inside his apartment Marcus did one final sweep to ensure everything was tidy in preparation for his dinner with Sigrid. The handsome African-American man enjoyed entertaining guests and friends in his apartment, but it had been some time since he'd invited a date over for dinner. A date, was that what Sigrid was, he thought to himself?
Making his way back to the kitchen to check on the food for dinner, an arugula salad for starters with sea-bass fillets for main course, he reflected on what his relationship with Sigrid really was. Was it just casual friends, perhaps friends with benefits? Or was it more? Deep in his heart, he wanted it to be more; he'd sensed an undeniable connection with the attractive Nordic flight attendant. The two times that they had been together had been incredible. Not just from the sex part, although that had been mind-blowing, but also from the way that she had opened up to him about the challenges and dilemmas in her life.
The reality of the situation was not lost on Marcus; Sigrid was from another country, married to another man, with both wanting to start a family. All of this added up to problems for Marcus. While part of him told him to walk away from this whole situation, part of him wanted it to continue. He wanted to spend time with Sigrid, learn more about what made her laugh, what made her cry, what were her hopes, fears, and worries.
As he gazed at his choice of wines, looking for a suitable one for the evening, Marcus had to shake his head in amazement at how he'd met her. A chance discussion on a flight had led to a series of sexual encounters that had culminated in her now making her way to his apartment for dinner. Was this going to be it, he wondered? After their second encounter in her hotel room, he had wondered whether she would contact him again. There was always the thought in the back of his mind that she would ghost him, delete his name from her phone, erase his memory from her thoughts and move on with her life. He hoped that this wasn't going to be the case.
He selected a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand to go with the dinner. As he held the bottle in his hand, he continued to ponder if tonight was going to be the end of their affair. It seemed that fate had been kind to him so far and he'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd reached out to tell him she'd been put on a New York run at short notice and asked if he wanted to catch up. He'd readily agreed and offered to make dinner for them. Marcus has cleared his diary for that afternoon to clean and tidy his apartment and prepare them a lovely meal. A last supper, perhaps, he mused?
Outside his front door, Sigrid paused and took a deep breath as she ran her fingers through her brown hair one last time and adjusted her dress. She'd opted for one of her favorite dresses, a knee-length blue wrap dress with matching fabric belt from Diane von Furstenberg. Under her dress, she'd donned a light blue balconette bra from La Perla with matching thong panties while on her feet were a pair of Sam Edelman nude patent leather pumps. She'd debated whether to wear something sexy on her legs, like a pair of thigh-high stockings, but had finally opted to go bare legged as it was a lovely summer's night in New York.
When she'd messaged Marcus a day earlier while at the beach with her husband, Magnus, she wondered if she was making the right decision. Things were improving with Magnus; she had visited her doctor to talk about going off the pill and starting to try for a family. She was only weeks away from changing her role from a flight attendant to a managerial position. And yet, here she was, about to meet up with Marcus again. During the flight from Nordhaven to New York earlier that day, she'd struggled to think of what to say to the African-American man. Did she want to break up, call it all off? Part of her did, but another part of her wanted to continue to experience the freedom, the joy, the fun she found when she was with him.
She knew she couldn't delay the inevitable any longer and she knocked on the door.
A moment later it opened to reveal Marcus standing there. The tall black African was dressed in a smart, but casual white button-down shirt with a pair of slim-fitting brown trousers that hugged his toned legs. On his feet were a pair of casual loafers and Sigrid could smell the inviting fragrance of his cologne. His face broke into a warm smile. "Sigi!"
She returned his smile. "Hi Marcus."
He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a cozy embrace. His kiss on her lips was perfect; not too long, not too short, just a gentle, friendly reminder that they had enjoyed each other's bodies several times before. He pulled back from the kiss and looked at her. "Wow, you look great!" he exclaimed taking in the sight before him from her long, brown hair, her sparkling blue eyes, creamy white skin, and soft curves. She was certainly someone who took pride in her appearance, but Marcus knew that there was a lot more to her than just her body; behind those caring, blue eyes, he knew lurked a prodigious intellect and vivacious personality.
Sigrid could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. "Thanks, Marcus. You're looking pretty good yourself," she replied with a little smile. He looks so good tonight, she said to herself. He opened the door wider and motioned for her to enter his apartment. Stepping inside, Sigrid made her way down the hall towards the living room as he closed the door behind her.
At first glance, Sigrid noted that the apartment was neat and tidy but clearly had the feeling of being a man's apartment with a big television, some vintage movie posters, and other sports items on the shelves. She felt an unexpected flutter in her stomach at the realization that there were no feminine touches in the apartment, confirming in her mind that no woman lived here with him.
She turned to face him. "Nice place you have here," she said with a smile as she took in the photos of a Marcus that adorned the walls. She saw one that caught her attention; it was of a much younger Marcus on his graduation day from university, his parents proudly standing next to him. Sigrid recalled him saying they were migrants from Nigeria. She thought about the similar picture she had in her house back in Nordland with her parents and wondered if Marcus's parents continued to chide him about his career choices in the way hers did.
Marcus noticed her attention. "Grad day," he said with a grin. "Your parents look happy and proud of you," Sigrid said, taking a step towards the picture to examine it more closely. "They were...still are. They've been a real source of inspiration for me in my life. Coming here to America with nothing, working hard, building a life...I guess I've been lucky to be a recipient of that."
Sigrid turned back towards Marcus, a more somber expression on her face. "I wish we could all have that sort of luck...my parents haven't always been...supportive...of my choices in life."
"I'm sorry about that, Sigi. Sometimes it's important that we make our own decisions, our own path in life."
She nodded, silent for a moment. Marcus waved his hand around the room, hoping to lightening the mood. "Well, this is my place. Welcome!" He gave her a dazzling smile and Sigrid couldn't help but smile in response. "Would you like the $100 tour?" he asked. "Sure" she replied, looking forward to learning more about him.
Placing her purse down on the side table, Sigrid followed Marcus around his small, but well-appointed apartment as he pointed out the issues he'd had in renovating it over the past couple of years. "Neighbors aren't too bad...the old lady next door always seems to leave her window open so her cat escapes...and the couple upstairs really need to get a new bed..." he told her with a grin as they returned to the living room.
"Grab a seat, would you like a drink?" he asked, moving towards the kitchen as she nodded. Sigrid settled onto the comfortable sofa. She felt a sense of calm and warmth in Marcus's apartment, a similar feeling to what she felt when she was around him. It wasn't as if she didn't feel the same thing with Magnus back in Nordland, she thought to herself but here she almost felt...at home?
A moment later, Marcus appeared with two glasses of wine. She stood up to accept the glass from him and they touched glasses. "To a wonderful evening," he said. "With wonderful company," she replied with a little smile. They both took a sip of the wine before Marcus led her to the dining table that he had laid out for dinner.
