This is the fifth installment of Melissa's Journey. The story can stand alone but the first four stories may add context.
Melissa, known to her friends as Mel, had just turned 45, but she looked younger. For a few years, she had been on a journey exploring her sexual desires, fantasies, and interests, and that led to several intimate encounters over the last two years, most recently giving her best friend's eighteen-year-old son, Zach, his first hand job and blowjob. Since then, Mel's youngest son had left for college, leaving Mel and her husband "empty nesters." So too had Zach gone to college, leaving his mother and Mel's best friend, Susie, home alone, because Susie was unexpectedly widowed seven years before when her sons were eleven and thirteen years old.
A few weeks earlier, Susie was invited to an over-40 singles event and asked Mel to come with her as her "chaperone." Mel wasn't sure bringing a married friend as a chaperone was in the spirit of a singles get-together, but she wanted to support her friend, because Susie had struggled with dating since her husband passed away. Conveniently, the Friday night mixer was on a day Mel's husband would be on the west coast for business and would not be home until Saturday afternoon. So, Mel agreed to go, but said she would be about an hour late to the two-hour event.
Mel hoped the event would be good for Susie. Since losing her husband, and having to raise two teenagers, Susie had dated fewer than ten men and slept with only one, a real estate investor named Marc. Mel remembered how excited Susie was the first time she went down on Marc and realized things were going to go further. Unfortunately, while Marc was handsome, very charming, and attentive to Susie, he also was married--a fact he somehow failed to mention. They slept together just five times, and Susie confided he was "great in bed," but she ended the relationship about two years ago as soon as she found out his truth. After that, Susie "played" with one other guy about a year ago, but she said it was nothing more than touching and her giving him head once.
When Mel arrived at the mixer, she found Susie surrounded by three men, two very good-looking and one not unattractive. Mel wasn't surprised Susie was getting lots of attention, as she is both smart and attractive. Susie is petite, not quite 5'3", with an athletic body that, because she was committed to exercise, carried only about fifteen pounds more than when she was a college gymnast. Her short blonde hair, blue eyes, and girl-next-door face nicely complimented her smallish but round boobs and curvy rear. Her dark plum dress flattered her figure and the firm abs Mel knew Susie worked hard to maintain.
When Susie introduced Mel, she told the guys to "settle down, she's married," although her suitors were not phased by that and occasionally flirted with Mel. Susie clearly had had a few drinks, and there were two on the table in front of her that she hadn't touched. When they went together to the ladies' room, Susie acknowledged she was happy to see Mel because the guys were "trying to get me drunk and they're succeeding." Then she said: "Aren't you proud of me for telling them you're married, and leaving out that you sometimes fool around." Mel shook her head at Susie's reference to Mel's recent journey, knowing her friend was both nervous and a little tipsy.
"Thank you for that," Mel smirked. "You know I could just leave you here to decide which of those guys you will go home with, or maybe even that you want to take on all three at once," Mel teased.
"Fair enough, smart-ass" Susie said. "Thanks for coming, really," she added more softly.
"You know I'd do anything for you," Mel said, stepping in for a quick hug.
"I do know that, and I love you for that," Susie whispered.
"I love you too Suze," Mel said. "But now your admiring public awaits," she added before taking Susie by the hand and leading her back into the function.
About an hour later, the event ended and, despite having opportunities to continue the evening with any of the three suitors (and Mel being invited out by one), Susie took all of their numbers and said she was "going to call it a night." In the ride-share on the way home, she thanked Mel for "rescuing her" and confided she had been feeling "very needy" recently. "I'm sure I would have done something I might have regretted if you weren't there," Susie added with a shy smile.
"Well, you had plenty of offers," Mel said with raised eyebrows. "And, who knows, you may not have regretted it. You deserve to have your needs met," Mel added while putting her arm around Susie in a comfortable hug. Susie's buzz relaxed her, and she leaned against Mel.
"I love you Mel. Thank you so much," Susie said. Mel gently stroked Susie's head as she nestled against Mel's shoulder. Their breathing was in sync as they savored the intimacy of their longtime friendship.
Given that Susie had not had a meaningful date for about a year, and had not had intercourse for over two years, it made sense she felt "needy." Mel cursed the married jerk (for the umpteenth time) for hurting her friend, and Susie stirred as Mel softly caressed her back. Mel whispered: "Let's go to my house, order in some food, put on PJs, and watch 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.' We can even make it a sleepover."
"That sounds perfect," Susie said, uncoupling from their embrace to look at Mel. The movie was their favorite "chick flick," and they had watched it at least ten times together. Even in the low light, Mel saw Susie smile at the thought of a girls' night. They quickly decided to order salads, but added one large slice of blueberry cheesecake.
Their timing was perfect as the food arrived less than fifteen minutes after they got to Mel's house. Mel finished a glass of wine, and Susie nursed hers, as they unpacked their salads and carefully put the cheesecake into the fridge, handling it like a prized possession. Mel suggested they get into their PJs before eating, and Susie agreed; so they headed into Mel's bedroom closet to rummage through her pajama collection. Susie picked up a few very sexy pieces but teased Mel that she wasn't going to put on anything that was "made for your spectacular boobs." Mel blushed and responded that Susie would look great in anything.
Eventually, Mel picked out a black cotton-spandex tee and short set that clung to her body, accentuated her breasts and nipples, and fit snugly over her bottom. Although she and Susie had seen each other naked before, Mel felt a different energy as she undressed down to her thong before putting on the pajama set. Mel noticed that Susie eyed her near-naked body more closely than ever before, and Mel admittedly moved more deliberately, disrobing slowly and lingering a bit with her body on display. Once Mel put on her pajama set, it was Susie's turn to strip down to her pink bikini panty and put on a lavender pajama shirt that hung a little lower on her than on Mel, but still reached only a few inches below her bum. Like Mel, Susie was in no rush to cover up her nakedness, and an erotic energy flowed between them that neither woman had felt before. After seductively sliding the tee over her head and down her body, Susie looked in the mirror and was content just wearing the tee over her bikini panty. She twirled and said, "Works for me," turning to Mel with an inquisitive look.
Mel felt butterflies in her tummy, and she smiled. "One of those guys really missed out," she said, wanting Susie to feel good about herself. She moved toward her friend and said, "Too bad for them," before pulling Susie in for a tight hug. Mel felt their breasts press against each other as they stood in a hug, and neither made a move to pull away. Mel nuzzled her nose against Susie's head and Susie sighed. Mel affirmatively acknowledged to herself the sexual tension that ran through her midsection. It was, like so many emotions Mel had felt on her recent journey, surprising, a little scary, and very arousing.
Still holding Susie tightly, Mel asked if they should go eat, and Susie kind of cooed and mumbled "I guess so." When they pulled away, still holding each other, their eyes met and Susie's look said she too was feeling something different. The two friends looked at each other differently than ever before. Mel had an urge to kiss Susie, and she was certain Susie would reciprocate, but she restrained herself. Instead, she leaned in to kiss Susie's forehead and said the sooner they ate dinner the sooner they could get dessert. Susie smiled, and her hands slid down Mel's back to just above her ass. "Let's go then," Susie said.
They walked to the kitchen hand-in-hand, where Susie immediately grabbed her half-full wine glass and, looking at Mel, finished it off. Mel saw Susie's eyes move down to look at Mel's breasts, and Mel felt her nipples straining against her thin top. When Susie again made eye contact with Mel, they shared another erotically-charged look that both recognized as something new and different. Mel's mind raced, but she moved toward the salad, slid one bowl toward Susie, and, standing at the kitchen island, took a forkful of salad. Susie just watched and asked how it was. "Very good," Mel said before taking another helping onto her fork and reaching out to feed it to Susie, who opened her mouth to accept Mel's offering.
"Oooh, it is yummy," Susie said. She then took a forkful from her bowl and reciprocated by offering her helping to Mel. They made eye contact as Mel opened her mouth to take the salad from Susie's fork. They chatted mostly about the event as they finished eating, occasionally feeding each other. Neither finished their salad, but they felt full enough and, of course, they wanted to save room for dessert. They agreed to wait a little bit for before taking out the cheesecake; so they put the leftover salad away and walked hand-in-hand like teenage girlfriends to the den to watch the movie on the big, fluffy sofa. The prospect of what the evening might hold made Mel tingle, and she was certain Susie felt the same.
