So Intimate

This story is the most personal one I've written. It's probably not for everyone, but I hope some appreciate it. I'd love some feedback.

*********************

Erica smiled hesitantly as the woman she presumed to be her friend Jen began to walk in her direction with a roller-bag suitcase in tow. She waved tentatively, and then a smile broke across her face in earnest as the woman responded with a smile and wave of her own. Erica's indecision about how to greet Jen in person for the first time was solved when Jen let go of the bag handle and opened her arms to embrace her.

"It's so good to meet you," gushed Jen warmly as she took a step back and looked at Erica.

Erica raised her sunglasses off her nose and pushed them to up on top of her head, drawing back her dark brown hair. She beamed, her cheeks a little flushed with nervousness. "I know! Finally!" She stood and looked at her friend, taking her all in. The two women laughed. "This is so fun, I'm glad the timing worked out. I assume you didn't have any trouble spotting me."

"Middle-aged mom in front of a silver Corolla doesn't really blend in with all the men and their cabs in front of the hotel. No problem picking you out."

"Does my appearance really scream 'mom' to you?" Erica asked half-jokingly.

Jen rolled her eyes. "Oh please...you might as well have a bumper sticker on your car saying 'my other car is a mini-van'."

Erica gigged. "It is! But my husband has it this weekend."

"Of course it is!" said Jen.

"Here, let me get your bag in the car," said Erica as she grasped the handle and pulled the bag to her trunk. She tucked it in the back and slammed the trunk shut. "Hop in."

Erica and Jen pulled away from the hotel and headed towards the bridge that would take them out of the city towards Virginia. "I figured we could grab a bite to eat before heading to my place. There a good sandwich place about five minutes from our home."

"That'd be great, I'm famished. I kinda skipped breakfast to sleep in," said Jen.

"Lazy bum!" Erica exclaimed. The friends laughed together as Erica pulled her sunglasses back down to shield her eyes from the bright summer sun.

*********************

"So how was your conference?" asked Erica as she brought her sandwich to her mouth.

"Oh, you know...it was helpful, educational...but the whole time I couldn't keep my mind on things. Both because I'd rather be doing something in the city as opposed to being in a conference room, and because I was thinking about meeting you."

"I know...my mind was a little preoccupied the last couple days too," Erica admitted.

"So how fortuitous your husband went out of town," Jen added as she took a bite of her burger.

Erica nodded. "Originally, this weekend he and the kids were going camping overnight with friends, but the other family got sick, so they decided to go to his parents' house instead. So that's when I emailed you to see if you could stay a little longer. If I didn't have this darn meeting tomorrow morning I wouldn't have had an excuse to stay home."

"I'm glad you did, and that I was able to change my flight so cheaply," said Jen. "I mean, I would have enjoyed just getting together for lunch with you today, but an entire weekend with you sounds even better."

"Did your husband wonder why you changed your schedule? What did you tell him?" asked Erica.

"I told him a friend from college was going to be in D.C. this weekend as well and I wanted to catch up with her," said Jen. "He was totally cool with me staying longer and leaving the girls with him."

"That's good of him."

"Yeah, he's a quality guy, in general."

A moment of silence passed as the women ate. "You know, I'm breaking one of my major rules of online chat with this," said Erica. "I've always said I would never, ever meet anyone I met online in person. I even turned a woman down once who lived nearby who wanted to meet."

Jen nodded. "I've always felt the same way. It's a recipe for trouble. What made you decide to break the rule?"

Erica grinned. "You, of course. Well, and that it was just supposed to be a lunch...and you lived half-way across the country and would be returning home."

"It's no longer just a lunch," observed Jen.

"No, it's not," said Erica.

"You okay with that?" queried Jen.

Erica nodded. "I figured if I was willing to cross the line of a face-to-face meeting, what's 48 hours hanging out? The big bright line was the face-to-face meeting."

"Hmmm," mused Jen.

"What made you decide to see me?" asked Erica.

Jen laughed. "I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet someone I have this great bond with...I feel like we've known each other for years. And like you said, you live far away. Once I go home, it's not like we'll be hanging out all the time, distracting each other from our day-to-day responsibilities."

"Very true," responded Erica. She paused as she sipped her iced tea. "So, I was thinking...you mentioned that bond we have. It's so true. We have that intimacy that I don't have with many others...that openness. To that point, I thought it would be fun to set a few rules for the weekend."

Jen leaned in. "Oh? Do go on..."

Erica smiled as she sucked on her straw and then set her tea down. "Okay, rule number one: nothing in our house is off-limits, except for my daughters' room. Our house is your house in a sense...from the fridge and the pantry to anywhere else...feel free to poke around, observe, learn anything about me you want to. I think that would be so intimate. And it would take discipline on my part, to let you do that."

Jen giggled. "That is so intimate E! I love it. What's number two?"

"You can ask me anything, and I can do the same to you. We can always defer an answer, but no question is off limits. And in that vein, no closed doors, metaphorically and literally. All doors in the house remain open for the weekend."

"I like it," responded Jen as she chewed.

"Anything else you want to add?" asked Erica.

Jen put her burger down. "Hmmm...You know how we often chat about being open and honest about our bodies?" asked Jen. Erica nodded as she ate the last of her sandwich. "At some point, we need to play some sort of game of revealing physical flaws...things we are self-conscious about...that we would never talk about with others except maybe our husbands...things we hide."

"Oooooh, I'm definitely in," said Erica eagerly. She offered her hand with the pinkie finger extended and Jen locked her pinkie finger around it. "It's so empowering to be able to talk about flaws openly with someone who isn't going to judge."

"I know, it's so true," said Jen. "When I've talked about them with you online, it's been such a feeling of relief. It feels so...liberating."

"I know what you mean," Erica said smiling at her friend. "Should we get the check?"

*********************

Erica paused at her front door and rummaged in her purse for her key. She had prepared physically for Jen's visit; the house was clean, but she knew there were other aspects to which she had probably not appropriately steeled herself. Erica turned to Jen and saw she was smiling as she turned the key in the lock. They crossed the threshold into her home.

"So, this is it," said Erica tentatively.

"Oh, how cute," said Jen kindly as Erica ushered her into the main downstairs room which contained a sitting area with two couches and a coffee table, as well as a dinner table and chairs off to the side. Two large bookshelves and an upright piano completed the room. A doorway to the left of the front door led to the small kitchen.

"It's not much, but it's ours," said Erica.

Jen paused, wondering whether Erica was referring to her family or the two of them for the weekend. "It'll certainly work for the weekend," said Jen. "Thank you so much for inviting me. I know, it probably wasn't easy."

Erica smiled warmly. "I'm glad you accepted. Here, let's get your things upstairs."

Jen hoisted her bag and followed Erica up the stairs, noting pictures of Erica's family on the stairway walls on the way up.

"That's the bathroom, obviously," said Erica at the top of the stairs. "When these places where built in the '40s, one bathroom for the household was deemed sufficient."

"I think you mentioned that during one of our chats, "said Jen. "That there's not a lot of privacy here."

"It's definitely close quarters," replied Erica. "And down here is our room, I mean, my husband's and my room, and here's yours. Beyond that is the girls' room." Erica motioned with her hand for Jen to enter the guest room. "I'll let you get unpacked a little. Feel free to use the closet or the chest of drawers. Oh, and wear whatever you feel comfortable in. No need to dress up. I figured we'd stay in this evening."

"It's perfect," said Jen smiling. "One request...any chance I could throw a few things into your washing machine?"

"Of course, I could do a load as well," said Erica. She opened a closet door in the hallway to reveal a clothes washer and dryer. "Toss them in here, and I'll start it in a bit."

Jen began to take a few things out of her bag, placing them in the top drawer of the dresser. There was really no need to fully unpack, as it was only for two nights. She looked about the room, taking in the scent and the sparse furnishings: an area rug in the middle of the room, a twin bed, the dresser, a chair, and a body-length mirror on the wall along with some photographs of mountains that looked familiar to her from her home in Colorado. She kicked off her sandals and slid her jeans down, opting for shorts, as the day had gotten much warmer. Remembering her friend's offer of openness, she opened the closet. There were a few winter coats hanging in the closet and some blankets up on a shelf. On the floor were some winter boots and women's shoes.

Jen gathered up a few pieces of clothing that needed washing - her jeans, some undergarments, socks, and a shirt - and put them in the washing machine basin. "I threw my clothes into the machine. I'm just going to use the bathroom," she called to Erica from the hall.

"Go ahead," Erica called back.

Jen entered the brightly-lit bathroom and began to close the door. She then remembered the rules. She tentatively pushed her shorts down her thighs and sat on the toilet, a little self-conscious about the open door right in front of her. She finished up, flushed and washed up at the sink. She thought about going downstairs but decided to wait for Erica.

Jen walked to the doorway of Erica's room. Erica was gathering up some clothes from a hamper for the wash. "Come on in," she said grinning, "You don't need to stand in the door." Jen entered as Erica walked by her to the washing machine, her arms filled with clothes.

"This is our bedroom," said Erica as she returned from the hallway. It was a little larger than the guest room, centered around a queen-size bed. A desk was on the far wall underneath some windows that looked out through the back of the home. On the opposite wall was a closet and a large chest of drawers. A night stand, book shelf and a few other things completed the room. Jen looked at several pictures on the walls of Erica and her family.

"You're a good looking group," said Jen smiling. "It's almost surreal, seeing all this. It's hard to believe I'm in your bedroom, looking at all this...it's...just very personal."

Erica blushed. "I know...it's hard for me to believe too. I never thought I'd let someone from...that life...get this close."

"I'm so glad you did, thank you," said Jen taking Erica's hand and giving it a squeeze. Erica squeezed back, beaming. Is this where you do your naked ironing?" Jen quipped.

Erica laughed. "Yep, right there, actually," she said, pointing to a spot at the end of the bed.

"You two like crossword puzzles?" asked Jen releasing her grip and gesturing to a book of crosswords on the night stand.

Erica laughed, "Yeah, we do them together at night. It helps us decompress after getting into bed before going to sleep."

"Very romantic," joked Jen with a wink.

"Hey...you never know...you have to get close in bed to do a crossword together," Erica giggled and blushed.

"I don't think I've ever asked...what's his name?"

Erica blushed. "It's Michael...Mike. "Let's go downstairs. I have a bottle of wine I need to open."

*********************

Downstairs, Erica produced a bottle of white from the fridge and handed it to Jen. "I've never been good with these things, can you open it?" She handed Jen a corkscrew and took down two glasses from the cabinet above the counter.

"Uh, Erica, it's a twist-off," said Jen laughing.

Erica laughed and covered her mouth. "I'm an idiot. But I knew your muscles would come in handy Jenny," joked Erica, pinching Jen's bicep. She poured each of them some wine and motioned for Jen to follow. "Let's go out back and relax."

The couple passed through a french door that led to a patio. The flagstones opened into a wide expanse of grass that the home shared with other condos nearby. "This is lovely," said Jen, taking in the small flower garden, bird feeder, and trees.

"Thanks, it's not private but we enjoy it. We spend a ton of time out here."

They took seats on cushioned chairs and clinked glasses. "Cheers E! And thanks for having me," said Jen.

Erica smiled, "I'm so happy you could come. You brought your swimsuit, right? It's supposed to be warm and sunny tomorrow too. We could always hit the pool."

"Yep, I brought it, but I'm not sure I dare put it on."

"Oh please, you're not any less tan than I am," said Erica laughing. "Besides, no one at our pool will ever see you again. I'm the one who should be self-conscious."

"Not at all, I'm sure you look much better in a bathing suit than I do," said Jen.

Erica grinned. "Ha, I'm not talking about being self-conscious about my body, but about showing up with you!"

"Oh, you bitch!" screamed Jen laughing. "You're so cruel!"

Erica laughed and took a sip of wine. "I'm just kidding of course. I'lll blind everyone else there with my pale skin."

"I'll make sure to bring my shades," retorted Jen.

"So you're in?"

"Oh, I'll do it to humor you, as a gift to my hostess," said Jen over the rim of her glass as she looked at her friend.

"I never get to go to the pool and just relax, the kidos always want to play," said Erica. "It'll be fun."

"Tell me about it. Though it gets better. As they get older, the less they want to even be seen with you, much less play with you in the pool. Any good-looking guys there?" asked Jen with a smile.

"Well, if you're into middle-aged men with middle-aged waist-lines, there's plenty!" Erica responded laughing. "On occasion there are a few fit younger guys, and they usually have a couple eastern-European lifeguards who are cuties. I'll have to introduce you to them. Though I have a feeling they're not going to pay much attention to us older women. They're college-age."

"Good looks are wasted on the foolish young" sighed Jen. "They don't know what they're missing."

"That's right babe," Erica raised her glass in a mock toast.

*********************

Later that evening, the two friends sat down to the dinner of shrimp stir-fry they'd prepared together. Erica had poured the last of the bottle of wine into their glasses.

"So remind me," began Jen as she put a snow pea into her mouth, "your husband doesn't know you chat with other people online, right?"

"Oh, heck no!" said Erica. "For all I know, he might be cool with it, but it's just something that is private, for me. It's my alone time."

"I know what you mean," said Jen. "I actually like keeping it something just for me. Kind of like an escape from reality."

"Not that reality is bad," added Erica. "I love my life, but sometimes I just need a little distraction."

"Exactly!" agreed Jen. "So when you're chatting with me, or anyone else, where in the house are you usually?"

Erica blushed a little. "Usually on that couch over there."

Jen smiled as she took a sip of wine. "That's fun to know."

Erica nodded. "It seems like I'm revealing a secret to tell that to you. You're the only one who knows exactly what couch. What it looks like....where it is in the room."

"I have another prying question," said Jen. Where's your usual place to do...it?"

"You mean sex? Usually in the bed," Erica responded.

"No, I mean...when you play...when you're not chatting."

Erica blushed. "Oh, do you mean...masturbate?" She emphasized the last word smiling.

Jen giggled. "You don't have to say it so boldly. I was trying to be discreet."

"You don't have to be around me," said Erica. "We all do it."

"Oh, I know...but it's just something no one talks about. My husband is like the only person I talk about it with."

"Usually in my bed when no one's around, or the shower if I need more privacy," said Erica.

"I just got a delicious mental image," giggled Jen.

Erica rolled her eyes and put a shrimp in her mouth. "What about you?"

"Same as you," said Jen. "Bed, when I have the house to myself, or shower when others are there but I just need the release."

"So I have a confession to make," said Jen after a pause. Erica raised her eyebrows. "I actually had a very enjoyable conversation with a man online the other night."

"No way!" said Erica. "Not possible!"

Jen laughed heartily. "No, I'm serious. He was actually very sweet. You know how most guys online are all about bragging about their physique or how large their penises are?"

Erica rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, as if any of that that matters for online chat. And he didn't start off the conversation by telling you what role you were going to play in some contrived fantasy of his? Guys just have no clue how to arouse interest in a woman online."

"No, not at all," Jen said. "We just had a normal conversation, like we'd met in person. It was quite nice. And then it got a little more...sexy."

"How fun and unexpected," said Erica. "That actually makes me kind of jealous...that you connected with someone else. I know, that's silly. I know you talk to other people online, and you know that I do, and that's totally not a problem. I'm not monogamous online at all." Erica paused. "It's also kinda hot...that you talk to other people."

"You need to make up your mind, my friend."

Erica giggled. "I know. Can one be aroused and jealous at the same time? Well, if you decide to neglect me for your new-found friend, I can always resort to romance novels or something," Erica joked.

Jen laughed again. "Oh please, I don't even know if we'll chat again."

"So I have a prying question for you now," said Erica with a smirk as Jen took a bite of food. "Did you come with him or after you'd logged off?" Jen put her hand to her mouth and blushed as she chewed. "I timed that one well, didn't I?" grinned Erica.

Jen finished chewing. "You're evil. But, um...after I logged off." She giggled.

"I love knowing that," said Erica.

"I know you do." Jen touched her foot to Erica's under the table.

Erica smiled. "Let's clear the table."

After putting the dishes away and washing the few pans that were used, Erica excused herself to the bathroom. As she walked up the stairs, Jen called after her. "Now that we're done with dinner and we've had a few glasses of wine, I want to play our game."

Erica called back down. "Perfect, tell me more about the game." Jen walked to the bottom of the stairs where she could see up into the bathroom. "Um, some privacy...," Erica said as she began to close the door to the bathroom.

"No, no...remember the rules?" said Jen grinning.

"So you're just going to stand there and talk to me while I pee?!" exclaimed Erica.

"That is like the most unattractive position a woman can be in," commented Jen.

"Oh, you bitch, Jenny!" laughed Erica. "But you're so right. Every body part is like in it's most unattractive position when you're sitting on a low toilet seat. Okay, okay, so tell me about the game."