The Roman Women

"So that's it. Eleven years over"

My best friend Sophia was telling me how her husband had left her. Their decade-long marriage gone, as he fell for some work colleague half his age and making less than half his salary.

I respected Sophia more than anyone. She was nearly twenty years older than me, and had been my PhD supervisor. My doctorate is in History, specifically on the Roman Empire, and we went on field trips together to Rome, to Hadrian's Wall, and to Palmyra. I completed it two years ago, and Sophia had always maintained a professional boundary despite us being good friends since then. This was the first time she needed help from me, and I was going to support her fully.

"I loved him. From school, first meeting him and he taught me soccer. And now that's it."

"I'm here for you," I manage to say as I hold her tight. What more should I do? How do I really comfort her?

"Am I just too old and ugly? You can be honest." Sophia always doubted her looks. She was a little chubby from carrying twins. Since she had them, her confidence in herself was never high. I knew that she and Rick her husband had a dead bedroom for a while, but I always wondered whether he lost interest in her because her body changed or her lack of confidence meant she'd stopped being aroused.

"You're beautiful. He doesn't know what he's throwing away." I say the line with as much kindness as I can, but it's not helping. I start to drop a tear myself. My best friend is in this pain, and I can't do anything.

As I begin to cry, Sophia looks at me. I look back. Her eyes, large and green, had always been my favourite eyes. They're the eyes that shone as they told me I had passed my PhD. They were wise, yet deeply loving eyes. Still looking at them, I reach forward and kiss Sophia's lips. Just affectionately, but this is new. We've occasionally cheek-kissed and often hugged, but I cannot remember touching her lips to mine.

"You need to know you're gorgeous Sophia. He's a bastard, but you're beautiful."

I go to kiss again. Her eyes change slightly. They narrow, and I wonder if she may feel more for me than she ever expressed, due to being married and being my supervisor.

I briefly kiss her lips again, then a third time. And as I do, she opens her mouth and our tongues gently meet. I go further forward, and soon we are kissing without interruption and without boundaries. My friendly love for this woman had been so strong for years, inevitably that turned my love sexual.

We are sitting on her spacious, velvet chaise longue. I pull down the straps of the floral dress she had on, and undo her bra. I'm sure this was new to her and it was new to me. I had a semi-serious boyfriend, but had never really known love. Sophia was the closest I'd come to having another person who knows your heart, and now I was excited at the thought that this was my first time with someone I genuinely, unquestionably loved.

I've never been as dressy, and I quickly pull off my hoodie and vest. I undo my own strapless bra, and I notice Sophia looking at me intensely. We both pause, does she want me like I want her, is she still unsure?

Then she purses her lips and moves to kiss me. Our next kiss lasted the longest of any in my life. While kissing, I pull Sophia's dress down. Our nipples touch as we continue to kiss, and I manage to pull her dress down to her sides. I pull down my own shorts, and she lets me fully remove her dress. I get her underwear off, and move my thighs onto hers. Thinking of all she's been through, I want to make this moment about her pleasure, about her.

I kiss her again then go down, sucking both her nipples. I lick, gently bite, and suck her tummy - going slightly lower each minute. I reach her lips. Sensing her clit between them, I pause there. I hold my hands firmly on her legs and keep licking. I hear Sophia moan, first softly, then at increasing volume until it's a scream.

I'm sure she's got some real pleasure now, and I get up, wrapping my arms and thighs around her as we embrace tightly. We stay here: united, locked, kissing away any boundaries we once had. As we finish, I rest my cheek on hers and hold her tightly on my shoulder. I make sure our hearts touch, because the love I feel for you Sophia is deep and strong, and I want to send all I have to you.