The first time I saw Jessica I was overwhelmed by her beauty, and more than a little put out. She was the girlfriend of Will, my boyfriend Matt's friend and co-worker, and as such we were expected to meet, and become the best of friends. Jessica was a little older than me, perhaps 27 or 28, and carried herself with the cool confidence of one who is fully aware of their own beauty. From the very first time we were introduced I was totally in awe of her, and felt hopelessly inadequate alongside her. She was several inches taller than me, about five eight with the kind of body that reduces men to little boys and women to the very depths of despair. Her curves were in all the right places, her waist tiny, her hips gently swelling out, her breasts a perfect C cup. Her legs were long and shapely, smooth with a hint of a tan. Her hair tumbled in soft waves halfway down her back, its colour a rich brown that conjured up images of soft melting chocolate. Her eyes in comparison were a striking blue, the lashes long. She had the most beautiful lips, plump and blushing, that parted slightly when she smiled to reveal brilliant white teeth and a hint of a soft pink tongue.
All at once I was horribly jealous of her beauty, her poise, the easiness with which she laughed and flirted with the guys, and hopelessly in love with her. I was shy and awkward, like a teenager with a crush, and had no idea what to say to her. Luckily she had no such problem and conversed happily with me on a number of topics, not even seeming to notice my nervousness. She even seemed to like me and was soon suggesting we meet up for dinner and drinks at the place she and Will shared at the weekend.
I was of course thrilled that we had struck up a friendship, that somebody like her would want to be friends with somebody like me, but also more than a little apprehensive. I would have to spend a whole evening making intelligent, interesting conversation, and eat a three course meal without spilling, dropping or god knows what else.
I spent most of Saturday preparing myself. Whilst I knew I had no hope of comparing with the stunning Jessica, I could at least look my best. I took a long hot bath with scented oils and a chilled glass of white wine. I shaved my legs until they were smooth and silky and washed and blow dried my long blonde hair. I decided to wear a pretty, light blue dress that matched my eyes and my favourite pair of kitten heels. Matt laughed at me for taking so much effort, men of course never being able to understand the pressure to look good for other women.
I felt reasonably good about myself, but when we arrived that soon changed. Jessica looked absolutely amazing, her perfect hourglass figure encased in a beautiful black dress, cut low enough to showcase her breasts, but not so low as to look cheap. The dress fit her like a second skin, skimming over her curves and finishing just above her knees. Her hair was freshly washed and shining, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks slightly flushed. When she leaned in to kiss me hello she smelled of vanilla and jasmine, with a slight spicy edge of shiraz.
The combination of the hot bath and chilled wine had gone to my head a little bit and as my eyes travelled over that perfect body I felt a little hint of desire. This surprised me, whilst I could appreciate a woman's body I'd never actually been attracted to a woman that I knew. I glanced at Matt to see if he'd noticed but he was too busy ogling Jessica himself to have picked up on anything.
The dinner was very good. They had made a delicious fresh tomato and basil soup to start, followed by roast beef. The wine was flowing freely, the spicy shiraz I had smelled on Jessica's breath earlier, a perfect accompaniment to the beef. Several times I looked up and caught Jessica watching me, a strange little smile upon her face. The boys chatted on and on, about work, football, music, their voices getting ever louder as they drank more wine, oblivious to the fact that Jessica and I were barely talking, communicating instead with our eyes. The atmosphere between us was strange, a little tense, charged. The wine emboldened me to look her in the eye, almost challengingly, to run my gaze over her, lingering on her lips staining a deep red as she sipped her wine. In return I felt her eyes on me, felt my skin prickle as if she were actually touching me, the little hairs standing up on the back of my neck.
When we had finished our mains she disappeared into the kitchen for some time, finally returning with the piece de resistance. A bowl of hot, thick creamy melted chocolate, and a platter of plump crimson strawberries, bursting with ripeness. The men dug in at once, crudely dunking the strawberries, getting chocolate all over their hands and the table.
Jessica waited until they resumed their conversation. She looked me straight in the eye, her sapphire blue eyes burning into mine, then reached out and selected the biggest, ripest strawberry. I watched the curve of her beautiful dainty wrist as she dipped it into the hot pool of chocolate, lifted it out once, letting the rich creamy chocolate dribble slowly down the fruit and drip back into the bowl, then moved it to her perfect lips. I couldn't take my eyes off her as she slowly parted her lips, and pushed the tip of the strawberry against her wet pink tongue. She gently bit into it, the ripe juices leaking out, over the curve of her lips, trickling slowly down her chin. All the while she did not take her eyes off me.
It was the single most erotic thing I had ever seen. I was unbelievably aroused, feeling as warm and wet as the chocolate. It seemed such a bold and brazen thing to do, so overtly sexual, but the boys were far too drunk and absorbed in their own conversation to even notice. Jessica spoke then, breaking the mesmerising electric tension that seemed to hang between us with a jolt.
'Will, why don't you and Matt go down to the pub for a bit? Ashley and I can clear up here'
