Another Door Opens

The first time I met Jessa was when she followed my wife Katrina home from a spa weekend. My pet name for my wife is Kat, so if you don't mind, that is how I will refer to her for the rest of my story. Kat was supposed to meet up with her childhood friend Marla. Marla had moved out of state before I met Kat. I didn't meet Marla until she came to our wedding. As newlyweds, Kat and I went to her wedding. We saw Marla again at one of Kat's High School Reunions. I don't remember if I had seen Marla any other time, so I was sad for Kat that her friend had cancelled on her spa weekend. But Kat told me that instead she had met and befriended Jessa.

Just as I was finishing up the yardwork they drove up to our house. I don't know about you, but when I'm dripping sweat and dirty from yardwork, I'm embarrassed to meet somebody new. I can't help but wonder if my stink is going to be the only thing they remember me for. At first I thought Jessa was looking for one of the neighbors when I saw her get out of the Cooper she was driving. She had a sundress on, spaghetti straps, pastel green speckled with shamrocks. The wind caught the hem and raised it up the side of her leg as she walked across the yard. I'm fairly certain Kat would have held down the hem with a hand as she walked, but not this new friend of hers. She just let the wind play with the hem however it wanted to without a thought as to what might be exposed.

When Kat introduced her, I wiped as much dirt and gunk off my hand as I could to offer her a handshake greeting. She didn't shake my hand. Instead, she walked right up to me, stood on her toes and put her arms around my neck. I couldn't hug back. I figured I would ruin her pretty sundress, but also I felt 2 bullet points against my rib cage that would only have been emphasized and made it so much more erotic than a friendly hug. How hard her nipples were was all I could think about for the few minutes while finishing putting away the yard tools, after she followed Kat indoors. That and what she said to me while her arms were around my neck. She said, "Mmmm, I love the smell of freshly cut grass; makes me wanna roll in the hay."

Women other than Kat flirting with me I'm not accustomed to, but it sounded to me as if she was trying to flirt. It caught me completely off guard. Taking an extra 5 minutes to put everything away, I was hoping that Kat would be done giving a tour of the house. I wanted to get upstairs to strip down and get in the shower before dinner, but Jessa still hadn't left. She had lingered through the house tour longer than I remembered any of our other friends doing so. Perhaps it indicated that she was really interested in being Kat's friend. I couldn't figure the age disparity out though, but I'm hardly an expert on interpersonal relationships outside of my marriage to Kat and my relationship to our kids. Maybe it wasn't all that unusual. I just knew that I didn't have much in common with the younger men that I work with and I couldn't imagine being buddies with any of them.

On my way up the stairway when Kat and Jessa were on the way down, I paused and hugged the side of the wall when they passed me. Jessa winked at me as she said, "I really love your shower in the master bath guys! I can just picture myself all lathered up in there."

My hand grabbed the handrail to make sure I didn't lose my balance and trip. I didn't want to be picturing this young woman in my shower lathering up when I was about to go up there and do the same thing. That had to be her intent to my mind. I focused my eyes on the steps and waited until they passed me, and for another handful of seconds after to clear my mind. Feeling steady again, I finished the ascent and went to get my badly needed shower. Between the fatigue from the yardwork, and the sixty hours I had worked that week, I managed to keep my mind solely on my shower. After toweling dry, I peeked out the bathroom door. Kat was in her bathrobe lying on the bed looking at the door where I was peering out.

"How was your weekend dear? Aside from Marla being a no-show. Was it relaxing?"

"It was. We had facial treatments Saturday morning after the hiking trail, and then we went to the Biergarten for lunch. Jessa was chatty all weekend, kept the conversation going even when I couldn't think of anything to say!"

"Wow. I guess it's true then, when one door closes, another opens."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since your friend Marla wasn't available this weekend, the universe gave you an opportunity to make a new friend. Another door opened." As I pulled on a clean pair of jogging shorts and t-shirt I kissed her forehead. "What do we want for dinner?"

"Well, I had a late lunch with Jessa, so I don't really want anything for dinner. I did bring you home a sandwich and slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory we stopped at on the way home, they are in the fridge," Kat said as she climbed off the bed and headed to the bathroom, "I want to take a long hot bath now."

"Hmmm... tough choice... cheesecake in the fridge or cheesecake in the bath..." but my stomach rumbled meaningfully. "Sorry dear, the tummy chooses food." It was just a little bit of suggestive innuendo to let her know I still loved her and if I weren't overworked and tired I'd be interested in something more. I hoped that she would understand that. Sometimes, I couldn't be certain of that. It was so easy to get our signals crossed after being married as long as we were. For all I knew, she just thought I was acting goofy.

I headed downstairs to find the sandwich and cheesecake Kat thoughtfully brought home. What she brought home for me were prime examples of what I would have been happy to eat if we had gone out to lunch together. She knew my tastes in food well. I think I would have been able to do the same for her.

Pulling a beer from the fridge, I sat and watched a video on installing kitchen cabinets while I ate. Kat and I had been talking about a kitchen renovation for a while. If my project at work panned out and earned me the bonus I was hoping for, I could finally afford to give her the gourmet kitchen she had wanted for years.

When dinner and dessert were finished and I went upstairs, Kat was already in pajamas and getting comfortable in bed. The next day would be a grueling day of work, so after a light kiss on Kat's ear while she read I fell asleep. I was also up out of the door to work before my wife awoke, which wasn't all the unusual considering that she often did not have to get up for work in the mornings since she worked a part-time job at a department store. Most of the time, Kat worked afternoons or late mornings to afternoon.

It pained me that I was mostly unavailable for Kat in the evenings that week. The one day of grueling work morphed into four days of grueling work. On Friday morning I was already looking forward to a whole weekend away from the office. Kat had told me before bed the previous night that she would have to open at the store that morning so I made extra coffee for us. I poured her a cup and had it ready for her when she came downstairs.

"I'm sorry I haven't had much time for you this week Kat. I'd like to make it up to you this weekend. Do you want to go to dinner and a movie tomorrow or Sunday?"

"Unfortunately, it looks like I'll be working most of the weekend. I promised Katy that I would take her shifts this weekend so that I could have the weekend off for Memorial Day when the kids come home for summer break."

"Maybe we can work it in next weekend then?"

"Sure Dale. By the way, Jessa mentioned she wanted some shelving put up at her place. I told her you were handy that way and I gave her your cell number in case she wanted to ask you for a favor. I hope you don't mind that I suggested you could help."

"Jessa, that one you met on your spa weekend?"

"That's the one. She has a townhouse nearby, doesn't have anybody that can do that kind of stuff for her, so I figured she could save some money if you could do it for her."

"I don't know that I would do it for free. I might have to charge her a beer and a burger."

"She probably wouldn't mind that. She's got a decent paying job, but she would have to hire a handyman otherwise. Plus, she's my friend now, so please, if she asks?"

"Alright babe, but now I've got to get to work," and I kissed Kat before leaving. I thought the possibility of her friend asking for that favor was kind of slim and I didn't think anything more about it until near the end of the day when Jessa texted my cell phone. The text read --

Hey Dale, Jessa here. Kitty Kat said you could do me up some shelves. You free tomorrow?

Of course, with Kat working the next couple of days, I'd be able to find a couple of hours to go see what Jessa had in mind for shelving. There's no sense in starting a job without making sure all of the materials are on hand, so I texted Jessa back and told her I could find some time to take measurements and we could talk over what she wanted. After that she sent me her address and I sent back that I'd let her know what time I could make it.

That evening over dinner, I let Katrina know that Jessa had indeed contacted me about putting up some shelving. I can't recall my wife ever being the jealous type, but just in case she decided to be all of a sudden I wanted to let her know. It may also have been because I made sure that she never had anything or anyone to be jealous of, so being true to form I asked her, "Do you want me to wait until you are off work so we can go together?"

"Don't wait for me dear, I'm doing double shifts both days this weekend, so all I'm going to want to do is unwind when I get home. Have fun, okay? Maybe we can find something to watch on TV."

"Hey, how about if I make you breakfast before you head out tomorrow?"

"If you want to get up instead of sleeping in, I won't say no to breakfast."

"Okay, after that I'll go see what kind of shelving Jessa wants." I texted Jessa then and said that I would be there about 10 in the morning.

Saturday morning I made breakfast for Kat. Scrambled eggs with dill weed and freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese with a side of organic chicken sausages. It's not a fancy breakfast, but cooking for Kat gives me a warm feeling and helps me feel connected with her since spending so much time at work. When she left for work I kissed her good-bye and grabbed my tape measure, notepad, and a couple of pencils.

Upon arrival at Jessa's townhouse, I rang the doorbell. It had a built in camera but I couldn't tell if it was the popular brand on market. Jessa's voice came over the speaker, "Dale?"

"Yeah, it's me Jessa."

There was a sound like the door lock or deadbolt unlatched, "Okay, come on in, I'm finishing my yoga."

After entering I turned and closed the door again. I reached for the deadbolt but it turned before I touched it.

"It is rad how they have an app that allows me to latch the door on my phone, isn't it?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess it is."

When I turned my attention back toward Jessa it struck me. She was wearing a dance leotard with cutouts for back and midsection doing her yoga. The material was stretchy and thin and left very little to my imagination as she transitioned back and forth between happy baby and sleeping yogi. I might as well have been wearing a t-shirt with the wording Easily Distracted by Camel Toe. If she had happened to glance at my crotch she would have been able to tell I was affected as I stood there unable to figure out why I couldn't tear my eyes away from the vision in front of me. Then I noticed the gleam in her eye. She knew it was affecting me and it looked as if she was happy it was.

I gathered my wits about me as best I could and tried to determine where else I could look to avoid staring at her crotch and outstretched legs yet again. It was a struggle but I managed to focus on the kitchen counter and managed a feeble query, "Do you have any coffee?"

"No, but I've got a beer in the fridge if you want it."

As if alcohol weakening my inhibitions would help I thought. "How about tea? Have you got a kettle?"

"'Fraid not. Tap water or energy drink, pick your poison."

I resolved that any return trips here again, bringing my own coffee would be best. The beer I could handle probably, but to be able to resist any temptation, at least until I could do that, coffee should do. Especially considering the gleam I saw in her eyes earlier. If I didn't watch my step, I could end up tripping over my dick. Not knowing Jessa very well, I wasn't sure where or how to start a safe conversation with her other than the original reason I was here.

"Which room did you want to put in shelving?" I asked.

"My playroom," she said as she finished her yoga routine, stood and walked toward the kitchen.

"For books, games, things like that?"

"Toys. Maybe a game or two. I've run out of room on the shelves already up, and some of the shelves might need to be replaced since they have been falling down. If you could nail me back up that would be good."

Overlooking the badly disguised double entendre, I replied, "If the shelves were installed with nails, I might need to re-install using anchors to make them sturdier. I'll be able to figure that out once I get a look at them. I'll take some measurements, calculate what materials I'll need, and we can figure out when to take care of the installation."

"Awww, you aren't going to do me today?" she asked with that same gleam in her eye.

I cleared my throat trying to stall long enough to clear that image from my mind. I had no reason as yet to suspect there was anything more to her statement than just flirting, but she was doing a good job of getting me flustered. "Um, well, I only, er, the only tools I brought with me today are a tape measure and pencil."

"Okay Dale, let me get changed and I'll show you my playroom."

With that she turned and walked toward the hallway out of the kitchen. Just before she exited she slipped the shoulder straps of her dance leotard off her shoulders and it bunched up on the floor at her ankles. She kicked it up in the air and grabbed it as she rounded the corner. By that time I had gotten a full view of her entirely nude back side. What the hell was I supposed to do now? It seemed as if she fully intended that I see what she was flaunting. Should I endure Kat's disappointment by not helping her friend with shelving, or should I endure and try to overcome any temptation that this temptress threw my way?

It was a dilemma, and I found myself weakening ever so slightly and trying to justify to myself at least that I should resist the temptation and prove myself through my faithfulness to Kat. Hopefully Kat would get the benefit from the pent up sexual energy that I was beginning to experience due to the proximity of Jessa and her exhibitionism.

Jessa returned to the kitchen, still barefoot, but wearing a silk halter mini-dress in scarlet that accentuated the hardness of her nipples and clung to her curves like a lover's caress; a picture of lust personified.

She pointed to the door on the angled wall that connected the living area and the hallway. "My playroom is in there." Then Jessa beckoned me to follow her.

Entering the room I noted that there were already some shelves that punctuated the four main walls sporadically. Most of the items on the shelves were sex toys and lubricating lotions and gels. Only through the strongest of will did I manage to keep from gaping at the display. I imagined a church-going matron fainting at the sight.

"Can I dance while you work? I want to play some music. Do you mind?"

"I don't mind Jessa," I replied hoping it wouldn't be some kind of techno-trance or whatever was considered avant-garde lately. It turned out to be somewhat pleasant to listen to while I went about measuring the existing shelves, and the walls for potential shelving. While I measured I tried not to be distracted by whatever gyrations she was going through behind me. What glimpses I caught in my peripheral vision consisted of the hem of her dress going in all manner of directions like she was flaunting and flashing behind my back. I tried to maintain a neutral disposition as best I could, but her gyrations and undulations were playing havoc with my imagination. Was I hearing buzzing sounds and Jessa panting occasionally when she stood next to me as I was working? Maybe it was my imagination. When I finished taking measurements for all the shelving that Jessa wanted, I called out, "I'm done."

I thought I heard a soft moan behind me shortly before the music shut off. Making some extra notations in my notebook I turned to exit the playroom back toward the kitchen. I sat at the breakfast bar and jotted down some calculations based on the measurements taken. Jessa retrieved and opened two local craft beers from the refrigerator then set one in front of me with a slice of lime in the bottle neck.

"Have lunch on me?"

"Have lunch on you?" I queried trying to make sure I wasn't going to read too much into that simple question. After all, unless I was mistaken, her nipples seemed to perceptibly harden when she asked it. Maybe that was just the effect of getting the beers from the refrigerator.

"Yeah, will chicken salad on croissant be okay, or should I have something delivered?"

"Oh, okay, yes, that would be fine. The chicken salad would be good."

"Do you want to make it, or should I? I know my way around making sandwiches you know," she teased with a grin.

This time I was able to tease back, "I'm not helpless around the kitchen either, kiddo! I can make my own, unless you just want to practice for meals on wheels."

She chuckled and started setting things out on the breakfast bar for making lunch. While we were busy making our sandwiches I asked, "So, who did you get to install the shelves that are already up?"

"I didn't, they were already in the house when I bought it 4 years ago. It's just been recently I've given any thought to fixing them and getting more installed. Kat mentioned you installed the shelving in your den. It looked like you did a great job. Since I'm kind of a cheapskate, I thought maybe you could do it for me instead of hiring a pro."

"You flatter me, but Kat thinks you deserve the family and friends discount, so I won't charge for labor except maybe food and drink."

"Ooh, you like the barter system; alternative payment arrangements?"

"I guess so, why?"

"Let me give you a down payment then."

Jessa knelt in front of me and reached for my belt buckle and deftly had it undone before I even realized what she was about to do. As soon as she had undone the button and grasped the zipper, I took her hands in mine. They were soft and slender and graceful against which my hands felt as clumsy as paws.

"Oh, dear," I exclaimed. I pulled her to standing and huskily added, "Let's just eat lunch and talk about payment later."

I breathed a sigh of relief when she acquiesced and finished making her sandwich and allowed me to refasten my pants and belt. I don't know why, but I almost felt guilty for stopping her as if disappointing Kat's friend would damage their relationship. It was a weird thought, and I had trouble fitting my mind around it. Jessa was silent a few moments.

Out of the blue, she asked, "Have you had sex with other women besides Kat?"

"That's kind of personal Jessa. But if you must know, yes, I have; before Kat, none since, why?"

"No reason, just curious."

I was starting to feel like I was on the defensive so I pressed back, "You like Kat, right? You aren't going to hurt her are you?"

"Don't be crazy. I love her. She's the bomb. I'd kick ass for her, and take names. Want some pickles on your sandwich?" She pulled out a jar of dill chips and put a couple on her sandwich, closed it and took a bite.