Warmer Sultrier Isses

It was Brandi's final night working at Big Boat Bar, a Tuesday night in May,

which were usually slow. In only four days, Brandi, the 26-year-old, blonde, beauty, would be marrying Kyle in her nearby family church.

As she parked her car on a side street near the bar at 4:00 pm, She felt bittersweet about her last night of work. In her eight months at Big Boat, she made a lot of new friends and would miss not seeing them every week. But tonight, there was an added benefit of working. She would be able to forget about all the stress she faced in the final countdown of days to her wedding.

The sources of Brandi's angst seemed endless. For the past four months, Kyle was in Cape Town, South Africa, finishing a work commitment, and unable to meaningfully participate in the wedding's planning or execution. Though she had help from family and friends, Brandi was frazzled from all her efforts. Kyle was set to arrive in Philadelphia tomorrow, but he had been away so long, she worried it might be awkward between the two of them.

Making matters worse, she feared he was continuing an affair with Sarah, a hotwife he was previously involved with in Cape Town. Though he denied it, Brandi did not trust Kyle, try as she might, given his previous lapse with Amanda, in London, last summer, just after they met. She felt a creeping of resentment of Kyle, due to her feelings of insecurity, about his commitment to her.

She knew things would be different when Kyle finally arrived in town, and they did not have to rely on phone calls and video chats anymore to stay connected. Though she promised her mother she would stay at her parent's house until the wedding, once they were married on Saturday, they would finally have sex again. She figured that would help them break through the wall that had gone up between them with him being away so long.

But just as she was calming herself with the fact Kyle would soon arrive in town, Brandi almost had a breakdown at her own bachelorette party on Saturday night, as her two closest friends were on the brink of destroying the biggest day of her life. If it were not for the peace keeping skills of the older, more mature, Mary, all might have been lost.

The night started out great. Through a phone call to one of the owners of the swank Hotel Ranstead, Mary secured them a free night's stay in a penthouse suite. After several hours of barhopping with her Maid of Honor, Brittany, and her bridesmaids, Beth Ann, and Mary, they went back to their suite to continue the party.

They drank several shots of tequila from the fully stocked bar in the room and were having a wonderful time. But the silly, party mood turned sour when a suddenly tearful Beth Ann confessed to Brittany that last January she gave Brittany's fiancé, Geoff, a blowjob, the day after he proposed to her.

Brittany immediately lost it and lunged at Beth Ann. Mary stepped in and kept them separated. She spoke to both women and reminded them of their love for each other.

After presiding over Beth Ann's tearful apology to Brittany, Mary reinforced to the younger women that friends can confront problems and overcome their anger and pain.

Miraculously, Mary saved the day, even pulling Brittany aside to give her advice on how to handle Geoff if she still wanted to keep him.

But even so, the whole experience left an emotionally fragile Brandi, raw, and on edge.

She got out of her car and began walking. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted giving her notice to quit her weeknight bartending job at Big Boat Bar. Brandi enjoyed working at Big Boat Bar but gave into Kyle's demand that she quit her job at the bar before they get married. When Zach offered her the position last August, Kyle opposed her taking it and they had their first fight. Their compromise was that she would quit when they got married.

As the months rolled on, with Kyle being half a world away, Brandi's frustration with Kyle's physical absence grew, as did her resentment of Kyle's edict about quitting Big Boat Bar because of Zach.

She acknowledged to herself, she still had a little crush on Zach, and wondered, even days before her wedding, if she could resist Zach if he made a move on her. But the notion seemed ridiculous at this point. Zach and she became friends over the months she worked with him. He never even hinted that he wanted anything more with her. Besides, the lanky, good looking, Zach, seemed more attracted to married women in their thirties, and older.

As she reached the front door of the large, cavernous, bar, Brandi expected a slow, anticlimactic, evening, with her and Miles, the tall, gawky, and shy, recent college graduate, working behind the bar. She said her good-byes to most of her co-workers at a going away party last Friday night, which turned into a tearful hug fest. She did invite a bunch of them, including Zach, to the wedding,

Brandi walked through the door and was surprised to see Zach, alongside Miles, in his pirate uniform. Zach rarely worked Tuesday nights.

Brandi felt weirdly aroused upon seeing Zach. She chalked it up to her stress, and her horniness. The bride-to-be had not had any sex for almost five months. She chuckled to herself as she thought about what would happen if she fooled around with Zach at this late juncture. If Kyle were to find out, it would surely be curtains on the marriage.

By 9:30 pm, Zach was sitting alone, upstairs at Big Boat Bar in the private office

, figuring out the bartending schedule for the following two weeks. He occasionally glanced at the security monitors that captured all angles of the bar downstairs.

He could see Brandi and Miles, working behind the bar, mostly idle, serving the remnants of the after-work crowd. As always, when looking at the monitors, he checked out Brandi, her perfect body, huge tits, and long, straight, blonde hair. No woman rocked the skimpy pirate wench outfit that Big Boat Bar's owner, Mr. Boudreaux, insisted they wear, like Brandi did.

Since he called Brandi last summer about the open weeknight bartending gig, Zach, 31, had not made any moves on her. He learned years ago not to get involved with the female bartenders and wait staff he worked with. When Anna spurned him for Seth, he felt like a fool in front of his co-workers, which was one of those hard lessons.

As much as Zach wanted to seduce Brandi, while she was working there, he would not risk his job nor reputation among his co-workers.

But tonight, was her last night.

Zach was about to put his carefully concocted plan to seduce Brandi into action. From experience he knew that showing no interest in a younger hottie like Brandi would make her more curious about him, and ultimately more trusting.

Over the last few months, Zach learned key details about Brandi that would inform his planning for this night. Listening to her babble with her female co-workers about her wedding planning, he heard her express frustration about Kyle's absence and her resulting horniness. He also heard her tell Miles that she was an anal virgin and was saving her ass for Kyle to take on their wedding night. Finally, in a different conversation, involving other bartenders and customers, he heard her say that tequila caused her to lose her sexual inhibitions.

Mr. Boudreaux almost spoiled his plan. He made a surprise visit at7:00 pm to say goodbye to Brandi on her last night (and to see her in the wench outfit one more time) but left by 9:00. With Mr. Boudreaux gone, Zach's plan was back on.

Zach was determined to beat Kyle to Brandi's ass. When watching her walk down the aisle on Saturday he would take wicked pleasure in knowing she still had remnants of his hickeys on her butt cheeks.

He would soon send Miles home early and close the bar alone with her at 11:00 pm. When he got her alone, he would turn on his charm, reminisce with Brandi about all the laughs and good times they shared at the bar, looking for his opening. As much as she tried to hide it, Zach could tell Brandi still had the hots for him. To Zach, success was a forgone conclusion.

Zach stood up, walked out of the office and down the stairs, brimming with confidence that he would be ending the night balls deep in Brandi's ass.

"Hey Brandi! Miles!" He called out as he walked toward them. "This place is really dead tonight, isn't it?"

"Totally." Brandi said. "I told Miles he can go home if he wants. It's my last night. I'll close with you, Zach."

Zach smiled and winked at Brandi.

"Maybe soon, Miles. But first, in honor of Brandi's last night, I'm making a special exception to the rules. Miles, pour us three shots of tequila!"

"Great idea, Zach!" Miles said as he reached down to pick up a bottle of cheap tequila.

"Wow, Zach!" Brandi said, surprised. "To be honest, tequila makes me a little wild, but okay! Why not? It's my last night! I'm getting married in four days!"

"Exactly!" Zach responded. "You're four days from getting married. Loosen up a bit!"

Miles placed three shot glasses on the bar and filled each one. They all took a glass and held them up for a toast.

"Cheers Brandi! We're all going to miss you!" Zach toasted, before they all downed their shots.

"Oh Zach, you are going to make me cry, just like I did at my going away party on Friday night!"

Zach's cellphone vibrated in his pocket. It was a local number that he did not recognize.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Zach." Came the gravelly voice of the 75-year-old bar owner, Mr. Boudreaux, on the other end of the phone. "I think I left my cellphone on the back of one of the toilets in the men's room. Can you check for me?"

"Oh, hey Mr. Boudreaux." Zach said as he rolled his eyes, looking at the other two. "Yeah. I'll look now."

Zach placed his shot glass on the bar and stayed on the phone as he ran upstairs to the men's room and sure enough, found the phone.

"I have it here sir. I'll leave it in the office, on the desk. It will be safe until tomorrow."

"Um, Zach. I was hoping you could run it up here."

"Oh. Of course, Mr. Boudreaux. I'll leave now."

Zach was bummed. Mr. Boudreaux lived half an hour away! It would be almost 11:00 pm when he got back, closing time.

Zach figured he had better get going. He went back downstairs with Mr. Boudreaux's phone.

"Hey guys. I'll be back around closing. I'll buy last round for the three of us when I get back!" He said, making eye contact with Brandi.

"I'm sorry, Brandi, that we don't have more customers here for you on your last night."

"Oh Zach!" Brandi said, holding back tears. "You've been so good to me! When I needed a friend to get me a bartending gig, it was you who came through for me."

"I know. We'll miss you." Zach answered her, in a more affectionate, sentimental tone. "I'll hurry back."

As Zach said goodbye and walked out the door, he was quietly confident, he could salvage his opportunity when he returned.

As Brandi watched Zach walk out of the bar, she imagined him fucking her, even popping her anal cherry, which she blamed on the tequila. She reminded herself of what a bad idea it would be for her to cheat with Zach, just days before her wedding.

Jameer finished unloading the final box from his SUV and carried it inside to his new

fourth floor condo on River Street. He ate a cheesesteak earlier while making his final trip of the day from his old condo to his new one, just one stop down the expressway.

He thought he should unpack a box or two before he called it a night. He just finished moving the rest of his stuff in, after a delay in the afternoon, waiting for two hours in his new place for his new king size bed to be delivered, and set up.

It was a rough couple of months for Jameer. In the middle of closing on his newly constructed condominium, just blocks from a bustling suburban town center, he lost his job with the New York real estate investment company where he worked for two years.

Only two months earlier, Jameer was working as business development director for the firm. They owned a large minority stake in the basketball arena/casino project on the Delaware River waterfront. With his fellow director, Taylor, Jameer served as liaison to the majority partner of the project, the powerful developer, Roger Morso.

Then, one day out of the blue, the mild-mannered Mark, from the company's risk mitigation team, put a meeting on his calendar, telling him he had a few simple questions about the labor contracts for the waterfront deal. The next thing he knew, he got canned, while Taylor was promoted to Vice President and the company sued Roger Morso for breach of contract, because of the labor contracts.

Fortunately for Jameer, he landed on his feet. While he could not tell anyone yet, he would be starting a new job the following Monday at the Morso Company. The old man, Roger Morso, had always looked out for Jameer and Taylor, because they attended his alma mater, the local Ivy League school.

When learning of the lawsuit, and Jameer's ouster, Roger became enraged. He declared Taylor, and the New York company, his sworn enemies and offered Jameer a top job in his company.

Jameer looked at all the boxes scattered around his new living room and decided to go have a beer. Since there were several bars only two blocks away, he would take advantage of his new proximity and walk to one.

As he walked toward Main Street, Jameer saw Big Boat Bar. He remembered how much fun he and Taylor had there last summer when they went there one night.

Jameer walked through the door as the clock struck 10:00 pm. The bar was completely empty, but for one lonely bartender.

Brandi was doing what she always did when things were slow, she washed glasses and wiped down the bar. Miles had gone upstairs to the office. She was wondering if he was working up there or had fallen asleep.

"Good evening!" Jameer loudly spoke as he got Brandi's attention, while taking a seat at the bar not far from the front door. "Is the bar still open? Can I get a Mexican lager?"

Brandi turned from washing glasses when she heard the booming voice of Jameer. He seemed strangely familiar to her. She walked toward him.

"Of course, we're open." The enthusiastically, boisterous Brandi said in welcoming him, as she reached below the bar into the ice chest and pulled out a cold bottle of beer. "The kitchen is closed but the bar is open for another hour."

Brandi opened the bottle and slid a thin slice of lime in halfway through the opening.

"Great. How are you tonight?" A friendly Jameer said as he sized up the hot young blonde, who wore a ring on her finger with a big, fat, shiny diamond on it. "My name is Jameer."

"I'm doing great. I'm Brandi! It was busy early but really slowed down around 8:30. You look familiar. Have you been here before?"

"Not since last summer. As a matter of fact, it was around July 4th. Were you working here then?" Jameer said as he took the slice of lime out of the bottle and laid it on the napkin, before taking a big swig.

"Wait! I remember you!" An excited Brandi responded, having just realized why she thought he looked familiar. "I didn't work here then, but I was here with my girlfriends. You danced with my friend, Mary, and everyone cleared the dance floor for you two!"

"Ha! You saw that huh?" Jameer asked, taking note that Brandi said she was friends with Mary. "So how do you know Mary?"

"Mary's just the coolest woman ever! She's so much fun." Brandi said. "We worked a party together with our friend Zach, who manages the bartenders at this place. I got this job through him!"

"That's cool." Jameer responded.

"I met my fiancé through Mary too, indirectly." Brandi said, as Jameer's eyes were drawn again to the ring on Brandi's ring finger. "I'm getting married in four days and Mary's going to be in my wedding!"

Jameer looked back up into Brandi's eyes.

"Congratulations Brandi! When I saw that ring on your finger, I didn't notice there was no wedding band. I just assumed you were married."

"No. Just a few more days." Brandi said as she held her hand out, displaying her engagement ring to Jameer and admiring it along with him.

"Well congratulations Brandi. How about I buy us both a shot of something so I can offer you a toast to a lifetime of happiness?"

"Aww. Thank you." Brandi said. "How about tequila?"

"That sounds good to me!" Jameer said, his smile widening.

Brandi rang the drinks up on Jameer's credit card and pulled out two shot glasses, filling them with Patron. Three new customers walked in and sat on the other side of the large circular bar.

"Marriage is a lifelong commitment! Good for you!" Jameer said as he held his shot glass up to toast her.

"Thanks." Brandi said, as she clinked glasses with him and downed her shot. "I'd better go see what these guys want to drink."

Jameer's historic success with women, single or married, had always come from his boldness. He learned long ago that with women, fortune favors the brave.

"Oh sure. Hey Brandi, before you go, I live in the new condo building two blocks away from here on River Street. I know weddings can be stressful. If you want to blow off some steam and have a little extra curricular fun before you tie the knot, I'm not far away, and I can give it to you." A confident, going for broke, Jameer said to Brandi as he gave her a smile and a wink.

Brandi blushed, smiled, and shot back immediately.

"I saw you dirty dance with Mary last summer, so I believe you! You don't leave much to the imagination! Thanks, but no thanks!" Brandi scolded as she turned and walked across the bar toward her new customers.

Brandi was reeling from Jameer's audacious offer, feeling even more lightheaded from her second shot of tequila, as she walked across the bar.

Jameer gazed at Brandi's backside. He wondered if he had been too forward.

Nursing his beer, he noticed Brandi chatting up the party of three young guys. The four of them shared laughs as Brandi finished getting them their drinks and the men made small talk with her about people they knew in common. Jameer looked up at one of the TV's that hung over the bar and watched the sports highlights.

"Do you want another beer?" a suddenly present Brandi, asked him.

"Uh, yes." Jameer responded as he again fixed his eyes on the sexy bride-to-be.

Brandi pulled out another ice-cold beer and stuck a precut lime slice in the opening before handing it to Jameer. A voice called out from across the bar.

"Hey Brandi. We need some shots over here."

Before turning away, Brandi leaned in toward Jameer and spoke.

"I'm thinking about what you said before, about having some fun before tying the knot." She said, and promptly turned and walked back toward the others.

As Brandi reached up to the top shelf to grab the bottle of expensive tequila the men ordered, she thought about Jameer's bold offer. Increasingly, she was feeling buzzed and acutely horny.

"I really don't want to have regrets." She thought to herself. "Besides, Kyle doesn't even know this guy. It's not like I'd be fucking Zach!"

Jameer, staring at Brandi's ass again, became excited. This hot, sexy, young, big boobed, engaged chick, seemed interested.

Brandi poured the men's shots and bantered back and forth with them for a while, sharing more laughs. Jameer sat, calmly drinking his beer, his eyes glancing in Brandi's direction frequently.

As she finished with the three men, who each ordered additional beers to chase their shots down, Jameer watched. When she finished with them, she pulled her phone out from underneath the bar.

Jameer admired her sexy profile as he wondered if he might get lucky tonight. He watched her further as she quickly typed out messages and read responses.

Finally, Brandi put her phone back underneath the bar and walked directly toward Jameer. Jameer smiled as she approached. Brandi only faintly smiled back and seemed purposeful in her more stiffened demeanor. Looking at Brandi's body language, he sensed his rejection coming.