*Note to readers: My apologies for not finishing this story months ago. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy writing erotic stories and I was easily distracted. I've had quite a few people email me and ask me to finish it. I hope it's better late than never.
*****
"I've had a wonderful time tonight, Rick. Thank you," Lauren told him as they arrived at his place.
"Me too, Lauren. And it was my pleasure. You're pretty amazing," he told her. He leaned over to kiss her and whispered, "And amazingly pretty." As his lips met hers, he heard her moan softly. "Would you like to come inside?" he asked as they ended their first kiss.
"That sounds nice," she said softly.
He opened her door, took her hand, and led her into his very large, very tastefully-decorated home. He took her coat and hung it in the closet by the door. "Shall we?" he suggested indicating she lead them into the living room. "Would like something to drink, Lauren? Some white wine perhaps?"
"That would be perfect, Rick. Thank you," she said smiling. She'd gotten up and was looking around at all of the pretty things she'd love to have in a home of her own one day. Among them was a picture of a beautiful woman about Rick's age holding a baby. "Who's this?" she asked holding up the frame.
"Oh, that's my ex-wife and my son, Chad. He's two now."
"Oh, I didn't know you were divorced," she said as he handed her a glass of chardonnay.
"Yeah, it just wasn't meant to be, I guess." He took the picture from her and said, "I'd rather talk about...us," he told her as he led her back to the couch. "What is it you're looking for in a relationship, Lauren?"
She took a sip of her wine and said, "Love, I guess. Isn't that what everyone wants?"
"I suppose so," he replied. "You can't possibly be thinking about anything too serious though, right? I mean, you want to have some fun and live a little first, don't you?" He reached out and brushed back her hair and smiled at her.
Suddenly, the handsome young dentist wasn't as appealing as he'd seemed. Lauren didn't have a lot of experience with boys and none with men, but she knew when a guy only wanted one thing. Yes, at her age, that's what she should want, too. Wasn't the fun part about being young? You date, you experiment, you try new things, and then later on—much later on—like maybe 30 or 35—you finally settled down and raised a family. Perhaps it was due to never been thought of as pretty before, but Lauren craved the kind of love she'd never had. Sex was pleasant. Hell, it was even great. But it was just sex. What she wanted was a man to really love her; to make her feel safe and secure. Someone who cared about her more than anything else on earth. Rick was divorced with a child. He wasn't going to be looking to get married again anytime soon and Lauren got that. But she had no interest in just being another notch on his belt. She had no moral issue with hooking up, but that wasn't what she wanted and it definitely wasn't what she needed.
Rick leaned over to kiss her again but Lauren didn't kiss back. He pulled her closer and kissed her harder, but she didn't respond. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "Am I moving too fast?"
"No," she told him. Then she said, "Yes." Then, "I don't really know. Maybe."
"It's okay," he assured her. "We've got all night. No need to rush things. Go ahead. Finish your wine. We'll talk and then see how it goes, okay?"
Lauren realized his version of 'taking it slow' was nothing like hers. His meant holding off having sex for another hour. Two if she really wanted to wait. Hers meant dating and falling in love and being with the right guy. Rick was cute. In fact, he was gorgeous. And he was obviously well off. Lauren would love a place like this and a handsome husband, too. But she wasn't interested in a quick fuck and a promise to call her.
"Rick? I think I'd like to go home," she told him.
"Seriously? You want to go home? Okay, you gotta help me out here, Lauren. What just happened? I thought we were connecting? I agreed to give you some time and..."
"I don't know," she said cutting him off. "I just know this...whatever this is...isn't what I want."
"I get it. You want to take it slow. That's fine. We can watch a movie, have another glass of wine, and then..."
"No. No, that's not it. I'm not sure I can even explain it, Rick. You're this really great guy. You're smart, you're funny, you're very handsome, and...and...well, I don't know what else. I just know this doesn't work for me." She could tell by his reaction he wasn't happy at all.
"Sure. No problem. I'll get your coat." As he walked away, she was almost certain she heard him mutter, "Another prick tease."
______________________________________________________________________
As they ate, Clint was more than a little surprised when Lorraine ordered a fourth glass of wine. "You might want to slow down a little," he suggested politely.
"Oh, relax! This is just Zinfandel. It's like drinking water, for heaven's sake. You've barely touched your first glass. Come on, Clint! Let's have some fun!" She drained what was left of her third glass then said much too loudly, "Before you take me home and have even more fun, right?"
Clint didn't judge other people for the way they lived their lives, but he found women who drank too much a huge turn off. He liked women who were smart and in control. Women who got high on life rather than from a bottle or a pill. Lorraine was still a very attractive woman physically, but this side of her was making her very unattractive very quickly.
"No, thanks," he said firmly but still politely. "I'm a one-drink kind of guy."
Her fourth glass arrived and she took another large sip and said, "I never took you for a buzz kill, Clint. You look like you're so much fun!" She leaned toward and said, "I like having fun, Clint. You know what I mean?"
Someone from an adjacent table turned to look and see who it was talking that way (and that loudly) in an upscale restaurant like The New Rustic.
"Why don't we get you a cup of coffee and maybe some dessert?" he suggested.
"Coffee? Who drinks coffee this late at night? I don't want no stinking coffee!" she said trying to pull of an imitation from the Bogart movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
"Lorraine? Could you maybe keep your voice down just a touch?" he asked as others turned to look, as well.
"What? I'm not talking loud!" she said. She saw him cut his eyes toward another table. She turned to look at those looking at her and told them, "Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer!" She turned back around and said, "What the hell are they staring at anyway?"
Clint put his napkin on the table and said, "Let's get you home." He made eye contact with their server and mouthed the words, "Check, please."
Lorraine made quite a scene on the way out and apologized all the way back to her place. Clint walked her to her door to make sure she got in okay. Lorraine fumbled with the keys and finally managed to open it then invited Clint inside.
"I know you're upset with me, Clint. But come in and let me make it up to you," she said. She tried to kiss him, but the smell of booze was too much.
He gently kept her away from him and said, "You need to get some sleep, Lorraine."
"No, no! I don't need sleep," she said trying to push her way into him. "You have what I need," she said as she groped for his crotch.
"Lorraine! You're drunk. Go inside and sleep this off."
"Clint, you can't be serious. You're turning me down because I had a little wine with dinner?" she said with genuine incredulity.
"Drinking an entire bottle isn't 'a little wine', Lorraine. That's a problem. You're a nice woman, but you have a problem and you need some help." He gently moved her inside then told her goodnight as he closed the door and headed home.
