He wasn't a stranger but not completely familiar. We'd known each other for years in social settings and even worked together occasionally. It never occurred to me that either of us felt anything more than respect and perhaps a little casual flirting as is often present between friends of the opposite sex. I never imagined he could be attracted to me and I wasn't looking for extracurricular activities outside my marriage.
Sadly, as too often is the case, my marriage fell apart. Well, more accurately, it crashed and burned after too many years of being a smoldering, empty shell. A ghost town with no occupants, we had grown apart and things had gotten ugly. It was time to move on.
Funny, I hadn't realized that I'd suppressed all these passions and desires for so long. Caught up in the day to day drama and survival in rough waters, I just sorta stopped feeling. Once free from the suffocating influence, I realized: I'm divorced, not dead, so maybe it was time to start actually living again, to experience life... to get laid!
Not sure quite how to jump into the pool again, I just wanted to get my feet wet. Dip my toes in to check the water, so to speak, but not quite brave enough to jump into the deep end. I couldn't casually find some lonely guy at the other end of a bar somewhere. It just wasn't my style. And yeah, you could say I have a few trust issues these days. Not that I was looking for some romantic, sweep-me-off-my-feet Romeo, but a phone call during the week and dropping by with drinks and pizza on a Wednesday would be nice before you fuck my brains out every weekend, you know?
I ran into Jesse at the gas station that last night of moving. I had 45 miles back to my new town and it was all country road so I had to fill up. We naturally caught up with current events and he seemed genuinely surprised that I was single. And maybe he noticed I was slimmer, more full of spice than sugar, perhaps I was even flirting? He gave me his number to keep in touch... offered to lend a hand as I settled into my new life. Always a great guy, the idea of hanging out, having a few drinks and laughs was appealing, so I gave him my new number too. I harbored no delusions of anything more. This was clearly a May/December friendship and I certainly wasn't spring!
Then things changed so quickly. No beating around the bush and it wasn't subtle at all!
Thirty minutes into my long drive back an unfamiliar number came up on my phone. His text message was simply, "Now that you're single, I guess I can tell you that you're beautiful." What?!?! That this sweet little country boy even had an awareness of me in that light just floored me!
The exciting part was that now I had the freedom to let the idea flower in my own mind and I realized he was pretty damn hot!
Not especially tall, Jesse carried himself with confidence and masculinity just oozed from his pores. He had a strong physical presence and his cockiness lent itself to the impression of a much bigger guy. He was clean cut, but the shadow of strawberry blonde stubble graced his jawline. I hadn't realized before, but even his smile had was his own brand of sex appeal; a sort of lopsided, cocky grin with those romance novel "smoldering" eyes. How DO you do that anyway...smolder?!?
I found myself turned on by our casual texting as it became more and more suggestive. More intimate. As I let my mind consider the possibilities, I felt myself getting wet in anticipation of this "friends with benefits" opportunity. He had no strings attached and nothing holding him back from doing whatever, wherever or whenever he pleased. Including whomever he pleased. And he seemed to want to please me.