Glad to be leaving work early for the day, Steve Thomas walked to his car wearing his best navy suit. Forty-eight years old, Steve could easily be considered out of his prime. His ex-wife certainly thought so. It had been three years, but he still missed her company. She was the perfect fit for him in so many ways. Blonde where he was a graying brunette. Smoldering brown eyes in contrast to his blue-green. Sharp, exquisite beauty complimenting his proud, hair-covered jawline. Even their heights were perfect; her tall, curvy figure fitting nicely under the arm extending from his broad-shouldered, 6'3" frame.
But, that was all over now. She had left him and already moved on. It wasn't a surprise, really. Their marriage had been loveless for years, fueled only by their shared passions and their love for their daughter, Heather. But, Heather was grown now, attending college. The goodbyes were back-to-back. A week after dropping his daughter off, Steve Thomas went apartment hunting. Even for a successful business man, finding a nice place on a single budget isn't exactly easy. For that reason, Steve had opted for a place outside the city. Sure, it gave him a long commute, but he enjoyed the drive.
He had been looking forward to the drive home. He had just bought a new CD and was looking forward to hearing it.
But, for some reason, a sudden impulse hit him on his way to the parking garage. Not quite certain why he was doing it, he stepped into the coffe shop on the corner. As he walked inside, the warm aromas assaulted his senses. Stopping inside the door, he inhaled deeply, savoring the myriad scents. The shop was unusually busy for the middle of the day on a Thursday.
"What the hell do all of these people do for a living that they're in here drinking coffee in the middle of the day?" Steve thought to himself.
Shrugging it away, he moved inside to get in line and was stopped cold in his tracks. Suddenly, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and baked sweets were gone. The crowd was silent. All that existed was the woman at the counter. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She electrified his senses in ways he couldn't understand. He had to meet see more of her.
"Turn around," he thought to himself, "I've got to see if her face is as amazing as that body."
He stood there for what seemed like ages, but her order must have been a special one because the line wasn't moving. Sighing, he looked at the long line once again and decided to sit and wait it out, hoping that he might get a chance to speak with the beautiful stranger. He sat staring at her, admiring her long legs and amazing curves. She was casually dressed and yet still dressed to kill. A simple jean skirt draped over her hips, flowing down over a tight, round ass and teasing the middle of her luscious thighs. Across a small patch of porcelain skin sat the tops of a pair of knee-high, high-heeled boots. Dragging his eyes back upward, he was that she was wearing a deep red top that hugged her sides, revealing a small waist supporting womanly curves. Her long dark hair swept was up neatly, exposing the back of her neck he longed to kiss.
Then, without a warning, she turned. Steve's eyes were immediately drawn to her chest. The shirt's neckline plunged deeply between her full breasts. As she completed her turn, he was finally able to see her face; soft, creamy skin and bright green eyes, the pouty, shell pink lips with barely a hint of lipstick on them. She was in her early twenties and full of a raw sensuality.
Coffee in hand, she moved over to add the cream and sugar, her eyes moving over the crowd, resting briefly on Steve before moving on. Steve felt a shudder of excitement unlike any he had known in years. That brief second of eye contact quickened his pulse and made him flush. Then, suddenly, she turned back to look at him again.
Stunned at how perfectly her face matched the rest of her body, Steve dropped his briefcase. To his shagrin, the noise was like a gunshot and the entire shop became silent in an instant. But, he was too entranced to be embarrassed. Without taking his eyes off her, he stammered an apology, and the noise resumed. Still, all Steve could think about was this woman standing across the shop.
"She's looking at me!" Steve thought. "Why is she's looking at me? Oh shit, she's walking over here. Think of something clever to say."
Smiling warmly at her with as much confidence he could muster, he took a breath and spoke, "Hi. Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"
Steven groaned inwardly, "Perfect, you dumbass," he thought to himself. He had just ruined his one shot. But, rather than walk away, she inched closer, biting her lower lip to stifle the grin that very evident in her sparkling eyes. Her tone was warm as she mesmerized him with her sweet, sulty voice.
"You don't remember me, do you, Mr. Thomas?"
As she spoke, recognition began to suddenly it dawns on him. Take away those exciting curves, crop the hair, put her in shorts and a t-shirt...
"JULIE!? It's you, isn't it? I almost didn't recognize you."
Standing up, he awkwardly hugged his daughter's best friend from high school, not quite able to feel right about how good her breasts felt against his chest. Still, the hug gave him a few, precious seconds to hide his blushing face.
She laughed a tinkling little laugh, pleased that he finally remembered her and returned his hug, perhaps holding on a few moments too long, enjoying the feel of his body against hers before pulling back.
"Thanks, Mr. Thomas. I'm nearly finished with my teaching degree. How is Heather?"
Willing himself to pull out of the embrace, Steve motioned for her to sit across from him. Waiting for her to do so before he took his own seat, he took the opportunity to watch as she sat and crossed her amazing legs. Sitting, Steve continued their conversation.
"That's great for you. Heather's good. Good. Last I heard, anyway. I don't know if that girl is ever going to graduate. She just changed her major again. I don't have any idea what she's studying now. If she doesn't settle down soon, I'm going to have to start playing the lottery."
Julie smiled, tucking herself under the table. Listening about Heather, she nodded in understanding. Julie has seen her around on campus, always with a different guy and rarely with books in her hands. Sipping her coffee, she laughed quietly as Steve spoke, thrilled to be seeing him again after all this time. Nervous, Julie's eyes strayed down to the table and she focused on the coffee cup in her hands as she began to speak again.
"I'm so glad to see you, Mr. Thomas. After Heather and I fought... Well, I missed you."
With those last words, Julie lifted her eyes for a split second, looking out of the top of her head to gauge his reaction.
Forgetting his fascination for the moment, wanton lust left his eyes for the first time as honest concern appeared.
"Fought? What do you mean? Heather and I haven't really talked much for a while. I get 'official' updates once in a while, but that's about it. What happened between you guys?"
Biting her lip again, fingers tracing over the rim of her coffee cup, she gave a light shrug. "She... She sort of found out that I... had... have a crush on you. She got mad. She said that you were the only reason I was friends with her and that she never wanted to see me again. So, I left.
Julie's face flushed crimson as the words spill out uncontrollably. Then, her confession finally out, she took a deep breath and watched Steve across the table, fiddling nervously with her cup.
Not knowing what to think, Steve find himself wishing he had his own cup of coffee to stare into. "Oh, why does she have to bite her lip like that?" He thought to himself, "It drives me crazy!"
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Steve replied, "I... I'm sorry to hear that... about you two... I'm flattered, but... Really?"
Julie nodded, glancing shyly up at him as she took a deep breath of her own, a tendril of hair falling from her temple to brush against her cheek.
"Yes, really. I... I wasn't expecting it, but after your wife left you and I started spending so much time with you and Heather, it just sort of happened."
Steven reached out tentatively, fingertips brushing the back of Julie's hand. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he savored her warmth briefly, trying to form his words.
"Julie." He took a deep breath. "You... you're an amazingly beautiful young woman. You're smart, you're kind, you're... Did I mention beautiful?" He smiled nervously at her as his cheeks flushed. "But, you're my daughter's best friend. Okay, okay. You were my daughter's best friend. Plus, I'm so much older than you. Old enough to be your father." Staring down at the table, he forced the next words out. "Again, I'm flattered, but how can this possibly work?"
Looking down, Steve saw that Julie's hand had left her cup and their fingers were now entwined. Holding his breath, he stared deeply into her eyes, not knowing what to think about the situation any more.
Julie's breath caught at the touch of Steve's fingers and her eyes closed briefly. She listened patiently, his speech almost exactly like the ones she had rehearsed hearing hundreds of thousands of times in her fantasies. Waiting for him to finish, she continued to cling to the hope that she could say what was needed to make him understand. Opening her eyes, she looked back at him, leaning forward slightly to lend urgency and need to her words.
"It would work just like any other relationship. Sure, we'd have our obstacles to get around, but if we want it badly enough, we can make it work. I've wanted you, loved you, for years. I thought it would go away over time, but it's not just a schoolgirl crush. It's not going to disappear, and i'm never going to get over it."
Steve's breathing quickened, excited by her desire, and he forced himself to breathe more deeply.
"So, what do you suggest?"
Licking her lips, heart pounding in her chest, Julie smiled brightly at him, her hands reaching to grasp and squeeze his as she murmured softly, "My apartment is just around the corner, Mr. Thomas. Would you... Would you like to come back with me?"