Like French Girls

"Oh my god," Holly gasped as her boyfriend uncovered her eyes. Their apartment's living room was lit by an assortment of scentless candles on the coffee table. The warm glow was beautiful after weeks of only the harsh whites of their ceiling lights and monitors, but even more fantastic was the trays of food laid out before her. A paired set of soba noodles and broth sat next to each other while the middle of the table had a bubbling hot plate with veggies and thinly sliced meat cooking away, filling the room with an aroma of sweet and savory cooking. However, the pièce de résistance was the massive amount of sushi that had conquered an entire half of the table, only leaving enough space in the center for artfully crafted nigiri, placed to form the number 40.

"I know your favorite restaurant is still closed, but I still remember how to make everything myself," Taka said, holding her waist from behind as he let her take in the view. Her hands covered her mouth as she took it all in, her head swimming the wonderful flavors of the cooking sukiyaki and hint of sweetened, seasoned rice. He laughed at her silence, cracking her out of her awe-struck stupor and she spun around and slapped his shoulder.

"Taka you asshole," she yelled. "You had me locked in the bedroom all day for this?" She could feel her eyes brimming with tears as her mouth filled with saliva. He just laughed harder.

"Hey- hey! Don't you love it?" He moved his hands up her arms to rest on her shoulder. He swayed his hips in time to the soft music playing from their tv's soundbar and twisted her back around to keep looking at the dinner he prepared for her. Once he was behind her again, he slowly wrapped his arms around her, forcing her to move in time with him. He squeezed her and bent down to rest his head on her shoulder. His hands moved over her in a soft caress, squeezing her plush curves that were made more pronounced by the sedentary life of quarantine. He craned his head into the crook of her neck, tickling her with his mustache and lips as he kissed her flesh.

"God," she gasped again. "I do love it, I really do! I just didn't expect this." the emotions battering her mind broke the damn holding back the tears, salted streams running down her cheeks while she began to take sharp breaths that choked into hiccups. Taka cooed and shushed her.

"It's okay, baby," he spoke softly, his breath flirting with stray strands of her brown hair. He moved slowly, motioning her to do the same as their feet clumsily attempted to sync up as they inched closer and closer to the couch. They parted just enough to properly sit side by side, their thighs pressing together as the cushions between them depressed to bring them closer. Holly struggled to keep her composure but Taka took the lead once more as he brought a clean plate and chopsticks up from the lower shelf of the table, using the utensils to pick up some of the marinated and cooked strips of beef and onions from the sukiyaki pan. He filled half of the plate with the assortment of meat and veg before he switched to the sushi, having to lean over her to pick up the nigiri that made up the big 4, and a few rolls to fill up the remaining space.

"Happy fortieth, Holly," he said, handing her the plate and chopsticks so she could begin. Once satisfied with her first dish, he set on making his own plate, making sure to pick the pieces he knew she enjoyed the least so as not to take much from her feast.

"I don't like the sound of that at all," she moaned, slumping into the back of the couch as if to pout. She lifted up a slice of beef and watched the oil and marinade drip off of it before she brought it to her mouth and began to chew. "I love you, this is amazing and I have no idea how you were able to do this all in one day, but I don't like to hear how old I am."

He laughed. "You're not that old! It's okay though, no more numbers, only food," he said as he poked her breast with his chopsticks. She gasped and covered the assaulted spot and shot her elbow into his side. Taka giggled as he took the hit, popping a spicy tuna roll into his mouth. "When I turn forty you can do something like this for me."

"Oh god, I'm gonna be a grandma by then," she cried. "I'll be in like my 60's! And if quarantine isn't over by then no way in hell am I gonna risk getting groceries for you."

"By the time I turn forty you'll be fifty-four," he scoffed. Holly grimaced as she looked down to shovel the contents of her plate to her mouth.

"At least your birthday is in a nice month. The weather is always better in August," she sighed. "Of course I'm gonna celebrate the first birthday since you've come back in the middle of a viral pandemic." She placed her plate down on the table as she struggled with a frown tugging at her face. She turned to the younger man and the words caught in her throat as she took in the sadness he displayed.

"Oh no, babe, I didn't mean it like that," she began.

"It's okay, I'm sorry, I should have tried harder to come home," he replied but Holly silenced him with a raised hand.

"You don't have to be sorry, I know it's tough when you have a great opportunity like that." She placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed. "I'm just happy to have you here now, I don't know how I'd survive being stuck home without you," she laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Hell, part of me was just jealous. I wish I could have spent 2 years living in Japan!"

"It wasn't that great," he smiled back to her. "With how much work they gave me, it made me miss coming through the front door to see you."

"Oh you," she squealed, eyes once again filling with tears. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze, digging her face into his chest. "I'm sure you met plenty of fine young ladies at those company bar meetings!"

"I think you watched too much anime on Netflix. Teachers don't go to bars like an office would!" He wrapped his arm around her, making sure to keep his plate leveled and out of the way. "Now get back to eating, okay? Don't let it go cold! And if you need radish for your soba, there is some in the dish here!"

The older woman lifts herself up and away and sniffs. She pulls a partially used tissue from her sweat pants pocket and blows her nose. Holly smiles at him and laughs as he pulls out another for her to use.

"Always prepared, huh," she asks.

"Mhmm," he hums. "Itadakimasu."

The couple digs into the feast Taka prepared, filling and emptying dish after dish. In between swallows and full mouths, the two chat about the lazy nothings. Holly spoke about how she had spent the day locked in the bedroom talking to her sister on the phone. About the cats she found on the local rescue's Facebook page that were just too cute. In return, Taka spoke about how he put dinner together, how hard he tried to keep everything hidden as he came back from the grocery store or whenever a package was delivered.

Holly pulled her long brown hair back into a bun. "Dinner was immaculate," she praised her boyfriend, squeezing his thigh as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. While close, she flicked away a stray piece of rice that clung to his black mustache, giggling as she did it. "Thank you so much, babe." Taka smiled.

"It's not over yet," he grinned as he got up from the couch, fast enough to startle the older woman. "One final gift is left for you dear, close your eyes!"

"Taka you didn't," she began but he cut her off.

"Close em!"

She sighed as she watched him walk out of view towards the apartment's entrance around the corner. She heard him shuffle around out of sight and the sound of something large being moved. Not wanting to push any further or disappoint him, she complied and shut her eyes. She let herself relax into the plush couch, her body sinking back as her body worked on digesting. It was quite a lot of food and despite her flirting with the idea of a diet to combat the fat she was building, she wasn't going to start anything of the sort on her birthday, especially when her man made her such a wonderful meal. She couldn't help the smile curling her lips up as she thought of him.

He had come back home from working in Japan right before Covid-19 hit stateside. One of those blessings, she guessed. In some ways, it didn't feel too bad to be so far away from him, as her own job had been keeping her just as busy, but two years regardless is a long time. It was a great opportunity for him and things had gone well enough that they offered him another year, much longer than what was common practice. She loved him and wanted him to succeed, he gave up his old job working at her favorite restaurant for her, the same one that they had met each other in. It felt like a lifetime ago, it brought her just a bit of shame to think that when she first met him he must have still been in high school.

Things were so different then. She had still been an artist at the time. Still working part-time so she could focus on commission and freelance work. Still living with her parents. She can feel her face begin to burn with embarrassment. It was so embarrassing to be thirty, single, and living with your parents and falling for someone so much younger than herself. Ten years they had known each other, she thought to herself. And they have been together for the last 7. It made her smile. She remembered when they first moved in together in their first apartment. It lasted for 3 years, and she had started a new job and gave up art to help afford it with him and put him through college. He didn't plan on it originally, but she pushed him to do it, helping him as much as she could.

"Okay, you can open them!" She was taken out of her memories when she heard Taka speak from across the table. Her eyes flutter open, catching the sight of a white blanket draped over something tall, and a large box next to it. "Happy birthday, Holly!"

"What is it," she asks. "I didn't think you'd do so much, you really didn't have to spend so much for me, Taka, I love you so much." His smile continues to beam at her.

"Come over and open it, I wanted to do something special for you," he said, waving his hand towards her to signal her to come closer. She gets up from the couch and scoots around the table and closes the distance. She is about to reach for the blanket when he stops her.

"Oh," he says, pulling out a card. "Read this first!" She takes the card from him and studies the cover. A crudely drawn pair of cats sleeping together was placed in the middle of the card, and above it was Japanese letters that she could read with parentheses below that read 'To Holly/Hori.' She looked at him and smiled.

"Oh Taka," she started but he quickly shushed her. He pointed back to the card and she returned to looking at it. She opened it up and began to read.

"Translator's note, there is no easy way to use the letter L in Japanese, so your name would be quite hard to say," she reads aloud, looking up to him to smile before she continues. "To my dearest Holly, it has been a decade since we first met and I have loved you more than I ever could in these twenty-six years of my life. I am so thankful to have you in my life and for all the love and support you've given me. You have driven me to be the best I can be and I want nothing more than to do the same for you." She wrapped an arm around him to pull him closer, feeling his warmth through her blouse as he returned the gesture by pulling her in tighter.

"I know that you hate numbers, especially those that are related to you," she paused for a moment to give him a quick slap on the belly. "But I think that the last five years are important as you had to give so much for me to fly. So in return, I want to help you return to expressing that passion that burns inside you, as you always have known how to draw passion out of me."

She looks up at him, mouth open as the words stall on her tongue. She tries to fit the text in her mind as dots begin to connect. Taka takes his other hand to hold the blanket firmly.

"I hope that together we can make something beautiful. I love you with all my heart, Takahiro." With the last word done, Taka pulls off the sheet, unveiling one of the gifts to her. She gasps as she drops the card to cover her mouth. What was once a tall white sheet draped over an unknown object was now revealed to be a gorgeous studio easel in their living room, equipped with a fresh canvas and a tray of charcoal sticks.

"Oh my god," she sobbed, despite how much crying she's already done she still had a wealth of tears stored away. "Taka, I love it."

"That's not all," he said, moving away from her so he could crouch down and pick up the dropped card, moving it over to the easel where was able to clip it on. He pulled her hand towards the box on the floor and helped her kneel down next to it. He had to bring her hands to it as she found it hard to see with her clouding eyes.

"This is too much," she blubbered even as she began to pull away at the thin paper, ripping open the final present. She only removed one full corner before she saw what it was which only resulted in her crying harder as she hugged Taka tightly to her. Inside the wrapping paper was a box for a large drawing monitor.

"I know it's been a while since you've last drawn. I remember when we went to that convention how you were talking to the artists in the dealers den about it too, I felt now was as good a time as any for you to get back to it. With my new job, we should be fine if you quit or reduce your hours," he said, holding her tight.

The pair stayed on the floor for a while. Taka made sure to give her all the time she needed to let it out, and Holly had dived deep into the reserves of tears. Her chest hurt from how much she loved him, and it was clear that despite the difference in their ages, he was perfect. Eventually, the tears came to a stop and Holly had composed herself to a more fitting image of a strong, adult woman with the added bonus of a young stud that made her feel half her newly acquired age.

"Taka," she sighed.

"Yes, dear," he responded. She groaned a little as she stood back up, playfully lifting Taka with her. She pushed him towards the couch as she went around the easel and picked up one of the opened black sticks.

"Mama's rusty," she put on a husky voice, ignoring the fact that her red eyes from crying likely clashed with the dominant attitude. "How bout' you lay on the couch and give me a good pose to practice with, hmm?"

The young Japanese man smiled and began to get on the couch but she stopped him.

"Ditch the clothes. I want a live, nude model tonight."

He gave her a confused expression before it quickly shifted to one of excitement, pulling his white polo up and over his head, his hair getting a little messy in the process. He jumped on the couch and landed on his back and took advantage of his body bouncing up to shuck his pants past his hips and off his legs. Now naked on the couch, he looked around as if searching for inspiration before returning his sights towards his lover. He smiled at her, propping his head upon his hand and lifting his leg up to give her a view of his assets.

"What a sexy model we have today, class," she says, her eyebrow raising as she notices how his position gives her more than a clear view of youthful endowment, already inflating with blood. "Ooh," she coos. "And it looks like this one isn't shy at all!"

His face burns as she teases him, the older woman only returning him a predatory and hungry grin. She starts to strike at the fabric, warming her shoulder up with quick and dirty figure drawings. She sketches out fast thumbnails of his pose, plotting out his edges before she really finds herself getting back in the groove of things. It isn't long at all before she moves on to trying to capture a true likeness of her beau, working on a real sketch for her drawing.

"So now you're drawing me like one of your french girls," he teases as she draws. She smiles but doesn't yet respond, instead holding out her thumb to figure out his proportions. Holly doesn't miss the fact that as she became ready, so too did his erection, standing proudly from his bush. She smiled as she made a quick line on the canvas for future reference and went back to drawing more details on his head, making sure to get the weight of his hair right. Too long to be considered short but not long enough to be able to do the hip man bun that all the boys were styling with today. Exactly how she liked it.

"Think more of your Japanese animes, my little bishie baby." More and more of his body is drawn out for her and as a byproduct of the process does she study his body even more acutely. He had gotten considerably more toned while he was gone, his body's musculature much more pronounced, as was his arms and thighs. When he left he had an adorable pudge that surrounded his body. He was never fat, but he had always said he had weight to lose. On their video calls, he would often tell her about how he was hitting the local gym, but the experience of seeing his body through a tiny, grainy box was a far cry from having it mere feet from her, naked and aroused on the couch. To put it lightly, her panties were soaking through to her lounge pants.

"Honey," she said, her lines getting more and more unfocused as she had finally begun working around his genitals.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to go wash my hands," she said, putting her charcoal piece down. She stepped away from the easel and brushed her hands together to remove any excess dust from her fingers. "And when I return, I want you to fuck the shit out of me."

She didn't even wait for a response as she turned the corner into the bathroom and quickly began scrubbing the black powder from her hands. She moves her hips slightly as she squeezes her lips between her thighs, feeling how much arousal she had produced over the course of her drawing. When she returned, she barely had time to announce it when Taka jumped her, pulling up her shirt to grope and bite at her bra covered breast.

"Oh god," she moaned as her body was molested through the fabric. She let him continue chewing and licking her concealed chest while she fumbled her hands behind her, fingers locking onto the strap hooks which she quickly did away with. Once undone, she lifted her arms and he spent little time working the mess of fabric up her torso and over her head and off her arms. He returned to her breasts, gripping and sucking one heavy tit before moving the other. His lips wrapped tight around her thick nipples which caused little breaths and moans to escape her lips. Once he was satisfied with the attention he gave to her breasts, he moved downwards, leaving a trail of kisses down her chubby belly before he dug his fingers into her waistband. He pressed his face into her groin, breathing in for a moment before he bit the elastic band and pulled down with his hands.

"Yes baby," she moaned, excited from how he was acting. When he dove back into her muff her legs quaked, the older woman having to steady herself on his head as he hungrily attacked her folds. She was wet enough that breathing was an impossible task with his face in her fat mound, and his facial hair was covered in a thick, slick, sheen. It hardly was a deterrent though as he kept at it, his tongue tracing the edges of her clit before sliding back to her entrance. He flicked in and out of her, the taste of her womanhood heavy on his tongue as he drank her down. Her whole body quivered as he ate her out.

"Hold on," she said. She struggled for a moment, having to grip his hair tightly just to pull him out. "Jesus, hold your horses, coochie monster," she jokes. With him now out of her sex, she is able to ease herself down, using him as support. She lays her back on the carpet floor, her legs bent and knees up high and she looks down her body at her man, his cock ready at attention.