She waited for him.
While she waited she thought of him, his sweet young face, his muscular lithe frame, his dark rock star hair. How she wanted to kiss that face, to take his lips with hers. How she wanted to let her fingers slide through his long hair and press her body against his, to feel her skin against his. She wanted him, wanted to be part of him if only for the too short moments of a lovers bed.
It hadn't been his body that had attracted her at first. No, and in fact, she had not been attracted to the silly boy at first. On their first meeting, long before now, long before he should have been thinking of such things, he had told her he loved her. Of course, she had laughed it off especially after her son had told her that the boy thought she was hot. A teen infatuation with a friends mother was all it was she told herself.
Several years later, he moved into the neighborhood. Before long he spent more time at her house than at his own. His parents complained at first but he reminded them that he was 18 and they stopped, knowing it was a lost cause.
He still told her he loved her but now made no bones about what he meant by it. She still laughed it off, or tried to. She played off his advances with humor, gently mocking his advances or ignoring them all together.
His cock-sure attitude and maturity came through in their conversations and she gained respect for him,for among other things, he was dedication to his music. With respect came admiration and then suddenly she began to notice his muscles while he played and how his hair fell across his face. She noticed his strong, sure hands as he played the guitar. She found herself wishing he would play her body with as much passion.
That thought troubled her. How would her family react, how would his family react, how would society as a whole react to such a disparity of age. On reflection, she realized that his young age didn't bother her, it was societies pressures that made it taboo. Even so, she told herself, it wouldn't be right.
She did however begin to crave his company and accept his subtle advances, a touch on the leg here, a snuggle on the couch there. Then began the verbal sparring, her telling him if he were 10 years older he might be able to keep up with her, he saying he was experienced enough to satisfy.
Just as she began to drop her objections, she noticed a sharp decline in his attentions. At first she felt as if he had been playing with her emotions, but then he began talking of a girl at school. She'd never fooled herself into believing that they would have a relationship more than the odd friendship that they shared, only hoped that it might become physical. Now there was this girl in his life. She committed herself to letting her physical feelings go. To forgetting her longings and not tear herself apart over his relationship with this girl.
Her commitment to herself lasted all of 12 hours. He cuddled up to her and reignited her wants. She spoke to him, knowing how inappropriate their relationship was and not caring anymore. Could they still flirt while he dated this girl? Of course, was the answer.
So how far was too far, how far could the flirting go? As far as you like, was the answer.
She knew better. She also was fairly sure he had no idea where his untested line was. So she tested it.
She started by getting up and standing behind his chair, casually playing with his hair. He closed his eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his head and neck with her practiced hands. He laid his head back with a pleasant grin on his face. As her hands slipped down his neck onto his shoulders, she asked again how far could she go. Again the same answer.
She ran her hands across his shoulders and down his arms. His breath quickened as she ran her hands across his chest then back to his hair. She bent over reaching down his chest and bringing her face on level with his nuzzling his ear and neck. Too far? She whispered in his ear trying to contain her own quickened breath. Again he answered no.
She stood again and placed her hands on his face. He opened his eyes as she bent over him. She looked him in the eyes, her own eyes, she was sure showed the want. If they didn't the gravelly tone of her voice did, can I kiss you? She didn't hear the answer, her blood was pounding in her ears,but she knew it was positive. Bending over him her upside down lips found his. Soft at first as he met her lips with his then as passion began to overtake them their kiss became more vigorous, but then something. . .she felt his energy change.
Pulling away from his lips she nuzzled his ear again trying to form words in her muddled brain. "That's as far as I'll go without you asking me to" she whispered.
"I don't care how far you go" he whispered back.
"And Mary?"
He objected that Mary was fine with it, but she felt rather than heard the kernels of guilt and doubt begin to grow.
Just then she heard her son coming downstairs so she quickly stepped away.
As she drove him home that night he chattered and joked, changing the subjects so fast that she couldn't get the conversation back to their kiss. She had a distinct feeling that he feared telling her what she already knew. It wasn't until she pulled into his driveway that their was a pregnant pause and she jumped clumsily into it, her own worst fears playing in her head. "Are you okay with tonight?" She knew he wasn't, "I'm sorry," she said without thinking then wondered what she was sorry for.
"We'll talk about it later, k?"
"Okay," she answered feeling like a silly teenage girl who'd just embarrassed herself.
Later that night she noticed he was online but couldn't bring herself to IM him like she normally would. She was afraid that she had acted predatory and taken advantage of someone with much less experience. It was he who messaged first but mention of that evening was pointedly ignored. Finally she asked the question. "Should I have apologized? I'm in a gray area here." she wrote
"I know. I wouldn't mind it..."he wrote. For a moment she wasn't sure if the apology or the kiss was what he was talking about. As he continued she realized that it was the kiss. ". . . but to be honest. . .I felt bad. I really do love Mary and she's trusting me to an amazing point and I don't want anyone else at the moment. I don't want to hurt her in any way. You know?"
She'd known it was coming, but it still made her sad to hear it. She'd known it while she was enjoying his sweet lips. She began to grieve the flirting because even if it didn't lead anywhere, it was fun and made her feel good. She read on.
"Wanna go back to the way it was before today?" he wrote next as her heart gave a happy jump, " Maybe someday we'll do that stuff...but right now I love Mary and I can't do that to her. I hope you understand."
Now she was smiling. It boggled her mind how such a young man could gently but definitively turn her down but give her hope and promise that things wouldn't change between them. She was glad, it wasn't per say a rejection so it didn't hurt like one. In the same token he showed he was honorable and cared for both of them enough to protect them both.
"I do understand. That was part of my concern. I know you love her. I don't want to mess that up, and I don't want to mess up our friendship. I really do value that," she answered.