The Boo Signing

Book Signing

"Excuse me Miss, can you direct me to Anderson's Book Store?'.

Terry turned from her window shopping at the pottery shop to see a tall distinguished gentleman carrying a black computer bag on a strap over his shoulder.

Collecting her senses Terry responded, "Of course, it is right up this street at the next corner."

The gentleman's gaze lingered on Terry's captivating eyes but as he lifted his gaze he said, "Of course, I see the sign now, thank you very much."

Terry noted a trim figure, dressed in dark slacks with a casual button-down collared cotton shirt. He wore glasses and his short hair was a mix of blonde and gray. She was taken by his bright blue eyes though and had difficulty looking away.

The stranger looked back at Terry, subtly sizing up the trim curves as her blouse fell over her breasts and down to the curves of her hips covered by her black yoga pants.

He smiled and continued his walk and Terry found herself following him for several steps as she noted the trim solid form of his hips and thighs.

Terry turned back to the window, hoping no one noticed her gaze.

Working her way slowly up the street as she passed Anderson's she noted a poster in the window with the gentleman's casual portrait under the title "Book Signing, This Saturday." Terry smiled and even though a stop at Anderson's was standard for her on any casual walk she turned to the door to see what type of stories her new acquaintance, "Steve Thompson," had to offer.

As Terry entered, she noticed her friend Sylvia, the manager, vigorously fussing over the author as he settled behind the small table Sylvia had waiting for him. Stacks of his books, which appeared to be of the historical fiction genre stood neatly to either side with an open area in front and several fine-point "Sharpies" in an "Anderson's Book Store" mug.

Terry walked casually around the store, not wishing to distract her friend from her activity. After perusing the "New Titles" shelf and finding nothing to her liking she turned toward the door. As she moved toward the cashier's station her friend noticed and called to her.

"Terry dear, I want you to meet our featured author, Steve Thompson," she called.

Terry smiled and Steve looked up instantly recognizing the trim figure walking toward him. He pushed the chair back and stood, extending his hand.

Terry took his offered hand and said to Sylvia, "Actually we've met...sort of."

Sylvia looked quizzically at her friend and Steve laughed and turned to Sylvia and said, "Without your friend here, I might not have arrived today."

Terry smiled and as Steve explained his remark to Sylvia, Terry said, "I am quite sure you would have found the shop without my assistance. "

"Perhaps." Steve said, pausing while looking into her eyes, "but I would not have arrived in quite as happy a mood."

Terry noticed several patrons cueing up behind her and excused herself by saying, "I have a few other errands to finish in town."

Sylvia beamed and said, "But please stop back before you drive home."

Before Terry could respond Steve added, "Yes, by all means, I would enjoy chatting with you."

Terry nodded and turned past the line of readers and walked through the door. Terry didn't really have any plans this morning but there was something captivating about the tall stranger; as if he could see through to her soul. She knew she had to speak with him again.

Steve noted the stunning curve of Terry's ass in the tight pants and the delicious motion of her hips but then quickly lifted his gaze to the first customer in front of the table.

After treating herself to a quick lunch at her favorite café and buying the glazed bowl that caught her eye this morning, Terry walked back to the book shop. Sylvia saw her as she entered and came quickly to greet her.

Terry noted the empty table and seeing her glance, Sylvia said, "Steve has had a steady stream of customers since you left." "I finally had to put up an "Out to Lunch" sign to give him a break." "He's back in our breakroom and said to have you join him if you came back before he got back to the table."

Terry protested but Sylvia persisted. "He was very specific that he did not want to miss you."

Terry followed Sylvia through the door with the "Staff Only" sign and in the tiny room she saw Steve seated at the table with an empty paper wrapper from Terry's favorite café. Steve smiled instantly and stood and motioned to the empty chair next to him. Steve helped her to her chair and returned to his chair. The small confines of the room dictated the proximity of their chairs and Steve's thigh brushed against Terry's as he sat.

Sylvia, always in a hurry, said "I need to see to my customers and restock Steve's book table for the afternoon signing." "Customers are already cued up," and in a whirl was out of the room.

Terry smiled, nodded to the sandwich wrapper and said, "Sylvia and I are huge fans of Annie's sandwiches." "I see she wanted you to sample the local treats on your visit."

Steve smiled and said, "On my travels, I enjoy sampling the local delicacies," as he looked Terry straight in the eyes. Terry got the same feeling as he spoke the word "delicacies" that Steve could see into her psyche and tried to hide her interest in the author. She felt a familiar warm flush to her cheeks and hoped Steve did not notice.

Changing the subject, Terry asked, "I see you work in historical fiction." "How did you become interested in that genre?"

Steve sat back in his chair, and lifted the paper iced tea cup to his lips. Setting the cup back on the table after a long drink he said, "I always had an interest in history and got my Bachelor's in the subject." "Of course, there is no way to make a decent living in that field." "After teaching a few years, I found I had a knack for creating characters and weaving them into the period of interest." "I finished my first book during summer break and it was successful enough to help fund a graduate degree in writing."

Terry, remembering Sylvia's comment said, "I better let you get back to you adoring fans," as she smiled teasingly to Steve.

Steve, with feigned annoyance said, "Ah yes, the price of literary fame."

Steve sat upright in his chair, reminding Terry of the difference in their heights and turning to Terry said, "My schedule has me staying overnight at the Marriot before leaving tomorrow." "Would you honor me by dining with me this evening?" "....including your husband of course." He added.

Terry was caught completely off guard but before she could think, she found herself saying, "That would be lovely."

It was as if the response came from someone else. Terry would never agree so spontaneously to an offer from a stranger but the way he looked into her eyes. She felt he had control over her or more correctly, she

wanted

to cede control to him.

Steve smiled at her quick positive response and reaching into his shirt pocket, her took a business card and scribbled his personal cell phone number on the back. Handing the card to her with his right hand, he placed his left hand on her knee and she felt a flood of excitement sweep over her.

"Shall we say, 7," he asked? "Text me later and we confirm the details."

Terry desperately hoped to hide her arousal from Steve but felt her large nipples extend into the thin cups of her bra. She hoped he did not notice.

Steve stood from his chair and in the tight confines of the small room the front of his slacks were right at Terry's eye level. She could not help but notice the fullness. Reflexively, her gaze froze on the bulge in front of her and Steve paused before stepping aside allowing Terry to stand.

Terry collected her purse and shopping bag and stood. Steve reached to open the door and stepped back so that Terry could step back into the store. She was totally flushed now and could feel the moistness between her legs adding to the aching of her rock-hard nipples.

Steve said, "Follow me to the table please."

Moving the few steps to the small table and the significant line of customers, Steve grabbed a book from the stack, took one of the pens and boldly scribed his name in the cover page, closed the book and handed it to her.

In a daze Terry turned and walked out of the shop.

After pulling her car into the garage, Terry pressed the button above the dashboard and heard the whir of the garage-door motor begin its work. Terry swung her legs out of the car and stood before turning to retrieve her shopping bag from the back seat.

"How was the shopping?" she heard from across the garage.

Terry looked up to see James, her husband entering the back door, dressed in his "lawnwork" clothes and was kicking off his shoes, being careful not to track cut grass into the garage.

"It was relaxing," Terry said, but thinking of Steve, she felt her body stir.

"There was a book signing at Sylvia's and I met the author." "He invited us to dinner, did you have other plans?" she asked, looking to gaze James' reaction cautiously.

James paused for a moment and smirked. "Another one of Sylvia's boring heros?"

Terry had to admit that James had a point but added, "He writes historical fiction but he seems much more well-rounded than most of Sylvia's guests." "I know you enjoy history so I thought you might enjoy the evening."

James laughed and said, "Why not, what time?"

"He suggested 7, if that works for us." Terry added and she was already thinking about what to wear.

Terry texted Steve's number and in a moment her phone pinged in response. "SYLVIA SUGGGESTS ANGELO'S ON THE WATER, DOES THAT WORK?"

"ONE OF OUR FAVORITES" she thumbed in response.

The view of the water is relaxing yet the high back booths make quiet conversation possible. Terry knew James loved their baked catch of the day so he would be happy.

Terry stepped out of the shower and toweled her long dark hair. Wrapping a towel around her torso, she pulled her hair dryer from the top drawer. As she began brushing her hair out for the warm air of the dryer, she saw James walk past her headed for the shower. He was naked and Terry's thought flashed to the full bulge in Steve's slacks compared to the tiny appendage James sported.

Terry chose one of her favorite light cotton sun dresses in deference to the warm evening and, she had to admit, to show off her long, tan legs. A pair of sandals with open toes t show off her newly-painted toenails offered a modest heel to add some definition to her thighs and butt.

As she paused to look at herself in the mirror, James exclaimed, "You'll turn some heads this evening, darling."

Terry smiled and knew that James enjoyed seeing the reactions from other men when she dressed to impress. James fascination with positive reactions from other men was an oft-discussed fantasy topic for them during intimate moments.

As James opened the car door for Terry, she swung her long legs out of the car and the short dress rode up, high on her thigh. Terry saw James smile and she was reminded to be careful in public since she did not wear short skirts and dresses often now that she was in her early 60's. In her younger years her legs and butt had been the envy of many of her friends and she tended to wear short outfits on "girl's nights out," or when she felt particularly sexy, but those years were long behind her. Still, even she had to admit her figure had remained slender and firm and she still enjoyed the occasional chance to show off.

Terry and James walked across the crushed shell surface of the restaurant's parking lot. Angelo's was a favorite of theirs but they didn't dine there often enough to be recognized by the staff which gave Terry a welcome feeling on anonymity. As they entered the small lobby, Terry noted Steve, as he stood from the bench by the hostess' station. He smiled warmly and extended his hand in greeting to James.

Steve turned to the hostess and she escorted them to a high-backed booth near the windows but out of the flow of traffic, and noise. Steve, very comfortable and very much in charge, got a quick consensus on wine and had the waitress open a bottle for them at table-side.

After a clink of glasses, they turned to the menus and daily specials spoken by the young waitress. They quickly made meal choices and the waitress left them to their conversation. Terry found Steve to be a comfortable and fascinating dinner partner. He admitted that book tours were a necessary commitment to his publisher but he didn't relish the travel and meals alone so he seemed genuinely pleased to have dinner partners. Steve and Terry found many common interests and her voracious appetite for literature made easy conversation as the waitress kept them paced with the meal courses.

Over time, Terry noticed that James seemed to be enjoying the evening but said little and seemed happy to follow the conversation. Steve had a dominant personality but not overpowering nor arrogant. Terry thought she would describe it more as a natural confidence more than arrogance. His life story had much more than just the quick bio he gave Terry at the book shop. His history studies included internships in archeology, primarily in the early colonial period and Terry couldn't help but see him as a bit of an Indiana Jones character.

The obvious detail of his personal life, eventually came up with a tragic story of a car accident with a drunk driver as his wife brought their young son home from a visit to her parents one night while Steve was out of town. The years had helped him manage the pain but Terry moved the conversation on to other things.

Terry noted that Steve treated James more like an accessory. After initial attempts to involve him in the conversation seemed to fail, he simply turned his concentration full to Terry. He did not act rude nor dismissive of James, he seemed to simply forget about him.

As the evening moved on, Terry found herself more and more attracted to the exciting author, his good-looks notwithstanding, he was captivating and strong which was such a contrast to the diminished role James played in her life. The contrast in their personalities was stark to say the least.

As dessert arrived, Terry found herself captivated by Steve and was now finding excuses to touch his hand on the table for emphasis to a point of the conversation. In the close confine of the booth she felt an almost constant pressure of his long leg against hers under the table. Over time, Steve placed his foot between hers and almost painfully slowly, used his leg to spread her legs, looking into her eyes the entire time. Terry dared not respond for fear of exposing their game to James seated next to her.

As they enjoyed a final glass of wine, Steve addressed both Terry and James as he began to comment on their relationship. Terry was not sure where this line of conversation was going but had, by this time found herself so easily engaged by him, she just followed along. James and Steve seemed to have connected on a different level and their relationship seemed to be mutually understood.

As Steve continued Terry's mind began to race and she felt that Steve could see inside not just her but James also.

"I have always been observant of people because in my business, I need an almost endless supply of new characters," he said, smiling.

"I find the dynamic of couple's relationships particularly fascinating and I have become pretty adept at sensing aspects of their relationships that even they may not have understood," he said as he looked at Terry. Steve's gaze turned to James and as if silently communicating, James looked down at the table.

"I have really enjoyed this dinner and I sense that you both would like to continue our....interactions," he said with a pause.

Terry felt a chill pass through the thin fabric of her dress.

Steve continued. "I would like to make a proposal that I think you are interested in, but if I am wrong we can simply part with the memory of a delightful dinner shared."

Terry's heart raced.

"I need to take care of our check," he said as he turned his attention to the slips of paper on the small tray.

"I might enjoy one more drink in the bar before I retire to my room and you are both welcome to join me," he said.

Terry somehow knew there was more to the offer than just a nightcap and she felt another chill.

Steve leaned toward them slightly and looking at both of them intently, he said, "If you would like to continue the evening in the manner that I think you want to, perhaps even need to, you can meet me in the bar, if you wish to continue home instead, there will be no ill feelings." "I am however offering you an opportunity that I think you both want but would not easily find."

Steve paused. He looked at each of them and held his gaze to their eyes for several seconds.

Then he continued, "If my inclination about you is correct, join me in the lounge." "To confirm our mutual understanding," looking at Terry, he continued, "remove your panties," and now turning to James, he finished, "and bring them to me in the lounge."

Terry was stunned.

Many times James had mentioned the thought of watching Terry with another man and at times it inspired them in their lovemaking but this was real. Somehow Steve knew and when she looked James, he merely stared at Terry blankly and then stood to step out of the booth.

Watching in excited disbelief, Terry was not confident that she understood James intention nor did she know if their relationship was ready for this. But she also realized she was wet, her nipples were straining against the cups of her bra and she

wanted

to continue.

Terry slid on the bench of the booth and took James' offered hand as she stood beside him. Without a look to Steve or another word, they walked to the lobby.

They stopped at the entrance to the restrooms and Terry knew this was the moment. If she sensed hesitation in James' she would turn to the door and they would go home with a unique memory.

James looked at Terry and simply said, "I love you."

Terry paused and processed what James said...or more correctly what he didn't say.

She turned to the door of the Ladies' room and entered, found an open stall and after relieving herself, removed her tiny panties and pulled down her dress. She washed her hands and with shaking hands, retouched her makeup using the mirror and walked back to join James.

She covertly handed the tiny damp garment to him and they turned toward the lounge.