I appreciate critical reviews--both positive and negative--that relate to the specifics of the story. It's how we learn and grow. However I'll add this caveat. Let's entertain an agreement between us--I write what I like, you read what you like. We are both good, yeah!
Note that this series was written as a requested project and the person graciously decided that they wanted to share it with Lit after first read. With that said it is a slower burn story, customized for the client. Those that want to skip ahead--it gets spicy, mid chapter 2.
Obligatory Disclaimer: All characters in a sexual situation are over the age of 18.
©2025 Verisimilinude
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CAFE LUNCH WITH SOPHIE
The noon sun filtered through the leafy curtain of trees above, dappling the small wooden table where two young women sat, enjoying tea and conversation. The outdoor café hummed with the low buzz of conversations, the clinking of cups, and the occasional burst of laughter from nearby tables.
"Will there be anything else, Ms. Carter?" the male waiter asked, returning her credit card, his smile genuine as he looked down at the goddess before him.
"I think we're good, Theo. Thank you," Vanessa replied.
"Very well. Enjoy your tea. I'll be right over there if you need anything," gestured Theo with a hint of hopefulness.
Walking back to his station, Theo let his mind wander. 'Ms. Vanessa Carter. What a beauty,' he thought.
Theo knew she was married--he'd seen the wedding rings--but he still called her Ms. Carter. He liked the fantasy of her being available. The golden tint to her smooth skin, her slightly curved eyelids, and the dark eyebrows that looked like inked brushstrokes hinted at her Asian ancestry. Theo found her exotic, but it was her dimpled smile that stood out--it was a smile full of warmth and intelligence, mirrored in her chocolate-brown eyes. But it also promised a playfulness with a hint of mischief.
Her friend Sophie wasn't bad-looking either--taller by a few inches, with darker hair and higher cheekbones. But no, there was something about Vanessa that drew him in. 'What he wouldn't give to go to have one night with her,' thought Theo, before being called away to one of his other tables.
Vanessa absentmindedly stirred her iced mint tea as Sophie leaned forward and whispered covertly, "He was checking you out again."
Vanessa blushed at her friend's suggestion. "No, he wasn't. He wants a good tip," she retorted.
"Girl, don't you find it odd? Every Wednesday, and he's the only one who waits on us? He's crushing," Sophie teased.
"Quit it. Not everyone is like you, thinking about sex 24/7," laughed Vanessa, though she had to admit Theo's attention did flatter her. "Uh, I was your roomie for four years. I know your secrets, remember? You like sex just as much as me," Sophie cocked her eyebrow in mock seriousness.
"Yes, but I've got Marc. I don't need anything else," replied Vanessa.
"Being married doesn't mean other men checking you out isn't hot. I hear some men like the challenge, fucking another man's wife," winked Sophie.
"Drop it Sophie," said Vanessa, harsher than she'd intended. Sophie had struck a nerve. Marc had been less than amorous lately. Even worse was how he'd lose his erection when they did have sex. She'd been hurt by his lack of interest.
Her sexual frustration led to her reading erotic stories, for relief. She'd been reading one last night that got her worked up--about a husband sharing his wife with a male friend. Hadn't she gotten wet, teasing her clit, while fantasizing that she was that wife?
Vanessa's cheeks reddened at that memory. "So New Zealand, how was the trip?" Vanessa asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.
Sophie gave Vanessa the side-eye but knew her friend well enough to not push her. She pulled up her phone and scooted closer to Vanessa, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she scrolled through the photos on her phone. "Look at this one--this was from the Tongariro Crossing. It was insane, Vanessa. The colors in real life? Unreal. And that's me, right at the summit."
Vanessa leaned in, studying the image. The jagged volcanic landscape looked alien, a stark contrast to the soft blue sky stretching behind Sophie's windblown silhouette.
Vanessa, clearly impressed, said, "Wow, that does look incredible. You really hiked that?"
Sophie gave her a feigned expression of hurt, "Excuse you! I didn't just hike it--I conquered it. On four hours of sleep, no less. Guide had us up at 3 a.m. so we could start the trek at sunrise."
Vanessa shook her head, laughing before taking a sip of her drink. "That my friend is why I couldn't do a trip like that with you. I need my eight hours of sleep before I even think about exercise."
Sophie smirked, "Please. You could totally do it. You need to let go a little--get outside that comfortable box you've built. One trip--one real, spontaneous adventure--you'd be hooked."
Raising an eyebrow, Vanessa countered, "I do spontaneous things. I booked that boudoir shoot last month.
"You schedule your spontaneity." Sophie looked at her deadpan. "And didn't you also chicken out? Got cold-feet at the thought of a stranger seeing you in your undies?"
Vanessa opened her mouth to argue, then closed it, sighing dramatically, "Fine, I like the comfort of plans. Is that a crime?"
Sophie leaned back in her chair, playful but pointedly she responded, "No, but it's...predictable...and plain booorinng. I know you, Vanessa. You're itching for something different, you keep trying these new hobbies and then quit them. You tell me all the time how you and Marc are in a rut, but you don't do anything about it."
Vanessa frowned, letting her friend's words sink in. That stung a little, but she was right. She set her glass down. A breeze carried the scent of freshly brewed espresso through the air. "It's not that easy when you're married. Marc likes stability. And honestly, so do I. I just..."
Vanessa paused, searching for the words. "I feel like there's more out there. I don't want us to wake up in ten years and realize we played it safe the whole time."
Sophie's expression softened, but was still insistent, "Then shake it up. You don't have to climb a volcano, but challenge yourself by doing something different, something that changes the routine. A surprise getaway. A last-minute date night. A sexy photoshoot." Sophie shot Vanessa a coy smile, "Anything that reminds you life is meant to be lived."
Vanessa exhaled, staring down at the condensation forming on her glass, contemplating her friend's advice in silence. Sophie had always been the adventurous one, something Vanessa admired and envied about her.
"You know speaking of, I met this hot photographer on the New Zealand trip. He's local too. Has a studio in Dallas. Here look at the candid's he took of me," said Sophie, choosing a new album of photos.
"Those are amazing," said Vanessa. "I know right. And he's chill to talk to, very personable. The whole time we were talking, he was taking photos, it felt natural and made me feel really comfortable. Vanessa, let me call him. Set up a meet and greet. You'll like him and you don't have to decide right now, but I know he'd be great to work with. How about it?" Sophie begged with her eyes.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of her lips before Vanessa said, "You know, if I did plan to meet with him, that would technically make it...not spontaneous. Let me think about it."
Groaning at Vanessa's sarcasm, "Baby steps, Vanessa," Sophie said grinning with glee.
Vanessa laughed, shaking her head, but something in her expression shifted--thoughtful, maybe even excited. Sophie noticed the glimmer in Vanessa's eyes, she lifted her glass in a mock toast. "To the adventure you haven't planned."
"I haven't said yes...yet." Vanessa clinked her glass against Sophie's, the sound was light but filled with an air of possibility.
The ladies continued their lunch while Vanessa told Sophie about a new author she was writing some promotional copy for, as well as a few tidbits of office gossip. Vanessa finished the last sip of her iced tea as Sophie stretched her arms overhead with a satisfied sigh. The café hummed around them, but the lunch hour was slipping away. Sophie grabbed her phone and sunglasses, pushed back her chair as Vanessa followed suit.
Putting on her sunglasses, Sophie grinned, "You know...if you decide to do the shoot, we'll need a shopping trip. It's been far too long since I've forced you into something out of your comfort zone."
Stepping onto the sidewalk, Vanessa nudged Sophie and laughed, "Oh, you mean when you make me try on things I'd never wear, pretending to hate it even though I secretly love playing dress-up?"
Smirking, Sophie said, "Exactly. I need my fix of watching you twirl about in something scandalous and saying 'I could never pull off that look.'"
Pretending to pout dramatically, Vanessa sighed, "Fine. If we must. But lunch is on you."
Grabbing Vanessa's arm, Sophie steered her down the street, and said, "Deal. Prepare yourself--I see hot pink silk and satin in your future."
Vanessa groaned playfully, but her smile lingered as they walked, the Grapevine historic district buzzing around them.
Theo watched the pair of women walk away. However he only had eyes for Vanessa's curvy ass encased in the mini-flared business pants, 'Damn!' he thought, 'What a sexy ass, the right amount of bubble and it looked tight enough to bounce a quarter off of.' His fingers flexed of their own accord, wondering what it would feel like in his hands. Visions of it bouncing up and down were all too soon replaced by someone demanding his attention from a new table.
VANESSA's ROUTINE LIFE
Vanessa stepped into the house, the soft click of the door behind her barely audible over the distant hum of traffic. She exhaled, dropping her bag onto the entryway table and toeing off her wedges. The familiar scent of home--clean linen, faint traces of Marc's aftershave, and the lingering warmth of vanilla incense--wrapped around her like a cozy sweater.
