Lanie
“It’s high school, though,” I said again. “I didn’t think I would be a counselor at a high school. Elementary school, yeah. Maybe junior high. These kids are going to be, like, almost my age.”
“Mmm. You’re twenty-eight.”
“Yeah, well, I still feel like I’m twenty. Like I don’t know jack shit.”
“I think everyone feels that way.”
“Are they even going to take me seriously?”
Erica inhaled for a long time before blowing out a breath that fluffed her bangs. “Assert yourself, and they will. To high-schoolers, ten years is a big difference.”
“True.”
I remembered all the teachers from when Erica and I were in school. Half of them weren’t any older than I currently was, but they’d seemed so advanced. Back then, I figured they were all married, with kids and mortgages—three things I now still didn’t have.
Though looking for counseling jobs once I received my master’s degree after years of night classes was the obvious thing to do, getting a job offer after my first application had taken me by surprise. The interview for the position at South Seattle High School was supposed to be a warm-up, a chance to break myself into looking for a position. I hadn’t actually prepared myself for getting the job.
But now here I was, hours away from beginning the next stage of my life.
I would have never gotten there if it wasn’t for Erica. We’d met on the playground while I dawdled at the top of the slide, afraid to go down. She’d come up behind me and pushed my butt right down, and the girl had been pushing me ever since.
I would be nowhere without her.
“This is to you.” I raised my wine glass in cheers. “The best friend I’ve ever had.”
With a laugh, we clinked glasses just as her phone beeped.
“Matt?” I questioned.
“Mm-hmm,” she murmured, busy typing away on the screen. A smile tugged at her lips. She was probably telling Matt that Dirty Pirate Guy had hit on her at yoga, and did he want to meet up and have careless, public sex in order to stake his claim?
It wouldn’t have been surprising. They’d once gone to a BDSM club together—not to do anything but to watch. Still, the very thought freaked me out. Matt and Erica were spirited and adventurous, a true couple to be jealous of.
I might not have wanted to check out a sex club, but I did want what they had, a relationship full of passion, thrills, and love.
But that hadn’t happened since—wait, hold on.
Never.
Suppressing a sigh, I picked up the menu and perused the apps. I’d already tried them all, but maybe there was something new there.
“Okay. Sorry. I’m done.” Erica put the phone in her bag, but she couldn’t stop the flushed face and big smile.
“Let me guess. He’s getting the whips ready.”
“Oh, stop. You know we don’t do that.”
I set the menu down. “You’re really lucky.”
“I know.” Her smile turned into a frown. “Don’t make that face. You’ll find someone.”
Erica rubbed my arm, making me feel like a little kid who hadn’t gotten her way. I didn’t mean to pout, but it had been a long, long time since I’d had a boyfriend. A couple of years. And I’d dated a bit during that time, but school and work took up nearly all my energy. Add that to the fact that I never really clicked with anyone, and the culmination of my decade of dating ended with me sitting in a bar wondering whether I should get the artichoke dip or bruschetta while my best friend made plans to make love to her hot, billionaire-heir sex machine.
The juxtaposition was painful.
“This is a new beginning,” Erica pointed out. “A new job means a new stage of your life. Things always change all at once. That’s just the way life is. You’re all stagnant and stuck and then, bam, the world turns upside down.”
It sounded like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, but the look on Erica’s face said she sincerely believed herself.
“All right.” I nodded, raising my glass a second time. “Here’s to a leap of faith.”
“And to you finally getting some action.”
“Erica,” I muttered, burying my face in the glass and sucking down some wine. Secretly, though, I couldn’t agree with her more.
A fulfilling job. A great boyfriend. Some hot sex. It was the holy trifecta, the triangle that would make my life complete.
But I wasn’t about to hold my breath waiting.
Andrew“How are you doing?” I rubbed Lanie’s shoulder, feeling silly for asking the question.She huffed out a breath, looking out the window instead of at me.I nodded. Right, then.What was it I learned in that maternity class we took? For the life of me, I couldn’t remember one thing. My pulse was racing a million miles an hour, and all my nerves were bunching up in my stomach.Lanie exhaled again, long and low, as she had another contraction.The door opened, and the doctor strode into the room with a big smile. “Let’s check you out,” she said.Lanie just pressed her lips tight together and nodded, her face growing red.“You’re doing great, honey,” I told her.She smiled up at me, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was ready for this to be over with.Taking her hand, I held it tight as the doctor checked her dilation.“Ten centimeters,” she announced. “We’re ready to push.”“Thank god,” Lanie gasped. She gritted her teeth and squeezed my hand so tight, I thought it wa
LanieI whisked the curtains open, taking in the white beach and the sparkling blue water. Palm trees and other foliage covered the far side of the bay. A few people surfed, but other than that, the area was empty.“Oh my god,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”Andrew’s strong arms wrapped around me from behind. “Yeah?” he murmured, laying a kiss on the side of my neck.We’d gotten to the resort after dark the night before, and all I’d really gotten to see were the patios and the lobby. I’d pored over the brochure, though, listing all the things I wanted to do.“I can’t believe we’re here for a whole week.” I rested my arms against Andrew’s.“What do you want to do today?”“Mm.” I leaned against him, thinking about it some. “Sunbathe? Take a surfing lesson? I dunno. What do you want to do?”“Spend time with you.”I spun around to face him. “I like that answer.”A knock on the door made me look over his shoulder. “It’s so early. Who is that?”Andrew shrugged but couldn’t hide the knowing l
AndrewThe door of the old house opened, and Erica came out first. She smiled at everyone over her bouquet, and a low whistle came from somewhere in the crowd.“Inappropriate,” Saxton dramatically gasped under his breath. For a moment, my nerves loosened, and I almost laughed—but Raven was coming out the door then.She wore a blue dress like Erica, just cut in a different way, with the skirt longer and no sleeves. Smiling wide, she made her way down the aisle. She walked with the slightest limp, one that might have been unnoticeable if you weren’t paying attention. It was the one leftover symptom from the car wreck, something that would likely be with her for the rest of her life, as she’d broken her leg so badly.The limp didn’t get her down, though. Overall, she’d been positive about the whole thing. Now, as she reached the end of the aisle, she looked my way and absolutely glowed.Love and pride filled my heart. Our relationship had gone through some tough times, but the last six m
Andrew3 Months Later – The Wedding“Your tie looks fine,” Bob told me.“Huh?” I dragged my gaze away from the line of trees ringing the field. “What’s that?”“You were messing with your tie again.” Bob grinned. “You ever wore one of those before?”I frowned. “Almost every day.”Bob clapped me on the back. “I was kidding, Andrew. Relax.”I took in a long breath. “Sorry.”All around us, wedding guests chatted and catering staff hurried to and from. The day was amazing, a balmy June morning. The venue Raven and Lanie had discovered couldn’t be more perfect. What was once a mansion on the outskirts of the city had been turned into a preserve complete with hiking trails and a covered area for events.“Were you this nervous?” I asked, looking Bob over.I expected him to answer in the negative—Bob was just that confident about everything. I’d only asked because I needed to keep myself busy somehow. If I didn’t spend the last fifteen minutes before my wedding talking, I’d probably die of anx
LanieLast night, he’d pulled out every time and played it safe. I knew we were taking baby steps. Going from using a condom every time to suddenly doing away with them was a leap. But I was on birth control, which I’d told him, and immediate pregnancy was extremely unlikely. I just wanted to know what it felt like to have his come fill me up.“Please baby,” I moaned. “I want to feel you.”Andrew groaned above me, and his hands tightened on my ass. I was doing him over with this talk, and I knew it. He loved it. And he probably wanted the same thing I did. So I encouraged him again by looking over my shoulder and looking him in the eye as he fucked me.“Andrew,” I purred. “Fuck me until you come inside me. Please.”And he did. He bucked wildly against me, and I came as he shot his warm silky load inside me. It was what I had needed. A closeness that we’d never experienced before. He was bent over me and kissing my spine and my shoulder blades as his orgasm ebbed away and my body thrum
LanieI woke up in the morning with Andrew’s hand on my hip. I was lying on my side, and he was behind me. I could feel his cock pressed against the small of my back. His breath was on my neck, and his closeness turned me on immediately.I was always horny in the morning, and waking up next to him was intoxicating.It was early. The room wasn’t as bright as it would be at say, seven or so in the morning. It must have been earlier, maybe six, possibly just after five. But we were both awake, and I wanted to take advantage of it before I had to leave for work at eight thirty.My life had somehow mended itself. Erica’s weekend getaway had helped, and so had Andrew’s willingness to take a good hard look at himself in the mirror and figure out what he wanted and whether or not he was willing to do what it took to get it. He shifted against me and yawned deeply.“Morning,” I whispered.His hand moved around my hip to my belly, and he pulled me in closer to him. His cock shifted between my a